Self service coin redemption card printer-dispenser

• US 8,042,732 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2009
• Issued: 10/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cummins-Allison Corporation (Crane Company)
• Original Assignee: Cummins-Allison Corporation (Crane Company)
• Inventors: Hallowell, Curtis W., Blake, John R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hess; Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): KELLY, RAFFERTY D
• Application Number:
  US12/410,623
• Publication Number:
  US 20100038419A1
• Time in Patent Office: 944 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/379
• US Class Current: 235/375
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/00 Devices accepting coins; Devices accepting, dispensing, sorting or counting valuable papers
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 11/60 User-interface arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G07D 9/008 Feeding coins from bulk
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/42 for ticket printing or like apparatus , e.g. apparatus for dispensing of printed paper tickets or payment cards
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/08 Counting total of coins inserted

Abstract

A method of transferring funds to a personalized portable storage medium using a kiosk, includes the acts of receiving funds comprising a batch of loose mixed coins in a coin receiving area of the kiosk, processing the coins in a coin processing module, determining a total value of the funds using a controller, displaying the total value of the funds to a user of the kiosk, and permitting the user to select a desired graphic from amongst a plurality of available graphic selections using via a user input device. The method also includes the acts of printing, using a printing device, the user-selected graphic on a portable storage medium print area, the portable storage medium comprising a storage medium bearing data to which a value relating to the total value is associated and dispensing the portable storage medium bearing the user-selected graphic to the user, the portable storage medium having a first value relating to the total value.

Claims

1. A method of transferring funds to a personalized portable storage medium using a kiosk, comprising the acts of:

receiving funds comprising a batch of loose mixed coins in a coin receiving area of the kiosk;

processing the coins in a coin processing module;

determining a total value of the funds using a controller;

displaying the total value of the funds to a user of the kiosk;

permitting the user to select a desired merchant from amongst a plurality of available merchant selections using via a user input device, each merchant being associated with a pre-determined graphic selection;

receiving a selection of a merchant via a user input device;

printing, using a printing device, only a graphic associated with the selected merchant on a portable storage medium print area of a portable storage medium, the portable storage medium comprising a storage medium bearing data to which a value relating to the total value is associated; and

dispensing the portable storage medium bearing only the graphic associated with the selected merchant, the portable storage medium having a first value relating to the total value.

2. A method of transferring funds to a personalized portable storage medium using a kiosk according to claim 1, wherein the portable storage medium comprises a value card associated with the selected merchant.

3. A method of transferring funds to a personalized portable storage medium using a kiosk according to claim 2 wherein the printing area comprises substantially all of a front side of the value card.

4. A method of transferring funds to a personalized portable storage medium using a kiosk according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving funds comprising currency bills into a bill processing module;

transferring the received funds to the dispensed portable storage medium.

5. A method of transferring funds to a personalized portable storage medium using a kiosk according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving funds comprising an electronic transfer of funds from an account using a communication device;

transferring the received funds to the dispensed portable storage medium.

6. A method of transferring funds to a personalized portable storage medium using a kiosk according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a value card in a card reader;

reading information stored on a storage medium of the value card;

transferring funds from the value card to the dispensed portable storage medium.

7. A method of transferring funds to a personalized portable storage medium using a kiosk according to claim 1, further comprising:

transferring funds from a user device having a value associated therewith to the dispensed portable storage medium.

8. A method of transferring funds to a personalized portable storage medium using a kiosk according to claim 7, wherein the user device comprises one of a cell phone, electronic wallet, electronic purse, solid state memory device, or fob.

9. A method of transferring funds to a personalized portable storage medium using a kiosk according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a document comprising a check or a bearer instrument;

processing the document in a document processing device to determine a value of the document;

transferring a value of the document to the dispensed portable storage medium.

10. A method of transferring funds to a personalized portable storage medium using a kiosk according to claim 1, wherein the act of processing the document in the document processing device to determine a value of the document comprises reading MICR data, performing OCR, or imaging at least a portion of the document.

11. A method of transferring funds to a personalized portable storage medium using a kiosk according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving funds comprising precious metal;

processing the precious metal using a spectroscopic analyzer to determine a weight and composition thereof; and

determining a value for the precious metal.

12. A method of transferring funds to a personalized portable storage medium using a kiosk according to claim 1, further comprising:

assessing a transaction fee.

13. A method of transferring funds to a personalized portable storage medium using a kiosk according to claim 1, further comprising:

dispensing currency bills, coins, or both currency bills and coins when the value of the dispensed portable storage medium is less than a total input value.

14. A method of transferring funds to a personalized portable storage medium using a kiosk according to claim 1, further comprising:

dispensing a check or gift certificate when the value of the dispensed portable storage medium is less than a total input value.

15. A method of transferring funds to a personalized portable storage medium using a kiosk according to claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting information to a remote computer, the information comprising transaction related data.

16. A method of transferring funds to a personalized portable storage medium using a kiosk according to claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting information to a remote computer, the information comprising equipment status information.

17. A kiosk for transferring funds to a personalized portable storage medium, comprising:

a coin receiving area configured to receive a batch of loose mixed coins;

a coin processing module configured, in combination with a controller, to sort the loose mixed coins to determine a total value thereof;

a user-input device;

a display device;

a storage device comprising a plurality of articles of a portable storage medium, each portable storage medium comprising a storage medium bearing data to which a value relating to the total value is associated;

a controller configured, in combination with controller-executable instructions resident in a memory device associated with the kiosk, to cause a display on the display of a plurality of merchants for which a portable storage medium selection are selectively dispensable responsive to a selection of a merchant using the user input device; and

a printing device configured to receive a portable storage medium from the portable storage medium storage device, to print on a print area of the portable storage medium only a pre-determined graphic associated with the user-selected merchant, and to dispense the portable storage medium following printing of the pre-determined graphic associated with the user-selected merchant.

18. A kiosk for transferring funds to a personalized portable storage medium according to claim 17, wherein the portable storage medium comprises a value card and wherein the print area of the portable storage medium comprises substantially an entire front surface of the value card.

19. A kiosk for transferring funds to a personalized portable storage medium according to claim 17, further comprising:

a bill processing module configured to receive a currency bill.

20. A kiosk for transferring funds to a personalized portable storage medium according to claim 17, further comprising:

a document processing module configured to receive a document comprising a check or bearer instrument.

21. A kiosk for transferring funds to a personalized portable storage medium according to claim 20, wherein the document processing module is configured to read MICR data, perform OCR, or image at least a portion of the document.

22. A kiosk for transferring funds to a personalized portable storage medium according to claim 17, further comprising:

a card processing module configured to receive a card bearing a storage medium.

23. A kiosk for transferring funds to a personalized portable storage medium according to claim 17, further comprising:

a near field communication device configured to receive value from and transmit value to a cell phone, electronic wallet, electronic purse, solid state memory device, or fob.

24. A kiosk for transferring funds to a personalized portable storage medium according to claim 17, further comprising:

a spectroscopic analyzer configured to analyze a weight and composition of a precious metal.

25. A kiosk for transferring funds to a personalized portable storage medium according to claim 21, further comprising:

at least one storage medium writing device,

wherein the controller is further configured, in combination with controller-executable instructions resident in the memory device associated with the kiosk, to cause the storage medium writing device to store, on the storage medium of the dispensed portable storage medium, information corresponding to an accounting system associated with the selected merchant prior to dispensing of the portable storage medium.

26. A kiosk for transferring funds to a personalized portable storage medium, comprising:

a value input device configured to receive value only from a portable electronic storage device;

a user-input device configured to facilitate a transfer of a first value from the portable electronic storage device to the kiosk;

a storage device comprising a plurality of articles of a portable storage medium, each portable storage medium comprising a storage medium configured to store data;

a display device;

a controller configured, in combination with controller-executable instructions resident in a memory device associated with the kiosk, to cause a display on the display of a plurality of merchants for which a portable storage medium selection are selectively dispensable responsive to a selection of a merchant using the user input device; and

a printing device configured to receive a portable storage medium from the portable storage medium storage device, to print on a print area of the portable storage medium only a pre-determined graphic associated with the user-selected merchant, and to dispense the portable storage medium following printing,

wherein the portable storage medium comprises a value card bearing a magnetic strip or a smart card, and

wherein the print area of the portable storage medium comprises substantially an entire front side of the portable storage medium.

27. A kiosk for transferring funds to a personalized portable storage medium according to claim 26, wherein the portable electronic storage device comprises a near field communication device.

28. A kiosk for transferring funds to a personalized portable storage medium according to claim 27, wherein the near field communication device comprises a cell phone, an electronic wallet, or an electronic purse.

29. A kiosk for transferring funds to a personalized portable storage medium according to claim 26, further comprising:

at least one storage medium writing device,

wherein the controller is further configured, in combination with controller-executable instructions resident in the memory device associated with the kiosk, to cause the storage medium writing device to store, on the storage medium of the dispensed portable storage medium, information corresponding to an accounting system associated with the selected merchant prior to dispensing of the portable storage medium.