Method of establishing credit on a vending device

• US 9,471,918 B1
• Filed: 12/18/2009
• Issued: 10/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: COIN Free LLC
• Original Assignee: COIN Free LLC
• Inventors: Peacock, Neal J., Krampe, Richard L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Subramanian, Narayanswamy
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kang, Irene
• Application Number:
  US12/653,741
• Time in Patent Office: 2,496 Days
• Field of Search: 705/39, 705/72, 705/12, 705/52
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/18 involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3223 Realising banking transactions through M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/355 Personalisation of cards for use
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/367 involving electronic purses or money safes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty

Abstract

A method and system is provided for establishing credit on an automatic vending machine or vending device. A currency amount or a number of credits is established on a vending device in order to obtain a product, service or access time from a vending device using a cellular telephone, or other personal wireless communication device. The personal wireless communication device activates an applet, which may be downloaded at the site, to establish a link with a vending machine universal wireless interface coupled to the vending machine device controller and also establishes a link with a remote server for authorizing credit for a vending transaction, which allows the vending transaction to take place.

Claims

1. A method of establishing credit on a vending device by a consumer comprising:

coupling a vending universal wireless interface to a vending device controller;

activating an applet on a personal wireless communication device to establish a wireless link with said vending device controller;

communicating between said personal wireless communication device and said vending device to acquire the vending device'"'"'s identification number and vending information;

establishing a wireless link between said personal wireless communication device and a remote computer server;

transmitting information acquired from said vending device from said personal wireless communication device to said remote computer server along with a request for credit approval for use on said vending device;

determining credit availability for said transmitted request through said remote computer server;

generating a transaction record from the transmitted request;

transmitting a response from said remote computer server to said personal communication device authorizing a predetermined credit for use on said vending device when such credit is authorized;

transmitting said credit approval from said personal wireless communication device to said vending device; and

activating said vending device to dispense a product therefrom;

thereby eliminating the need for currency or the surrendering one'"'"'s credit card for swiping by a third party, or of a dedicated connection between a vending device and a remote computer server to activate a vending device is eliminated.

2. The method of establishing credit on a vending device by a consumer in accordance with claim 1 including the step of downloading the applet on a users personal wireless communication device prior to activating said applet.

3. The method of establishing credit on a vending device by a consumer in accordance with claim 2 including the step of acquiring price information from said vending machine by said personal wireless communication device for transmission to said remote computer server.

4. The method of establishing credit on a vending device by a consumer in accordance with claim 3 including the step of acquiring the users cellular telephone identification by said applet for transmission to said remote computer server.

5. The method of establishing credit on a vending device by a consumer in accordance with claim 4 including the step of dialing a telephone number on said vending device for downloading said applet.

6. The method of establishing credit on a vending device by a consumer in accordance with claim 5 including the step of entering the currency amount to be spent onto said personal wireless communication device.

7. The method of establishing credit on a vending device by a consumer in accordance with claim 6 including the step of said remote server verifying said personal wireless communication device identification and personal identification information upon receipt of a request from said personal wireless communication device.

8. The method of establishing credit on a vending device by a consumer in accordance with claim 7 including the step of said remote computer server generates an approval or denial response to personal wireless communication device.

9. A system for establishing credit on a vending device by a consumer using the consumer'"'"'s personal wireless communication device comprising:

a vending device having a vending universal wireless interface coupled to said vending machine device controller;

a personal wireless communication device having a local transceiver and having a vending applet thereon for communication between said personal wireless communication device and said vending device universal wireless interface; and

a remote computer server linkable with said personal wireless communication device for receiving requests from said personal wireless communication device for credit for use on said vending device, said remote computer server being adapted to respond to credit approval for a vending device and for instituting the creation of a transaction record from said request.

10. The system for establishing credit on a vending device by a consumer using the consumer'"'"'s personal wireless communication device in accordance with claim 9 in which said personal communication device is a cellular telephone.

11. The system for establishing credit on a vending device by a consumer using the consumer'"'"'s personal wireless communication device in accordance with claim 10 in which said vending universal wireless interface includes an RF transceiver.

12. The system for establishing credit on a vending device by a consumer using the consumer'"'"'s personal wireless communication device in accordance with claim 11 in which personal wireless communication device vending applet includes means for setting up a communication link with said vending universal wireless Interface and acquiring vending device identification information therefrom.

13. The system for establishing credit on a vending device by a consumer using the consumer'"'"'s personal wireless communication device in accordance with claim 12 in which said vending device is a vending machine for vending product therefrom.