Cashless transaction payment module

• US 7,865,430 B1
• Filed: 03/18/2002
• Issued: 01/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cantaloupe, Inc.
• Original Assignee: USA Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Kolls, H. Brock
• Primary Examiner(s): CHEUNG, MARY DA ZHI WANG
• Application Number:
  US10/100,680
• Time in Patent Office: 3,214 Days
• Field of Search: 705 39- 44, 235380-382, 700231-244
• US Class Current: 705/39
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/72 Auxiliary equipment, e.g. for lighting cigars, opening bottles
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/005 Details or accessories
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/08 by coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means without personal verification means G07F7/02
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/088 the card reader being part of the point of sale [POS] terminal or electronic cash register [ECR] itself
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/001 Interfacing with vending machines using mobile or wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/002 Vending machines being part of a centrally controlled network of vending machines
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty

Abstract

The present invention relates to a cashless transaction payment module system that is scalable and configurable to include interfaces for vending equipment monitoring and control capabilities, interfaces for a card reader device and other identification devices as payment for items vended, an interactive interface and protocol for interconnecting the system to a computing platform, and support for a plurality of communication options that include wired, point-to-point wireless, and wireless networking including LAN/WAN/WCDMA/CDMA/CDPD/2G/2.50/3G solutions. In an exemplary embodiment the system can be embodied in a semiconductor package or module package.

In addition, the present invention relates to effectuating a system for accepting, authorizing, facilitating a vending transaction, settling transactions to effect payment for goods and services, gathering DEX and MDB audit data from the vending equipment, communicating digital content between system and server, and data communicating with a plurality of remote locations.

Claims

1. A payment module configured to communicate with a vending machine controller and a computing platform remote from the payment module, said vending machine controller interconnected with a vending machine, said payment module comprising:

a payment module board including;

a vending equipment interface configured to communicate with the vending machine controller;

an interactive interface configured to communicate with the computing platform; and

a microcontroller coupled to the vending equipment interface and the interactive interface, the microcontroller configured to control cashless vending by locally authorizing a cashless vending transaction without receiving an authorization from a third party via the interactive interface, the microcontroller further configured to receive via the interactive interface an interactive interface command, the interactive interface command indicating that the computing platform is to control the cashless vending, the microcontroller further configured to switch control of the cashless vending from the microcontroller to the computing platform responsive to receiving the interactive interface command such that the computing platform controls the cashless vending by remotely authorizing the cashless vending transaction via the interactive interface.

2. The payment module in accordance with claim 1, wherein said payment module board further comprises:

a connection means for connecting a daughter board to said payment module board.

3. The daughter board in accordance with claim 2, wherein said daughter board effectuates at least one of the following:

printing capabilities, control of an electronic lock, communication capabilities, display capabilities, DEX capabilities, MDB capabilities, or MDB mimic capabilities.

4. The payment module in accordance with claim 1, wherein said payment module board further includes at least one of the following:

a card reader interface interconnected with said microcontroller;

a plurality of light emitting diodes interconnect with said microcontroller;

or

a printer mechanism interconnected with said microcontroller.

5. The payment module in accordance with claim 4 further comprises an enclosure for fastening said payment module to said vending machine, wherein said printer mechanism is fastened to a printer bracket and said printer bracket is fastened to said enclosure.

6. The payment module in accordance with claim 1, wherein said payment module board accepts a plurality of identification data from a user, checks said identification data for validity by way of an authorization, and conducts said respective cashless vending transaction by allowing said user to vend goods and/or services from said vending machine.

7. The payment module in accordance with claim 6, wherein said authorization is a local authorization to allow the user to transact said respective cashless vending transaction, cashless vending transaction data is data communicated to a data processing device, said data processing device physically transports said cashless transaction data to a remote data processing location, said data processing device data communicated with said remote processing location, wherein said respective cashless vending transaction is processed.

8. The payment module in accordance with claim 1, wherein said vending equipment interface comprises a UART, said UART being configured to data communicate eight data bits and one address bit in addition to start and stop bits.

9. The payment module in accordance with claim 8, wherein said payment module by way of said UART detects a valid address byte data communicated from said vending machine controller, said valid address byte indicates data to follow from said vending machine controller is intended for said payment module, upon detecting said valid address byte said payment module data communicates with said vending machine controller.

10. The payment module in accordance with claim 1, wherein said vending equipment interface is an MDB compliant interface, for interconnecting said payment module to said vending machine controller, said vending machine controller having an MDB bus.

11. The payment module in accordance with claim 10, wherein upon said payment module receiving data from said MDB interface, a one shot MDB MESSAGE RESPONSE timer is set, said one shot MDB MESSAGE RESPONSE timer upon timeout generates an interrupt, said interrupt initiates an MDB message routine, said MDB message routine being executed by said microcontroller, said MDB message routine parses the received data from said MDB interface and initiates an MDB response message.

12. The payment module in accordance with claim 11, wherein said MDB response message is a plurality of data bytes, said plurality of data bytes having an MDB INTER-BYTE INTERVAL SPACING time period inserted by said microcontroller between each of said plurality of data bytes.

13. The payment module in accordance with claim 12, wherein said MDB INTER-BYTE INTERVAL SPACING time period is configurable.

14. The payment module in accordance with claim 1, wherein said microcontroller having data communication access to a memory device implements an MDB TRANSACTION STRING in said memory device.

15. The payment module in accordance with claim 14, wherein said MDB TRANSACTION STRING comprises at least one of the following fields:

a VEND STATE field, a MAX VEND SALE field, a SALE PRICE field, a COLUMN field, or a VEND FLAG field.

16. The payment module in accordance with claim 14, wherein said microcontroller data communicates with said vending machine controller by way of said vending equipment interface to determine a state of said vending machine controller, said microcontroller updates said MDB TRANSACTION STRING to reflect the state of said vending machine controller.

17. The payment module in accordance with claim 14, wherein said vending machine controller is monitored by said computing platform by data communicating with said microcontroller to read said MDB TRANSACTION STRING, said microcontroller having data communication access to said MDB transaction string.