Wallet consolidator to facilitate a transaction

• US 7,708,198 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2007
• Issued: 05/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Stripe, Inc.
• Original Assignee: E-Micro Corporation
• Inventors: Gangi, Frank J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Colbert, Ella
• Application Number:
  US11/931,479
• Publication Number:
  US 20080059374A1
• Time in Patent Office: 916 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/41, 705/69, 235/370, 235/380, 235/382, 361/683, 361/708
• US Class Current: 235/380
• 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 warehouse information pertaining to at least one card and to retrieve the warehoused information to facilitate a transaction is provided. An embodiment of a wallet consolidator can include a housing, one or more input devices positioned to receive information, and a memory device positioned to store at least a portion of the information received by the one or more input devices. The wallet consolidator can also include a radio frequency wireless communication interface associated with the housing and adapted to communicate with a point-of-sale terminal thereby to provide at least a portion of the information stored in the memory device to the point-of-sale terminal, a display screen, and a controller positioned within the housing in communication with and to control each of the one or more input devices, the memory device, the radio frequency wireless communication interface, and the display screen.

Claims

1. A wallet consolidator to warehouse information pertaining to at least one card and to retrieve the warehoused information to facilitate a transaction at a point-of-sale terminal positioned remote from the wallet consolidator, the wallet consolidator comprising:

a housing to be carried by a user;

one or more input devices associated with the housing and being positioned to receive information, the information being associated with one or more of;

at least one card and at least one electronic coupon, at least a portion of the information being received by one of the one or more input devices to thereby further enable a point-of-sale transaction, and the at least one card being selected from the group of;

credit cards, debit cards, identification cards, coupons, and barcodes;

memory associated with the housing and positioned to store at least a portion of the information received by the one or more input devices;

a radio frequency wireless communication interface associated with the housing and positioned to communicate with a point-of-sale terminal thereby to provide the at least a portion of the information stored in the memory to the point-of-sale terminal;

a display screen to display a menu of functions to a user, the functions including one or more of;

adding card information, deleting card information, duplicating information, transferring information, moving cash, and accessing information; and

a controller located internally within the housing, in communication with each of the one or more input devices, the memory, the display screen, and the wireless communication interface, and positioned to control input of the information into the memory of the wallet consolidator through the one or more input devices, display of the menu of functions to a user through the display screen, retrieval of the at least a portion of the information from the memory, and output of the at least a portion of the information stored in the memory through the radio frequency wireless communication interface to the point-of-sale terminal when a user selects the at least a portion of the information using one of the one or more input devices and positions the wallet consolidator in communication with the point-of-sale terminal to enable a point-of-sale transaction responsive to the point-of-sale terminal receiving the at least a portion of the information communicated thereto from the wallet consolidator to thereby facilitate a transaction at the point-of-sale terminal.

2. A wallet consolidator as defined in claim 1,

wherein the information received by one of the one or more input devices comprises identification information;

wherein the information displayed on the display screen comprises information from the memory being displayed as controlled by the controller;

wherein the one or more input devices includes at least one keypad; and

wherein the display screen is connected to the housing and positioned on a same face of the housing as the at least one keypad.

3. A wallet consolidator as defined in claim 2, wherein the one or more input devices further includes a touch sensitive display screen associated with the display screen, associated with the housing, and positioned adjacent to the at least one keypad.

4. A wallet consolidator as defined in claim 3,

wherein the at least one keypad comprises a first keypad;

and

wherein the touch sensitive display screen includes a second keypad.

5. A wallet consolidator as defined in claim 1, wherein the information received by the one or more input devices includes information included on a plurality of different cards, the plurality of different cards being selected from the group of credit cards, debit cards, identification cards, coupons, and barcodes.

6. A wallet consolidator as defined in claim 1, wherein one of the one or more input devices operably receives an input of a passcode from a user to gain access to the wallet consolidator so that the controller displays the menu of functions after the user gains access to the wallet consolidator by entering the passcode through the one of the one or more input devices.

7. A wallet consolidator as defined in claim 1,

wherein the memory at least has sufficient memory to store a digitized image, the digitized image being selected from the group of a signature, a portrait, the at least one card, and a bar code;

and

wherein the controller operably stores the digitized image in the memory device of the wallet consolidator.

8. A wallet consolidator as defined in claim 7,

wherein the controller operably displays the digitized image on the display screen to thereby define a displayed digitized image;

and

wherein the displayed digitized image is usable at the point-of-sale terminal.

9. A wallet consolidator as defined in claim 1,

wherein the memory at least has sufficient memory to store a digitized image of a bar code;

and

wherein the controller operably stores the digitized image of a bar code in the memory of the wallet consolidator and operably displays the digitized image of a bar code on the display screen to thereby define a displayed digitized image of a bar code, the displayed digitized image of a bar code being adapted to be scannable by a bar code scanner.

10. A wallet consolidator as defined in claim 1,

wherein the information stored in the memory includes at least one bar code;

and

wherein the controller operably displays the bar code on the display screen to thereby define a displayed bar code image, the displayed bar code image being scannable by a bar code scanner.

11. A wallet consolidator to facilitate a transaction at a remote point-of-sale terminal, the wallet consolidator comprising:

a housing to be carried by a user;

one or more input devices connected to the housing and being positioned to receive information, the information being associated with one or more of;

at least one card and at least one electronic coupon, at least a portion of the information being received by one of the one or more input devices to thereby further enable a point-of-sale transaction, the one or more input devices including at least one keypad, and the at least one card being selected from the group of credit cards, debit cards, identification cards, coupons, and barcodes;

memory positioned within the housing and positioned to store at least a portion of the information received by the one or more input devices;

a radio frequency wireless communication interface connected to the housing and positioned to communicate with a remote point-of-sale terminal thereby to provide the at least a portion of the information stored in the memory to the remote point-of-sale terminal;

a display screen to display a menu of functions to a user, the functions including one or more of;

adding card information, deleting card information, duplicating information, transferring information, moving cash, and accessing information, the display screen being connected to the housing and positioned on a same face of the housing as the at least one keypad; and

a controller located internally within the housing, in communication with each of the one or more input devices, the memory, the display screen, and the wireless communication interface, and positioned to control input of the information into the memory of the wallet consolidator through the one or more input devices, display of the menu of functions to a user through the display screen, retrieval of the at least a portion of the information from the memory, and output of the at least a portion of the information stored in the memory through the radio frequency wireless communication interface to the remote point-of-sale terminal when a user selects the at least a portion of the information using one of the one or more input devices and positions the wallet consolidator in communication with the remote point-of-sale terminal to enable a point-of-sale transaction responsive to the remote point-of-sale terminal receiving the at least a portion of the information communicated thereto from the wallet consolidator to thereby facilitate a transaction at the remote point-of-sale terminal.

12. A wallet consolidator as defined in claim 11,

wherein the information received by one of the one or more input devices comprises identification information;

and

wherein the information displayed on the display screen comprises information from the memory being displayed as controlled by the controller.

13. A wallet consolidator as defined in claim 11, wherein the information received by the one or more input devices includes information included on a plurality of different cards, the plurality of different cards being selected from the group of:

credit cards, debit cards, identification cards, coupons, and barcodes.

14. A wallet consolidator as defined in claim 11, wherein one of the one or more input devices operably receives an input of a passcode from a user to gain access to the wallet consolidator so that the controller displays the menu of functions after the user gains access to the wallet consolidator by entering the passcode through the one of the one or more input devices.

15. A wallet consolidator as defined in claim 11,

wherein the memory at least has sufficient memory to store a digitized image, the digitized image being selected from the group of a signature, a portrait, the at least one card, and a bar code;

and

wherein the controller operably stores the digitized image in the memory of the wallet consolidator.

16. A wallet consolidator as defined in claim 15,

wherein the controller operably displays the digitized image on the display screen to thereby define a displayed digitized image;

and

wherein the displayed digitized image is usable at the point-of-sale terminal.

17. A wallet consolidator as defined in claim 11,

wherein the memory at least has sufficient memory to store a digitized image of a bar code;

and

wherein the controller operably stores the digitized image of a bar code in the memory of the wallet consolidator and operably displays the digitized image of a bar code on the display screen to thereby define a displayed digitized image of a bar code, the displayed digitized image of a bar code being scannable by a bar code scanner.

18. A wallet consolidator as defined in claim 11,

wherein the information stored in the memory includes at least one bar code;

and

wherein the controller operably displays the bar code on the display screen to thereby define a displayed bar code image, the displayed bar code image being scannable by a bar code scanner.

19. A wallet consolidator as defined in claim 11, wherein the one or more input devices further includes a touch sensitive display screen associated with the display screen, associated with the housing, and positioned adjacent to the at least one keypad.

20. A wallet consolidator as defined in claim 19,

wherein the at least one keypad comprises a first keypad;

and

wherein the touch sensitive display screen includes a second keypad.

21. A wallet consolidator to facilitate a transaction, the wallet consolidator comprising:

a housing to be carried by a user;

one or more input devices associated with the housing and being positioned to receive information, the information being received from one or more of;

a remote database and a user, the information also being associated with one or more of;

at least one card and at least one electronic coupon, at least a portion of the information being received by one of the one or more input devices to thereby further enable a transaction, and the at least one card being selected from the group of;

credit cards, debit cards, identification cards, and electronic coupons, and barcodes;

memory associated with the housing and positioned to store at least a portion of the information received by the one or more input devices;

a radio frequency wireless communication interface associated with the housing and positioned to communicate with a remote database thereby to provide the at least a portion of the information stored in the memory to a remote database;

a display screen to display a menu of functions to a user, the functions including one or more of;

adding card information, deleting card information, duplicating information, transferring information, moving cash, and accessing information; and

a controller located internally within the housing, in communication with each of the one or more input devices, the memory, the display screen, and the wireless communication interface, and positioned to control input of the information into the memory of the wallet consolidator through the one or more input devices, display of the menu of functions to a user through the display screen, retrieval of the at least a portion of the information from the memory, and output of the at least a portion of the information stored in the memory through the radio frequency wireless communication interface to a remote database when a user selects the at least a portion of the information using one of the one or more input devices and positions the wallet consolidator in communication with a remote database to enable a transaction responsive to a remote database receiving the at least a portion of the information communicated thereto from the wallet consolidator to thereby facilitate a transaction.

22. A wallet consolidator as defined in claim 21,

wherein the information received by one of the one or more input devices comprises identification information;

and

wherein the information displayed on the display screen comprises information from the memory being displayed as controlled by the controller.

23. A wallet consolidator as defined in claim 21, wherein the information received by the one or more input devices includes information included on a plurality of different cards, the plurality of different cards being selected from the group of:

credit cards, debit cards, identification cards, coupons, and barcodes.

24. A wallet consolidator as defined in claim 23, wherein one of the one or more input devices operably receives an input of a passcode from a user to gain access to the wallet consolidator so that the controller displays the menu of functions after the user gains access to the wallet consolidator by entering the passcode through the one of the one or more input devices.

25. A wallet consolidator as defined in claim 21,

wherein the memory at least has sufficient memory to store a digitized image, the digitized image being selected from the group of a signature, a portrait, the at least one card, and a bar code;

and

wherein the controller operably stores the digitized image in the memory of the wallet consolidator.

26. A wallet consolidator as defined in claim 25,

wherein the controller operably displays the digitized image on the display screen to thereby define a displayed digitized image;

and

wherein the displayed digitized image is usable at the point-of-sale terminal.

27. A wallet consolidator as defined in claim 21,

wherein the memory at least has sufficient memory to store a digitized image of a bar code;

and

wherein the controller operably stores the digitized image of a bar code in the memory of the wallet consolidator and operably displays the digitized image of a bar code on the display screen to thereby define a displayed digitized image of a bar code, the displayed digitized image of a bar code being scannable by a bar code scanner.

28. A wallet consolidator as defined in claim 21,

wherein the information stored in the memory includes at least one bar code;

and

wherein the controller operably displays the bar code on the display screen to thereby define a displayed bar code image, the displayed bar code image being scannable by a bar code scanner.

29. A wallet consolidator as defined in claim 21, wherein the one or more input devices further includes a touch sensitive display screen associated with the display screen, associated with the housing, and positioned adjacent to the at least one keypad.

30. A wallet consolidator as defined in claim 29,

wherein the at least one keypad comprises a first keypad;

and

wherein the touch sensitive display screen includes a second keypad.