Processing Cashless Transactions of Remote Field Assets

Abstract

A field asset for use in a machine to machine environment that includes a plurality of field assets in communication with a remote transaction processing server may comprise a card reader and an extended function adapter (EFA). The card reader may detect a cashless payment card presented to the card reader and the EFA may facilitate a cashless transaction in response to presentment of the cashless payment card to the card reader. The EFA may be operable to locally authorize the cashless transaction based on locally stored transaction information if said field asset lacks connectivity to the remote transaction processing server and may further be operable to remotely authorize the cashless transaction based on remotely stored transaction information if the field asset has connectivity to the remote transaction processing server.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A more complete and thorough understanding of the present embodiments and advantages thereof may be acquired by referring to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference numbers indicate like features, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of selected elements of a machine-to-machine network including a plurality of remotely located field assets;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of selected elements of a field asset of FIG. 1 implemented as a vending machine;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of selected hardware elements of an extended function adapter of the vending machine of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of selected software or firmware modules of the vending machine of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5, which includes FIG. 5A through FIG. 5E, is a flow diagram of a method of processing cashless transactions;

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of a validation procedure suitable for use in the flow diagram of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is a state diagram illustrating an implementation of a authorization lists suitable for use in the flow diagram of FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a table illustrating combinations of network connectivity states and authorization states for use in a vending machine of FIG. 3.

Claims

1. A method of processing transactions, comprising: detecting, by a field asset, initiation of a cashless transaction and, in response:determining a cashless transaction processing (CTP) mode of the field asset; anddetermining authorization for the cashless transaction based at least in part on the CTP mode and a remote connectivity status (RCS) of the field asset.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said RCS is indicative of connectivity between the field asset and a remotely located transaction processing server.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said detecting comprises detecting, by a card reader of the field asset, presentment of a cashless payment card.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said CTP mode is selected from a set of modes consisting of an offline mode and an online mode.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein determining said authorization includes: performing local authorization if said CTP mode is said offline mode, wherein local authorization comprises determining authorization based on transaction information stored locally on the field asset; andperforming remote authorization if said CTP mode is said online mode and said RCS is positive, wherein remote authorization includes communicating with a remotely located transaction processing server.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the set of modes from which said CTP mode is selected further includes a hybrid mode and wherein determining said authorization when said CTP mode is said hybrid mode comprises performing said local authorization when said RCS is negative and performing remote authorization when said RCS is positive.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein performing said local authorization comprises accessing said locally stored transaction information to determine a value for a parameter indicative of use of a cashless payment card associated with the transaction.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said parameter is selected from the set of parameters consisting of: a frequency of use parameter indicative of how many times the cashless payment card has been used on the field asset during a specified period and a value parameter indicative of a cumulative value of purchases made with the cashless payment card on the field asset during a specified period.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein performing local authorization includes: accessing a locally stored list to classify the cashless payment card as a known good card, a known bad card, and an unknown card; anddetermining authorization based at least in part on said classifying.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising updating said locally stored list to reflect a change in a classification of said cashless payment card.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein updating said locally stored list includes: (1) classifying an unknown cashless payment card as known bad responsive to a failed remote authorization associated with the card; (2) classifying an unknown cashless payment card as a known good card responsive to a successful remote authorization associated with the card.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein determining authorization includes comparing a value of a use parameter indicative of use of the cashless payment card in the field asset against a first threshold if said cashless payment card is a known good card and against a second threshold if said cashless payment cards is an unknown card.

13. The method of claim 5, further comprising updating the locally stored transaction information following completion of a cashless transaction and updating the locally stored lists.

14. The method of claim 5, wherein performing remote authorization includes, during a latency associated with said communicating with said remotely located transaction processing server, presenting a user of said field asset with a prompt requesting the user to make a transaction decision.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein presenting the user with said prompt comprises requesting the user to select a product sold by the field asset.

16. The method of claim 5, wherein remote authorization includes obtaining, via the remote transaction server, authorization for the transaction from an issuer of the cashless payment card.

17. The method of claim 5, wherein remote authorization includes, aggregating multiple transactions associated with a single cashless payment card to create an aggregated transaction and remotely authorizing the aggregated transaction as a single transaction.

18. The method of claim 3, further comprising performing validation of the cashless payment card including validating a card number associated with the cashless payment card.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein validation includes validating an expiration date of the card.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein validation includes determining that the card is not identified in a list of known bad cards stored on the field asset.

21. A field asset for use in a machine to machine environment having a plurality of field assets in communication with a remote transaction processing server, the field asset comprising: a card reader operable to detect a cashless payment card presented to the card reader;an extended function adapter (EFA) in communication with the card reader and operable to facilitate a cashless transaction in response to said card reader detecting presentment of the cashless payment card to the card reader by:locally authorizing the cashless transaction based on locally stored transaction information if said field asset lacks connectivity to a remote transaction processing server; andremotely authorizing the cashless transaction based on remotely stored transaction information if the field asset has connectivity to the remote transaction processing server.

22. The field asset of claim 21, further comprising locally validating the cashless payment card including validating a card number associated with the cashless payment card and an expiration date associated with the cashless payment.

23. The field asset of claim 22, wherein the EFA is further operable to locally maintain a local list including a list of known bad cards.

24. The field asset of claim 23, wherein locally validating the cashless payment card includes determining that the cashless payment card is not on the list of known bad cards.

25. The field asset of claim 24, wherein the local list further includes a list of known good cards and wherein locally authorizing includes determining whether the cashless payment card is a known good card.

26. The field asset of claim 25, wherein locally authorizing includes: determining from said locally stored transaction information a frequency and cumulative value of transactions associated with the cashless payment card during a specified time interval;comparing said frequency and cumulative value of transactions to frequency and cumulative value limits respectively; andauthorizing said cashless transaction if said frequency and cumulative value do not exceed said frequency and said cumulative value limits respectively.

27. The field asset of claim 26, wherein said frequency and cumulative value limits have first respective values if said cashless payment card is a known good card and second respective values if said cashless payment card is an unknown card.

28. The field asset of claim 21, wherein the EFA is further operable to prevent local authorization when a transaction processing mode of said field asset is an online mode.

29. The field asset of claim 21, wherein the EFA is further operable to prevent remote authorization when a transaction processing mode of said field asset is an offline mode.

30. The field asset of claim 21, wherein the EFA is further operable to support transaction aggregation by aggregating multiple transactions locally and remotely authorizing the resulting aggregated transaction remotely as a single transaction.

31. The field asset of claim 31, wherein the field asset comprises a vending machine.

32. A computer program product comprising instructions, stored on a computer readable medium and executable by a processor, for facilitating cashless transactions in a field asset, comprising: instructions for locally authorizing a cashless transaction based on information stored on the field asset; andinstructions for remotely authorizing a cashless transaction based on information accessed via a remotely located transaction processing server.

33. The computer program product of claim 32, further comprising instructions for determining a transaction processing mode of the field asset and instructions for determining whether to locally authorize or remotely authorization a cashless transaction based in part on the transaction processing mode.

34. The computer program product of claim 33, further comprising instructions for locally authorizing the cashless transaction if the transaction processing mode is an offline mode and instructions for remotely authorizing the cashless transaction if the transaction processing modes is an online mode.

35. The computer program product of claim 34, further comprising instructions for remotely authorizing the cashless transaction if a remote connectivity status of the field asset is positive and locally authorizing the cashless transaction if a remote connectivity status of the field asset is negative.