Methods, devices and bank computers for consumers using communicators to wire funds to sellers and vending machines

• US 8,458,087 B2
• Filed: 04/02/2010
• Issued: 06/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Xylon LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Wireless Commerce LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Kavounas, Gregory T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Hai
• Application Number:
  US12/753,734
• Publication Number:
  US 20100198399A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,159 Days
• Field of Search: 705 15- 45
• US Class Current: 705/39
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/108 Remote banking, e.g. home banking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/327 Short range or proximity payments by means of M-devices
• 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 20/42 Confirmation, e.g. check or permission by the legal debtor of payment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 5/18 specially adapted for controlling several coin-freed apparatus from one place
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/001 Interfacing with vending machines using mobile or wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/002 Vending machines being part of a centrally controlled network of vending machines

Abstract

Methods for consumers to pay at the point of sale by using a personal communicator to wire transfer funds out of their bank account. The communicator is coupled to, and exchanges signals with a reciprocating communicator of the seller, which in turn is coupled to the seller'"'"'s bank. This way the money is transferred as an EFT payment code directly from the buyer'"'"'s bank to the seller'"'"'s bank, where it may be considered direct deposited, without processing delays. Devices also include vending machines that can receive payment this way. Bank computers are provided with systems and software for enabling the above. The bank computers are accessible by telephone lines, and work with cooperating banks by exchanging signals, for transferring the funds. The seller'"'"'s bank generates a payment confirmation code that is ultimately transmitted to the seller'"'"'s satisfaction for releasing the goods at the point of sale.

Claims

1. A vending machine for selling goods, comprising:

a releasing mechanism configured to selectively allow access to the goods;

a transducer configured to accept incoming signals from a first agent through a communicator and configured to issue vendor signals to the first agent through the communicator in response to the incoming signals, wherein the vendor signals comprise an instruction for a first agent to transfer money to a second agent; and

a system configured to interpret codes from the incoming signals, and configured to activate the releasing mechanism based, at least in part, on the interpreted codes matching preset codes.

2. The vending machine of claim 1, further comprising display hardware configured to display a price for the goods in response to vendor signals that encode the price.

3. The vending machine of claim 1, wherein the transducer is configured to transmit vendor signals that comprise sound signals.

4. The vending machine of claim 1, wherein the transducer is configured to transmit vendor signals that comprise infrared light signals.

5. The vending machine of claim 1, wherein the transducer is configured to transmit vendor signals that comprise radio frequency signals.

6. The vending machine of claim 1, wherein the transducer is configured to transmit signals that comprise DC electrical signals.

7. The vending machine of claim 1, wherein the first agent comprises a financial institution and the second agent comprises a financial institution.

8. The vending machine of claim 1, wherein the vending machine comprises an automated teller machine and the goods comprise cash.

9. The vending machine of claim 1, wherein the vending machine comprises a parking meter and the goods comprise parking time.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising if the response signal indicates that the payment has been made according to the instruction, releasing the item.

10. A method for a vending machine to sell an item to a consumer comprising:

transmitting, by the vending machine, to a financial institution of the consumer an instruction for making a payment to a financial institution of the vending machine;

receiving from the financial institution of the consumer through a communication device of the consumer, at the vending machine, a response signal; and

determining whether the response signal indicates that the payment has been made according to the instruction.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

waiting for the consumer to establish a first telephone communication link between the financial institution of the consumer and the communication device of the consumer, and

wherein transmitting an instruction includes generating a sound signal for the communication device of the consumer.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein transmitting an instruction includes transmitting information representing a price to be paid for the item.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein transmitting an instruction includes transmitting information representing an identification of the financial institution of the vending machine.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the vending machine comprises an automated teller machine and the goods comprise cash.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the vending machine comprises a parking meter and the goods comprise parking time.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the communication device comprises a cellular telephone.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the communication device of the consumer is configured to provide the response signal to the vending machine through a coupler.

19. The method of claim 10, wherein the vending machine comprises a transducer, and wherein the transducer is configured to receive the response signal and analyze the response signal for validity.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the transducer comprises a speaker and a microphone.

21. A control system for a vending machine, the control system comprising:

a transducer configured to accept incoming signals from a communicator associated with a consumer, and configured to issue vendor signals to the communicator responsive, at least in part, to the incoming signals, wherein the communicator is configured to couple the vendor signals to a consumer agent or a vendor agent; and

a control sub-system configured to interpret codes from the incoming signals, and configured to activate a releasing mechanism in response to the interpreted codes matching preset codes, wherein the releasing mechanism selectively allows access to goods dispensed by the vending machine.

22. The control system of claim 21, wherein the releasing mechanism is provided by the vending machine.

23. The control system of claim 21, wherein the transducer is further configured to transmit vendor signals that comprise at least one of sound signals, infrared light signals, radio frequency signals, or DC electrical signals.

24. The control system of claim 21, wherein the transducer is further configured to transmit signals that encode an instruction for consumer agent to transfer money to the vendor agent.

25. The control system of claim 21, wherein the vending machine comprises an automated teller machine and the goods comprise cash.

26. The control system of claim 21, wherein the vending machine comprises a parking meter and the goods comprise parking time.