Method and system for retrofitting an offline-payment operated machine to accept electronic payments
First Claim
1. A payment module for an offline payment-operated machine including a coin receiving switch, the payment module comprising:
- a short-range wireless transceiver configured to communicate with one or more mobile devices;
one or more processors;
a first interface module configured to output to a control unit of the offline payment-operated machine one or more electrical pulses, each of the one or more electrical pulses emulating an analog signal generated by the coin receiving switch of the offline payment-operated machine in response to insertion of a single coin of a predetermined type in the offline payment-operated machine; and
memory with one or more programs for execution by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for;
storing, in the memory of the payment module, one or more characteristics of the analog signal that is generated by the coin receiving switch of the offline payment-operated machine in response to insertion of the single coin in the offline payment-operated machine;
storing, in the memory of the payment module, a number of the electrical pulses that must be received by the control unit to initiate an operation of the offline payment operating machine;
receiving a wireless request via the short-range wireless transceiver from a respective mobile device of the one or more mobile devices to initiate a cashless operation of the offline-payment operated machine;
in response to the wireless request, determining a first number of electrical pulses to output via the first interface module to the control unit of the offline payment-operated machine in order to initiate the requested cashless operation of the offline payment-operated machine; and
in response to the wireless request, causing the offline payment-operated machine to initiate the requested cashless operation by issuing the first number of electrical pulses to the control unit, wherein issuing the first number of electrical pulses includes issuing the first number of electrical pulses with at least one of the one or more characteristics of the analog signal.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A payment module with one or more processors, memory, a short-range wireless transceiver (e.g., BLE), and a first interface module configured to couple the payment module with a control unit of an offline-payment operated machine that includes a coin receiving switch. The payment module receives a transaction request via the short-range wireless transceiver from a respective mobile device to perform a transaction with the offline-payment operated machine. In accordance with receiving the request, the payment module causes the offline-payment operated machine to perform the requested transaction by issuing one or more electronic pulses emulating one or more signals issued by the coin receiving switch to perform the transaction to the control unit of the offline-payment operated machine via the first interface module.
176 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A payment module for an offline payment-operated machine including a coin receiving switch, the payment module comprising:
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a short-range wireless transceiver configured to communicate with one or more mobile devices; one or more processors; a first interface module configured to output to a control unit of the offline payment-operated machine one or more electrical pulses, each of the one or more electrical pulses emulating an analog signal generated by the coin receiving switch of the offline payment-operated machine in response to insertion of a single coin of a predetermined type in the offline payment-operated machine; and memory with one or more programs for execution by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for; storing, in the memory of the payment module, one or more characteristics of the analog signal that is generated by the coin receiving switch of the offline payment-operated machine in response to insertion of the single coin in the offline payment-operated machine; storing, in the memory of the payment module, a number of the electrical pulses that must be received by the control unit to initiate an operation of the offline payment operating machine; receiving a wireless request via the short-range wireless transceiver from a respective mobile device of the one or more mobile devices to initiate a cashless operation of the offline-payment operated machine; in response to the wireless request, determining a first number of electrical pulses to output via the first interface module to the control unit of the offline payment-operated machine in order to initiate the requested cashless operation of the offline payment-operated machine; and in response to the wireless request, causing the offline payment-operated machine to initiate the requested cashless operation by issuing the first number of electrical pulses to the control unit, wherein issuing the first number of electrical pulses includes issuing the first number of electrical pulses with at least one of the one or more characteristics of the analog signal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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6. A method for simulating analog signals generated by a coin receiving switch of an offline payment-operated machine, the method comprising:
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at a payment module with one or more processors, memory, a short-range wireless transceiver configured to communicate with one or more mobile devices, and a first interface module configured to output to a control unit of the offline payment-operated machine one or more electrical pulses, each of the one or more electrical pulses emulating an analog signal generated by the coin receiving switch of the offline payment-operated machine in response to insertion of a single coin of a predetermined type in the offline payment-operated machine; storing, in the memory of the payment module, one or more characteristics of the analog signal that is generated by the coin receiving switch of the offline payment-operated machine in response to insertion of the single coin in the offline payment-operated machine; storing, in the memory of the payment module, a number of the electrical pulses that must be received by the control unit to initiate an operation of the offline payment operating machine; receiving a wireless request via the short-range wireless transceiver from a respective mobile device of the one or more mobile devices to initiate a cashless operation of the offline-payment operated machine; in response to the wireless request, determining a first number of electrical pulses to output via the first interface module to the control unit of the offline payment-operated machine in order to initiate the requested cashless operation of the offline payment-operated machine; and in accordance with receiving response to the wireless request, causing the offline payment-operated machine to initiate the requested cashless operation by issuing the first number of electrical pulses to the control unit, wherein issuing the first number of electrical pulses includes issuing the first number of electrical pulses with at least one of the one or more characteristics of the analog signal. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An offline payment-operated machine, comprising:
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a coin receiving switch that generates analog signals in response to insertion of a single coin of a predetermined type in the offline payment-operated machine; a control unit; and a payment module that includes; a short-range wireless transceiver configured to communicate with one or more mobile devices; one or more processors; a first interface module configured to output to a control unit of the offline payment-operated machine one or more electrical pulses, each of the one or more electrical pulses emulating an analog signal generated by the coin receiving switch of the offline payment-operated machine in response to insertion of a single coin of a predetermined type in the offline payment-operated machine; and memory storing one or more programs to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs comprising instructions for; storing, in the memory of the payment module, one or more characteristics of the analog signal that is generated by the coin receiving switch of the offline payment-operated machine in response to insertion of the single coin in the offline payment-operated machine; storing, in the memory of the payment module, a number of the electrical pulses that must be received by the control unit to initiate an operation of the offline payment operating machine; receiving a wireless request via the short-range wireless transceiver from a respective mobile device of the one or more mobile devices to initiate a cashless operation of the offline-payment operated machine; in response to the wireless request, determining a first number of electrical pulses to output via the first interface module to the control unit of the offline payment-operated machine in order to initiate the requested cashless operation of the offline payment-operated machine; and in response to the wireless request, causing the offline payment-operated machine to initiate the requested cashless operation by issuing the first number of electrical pulses to the control unit, wherein issuing the first number of electrical pulses includes issuing the first number of electrical pulses with at least one of the one or more characteristics of the analog signal. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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Specification