Drive-through transaction system and method
First Claim
1. Apparatus comprising:
- a facility adapted to carry out transactions, the facility including an interior area;
at least one drive-through lane externally adjacent the facility;
at least one transaction device operative to enable at least one service provider in the interior area of the facility to exchange items with persons in vehicles in the at least one drive-through lane and in a position adjacent the at least one transaction device;
at least one computerized transaction device within the interior area of the facility,wherein the at least one computerized transaction device is usable in carrying out transactions,wherein the at least one computerized transaction device is operative to record at least one transaction data item associated with each transaction;
at least one vehicle sensor adjacent the at least one drive-through lane,wherein the at least one vehicle sensor is operative to sense each vehicle in the position adjacent the at least one transaction device,wherein the at least one vehicle sensor is operative to communicate at least one vehicle sensed signal responsive to sensing a vehicle relative to the position adjacent the at least one transaction device;
at least one processor in operative connection with at least one data store,wherein the at least one processor is located in the interior area of the facility,wherein the at least one processor is in operative connection with the at least one vehicle sensor,wherein the at least one processor is operative to receive at least one communication corresponding to at least one vehicle sensed signal communicated by the at least one vehicle sensor,wherein the at least one processor is operative to determine for each respective vehicle sensed by the at least one vehicle sensor, at least one time value, wherein the at least one time value includes a total time value corresponding to a total elapsed time the respective vehicle was in the position,wherein the at least one processor is in operative connection with the at least one computerized transaction device,wherein for each transaction the at least one processor is operative to cause the at least one transaction data item and the at least one time value to be stored in associated relation in the at least one data store, enabling the at least one time value to be recovered from the at least one data store subsequent to the respective transaction.
20 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system (10) for carrying out transactions between a customer at a customer station (14, 21, 202, 204) and a service provider at a service provider station (12, 194), includes transferring items through transaction devices such as pneumatic carrier delivery and receiving device (21, 200) and a deal drawer (20, 208). The customer at the customer station provides inputs corresponding to a financial account through input devices on the body which is stored in the memory (82, 158) on the body. After transfer to the service provider station, data in the memory is output to a charge device (56) which is operative to assess a charge to the customer'"'"'s account responsive to data output from the memory. Vehicle sensors (230, 234) sense a vehicle adjacent the respective transaction device. At least one computer calculates at least one time value corresponding to each vehicle and stores the at least one time value and other data values concerning the respective transaction.
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Citations
30 Claims
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1. Apparatus comprising:
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a facility adapted to carry out transactions, the facility including an interior area; at least one drive-through lane externally adjacent the facility; at least one transaction device operative to enable at least one service provider in the interior area of the facility to exchange items with persons in vehicles in the at least one drive-through lane and in a position adjacent the at least one transaction device; at least one computerized transaction device within the interior area of the facility, wherein the at least one computerized transaction device is usable in carrying out transactions, wherein the at least one computerized transaction device is operative to record at least one transaction data item associated with each transaction; at least one vehicle sensor adjacent the at least one drive-through lane, wherein the at least one vehicle sensor is operative to sense each vehicle in the position adjacent the at least one transaction device, wherein the at least one vehicle sensor is operative to communicate at least one vehicle sensed signal responsive to sensing a vehicle relative to the position adjacent the at least one transaction device; at least one processor in operative connection with at least one data store, wherein the at least one processor is located in the interior area of the facility, wherein the at least one processor is in operative connection with the at least one vehicle sensor, wherein the at least one processor is operative to receive at least one communication corresponding to at least one vehicle sensed signal communicated by the at least one vehicle sensor, wherein the at least one processor is operative to determine for each respective vehicle sensed by the at least one vehicle sensor, at least one time value, wherein the at least one time value includes a total time value corresponding to a total elapsed time the respective vehicle was in the position, wherein the at least one processor is in operative connection with the at least one computerized transaction device, wherein for each transaction the at least one processor is operative to cause the at least one transaction data item and the at least one time value to be stored in associated relation in the at least one data store, enabling the at least one time value to be recovered from the at least one data store subsequent to the respective transaction. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method comprising:
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(a) conducting at least one transaction at a facility through a transaction device, including exchanging at least one item between a user in a vehicle and a service provider in an interior area of the facility, wherein the vehicle is in a drive-through lane exteriorly adjacent the facility, and wherein the vehicle is in a position adjacent the transaction device; (b) receiving at least one transaction data item associated with the at least one transaction through operation of at least one computerized transaction function device in the facility, wherein the at least one computerized transaction function device is in operative connection with at least one processor located in the interior area of the facility; (c) sensing with a vehicle sensing device, the vehicle in the drive-through lane relative to the position, wherein the vehicle sensing device is in operative connection with at least one processor; (d) operating the at least one vehicle sensor to communicate at least one vehicle sensed signal responsive to the sensing in step (c); (e) operating the at least one processor to receive at least one communication corresponding to the at least one vehicle sensed signal communicated in step (d); (f) responsive to step (e), determining through operation of the at least one processor, at least one time value corresponding to the vehicle sensed in step (c), wherein the at least one time value includes a total time value corresponding to a total elapsed time the vehicle was in the position; and (g) storing through operation of the at least one processor, the at least one transaction data item and the at least one time value in associated relation in at least one data store, enabling the at least one time value to be recovered from the at least one data store subsequent to the at least one transaction. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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Specification