Wallet consolidator and related methods of processing a transaction using a wallet consolidator

• US 7,349,885 B2
• Filed: 08/06/2001
• Issued: 03/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Stripe, Inc.
• Original Assignee: E-Micro Corporation
• Inventors: Gangi, Frank J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Colbert, Ella
• Application Number:
  US09/923,617
• Publication Number:
  US 20010045454A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,423 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/41, 705/69, 235/380, 235/382, 235/379, 235/370, 361/708, 361/683
• US Class Current: 705/41
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0004 Hybrid readers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/00 Payment architectures, schemes or protocols apparatus for performing or posting payment transactions G07F7/08, G07F19/00; electronic cash registers G07G1/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/105 involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/108 Remote banking, e.g. home banking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/16 Payments settled via telecommunication systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• 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 20/208 Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3224 Transactions dependent on location of M-devices
• 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: G06Q 20/3574 Multiple applications on card
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/36 using electronic wallets or electronic money safes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3829 involving key management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/383 Anonymous user system
• 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 20/4012 Verifying personal identification numbers [PIN]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0253 : During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 : Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/08 : by coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means without personal verification means G07F7/02
• 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 7/0893 : the card reader reading the card in a contactless manner
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 : Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/12 : Card verification

Abstract

A wallet consolidator to process a transaction and related methods, are provided. An embodiment of a wallet consolidator can include a controller to control operation of the wallet consolidator, and an input device connected to the controller and positioned to receive a copy of information. The input device, for example, can include a magnetic stripe reader/writer for reading and writing magnetic stripes, a bar code scanner for scanning bar codes, or a keypad, among others, to input user selections and commands. An embodiment of a wallet consolidator can also include a memory for storing information provided to the wallet consolidator, and an output device connected to the controller and positioned to transmit at least a portion of the information stored in the memory device to a computer device, e.g., point-of-sale terminal, dumb terminal, and/or database, located at a point-of-sale, to process a transaction. The output device can include a wireline communications interface, a wireless communications interface, a radio frequency (RF) interface, or an infrared (IR) interface, among others.

Claims

1. A wallet consolidator, comprising:

a controller to control operation of a wallet consolidator;

at least one input device connected to said controller of the wallet consolidator and positioned to receive a copy of information stored on at least one card;

a memory device connected to said controller to store said information received by said input device; and

an output device connected to said controller and positioned to effectuate communication of at least a portion of said information stored in said memory device to a point-of-sale terminal located at a point-of-sale when the point-of-sale terminal is positioned receive said at least a portion of said information from the output device of the wallet consolidator for use in a point-of-sale transaction.

2. A wallet consolidator as defined in claim 1, wherein said information comprises information pertaining to at least one of the following:

one or more credit cards, one or more debit cards, one or more identification cards, one or more electronic coupons, or one or more food stamp accounts.

3. A wallet consolidator as defined in claim 2, wherein said output device is a wireless communication device.

4. A wallet consolidator claim 1, wherein said input device comprises at least one of the following:

a touch screen, a smart card reader, a kiosk, a memory card, or a radio frequency (RF) interface.

5. A wallet consolidator as defined in claim 1, wherein said controller controls instructions to be presented to a user to instruct the user on use of the wallet consolidator.

6. A wallet consolidator as defined in claim 1, further comprising a display positioned to display scannable bar code patterns capable of being scanned by a bar code scanner.

7. A wallet consolidator as defined in claim 1, wherein said output device is further positioned to transmit at least a portion of said information stored in said memory device to a computing device selected from the group of:

a dumb terminal, or a database, and is positioned to receive information transmitted from said output device.

8. A wallet consolidator as defined in claim 1, wherein said information includes identification information pertaining to one or more of the following:

credit cards, debit cards, identification cards, electronic coupons, or food stamp accounts.

9. A wallet consolidator as defined in claim 8, wherein said output device is a wireless radio frequency (RF) communication device.

10. A wallet consolidator as defined in claim 1, further comprising at least one of the following:

a touch screen or a user input cluster connected to said controller, positioned to receive input for controlling said output device.

11. A wallet consolidator as defined in claim 1, further comprising a writer connected to said controller and positioned to write said information to a personalized smart card.

12. A wallet consolidator as defined in claim 1,

wherein said input device comprises at least one of the following:

a touch screen, a smart card reader, a kiosk, a memory card, a telephony interface, a wireless interface, a wireline communications interface, a wireless communications interface, an infrared (IR) interface, or a radio frequency (RF) interface;

wherein said output device comprises at least one of the following;

a wireless interface, a wireless communications interface, or a radio frequency (RF) interface; and

wherein said output device is further positioned to transmit at least a portion of said information stored in said memory device to a computing device is selected from the group of;

a dumb terminal, and a database positioned to receive information from said output device.

13. A wallet consolidator as defined in claim 1, further comprising a writer connected to said controller and positioned to write said information to a personalized transaction card, said information including personal identification information contained on at least one of a plurality of cards.

14. A method for processing a transaction using a wallet consolidator, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving information stored on at least one of a plurality of cards;

storing said received information in a memory device; and

communicating at least a portion of said stored information to a point-of-sale terminal positioned at a point-of-sale and positioned to process a point-of-sale transaction responsive to said at least a portion of said information.

15. A method as defined in claim 14,

wherein said information comprises information pertaining to at least one of the following:

one or more credit cards, one or more debit cards, one or more identification cards, one or more electronic coupons, or one or more food stamp accounts; and

wherein the method further comprises the steps of;

providing a user an option to select a card to add or delete, duplicate information, transfer data, move cash, or access or amend information including at least one of the following;

an electronic coupon, personal identification information, or a medical record, and

traversing an action tree which instructs the user on the use of the wallet consolidator responsive to the selected option.

16. A method as defined in claim 14,

wherein the step of receiving is performed via an input device comprising at least one of the following:

a touch screen, a smart card reader, a kiosk, a memory card, or a radio frequency (RF) interface; and

wherein the method further comprises the step of receiving a passcode from a user prior to allowing the user to gain access to the wallet consolidator.

17. A method as defined in claim 14, wherein the memory device comprises at least one of the following:

semiconductor memory, random access memory (RAM), magnetic memory, or a hard disk.

18. A method as defined in claim 14, wherein the step of communicating is performed via an output device comprising one or more of the following:

a wireless communications interface or a radio frequency (RF) interface, and wherein the method further includes using the at least a portion of the information for a point-of-sale transaction.

19. A method as defined in claim 14,

wherein the method further comprises transmitting at least a portion of said stored information to a computing device selected from the group of:

a dumb terminal and a database; and

wherein the received information includes a digitized image of the at least one of a plurality of cards.

20. A method as defined in claim 14, wherein said information comprises identification information pertaining to at least one of the following:

one or more credit cards, one or more debit cards, one or more identification cards, one or more electronic coupons, or one or more food stamp accounts;

wherein the method further comprises transmitting at least a portion of said stored identification information to a computing device selected from the group of;

a dumb terminal and a database;

wherein the step of communicating identification receiving is performed via an input device connected to a controller, the input device comprising at least one of the following;

a magnetic stripe card reader, a bar code reader, a keypad, a touch screen, a smart card reader, a kiosk, a memory card, a telephony interface, a wireless interface, a wireline communications interface, a wireless communications interface, an infrared (IR) interface, or a radio frequency (RF) interface;

wherein the step of storing is performed via a memory device connected to said controller, the memory device comprising at least one of the following;

a semiconductor memory, a smart card, a memory card, random access memory (RAM), magnetic memory, hard disks, magnetic tapes, an optical memory device, or an optical disc;

wherein the step of communicating identification information to the point-of-sale terminal is performed via an output device connected to said controller, the output device comprising at least one of the following;

a wireless interface, a wireless communications interface, or a radio frequency (RF) interface.

21. A method as defined in claim 14, further comprising at least one of the following:

a touch screen or a user input cluster, connected to said output device and positioned to receive input to control said output device.

22. A method as defined in claim 14, further comprising a writer connected to the memory device to write said at least a portion of said information to a personalized transaction card, said information including identification information contained on a plurality of cards.

23. A method as defined in claim 14, wherein the memory device comprises at least one of the following:

a smart card, a memory card, a magnetic tape, an optical memory device, or an optical disc.

24. A wallet consolidator comprising:

a controller positioned to control operation of the wallet consolidator;

an input device in communication with the controller and positioned to receive a copy of information stored on at least one card;

a memory device in communication with the controller and positioned to store the information received by the input device; and

an output device in communication with the controller to effectuate communication of at least a portion of said information stored in said memory device to a point-of-sale terminal located at a point-of-sale when the point-of-sale terminal is positioned to receive said at least a portion of said information from the output device of the wallet consolidator for use in a point-of-sale transaction.

25. A wallet consolidator as defined in claim 24, wherein the information includes identification information contained on at least one of a plurality of cards.

26. A wallet consolidator as defined in claim 25, wherein the output device is a wireless radio frequency (RF) communication device.

27. A wallet consolidator comprising:

a controller positioned to control operation of the wallet consolidator;

an input device in communication with the controller and positioned to receive information contained on at least one card;

a memory device in communication with the controller and positioned to store the information received by the input device; and

a wireless output device in communication with the controller and adapted to be positioned to interface with a point-of-sale terminal located at a point-of-sale to provide at least a portion of the information stored in the memory device to the point-of-sale terminal when the point-of-sale terminal is positioned to enable a point-of-sale transaction responsive to receiving the at least a portion of the information.

28. A wallet consolidator as defined in claim 27, wherein the at least one card includes a driver'"'"'s license card.

29. A wallet consolidator as defined in claim 27, wherein the received information includes a digitized image.

30. A wallet consolidator as defined in claim 27, wherein the wireless output device is a wireless radio frequency (RF) communication device operatively positioned to interface directly with the point-of-sale terminal positioned at the point-of-sale location.

31. A wallet consolidator comprising:

an input device positioned to receive information stored on at least one card;

a memory device connected to the input device to store the information received by the input device; and

a wireless output device connected to the memory device and positioned to effectuate communication of at least a portion of said information stored in said memory device to a point-of-sale terminal located at a point-of-sale when the point-of-sale terminal is positioned to receive said at least a portion of said information from the wallet consolidator for use in a point-of-sale transaction.

32. A wallet consolidator as defined in claim 31, wherein the information comprises account identification information pertaining to at least one of the following:

one or more credit cards, one or more debit cards, one or more identification cards, one or more electronic coupons, or one or more food stamp accounts.

33. A wallet consolidator as defined in claim 31, wherein the at least one card includes a driver'"'"'s license card.

34. A wallet consolidator as defined in claim 31, wherein the received information includes a digitized image.

35. A wallet consolidator as defined in claim 31, wherein the output device comprises at least one of the following:

a wireless interface, a wireless communications interface, or a radio frequency (RF) interface.