Cash withdrawal from ATM via videophone

• US 7,040,533 B1
• Filed: 03/08/2004
• Issued: 05/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Diebold Nixdorf, Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Diebold Incorporated (Diebold Nixdorf, Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ramachandran, Natarajan
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Thien M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TAYLOR, APRIL ALICIA
• Application Number:
  US10/795,926
• Time in Patent Office: 792 Days
• Field of Search: 235379-381, 705/17, 705/35, 705/39, 705 41- 43
• US Class Current: 235/379
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/08 using markings of different kinds or more than one marking of the same kind in the same record carrier, e.g. one marking being sensed by optical and the other by magnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0004 Hybrid readers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/341 Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0886 the card reader being portable for interacting with a POS or ECR in realizing a payment transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system

Abstract

Apparatus and method for purchasing an item via a self-service checkout at a merchant store. The item is associated with a bar code and an anti-theft device. A customer uses their phone to establish communication with the store'"'"'s transaction host. The phone includes a camera and a programmable memory. The memory includes customer account data. The camera is used to capture and transmit an image of the bar code to the host. The host determines the item'"'"'s cost from the received bar code image. The customer can wirelessly transmit their account data from the phone to an in-store terminal. The terminal can transmit the account data to the host. The host can accept and use the account data in payment for the item. After customer payment for the item, the host causes the anti-theft device to be neutralized.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

(a) receiving a request for requesting an amount of cash from a transaction system, wherein the amount of cash has a cash value, wherein the transaction system includes a network, wherein the network includes at least one ATM, wherein the at least one ATM includes at least one cash dispenser device;

(b) receiving with the transaction system a transmitted financial customer account number from a portable hand-held device via wireless communication, wherein the hand-held device includes programmable memory, wherein the memory includes the customer account number data;

(c) associating at least the cash value to the customer account number as payment for the amount of cash; and

(d) operating the at least one ATM to dispense via the at least one cash dispenser device an amount of cash corresponding to the request received in step (a).

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the hand-held device comprises a phone, wherein (b) includes transmitting data via the phone.

3. The method according to claim 2 and further comprising

(e) prior to (a), establishing communication between the phone and the transaction system.

4. The method according to claim 3 wherein (e) includes dialing a phone number with the phone to establish communication between the phone and the transaction system.

5. The method according to claim 2 wherein (a) includes requesting an amount of cash via the phone.

6. The method according to claim 5 wherein (a) includes transmitting data corresponding to an ATM identifier via the phone, wherein the ATM identifier corresponds to a particular ATM.

7. The method according to claim 6 wherein the phone includes a camera, and further comprising

(e) capturing an image of the ATM identifier via the camera.

8. The method according to claim 7 wherein (a) includes transmitting data corresponding to the image to the transaction system via the phone.

9. The method according to claim 8 wherein (a) includes transmitting the image to the transaction payment system via the phone.

10. The method according to claim 1 wherein the memory includes at least one of charge account data and debit account data, wherein (b) includes transmitting charge account data or debit account data.

11. The method according to claim 10 wherein the memory includes signature data, wherein (b) includes transmitting signature data.

12. The method according to claim 1 and further comprising

(e) prior to (c), determining via the transaction system that the transmitted data is acceptable in payment for the requested amount of cash.

13. A method comprising:

(a) requesting an amount of cash from a transaction system via a phone, wherein the amount of cash has a cash value, wherein the transaction system includes a network, wherein the network includes at least one ATM, including transmitting data corresponding to a particular ATM via the phone;

(b) transmitting account data corresponding to a customer account from a portable hand-held device via wireless communication to the transaction system, wherein the hand-held device includes programmable memory, wherein the memory includes the account data, wherein the hand-held device comprises the phone, wherein the phone transmits data;

(c) associating at least the cash value to the customer account as payment for the amount of cash;

(d) enabling the at least one ATM to dispense the requested cash; and

(e) determining the ability of the particular ATM to dispense the requested amount of cash.

14. The method according to claim 13 including performing (e) prior to (b).

15. A method comprising:

(a) receiving from a portable hand-held device via wireless communication, a request that a particular ATM dispense an amount of cash wherein the request includes image data corresponding to an identifier of the particular ATM; and

(b) responsive to authorization of the request instructing an ATM corresponding to the identifier to dispense cash corresponding to the amount requested in step (a).

16. The method according to claim 15 wherein step (a) includes receiving the request with a transaction system, wherein the transaction system is associated with a network, wherein the network includes a plurality of ATMs, and further comprising:

(c) determining with the transaction system which ATM in the network corresponds to the identifier received in step (a); and

wherein step (b) includes instructing the ATM determined in step (c) to dispense the cash corresponding to the amount requested in step (a).

17. A method comprising:

(a) receiving with a transaction system including at least one ATM, data corresponding to a customer account and a customer request for an amount of cash via a portable hand-held device, including receiving data corresponding to a particular ATM, wherein the amount of cash has a cash value;

(b) subsequent to step (a), operating the system to make a particular cash dispense code customer-available responsive to payment association of at least the cash value to the customer account; and

(c) subsequent to step (a), operating the system to instruct the particular ATM to dispense cash corresponding to the amount requested in step (a) responsive to receiving the code from a customer.

18. The method according to claim 17 wherein step (a) includes receiving the data corresponding to a customer account via wireless communication.

19. The method according to claim 18 wherein the portable hand-held device includes a phone.

20. The method according to claim 19 wherein step (b) includes transmitting the code from the transaction system to the phone.

21. The method according to claim 17 wherein the transaction system includes a network, wherein the network includes a plurality of ATMs, wherein step (c) includes operating the network to instruct the particular ATM and at least one other ATM on the network to dispense cash corresponding to the amount requested in step (a) responsive to receiving the code.

22. The method according to claim 17 and further comprising:

(d) subsequent to step (c), receiving with the particular ATM the code from a customer; and

(e) responsive to step (d), operating the particular ATM to dispense cash corresponding to the amount requested in step (a).

23. A method comprising:

(a) establishing communication between a phone and a cash dispensing system;

wherein the phone includes a camera and programmable memory, wherein the camera is operative to capture at least one image, wherein the memory includes account data corresponding to a customer account;

wherein the system includes a network, wherein the network includes at least one ATM, wherein an ATM is located in a retail establishment;

(b) requesting cash from the system via the phone, wherein the requested cash has a cost associated therewith;

(c) operating the camera to capture an image of an ATM identifier uniquely corresponding to the ATM;

(d) transmitting data corresponding to the image from the phone to the system;

(e) transmitting the account data from the phone to the system via wireless communication;

(f) associating the cost to the customer account as compensation for the requested cash; and

(g) operating the network to instruct the ATM to dispense the requested cash.