Method for revaluing a phone card

• US 7,089,209 B1
• Filed: 06/22/2000
• Issued: 08/08/2006
• 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): Patel, Jagdish
• Application Number:
  US09/599,078
• Time in Patent Office: 2,238 Days
• Field of Search: 705/16, 705/17, 705/38, 705/39, 705/41, 705/65, 705/66, 705/403, 705/1, 705/14, 705/26, 705/44, 709/217, 709/219, 709/313, 713/183, 713200-202
• US Class Current: 705/39
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/105 involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/326 Payment applications installed on the mobile devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/327 Short range or proximity payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/018 Certifying business or products
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0222 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• 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: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof
• 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 method for revaluing a phone card by way of an electronic commerce terminal system. The method comprise the steps of: communicating transaction data from the phone card to a universal server, with the universal server retrieving further user identification from a database based on a dynamic identification interchange within the universal server; evaluating the validity of the transaction data at the universal server; processing the transaction data and the first form and/or the further form of the user identification information; identifying the at least one user account; requesting and transferring funds either between a first one of the at least one user account and a second one of the at least one user account or between the at least one user account and the phone card to increase the value of the phone card, based on the dynamic identification interchange within the universal server.

Claims

1. A phone card revaluing method for altering the value of a user'"'"'s phone card by way of an electronic commerce terminal system comprising the steps of:

a) detecting whether a phone card has been inserted or swiped in a card reader coupled to said electronic commerce terminal, said phone card providing a first form of user identification information;

b) retrieving a plurality of transaction data from said phone card responsive to said detecting step a);

c) communicating said transaction data to a universal server, said universal server having access to further user identification information and at least one user account from said electronic commerce terminals a nd said universal server retrieving said further user identification from a database based on a dynamic identification interchange within said universal server;

d) evaluating the validity of said transaction data at said universal server;

e) processing said transaction data and at least one of said first form of user identification information and said further form of said user identification information;

f) identifying said at least one user account based on at least one of said first form of user identification information and said further form of said user identification information;

g) requesting information from a remote location relating to said at least one user account by said universal server;

h) communicating information to said universal server from said remote location relating to said at least one user account;

i) requesting a transferr of funds either i) between a first one of said at least one user account and a second one of said at least one user account or ii) between said at least one user account and said phone card to increase the value of said phone card, based on said dynamic identification interchange within said universal server;

and

j) transferring said funds based on said request of step i).

2. A phone card revaluing method in accordance with claim 1, wherein, after the step of communicating said transaction data to a universal server, the user is prompted to enter a desired revalue amount.

3. A phone card revaluing method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the dynamic identification interchange obtains data to effectuate the transfer of funds.

4. A phone card revaluing method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the phone card is substituted for a second form of user identification based on the dynamic identification interchange.