Methods and apparatuses for purchasing telephone calling card minutes using an electronic commerce kiosk and for conducting other forms of electronic commerce

• US 7,014,108 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2003
• Issued: 03/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Coinstar Asset Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Coinstar E-Payment Services Incorporated (Millennium Prime, Inc.)
• Inventors: Boyle, Michael J., Sorenson, Timothy N.
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, UYEN CHAU N
• Application Number:
  US10/414,826
• Publication Number:
  US 20040031847A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,071 Days
• Field of Search: 235379-381, 235/383, 235/384, 705/16
• US Class Current: 235/381
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/18 involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/08 Counting total of coins inserted

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for purchasing telephone calling card minutes and for conducting other forms of electronic commerce. In one embodiment, a method for conducting electronic commerce includes providing a kiosk in a publicly accessible location, and displaying one or more transaction options to a user at the kiosk. The method may further include receiving a transaction selection from the user corresponding to one or more of the displayed transaction options, determining an amount due from the user in response to the transaction selection, and receiving funds from the user. In response to receiving the funds, the kiosk may dispense a redeemable voucher to the user, including a redeemable voucher for any amount paid in excess of the amount due.

Claims

1. A method for use by an electronic commerce kiosk for selling prepaid telephone service, the method comprising:

providing an electronic commerce kiosk in a publicly accessible location;

displaying one or more purchase options to a user at the kiosk corresponding to one or more types of telephone usage;

receiving a purchase selection from the user at the kiosk corresponding to at least one of the displayed purchase options;

determining an amount due from the user in response to receiving the purchase selection;

receiving a plurality of randomly oriented coins substantially simultaneously in a coin input region of the kiosk to at least partially pay for the selected purchase;

subtracting the amount due from a sum of the received coins to determine a difference;

when the difference is greater than zero, automatically dispensing a voucher to the user at the kiosk in the absence of dispensing monetary currency to the user, wherein the voucher is at least redeemable for additional purchases selected at the kiosk;

when the user desires to cancel the purchase selection after receiving the coins, receiving a user input indicating that the user wishes to cancel the purchase selection; and

in response to receiving the user input canceling the purchase selection, dispensing a voucher to the user, wherein the voucher is redeemable for a value related to the sum of the received coins.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein dispensing the voucher to the user includes automatically dispensing a voucher to the user in the absence of receiving a user input at the kiosk requesting the voucher.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving additional funds including paper currency from the user.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving additional funds by reading a magnetic card provided by the user at the kiosk.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a first voucher from the user at the kiosk to at least partially pay for the selected transaction, and wherein dispensing the voucher to the user at the kiosk includes dispensing a second voucher to the user.

6. A method for conducting electronic commerce, the method comprising:

providing an electronic commerce kiosk in a publicly accessible location;

displaying one or more transaction options to a user at the kiosk;

receiving a transaction selection from the user at the kiosk corresponding to at least one of the displayed transaction options;

determining an amount due from the user in response to receiving the transaction selection;

receiving a plurality of randomly oriented coins substantially simultaneously in a coin input region of the kiosk to at least partially pay for the selected transaction;

subtracting the amount due from a sum of the received coins to determine a difference;

when the difference is greater than zero, dispensing a voucher to the user at the kiosk in the absence of dispensing monetary currency to the user, wherein the voucher is redeemable for a value at least generally corresponding to the difference between the funds received and the amount due;

when the user desires to cancel the transaction selection after receiving the coins, receiving a user input indicating that the user wishes to cancel the transaction selection; and

in response to receiving the user input canceling the transaction selection, dispensing a voucher to the user, wherein the voucher is redeemable for a value related to the sum of the received coins.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein dispensing the voucher to the user includes automatically dispensing a voucher to the user in the absence of receiving a user input at the kiosk requesting the voucher.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising receiving additional funds comprising paper currency from the user.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising receiving additional funds by reading a magnetic card provided by the user at the kiosk.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising receiving a first voucher from the user at the kiosk to at least partially pay for the selected transaction, and wherein dispensing the voucher to the user at the kiosk includes dispensing a second voucher to the user.

11. The method of claim 6 wherein dispensing the voucher to the user includes dispensing a voucher that is redeemable at the kiosk by the user for another transaction.

12. The method of claim 6 wherein the transaction selection is a first transaction selection, wherein the amount due from the user is a first amount due, wherein the funds received from the user are first funds, wherein the voucher is a first voucher, and wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a second transaction selection from the user at the kiosk;

determining a second amount due from the user in response to receiving the second transaction selection;

receiving second funds from the user at the kiosk to at least partially pay for the second selected transaction, the second funds including the first voucher;

subtracting the second amount due from the second funds received to determine a difference; and

when the difference is greater than zero, dispensing monetary currency to the user at the kiosk.

13. The method of claim 6 wherein:

receiving a transaction selection from the user includes receiving an indication that the user wishes to purchase telephone usage time for an amount due equivalent to a first monetary amount;

receiving coins from the user includes receiving funds equivalent to a second monetary amount, the second monetary amount being greater than the first monetary amount; and

dispensing the voucher to the user includes dispensing a voucher redeemable for a value at least generally equivalent to the difference between the first and second monetary amounts.

14. The method of claim 6 wherein:

receiving a transaction selection from the user includes receiving a first transaction selection indicating that the user wishes to purchase telephone usage time for an amount due equivalent to a first monetary amount;

receiving coins from the user includes receiving funds equivalent to a second monetary amount, the second monetary amount being greater than the first monetary amount;

dispensing a voucher to the user includes dispensing a first voucher redeemable for a value at least generally equivalent to a difference between the first and second monetary amounts, the difference between the first and secondary monetary amounts calculated by subtracting the first monetary amount from the second monetary amount; and

wherein the method further comprises;

receiving a second transaction selection from the user at the kiosk indicating that the user wishes to purchase additional telephone usage time; and

receiving the first voucher from the user at the kiosk to at least partially pay for the second selected transaction.

15. A method in an electronic commerce kiosk for providing a voucher to a user, the method comprising:

calculating a total amount due from the user for a selected transaction;

receiving a plurality of randomly oriented coins substantially simultaneously as payment from the user for the transaction;

determining whether the payment received exceeds the amount due;

when the payment received exceeds the amount due, dispensing a voucher to the user, wherein the voucher is redeemable for an amount the received payment exceeds the amount due;

when the user desires to cancel the transaction after receiving the coins, receiving a user input indicating that the user wishes to cancel the transaction; and

in response to receiving the user input canceling the transaction, dispensing a voucher to the user, wherein the voucher is redeemable for an amount at least generally equivalent to the payment received from the user.

16. An apparatus for selling telephone service time in a publicly accessible location, the apparatus comprising:

an input region configured to receive a plurality of randomly oriented coins substantially simultaneously;

a monetary currency discriminator configured to receive monetary currency from the input region; and

a voucher dispenser in the absence of a monetary currency output region, the voucher dispenser configured to dispense a redeemable voucher at least partially in response to receiving user input to cancel a transaction after receiving monetary currency in the input region.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a magnetic card reader.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the kiosk is coupled to a server computing device through a communications network.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the communications network is a private communications network.

20. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the communications network is a public communications network.

21. A system for conducting electronic commerce in a publicly accessible location, the system comprising:

means for displaying one or more transaction options to a user at a kiosk;

means for receiving a transaction selection from the user at the kiosk corresponding to at least one of the displayed transaction options;

means for determining an amount due from the user in response to receiving the transaction selection;

means for receiving a plurality of randomly oriented coins substantially simultaneously to at least partially pay for the selected transaction;

means for subtracting the amount due from a sum of the received coins to determine a difference;

when the difference is greater than zero, means for dispensing a voucher to the user at the kiosk in the absence of dispensing monetary currency to the user, wherein the voucher is redeemable for a value at least generally corresponding to the difference between the funds received and the amount due;

when the user desires to cancel the selected transaction after receiving the coins, means for receiving a user input indicating that the user wishes to cancel the selected transaction, and in response to receiving the user input canceling the selected transaction, dispensing a voucher to the user, wherein the voucher is redeemable for an amount at least generally equivalent to the payment received from the user.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the means for dispensing a voucher to the user includes means for automatically dispensing a voucher to the user in the absence of receiving a user input at the kiosk requesting the voucher.

23. The system of claim 21 wherein the means for receiving coins from the user includes means for receiving additional funds including paper currency from the user.

24. The system of claim 21 wherein the means for receiving coins from the user further includes means for receiving a first voucher from the user at the kiosk to at least partially pay for the selected transaction, and wherein the means for dispensing a voucher to the user at the kiosk includes means for dispensing a second voucher to the user.

25. The system of claim 21 wherein the means for dispensing a voucher to the user includes means for dispensing a voucher that is redeemable at the kiosk by the user for another transaction.

26. The method of claim 21 wherein the transaction selection is a first transaction selection, wherein the amount due from the user is a first amount due, wherein the coins received from the user are first funds, wherein the voucher is a first voucher, and wherein the system further comprises:

means for receiving a second transaction selection from the user at the kiosk;

means for determining a second amount due from the user in response to receiving the second transaction selection;

means for receiving second funds from the user at the kiosk to at least partially pay for the second selected transaction, the second funds including the first voucher;

means for subtracting the second funds received from the second amount due to determine a difference; and

when the difference is greater than zero, means for dispensing monetary currency to the user at the kiosk.

27. The method of claim 21 wherein:

the means for receiving a transaction selection from the user includes means for receiving a first transaction selection indicating that the user wishes to purchase telephone usage time for an amount due equivalent to a first dollar amount;

the means for receiving coins from the user further includes means for receiving funds equivalent to a second dollar amount, the second dollar amount being greater than the first dollar amount;

the means for dispensing a voucher to the user includes means for dispensing a first voucher redeemable for a value at least generally equivalent to the difference between the first and second dollar amounts; and

wherein the system further comprises;

means for receiving a second transaction selection from the user at the kiosk indicating that the user wishes to purchase additional telephone usage time; and

means for receiving the first voucher from the user at the kiosk to at least partially pay for the second selected transaction.