Multi-purpose terminal, payroll and work management system and related methods

• US 6,764,013 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2002
• Issued: 07/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: American EPS, Inc. (EPAY Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: American EPS, Inc. (EPAY Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ben-Aissa, Nebil
• Primary Examiner(s): St. Cyr, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US10/183,767
• Publication Number:
  US 20030197055A1
• Time in Patent Office: 754 Days
• Field of Search: 235/472.01, 235/375, 235/382, 235/385, 235/462.45, 235/379, 705/22, 705/30, 705/32
• US Class Current: 235/472.01
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/341 Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 1/10 together with the recording, indicating or registering of other data, e.g. of signs of identity
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 1/14 with apparatus adapted for use with individual cards
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0886 the card reader being portable for interacting with a POS or ECR in realizing a payment transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system

Abstract

Employees gain access to a payroll and work management system by authentication at a multi-purpose terminal with a bankcard encoded with a unique account number and a personal identification number (PIN). The terminal may then be used to check-in and checkout of work, to receive new work instructions or assignments, to review payroll details, to print a payroll stub, to execute financial transactions, to print a receipt of financial transactions or to review or to upload the results of work quality audits. The invention also includes systems and methods that utilize such multi-purpose terminals to calculate the payroll and deductions for each employee and to issue electronic fund transfers from the employer'"'"'s bank account to deposit the net pay in a bank account associated with each employee'"'"'s bankcard so that the pay is immediately accessible by each employee, such as by withdrawal of cash at an ATM or by purchases at a point of sale. Electronic payrolls may be processed and employee'"'"'s accounts credited with pay on a daily basis, or on any preset period of time, including hourly.

Claims

1. An electronic payroll system for processing a payroll, comprising:

a computer with a memory for storing the names of a plurality of employees, the pay rate for each employee, a unique identifying bank account number for each employee, a personal identification number associated with each bank account number, and for storing the check-in and checkout times of each employee,

a bankcard coded with one of the unique identifying bank account numbers assigned to each employee,

a personal identification number assigned to each employee and associated with each unique identifying bank account number,

an electronic terminal with a bankcard reader for reading the coded unique identifying bank account number on the bankcard, with a plurality of entry keys for entering the personal identification number and with means for communicating the unique identifying bank account number and the personal identification number to the computer,

said computer in communication with said electronic terminal to receive the unique identifying bank account number and personal identification number, to compare said bank account number and personal identification number as received from said electronic terminal and said memory to determine if said bank account number and personal identification number correspond to a set of numbers stored in the computer memory for a particular employee, and, if so, to authenticate the bank account number and to use the current time as a payroll check-in or checkout status for that employee.

2. The electronic payroll system in accordance with claim 1 further comprising:

a printer disposed in said electronic terminal,

a viewable display disposed on said terminal for displaying different selectable options including a view payroll option and a print payroll option,

a set of operable keys disposed on said terminal for selecting one of the different selectable options on said display,

whereby an employee may print a payroll stub at said terminal by selecting the print payroll option.

3. The electronic payroll system in accordance with claim 1 further comprising:

a viewable display disposed on said terminal for displaying different selectable options including a view new work assignments and/or instructions,

a set of operable keys disposed on said terminal for selecting one of the different selectable options on said display,

whereby an employee may view his/her new work assignments and/or instructions.

4. The electronic payroll system in accordance with claim 1 further comprising:

a printer disposed in said electronic terminal,

said viewable display disposed on said terminal for also displaying a print work assignment and/or instructions option,

whereby an employee may use said operable keys to select and print the work assignments and/or instructions at said terminal.

5. The electronic payroll system in accordance with claim 1 further comprising:

an infrared port disposed on said terminal for receiving work quality audits, and

said electronic terminal communicating said received work quality audit to said computer.

6. The electronic payroll system for processing a payroll in accordance with claim 1 wherein said computer is in communication with said electronic terminal via the internet.

7. A method of processing a payroll in an electronic payroll system including a computer with memory for storing the names of a plurality of employees, the pay rate for each employee, a unique identifying bank account number assigned to each employee, a personal identification number associated with each bank account number and the check-in and checkout times of each employee, a bankcard coded with one of the unique identifying bank account numbers assigned to each employee, a personal identification number assigned to each employee and associated with each unique identifying bank account number, and an electronic terminal with a bankcard reader for reading the bank account number coded on the bankcard, with a plurality of entry keys for entering the personal identification number and with means to communicate with said computer, the method comprising the steps of:

communicating said bank account number from the electronic terminal to the computer,

communicating the personal identification number from the electronic terminal to the computer,

comparing the bank account number and personal identification number to sets of numbers stored in the memory of the computer for at least some of the employees, and

using the current time as a payroll check-in or payroll checkout status for a particular employee if the bank account number and personal identification number correspond to a set of numbers stored in the computer memory for that employee.

8. The method in accordance with claim 7 including the additional step of:

periodically updating the employee information stored in the memory of the computer.

9. The method in accordance with claim 7 including the additional step of:

calculating the amount of time between payroll check-in and payroll checkout for each employee,

calculating the amount of pay for each employee based upon the time between payroll check-in and payroll checkout and the pay rate for each employee, and

transmitting the calculated amount of net pay for each employee to a bank that issued the bankcards.

10. The method in accordance with claim 9 including the additional step of:

crediting each unique identifying bank account number with the calculated net pay for those particular employees.

11. The method in accordance with claim 10 including the additional step of:

printing a copy of the previously calculated payroll associated with a unique bank account number at the electronic terminal after the computer has authenticated the bank account number and personal identification number of a particular employee.

12. An electronic payroll system for processing a payroll including a computer with memory for storing the names of a plurality of employees, the pay rate for each employee, a unique identifying bank account number assigned to each employee, a personal identification number associated with each bank account number and the check-in and checkout times of each employee, a bank card coded with one of the unique identifying bank account numbers assigned to each employee, a personal identification number assigned to each employee and associated with each unique bank identifying account number, including:

an electronic terminal with a bankcard reader for reading the coded unique account number on the bank card, a plurality of entry keys for entering the personal identification number and with means for communicating the unique bank account number and personal identification number from the electronic terminal to the computer,

whereby said computer compares the received bank account number and the received personal identification number to sets of numbers stored in the memory of the computer, and uses the current time as an employee payroll check-in or payroll check-out status for a particular employee if the bank account number and personal identification numbers correspond to a set of numbers stored in the computer memory for that employee.

13. The electronic payroll system in accordance with claim 12 wherein said computer periodically determines the payroll for each employee and issues electronic fund transfers to credit a bank account associated with each employee'"'"'s bankcard with that employee'"'"'s net pay.

14. The electronic payroll system in accordance with claim 13, wherein the payroll is credited to each employee'"'"'s bank account on a daily basis.

15. The electronic payroll system for processing a payroll in accordance with claim 12 wherein said computer is in communication with said electronic terminal via the internet.

16. An electronic terminal in an electronic payroll system for processing a payroll, the system including a computer with a memory for storing the names of a plurality of employees, the pay rate for each employee, a unique identifying bank account number for each employee, a personal identification number associated with each bank account number and the check-in and checkout times of each employee, a bankcard coded with one of the unique identifying bank account numbers assigned to each employee and a personal identification number assigned to each employee and associated with each unique identifying bank account number, said electronic terminal comprising:

a card reader for reading the coded unique identifying bank account number on the bankcard,

a plurality of entry keys for entering the personal identification number assigned to each employee and associated with each unique identifying bank account number,

a viewable display disposed on said electronic terminal for displaying a plurality of options including check-in to work and checkout of work,

means for selecting one of said plurality of options displayed on said display including check-in to work or checkout of work,

electronic communication means disposed in said electronic terminal to communicate said unique identifying bank account number, said personal identification number and said check-in to work or said checkout of work option to said computer.

17. The electronic terminal in accordance with claim 16 further comprising:

a printer disposed in said electronic terminal,

said viewable display disposed on said terminal displays a view payroll option and a print payroll option,

said means for selecting one of the different selectable options on said display including the view payroll option and the print payroll option,

whereby an employee may print a payroll stub at said terminal by selecting the print payroll option.

18. The electronic terminal in accordance with claim 16 further comprising:

said viewable display disposed on said terminal displays a view new work assignment and/or instruction,

said means for selecting one of the different selectable options on said display including the view new work assignment and/or instruction,

whereby an employee may view his/her new work assignment and/or instruction.

19. The electronic terminal in accordance with claim 18 further comprising:

a printer disposed in said electronic terminal,

said viewable display disposed on said terminal also displays a print work assignment and/or instruction option,

whereby an employee may use said means for selecting one of the selectable options to print the work assignment and/or instruction at said terminal.

20. The electronic terminal in accordance with claim 16 further comprising:

an infrared port disposed on said terminal for receiving work quality audits, and

said electronic terminal communicating said received work quality audit to said computer.

21. The electronic payroll terminal in an electronic payroll system in accordance with claim 16 wherein said electronic communication means includes the internet.

22. An electronic payroll system for processing a payroll, comprising:

a computer with a memory for storing the names of a plurality of employees, the pay rate for each employee and the check-in and checkout times of each employee,

a bankcard coded with one of the unique identifying bank account numbers assigned to each employee,

a personal identification number assigned to each employee and associated with each unique identifying account number,

an electronic terminal with a bankcard reader for reading the coded unique identifying bank account number on the bankcard, with a plurality of entry keys for entering the personal identification number and with a data processor having memory for storing the unique identifying bank account numbers of the bankcard for at least some of the employees and the personal identification numbers for at least some of the employees,

wherein said data processor is in communication with the reader to receive the unique identifying bank account number and is in communication with the plurality of entry keys to receive the personal identification number, said data processor comparing the received numbers with a set of unique identifying bank account numbers and personal identification numbers stored in said memory to determine if said received account number and received personal identification number correspond for a particular employee, and, if so, to authenticate the bank account number, and

said terminal in communication with said computer to send the payroll check-in or checkout status for that employee to said computer.

23. The electronic payroll system in accordance with claim 22 further comprising:

a printer disposed in said electronic terminal,

a viewable display disposed on said terminal for displaying different selectable options including a view payroll option and a print payroll option,

a set of operable keys disposed on said terminal for selecting one of the different selectable options on said display,

whereby an employee may print a payroll stub at said terminal by selecting the print payroll option.

24. The electronic payroll system in accordance with claim 22 further comprising:

a viewable display disposed on said terminal for displaying different selectable options including a view new work assignment and/or instruction,

a set of operable keys disposed on said terminal for selecting one of the different selectable options on said display,

whereby an employee may view his/her new work assignment and/or instruction.

25. The electronic payroll system in accordance with claim 22 further comprising:

a printer disposed in said electronic terminal,

said viewable display disposed on said terminal for also displaying a print work assignment and/or instructions option,

whereby an employee may use said operable keys to select and print the work assignments and/or instructions at said terminal.

26. The electronic payroll system in accordance with claim 22 further comprising:

an infrared port disposed on said terminal for receiving work quality audits, and

said electronic terminal communicating said received work quality audit to said computer.

27. The electronic payroll system for processing a payroll in accordance with claim 22 wherein said data processor is in communication with said computer via the internet.

28. A method of processing a payroll in an electronic payroll system including a computer with memory for storing the names of a plurality of employees, the pay rate for each employee and the check-in and checkout times of each employee, a bankcard coded with one of the unique identifying bank account numbers assigned to each employee, a personal identification number assigned to each employee and associated with each unique identifying bank account number, and an electronic terminal with a bankcard reader for reading the unique identifying bank account number coded on the bankcard, with a plurality of entry keys for entering the personal identification number and with a data processor having memory for storing the unique identifying bank account numbers of the bankcard for at least some of the employees and the personal identification numbers for at least some of the employees, the method of:

receiving said bank account number from the bankcard reader at the data processor,

receiving the personal identification number from the plurality of entry keys at the data processor,

comparing the received bank account number and the received personal identification number to bank account numbers and personal identification numbers stored in the memory of the data processor, and

using the current time as a payroll check-in or payroll checkout status for a particular employee if the bank account number and personal identification numbers correspond to a set of numbers stored in the memory of the data processor for that employee.

29. The method in accordance with claim 28 including the additional step of:

communicating the check-in or checkout status for that employee from said terminal to said computer.

30. The method in accordance with claim 29 including the additional step of:

periodically updating the employee information stored in the memory of the microprocessor and in said computer.

31. The method in accordance with claim 29 including the additional step of:

calculating the amount of time between payroll check-in and payroll checkout for each employee,

calculating the amount of pay for each employee based upon the time between payroll check-in and payroll checkout and the pay rate for each employee, and

transmitting the calculated amount of net pay for each employee to a bank that issued the bank cards.

32. The method in accordance with claim 31 including the additional step of:

crediting each unique identifying bank account number with the calculated net pay for those particular employees.

33. The method in accordance with claim 32 including the additional step of:

printing a copy of the previously calculated payroll associated with a unique bank account number at the electronic terminal after the data processor has authenticated the bank account number and personal identification number of a particular employee.

40. The electronic terminal in accordance with claim 33 further comprising:

said viewable display disposed on said terminal displays a new work assignment and/or instruction,

said means for selecting one of the different selectable options on said display includes the view new work assignment and/or instruction,

whereby an employee may view his/her new work assignment and/or instruction.

41. The electronic terminal in accordance with claim 40 further comprising:

a printer disposed in said electronic terminal,

said viewable display disposed on said terminal also displays a print work assignment and/or instruction option,

whereby an employee may use said means for selecting one of the selectable options to print the work assignment and/or instruction at said terminal.

34. An electronic payroll system for processing a payroll including a computer with memory for storing the names of a plurality of employees, the pay rate for each employee and the check-in and checkout times of each employee, a bank card coded with one of the unique identifying bank account numbers assigned to each employee, a personal identification number assigned to each employee and associated with each unique identifying bank account number, including:

an electronic terminal with a bank card reader for reading the coded unique bank account number on the bank card, with a plurality of entry keys for entering the personal identification number and with a data processor with memory having memory for storing the unique identifying bank account numbers of the bankcards for at least some of the employees and the personal identification numbers for at least some of the employees,

whereby said data processor compares the received account number and the received personal identification number to sets of numbers stored in the memory of the data processor and uses the current time as an employee payroll check-in or payroll check-out time for a particular employee if the bank account number and personal identification numbers correspond to a set of numbers stored in the data processor memory for that employee, and said terminal communicates the check-in or checkout status for the particular employee to the computer.

35. The electronic payroll system in accordance with claim 34 wherein said computer periodically determines the payroll for each employee and issues electronic fund transfers to credit a bank account associated with each employee'"'"'s bankcard with that employee'"'"'s net pay.

36. The electronic payroll system in accordance with claim 35 wherein the payroll is credited to each employee'"'"'s bank account on a daily basis.

37. The electronic payroll system for processing a payroll in accordance with claim 34 wherein said data processor is in communication with said computer via the internet.

38. An electronic terminal in an electronic payroll system for processing a payroll, the system including a computer with a memory for storing the names of a plurality of employees, the pay rate for each employee and the check-in and checkout times of each employee, a bankcard coded with one of the unique identifying bank account numbers assigned to each employee and a personal identification number assigned to each employee and associated with each unique identifying bank account number, said electronic terminal comprising:

a bankcard reader for reading the coded unique identifying bank account number on the bankcard,

a plurality of entry keys for entering the personal identification number assigned to each employee and associated with each unique identifying bank account number,

a viewable display disposed on said electronic terminal for displaying a plurality of options including check-in to work and checkout of work,

means for selecting one of said plurality of options displayed on said display including check-in to work and checkout of work,

a data processor with memory having memory for storing the unique identifying bank account numbers of the bankcards for at least some of the employees and the personal identification numbers for at least some of the employees, said data processor compares the received bank account number and the received personal identification number to sets of numbers stored in the memory of the data processor and uses the current time as an employee payroll check-in or payroll check-out status for a particular employee if the bank account number and personal identification numbers correspond to a set of numbers stored in the data processor memory for that employee, and

said data processor communicates the check-in to work or the checkout of work status to said computer.

39. The electronic terminal in accordance with claim 38 further comprising:

a printer disposed in said electronic terminal,

said viewable display disposed on said terminal displays a payroll option and a print payroll option,

said means for selecting one of the different selectable options on said display includes the view payroll option and the print payroll option,

whereby an employee may print a payroll stub at said terminal by selecting the print payroll option.

42. The electronic terminal in accordance with claim 38 further comprising:

an infrared port disposed on said terminal for receiving work quality audits, and

said electronic terminal communicating said received work quality audit to said computer.

43. The electronic payroll terminal in an electronic payroll system in accordance with claim 38 wherein said data processor is in communication with said computer via the internet.