Local Payment Collection and Information Management Apparatus and Method

• US 20110295662A1
• Filed: 05/27/2011
• Published: 12/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Debi Gean Harris
• Original Assignee: Debi Gean Harris
• Inventors: Harris, Debi Gean
• Granted Patent: US 10,223,715 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.4
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03

Abstract

An apparatus for collecting payments and managing information, which allows for a payment to be made when the payee is not present and makes a record of the same, and a method is provided. The apparatus comprises a payer interface, a system for receiving payments, a secure lock box for storing payments, and a system for retaining and retrieving information. The payer identifies the payment to be made, enters the type of payment and the amount and submits the payment, which is scanned. The information entered or scanned is stored in a database. The apparatus securely stores the payment and issues a receipt with payment information and images of the payment made. The payee may access the database records and obtain the payments at a later time. The apparatus allows low-income payers, who may not have access to bank accounts or credit cards, to submit cash payments when the payee is unavailable.

Claims

1. A payment collection and information management apparatus comprising:

one or more means of storing information;

one or more means of receiving said information from a user;

one or more means of displaying said information to said user;

one or more means for collecting payment from said user;

one or more means for storing said payment; and

one or more means of retrieving said payment;

whereby said user enters control information into said information-receiving means either to retrieve additional information from said information-displaying means or to make a payment by supplying said payment to said payment-collecting means, wherein said payment is then stored using said payment-storing means until said payment is retrieved by the payee using said payment-retrieving means.

2. The payment collection and information management apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

an outer cover; and

a plurality of openings in said outer cover;

wherein said information-storing means is contained within said outer cover, said information-retrieving means extends from within said outer cover through an opening in said outer cover, said information-displaying means extends from within said outer cover through an opening in said outer cover, said payment-collecting means extends from within said outer cover through an opening in said outer cover, said payment-storing means is contained within said outer cover, and said payment-retrieving means extends through an opening in said outer cover.

3. The payment collection and information management apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a base; and

a plurality of footings;

wherein said apparatus is mounted on said base and said footings extend into the surface upon which said base is mounted in order to secure said apparatus in place.

4. The payment collection and information management apparatus of claim 1, wherein said information comprises identification of the user, payment identification, account information, account history, marketing material, helpful information, directions, instructions, promotional material, sales, pricing information, discount information, available goods or services, available units, payment record, past payment records, payment plans, proof of payment, amount due, amount past due, type of payment, amount of payment, advertising information, information regarding related services, payment information, images, video, time of payment, place of payment, amount of payment, communication to said user or communication from said user.

5. The payment collection and information management apparatus of claim 1, wherein said information-storing means comprises a CPU, a hard drive, a computer, a memory device a computer network or a combination thereof

6. The payment collection and information management apparatus of claim 1, wherein said information-displaying means comprises a monitor, a plurality of monitors, a screen, plurality of screens, a touchscreen, a plurality of touchscreens, a printer or a thermal printer.

7. The payment collection and information management apparatus of claim 1, wherein said information-receiving means comprises a keypad, a touchscreen, a card reader, a plurality of keypads, a plurality of touchscreens, a document reader, a currency reader, credit reader, debit card reader, camera or video camera.

8. The payment collection and information management apparatus of claim 1, wherein said payment comprises cash, check, cashiers'"'"' check, money order, debit card or credit card.

9. The payment collection and information management apparatus of claim 1, wherein said payment-collecting means comprises a document reader for cash, check or money order, or a card reader for debit or credit cards.

10. The payment collection and information management apparatus of claim 1, wherein said payment-storing means comprises a safe, a lockbox, a hard drive, a memory device, a cash currency stacker for cash payments or a document stacker for check payments and money order payments.

11. The payment collection and information management apparatus of claim 1, wherein said payment-retrieving means comprises accessing said payment-storing means through a lockable security door.

12. The payment collection and information management apparatus of claim 1, wherein said apparatus may be accessed by one or more users at a time.

13. The payment collection and information management apparatus of claim 1, wherein said said payee may collect a payment from said user without using an intermediary.

14. The payment collection and information management apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a means of recording video of said user during use of said apparatus, said video-recording means comprising a security system, camera, a plurality of cameras, a video camera, a plurality of video cameras, a digital camera, a plurality of digital cameras, a webcam, or a plurality of webcams.

15. The payment collection and information management apparatus of claim 1, wherein said payment-collecting means records one or more images of said payment.

16. The payment collection and information management apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

an outer cover comprising;

a front panel;

which comprises a front panel plate, a payment document opening extending through said front panel plate for receiving payments by cash, check or money order, a payment card opening extending through said front panel plate for receiving payments by credit card or debit card, and a record opening extending through said front panel plate for receiving a record of the payment;

a display panel;

which comprises a display panel plate, a screen opening which extends through said display panel plate and a keypad opening which extends through said display panel plate;

a rear panel;

which comprises a rear panel plate and a door in said rear panel plate;

a right side panel;

a left side panel; and

a top panel;

a base comprising;

a slab and a plurality of footings;

a screen module which extends through said screen opening;

a keypad which extends through said keypad opening;

a thermal printer which issues records through said record opening; and

a printer paper assembly contained within said outer cover which supplies paper for said thermal printer;

a document reader which extends through said payment document opening; and

a document stacker contained within said outer cover;

a currency stacker contained within said outer cover;

a card reader which extends through said payment card opening;

a video module contained within said outer cover comprising;

a camera, and a recorder, with said camera extending through said outer cover; and

a CPU module contained within said outer cover;

whereby a payer may enter information into said keypad or retrieve information from said screen module and/or said payer may make payments to said payee by entering payment-identifying information into said keypad;

inserting cash, check, cashiers'"'"' check or money order through said payment document opening and/or inserting credit or debit card through said payment document opening;

whereby the cash, check, cashiers'"'"' check or money order is scanned with said document reader and/or the credit card or debit card information is recorded by said card reader;

the images of said cash, check, cashiers'"'"' check or money order and/or information of said credit card or said debit card are recorded and stored in a database stored in said CPU module as an electronic record of payment; and

a paper printout of said electronic record of payment is generated on said printer paper with said thermal printer so that payer may retain a record of said payment;

a video of said payer being recorded by said video module during a transaction.

17. The payment collection and information management apparatus of claim 1 further comprising:

an outer cover comprising;

a front panel;

which comprises a front panel plate, a payment document opening extending through said front panel plate for receiving payments by cash, check or money order, a payment card opening extending through said front panel plate for receiving payments by credit card or debit card, and a record opening extending through said front panel plate for receiving a record of the payment;

a display panel, which comprises a display panel plate and a touchscreen opening which extends through said display panel plate;

a rear panel, which comprises a rear panel plate and a door in said rear panel plate;

a right side panel;

a left side panel; and

a top panel;

a base comprising;

a slab and a plurality of footings;

a touchscreen module which extends through said screen opening;

a thermal printer which issues records through said record opening;

a printer paper assembly contained within said outer cover which supplies paper for said thermal printer;

a document reader which extends through said payment document opening;

a document stacker contained within said outer cover;

a currency stacker contained within said outer cover;

a card reader which extends through said payment card opening; and

a video module contained within said outer cover comprising;

a camera, and a recorder, with said camera extending through said outer cover; and

a CPU module contained within said outer cover;

whereby a payer may enter information into said touchscreen or retrieve information from said touchscreen and/or said payer may make payments by entering payment-identifying information into said touchscreen;

inserting cash, check, cashiers'"'"' check or money order through said payment document opening and/or inserting credit or debit card through said payment document opening;

whereby the cash, check, cashiers'"'"' check or money order is scanned with said document reader and/or the credit card or debit card information is recorded by said card reader;

the images of said cash, check, cashiers'"'"' check or money order and/or information of said credit card or said debit card are recorded and stored in a database stored in said CPU module as an electronic record of payment; and

a paper printout of said electronic record of payment is generated on printer paper with said thermal printer so that payer may retain a record of said payment, a video of said payer being recorded by said video module during a transaction.

18. A method of collecting payment and managing information comprising:

a means of storing information;

a means of displaying said information to a user;

a means of receiving said information from said user;

a means for collecting payment from said user;

a means for storing said payment; and

a means of retrieving said payment;

whereby said user enters control information into said information-receiving means either to retrieve additional information from said information-displaying means or to make a payment by supplying said payment to said payment-collecting means, wherein said payment is then stored using said payment-storing means until said payment is retrieved by the payee using said payment-retrieving means.