Mobile commerce platforms and associated systems and methods for converting consumer coins, cash, and/or other forms of value for use with same

Information

  • Patent Grant
  • 8874467
  • Patent Number
    8,874,467
  • Date Filed
    Wednesday, November 23, 2011
    13 years ago
  • Date Issued
    Tuesday, October 28, 2014
    10 years ago
Abstract
Systems and methods for converting consumer coins, cash, and/or other forms of value for use with mobile commerce platforms implemented on, for example, smart phones, PDAs, and other mobile devices. In one embodiment, a method for implementing a mobile commerce account on a mobile device includes receiving coins and/or other funds from a user at a consumer-operated kiosk. The method can further include counting the coins and/or other funds to determine a value, and then communicating at least a portion of the value from the kiosk to the hand-held mobile device for deposit in the mobile commerce account.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure is generally related to systems and associated methods for converting coin value, cash value, and/or other forms of value for use with various types of commerce platforms.


BACKGROUND

Consumer-operated coin counting kiosks that exchange loose coins for redeemable cash vouchers and other tangible forms of value are in wide use today. Such machines can include, for example, the machines disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,971,699, 7,874,478, 7,520,374, and 8,033,375; each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Some of these machines count consumer coins and dispense redeemable cash vouchers, while others may offer other type of purchasing instruments such as “e-certificates” for making online purchases, pre-paid gift cards and card facsimiles, etc.


In many of these existing options, the coin counting kiosks dispense some form of tangible output (e.g., a voucher, e-certificate, card, etc.) in return for the coins. Vouchers can be redeemed for cash and/or merchandize at a point of sale (POS) in a retail establishment. In the case of e-certificates, the consumer inputs a code from the e-certificate when making an online purchase. Prepaid cards can be used to make purchases at POSs with a conventional magnetic stripe card reader.


One shortcoming of these conventional options is that the raw materials for producing the different types of tangible outputs must be continually stocked in the machine and, oftentimes, printed prior to dispensing. The stocking, printing, and dispensing of these materials adds cost to the operation and maintenance of the coin counting kiosks. Accordingly, although each of these options has its benefits, it would also be advantageous to provide consumers with additional options for converting loose coins, cash, etc. to other forms of readily usable and widely accepted payment instruments.





BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS


FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating some aspects of a mobile commerce kiosk system configured in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.



FIGS. 2A-2D are a series of schematic diagrams illustrating various functional aspects of a mobile commerce system configured in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.



FIGS. 3A-3F are a series of schematic diagrams illustrating various displays for implementing aspects of a mobile commerce system configured in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.



FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating various steps for making a purchase with a virtual gift card in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.



FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating various aspects of another method for making a purchase with a virtual gift card in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.



FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating various aspects of different purchasing platforms implemented in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.



FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a suitable network environment for implementing various aspects of embodiments of the present disclosure.



FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating various aspects of consumer operated kiosks and wireless mobile devices suitable for implementing various financial transactions in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.



FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of a distributed computing environment suitable for performing various operations for implementing embodiments of the present disclosure.



FIG. 10 is a flow diagram of a routine for transferring coins, cash, and/or other forms of value to a mobile commerce platform in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.



FIG. 11 is a flow diagram of a machine-implemented routine for converting coins, cash, and/or other forms of value to a mobile commerce platform in accordance with other embodiments of the present disclosure.



FIGS. 12A-12C are a series of flow diagrams illustrating various routines for purchasing goods and/or services with mobile commerce platforms configured in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.





DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following disclosure describes various embodiments of systems and methods for transferring the value of coins, cash, and/or other types of funds to mobile commerce platforms, such as electronic payment applications implemented by mobile devices (e.g., smart phones) and other computer-implement devices. In various embodiments, for example, a consumer operated kiosk is configured to receive loose coins and/or cash from a consumer, and count the coins and/or cash to determine a total value. The consumer can then select (via, e.g., a touch screen or other suitable input device) whether to have all or a portion of the value transferred to a mobile device (e.g., a smart phone, personal digital assistant (PDA), enterprise digital assistant, tablet computer, or other handheld computing device) for making purchases with a mobile commerce platform, such as a “mobile wallet” application implemented by the smart phone or other mobile device.


If the consumer wishes to have all or a portion of the deposited value transferred to a mobile device, the consumer enters a device address (e.g., a phone number) and positions the device within a suitable range of the kiosk (e.g., within a suitable range for near field communication (NFC)). In some embodiments, the kiosk then wirelessly communicates (via, e.g., a Short Message Service (SMS) text message) the value information to the mobile device. In other embodiments, the kiosk can transfer or otherwise communicate the value information to the mobile device via a temporary wired connection, such as a USB port, electronic docking station, etc. Once transferred, the funds can then be used to make wireless purchases of goods and/or services via, for example, a virtual gift card account and/or other facilities implemented by the mobile device.


As used herein, the term “mobile wallet” can refer generally to an electronic commerce account implemented by a mobile phone or other mobile wireless device. In some embodiments, mobile wallets store “virtual gift cards,” virtual loyalty cards, etc.; transfer value; and/or conduct transactions for, e.g., purchasing goods and/or services from suitably enabled merchants. The term “virtual gift card” can refer to an application program operating on the mobile device that performs like a prepaid card, such as a gift card. Virtual gift cards can enable the user to wirelessly purchase items and/or services, pay bills, and/or conduct other transactions with retailers and other merchants via, e.g., a wirelessly enabled point of sale (POS) terminal, the Internet, and/or other computer networks.


In some embodiments, “open loop” or “network” virtual gift cards (implemented by, e.g., Google Wallet, ISIS™, etc.) may be issued by banks or credit card companies, and may be redeemed by any suitably equipped merchant. In comparison, “closed loop” virtual gift cards may be issued by a specific retailer, restaurant or other merchant, and may only be redeemed by the issuing provider or a limited group of merchants. In some embodiments, the consumer can allocate funds between one or more branded virtual gift card accounts associated with specific retailers or usable at multiple retailers. The consumer can then pay for items at the corresponding stores, restaurants, etc. by simply tapping or swiping their mobile device in the proximity (e.g., in the near field) of any POS terminal equipped with suitable NFC technology, mobile commerce software, and/or other mobile payment platform solution. Aspects of the foregoing embodiments overcome shortcomings in the prior art by enabling consumers to quickly and easily transfer loose coin, cash, etc. to a wireless commerce platform that can be implemented at a wide range of retailers and via other consumer commerce pathways without requiring the manufacture, stocking, printing, dispensing, tracking, and/or tendering of paper vouchers, e-certificates, pre-paid cards, card facsimiles and/or other tangible types of payment instruments.


Certain details are set forth in the following description and in FIGS. 1-12C to provide a thorough understanding of various embodiments of the present technology and disclosure. In other instances, well-known structures, materials, operations and/or systems often associated with wireless technology, mobile devices, smart phones, mobile commerce platforms and functionalities, are not shown or described in detail in the following disclosure to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the description of the various embodiments of the technology. Those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize, however, that the present technology can be practiced without one or more of the details set forth herein, or with other structures, methods, components, and so forth.


The terminology used below is to be interpreted in its broadest reasonable manner, even though it is being used in conjunction with a detailed description of certain examples of embodiments of the disclosure. Indeed, certain terms may even be emphasized below; however, any terminology intended to be interpreted in any restricted manner will be overtly and specifically defined as such in this Detailed Description section.


The accompanying Figures depict embodiments of the present technology and are not intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Many of the details, dimensions and other features shown in the Figures are merely illustrative of particular embodiments of the disclosure. Accordingly, other embodiments can have other details, dimensions and features without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. For example, the sizes of various depicted elements are not necessarily drawn to scale, and various elements may be arbitrarily enlarged and/or simplified to improve legibility. Component details may be abstracted in the Figures to exclude details such as position of components and certain precise connections between such components when such details are unnecessary for a complete understanding of how to make and use the invention. Those of ordinary skill in the art will also appreciate that further embodiments of the invention can be practiced without several of the details described below.


In the Figures, identical reference numbers identify identical, or at least generally similar, elements. To facilitate the discussion of any particular element, the most significant digit or digits of any reference number refers to the Figure in which that element is first introduced. For example, element 110 is first introduced and discussed with reference to FIG. 1.



FIG. 1 is schematic diagram illustrating various aspects of a system for converting coins and/or cash to funds for use with a mobile commerce platform in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The schematic diagram illustrates that coins, cash and/or other forms of currency and value 101 can be deposited in, for example, a coin input region 103 (e.g., a pivoting coin tray) of a consumer operated coin counting kiosk 100. The kiosk 100 can include a coin counting apparatus for counting the deposited coins and determining a value, as disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,971,699, entitled “COIN COUNTER/SORTER AND COUPON/VOUCHER DISPENSING MACHINE AND METHOD;” U.S. Pat. No. 7,874,478, entitled “COIN COUNTER AND VOUCHER DISPENSING MACHINE AND METHOD;” U.S. Pat. No. 8,033,375, entitled “METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR EXCHANGING AND/OR TRANSFERRING VARIOUS FORMS OF VALUE;” U.S. Pat. No. 7,113,929, entitled “SYSTEM FOR VOUCHER OR TOKEN VERIFICATION;” and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/294,637, entitled “METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR EXCHANGING AND/OR TRANSFERRING VARIOUS FORMS OF VALUE” and filed Dec. 5, 2005; each of which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.


Embodiments of the kiosk 100 can also include, for example, one or more output devices 108 (e.g., outlet slots for dispensing redeemable cash vouchers, e-certificates, prepaid cards, etc.), and one or more display devices 106 (e.g., a display screen, such as an LCD screen) for displaying various options and prompts to consumers and, in some embodiments, receiving user selections via an input device 102, such as a touch screen (not shown in detail in FIG. 1).


As described in greater detail below, after a user (not shown) has input funds (e.g., loose coins) into the kiosk 100 and the kiosk 100 has counted the coins to determine a value, the user can position a wireless-enabled mobile device 120 (e.g., a mobile computing device such as a smart phone) in proximity of the kiosk (e.g., within a distance suitable for near field communication (NFC)), and the kiosk can wirelessly transfer the funds, or a portion of the funds to the mobile device 120 (e.g., to an application for implementing mobile commerce with the mobile device 120). As is known, NFC can refer to relatively short-range, high-frequency wireless communication technology that enables the exchange of data between devices positioned within a proximity of from about 4 inches to about 6 inches. In other embodiments, wireless communication between the kiosk 100 and the mobile device 120 can be implemented using other protocols and/or other positional ranges between the kiosk 100 and the mobile device 120. In still further embodiments, such wireless communication between the kiosk 100 and the mobile device 120 can be implemented with other forms of wireless technology, including Bluetooth communication technologies that enable communication over greater distances. Accordingly, the various embodiments of the present technology are not limited to any particular form of wireless technology.


Once the coin value has been transferred to the mobile device 120, the consumer can utilize the value for various types of mobile payment solutions. Such solutions can include, for example, purchasing goods and/or services at a retailer by scanning the mobile device 120 by a terminal having the relevant NFC technology, by using suitable mobile commerce software known to those of ordinary skill in the art, and/or by implementing other known forms of mobile payment solutions. Such mobile commerce software and solutions can include software that enables use of “mobile wallets.”



FIGS. 2A-2D are a series of schematic representations of various stages of a consumer experience when using the kiosk 100 in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. Referring first to FIG. 2A, a consumer or user 222 inputs funds (e.g., a plurality of loose coins 224) into the kiosk 100 via the coin receiving region 103. The kiosk 100 can then display or otherwise provide the consumer 222 with various options for converting her coins into other forms of value, including an option for transferring the coin value to a mobile wallet or other mobile account. Such options may include using the transferred funds to top off an existing mobile wallet or virtual gift card, or to create a new mobile account.


Turning next to FIG. 2B, this figure illustrates a representative display page 230 that can, for example, be displayed to the consumer 222 via the kiosk display screen 106 (FIG. 1) after the user 222 selects a mobile wallet option via, e.g., an associated touch pad, selector button, etc. The display page 230 can include various dialogue boxes, input fields, touch screens and/or general information associated with the mobile wallet option. For example, the display page 230 can include a dialogue box 232 instructing the user 222 to enter her mobile phone number so that the kiosk can transfer (e.g., wirelessly transfer) the value (or at least a portion of the value) of the deposited coins to the user's mobile device or other wireless commerce platform. The user 222 can enter her device phone number via the input device 102 which, in the illustrated embodiment, can include an alpha numeric keypad or touch pad. In some embodiments, the user 222 can enter an e-mail address in an e-mail address field 236, and/or a related password in a password field 238 to automatically retrieve the user's phone number from a corresponding user account accessed via the kiosk 100.


The display page 230 may be implemented in any number of suitable ways known in the art, and can include facilities to present information and receive input data, such as a form or page with fields to be filled in, pull-down menus or entries allowing one or more of several options to be selected, buttons, sliders, hypertext links or other known user interface tools for receiving user input. While certain ways of displaying information to users are shown and described with respect to certain Figures in the present disclosure, those skilled in the relevant art will recognize that various other alternatives may be employed. Moreover, the terms “display page,” “web page,” “page,” “screen shot” and the like are generally used interchangeably herein.


In some embodiments, after providing the kiosk 100 with sufficient information so that the kiosk can wirelessly contact the desired mobile device, the consumer 222 positions the mobile device (e.g., the mobile device 120) in sufficient proximity to the kiosk 100 so that the kiosk 100 can wirelessly transfer the fund information to the mobile device 120 (e.g., to an application program operating on the mobile device that uses a wireless application protocol (WAP) as the underlining technology). In addition or alternatively, the kiosk 100 can include a suitable electrical connector, port, or docking station (e.g., a USB port) to which the mobile device 120 can be temporarily connected or placed so that the kiosk 100 can transfer the fund information to the mobile device 120 via a wired data connection. After the mobile device 120 and/or the kiosk 100 provides a visual, audible, and/or other indication that the funds have been sufficiently transferred to the mobile device 120, the funds can be used to pay for various items or services at technology-enabled retailers, to purchase items on-line, to obtain loyalty program points, and/or to conduct other commercially-related transactions as illustrated in FIG. 2D.


As graphically represented in FIG. 2D, these transactions can include, for example, transferring the funds to an account 234a, such as a prepaid account or savings account, to a loyalty program 234b, either directly or as part of a purchasing program with a specific one or more retailers, and/or to a virtual gift card or mobile wallet 234c. These transactions can also include making wireless payments using a suitable payment scanner or terminal 234d, purchasing or redeeming coupons or “Groupons” 234e, either individually or as part of other purchases, and/or making prepaid purchases from merchants 234f. As those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate, the various mobile commerce options that become available to the user 222 after her coins have been wirelessly transferred from the kiosk 100 to a mobile commerce platform, such as the mobile device 120, are virtually limitless, and can be easily and quickly configured to accommodate existing and evolving forms of wireless payment.



FIGS. 3A-3F are a series of enlarged front views of the mobile device 120, illustrating various display descriptions or pages 320a-f that can be presented on a display screen 306 (e.g., and LCD screen) to implement various aspects of embodiments of the present disclosure. The display pages 320 may be implemented in any number of suitable ways known in the art, such as in C++ or as web pages in XML (Extensible Markup Language), HTML (HyperText Markup Language), email format, or any other format suitable for displaying information (including character/code-based formats, algorithm-based formats (e.g., vector generated), bitmapped formats, or any other scripts or methods of creating displayable data, such as the Wireless Access Protocol (“WAP”)). As is known, such web pages provide facilities to present information and receive input data, such as a form or page with fields to be filled in, pull-down menus or entries allowing one or more of several options to be selected, buttons, sliders, hypertext links or other known user interface tools for receiving user input. While certain ways of displaying information to users are shown and described with respect to certain Figures in the present disclosure, those skilled in the relevant art will recognize that various other alternatives may be employed.


When implemented as web pages, the screens are stored as display descriptions, graphical user interfaces, or other methods of depicting information on a computer screen (e.g., commands, links, fonts, colors, layout, sizes and relative positions, and the like), where the layout and information or content to be displayed on the page is stored in a database typically connected to a server. In general, a “link” refers to any resource locator identifying a resource on a network, such as a display description provided by an organization having a site or node on the network. The terms “page,” “display page,” “display description,” “web page,” “screen shot” and the like are generally used interchangeably herein, and generally refer to any method of automatically displaying information on a computer screen in any of the above-noted formats, as well as other formats, such as email or character/code-based formats, algorithm-based formats (e.g., vector generated), or matrix or bit-mapped formats. While aspects of the invention are described herein using a networked environment, some or all features may be implemented within a single-computer environment.


Referring first to FIG. 3A, the display page 320a includes a virtual gift card 340a (in this case, a multi-merchant card) that the user can select to receive all or a portion of the funds deposited into the kiosk 100. The display page 320a can also provide various information fields 344 that can tell the consumer when, for example, they receive “mobile money,” or provide the consumer with customer support information, etc. In addition, in some embodiments the display page 320a can include a selector button or icon 342 that the user can select (by, e.g., touch or click with a suitable pointing device) to select one or more virtual gift cards. For example, selecting the icon 342 can bring up the display page shown in FIG. 3B.


In FIG. 3B, the display page 320b depicts a plurality of additional virtual gift card options 340b-m. While only 12 branded retailer options are depicted in FIG. 3B, additional options can be presented on one or more following display pages. The display page 320b also includes an input field 346 in which the user can specify how much of the funds they would like to have placed on a particular gift card.


As shown in FIG. 3C, the display page 320c can include a promotions field 348. Selecting one of the displayed promotions brings up the associated display page 320d shown in FIG. 3D, which provides additional information about the promotion. FIG. 3E illustrates the display page 320e after the user has selected one of the virtual gift cards (e.g., a JCPenny™ gift card 352) and input the desired amount of funds (e.g., $20) in an amount field 346. After selecting the card and inputting the desired value, the user can click or otherwise select an issue card icon or button 356 which, in some embodiments, can bring up the display page 320f illustrated in FIG. 3F. The display page 320f displays the selected virtual gift card and card amount, and requests that the user either confirm the selection with a confirm button 358, or cancel the selection with a cancel button 360.



FIG. 4 is a schematic representation illustrating various aspects of a method of using the virtual gift card selected in FIG. 3F. More specifically, in the illustrated embodiment the consumer merely selects the appropriate icon 400 on the mobile device 120 and places the device in the near field of a POS terminal 404 having suitable wireless technology (e.g., a suitable wireless reader module) to perform the desired purchase transaction at the branded retailer 402. The transaction may require authentication (e.g., by entering a password, PIN, and/or other identifiers) or it may not.



FIG. 5 illustrates aspects of another method for purchasing a product, service, etc. with the mobile device 120 in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. In this embodiment, rather than using the mobile device 120 to wirelessly pay for a selected good or service at a retail outlet or other merchant, the user simply places the device 120 in the proximity of an automated kiosk terminal 510 to wirelessly pay for, e.g., a fare on, for example, a subway, bus, train, etc. Similar procedures can be employed to purchase or rent other items from other types of automated machines, including vending machines, gaming machines, DVD rental kiosks, etc.



FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating various aspects of closed loop payment platforms and open-loop payment platforms that may be implemented in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the kiosk 100 can transfer coin, cash and/or other forms of value to virtual gift cards for use in a closed loop marketplace. As discussed above, this could involve the user selecting from one or more branded virtual gift cards 600a-m which can then be used to make wireless purchases from one or more specified merchants. In other embodiments, the kiosk 100 can transfer funds to an open-loop platform on a mobile device for use at any merchant equipped with suitable payment technology (e.g., a near field reader, etc.). Such open-loop mobile platforms can include, for example, Google Wallet which can facilitate wireless purchases with a virtual Google gift card 601a, a virtual Visa gift card 601b, and/or other such accounts displayed on the mobile device 120.



FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of a suitable network computing environment for implementing various aspects of a mobile commerce system 700 in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. In the illustrated embodiment, one or more consumer kiosks 100a-η (e.g., consumer coin counting kiosks) can be operably connected to a first host computer 760a via one or more communication links known in the art. Such links can include, for example, a modem, cable connections, wireless connections, etc. In the illustrated embodiment, the first host computer 760a can include a suitably configured server computer for exchanging information with the network of kiosks 100 and one or more accounts 770a-η. The accounts 770 can include various types of computer-implemented financial accounts (e.g., banking accounts), commercial accounts, gift card accounts, etc. that keep track of the balance of funds in a particular account (e.g., a closed loop or open loop mobile account) in response to debits and credits against the account. The accounts 770 may be managed by any number of membership organizations, banks, credit unions, or financial institutions. In accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, the accounts 770 can be implemented by a variety of methods, protocols, and systems including, for example, an automated clearing house (ACH) network, an Electronic Payments Network (EPN), and other banking networks, such as CIRRUS, NYCE, and the like. Similar “back-end” accounting systems are well known to those of ordinary skill in the art for reconciling activation, use, and/or reloading of myriad types of payment instruments, and can be implemented by one or more processing devices operably communicating with one or more databases.


In another aspect of this embodiment, each of the kiosks 100a-η can include wireless technology suitable for wireless communication between the kiosks and any number of different mobile devices, such as the mobile device 120 (e.g., a smart phone, mobile phone, tablet computer, PDA, netbook, transportable computer, etc.). For example, the kiosks 100 may connect to the mobile device 120 and/or other portions of the network directly or through other devices or connections including routers, modems, hubs, Wi-Fi connections, Wireless Personal Area Networks (WPANs), Wi-Fi PANs, wireless local area networks (WLAN), Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Personal Communications Service (PCS), as well as other suitable communication technology and systems known in the art.


The mobile device 120 can also be selectively linked to one or more of the accounts 770 via one or more POS terminals 790a-790η when the consumer desires to make a purchase at a terminal-enabled POS. The terminals 790 can include, for example, various types of wireless technology POS terminals that can accommodate mobile account purchases located at a wide variety of retailers and merchants. In operation, the individual terminals 790 can receive wireless payment information from the mobile device 120, and provide related information (e.g., an account number, code or other information identifying the associated mobile account; the total cost of purchased item(s) and/or service(s), etc.) to a corresponding second host 760b (which can comprise one or more computers), which in turn exchanges related information with the appropriate account 770 to, e.g., debit the account in accordance with the particular purchase. After the account is debited, the account 770 transmits corresponding information back to the mobile device 120 (and/or other portions of the network) so that the mobile payment application on the device 120 can be updated to reflect the new amount of funds remaining in the corresponding mobile account.


In various embodiments, the mobile device 120 can further include the capability to communicate (e.g., wirelessly communicate) with individual retailers and merchants 780a-780η via a suitable communications link, such as the Internet, or other communication link such as a direct wireless communication link. More specifically, in some embodiments the mobile device 120 can remotely transmit information associated with a virtual gift card purchase to one of the retailers 780, to enable the consumer to make a purchase from, for example, a retailer website or from an actual POS at a retailer outlet. The information transmitted to the retailer 780 can include, for example, the amount of the purchase transaction, and an authentication code or other identifier associated with the virtual gift card. This information can then be transmitted to the appropriate account 770 via a third host 760η. As with the host computers 760a, b, the third host 760η may also comprise one or more computers or a network of computers. As with the open loop option, once the account 770 has been suitably debited in accordance with the desired purchase, the remaining account balance is transmitted back to the mobile device 120 so that the application running on the device 120 can store the current account balance.


Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that various aspects of the illustrated technology can be practiced with other communications, data processing, or computer system configurations including, for example, Internet appliances, handheld devices (including PDAs), wearable computers, all manner of cellular or mobile phones (including Voice over IP (VoIP) phones), dumb terminals, media players, gaming devices, multi-processor systems, multi-processor based or programmable consumer electronics, set-top boxes, network PCs, mini-computers, mainframe computers, and the like. Indeed, the terms “computer,” “server,” “host,” “host system,” and the like are generally used interchangeably herein, and refer to any of the above devices and systems, as well as any data processor.


As those of ordinary skill in the art will also appreciate, the network system 700 provides an overview of various aspects of a mobile commerce system for implementing wireless purchase transactions from a mobile device in accordance with embodiments of the present technology. In other embodiments, the system 700 or similar systems for implementing mobile commerce can include more or fewer elements and/or features, or different elements and/or features than those described above. Accordingly, FIG. 7 is presented as an illustration of certain embodiments to give the reader a general understanding of the framework for implementing the present disclosure. But the present disclosure is not limited to this particular embodiment.


Those skilled in the relevant art will further appreciate that various concepts and portions of the mobile commerce system 700 can be implemented in environments other than the Internet. For example, the concepts can be used in an electronic mail environment in which electronic mail forms and messages perform various aspects of the mobile commerce system 700. Also, various communication channels may be used, such as a local area network, wide area network, or a point-to-point dial-up connection instead of the Internet.



FIG. 8 provides schematic representations of the architecture of the kiosk 100 and the mobile device 120 in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. In the illustrated embodiments, the kiosk 100 can include a suitable network connection 814 (e.g., a wired connection, such as a modem, cable, etc.), and a wireless transceiver 816, such as a transceiver suitable for wireless near field communication (e.g., Bluetooth communication) with the mobile device 120. The kiosk 100 can further include a suitable processor or central processing unit (CPU) 810 that controls one or more functions of the kiosk 100, including receiving information from a coin counting unit 840, a consumer input device 102 (e.g., a touch screen, key pad, etc.), a data storage device or memory 812, a display device 106 (e.g., a LCD screen), and/or a suitable output device 108 (e.g., a visual and/or audio output device such as a display screen and speakers, respectively, a tactile output device for dispensing, for example, redeemable paper vouchers, receipts, e-certificates, card facsimiles (e.g., wallet-sized prepaid cards), etc.) The CPU 810 may be any logic processing unit, such as one or more CPUs, digital signal processors (DSPs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC), etc. The system memory 812 can include read-only memory (“ROM”) and random access memory (“RAM”).


In some embodiments, the mobile device 120 can include one or more features, applications, and/or other elements commonly found in smart phones and other known mobile devices. For example, the mobile device 120 can include a central processing unit (CPU and/or graphics processing unit (GPU), for executing computer readable instructions stored on memory 824. In addition, the mobile device 120 can include an internal power source or battery 826, a dock connector 828, a camera 830, and/or well known input devices 832 including, for example, a touch screen, a keypad, etc. In many embodiments, the mobile device 120 includes a headphone connection 836, and a speaker 834 for two way communication and audio playback. In addition to the foregoing features, the mobile device 120 can also include a mobile operating system (OS) 820 for wirelessly communicating with, for example, other mobile devices, websites, and the kiosk 100. Such communication can be performed via the communication link 710, which can include, for example, the Internet, an intranet, cell towers, the plain old telephone system (POTS), etc.


Unless described otherwise, the construction and operation of the various blocks shown in FIG. 8 are of conventional design. As a result, such blocks need not be described in further detail herein, as they will be readily understood by those skilled in the relevant art. In other embodiments, the kiosk 100 and/or the mobile device 120 can include other features that are different from those described in detail above. In still further embodiments, the kiosk 100 and/or the mobile device 120 can include more or fewer features similar to those described above.



FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of a suitable computing environment in which various aspects of the mobile commerce platforms described above can be implemented in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. The computing environment 900 has a web interface that includes one or more mobile devices 120, each of which includes a browser program module 920 that permits the mobile device to access and exchange data with the communication link 710 (e.g., the Internet). As discussed above, the mobile device 120 may include one or more central processing units or other logic-processing circuitry, memory, input devices (e.g., keyboards, touch pads, etc.), output devices (e.g., display devices), and storage devices. The mobile device 120 can be operably connected to one or more server computers 960 via the communication link 710. The server computers 960 can perform much or all of the functions for receiving, routing and storing of electronic messages, such as web pages, audio signals and electronic images necessary to implement the mobile commerce systems described above.


Although a publicly available communication link 710 (e.g., the Internet) is shown in FIG. 9, a private network, such as an intranet may likewise be used. The server computer 960 can retrieve and exchange web pages and other content with a database 970. In addition, in various embodiments, the server computer 960 can include a server engine 962, a web page management component 964, a content management component 966, and a database management component 968. In various embodiments, the server engine 962 can perform the basic processing and operating system level tasks associated with the various technologies described herein. The web page management component 964 can handle creation and/or display and/or routing of web or other display pages. As is known, users may access the server computer 960 via the mobile device 120 by either keying in or otherwise inputting a URL associated with the server computer. The content management component 966 can handle many of the functions in the mobile commerce embodiments described herein. The database management component 968 can include suitable storage and can perform suitable storage and retrieval tasks with respect to the database, query the database, and store various data such as animation, graphics, visual and audio signals, etc.



FIG. 10 is a representative flow diagram of a routine 1000 for transferring coin value, cash value, and/or other forms of value to a mobile commerce platform in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. This flow diagram and the ones that follow herein do not show all functions or exchanges of data, but instead they provide an understanding of commands and data exchanged under various embodiments of the methods and systems described above. Those skilled in the relevant art will recognize that some functions or exchange of commands and data may be repeated, varied, omitted, or supplemented, and other (less important) aspects not shown may be readily implemented.


Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the routine 1000 and other functions and methods described herein can be implemented as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), by a digital signal processing (DSP) integrated circuit, through conventional programmed logic arrays and/or circuit elements. While many of the embodiments may be implemented in hardware (e.g., one or more integrated circuits designed specifically for a task), such embodiments could equally be implemented in software and be performed by one or more processors. Such software can be stored on any suitable computer-readable medium, such as microcode stored in a semiconductor chip, on a computer-readable disk, or downloaded from a server and stored locally at a client.


Some steps depicted in FIG. 10 and the flow diagrams that follow are of a type well known in the art, and can themselves include a sequence of operations that need not be described herein. Those or ordinary skill in the art can create source code, microcode, program logic arrays or otherwise implement the invention based on the flowcharts and the detailed description provided herein. In some embodiments, all or a portion of the routine 1000 can be implemented by a consumer operating one or more of the devices and systems described in detail above. In block 1002, for example, the routine begins when the consumer or other user deposits coins, cash and/or other forms of value (e.g., credit, debit, paper vouchers, account transfers, loyalty points, tokens, etc.) into a consumer operated kiosk (e.g., the kiosk 100 of FIG. 1) or other suitable machine for counting the deposited funds to determine a value.


In block 1004, the user reviews one or more options (presented on, e.g. the display 106 of the kiosk 100) for converting the deposited funds into other forms of value. The options can include, for example, receiving a redeemable cash voucher, receiving an e-certificate, receiving a prepaid card, and/or having all or a portion of the funds transferred to a mobile wallet account. In the illustrated embodiment, the consumer selects the mobile wallet option in block 1004. In block 1006, if the user has an existing account (e.g., a loyalty account or other account with, for example, the kiosk operator), the user may wish to input information identifying the existing account, such as an e-mail address and password, to bring up user information needed to facilitate the transaction without having the user manually input the information, and/or to maintain the consumer's use history and provide promotions and incentives to the user based on prior use history.


In block 1008, the user inputs an electronic identifier (e.g., a phone number, IP address, etc.) of the wireless device to which they wish to have the funds transferred. In block 1010, the user positions their wireless device within sufficient proximity of the kiosk so that the kiosk can wirelessly transfer the designated funds to the consumer's mobile wallet account. In some embodiments, this can include launching a mobile account application on the mobile device 120 that includes, for example, a software application that resides on the mobile device, is accessed over a network, and/or is accessed via a web page, etc. Such and application may be received by the mobile device 120 via, for example, a communication, such as a text message, email, or advertisement on a web page or one of the kiosks 100. The communication may contain a link to, e.g., a website where the consumer may download the mobile account application.


In decision block 1012, the routine checks for confirmation that the funds were transferred from the consumer-operated kiosk to the consumer's wireless device. After receiving confirmation that the funds were wirelessly transferred from the consumer-operated kiosk to the consumer's wireless device, the routine ends. If for any reason the transfer did not go through, the routine proceeds to block 1014 to check if the consumer has selected another option for use of the deposited funds. If the consumer has not selected another option, the routine proceeds to block 1018 and the kiosk returns the funds to the consumer. If instead the consumer does select another option, then the routine proceeds to decision block 1016 to confirm that the consumer did in fact receive the other selected option (e.g., a redeemable cash voucher, prepaid card, e-certificate, etc.). If the consumer receives confirmation of the other option, then the routine ends. If not, the funds are returned to the consumer in block 1018 and then the routine ends.



FIG. 11 is a flow diagram of a machined-implemented routine 1100 for transferring funds received from a consumer to a mobile device for use in a mobile commerce platform in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure. In some embodiments the routine 1100 can be stored in non-volatile memory in the kiosk 100, or can be stored in removable media, such as disks, or hardwired or preprogrammed in chips, such as EEPROM semiconductor chips. In block 1102, the routine begins when the machine (e.g., a consumer-operated coin counting kiosk) receives coin, cash and/or other forms of value from a consumer. In block 1104, the routine counts the received funds to determine a value. In block 1106, the routine displays (e.g., via the display 106 on the kiosk 100 of FIG. 1) one or more options to the consumer for allocating the value of the received funds. The options can include, for example, receiving a redeemable voucher, a prepaid card, and/or having all or a portion of the funds transferred to a mobile wallet account.


In decision block 1108, the routine determines if the consumer selects the mobile wallet option. If so, the routine proceeds to block 1110 and optionally receives account information (e.g., an e-mail address and password) associated with an existing account containing transaction history, preferences and other information about the consumer's past use of the kiosk network. In some embodiments, step 1110 can be omitted or optional. In block 1112, the routine receives a phone number or other identifier from the consumer sufficient for the kiosk to communicate with the wireless device.


In block 1113, the routine transfers the deposited value to a remote account (e.g., one or more of the accounts 770 of FIG. 7) for implementing and reconciling the mobile commerce routines described above. In decision block 1114, the routine confirms that the funds were adequately transferred to the remote account. If for any reason the kiosk was unable to transfer the consumer's funds to the remote account, then the routine returns to the block 1106 and informs the consumer of this and displays additional options for application of the consumer's funds. Conversely, if the funds received from the consumer were properly transferred to the remote account and the remote account (or one or more computers associated therewith) transmits a confirmation communication back to the kiosk, then the routine proceeds to block 1116 and communicates (e.g., wirelessly communicates) the selected value of the consumer's funds to the consumer's wireless device. In some embodiments, this step requires the user to position their wireless device within a certain proximity of the consumer-operated kiosk. After the funds have been successfully transferred to the consumer's mobile device, the routine ends.


Returning to decision block 1108, if the consumer does not select the mobile wallet option, then the routine proceeds to decision block 1118 to determine if the consumer has selected one or more of the other options. If not, then the routine proceeds to block 1122 and returns the deposited funds to the consumer. Conversely, if the consumer does select one or more of the other options, then the routine proceeds to decision block 1120 to provide the selected option to the consumer. If the routine provides the newly selected option, then the routine ends. Conversely, if for whatever reason the machine is unable to provide the newly selected option, then the routine proceeds to block 1122 and returns the funds to the consumer, after which the routine ends.



FIGS. 12A-12C are a series of flow diagrams illustrating flow routines 1200a-c, respectively, for purchasing goods and/or services in accordance with various embodiments of the mobile commerce technology described above. Referring first to FIG. 12A, the routine 1200a begins in block 1202a when the consumer identifies the goods and/or services the consumer wishes to purchase at a POS in, e.g., a retail location having a POS terminal equipped with a wireless reader configured for conducting wireless commerce. In this embodiment, identifying the goods and/or services can include the consumer simply placing the selected goods on the counter at the POS, scanning the goods, etc. As discussed above, the wireless reader can include one or more different types of wireless payment terminals that can wirelessly communicate with a mobile device that is waved, tapped, or otherwise placed in close proximity to the terminal. In block 1204a, the consumer positions their mobile device (e.g., their smart phone) within a suitable proximity to the wireless reader. In block 1206a, the terminal and/or the consumer's mobile device may, in some embodiments, require the consumer to enter some form of authentication to complete the commercial transaction. Such authentication can include a unique code or PIN, a password, etc. After block 1206a, the routine 1200a ends.


Referring next to FIG. 12B, in some embodiments the routine 1200b can be implemented to purchase goods and services from an e-commerce website with a virtual gift card. In block 1202b, the routine begins when the consumer selects a mobile billing option to pay for a selected item or service on an e-commerce website. After selecting this option, in block 1204b the consumer selects or otherwise identifies an appropriate virtual gift card, mobile account, etc., with which to transfer funds for payment of the selected item. In various embodiments, the user can identify such payment instrument in response to, for example, a corresponding prompt on the website. In block 1206b, the consumer can enter appropriate authentication to complete the transaction, if required by the particular e-commerce website, and then the routine ends.


Referring next to FIG. 12C, in various embodiments the routine 1200c can be implemented by a consumer wishing to purchase goods and/or services from an e-commerce website or web page using an open loop mobile payment account. In block 1202c, the consumer opens an application or web page on, for example, their mobile device, such as a smart phone. In block 1204c, the consumer identifies the goods and/or services they wish to purchase from the website. In block 1206c, the user indicates via the website that they wish to pay for the selected goods and/or services using a mobile payment account. As discussed in detail above, such an account can be associated with an open loop virtual card that can be used at a number of different retailers that are equipped with the suitable commerce technology, much in the way that a conventional credit card can be used at a wide variety of retail establishments. In block 1208c, the consumer identifies the mobile account that they wish to use to pay for the selected goods and/or services. As with the routines 1200a and 1200b discussed above, the routine 1200c can also require the user to enter some form of authentication to complete the transaction. After block 1210c, the routine ends.


As the foregoing disclosure illustrates, there are a number of different ways that a consumer-operated kiosk or other machine, or a network of such machines can convert various forms of consumer currency and other forms of value into a form suitable for paperless electronic commerce from, for example, a smart phone or other wireless mobile device. For example, consumers can use such a kiosk to quickly convert coins and/or cash into “closed loop” virtual gift cards that can be activated, reloaded with funds, used to make purchases with a mobile commerce platform, and/or e-mailed or otherwise sent to someone else, all directly from the consumer's mobile computing device, such as their smart phone.


In various embodiments, the consumer can receive incentives for converting their currency and other funds to virtual gift cards via their mobile device. For example, if a consumer transfers a preset amount, such as $20, to a virtual gift card for use at a restaurant chain, the user could receive a discount on their next purchase as a result of opening their new card. Consumers can also transfer their funds easily and quickly into an “open loop” mobile account (similar to, for example, Google Wallet, ISIS™, etc.) on their mobile device that can be easily scanned, tapped, or otherwise implemented at any retailer equipped with the necessary NFC technology, mobile commerce software, and/or other mobile payment technology solutions necessary to perform such transactions.


In other embodiments, consumers that have closed loop virtual gift cards and/or mobile accounts on their mobile device can automatically receive digital coupons and/or offers via their mobile device. For example, consumers that convert their coin to retailer cards for use with consumer packaged goods (CPG) retailers (e.g., grocery merchants) can automatically receive digital CPG coupons via their mobile device. Such coupons can then be automatically applied to selected items when the consumer uses the virtual gift card or mobile account to pay for the items at checkout. In some embodiments, the consumers can automatically receive the digital coupons from the kiosk when they convert their funds to a virtual gift card. In other embodiments, the retailer or retailers associated with a virtual gift card can send coupons, offers, etc. directly to the consumer's mobile device/mobile account to encourage the consumer to use the virtual gift card at the retailer, to transfer additional funds to the card, and/or for other reasons.


In still further embodiments, consumers can top off their existing mobile wallets or virtual gift card accounts using coins, cash and/or other funds deposited in a wirelessly-enabled kiosk, such as the kiosk 100 described in detail above. In still other embodiments, aspects of the various systems and methods described above can be reversed. In such embodiments, for example, a consumer can wirelessly transfer funds from their mobile wallet, virtual gift card, and/or other accounts on their mobile device to a kiosk, for depositing into a different type of account or for converting into another form of monetary value, such as a redeemable cash voucher or a prepaid card.


Aspects of the invention described in detail above can be embodied in a special purpose computer or data processor that is specifically programmed, configured, or constructed to perform one or more of the computer-executable instructions explained in detail herein. While aspects of the invention, such as certain functions, are described as being performed exclusively on a single device, the invention can also be practiced in distributed environments where functions or modules are shared among disparate processing devices, which are linked through a communications network, such as a Local Area Network (LAN), Wide Area Network (WAN), or the Internet. In a distributed computing environment, program modules may be located in both local and remote memory storage devices.


Aspects of the invention may be stored or distributed on tangible computer-readable media, including magnetically or optically readable computer discs, hard-wired or preprogrammed chips (e.g., EEPROM semiconductor chips), nanotechnology memory, biological memory, or other data storage media. Alternatively, computer implemented instructions, data structures, screen displays, and other data under aspects of the invention may be distributed over the Internet or over other networks (including wireless networks), on a propagated signal on a propagation medium (e.g., an electromagnetic wave(s), a sound wave, etc.) over a period of time, or they may be provided on any analog or digital network (packet switched, circuit switched, or other scheme).


One skilled in the relevant art will appreciate that the concepts of the invention can be used in various environments other than location based or the Internet. In general, a display description may be in HTML, XML or WAP format, email format or any other format suitable for displaying information (including character/code-based formats, algorithm-based formats (e.g., vector generated), and bitmapped formats). Also, various communication channels, such as local area networks, wide area networks, or point-to-point dial-up connections, may be used instead of the Internet. The system may be conducted within a single computer environment, rather than a client/server environment. Also, the user computers may comprise any combination of hardware or software that interacts with the server computer, such as television-based systems and various other consumer products through which commercial or noncommercial transactions can be conducted. The various aspects of the invention described herein can be implemented in or for any e-mail environment.


References throughout the foregoing description to features, advantages, or similar language do not imply that all of the features and advantages that may be realized with the present technology should be or are in any single embodiment of the invention. Rather, language referring to the features and advantages is understood to mean that a specific feature, advantage, or characteristic described in connection with an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present technology. Thus, discussion of the features and advantages, and similar language, throughout this specification may, but do not necessarily, refer to the same embodiment.


Furthermore, the described features, advantages, and characteristics of the present technology may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize that the present technology can be practiced without one or more of the specific features or advantages of a particular embodiment. In other instances, additional features and advantages may be recognized in certain embodiments that may not be present in all embodiments of the present technology.


Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout the description and the claims, the words “comprise,” “comprising,” and the like are to be construed in an inclusive sense, as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense; that is to say, in the sense of “including, but not limited to.” As used herein, the terms “connected,” “coupled,” or any variant thereof means any connection or coupling, either direct or indirect, between two or more elements; the coupling or connection between the elements can be physical, logical, or a combination thereof. Additionally, the words “herein,” “above,” “below,” and words of similar import, when used in this application, refer to this application as a whole and not to any particular portions of this application. Where the context permits, words in the above Detailed Description using the singular or plural number may also include the plural or singular number respectively. The word “or,” in reference to a list of two or more items, covers all of the following interpretations of the word: any of the items in the list, all of the items in the list, and any combination of the items in the list.


The above Detailed Description of examples and embodiments of the invention is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed above. While specific examples for the invention are described above for illustrative purposes, various equivalent modifications are possible within the scope of the invention, as those skilled in the relevant art will recognize. For example, while processes or blocks are presented in a given order, alternative implementations may perform routines having steps, or employ systems having blocks, in a different order, and some processes or blocks may be deleted, moved, added, subdivided, combined, and/or modified to provide alternative or sub-combinations. Each of these processes or blocks may be implemented in a variety of different ways. Also, while processes or blocks are at times shown as being performed in series, these processes or blocks may instead be performed or implemented in parallel, or may be performed at different times.


The teachings of the invention provided herein can be applied to other systems, not necessarily the system described above. The elements and acts of the various examples described above can be combined to provide further implementations of the invention. Some alternative implementations of the invention may include not only additional elements to those implementations noted above, but also may include fewer elements. Further any specific numbers noted herein are only examples: alternative implementations may employ differing values or ranges.


While the above description describes various embodiments of the invention and the best mode contemplated, regardless how detailed the above text, the invention can be practiced in many ways. Details of the system may vary considerably in its specific implementation, while still being encompassed by the present disclosure. As noted above, particular terminology used when describing certain features or aspects of the invention should not be taken to imply that the terminology is being redefined herein to be restricted to any specific characteristics, features, or aspects of the invention with which that terminology is associated. In general, the terms used in the following claims should not be construed to limit the invention to the specific examples disclosed in the specification, unless the above Detailed Description section explicitly defines such terms. Accordingly, the actual scope of the invention encompasses not only the disclosed examples, but also all equivalent ways of practicing or implementing the invention under the claims.


From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that specific embodiments of the invention have been described herein for purposes of illustration, but that various modifications may be made without deviating from the spirit and scope of the various embodiments of the invention. Further, while various advantages associated with certain embodiments of the invention have been described above in the context of those embodiments, other embodiments may also exhibit such advantages, and not all embodiments need necessarily exhibit such advantages to fall within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not limited, except as by the appended claims.


Although certain aspects of the invention are presented below in certain claim forms, the applicant contemplates the various aspects of the invention in any number of claim forms. Accordingly, the applicant reserves the right to pursue additional claims after filing this application to pursue such additional claim forms, in either this application or in a continuing application.

Claims
  • 1. A method for implementing a mobile commerce account, the method comprising: receiving funds from a user at a consumer-operated kiosk;counting the funds to determine a value;receiving a first selection from the user at the kiosk, the first selection corresponding to the mobile commerce account;transmitting a mobile commerce application to a mobile device;communicating at least a portion of the value from the kiosk to the application on the mobile device;presenting a plurality of virtual gift card options to the user via the application on the mobile device, wherein the application presents the virtual gift card options at least partially in response to receiving the portion of the value from the kiosk;receiving a second selection from the user of one of the virtual gift card options via the application on the mobile device, wherein the virtual gift card option is associated with the mobile commerce account; andcommunicating at least a portion of the value from the mobile device to the mobile commerce account.
  • 2. The method of claim 1 wherein communicating at least a portion of the value from the kiosk includes wirelessly communicating at least a portion of the value from the kiosk to the mobile device.
  • 3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving payment for at least one of goods and services from the mobile commerce account via a merchant point of sale terminal.
  • 4. The method of claim 1 wherein communicating at least a portion of the value from the kiosk includes wirelessly communicating at least a portion of the value from the kiosk to a smart phone positioned proximate the kiosk, and wherein the method further comprises wirelessly receiving payment for at least one of goods and services from the mobile device via a merchant point of sale terminal.
  • 5. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving funds includes receiving a plurality of coins from the user in a coin input region of the kiosk, and wherein counting the funds includes counting the coins with a coin discriminator positioned in the kiosk.
  • 6. The method of claim 1, further comprising: displaying a plurality of options to the user at the kiosk for allocating the counted funds, wherein a first option includes dispensing a redeemable cash voucher to the user, and wherein a second option includes transferring at least a portion of the value to the mobile commerce account; andreceiving a selection from the user corresponding to the second option.
  • 7. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of virtual gift card options comprise a plurality of closed loop virtual gift card options.
  • 8. A method of operating a consumer coin counting machine, the method comprising: receiving a plurality of coins from a user in a coin input region of the coin counting machine;counting the coins to determine a value;transmitting an application to a mobile device;wirelessly communicating at least a portion of the value from the coin counting machine to the mobile device;automatically displaying a plurality of virtual gift card options via the application on the mobile device, wherein the application presents the virtual gift card options at least partially in response to receiving the portion of the value from the coin counting machine;receiving a selection of an individual virtual gift card option via the application on the mobile device, wherein the individual virtual gift card option is associated with a mobile commerce account;receiving a selection of a designated value via the mobile device; andcommunicating the designated value to the mobile commerce account.
  • 9. The method of claim 8 wherein wirelessly communicating at least a portion of the value includes wirelessly communicating the portion of the value to a smart phone carried by the user.
  • 10. The method of claim 8, further comprising receiving an electronic identification of the mobile device.
  • 11. The method of claim 8, further comprising receiving a telephone number associated with the mobile device.
  • 12. The method of claim 8, further comprising: displaying a plurality of options to the user for allocating the counted coins, wherein a first option includes dispensing a redeemable cash voucher to the user, and wherein a second option includes transferring at least a portion of the value to at least one of the plurality of virtual gift card options;receiving a selection from the user corresponding to the second option; andreceiving contact information for the mobile device from the user.
  • 13. A system for exchanging coins for virtual gift cards, the system comprising: a server computer configured to transmit a mobile commerce application to a mobile device; anda consumer operated kiosk including: a coin receiving region configured to receive a plurality of coins from a user;a coin counter configured to count the coins to determine a value; anda communication device configured to transmit information related to the value from the kiosk to the mobile device, wherein the mobile commerce application is configured to cause the mobile device to process the information, display a plurality of virtual gift card options to the user for allocating all or a portion of the value, and receive a selection of one or more of the virtual gift card options and a selection of all or a portion of the value.
  • 14. The system of claim 13 wherein the communication device is a wireless transceiver configured to wirelessly transmit the information to a mobile device.
  • 15. The system of claim 13 wherein the communication device is a wireless transceiver configured to wirelessly transmit the information to a mobile phone positioned proximate the kiosk.
  • 16. The system of claim 13, wherein the mobile commerce application is further configured to: present a plurality of options to the user for allocating all or a portion of the value, and wherein the plurality of options includes a first option and a second option, wherein the first option corresponds to allocating at least a portion of the value to a redeemable cash voucher that is dispensed to the user, and wherein the second option corresponds to allocating at least a portion of the value to at least one of the plurality of gift card options.
US Referenced Citations (505)
Number Name Date Kind
269461 Rakestraw Dec 1882 A
446303 Thompson Feb 1891 A
545185 Yost Aug 1895 A
576141 Muenchinger Feb 1897 A
1010993 White Dec 1911 A
1234707 Whistler Jul 1917 A
1345858 Jenkins Jul 1920 A
1711049 Fonda et al. Apr 1929 A
1813296 Kidwell Jul 1931 A
1847940 Giles Mar 1932 A
1945948 Morin Feb 1934 A
2014505 Patche Sep 1935 A
2317351 Andalikiewicz et al. Apr 1943 A
2461314 Davis et al. Feb 1949 A
2569360 Weingart Sep 1951 A
2644470 Labbe Jul 1953 A
2865561 Rosapepe Dec 1958 A
2881774 Labbe Apr 1959 A
2960377 Simjian Jan 1960 A
3009555 Seckula, Sr. Nov 1961 A
3048251 Bower Aug 1962 A
3056132 Simjian Sep 1962 A
3065467 Prevost Nov 1962 A
3132654 Adams May 1964 A
3173742 Simjian Mar 1965 A
3196257 Buchholtz et al. Jul 1965 A
3227363 Hecker et al. Jan 1966 A
3286805 New Nov 1966 A
3396737 Picollo Aug 1968 A
3415348 Wahlberg Dec 1968 A
3599771 Hinterstocker et al. Aug 1971 A
3603327 Buchholz et al. Sep 1971 A
3709145 Williamson Jan 1973 A
3757917 Waiwood et al. Sep 1973 A
3763871 Jobst et al. Oct 1973 A
3788440 Propice et al. Jan 1974 A
3791574 Picquot et al. Feb 1974 A
3815717 Arseneau Jun 1974 A
3941226 Drakes Mar 1976 A
3960293 Sweet, II et al. Jun 1976 A
3969584 Miller et al. Jul 1976 A
3982620 Kortenhaus Sep 1976 A
3984660 Oka et al. Oct 1976 A
3998237 Kressin et al. Dec 1976 A
4014424 Hall Mar 1977 A
4036242 Breitenstein et al. Jul 1977 A
4058954 Asami et al. Nov 1977 A
4059122 Kinoshita Nov 1977 A
4092990 Bayne Jun 1978 A
4099722 Rodesch et al. Jul 1978 A
4100925 Fukunaga et al. Jul 1978 A
4106610 Heiman Aug 1978 A
4124109 Bissell et al. Nov 1978 A
4141372 Gdanski et al. Feb 1979 A
4167949 Hashimoto et al. Sep 1979 A
4172462 Uchida et al. Oct 1979 A
4225056 Flubacker Sep 1980 A
4228811 Tanaka et al. Oct 1980 A
4230213 Spring Oct 1980 A
4249552 Margolin et al. Feb 1981 A
4252250 Toth Feb 1981 A
4266121 Hirose et al. May 1981 A
4275751 Bergman Jun 1981 A
4306644 Rockola et al. Dec 1981 A
4321672 Braun et al. Mar 1982 A
4322067 Masselin et al. Mar 1982 A
4326620 Felix et al. Apr 1982 A
4346798 Agey, III Aug 1982 A
4356829 Furuya et al. Nov 1982 A
4360034 Davila et al. Nov 1982 A
4369442 Werth et al. Jan 1983 A
4369800 Watanabe et al. Jan 1983 A
4374557 Sugimoto et al. Feb 1983 A
4376442 Gomez et al. Mar 1983 A
4380316 Glinka et al. Apr 1983 A
4383540 De Meyer et al. May 1983 A
4398550 Shireman Aug 1983 A
4412292 Sedam et al. Oct 1983 A
4412607 Collins et al. Nov 1983 A
4434359 Watanabe et al. Feb 1984 A
4436103 Dick Mar 1984 A
4442850 Austin et al. Apr 1984 A
4447714 Lundblad et al. May 1984 A
4503963 Steiner Mar 1985 A
4504357 Holbein et al. Mar 1985 A
4506685 Childers et al. Mar 1985 A
4509122 Agnew et al. Apr 1985 A
4509633 Chow Apr 1985 A
4542817 Paulson Sep 1985 A
4543969 Rasmussen Oct 1985 A
4554446 Murphy et al. Nov 1985 A
4555618 Riskin Nov 1985 A
4558711 Ikuta Yoshiaki et al. Dec 1985 A
4577744 Doucet et al. Mar 1986 A
4587984 Levasseur et al. May 1986 A
4597487 Crosby et al. Jul 1986 A
4598378 Giacomo Jul 1986 A
4611205 Eglise et al. Sep 1986 A
4616323 Hayashi Oct 1986 A
4616776 Blumenthal et al. Oct 1986 A
4620559 Childers et al. Nov 1986 A
4622456 Naruto et al. Nov 1986 A
4641239 Takesako Feb 1987 A
4672377 Murphy et al. Jun 1987 A
4674055 Ogaki et al. Jun 1987 A
4677565 Ogaki et al. Jun 1987 A
4687119 Juillet Aug 1987 A
4694845 Zay Sep 1987 A
4706577 Jones et al. Nov 1987 A
4706795 Mikami et al. Nov 1987 A
4716799 Hartmann Jan 1988 A
4723212 Mindrum et al. Feb 1988 A
4733765 Watanabe et al. Mar 1988 A
4753625 Okada et al. Jun 1988 A
4767917 Ushikubo Aug 1988 A
4775353 Childers et al. Oct 1988 A
4775354 Rasmussen et al. Oct 1988 A
4809837 Hayashi et al. Mar 1989 A
4814589 Storch et al. Mar 1989 A
4817043 Brown Mar 1989 A
4825054 Rust et al. Apr 1989 A
4831374 Masel May 1989 A
4833308 Humble May 1989 A
4882675 Nichtberger et al. Nov 1989 A
4883158 Kobayashi et al. Nov 1989 A
4884672 Parker Dec 1989 A
4896791 Smith Jan 1990 A
4898564 Gunn et al. Feb 1990 A
4910672 Off et al. Mar 1990 A
4915205 Reid et al. Apr 1990 A
4921463 Primdahl et al. May 1990 A
4936436 Keltner Jun 1990 A
4953086 Fukatsu et al. Aug 1990 A
4959624 Higgins, Jr. et al. Sep 1990 A
4963118 Gunn et al. Oct 1990 A
4964495 Rasmussen Oct 1990 A
4969549 Eglise et al. Nov 1990 A
4977502 Baker et al. Dec 1990 A
4978322 Paulsen Dec 1990 A
4995848 Goh et al. Feb 1991 A
4997406 Horiguchi et al. Mar 1991 A
5010238 Kadono et al. Apr 1991 A
5021967 Smith Jun 1991 A
5022889 Ristvedt et al. Jun 1991 A
5025139 Halliburton, Jr. Jun 1991 A
5027937 Parish et al. Jul 1991 A
5039848 Stoken Aug 1991 A
5040657 Gunn et al. Aug 1991 A
5055657 Miller et al. Oct 1991 A
5056644 Parker Oct 1991 A
5073767 Holmes et al. Dec 1991 A
5083765 Kringel Jan 1992 A
5083814 Guinta et al. Jan 1992 A
5088587 Goodrich et al. Feb 1992 A
5091713 Horne et al. Feb 1992 A
5098339 Dabrowski Mar 1992 A
5098340 Abe Mar 1992 A
5100367 Abe et al. Mar 1992 A
5106260 Obrecht Apr 1992 A
5111927 Schulze, Jr. May 1992 A
5114381 Ueda et al. May 1992 A
5135433 Watanabe et al. Aug 1992 A
5163868 Adams et al. Nov 1992 A
5173851 Off et al. Dec 1992 A
5174608 Benardelli et al. Dec 1992 A
5183142 Latchinian et al. Feb 1993 A
5195626 Le Hong et al. Mar 1993 A
5197588 Furuya et al. Mar 1993 A
5201396 Chalabian et al. Apr 1993 A
5219059 Furuya et al. Jun 1993 A
5226519 DeWoolfson Jul 1993 A
5227874 Von Kohorn Jul 1993 A
5227966 Ichiba Jul 1993 A
5236339 Nishiumi et al. Aug 1993 A
5251738 Dabrowski Oct 1993 A
5252811 Henochowicz et al. Oct 1993 A
5265033 Vajk et al. Nov 1993 A
5271628 Okada Dec 1993 A
5293981 Abe et al. Mar 1994 A
5299672 Nishiumi et al. Apr 1994 A
5299673 Wu Apr 1994 A
5302811 Fukatsu et al. Apr 1994 A
5305195 Murphy Apr 1994 A
5316120 Ibarrola May 1994 A
5316517 Chiba et al. May 1994 A
5317135 Finocchio May 1994 A
5321242 Heath, Jr. Jun 1994 A
5328014 Nishiumi et al. Jul 1994 A
5330041 Dobbins et al. Jul 1994 A
5350906 Brody et al. Sep 1994 A
5355988 Shirasawa Oct 1994 A
5365046 Haymann Nov 1994 A
5368286 Horsman et al. Nov 1994 A
5374814 Kako et al. Dec 1994 A
5388680 Hird et al. Feb 1995 A
RE34915 Nichtberger et al. Apr 1995 E
5409092 Itako et al. Apr 1995 A
5429222 Delay et al. Jul 1995 A
5435777 Takatani et al. Jul 1995 A
5440108 Tran et al. Aug 1995 A
5441139 Abe et al. Aug 1995 A
5449058 Kotler et al. Sep 1995 A
5457305 Akel et al. Oct 1995 A
5469951 Takemoto et al. Nov 1995 A
5479507 Anderson Dec 1995 A
5483363 Holmes et al. Jan 1996 A
5506393 Ziarno Apr 1996 A
5511114 Stimson et al. Apr 1996 A
5513738 Hird et al. May 1996 A
5531640 Inoue Jul 1996 A
5554070 Takatoshi et al. Sep 1996 A
5555497 Helbling Sep 1996 A
5560467 Takemoto Oct 1996 A
5564546 Molbak et al. Oct 1996 A
5564974 Mazur et al. Oct 1996 A
5577959 Takemoto et al. Nov 1996 A
5584589 Adkins et al. Dec 1996 A
5620079 Molbak Apr 1997 A
5637845 Kolls Jun 1997 A
5650604 Marcous et al. Jul 1997 A
5652421 Veeneman et al. Jul 1997 A
5661285 Elrick et al. Aug 1997 A
5663546 Cucinotta et al. Sep 1997 A
5665952 Ziarno Sep 1997 A
D385488 Smith et al. Oct 1997 S
5679070 Ishida et al. Oct 1997 A
5696908 Muehlberger et al. Dec 1997 A
5699328 Ishizaki et al. Dec 1997 A
5721768 Stimson et al. Feb 1998 A
5732398 Tagawa Mar 1998 A
5734722 Halpern et al. Mar 1998 A
5743429 Morofsky Apr 1998 A
5746299 Molbak et al. May 1998 A
5746322 LaVeine et al. May 1998 A
5748908 Yu May 1998 A
5777305 Smith et al. Jul 1998 A
5799767 Molbak Sep 1998 A
5835061 Stewart Nov 1998 A
5839956 Takemoto et al. Nov 1998 A
5842916 Gerrity et al. Dec 1998 A
5868236 Rademacher Feb 1999 A
5880444 Shibata et al. Mar 1999 A
5903880 Biffar May 1999 A
5905810 Jones et al. May 1999 A
5909792 Gerlier et al. Jun 1999 A
5909793 Beach et al. Jun 1999 A
5909794 Molbak et al. Jun 1999 A
5943423 Muftic et al. Aug 1999 A
5943655 Jacobson Aug 1999 A
5949046 Kenneth et al. Sep 1999 A
5953504 Sokal et al. Sep 1999 A
5956697 Usui Sep 1999 A
5964830 Durrett Oct 1999 A
5974146 Randle et al. Oct 1999 A
5982918 Mennie et al. Nov 1999 A
5988348 Martin et al. Nov 1999 A
5991413 Arditti et al. Nov 1999 A
6014636 Reeder Jan 2000 A
6014646 Vallee et al. Jan 2000 A
6017063 Nilssen Jan 2000 A
6021883 Casanova et al. Feb 2000 A
6028920 Carson Feb 2000 A
6047807 Molbak Apr 2000 A
6047808 Neubarth et al. Apr 2000 A
6053807 Metzger et al. Apr 2000 A
6068550 Breitholtz et al. May 2000 A
6081791 Clark Jun 2000 A
6102248 Yamamiya Aug 2000 A
6105007 Norris Aug 2000 A
6105008 Davis et al. Aug 2000 A
6105009 Cuervo Aug 2000 A
6110044 Stern Aug 2000 A
6116402 Beach et al. Sep 2000 A
6119099 Walker et al. Sep 2000 A
6119945 Muller et al. Sep 2000 A
6128402 Jones et al. Oct 2000 A
6129275 Urquhart et al. Oct 2000 A
6138106 Walker et al. Oct 2000 A
6144946 Iwamura et al. Nov 2000 A
6152365 Kolls Nov 2000 A
6185545 Resnick et al. Feb 2001 B1
6193155 Walker et al. Feb 2001 B1
6196371 Martin et al. Mar 2001 B1
6227343 Neathway et al. May 2001 B1
6230928 Hanna et al. May 2001 B1
6233564 Schulze, Jr. May 2001 B1
6243450 Jansen et al. Jun 2001 B1
6243687 Powell Jun 2001 B1
6253955 Bower Jul 2001 B1
6264545 Magee et al. Jul 2001 B1
6267292 Walker et al. Jul 2001 B1
6269349 Aieta et al. Jul 2001 B1
6289324 Kawan Sep 2001 B1
6292211 Pena Sep 2001 B1
6308887 Korman et al. Oct 2001 B1
6318536 Korman et al. Nov 2001 B1
6318537 Jones et al. Nov 2001 B1
6349972 Geiger et al. Feb 2002 B1
6363164 Jones et al. Mar 2002 B1
6370240 Woynoski et al. Apr 2002 B1
6375080 Cremonese Apr 2002 B1
6401010 Takahashi Jun 2002 B1
6405182 Cuervo Jun 2002 B1
6415262 Walker et al. Jul 2002 B1
6456981 Dejaeger et al. Sep 2002 B1
6460357 Doi et al. Oct 2002 B1
6484863 Molbak Nov 2002 B1
6494365 Kozakai et al. Dec 2002 B1
6494776 Molbak Dec 2002 B1
6502745 Stimson et al. Jan 2003 B1
6505774 Fulcher et al. Jan 2003 B1
6536037 Guheen et al. Mar 2003 B1
6554184 Amos Apr 2003 B1
6575361 Graves et al. Jun 2003 B1
6575362 Bator et al. Jun 2003 B1
6637576 Jones et al. Oct 2003 B1
6659259 Knox et al. Dec 2003 B2
6661910 Jones et al. Dec 2003 B2
6694300 Walker et al. Feb 2004 B1
6704039 Pena Mar 2004 B2
6705448 Steel et al. Mar 2004 B1
6736251 Molbak May 2004 B2
6745022 Knox Jun 2004 B2
6748067 Malik Jun 2004 B2
6748101 Jones et al. Jun 2004 B1
6758316 Molbak Jul 2004 B2
6772146 Khemlani et al. Aug 2004 B2
6778693 Jones et al. Aug 2004 B2
6799084 Grobler Sep 2004 B2
6805286 Hilton et al. Oct 2004 B2
6823172 Forrest Nov 2004 B1
6829596 Frazee Dec 2004 B1
6854581 Molbak Feb 2005 B2
6857562 Sasaki Feb 2005 B2
6896118 Jones et al. May 2005 B2
6918537 Graves et al. Jul 2005 B2
6945457 Barcelou Sep 2005 B1
6957746 Martin et al. Oct 2005 B2
6960986 Asama et al. Nov 2005 B2
6965667 Trabandt et al. Nov 2005 B2
6973172 Bitove et al. Dec 2005 B1
6973443 Drummond et al. Dec 2005 B2
6976570 Molbak Dec 2005 B2
6983836 Adams et al. Jan 2006 B2
7014108 Sorenson et al. Mar 2006 B2
7028827 Molbak et al. Apr 2006 B1
7028891 O'Neal Apr 2006 B2
7039603 Walker et al. May 2006 B2
7044330 Chirnomas May 2006 B2
7044332 Giegerich et al. May 2006 B2
7058581 Young Jun 2006 B1
D524857 Graves et al. Jul 2006 S
D524858 Graves et al. Jul 2006 S
D524859 Graves et al. Jul 2006 S
7083084 Graves et al. Aug 2006 B2
7093761 Smith et al. Aug 2006 B2
7113929 Beach et al. Sep 2006 B1
7128261 Henderson et al. Oct 2006 B1
7131580 Molbak Nov 2006 B2
D533220 Graves et al. Dec 2006 S
7149336 Jones et al. Dec 2006 B2
7156300 Dentlinger Jan 2007 B1
7158662 Chiles Jan 2007 B2
7168615 Smith Jan 2007 B2
7184980 Allen-Rouman et al. Feb 2007 B2
7219835 Graves et al. May 2007 B2
7249054 Keil Jul 2007 B2
7251626 Blackson et al. Jul 2007 B2
7252226 Risafi et al. Aug 2007 B2
7255268 Dentlinger Aug 2007 B2
7290645 Hill et al. Nov 2007 B2
7292998 Graves et al. Nov 2007 B2
7293704 Smith Nov 2007 B2
7303119 Molbak Dec 2007 B2
7311249 Smith et al. Dec 2007 B2
7313546 Alarcon-Luther et al. Dec 2007 B2
7328190 Smith et al. Feb 2008 B2
7331521 Sorenson et al. Feb 2008 B2
7333955 Graves et al. Feb 2008 B2
RE40186 Walker et al. Mar 2008 E
7343349 Ranzini et al. Mar 2008 B2
7346039 Oishi Mar 2008 B2
7349566 Jones et al. Mar 2008 B2
7356507 Bezos et al. Apr 2008 B2
7370805 Smith et al. May 2008 B2
7424973 Knox Sep 2008 B2
7426493 Takeshima et al. Sep 2008 B2
7437328 Graves et al. Oct 2008 B2
7472822 Guest et al. Jan 2009 B2
7494048 Gusler et al. Feb 2009 B2
7520374 Martin et al. Apr 2009 B2
7527193 Molbak May 2009 B2
7551764 Chiles et al. Jun 2009 B2
7561299 Elarde et al. Jul 2009 B2
7575152 Graves et al. Aug 2009 B2
7597251 Barcelou Oct 2009 B2
7597255 Deane et al. Oct 2009 B2
7630926 Chakiris et al. Dec 2009 B2
7634425 Satomi et al. Dec 2009 B2
7647259 de Fabrega Jan 2010 B2
7653599 Doran et al. Jan 2010 B2
7677565 Grauzer et al. Mar 2010 B2
7748619 Martin et al. Jul 2010 B2
7778456 Jones et al. Aug 2010 B2
7780075 Cooper et al. Aug 2010 B2
7815071 Martin et al. Oct 2010 B2
7865432 Doran et al. Jan 2011 B2
7865447 Rosenhaft et al. Jan 2011 B2
7874478 Molbak Jan 2011 B2
7891561 Hanna Feb 2011 B2
7904565 Holden et al. Mar 2011 B2
7971699 Molbak et al. Jul 2011 B2
7991386 Smith et al. Aug 2011 B2
8005425 Defosse et al. Aug 2011 B2
8024272 Doran et al. Sep 2011 B2
8033375 Doran et al. Oct 2011 B2
8042732 Blake et al. Oct 2011 B2
8068781 Ilan et al. Nov 2011 B2
8103586 Doran et al. Jan 2012 B2
8175965 Moore et al. May 2012 B2
8229851 Doran et al. Jul 2012 B2
8256682 Chakiris et al. Sep 2012 B2
8321342 Marshall Nov 2012 B2
8332313 Doran et al. Dec 2012 B2
8336774 Crum Dec 2012 B2
8340815 Peters et al. Dec 2012 B2
8442866 Stone et al. May 2013 B2
8494956 Tulluri et al. Jul 2013 B2
20010011680 Soltesz et al. Aug 2001 A1
20010023409 Keil Sep 2001 A1
20010029484 Schultz et al. Oct 2001 A1
20010051902 Messner Dec 2001 A1
20020026423 Maritzen et al. Feb 2002 A1
20020032605 Lee Mar 2002 A1
20020040355 Weiner Apr 2002 A1
20020046341 Kazaks et al. Apr 2002 A1
20020065724 Tsuruda May 2002 A1
20020072974 Pugliese et al. Jun 2002 A1
20020082962 Farris et al. Jun 2002 A1
20020087462 Seifert et al. Jul 2002 A1
20020091603 Steiger et al. Jul 2002 A1
20020100660 Stieber et al. Aug 2002 A1
20020107738 Beach et al. Aug 2002 A1
20020112162 Cocotis et al. Aug 2002 A1
20020147683 Capobianco et al. Oct 2002 A1
20020156676 Ahrens et al. Oct 2002 A1
20020161642 Schultz et al. Oct 2002 A1
20020162895 Neto Nov 2002 A1
20020174235 Likourezos Nov 2002 A1
20020188511 Johnson et al. Dec 2002 A1
20020194122 Knox et al. Dec 2002 A1
20030046231 Wu Mar 2003 A1
20030046249 Wu Mar 2003 A1
20030081824 Mennie et al. May 2003 A1
20030168508 Daellenbach et al. Sep 2003 A1
20030173405 Wilz et al. Sep 2003 A1
20030212636 Resnick Nov 2003 A1
20030233318 King et al. Dec 2003 A1
20040024700 Petigny Feb 2004 A1
20040039702 Blair et al. Feb 2004 A1
20040181481 Carter Sep 2004 A1
20050017502 Chariker Jan 2005 A1
20050038714 Bonet et al. Feb 2005 A1
20050038737 Norris Feb 2005 A1
20050045714 Hermanussen Mar 2005 A1
20050051619 Graves et al. Mar 2005 A1
20050080737 Stein et al. Apr 2005 A1
20050108155 Gallagher et al. May 2005 A1
20050144074 Fredregill et al. Jun 2005 A1
20050171902 Nguyen Aug 2005 A1
20050203835 Nhaissi et al. Sep 2005 A1
20050211768 Stillman Sep 2005 A1
20050227769 Morrow et al. Oct 2005 A1
20050278216 Graves Dec 2005 A1
20060015402 Graves et al. Jan 2006 A1
20060207856 Dean et al. Sep 2006 A1
20060217996 Graves Sep 2006 A1
20060231611 Chakiris et al. Oct 2006 A1
20060259189 Perlow et al. Nov 2006 A1
20060293965 Burton Dec 2006 A1
20070005685 Chau et al. Jan 2007 A1
20070063021 Chakiris et al. Mar 2007 A1
20070094129 Graves et al. Apr 2007 A1
20070125620 Sorenson et al. Jun 2007 A1
20070162338 Lawe Jul 2007 A1
20080126211 Kaufhold May 2008 A1
20080133411 Jones et al. Jun 2008 A1
20080162299 Gusler et al. Jul 2008 A1
20090239459 Watts et al. Sep 2009 A1
20090242626 Jones et al. Oct 2009 A1
20090265269 Stoecker Oct 2009 A1
20090320106 Jones et al. Dec 2009 A1
20100174641 Cole et al. Jul 2010 A1
20100200653 Wolfe et al. Aug 2010 A1
20100217679 Eckstein Aug 2010 A1
20100299194 Snyder et al. Nov 2010 A1
20100312631 Cervenka Dec 2010 A1
20110137689 Chua et al. Jun 2011 A1
20110137740 Bhattacharya et al. Jun 2011 A1
20110161151 Brodie et al. Jun 2011 A1
20110251949 Kay et al. Oct 2011 A1
20110288978 Abifaker Nov 2011 A1
20110295705 Kasmei Dec 2011 A1
20120109787 Larrick et al. May 2012 A1
20120234911 Yankovich et al. Sep 2012 A1
Foreign Referenced Citations (91)
Number Date Country
1053598 May 1979 CA
2060630 Aug 1992 CA
2067987 Nov 1992 CA
2688210 Dec 2008 CA
2767162 Nov 2010 CA
2812660 Apr 2011 CA
2782657 Jun 2011 CA
680171 Jun 1992 CH
660354 May 1938 DE
2528735 Apr 1976 DE
3021327 Dec 1981 DE
3147603 Jun 1983 DE
0313294 Apr 1989 EP
0 351 217 Jan 1990 EP
0420163 Apr 1991 EP
0458610 Nov 1991 EP
0477722 Apr 1992 EP
0857579 Aug 1998 EP
0924662 Jun 1999 EP
0924664 Jun 1999 EP
0924665 Jun 1999 EP
1178448 Feb 2002 EP
1231579 Aug 2002 EP
1497775 Jan 2005 EP
2367150 Sep 2011 EP
2042254 Feb 1971 FR
2342531 Sep 1977 FR
2845189 Apr 2004 FR
958741 May 1964 GB
1564723 Apr 1980 GB
2095452 Sep 1982 GB
2121582 Dec 1983 GB
2153128 Aug 1985 GB
2175427 Nov 1986 GB
2186411 Aug 1987 GB
2188467 Sep 1987 GB
2198274 Jun 1988 GB
2223340 Apr 1990 GB
2223872 Apr 1990 GB
2255666 Nov 1992 GB
80670 Nov 1998 IE
1258092 Oct 1989 JP
1307891 Dec 1989 JP
2081193 Mar 1990 JP
3-63795 Mar 1991 JP
392994 Apr 1991 JP
3252795 Nov 1991 JP
4315288 Nov 1992 JP
4344995 Dec 1992 JP
5249892 Sep 1993 JP
5250296 Sep 1993 JP
10-2003-0076944 Sep 2003 KR
20-0395417 Sep 2005 KR
10-2006-0106289 Oct 2006 KR
10-2009-0098609 Sep 2009 KR
10-2011-0094879 Aug 2011 KR
10-2011-0111719 Oct 2011 KR
44244 Jun 1916 SE
44247 Oct 1916 SE
50250 Nov 1919 SE
8801851 Nov 1989 SE
WO-9406101 Mar 1994 WO
WO-9409440 Apr 1994 WO
WO-9530215 Nov 1995 WO
WO-9626508 Aug 1996 WO
WO-9630877 Oct 1996 WO
WO-9825241 Jun 1998 WO
WO-9836521 Aug 1998 WO
WO-9928830 Jun 1999 WO
WO-9950785 Oct 1999 WO
WO-0010138 Feb 2000 WO
WO-0011568 Mar 2000 WO
WO-0075889 Dec 2000 WO
WO-0139093 May 2001 WO
WO-0142945 Jun 2001 WO
WO-0159722 Aug 2001 WO
WO-0191035 Nov 2001 WO
WO-0207071 Jan 2002 WO
WO-0209001 Jan 2002 WO
WO-02075680 Sep 2002 WO
WO-03046845 Jun 2003 WO
WO-03071387 Aug 2003 WO
WO-03071495 Aug 2003 WO
WO-03090020 Oct 2003 WO
WO-2004023252 Mar 2004 WO
WO-2004109464 Dec 2004 WO
WO-2007098056 Aug 2007 WO
WO-2010135640 Nov 2010 WO
WO-2011040985 Apr 2011 WO
WO-2011068602 Jun 2011 WO
WO-2012125910 Sep 2012 WO
Non-Patent Literature Citations (75)
Entry
“FAQ”, Google Wallet, available at <http://www.google.com/wallet/faq.html>, published at least by Jul. 1, 2011, 5 pages.
“iPhone should be called iPod”, Fury & Frost, dated Jan. 10, 2007, available at <http://furyandfrost.com/?p=395>, 2 pages.
“Mobile payment”, Wikipedia, available at <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile—payment>, published at least by Nov. 1, 2011, 8 pages.
“Smartphone”, Wikipedia, available at <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smartphone>, published at least by Jul. 1, 2011, 22 pages.
Kats, Rimma, “Redbox reaches 1.3M SMS messages during mobile promotion”, Mobile Marketer, dated Jun. 6, 2011, available at <http://www.mobilemarketer.com/cms/news/messaging/10104.html>, 1 page.
International Search Report and Written Opinion for PCT Application PCT/US2012/065471, Mail Date Feb. 28, 2013, 11 pages.
Madlmayr, G. et al. “Near Field Communication Based Mobile Payment System”, University of Applied Sciences of Upper Austria, 2008, pp. 81-93.
U.S. Appl. No. 13/679,383, filed Nov. 16, 2012, Doran et al.
Entner, Roger, “Smartphones to Overtake Feature Phones in U.S. by 2011”, Neilsen Wire, Available at http://http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/consumer/smartphones-to-overtake-feature-phones-in-u-s-by-2011/, Mar. 26, 2010, 4 pages.
Tode, Chantal, “Convenience of Mobile Shopping Drives Significant Growth”, Available at http://www.mobilecommercedaily.com/2011/06/17/convenience-of-mobile-shopping-is-driving-significant-growth, Mobile Commerce Daily, Jun. 17, 2011, 3 pages.
Walsh, Mark, “Lifestyle Tool: Mobile Part of Weekend Shopping”, Media Post News, Available at http://web.archive.org/web/20110616190909/http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art—aid=152393, Jun. 14, 2011, 2 pages.
Bernard, Tara Siegel, et al., “Swiping Is the Easy Part”, The New York Times, Available at http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/24/technology/24wallet.html?—r=4&hp&, Mar. 23, 2011, 4 pages.
Indvik, Lauren, “5 Big Trends in Mobile Commerce [STUDY]”, Mashable, Available at http://web.archive.org/web/20120213194423/http://mashable.com/2011/06/21/mobile-commerce-trends, Jun. 21, 2011, 3 pages.
Associated Press, “Starbucks Expands Mobile Payment Format”, Cleveland.com, Available at http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2011/06/starbucks—expands—mobile—payme.html , Jun. 14, 2011, 4 pages.
Montgomery, Justin, “Mobile Coupon Usage on the Rise, Driven by Hyperlocal Growth”, Mobile Storm, Available at http://www.mobilestorm.com/resources/digital-marketing-blog/mobile-coupon-usage-on-the-rise-driven-by-hyperlocal-growth/, Apr. 19, 2010, 5 pages.
Dovarganes, Damian, “The Technology Behind Making Mobile Payments a Reality”, The New York Times, Available at http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/21/mobile-payments-to-become-next-frontier-in-mobile-fight/?scp=1&sq=Mobile%20Payments&st=cse, Mar. 21, 2011, 7 pages.
MacManus, Richard, “NFC: Never Mind Credit Cards, Pay with Your Phone”, Readwrite Mobile, Available at http://readwrite.com/2010/04/01/nfc—never—mind—credit—cards—pay—with—your—phone, Apr. 1, 2010, 4 pages.
Efrati, Amir, et al. “Google Sets Role in Mobile Payment”, Wall Street Journal, Available at http://web.archive.org/web/20110403131515/http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703576204576226722412152678.html?KEYWORDS=Google, Mar. 28, 2011, 3 pages.
Woyke, Elizabeth, Google Wins Mobile Payments Race with Summer Launch of ‘Wallet’ App, Forbes, Available at http://www.forbes.com/sites/elizabethwoyke/2011/05/26/google-wins-mobile-payments-race-with-summer-launch-of-wallet-app/, May 26, 2011, 3 pages.
Pachal, Peter, U.S. Carriers Create Pay-By-Phone System, for Real This Time, PCMag.com, Available at http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2372834,00.asp, Nov. 16, 2010, 3 pages.
Maisto, Michelle, ATandT, T-Mobile and Verizon Scale Back Isis NFC Plans: Report, Eweek, Available at http://www.eweek.com/print/c/a/Enterprise-Networking/ATandT-TMobile-Verizon-Scale-Back-Isis-NFC-Plans-Report-213439/, May 5, 2011, 1 page.
“Isis to Introduce Mobile Commerce in Austin, Texas”, Market Watch, Available at http://web.archive.org/web/20110625054828/http://www.marketwatch.com/story/isis-to-introduce-mobile-commerce-in-austin-texas-2011-06-22?reflink=MW—news—stmp, Jun. 22, 2011, 5 pages.
Winter, Maisy, PayPal Comments on the Future Course of Mobile Commerce, The BluntBlogger, Available at http://web.archive.org/web/20110826081849/http://www.thebluntblogger.com/7737/paypal-comments-on-the-future-course-of-mobile-commerce, May 31, 2011, 2 pages.
King, Brett, “Visa Gets Its Wallet Sorted, or Does It?”, Finextra, Available at http://www.finextra.com/community/fullblog.aspx?blogID=5411, Jun. 10, 2011, 6 pages.
“Visa Announces an E-Wallet for Mobile, E-Commerce, and POS Transactions”, Digital Transactions, Available at http://www.digitaltransactions.net/news/story/3041, May 11, 2011, 3 pages.
Pogue, David, “A Simple Swipe on a Phone and You're Paid”, The New York Times, Available at http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/30/technology/personaltech/30pogue.html?pagewanted=1&—r=2&emc=eta1&, Sep. 29, 2010, 3pages.
Lawson, Stephen, “Sound-based System Promises NFC Now”, PCWorld, Available at http://www.pcworld.com/article/230765/article.html, Jun. 20, 2011, 2 pages.
“Local Deals. Meet Mobile Payment”, Cimbal, Available at http://www.cimbal.com/, published at least by Feb. 4, 2013, 2 pages.
Coupon Express Kiosk, Coupon Express Inc., “In-Store Kiosk Services”, available at<http://psicoupons.com/index.php?option=com—content&view=article&id=51&Itemid=56>, published at least by Sep. 20, 2011, 2 pages.
U.S. Appl. No. 09/661,048, filed Sep. 14, 2000, Molbak.
U.S. Appl. No. 09/661,955, filed Sep. 14, 2000, Molbak.
U.S. Appl. No. 09/661,956, filed Sep. 14, 2000, Molbak.
1-800 Gift Certificate, http://www.800giftcertificate.com, accessed Feb. 16, 1999, 12 pages.
Accessories Brochure, Jun. 16, 2005, 3 pages.
Business Wire, “Cash Goes In, Gift Certificate Comes Out—Coinstar Now Offering Gift Certificates Redeemable at Amazon.com With No Transaction Fee,” dated Sep. 13, 2005, available at <http://companyweb/pctsrs/clg/PCT-US%2006-44111/Coinstar—adds—Amazon—PCT-US—06-44111—PRIOR—ART.pdf>, 2 pages.
Bedienungsanleitung CDS 500/MCC 500, 1991, 9 pages.
Buy and Sell Gift Cards, “About Plastic Jungle”, available at <https://www.plasticjungle.com/gift-cards/about-us/overview>, published at least before Nov. 3, 2010, 1 page.
Card Avenue, “Card Avenue—The First Online Gift Card Registry”, available at <http://www.cardavenue.com/>, published at least by Nov. 3, 2010, 1 page.
Case-ICC Limited, “CDS Automated Receipt Giving Cash Deposit System,” Date prior to Mar. 2, 2011, 3 pages.
Cash, M., “Bank blends new technology with service”, Winnepeg Free Press, Sep. 4, 1992, 1 page.
CDS Automated receipt giving cash deposit system, Dec. 22, 2006, 3 pages.
Cohen, P., “Coinstar Turns Loose Change into iTunes Songs,” Yahoo News, http://news.yahoo.com/s/macworld/20060410/tc—macworld/coinstar20060410—0, Apr. 10, 2006, pp. 1-3.
F. Zimmerman & Co., “Reference Manual Contovit/Sortovit, Perconta Money Counting and Sorting Systems”, Aug. 1995, pp. I-III, 1-31, and three pages of specifications.
First USA: First USA Introduces the Gift Card: Pre-Paid Visa Card Works Better than a Gift Certificate, Business Editors, Nov. 12, 1998, 3 pages.
Fri Kopenskap articles, Mar. 18, 1988, Apr. 27, 1989 and Nov. 25, 1988, 6 pages.
Geldinstitute Literature, Mar. 1990 and Apr.-May 1992, 2 pages.
Gift Card Rescue, “Gift Card Exchange—Sell, Buy Discounted Gift Cards Online”, available at <http://www.giftcardrescue.com/>, published at least before Nov. 3, 2010, 5 pages.
Gift Certificate Express, http://www.giftcertificateexpress.com, accessed Feb. 16, 1999, 10 pages.
Go Kiosk, “Self Service Gift Card Selling Solution”, available at <http://www.gokiosk.net/kiosk/gokiosk/gift-card-kiosk/>, Dec. 31, 2008, 2 pages.
Hamilton, “Turning Cans into Cold Cash”, The Washington Post, Jul. 2, 1991, pp. D1, D4, pp. 194-209.
Home Depot Gift Card, Scanned Apr. 5, 2006, 2 pages.
Kundenselbstbedienung, Dec. 22, 2006, 4 pages.
Kunderna fixar vaxeln, Praktiska, Dec. 12, 2006, 1 page.
Leitch, C., “High-tech bank counts coins,” Innovations, Report on Business, Sep. 18, 1991, 1 page.
Llemeon, J., “Royal's Burlington drive-in bank provides customers 24-hour tellers,” Business Today, The Toronto Star, Aug. 21, 1991, 1 page.
MonsterGiftCard.com, “Buy, Sell, and Swap Gift Cards Online at Monster Gift Card”, available at <http://mostergiftcard.com/>, published at least by Nov. 3, 2010, 2 pages.
NCR, “NCR 7401 Retail Self-Service Solution,” 1999, 2 pages.
NCR, “NCR 7800 Consumer Price Verifier,” http://www3.ncr.com/product/retail/product/catalog/7800.shtml, accessed Mar. 18, 1999, pp. 1-2.
Oxby, M., “Royal Bank opens ‘super branch’”, The Gazette Montreal, Sep. 14, 1991, 1 page.
Reis Eurosystems Geldbearbeitungssysteme, “Test-Programme CS 3110 Selectronic coin sorting and counting machine,” Jul. 1992, pp. 1-3.
Reis Eurosystems, “Operating Instructions CS 3110 Selectronic Coin Sorting and Counting Machine With Central Sensor”, Jul. 1992, pp. 1-12, I-IV.
Sheehan, Michael, “Marriage of Convenience,” available at <http://www.kioskbusiness.com/NovDec01/articles/article4.html>, accessed May 19, 2003, 3 pages.
Slide Changing Apparatus With Slide Jam Protection, Research Disclosure 30509, Sep. 1989, 3 pages.
Spectrum One, “Spectrum One? Network Solutions for Wireless Data Capture,” <http://www.symbol.com/ST0000129.HTM>, accessed Mar. 18, 1999, pp. 1-5.
Star Gift Card Exchange, “Buy Gift Cards, Trade Gift Cards”, available at <http://www.stargiftcardexchange.com/>, published at least by Nov. 3, 2010, 1 page.
Super Branch Literature, Feb. 1992, 2 pages.
Svenska Penninglotteriet Documents, 1988, 70 pages.
Swapagift.com, “Discounted Gift Cards”, available at <http://www.swapagift.com>, published at least by Nov. 3, 2010, 2 pages.
Symbol Technologies, Inc., “PriceChecker System,” Jan. 14, 2004, 2 pages.
Symbol Technologies, Inc., “Spectrum One? SAB-Lite?,” Jan. 14, 2004, 2 pages.
SymbolSolutions, “Supermarket Buys Two Solutions for the Price of One,” http://www.symbol.com/solution/017SS.HTM, accessed Mar. 18, 1999, pp. 1-3.
Technical Manual, Cash Deposit System, Model CDS 600 & CDS 640, 1991, 46 pages.
Technical Specifications GBS9401 SB, undated, 24 pages.
Tranax Technologies, Inc., “Card Dispenser,” 2007, <http://www.tranax.com/products/self-service—products/accessories/index.cfm?product=carddisp>, [internet accessed on Aug. 11, 2009, 1 page.
Translated Article from Praktiskt Butiksarbete, Sep. 1992, 2 pages.
Related Publications (1)
Number Date Country
20130132217 A1 May 2013 US