Apparatus, systems and methods for accepting payment at a sales device

• US 7,643,902 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2006
• Issued: 01/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Inventor Holdings LLC (Walker Innovation Inc. (f/k/a Patent Properties, Inc.))
• Original Assignee: Walker Digital LLC (Walker Innovation Inc. (f/k/a Patent Properties, Inc.))
• Inventors: Tedesco, Daniel E., Alderucci, Dean P., Jorasch, James A., Walker, Jay S., Downs, Michael D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mackey, Patrick
• Assistant Examiner(s): BEAUCHAINE, MARK J
• Application Number:
  US11/456,392
• Publication Number:
  US 20070016535A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,275 Days
• Field of Search: 194205-207, 194215-217, 194/202, 194/302, 700/231, 700/232, 700/237, 731/63, 702/81, 702/82, 702/105
• US Class Current: 700/237
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/24 Credit schemes, i.e. "pay after"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/367 involving electronic purses or money safes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/28 Setting of parameters; Software updates
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 7/00 Testing specially adapted to determine the identity or genuineness of valuable papers or for segregating those which are unacceptable, e.g. banknotes that are alien to a currency
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/04 by paper currency
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0036 Checkout procedures

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention provides for a method comprising determining sales data associated with a sales device (e.g., a vending machine) and adjusting a level of sensitivity of a currency validator based on the sales data.

Claims

1. A sales device comprising:

a processor; and

a computer readable medium in communication with the processor, the computer readable medium storing instructions executable by the processor to perform a method comprising;

receiving a coin or bill from a customer for a transaction with the sales device;

determining that there is some risk as to whether the coin or bill is counterfeit; and

in response to said determined risk, presenting the customer with an alternate product offer and vending the product via the sales device.

2. The sales device of claim 1, wherein the alternate product offer provides a greater profit margin in the event of a completed transaction.

3. The sales device of claim 1, wherein the computer readable medium stores instructions configured to direct the processor to perform the method, further comprising:

providing an alternate product pursuant to the alternate product offer to the user in exchange for the tendered payment.

4. The sales device of claim 3, wherein the alternate product offer comprises an offer to allow the user to wager the tendered payment to play one or more alternate games via the sales device.

5. The sales device of claim 1, in which the sales device comprises a device selected from the group consisting essentially of:

a vending machine,

a gaming device,

a slot machine,

a juke box,

a video poker machine,

a video lottery terminal,

a pachinko machine,

a video game machine,

an automated teller machine,

a kiosk, and

a point-of-sale terminal.

6. A sales device comprising:

a processor; and

a computer readable medium in communication with the processor, the computer readable medium storing instructions executable by the processor to perform a method comprising;

receiving a coin or bill from a customer for a transaction with the sales device;

determining that there is some risk as to whether the coin or bill is counterfeit;

in response to said determined risk, determining a value for the tendered currency which is sufficiently less than the usual value for such currency to offset the risk of the tendered payment being counterfeit; and

offering the customer the reduced value for the tendered currency and vending a product utilizing at least a portion of the reduced value via the sales device.

7. The sales device of claim 6, wherein the offering the customer the reduced value for the tendered currency comprises offering the customer a machine credit for the reduced value.

8. The sales device of claim 6, wherein the computer readable medium stores instructions configured to direct the processor to perform the method, further comprising:

providing at least one product to the user in exchange for the reduced value of the tendered currency.

9. The sales device of claim 6, wherein the computer readable medium stores instructions configured to direct the processor to perform the method, further comprising:

allowing the user to wager the reduced value of the tendered currency to play one or more games via the sales device.

10. The sales device of claim 6, in which the sales device comprises a device selected from the group consisting essentially of:

a vending machine,

a gaming device,

a slot machine,

a juke box,

a video poker machine,

a video lottery terminal,

a pachinko machine,

a video game machine,

an automated teller machine,

a kiosk, and

a point-of-sale terminal.