Wireless system for communicating cashless vending transaction data and vending machine audit data to remote locations

• US 7,593,897 B1
• Filed: 01/18/2002
• Issued: 09/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cantaloupe, Inc.
• Original Assignee: USA Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Kolls, H. Brock
• Primary Examiner(s): CHEUNG, MARY DA ZHI WANG
• Application Number:
  US10/051,594
• Time in Patent Office: 2,804 Days
• Field of Search: 705 39- 44, 235380-382, 700231-244
• US Class Current: 705/39
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• 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 9/02 Devices for alarm or indication, e.g. when empty; Advertising arrangements in coin-freed apparatus alarms or warning devices indicating the interruption of flow to be metered G07F15/10

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system that is scalable and configurable to include vending equipment audit capabilities, a card reader assembly having a card reader processor interface board for accepting card identification data as payment for items vended, an interactive interface and protocol for interconnecting the system to a computing platform, and support for a plurality of communication options that include wired, point-to-point wireless, and wireless WAN solutions. In addition, the present invention also relates to a system and method of effectuating a payment device for accepting card ID data, authorizing the validity of the card ID data, facilitating a vending transaction, settling the transaction to effect payment for the vended goods and services, gathering DEX and MDB audit data from the vending equipment, and data communicating with a plurality of remote locations.

Claims

1. A wireless system for communicating cashless vending machine transaction data and vending machine audit data to remote locations, comprising:

a vending machine controller interconnected with a vending machine, said vending machine controller comprising a plurality of peripheral device interfaces;

a vending interface unit (VIU) interconnected with at least one of said plurality of peripheral device interfaces, said VIU effectuates cashless vending transactions and obtains vending machine audit data from said vending machine controller, said VIU comprising a first transceiver; and

a base unit remote to the vending machine, said base unit comprising a second transceiver configured for wireless communication with said first transceiver, said base unit further comprising a communication interface for communicating with a remote location remote to the vending machine and the base unit, said base unit communicating data received from the vending machine to the remote location and communicating data received from the remote location to the vending machine,

wherein the base unit is configured to communicate a plurality of operating states to the VIU and the VIU is configured to initiate communication with the remote location responsive to receipt of a first one of the plurality of operating states from the base unit.

2. The wireless system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said first transceiver, and or said second transceiver is at least one of the following types of transceiver:

i) a single channel transceiver;

ii) a dual channel transceiver;

iii) a spread spectrum transceiver;

iv) a single channel transceiver in the 430 Mhz range;

v) a dual channel transceiver in the 430 Mhz range;

vi) a spread spectrum transceiver in the 430 Mhz range;

vii) a single channel transceiver in the 900 Mhz range;

viii) a dual channel transceiver in the 900 Mhz range;

ix) a spread spectrum transceiver in the 900 Mhz range;

x) a single channel transceiver in the 2.4 Ghz range;

xi) a dual channel transceiver in the 2.4 Ghz range;

or

xii) a spread spectrum transceiver in the 2.4 Ghz range.

3. The wireless system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said base unit, while in a non data communicating mode of operation with said VIU, receives a signal from said remote location and broadcasts, in response to said signal, a polling signal to said VIU, receipt of said polling signal causing said VIU, in a timely manner, to initiate a data communication session with said remote location.

4. The wireless system in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least one of the following communicates half duplex:

i) said first transceiver;

or

ii) said second transceiver.

5. The wireless system in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least one of the following communicates full duplex:

i) said first transceiver;

or

ii) said second transceiver.

6. The wireless system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said remote location is at least one of the following:

i) a credit bureau;

ii) a network center;

iii) a global network based data processing resource;

or

iv) USALIVE.

7. The wireless system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said communication interface is at least one of the following:

i) a modem interface;

ii) a network connection;

iii) an interactive interface;

iv) a serial interface;

or

v) a wireless interface.

8. The wireless system in accordance with claim 7, wherein said wireless interface is an interface to at least one of the following wireless devices:

i) PCS network data modem;

ii) cellular network data modem;

iii) CDPD modem;

iv) CDMA modem;

v) 2G wireless modem;

vi) 3G wireless modem;

or

vii) RIM data modem.

9. The wireless system in accordance with claim 7, wherein said wireless interface is a local area network connection.

10. The wireless system in accordance with claim 7, wherein said wireless interface is a wide area network connection.

11. The wireless system in accordance with claim 1, wherein more than one of said VIU data communicates with said base unit.

12. The wireless system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said VIU wirelessly programs said base unit.

13. The wireless system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said VIU wirelessly programs the baud rate of said communication interface to match the baud rate of said remote location.

14. The wireless system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said peripheral device interface is at least one of the following:

i) a multi-drop-bus (MDB) interface;

ii) a coin acceptor interface;

iii) a bill acceptor interface;

iv) a serial interface;

or

vi) a data exchange (DEX) interface.

15. The wireless system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said base unit is a wall mount unit.

16. The wireless system in accordance with claim 1, wherein communication between said base unit and said remote location is effectuated with a phone line.

17. The wireless system in accordance with claim 1, wherein data communication between said base unit and said remote location is effectuated with a network connection.

18. The wireless system in accordance with claim 1, wherein communication between said VIU and said base unit is encrypted.

19. The wireless system in accordance with claim 1, wherein communication between said VIU and said base unit is encrypted and data communication between said base unit and said remote location is unencrypted.

20. The wireless system in accordance with claim 1, wherein a plurality of wireless packets communicated from said VIU are received at said base unit and communicated to said remote location without packet level error checking at said base unit, said remote location assembles said plurality of wireless packets into a data message, said remote location error checks said data message, said remote location communicates an acknowledge or not-acknowledge, based on error check results of said data message, to said VIU by way of said base unit.

21. The wireless system in accordance with claim 1, wherein cashless transaction data and vending machine audit data is selectively communicated to said remote location when said remote location is at least one of the following:

i) a network center;

ii) a global network based data processing resource;

or

iii) USALIVE;

and cashless transaction data only is selectively communicated to said remote location when said remote location is a credit bureau.

22. The wireless system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the base unit communicates a second one of the plurality of operating states to indicate the base unit is available to provide communication between the VIU and the remote location.

23. A wireless system for communicating cashless vending transaction data and vending machine audit data to remote locations comprising:

a vending machine controller interconnected with a vending machine, said vending machine controller comprising a plurality of peripheral device interfaces, said plurality of peripheral device interfaces include at least one of the following types of interfaces;

i) a multi-drop-bus (MDB) interface;

or

ii) a data exchange (DEX) interface;

a vending interface unit (VIU) interconnected with at least one of said plurality of peripheral device interfaces, said VIU comprising a first transceiver; and

a base unit remote to the vending machine, said base unit comprising a second transceiver configured for wireless communication with said first transceiver, said base unit further comprising a wireless device for communicating with a remote location remote to the vending machine and the base unit, said base unit communicating data received from the vending machine to the remote location and communicating data received from the remote location to the vending machine,

wherein the base unit is configured to communicate a plurality of operating states to the VIU and the VIU is configured to initiate communication with the remote location responsive to receipt of a first one of the plurality of operating states from the base unit.

24. The wireless system in accordance with claim 23, wherein said first transceiver, and or said second transceiver is at least one of the following types of transceiver:

i) a single channel transceiver;

ii) a dual channel transceiver;

iii) a spread spectrum transceiver;

iv) a single channel transceiver in the 430 Mhz range;

v) a dual channel transceiver in the 430 Mhz range;

vi) a spread spectrum transceiver in the 430 Mhz range;

vii) a single channel transceiver in the 900 Mhz range;

viii) a dual channel transceiver in the 900 Mhz range;

ix) a spread spectrum transceiver in the 900 Mhz range;

x) a single channel transceiver in the 2.4 Ghz range;

xi) a dual channel transceiver in the 2.4 Ghz range;

or

xii) a spread spectrum transceiver in the 2.4 Ghz range.

25. The wireless system in accordance with claim 23, wherein said base unit, while in a non data communicating mode of operation with said VIU, receives a signal from said remote location and broadcasts, in response to said signal, a polling signal to said VIU, receipt of said polling signal causing said VIU, in a timely manner, to initiate a data communication session with said remote location.

26. The wireless system in accordance with claim 23, wherein said VIU wirelessly programs the baud rate of said modem to match the baud rate of said remote location.

27. The wireless system in accordance with claim 23, wherein cashless transaction data and vending machine audit data is selectively communicated to said remote location when said remote location is at least one of the following:

i) a network center;

ii) a global network based data processing resource;

or

iii) USALIVE;

and cashless transaction data only is selectively data communicated to said remote location when said remote location is a credit bureau.

28. A wireless system for communicating cashless vending machine transaction data and vending machine audit data to remote locations, comprising:

a first vending machine controller interconnected with a first vending machine;

a first vending interface unit (VIU) interconnected with said first vending machine controller, said first VIU effectuates cashless vending transactions and obtains vending machine audit data from said first vending machine controller, said first VIU comprising a first transceiver;

a second vending machine controller interconnected with a second vending machine;

a second vending interface unit (VIU) interconnected with said second vending machine controller, said second VIU effectuates cashless vending transactions and obtains vending machine audit data from said second vending machine controller, said second VIU comprising a second transceiver; and

a base unit remote to the first and second vending machines, said base unit comprising a third transceiver configured for wireless communication with said first and second transceivers, said base unit further comprising a communication interface for communicating with a remote location remote to the first and second vending machines and the base unit, said base unit communicating data received from the first vending machine to the remote location, communicating data received from the second vending machine to the remote location, communicating data from the remote location to the first vending machine, and communicating data received from the remote location to the second vending machine,

wherein the base unit is configured to communicate a plurality of operating states to the first and second VIUs and at least one of the first and second VIUs is configured to initiate communication with the remote location responsive to receipt of a first one of the plurality of operating states from the base unit.