Point of sale automatic savings program contribution system

• US 6,164,533 A
• Filed: 11/12/1998
• Issued: 12/26/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Barton Patent 533 LLC
• Original Assignee: Blain Barton
• Inventors: Barton, Blain
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, MICHAEL GUNYOUNG
• Application Number:
  US09/190,567
• Time in Patent Office: 775 Days
• Field of Search: 235/380, 235/379, 235/462.43, 705/35, 705/36, 705/39
• US Class Current: 235/380
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/00 Cash registers alarm indicators G07G3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0036 Checkout procedures

Abstract

A system is provided for automatically contributing monies to a savings program upon making a purchase. Included is an input device for generating an identification signal for identifying an account holder and a monetary signal monetary amount. Also provided is a service provider connected to the input device for receiving the identification signal and the monetary signal for calculating signal representative of a savings program contribution based on the monetary amount. A saving program provider is connected to the service provider for receiving the signal representative of the savings program contribution amount and further contribute the savings program contribution to an investment of the holder of the corresponding card.

Claims

1. An article of manufacture:

a computer usable code having a computer readable program code means embodied therein for automatically contributing funds from a deposit account of an individual to a savings program account of the individual based upon debit transactions made by the individual, the computer readable program code medium in said article of manufacture comprising;

computer-readable program code for causing a computer to receive a signal representative of a payment amount from a third party, the payment amount corresponding to a debit transaction made by the individual from the third party,

computer-readable program code for causing a computer to calculate a contribution amount to the savings program account from the deposit account, the contribution amount including a difference amount between the payment amount and a next higher whole dollar amount above the payment amount, and

computer-readable program code for causing a computer to send a signal representative of the contribution amount to a saving program provider for initiating a transfer of funds from the deposit account to the savings program account equal to the contribution amount.

2. An article of manufacture as set forth in claim 1 wherein the computer-readable program code for causing a computer to calculate the contribution amount from the payment amount is further adapted to calculate a percent amount of the payment amount, and to include the percent amount in the contribution amount.

3. An article of manufacture as set forth in claim 1 wherein the contribution amount includes a total coupon amount.

4. An article of manufacture as set forth in claim 1 wherein the contribution amount includes a total change amount collected from a coin collector.

5. An article of manufacture as set forth in claim 1 wherein the contribution amount includes a telephone toll savings amount equal to savings in monetary cost of phone calls placed with a calling card.

6. A method of automatically contributing funds of an individual to a saving program of the individual based upon debit transactions made by the individual using a debit device of the individual, the method comprising:

setting up a system for automatically contributing funds from a deposit account to a savings program account;

accepting from a third party an order to withdraw a payment amount from said funds in said deposit account, said payment amount corresponding to a debit transaction made by the individual from said third party using said debit device; and

calculating a contribution amount to be transferred from said deposit account to said savings program account, the contribution amount being based upon said payment amount.

7. The method of claim 6 additionally comprising withdrawing from said funds in said deposit account a sum amount equal to said payment amount and said contribution amount.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said step of withdrawing comprises transferring said payment amount to said third party for payment of said debit transaction, and transferring said contribution amount to said savings program account.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein said step of setting up includes opening said deposit account for holding funds accessible using a debit device.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein said step of setting up includes establishing said savings program account for receiving funds.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said savings program account comprises a retirement savings account.

12. The method of claim 6 wherein said step of setting up includes accepting deposit of funds into said deposit account.

13. The method of claim 6 wherein said step of setting up includes issuing a debit device for authorizing withdrawal of said funds from said deposit account.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein issuing said debit device comprises providing a debit card.

15. The method of claim 6 wherein calculating the contribution amount includes determining a difference amount between said payment amount and a next higher whole dollar amount above said payment amount, and setting said contribution amount equal to said difference amount.

16. The method of claim 6 wherein calculating the contribution amount includes determining a percent amount of said payment amount by multiplying said payment amount by a predetermined savings percentage, adding said percent amount and said payment amount to determine a total amount, rounding up said total amount to the next higher whole dollar amount above said total amount to determine a final amount, subtracting said payment amount from said final amount, and setting the difference equal to said contribution amount.

17. A method of automatically contributing funds of an individual to a savings program of the individual based upon debit transactions made by the individual using a debit device of the individual, the method comprising:

setting up a system for automatically contributing funds from a deposit account to a savings program account, wherein said step of setting up includes;

opening said deposit account for holding funds accessible using a debit device;

establishing said savings program account for receiving funds, wherein said savings program account comprises a retirement savings account;

accepting deposit of funds into said deposit account;

issuing a debit device for authorizing withdrawal of said funds from said deposit account;

accepting from a third party an order to withdraw a payment amount from said funds in said deposit account, said payment amount corresponding to a debit transaction made by the individual from said third party using said debit device;

calculating a contribution amount to said savings program account based upon said payment amount, wherein calculating the contribution amount includes

determining a difference amount between said payment amount and a next higher whole dollar amount above said payment amount, and setting said contribution amount equal to said difference amount;

withdrawing from said funds in said deposit account a sum amount equal to said payment amount and said contribution amount, said step of withdrawing comprising;

transferring said payment amount to said third party for payment of said debit transaction; and

transferring said contribution amount to said savings program account.