Kiosk having a people presence detector to determine if a kiosk item is to be presented to a customer

• US 6,619,545 B2
• Filed: 01/15/2002
• Issued: 09/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Harris, Richard Hunter
• Primary Examiner(s): Frech, Karl D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Labaze, Edwyn
• Application Number:
  US10/047,000
• Publication Number:
  US 20030132287A1
• Time in Patent Office: 609 Days
• Field of Search: 235/379, 235/381, 235/481, 235/486, 194/216, 194/217, 705/43, 705/14, 902/4, 902/8, 902/14, 364/401, 364/405
• US Class Current: 235/381
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/201 Accessories of ATMs
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/002 Vending machines being part of a centrally controlled network of vending machines

Abstract

A method and system for a kiosk to present a kiosk item, e.g., document, money, merchandise, credit card, to a customer. A determination may be made as to whether the customer is currently present via an infrared device configured to detect the presence of a customer. If the customer is not present, then the kiosk item, e.g., document, money, merchandise, credit card, may not be presented to the customer. By not presenting the kiosk item, security/privacy may be improved since the next customer would not be able to obtain the kiosk item that was never presented to an unavailable customer.

Claims

1. A method for a kiosk to present a document to a customer comprising the steps of:

conducting a transaction with said customer;

printing said document detailing information of said transaction inside said kiosk; and

determining if said customer is present upon said step of printing said document detailing information of said transaction inside said kiosk, and ejecting said document into a receptacle located inside said kiosk if said customer is not present.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising the step of:

feeding said document outside said kiosk if said customer is present.

3. The method as recited in claim 2 further comprising the step of:

determining whether said document was taken by said customer within a predetermined period of time.

4. The method as recited in claim 3, wherein if said document was not taken by said customer within said predetermined period of time, then the method further comprises the steps of:

retracting said document into said kiosk; and

dispensing said document into a receptacle located inside said kiosk.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said step of determining if said customer is present further comprises receiving a signal from an infrared device.

6. A kiosk, comprising:

a memory unit operable for storing a program operable for presenting a document to a customer; and

a processor coupled to said memory unit, wherein said processor, responsive to said program, comprises;

circuitry operable for conducting a transaction with said customer;

circuitry operable for printing said document detailing information of said transaction inside said kiosk; and

circuitry operable for determining if said customer is present upon printing said document detailing information of said transaction inside said kiosk, and circuitry operable for ejecting said document into a receptacle located inside said kiosk if said customer is not present.

7. The system as recited in claim 6, wherein said processor further comprises:

circuitry operable for feeding said document outside said kiosk if said customer is present.

8. The system as recited in claim 7, wherein said processor further comprises:

circuitry operable for determining whether said document was taken by said customer within a predetermined period of time.

9. The system as recited in claim 8, wherein if said document was not taken by said customer within said predetermined period of time, then said processor further comprises:

circuitry operable for retracting said document into said kiosk; and

circuitry operable for dispensing said document into a receptacle located inside said kiosk.

10. The system as recited in claim 6 further comprises:

an infrared device coupled to said processor, wherein said infrared device is configured to detect a presence of said customer, wherein said circuitry operable for determining if said customer is present is operable for receiving a signal from said infrared device.

11. A kiosk, comprising:

means for conducting a transaction with a customer;

means for printing a document detailing information of said transaction inside said kiosk; and

means for determining if said customer is present upon printing said document detailing information of said transaction inside said kiosk, and means for ejecting said document into a receptacle located inside said kiosk if said customer is not present.

12. The system as recited in claim 11 further comprises:

means for feeding said document outside said kiosk if said customer is present.

13. The system as recited in claim 12 further comprises:

means for determining whether said document was taken by said customer within a predetermined period of time.

14. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein if said document was not taken by said customer within said predetermined period of time, then said system further comprises:

means for retracting said document into said kiosk; and

means for dispensing said document into a receptacle located inside said kiosk.

15. A method for a kiosk to present a document to a customer comprising the steps of:

conducting a transaction with said customer;

determining if said customer is present; and

determining whether to print said document in response to said determination if said customer is present, and determining that if said customer is not present, said document may be ejected into a receptacle located inside said kiosk.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein if said customer is present, then said document is printed.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein said document is presented to said customer.

18. The method as recited in claim 17 further comprising the step of:

determining whether said document was taken by said customer within a predetermined period of time.

19. The method as recited in claim 18, wherein if said document was not taken by said customer within said predetermined period of time, then the method further comprises the steps of:

retracting said document into said kiosk; and

dispensing said document into a receptacle located inside said kiosk.

20. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein said step of determining if said customer is present further comprises receiving a signal from an infrared device.

21. A system, comprising:

a memory unit operable for storing a program operable for presenting a document to a customer; and

a processor coupled to said memory unit, wherein said processor, responsive to said program, comprises;

circuitry operable for conducting a transaction with said customer;

circuitry operable for determining if said customer is present; and

circuitry operable for determining whether to print said document in response to said determination if said customer is present; and

circuitry operable for ejecting said document into a receptacle located inside said kiosk if said customer is not present.

22. The system as recited in claim 21, wherein if said customer is present, then said processor further comprises:

circuitry operable for printing said document.

23. The system as recited in claim 22, wherein said document is presented to said customer.

24. The system as recited in claim 23, wherein said processor further comprises:

circuitry operable for determining whether said document was taken by said customer within a predetermined period of time.

25. The system as recited in claim 24, wherein if said document was not taken by said customer within said predetermined period of time, then said processor further comprises:

circuitry operable for retracting said document into said kiosk; and

circuitry operable for dispensing said document into a receptacle located inside said kiosk.

26. The system as recited in claim 21, wherein said system further comprises:

an infrared device coupled to said processor, wherein said infrared device is configured to detect a presence of said customer, wherein said circuitry operable for determining if said customer is present is operable for receiving a signal from said infrared device.

27. A system, comprising:

means for conducting a transaction with said customer;

means for determining if said customer is present; and

means for determining whether to print said document in response to said determination if said customer is present,

and means for ejecting said document into a receptacle located inside said kiosk if said customer is not present.

28. The system as recited in claim 27, wherein if said customer is present, then said document is printed.

29. The system as recited in claim 28, wherein said document is presented to said customer.

30. The system as recited in claim 29, wherein said system further comprises:

means for determining whether said document was taken by said customer within a predetermined period of time.

31. The system as recited in claim 30, wherein if said document was not taken by said customer within said predetermined period of time, then said system further comprises:

means for retracting said document into said kiosk; and

means for dispensing said document into a receptacle located inside said kiosk.

32. A method for a kiosk to present a kiosk item to a customer comprising the steps of:

conducting a transaction with said customer;

determining if said customer is present; and

determining whether to present said kiosk item in response to said determination if said customer is present,

and determining that if said customer is not present, said document may be ejected into a receptacle located inside said kiosk.

33. The method as recited in claim 32, wherein if said customer is present, then said kiosk item is presented to said customer.

34. The method as recited in claim 33, further comprising the step of:

determining whether said kiosk item was taken by said customer within a predetermined period of time.

35. The method as recited in claim 34, wherein if said kiosk item was not taken by said customer within said predetermined period of time, then the method further comprises the steps of:

retracting said kiosk item into said kiosk; and

dispensing said kiosk item into a receptacle located inside said kiosk.

36. The method as recited in claim 32, wherein said step of determining if said customer is present further comprises receiving a signal from an infrared device.

37. The method as recited in claim 32, wherein said kiosk item comprises a credit card.

38. The method as recited in claim 32, wherein said kiosk item comprises merchandise.

39. The method as recited in claim 32, wherein said kiosk item comprises money.

40. A system, comprising:

a memory unit operable for storing a program operable for presenting a kiosk item to a customer; and

a processor coupled to said memory unit, wherein said processor, responsive to said program, comprises;

circuitry operable for conducting a transaction with said customer;

circuitry operable for determining if said customer is present; and

circuitry operable for determining whether to present said kiosk item in response to said determination if said customer is present, and circuitry operable for ejecting said document into a receptacle located inside said kiosk if said customer is not present.

41. The system as recited in claim 40, wherein if said customer is present, then said processor further comprises:

circuitry operable for presenting said kiosk item to said customer.

42. The system as recited in claim 41, wherein said processor further comprises:

circuitry operable for determining whether said kiosk item was taken by said customer within a predetermined period of time.

43. The system as recited in claim 41, wherein if said kiosk item was not taken by said customer within said predetermined period of time, then said processor further comprises:

circuitry operable for retracting said kiosk item into said kiosk; and

circuitry operable for dispensing said kiosk item into a receptacle located inside said kiosk.

44. The system as recited in claim 40, wherein said system further comprises:

an infrared device coupled to said processor, wherein said infrared device is configured to detect a presence of said customer, wherein said circuitry operable for determining if said customer is operable for receiving a signal from said infrared device.

45. The system as recited in claim 40, wherein said kiosk item comprises a credit card.

46. The system as recited in claim 40, wherein said kiosk item comprises merchandise.

47. The system as recited in claim 40, wherein said kiosk item comprises money.