Device, system and method for making commercial transactions through a paper document

• US 9,460,427 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2012
• Issued: 10/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panini SPA (Waterfall Investments SA)
• Original Assignee: Panini SPA (Waterfall Investments SA)
• Inventors: Zanotel, Mirko, Fassiotto, Marco
• Primary Examiner(s): Harandi, Siamak
• Application Number:
  US13/488,927
• Publication Number:
  US 20130322731A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,582 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/0425 the cheque being electronic only
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce

Abstract

A system for making commercial transactions through a paper document includes: a device (3) for reading and scanning the paper document containing information useful for a commercial transaction, the reading and scanning device (3) having an IP address; a user device (5); an interface (7), in particular a connection, between the reading and scanning device (3) and the user device (5), wherein the reading and scanning device (3) includes a software interface adapted to exchange data and/or the information with the user device (5) through the interface (7) and via the HTTP protocol.

Claims

1. A system for making commercial transactions through a paper document, comprising:

a device for reading and scanning said paper document containing information useful for a commercial transaction, said reading and scanning device having an IP (Internet Protocol) address and configured to make prints or endorsements on said paper document with a stamp or an inkjet printing system;

a user device configured to conduct the commercial transaction using the information read and scanned from the paper document;

an interface forming a connection between said reading and scanning device and said user device,

wherein said reading and scanning device is configured to be used as a device (slave mode) or a host (master mode) and configured to be connected to the user device through different physical media including a USB cable, a WiFi dongle, a LAN cable or a serial protocol, said reading and scanning device comprising elements for reading an optical code or a magnetic code of a check, and a software interface adapted to exchange data and/or said information with said user device through said interface and via a HTTP/HTTPS protocol (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol/Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Secure), wherein the magnetic code includes a Magnetic Ink Character Recognition code,

wherein the user device and the device for reading and scanning are connected and said data and/or information is exchanged between said device for reading and scanning and said user device without installing a software specific to the device for reading and scanning on the user device.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said device for reading and scanning said paper document implements an internal web server and said user device includes a browser or a specific application.

3. The system according to claim 1 wherein said reading and scanning device comprises a document and check sorter.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein said interface operates in wired or wireless mode.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein said user device comprises one of the following devices:

smartphone;

mobile telephone;

computer;

OS (Point of Sale) terminal;

tablet.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein said reading and scanning device comprises a port for a USB (Universal Serial Bus) connector, which allows the reading and scanning device to operate in device mode or in host mode.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein said reading and scanning device comprises power supply means adapted to power a dongle, of the WiFi, Bluetooth or Local Area Network type, when said reading device is powered as a host.

8. The system according to claim 6, wherein said reading and scanning device is able to automatically switch between the device and host modes.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein said user device is adapted to transmit said data and/or said information through a communication network, or through a second connection other than said connection, to a computer of a bank, a post office or the like.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said device for reading and scanning is configured to switch from the slave mode to the master mode or from the master mode to the slave mode.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said device for reading and scanning is configured to operate in the slave mode and is configured to operate in the master mode, wherein the slave mode and the master mode are entered at different times.

12. A method for making commercial transactions through a paper document, the method comprising:

reading and scanning said paper document by a device for reading and scanning said paper document containing information useful for a commercial transaction, said reading and scanning device having an IP address,

making a print or an endorsement on said paper document with a stamp or an inkjet printing system; and

exchanging data and/or said information between said reading and scanning device and a user device through an interface via the HTTP/HTTPS protocol (HyperText Transfer Protocol/HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure), said reading and scanning device includes elements for reading an optical code or a magnetic code, the magnetic code including a Magnetic Ink Character Recognition code, wherein said reading and scanning device is configured to be used as a “

device”

(slave) or a “

host”

(master) and configured to be connected to the user device through different physical media including a USB cable, a WiFi dongle, a LAN cable or a serial protocol,

wherein the user device is configured to conduct the commercial transaction using the information read and scanned from the paper document, and

wherein the user device and the device for reading and scanning can be connected such that said data and/or information is exchanged between said device for reading and scanning and said user device without installing a software specific to the device for reading and scanning on the user device.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein said device for reading and scanning said paper document implements an internal web server and said user device includes a browser or a specific application adapted to control said reading and scanning device in a manner such that the user device sees said reading and scanning device as a Web site.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein said user device is able to command one or more of the following operations on said reading and scanning device:

configuring said reading and scanning device;

scanning a front and/or back image of said paper document to obtain a scan thereof;

obtaining the results of said scan;

reading an optical and/or magnetic code of said paper document;

commanding a printing operation to be executed by a stamp or inkjet device;

specifying an e-mail address where to send said scan.

15. A document and check sorter device, comprising:

a device for reading and scanning a paper document containing information useful for a commercial transaction, said reading and scanning device having an IP address and configured to make prints or endorsements on said paper document with a stamp or an inkjet printing system;

an interface for interfacing to a user device that is configured to conduct the commercial transaction using the information read and scanned from the paper document;

said reading and scanning device comprising elements for reading an optical code or a magnetic code, and a software interface adapted to exchange data and/or said information with said user device through said interface and via an HTTP/HTTPS protocol (HyperText Transfer Protocol/HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure), wherein the magnetic code includes a Magnetic Ink Character Recognition code, wherein said reading and scanning device is configured to be used as a “

device”

(slave) or a “

host”

(master) and configured to be connected to the user device through different physical media including a USB cable, a WiFi dongle, a LAN cable or a serial protocol,

wherein the user device and the device for reading and scanning can be connected such that said data and/or information is exchanged between said device for reading and scanning and said user device without installing a software specific to the device for reading and scanning on the user device.

16. The device according to claim 15, wherein said interface is of a wireless type.

17. The device according to claim 15, wherein said interface comprises a port for a USB (Universal Serial Bus) connector.

18. The device according to claim 17, wherein said port for said USB connector can be configured in a device mode or in a host mode.

19. The device according to claim 18, wherein said device for reading and scanning is able to automatically switch between said device mode and said host mode.

20. The device according to claim 15, wherein said device for reading and scanning can be powered by a direct voltage source external to said device.

21. The device according to claim 15, wherein said device for reading and scanning is powered by batteries.