Automatic payment system for a plurality of remote merchants

• US 6,529,880 B1
• Filed: 12/01/1999
• Issued: 03/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intermec IP Corporation (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Intermec IP Corporation (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: McKeen, Kyle Clifford, Anthonyson, Robert B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Olszewski, Robert P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jaketic, Bryan
• Application Number:
  US09/452,547
• Time in Patent Office: 1,189 Days
• Field of Search: 705/17,44
• US Class Current: 705/17
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• 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: G07F 7/02 by keys or other credit registering devices

Abstract

An automated payment system for a plurality of remote merchants includes a clearinghouse server, a plurality of customer tags and a plurality of local merchant systems. The clearinghouse system includes a customer database and merchant database. A customer joining the clearinghouse service is provided with a customer tag, such as an RFID transponder, which stores a tag identification number. Each remote merchant includes a local merchant system which includes a reader, point-of-sale system, a customer database and a transaction database. The reader is adapted to automatically retrieve the tag identification number from a customer tag when the customer tag is within an associated reading area, such as a stopping location of drive-through lane or a short-term parking stall. The customer'"'"'s order is entered and processed on the point-of-sale system which is adapted to handle both standard cash transactions and authorized cashless transactions. The authorization database includes tag identification numbers for each tag of a customer authorized to use the automated payment system. A search is conducted in the authorization database for the tag identification number retrieved by the reader, and if found, the point-of-sale system is authorized to process a cashless transaction for the associated customer. The transaction database stores information for each authorized cashless transaction completed by the point-of-sale system, and periodically transmits the stored transaction information to the clearinghouse system which withdraws funds from the associated customer account and remits payment to the associated merchant account.

Claims

1. A method for processing a cashless transaction comprising the steps of:

at a local merchant location,

detecting the arrival and identity of a customer vehicle at the local merchant;

authorizing a cashless transaction based on the detected identity; and

completing the authorized cashless transaction, the completed authorized cashless transaction having a transaction total;

wherein the steps of detecting, authorizing and completing are performed in real-time and without communication outside the local merchant location; and

wherein, at a time subsequent to the completion of the authorized transaction, data representing the completed authorized transaction is transmitted to a remote location; and

at the remote location,

withdrawing funds equal to the transaction total from a customer account associated with the detected identity; and

remitting the transaction total to a merchant account associated with the local merchant.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of detecting comprises the step of reading a tag identification number from a tag disposed in the customer vehicle.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of authorizing comprises the steps of searching for the tag identification number in a database of authorized tag identification numbers, and authorizing a cashless transaction if the tag identification number is found.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the step of completing comprises the step of storing the data representing the completed authorized transaction in a local database.

5. The method of claim 3 further comprising the step of periodically updating the database of authorized tag identification numbers by downloading updates from a clearinghouse system.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein the step of authorizing further includes the step of, if the tag identification number is not found in the database of authorized tag identification numbers, operating a tag reader to disable the tag.

7. In a local merchant location including a merchant establishment and a short-term parking stall adjacent to the merchant establishment, a method for transacting with a customer comprising the steps of:

detecting the arrival of a vehicle in the short-term parking stall;

identifying a customer associated with the vehicle;

retrieving customer information associated with the identified customer;

starting a customer transaction for the customer based on the retrieved customer information before the customer enters the merchant establishment; and

completing the customer transaction.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising the step of authorizing a cashless transaction based on the retrieved customer information, wherein the completed customer transaction is a cashless transaction.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the step of starting a customer transaction comprises the step of opening an order entry screen in a point-of-sale system, the order entry screen including a subset of the retrieved customer information.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the step of starting a customer transaction comprises the steps of detecting a pending customer order and retrieving the pending customer order.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein the step of detecting comprises the step of operating a tag reader to read a tag identification number from a tag associated with the vehicle.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein the cashless customer transaction is completed at the local merchant, without communication outside the local merchant location.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of detecting comprises the step of operating a tag reader to read a tag identification number from a tag associated with the vehicle and wherein the step of authorizing comprises the steps of searching for the tag identification number in a database of authorized tag identification numbers, and authorizing the cashless transaction if the tag identification number is found.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of periodically updating the database of authorized tag identification numbers by downloading updates from a clearinghouse system.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of authorizing further includes the step of, if the tag identification number is not found in the database of authorized tag identification numbers, operating the tag reader to disable the tag.