System and method for locally authorizing cashless transactions at point of sale

• US 7,630,939 B1
• Filed: 04/08/2002
• Issued: 12/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cantaloupe, Inc.
• Original Assignee: USA Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Kolls, H. Brock
• Primary Examiner(s): Weisberger; Richard C
• Application Number:
  US10/118,123
• Time in Patent Office: 2,801 Days
• Field of Search: 705 35- 45
• US Class Current: 705/43
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/042 characterized in that the payment protocol involves at least one cheque
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1085 involving automatic teller machines [ATMs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• 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 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

Abstract

The present invention relates to a cashless transaction processing system and method for locally authorizing cashless payment transactions at a payment module. Locally authorizing transactions can include utilizing locally stored databases and other authorization criteria or rules to validate or approve a plurality of payment identification data presented by a user, wherein the plurality of payment identification data presented by the user is intended to be utilized to effectuate payment for vended goods and services.

In addition, the cashless transaction payment module system is scalable and configurable to include interfaces for vending equipment monitoring and control capabilities, interfaces for a card reader device and other payment interfaces, 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 networking including LAN/WAN/WCDMA/CDMA/CDPD/2G/2.5G/3G solutions.

Claims

1. A cashless transaction processing system comprising:

a remote data processing device including a remote communication interface; and

a payment module including a processor, a memory including an APPROVED database and a DECLINED database, and a payment module communication interface, said processor programmed to dynamically manage and utilize said APPROVED database and said DECLINED database in said memory, to locally authorize a vend cycle based on said plurality of payment identification data, and upon local authorization approval, to initiate said vend cycle, wherein said local authorization approval by said processor is based at least in part on i) said plurality of payment identification data not included in said DECLINED database and ii) said plurality of payment identification data occurrences in said APPROVED database not reaching a MAXIMUM OCCURRENCE WARNING LIMIT, and said processor is further programmed to communicate at least one of said plurality of payment identification data or data related to said vend cycle from said payment module communication interface for receipt by said remote communication interface upon said local authorization approval and completion of said vend cycle, or upon local authorization decline;

wherein upon receipt of said at least one of said plurality of payment identification data or said data related to said vend cycle from said payment module communication interface through said remote communication interface said remote data processing device effectuates at least one of the following;

i) reauthorizes said local authorization approval of said at least one of said plurality of payment identification data or said data related to said vend cycle;

ii) settles said at least one of said plurality of payment identification data or said data related to said vend cycle to effectuate payment for said vend cycle;

or

iii) attempts to authorize said local authorization decline of said at least one of said plurality of payment identification data or said data related to said vend cycle, returning an authorization approval or declined message to said payment module.

2. The cashless transaction processing system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said payment module further comprising:

a vending equipment interface, said vending equipment interface interconnects said payment module to and data communicates with a vending machine controller (VMC), said vending machine controller is operationally related to a vending machine.

3. The cashless transaction processing system in accordance with claim 2, wherein said vending equipment interface is at least one of the following:

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

ii) a data exchange (DEX) interface;

iii) a serial communication interface;

or

iv) a plurality of general purpose input and or output control line.

4. The cashless transaction processing system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said payment module further comprising:

an interactive interface, said interactive interface interconnects said payment module to a computing platform.

5. The cashless transaction processing system in accordance with claim 4, wherein said computing platform and said payment module data communicate by way of said interactive interface data related to at least one of the following:

i) said plurality of payment identification data and or data related to said vend cycle;

ii) data to effectuate monitoring of said payment module operation;

iii) data to effectuate monitoring of a plurality of vending equipment, wherein said plurality of vending equipment is in data communication with said payment module or said computing platform;

or

iv) data to enable said computing platform to initiate, monitor, and or control said vend cycle.

6. The cashless transaction processing system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said payment module further comprising a payment interface.

7. The cashless transaction processing system in accordance with claim 6, wherein said payment interface is at least one of the following:

i) an interactive interface;

ii) a credit card reader interface;

iii) a smart card reader interface;

iv) a bar code reader interface;

v) a hotel room key card interface;

vi) a touch device interface;

vii) a keypad interface;

viii) a magnetic card interface;

or

ix) a biometric interface.

8. The cashless transaction processing system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said plurality of payment identification data is communicated to said payment module from at least one of the following:

i) a card reader;

ii) a smart card reader;

iii) a bar code reader;

iv) a touch or contact reader;

v) a biometric reader;

vi) a personal data assistant (PDA);

vii) a keypad reader;

viii) a wireless phone;

ix) a LAN interface;

x) a WAN interface;

xi) a wireless data communication;

xii) a pager;

xiii) a computing platform;

xiv) an RFID reader;

xv) a proximity card reader;

xvi) an IRDA interface;

xvii) a network interface;

xviii) a data modem interface;

xix) a DEX interface;

xx) an MDB interface;

or

xxi) an external peripheral interface.

9. The cashless transaction processing system in accordance with claim 8, wherein said wireless data communication is from at least one of the following:

i) a wireless phone;

ii) a wireless modem;

iii) an IRDA device;

iv) a computing platform;

v) a remote data processing resource;

vi) a global network based data processing resource;

vii) a personal computer;

viii) a point-to-point device;

ix) a transceiver base unit;

x) an RFID device;

xi) a pager;

or

xii) a personal data assistant.

10. The cashless transaction processing system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said plurality of payment identification data is removed from both said APPROVED database and said DECLINED database when authorization approval of said plurality of payment identification data by said remote data processing resource occurs.

11. The cashless transaction processing system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said plurality of payment identification data is selectively added to said DECLINED database when an authorization decline of said plurality of payment identification data by said remote data processing resource occurs.

12. The cashless transaction processing system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said plurality of payment identification data includes at least one of the following:

i) a credit card number;

ii) a transaction reference identification;

iii) an account number;

iv) user specific identification;

v) a reference to an account;

vi) biometric data;

vii) a reference identification;

viii) payment information;

or

ix) user information.

13. The cashless transaction processing system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said remote data processing resource is at least one of the following:

i) a global network based data processing resource;

ii) a personal data assistant (PDA);

iii) a computing platform;

iv) a personal computer;

v) a processing bureau;

vi) a host network center;

or

vii) USALIVE.

14. The cashless transaction processing system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said payment module further comprising a communication interface.

15. The cashless transaction processing system in accordance with claim 14, wherein said communication interface is at least one of the following:

i) a transceiver for data communication with a transceiver base unit;

ii) a point-to-point device;

iii) a phone line connection;

iv) a wireless communication device;

v) a wired communication device;

vi) a modem;

vii) a wireless modem;

viii) a local area network (LAN) connection;

or

ix) a wide area network (WAN) connection.

16. The cashless transaction processing system in accordance with claim 1, wherein data communication between said payment module and said remote data processing resource is effectuated by way of transferring a plurality of data to a data processing device, and then transferring said plurality of data from said data processing device to said payment module and or to said remote data processing resource.

17. The cashless transaction processing system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said plurality of payment identification data and or data related to said vend cycle is wirelessly data communicated to said remote data processing resource.

18. The cashless transaction processing system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said plurality of payment identification data and or data related to said vend cycle is reauthorized, with a second remote data processing resource, prior to data communication to said remote data processing resource.