Apparatus and method for POS processing

• US 8,752,760 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2013
• Issued: 06/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OL Security LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Six Circle Limited Liability Company (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Bacastow, Steven V.
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAIL, ALLYSON NEEL
• Application Number:
  US13/754,469
• Publication Number:
  US 20130144735A1
• Time in Patent Office: 503 Days
• Field of Search: 235/380, 705/21, 705/26.1, 705/26.35, 705/67
• US Class Current: 235/380
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/206 Software aspects at ATMs
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0018 Constructional details, e.g. of drawer, printing means, input means
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/12 electronically operated digital data processing aspects G06Q20/00

Abstract

An apparatus and method for configuring, altering, controlling, securing, and extending the processing capability and functionality of PCs and POS devices using a non-volatile memory device using software and data carried within the apparatus.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a portable electronic device comprising a non-volatile memory; and

an interface on the portable electronic device for communication between the non-volatile memory and a point-of-sale device;

wherein the non-volatile memory includes instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by a processing device, cause the processing device to perform operations comprising;

electronically coupling the interface to the point-of-sale device, wherein responsive to the coupling the point-of-sale device operates as a host to the portable electronic device and the portable electronic device operates as a peripheral of the host; and

responsive to the coupling, supporting the point-of-sale device in processing a transaction.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

upon the availability of a network connection, instructing the point-of-sale device to transmit a record of the transaction via the network connection to a remote server computer.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein processing the transaction comprises charging an account.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise transmitting to the point-of-sale device at least one of coupon data or product inventory data.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise supporting the point-of-sale device in processing the transaction without the processing requiring a network connection between the point-of-sale device and a remote server computer during the transaction.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein supporting the point-of-sale device in processing the transaction further comprises:

retrieving, by the portable electronic device, an account identifier for use with the transaction from the non-volatile memory of the portable electronic device; and

transmitting, by the portable electronic device to the point-of-sale device, the account identifier for use with the transaction.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the operations further comprise receiving, at the portable electronic device, a confirmation that the transaction has been completed, the confirmation from the point-of-sale device or a remote server computer.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the account identifier is associated with at least one of a credit card account, a debit card account, or a gift card account.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the operations further comprise transmitting, by the portable electronic device to the point-of-sale device, at least one of coupon data or product inventory data.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise functioning as a key to unlock the point-of-sale device when connected and lock the point-of-sale device when unconnected.

11. A method, comprising:

electronically coupling an interface of a portable electronic device comprising a non-volatile memory to a point-of-sale device, wherein responsive to the coupling the point-of-sale device operates as a host to the portable electronic device and the portable electronic device operates as a peripheral of the host; and

responsive to the coupling, executing, using a processing device, instructions stored on the non-volatile memory of the portable electronic device to support the point-of-sale device in processing a transaction.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

upon the availability of a network connection, instructing the point-of-sale device to transmit a record of the transaction via the network connection to a remote server computer.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein processing the transaction comprises charging an account.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising transmitting to the point-of-sale device at least one of coupon data or product inventory data.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising supporting the point-of-sale device in processing the transaction without the processing requiring a network connection between the point-of-sale device and a remote server computer during the transaction.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein supporting the point-of-sale device in processing the transaction further comprises:

retrieving, by the portable electronic device, the account identifier for use with the transaction from the non-volatile memory of the portable electronic device; and

transmitting, by the portable electronic device to the point-of-sale device, the account identifier for use with the transaction.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising receiving, at the portable electronic device, a confirmation that the transaction has been completed, the confirmation from the point-of-sale device or a remote server computer.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the account identifier is associated with at least one of a credit card account, a debit card account, or a gift card account.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising transmitting, by the portable electronic device to the point-of-sale device, at least one of coupon data or product inventory data.

20. The method of claim 11, further comprising functioning as a key to unlock the point-of-sale device when connected and lock the point-of-sale device when unconnected.

21. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

downloading a merchant-specific configuration from the point-of-sale device; and

restoring the merchant-specific configuration onto another point-of-sale device.

22. An apparatus, comprising:

means for persistently storing data;

means for electronically coupling an interface corresponding to the persistent storage means to an interface corresponding to a point-of-sale device, wherein responsive to the coupling the point-of-sale device operates as a host to the portable electronic device and the portable electronic device operates as a peripheral of the host; and

means for executing instructions stored on the persistent storage means responsive to the coupling to support the point-of-sale device in processing a transaction.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising:

means for retrieving the account identifier for use with the transaction from the persistent storage means; and

means for providing the retrieved account identifier to the point-of-sale device.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising:

means for downloading a merchant-specific configuration from the point-of-sale device; and

means for restoring the merchant-specific configuration onto another point-of-sale device.