Cashless vending transaction management by a vend assist mode of operation

• US 7,693,602 B1
• Filed: 02/03/2006
• Issued: 04/06/2010
• 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): Mackey; Patrick
• Assistant Examiner(s): Butler; Michael E.
• Application Number:
  US11/347,678
• Time in Patent Office: 1,523 Days
• Field of Search: 700/237
• US Class Current: 700/237
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/00 Coin-freed apparatus for hiring articles; Coin-freed facilities or services
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/20 Automatic teller machines [ATMs]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/201 Accessories of ATMs

Abstract

The present invention relates to a cashless transaction processing system implementing a VEND ASSIST mode of operation to effectuate a cashless vending transaction. The VEND ASSIST mode allows a computing platform 802 to oversee, control, and authorize by way of a system 500 the vend selection and sale price of a user selected vend item prior to fulfilling the user'"'"'s request.

The cashless transaction processing system includes a system 500 and a computing platform 802. The system 500 initiates a vending session when certain commands from an interconnected computing platform 802 are received or in response to presentation, by a user, of valid payment identification data. Computing platform 802 data communicates a VEND APPROVE or VEND DENY response to a system 500 initiated REQUEST VEND APPROVE data communication. A vend cycle is then initiated or preempted as appropriate.

Claims

1. A method of performing cashless vending transactions, said method comprising the steps of:

a) initiating a cashless transaction at a payment module having access to a memory, said payment module interconnected with a vending machine;

b) implementing an MDB TRANSACTION STRING in the memory, the MDB TRANSACTION STRING having data fields;

c) receiving a vend request for a vending item having a price at said payment module from said vending machine;

d) updating one or more of the MDB TRANSACTION STRING data fields in the memory accessible by the payment module responsive to the vend request;

e) selecting between a first cashless mode and a second cashless mode for a performance of the cashless transaction such that in the first cashless mode a computing platform, remote from the vending machine, authorizes the vend request based on at least in part the price for the vending item and in the second cashless mode the payment module authorizes the vend request;

f) authorizing the vend request while in the first cashless mode by;

(1) communicating the MDB TRANSACTION STRING to said computing platform, and

(2) receiving, at said payment module, an instruction from said computing platform to change at least one of the MDB TRANSACTION STRING data fields from the data fields of the communicated MDB TRANSACTION STRING; and

g) completing, by the payment module, said cashless transaction based on the at least one of the changed MDB TRANSACTION STRING data fields.

2. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein responsive to selection of the first mode, said initiating in step ‘

a’

includes receiving a VEND APPROVE communication from said computing platform to establish a USER SELECTED AMOUNT.

3. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein said MDB TRANSACTION STRING further comprises a MDB TRANSACTION CONDITION FLAG.

4. The method in accordance with claim 3, wherein responsive to selection of the first mode, said MDB TRANSACTION CONDITION FLAG is set to REQUEST VEND APPROVE to solicit response from said computing platform.

5. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein receiving in step ‘

c’

includes receiving an MDB message from said vending machine in response to a user making a selection of goods and or services from said vending machine.

6. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein said communicating in step ‘

f’

includes said computing platform data communicating a command to said payment module requesting said payment module data communicate said MDB TRANSACTION STRING to said computing platform.

7. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein said receiving in step ‘

f’

includes said instruction being at least one of the following;

i) a VEND APPROVE response;

or

ii) a VEND DENY response.

8. The method in accordance with claim 7, wherein said VEND APPROVE response includes a sale price to be charged for the vending item.

9. The method in accordance with claim 8, wherein the MDB TRANSACTION STRING stored in the memory by the payment module indicates the price of the vending item, and said sale price is set to a price different from the price indicated in the MDB TRANSACTION STRING stored in the memory to effectuate a sale of the vending item at the sale price, the computing platform controlling the setting of the price of the vending item by communicating an adjusted value for one of the data fields of the communicated MDB TRANSACTION STRING.

10. The method in accordance with claim 8, wherein receiving in step ‘

f’

further comprising the step of;

a) charging said sale price for said vending cycle.

11. The method in accordance with claim 8, wherein said sale price is manipulated prior to data communication, from said computing platform, to effectuate a plurality of promotional vending options.

12. The method in accordance with claim 11, wherein said plurality of promotional vending options includes at least one of the following:

i) buy at least one item or service, get a second item or service, and/or selectively subsequent items or services, for a promotional price;

ii) buy at least one item or service, get a second item or service, and/or selectively subsequent items or services free;

iii) a price mark-up promotion;

iv) a price mark-down promotion;

or

v) a forced item and or service selection promotion.

13. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein completing in step ‘

g’

further comprises the step of;

a) initiating a vending cycle to be effectuated by said vending machine in response to said payment module receiving, from said computing platform, a VEND APPROVE response.

14. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein said payment module is at least one of the following:

i) an audit-credit-interactive device;

ii) a G4;

iii) a cashless payment device;

iv) a card reader assembly;

v) a vending interface unit;

vi) a combination bill validator and card reader;

vii) embodied with a bill acceptor;

viii) embodied with a coin mechanism;

ix) an audit device;

x) an E-PORT;

xi) a module;

xii) an MDB controller;

or

xiii) a semiconductor.

15. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein said payment module further comprising a vending equipment interface, said vending equipment interface is at least one of the following:

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

ii) a DEX interface;

iii) a serial communication interface;

iv) a bill acceptor interface;

or

v) a coin acceptor interface.

16. The method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the first mode is a VEND ASSIST mode of operation and is utilized to effectuate a plurality of promotional vending options.

17. The method in accordance with claim 16, wherein said plurality of promotional vending options include at least one of the following:

i) buy at least one item or service, get a second item or service, and/or selectively subsequent items or services, for a promotional price;

ii) buy at least one item or service, get a second item or service, and/or selectively subsequent items or services free;

iii) a price mark-up promotion;

iv) a price mark-down promotion;

or

v) a forced item and or service selection promotion.