System and method of processing credit card, e-commerce, and e-business transactions without the merchant incurring transaction processing fees or charges worldwide

• US 6,601,037 B1
• Filed: 06/17/1999
• Issued: 07/29/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: USA Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: USA Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Kolls, H. Brock
• Primary Examiner(s): Hafiz, Tariq R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): MEINECKE DIAZ, SUSANNA M
• Application Number:
  US09/334,815
• Time in Patent Office: 1,503 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14, 705/1, 705/26, 700/231-244, 713/183, 713/200-202
• US Class Current: 705/14.51
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/327 Short range or proximity payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0253 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0268 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0272 Period of advertisement exposure
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty

Abstract

The present invention relates to a processing method for nullifying transaction processing fees incurred by a merchant, for processing a wide variety of credit card, e-commerce, and e-business type transactions. In addition the present invention relates to a universal advertising and payment system and method for networking, monitoring and effectuating e-mail, e-commerce, and e-business and controlling vending equipment and applications. The system can effectuate electronic commerce and interactive advertising at the point of sale. Vending equipment includes copiers, phones (public, private, cellular), facsimile machines, printers, data-ports, laptop print stations, notebook computers, palmtop computers (PALM PILOT), microfiche devices, projectors, scanners, cameras, modems, communication access, personal data assistants (PDA'"'"'s), pagers, and other vending machines, personal computers (PC), PC terminals (NET PC), and network computers (NC). Vending equipment can be networked to each other through a first network, programmable and accessible by a PC, server, point of sale (POS) system, property or management information system (PMS/MIS), and networked to a second network. The first network and second network can be the same network. Complete control of a vending machine'"'"'s functionality including usage, control, diagnostics, inventory, and marketing data capture can be effectuated locally or by remote connection to the network. Remote connection to the network includes Internet type connections, telecommunication (telephone, ISDN, ADSL), VSAT satellite, and other wire and wireless transmission.

Claims

1. A public access electronic commerce terminal for vending products having an associated transaction data, displaying advertising and offsetting transaction processing fees, comprising:

a controller linked to a communication network;

a user input unit, operably linked to said controller, for allowing a user to input data into said controller;

a first vending unit, operably linked to said controller, for vending a product selected by said user and stored locally in said first vending unit;

identification means interconnected with said first vending unit for accepting at least one of a plurality of identification inputs from said user and for effectuating selectively a dynamic identification interchange of said at least one of said plurality of identification inputs by said communication network with said first vending unit, to effectuate payment or transaction processing for products or services vended from said first vending unit;

means for determining at least one transaction processing fee, each one of said at least one transaction processing fee being based on a selection of at least one of said products by said user and a vending of said at least one of said products to said user;

means for transmitting said at least one transaction processing fee to a remote location to determine a total transaction processing fee based on said at least one transaction processing fee;

means for displaying advertising;

means for determining a non-use period of said public access electronic commerce terminal;

means for generating an error condition of said public access electronic commerce terminal based on an output of said non-use determining means;

means for transmitting information relating to a display of said advertising by said means for displaying advertising over a period of time to said remote location;

means for determining if at least one of a system limit and an authorization limit of said user is at least one of reached and exceeded;

means for reauthorizing said user based on an output of said limit determining means; and

means for reprocessing said transaction data based on said reauthorization.

2. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said user input unit includes a coin and cash accepting unit.

3. The system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said user input unit includes a touch screen.

4. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said user input unit includes a plurality of pushbuttons.

5. The system in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a speaker and a microphone.

6. The system in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a camera.

7. The system in accordance with claim 1, further comprising an interface to a property management information system.

8. The system in accordance with claim 1, further comprising an interface to a management information system.

9. The system in accordance with claim 1, further comprising an interface to a universal server.

10. The system in accordance with claim 1, further comprising an interface to a point of sale system.

11. The system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said user input unit includes a magnetic card reader.

12. The system in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a printer.

13. The system in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a hardware security interface means.

14. The system in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a voice and handwriting capture and recognition means.

15. The system in accordance with claim 1 further comprising a second vending unit, operably linked to said controller through said communication network, for distributing products stored at a remote location.

16. The system in accordance with claim 1 further comprising means for distributing said transaction processing fee to an entity to which said transaction processing fee is owed.

17. The system in accordance with claim 1 wherein said first vending unit is capable of offering services.

18. The public access electronic commerce terminal according to claim 1, wherein said means for transmitting information determines i) a total advertising revenue based on said display of said advertising over a period of time and ii) a transaction processing fee offset based on a difference between said total transaction processing fee and said total advertising revenue.

19. A public access electronic commerce terminal for vending products having an associated transaction data, displaying advertising and offsetting transaction processing fees, for use with a vending unit, said terminal comprising:

a controller linked to a communication network;

a user input unit, operably linked to said controller, for allowing a user to input data into said controller;

said vending unit, operably linked to said controller, for vending a product selected by said user and stored locally in said vending unit;

identification means interconnected with said vending unit for accepting at least one of a plurality of identification inputs from said user and for effectuating selectively a dynamic identification interchange of said at least one of said plurality of identification inputs by said communication network with said vending unit, to effectuate payment or transaction processing for products or services vended from said vending unit;

means for determining at least one transaction processing fee, each one of said at least one transaction processing fee being based on i) a selection of at least one of said products by said user and said vending of said at least one of said products to said user and ii) said dynamic identification interchange;

means for transmitting said at least one transaction processing fee to a remote location to determine a total transaction processing fee based on said at least one transaction processing fee;

means for displaying advertising, said advertising selected for display based upon said dynamic identification interchange;

means for determining a non-use period of said public access electronic commerce terminal;

means for generating an error condition of said public access electronic commerce terminal based on an output of said non-use determining means; and

means for transmitting information relating to a display of said advertising by said means for displaying advertising over a period of time to said remote location;

means for determining if at least one of a system limit and an authorization limit of said user is at least one of reached and exceeded;

means for reauthorizing said user based on an output of said limit determining means; and

means for reprocessing said transaction data based on said reauthorization.

20. The public access electronic commerce terminal according to claim 19, wherein said means for transmitting information determines i) a total advertising revenue based on said display of said advertising over a period of time and ii) a transaction processing fee offset based on a difference between said total transaction processing fee and said total advertising revenue.