Universal interactive advertizing and payment system for public access electronic commerce and business related products and services

• US 6,609,102 B2
• Filed: 04/16/1999
• Issued: 08/19/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• 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:
  US09/293,129
• Publication Number:
  US 20020077889A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,586 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14, 705/26, 705/1, 700/231-244, 713/183
• US Class Current: 705/14.51
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/32 using wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/327 Short range or proximity payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0253 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• 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: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0609 Buyer or seller confidence or verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• 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 universal advertising and payment system for networking, monitoring and controlling electronic commerce and vending equipment. The system can effectuate electronic commerce and interactive advertising at the point of sale. Vending equipment includes copiers, phones, facsimile machines, printers, data-ports, laptop print stations, notebook computers, palmtop computers (PALM PILOT), microfiche devices, projectors, scanners, cameras, modems, communication access, 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. The present invention allows a user to obtain authorization for use, pay for products and services, and conFigure the vending equipment with a smart card, or magnetic card (card). Magnetic cards include smart card, credit card, debit card, pre-paid, automated teller machine (ATM) or other bank or private issued card. Users can also use a hotel room key/card or other insertion type-identifying device. Additionally, biometric identification such as hand writing, voice, finger, hand, or eye (iris scan) can be utilized to control the system.

Claims

1. A public access electronic commerce terminal for allowing a user to select and purchase a vending of at least one product or service having a purchase price through a vending machine, displaying at least one targeted advertisement having a routing criteria and for facilitating one or more electronic commerce transactions, said public access electronic commerce terminal comprising:

a display device;

a plurality of networking means adapted for communicating with Internet and non-internet networks for interconnecting said public access electronic commerce terminal to at least one of the following;

a network system, a plurality of remote locations including at least one online service location, or at least one universal server;

identification means for accepting a plurality of identification inputs associated with said user for transmission through said networking means to effectuate selectively a dynamic identification interchange of is said plurality of identification inputs;

a controller interconnected to said plurality of networking means and to said identification means for determining whether said dynamic identification interchange is required, obtaining authorization for said vending, controlling said vending of products from/services through said vending machine, interpreting said routing criteria for said at least one targeted advertisement, and storing said at least one targeted advertisement for display on said display device based upon said interpreted routing criteria;

a user input device interconnected to said controller adapted for selecting a product or service to vend, responding to said at least one targeted advertisement, accessing said at least one online service location and effectuating said one or more electronic commerce transactions;

an equipment control interface interconnected to said controller for interfacing said public access electronic terminal to said vending machine;

first determining means for determining whether a period of non-use of said electronic commerce terminal has occurred;

second determining means for determining if said period of non-use exceeds a predetermined time period and generating an output signal;

generating means for generating an error message based on said output signal from said second determining means;

a third determining means for determining if at least one of a system limit and a authorization limit of said user is at least one of reached and exceeded and generating an output based on said determination;

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

reprocessing means for reprocessing said transaction data based on said reauthorization.

2. The public access electronic commerce terminal in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

an interactive user response system interconnected to said controller for effectuating user interaction in response to said at least one targeted advertisement.

3. The public access electronic commerce terminal in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:

a transaction control device connected with said controller for receiving financial data of said user necessary to said vend of said at least one product.

4. The public access electronic commerce terminal in accordance with claim 2, wherein said interactive user response system comprises at least one of the following:

an infrared communication means, a keypad, a touch screen, a microphone, a camera, a smart card reader/writer, a magnetic card reader/writer, a debit card or prepaid card reader/writer, a room key or room card interface, a voice or handwriting capture and recognition means for accepting said user voice or handwriting, a bar code reader, or a biometric input means.

5. The public access electronic commerce terminal in accordance with claim 3, wherein said transaction control device is a coin or currency acceptor.

6. The public access electronic commerce terminal in accordance with claim 3, wherein said transaction control device is a debit card terminal.

7. The public access electronic commerce terminal in accordance with claim 3, wherein said transaction control device is a credit card terminal.

8. The public access electronic commerce terminal in accordance with claim 2, wherein said interactive user response system further comprises a touch screen.

9. The public access electronic commerce terminal in accordance with claim 2, wherein said user input device further comprises a plurality of push buttons.

10. The public access electronic commerce terminal in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a light emitting diode indicator means connected with said controller for optically communicating to said user a plurality of status conditions.

11. The public access electronic commerce terminal in accordance with claim 1, wherein said vending machine has cycle events, further comprising a vend counter control means connected with said controller for monitoring, counting, and controlling said cycle events of said vending machine.

12. The public access electronic commerce terminal in accordance with claim 1, further comprising a hardware security interface means interconnected with said controller for monitoring security of said vending machine and or said public access electronic commerce terminal.

13. The public access electronic commerce terminal in accordance with claim 1, wherein said terminal is connected to a plurality of vending machines for allowing a user to select said vend of at least one product from any one of said plurality of vending machines.

14. The public access electronic commerce terminal in accordance with claim 1, wherein said plurality of identification inputs presented by said user is a non-monetary form of identification.

15. The public access electronic commerce terminal in accordance with claim 1, wherein said public access electronic commerce terminal further comprises:

a wireless communication means interconnected with said controller for interfacing a wireless device to said public access electronic commerce terminal, said wireless device communicates at least one of the following;

said plurality of identification inputs, with said plurality of remote locations, and said plurality of universal servers.

16. The public access electronic commerce terminal in accordance with claim 1, wherein said at least one targeted advertisement is provided through said networking means to said public access electronic commerce terminal, and said at least one targeted advertisement is selected for distribution to said public access electronic commerce terminal based upon said routing criteria.

17. The public access electronic commerce terminal in accordance with claim 1, wherein said public access electronic commerce terminal completes at least one of i) selectively presenting said user with special pricing or promotional offers for said products or services based on said dynamic identification interchange, and ii) adding said electronic commerce transactions to said purchase of said vending of said at least one product or service from said vending machine.

18. The public access electronic commerce terminal in accordance with claim 1, wherein said user input device comprises a keypad.

19. The public access electronic commerce terminal in accordance with claim 1, wherein said equipment control interface comprises an equipment control means and a counter for monitoring the status of vend cycles, counting of vending events frequency of cycles, and a rate of change over time.

20. The public access electronic commerce terminal in accordance with claim 19, wherein said equipment control means comprises at least one of an opto-isolator, a relay, a switch, and a transistor.

21. The public access electronic commerce terminal in with claim 1, wherein said vending machine has a physical location and said routing criterion is interpreted based on said physical location.

22. The public access electronic commerce terminal in accordance with claim 1, wherein said vending machine is assigned to a predetermined market and said routing criterion is interpreted based on a market in which said vending machine is installed.

23. The public access electronic commerce terminal in accordance with claim 1, wherein said controller further comprises a time clock outputting a current time and said routing criterion is interpreted based on said current time.

24. The public access electronic commerce terminal in accordance with claim 1, wherein one of said plurality of identification inputs is a hotel room key/card.

25. A method of using a public access electronic commerce terminal connected to a vending machine for allowing a user to select and purchase a vending of at least one product or service having a purchase price through a vending machine, displaying at least one targeted advertisement having a routing criteria, and for facilitating one or more electronic commerce transactions, the method comprising:

a) communicating with at least one internet or non-internet network to interconnect said public access electronic commerce terminal to at least one of the following;

a network system, a plurality of remote locations including at least one online service location, or at least one universal server;

b) accepting a plurality of identification inputs at said public access electronic commerce terminal from said user and associated with said user for transmission through said at least one internet or non-internet network;

c) effectuating selectively a dynamic identification interchange of said plurality of identification inputs from said at least one internet or non-internet network with at least one of the following;

said plurality of remote locations, said network system, or said at least one universal server;

d) authorizing said user to transact the vending of products or services from said vending machine or transacting said one or more electronic commerce transactions;

e) determining if said user qualifies for special pricing or a promotional offer based on said dynamic identification interchange;

f) controlling selectively by said public access electronic commerce terminal the dispensing of products or services from said vending machine;

g) interpreting said routing criteria for said at least one targeted advertisement;

h) storing said at least one targeted advertisement for display based upon said interpreted routing criteria;

i) controlling selectively by said public access electronic commerce terminal the display of said stored at least one targeted advertisement, and the transacting of said one or more electronic commerce transactions;

j) effectuating the payment or transaction processing for products or services vended through said vending machine;

k) determining whether a period of non-use of said electronic commerce terminal has occurred;

l) determining if said period of non-use exceeds a predetermined time period;

m) generating an error message based on said determination of step l);

n) determining if at least one of a system limit and an authorization limit of a user is at least one of reached and exceeded;

o) reauthorizing the user based on said determination in step n); and

p) reprocessing said transaction data based on said reauthorization.

26. The method of using a public access electronic commerce terminal in accordance with claim 25, wherein said plurality of identification inputs presented by said user is a non-monetary form of identification.