System and method for programming point of sale devices

• US 8,863,147 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2012
• Issued: 10/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Paymentech LLC (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Original Assignee: Paymentech LLC (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Inventors: Meckenstock, David T., Lopez, Juan E., George, Mark J., Slavik, Diana E., Lawler, Mark A., Hansen, Robert C., Colon, Gregorio, Cooper, Lester L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Truong, Lechi
• Application Number:
  US13/545,861
• Publication Number:
  US 20130013435A1
• Time in Patent Office: 826 Days
• Field of Search: 719/310
• US Class Current: 719/310
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/54 Interprogram communication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/108 Remote banking, e.g. home banking
• 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: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/206 Software aspects at ATMs
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0009 Details of the software in the checkout register, electronic cash register [ECR] or point of sale terminal [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/14 Systems including one or more distant stations co-operating with a central processing unit data transmission in general H04L; telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station H04Q9/00

Abstract

A system for programming point of sale devices is provided. The system includes a terminal programming system that can program point of sale devices provided by different manufacturers and having different proprietary operating systems. A communications interface is connected to the terminal programming system that receives update requests from the plurality of point of sale devices, such as when the point of sale devices call in to the system or when the point of sale devices respond to a poll.

Claims

1. A method for downloading an application to a card terminal from a remote network connection, comprising:

receiving from the remote network connection a request to download an application to the card terminal using a processing arrangement;

monitoring the card terminal using the processing arrangement to detect at least one activity of a financial transaction performed at the card terminal;

detecting the at least one activity performed at the card terminal; and

based on the detected activity, electronically transmitting to the card terminal information related to the request for use in downloading the application to the card terminal;

wherein the receiving step includes receiving the request via a web page;

wherein the transmitting step includes transmitting the information upon detecting a command corresponding to closing of a batch of data associated with a plurality of financial transactions at a credit card reader terminal.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of generating a data stream for transmission to the card terminal.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising downloading an application for controlling a credit card reader terminal to a credit card reader terminal.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising translating the request into a format corresponding to a credit card reader terminal.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one activity is at least one of a request to process a financial transaction or a closing of a batch of data associated with a plurality of financial transactions and excludes reading biometric data.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the processing arrangement further comprises a storage arrangement containing information associated with configuration of a credit card reader terminal.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring step is performed based on the receiving step.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one activity comprises at least one of a use of a debit card, a use of a credit card, a request for electronic payment, or closing of a batch of data associated with a plurality of financial transactions and excludes reading biometric data.

9. A method for providing configuration data to a card terminal via a remote network connection, comprising:

receiving information from the remote network connection relating to configuring the card terminal using a processing arrangement;

generating configuration data from the information which at least one of enables or performs reconfiguration of the card terminal according to the received information;

monitoring the card terminal using the processing arrangement;

detecting at least one activity of a financial transaction performed at the card terminal; and

based on the detected activity, electronically transmitting the configuration data to the card terminal in order to reconfigure the card terminal according to the configuration data;

wherein the receiving step includes receiving the request via a web page;

wherein the transmitting step includes transmitting the information upon detecting a command corresponding to closing of a batch of data associated with a plurality of financial transactions at a credit card reader terminal.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the receiving step includes receiving the information via a web page.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the generating step includes generating a data stream for transmission to a credit card reader terminal.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the information comprises at least one of (i) an indication of information to be printed on a receipt at a credit card reader terminal;

(ii) an indication of audio information to be generated by the credit card reader terminal;

or (iii) an indication of visual information to be displayed on the credit card reader terminal.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein the receiving step includes receiving the information from a network connection remote from the card terminal.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein the transmitting step includes transmitting a template to the card terminal relating to triggering of downloading of the configuration data.

15. The method of claim 9 wherein the at least one activity is at least one of a request to process the financial transaction or a closing of a batch of data associated with a plurality of financial transactions.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the processing arrangement further comprises a storage arrangement containing information associated with configuration of the card terminal.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein the monitoring step is performed based on the receiving step.

18. The method of claim 9, wherein the at least one activity comprises at least one of a use of a debit card, a use of a credit card, a request for electronic payment, or closing of a batch of data associated with a plurality of financial transactions.

19. An apparatus for downloading of an application to a card terminal via a network, comprising a processor for executing a processing arrangement configured to:

receive via a remote network connection a request to download an application to the card terminal;

monitor the card terminal to detect at least one activity of a financial transaction performed at the card terminal;

detect the at least one activity; and

based on the detected activity, electronically transmit information related to the request for use in downloading the application to the card terminal upon detecting the at least one activity performed at the card terminal;

wherein the receiving step includes receiving the request via a web page;

wherein the transmitting step includes transmitting the information upon detecting a command corresponding to closing of a batch of data associated with a plurality of financial transactions at a credit card reader terminal.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising a module configured to receive the request via a web page.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising a module configured to generate a data stream for transmission to a credit card reader terminal.

22. The apparatus of claim 19, further comprising a module configured to transmit the message upon detecting a command corresponding to closing of a batch of data associated with a plurality of financial transactions at the card terminal.

23. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the processing arrangement is further configured to download the application to a credit card reader terminal, wherein the application is selected based on a design of the credit card reader terminal.

24. The apparatus of claim 19 further comprising a translate module for translating the request into a format corresponding to a point of sale terminal.

25. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the at least one activity is at least one of a request to process the financial transaction or a closing of a batch of data associated with a plurality of financial transactions.

26. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the processing arrangement further comprises a storage arrangement containing information associated with configuration of a point of sale terminal.

27. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the processing arrangement is further configure to monitor a point of sale terminal based on receiving the request.

28. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the at least one activity comprises at least one of a use of a debit card, a use of a credit card, a request for electronic payment, or closing of a batch of data associated with a plurality of financial transactions.

29. An apparatus for providing configuration data to a card terminal, comprising a processor for executing a processing arrangement configured to:

receive information from a remote network connection relating to configuring the card terminal;

generate from the received information configuration data for use in configuring the card terminal according to the received information;

monitor the card terminal;

detect at least one activity of a financial transaction performed at the card terminal; and

based on the detected activity, electronically transmit the configuration data to the card terminal upon detecting the at least one activity;

wherein the receiving step includes receiving the request via a web page;

wherein the transmitting step includes transmitting the information upon detecting a command corresponding to closing of a batch of data associated with a plurality of financial transactions at a credit card reader terminal.

30. The apparatus of claim 29, further comprising a module configured to receive the information via a web page.

31. The apparatus of claim 29, further comprising a module configured to generate a data stream for transmission to a point of sale terminal.

32. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein the information comprises at least one of (i) an indication of information to be printed on a receipt at a point of sale terminal;

(ii) an indication of audio information to be generated by the point of sale terminal;

or (iii) an indication of visual information to be displayed on the point of sale terminal.

33. The apparatus of claim 29, further comprising a module configured to transmit a template from a network connection remote from the card terminal.

34. The apparatus of claim 29, further comprising a module configured to transmit a message to the card terminal relating to triggering of downloading of the configuration data.

35. The apparatus of claim 29 wherein the at least one activity is at least one of a request to process the financial transaction or a closing of a batch of data associated with a plurality of financial transactions.

36. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the processing arrangement further comprises a storage arrangement containing information associated with configuration of a point of sale terminal that does not include a biometric reader.

37. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the processing arrangement is further configure to select a template from a plurality of templates based on receiving the information.

38. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the at least one activity comprises at least one of a use of a debit card, a use of a credit card, a request for electronic payment, or closing of a batch of data associated with a plurality of financial transactions generated by a point of sale terminal.