Consular kiosks and methods

• US 8,577,798 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2012
• Issued: 11/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Western Union
• Original Assignee: Western Union
• Inventors: Florez, Miguel
• Primary Examiner(s): Robinson, Kito R
• Application Number:
  US13/528,573
• Publication Number:
  US 20130103516A1
• Time in Patent Office: 503 Days
• Field of Search: 705/39, 235/380
• US Class Current: 705/39
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/18 involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/208 Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention provide a method of implementing electronic transfers with government consulates. The method may include receiving, via the interface terminal, a selection of a country'"'"'s consulate and a location of the consulate comprising a city in which the consulate has an office. The method may also include receiving, via the interface terminal, a consulate service selection. The method may further include receiving, at an input device, documentation necessary to complete the selected service type. The method may moreover include receiving, via the interface terminal, a payment for the selected service. The method may additionally include transmitting the service type selection, the documents, and the payment to the selected consulate.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of implementing electronic transfers with government consulates, the method comprising:

receiving, via an interface terminal, a selection of a country'"'"'s consulate and a location of the consulate comprising a city in which the consulate has an office;

receiving, via the interface terminal, a consulate service selection;

receiving, at an input device, documentation necessary to complete the selected service type;

receiving, via the interface terminal, a payment for the selected service; and

transmitting the service type selection, the documents, and the payment to the selected consulate.

2. The computer-implemented method of implementing electronic transfers with government consulates according to claim 1, further comprising processing, by the country'"'"'s consulate, the service selection.

3. The computer-implemented method of implementing electronic transfers with government consulates according to claim 1, further comprising receiving, via the interface terminal, contact information for a customer.

4. The computer-implemented method of implementing electronic transfers with government consulates according to claim 3, wherein the contact information comprises a selection from a group consisting of:

the customer'"'"'s name, the customer'"'"'s address, the customer'"'"'s telephone number, and the customer'"'"'s email address.

5. The computer-implemented method of implementing electronic transfers with government consulates according to claim 4, further comprising transmitting a confirmation of the selected service to the customer.

6. The computer-implemented method of implementing electronic transfers with government consulates according to claim 5, wherein the confirmation is transmitted to the customer using a selection from a group consisting of:

a voice mail, an email, an SMS text, and a mailed document.

7. The computer-implemented method of implementing electronic transfers with government consulates according to claim 1, wherein the input device is a dynamic scanning device.

8. The computer-implemented method of implementing electronic transfers with government consulates according to claim 7, wherein the dynamic scanning device is configured to adapt to at least one of the document'"'"'s size, shape, texture, color, or thickness when scanning the document.

9. The computer-implemented method of implementing electronic transfers with government consulates according to claim 8, wherein the document includes a selection from a group consisting of:

a birth certificate, a death certificate, a passport, a marriage certificate, a driver'"'"'s license, and a government ID.

10. The computer-implemented method of implementing electronic transfers with government consulates according to claim 9, further comprising displaying, on a display device, each document as the document is successfully scanned by the dynamic scanner.

11. The computer-implemented method of implementing electronic transfers with government consulates according to claim 1, further comprising receiving, from the selected consulate, verification of the success of the selected service.

12. The computer-implemented method of implementing electronic transfers with government consulates according to claim 1, wherein the payment includes a payment type.

13. The computer-implemented method of implementing electronic transfers with government consulates according to claim 12, wherein the payment type includes a selection from a group consisting of:

check, money transfer, wire transfer, cash, money order, electronic funds transfer, credit, debit, e-wallet, and e-currency.

14. The computer-implemented method of implementing electronic transfers with government consulates according to claim 1, wherein the service selection comprises a selection from a group consisting of:

registering a birth;

registering a death;

requesting a birth certificate;

requesting a death certificate;

requesting a passport; and

requesting an official document.

15. The computer-implemented method of implementing electronic transfers with government consulates according to claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

transmitting, from the selected consulate to a customer, an update including a selection from a group consisting of;

confirmation of a transaction related to the service selection; and

updated information about the transaction related to the service selection.

16. A system for implementing electronic transfers with government consulates, the system comprising:

a kiosk having;

a terminal interface configured to;

receive a selection of a country'"'"'s consulate,

present a list of different cities in which the consulate has offices,

receive a selection of a city from the list of different cities,

receive a service selection, and

receive a payment for the selected service;

a communications device configured to transmit to the selected country'"'"'s consulate the service selection and the payment.

a transaction processor in communication with the kiosk via the communications device, the transaction processor configured to receive the service selection and the payment from the kiosk, and transmit a service request; and

a consulate system in communication with the transaction processor, the consulate system configured to receive and process the service request.

17. The system for implementing electronic transfers with government consulates according to claim 16, wherein the kiosk also includes a dynamic scanner configured to adaptively change shape in order to accommodate the scanned documents'"'"' size, shape, texture, or thickness.

18. The system for implementing electronic transfers with government consulates according to claim 16, wherein the communications device comprises a selection from a group consisting of:

a wireless radio, a network interface card (NIC), a Bluetooth adapter, a USB adapter, and a modem.

19. The system for implementing electronic transfers with government consulates according to claim 16, wherein the payment includes a payment type and the payment type includes a selection from a group consisting of:

check, money transfer, wire transfer, cash, money order, electronic funds transfer, credit, debit, e-wallet, and e-currency.

20. The system for implementing electronic transfers with government consulates according to claim 16, wherein the terminal interface is further configured to:

determine the list of different cities in which the consulate has offices based on the selection of the country'"'"'s consulate.

21. The system for implementing electronic transfers with government consulates according to claim 16, wherein the service selection comprises a selection from a group consisting of:

registering a birth;

registering a death;

requesting a birth certificate;

requesting a death certificate;

requesting a passport; and

requesting an official document.

22. The system for implementing electronic transfers with government consulates according to claim 16, wherein the consulate system is further configure to:

transmit, to a customer, an update including a selection from a group consisting of;

confirmation of a transaction related to the service selection; and

updated information about the transaction related to the service selection.

23. A tangible non-transitory machine-readable medium for implementing electronic transfers with government consulates, having sets of instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to:

receive, via an interface terminal, a selection of a country'"'"'s consulate and a selection of a specific location of a physical location of one of the consulate offices;

receive, via the interface terminal, a consulate service selection;

receive, via the interface terminal, a payment for the selected service; and

transmit the service type selection and the payment to the selected consulate.

24. The machine-readable medium for implementing electronic transfers with government consulates according to claim 23, wherein the instructions further cause the machine to:

determine the list of different cities in which the consulate has offices based on the selection of the country'"'"'s consulate.

25. The machine-readable medium for implementing electronic transfers with government consulates according to claim 23, wherein the service selection comprises a selection from a group consisting of:

registering a birth;

registering a death;

requesting a birth certificate;

requesting a death certificate;

requesting a passport; and

requesting an official document.

26. The machine-readable medium for implementing electronic transfers with government consulates according to claim 23, wherein the instructions further cause the machine to:

transmit, from the selected consulate to a customer, an update including a selection from a group consisting of;

confirmation of a transaction related to the service selection; and

updated information about the transaction related to the service selection.