METHODS, DEVICES AND BANK COMPUTERS FOR CONSUMERS USING COMMUNICATORS TO WIRE FUNDS TO SELLERS AND VENDING MACHINES

• US 20130254046A1
• Filed: 05/20/2013
• Published: 09/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xylon LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Wireless Commerce LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Kavounas, Gregory T.
• Granted Patent: US 8,799,156 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/108 Remote banking, e.g. home banking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/327 Short range or proximity payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/42 Confirmation, e.g. check or permission by the legal debtor of payment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 5/18 specially adapted for controlling several coin-freed apparatus from one place
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/001 Interfacing with vending machines using mobile or wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/002 Vending machines being part of a centrally controlled network of vending machines

Abstract

Methods for consumers to pay at the point of sale by using a personal communicator to wire transfer funds out of their bank account. The communicator is coupled to, and exchanges signals with a reciprocating communicator of the seller, which in turn is coupled to the seller'"'"'s bank. This way the money is transferred as an EFT payment code directly from the buyer'"'"'s bank to the seller'"'"'s bank, where it may be considered direct deposited, without processing delays. Devices also include vending machines that can receive payment this way. Bank computers are provided with systems and software for enabling the above. The bank computers are accessible by telephone lines, and work with cooperating banks by exchanging signals, for transferring the funds. The seller'"'"'s bank generates a payment confirmation code that is ultimately transmitted to the seller'"'"'s satisfaction for releasing the goods at the point of sale.

Claims

1. A method for a vendor to collect payment from a buyer, the method comprising:

receiving a communications device of the buyer at a point of sale device;

providing, with the point of sale device, at least one first electronic signal indicative of a payment amount to the communications device, wherein the communications device is configured to communicate with a first financial institution;

providing, with the point of sale device, at least one second electronic signal indicative of an identity of a second financial institution to the communications device, wherein the communications device is further configured to instruct the first financial institution to communicate with the second financial institution; and

receiving an electronic payment confirmation at the point of sale device from the communications device, wherein the electronic payment confirmation was generated by the second financial institution and provided to the communications device from the first financial institution.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

entering the payment amount into the point of sale device to generate the at least one first signal indicative of the payment amount.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying the payment amount on an electronic display of the point of sale device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said receiving a communications device of the buyer at a point of sale device comprises:

receiving the communications device at a coupler of the point of sale device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the communications device comprises a telephone and wherein the at least one first electronic signal comprises at least one audio signal.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

releasing goods in response to receiving the electronic payment confirmation.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing at least one third electronic signal indicative of a bank account at the second financial institution associated with the vendor to the communications device.

8. A method, comprising:

establishing communication between a first agent and a point of sale device using a communicator associated with a consumer;

causing, via the communicator, payment to be provided from the first agent to a second agent; and

receiving, via the communicator, a confirmation of the payment with the point of sale device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the confirmation of the payment is generated by the second agent and provided by the first agent.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein causing, via the communicator, payment to be provided from a first agent to a second agent comprises:

providing an infrared signal from the point of sale device to the communicator.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the first agent comprises a consumer agent and the second agent comprises a vendor agent.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein said establishing communication between a first agent and a point of sale device using a communicator associated with a consumer comprises:

receiving the communicator at a coupler of the point of sale device.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein said causing, via the communicator, payment to be provided from a first agent to a second agent comprises:

causing the first agent to provide at least one of money or credit to the second agent.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein said causing, via the communicator, payment to be provided from a first agent to a second agent comprises:

providing a payment authorization code to the first agent.

15. An apparatus, comprising:

a point of sale device configured to receive a communications device, wherein the point of sale device is further configured to provide a first signal to a first agent using the communications device to cause the first agent to provide funds to a second agent, the point of sale device further configured to receive a second signal generated by the second agent through the communications device and to determine whether the funds were provided from the first agent to the second agent based, at least in part, on the second signal.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the first agent comprises a consumer agent and the second agent comprises a vendor agent.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the point of sale device is further configured to provide an item to a consumer responsive, at least in part, to determining that the funds were provided from the first agent to the second agent.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein at least one of the first signal or the second signal comprises an audio signal.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the first signal is indicative of a payment amount, the second agent, or a combination thereof.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the point of sale device comprises an ATM, a cash register, a parking meter, or a combination thereof.