Patent Application
20230028859
This application relates generally to pay-to-print printing. The application relates more particularly to use of online cryptocurrency service systems to accomplish rapid and inexpensive currency conversion from a user's payment currency to a printing service currency.
Document processing devices include printers, copiers, scanners and e-mail gateways. More recently, devices employing two or more of these functions are found in office environments. These devices are referred to as multifunction peripherals (MFPs) or multifunction devices (MFDs). As used herein, MFPs are understood to comprise printers, alone or in combination with other of the afore-noted functions. It is further understood that any suitable document processing device can be used.
Document processing may incur a charge, such as cost per page for black-and-white, cost per page for color, document finishing cost, and the like. A cost may be assessed once a user sends a print job to an MFP and selects their printing options. Document processing costs may also be set for non-printing document processing operations, such as e-mailing, faxing, scanning or copying. As used herein, all document processing functions for which a charge may be made are collectively referred to as pay-to-print.
Pay-to-print operations may involve swiping a credit or debit card on an MFP, manually entering payment information, or debiting a pre-paid account.
Various embodiments will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims and accompanying drawings wherein:
The systems and methods disclosed herein are described in detail by way of examples and with reference to the figures. It will be appreciated that modifications to disclosed and described examples, arrangements, configurations, components, elements, apparatuses, devices methods, systems, etc. can suitably be made and may be desired for a specific application. In this disclosure, any identification of specific techniques, arrangements, etc. are either related to a specific example presented or are merely a general description of such a technique, arrangement, etc. Identifications of specific details or examples are not intended to be, and should not be, construed as mandatory or limiting unless specifically designated as such.
A pay-to-print application on an MFP deployed in multiple countries poses a problem of currency conversion, including conversion transaction fees and slow transaction clearance time. Currency conversion may require a conversion fee, adding to costs or decreasing profitability. In addition to MFPs deployed in different countries, MFPs may also be placed where people from different countries share an MFP, such as when an MFP is publicly available near a country border or in an international airport or train station.
Early payments involved a physical exchange of currency for goods or services. More recently, most transactions are electronic and completed in a single currency. Conversions can be automatic, such as when a credit card using one currency is used at a location using another. Conversions, such as by a credit agency, often entail a fee which must be borne by a card holder, a business or both.
Still more recent is the advent of cryptocurrency. A cryptocurrency, cryptocurrency, or crypto is a digital asset designed to work as a medium of exchange wherein individual “coin” ownership records are stored in a ledger existing in a form of a computerized database, using strong cryptography to secure transaction records, to control creation of additional coins, and to verify the transfer of coin ownership. Cryptocurrency does not exist in physical form, like paper money, and is typically not issued by a central authority. Cryptocurrencies typically use decentralized control as opposed to a central bank digital currency. When a cryptocurrency is “minted” or created prior to issuance or issued by a single issuer, it is generally considered centralized. When implemented with decentralized control, each cryptocurrency works through distributed ledger technology, typically a blockchain, which serves as a public financial transaction database. Bitcoin, first released as open-source software in 2009, is the first decentralized cryptocurrency. Since the release of bitcoin, many other cryptocurrencies have been created.
Example embodiments herein utilize cryptocurrency that can be leveraged to accept payments in any fiat currency. An MFP pay-to-print app connects with any suitable cryptocurrency system, such as the Steller cryptocurrency network or Algorand. Example embodiments herein access any suitable cryptocurrency network, such as Stellar or Algorand. Example embodiments herein implement the Stellar network. This network offers a cryptocurrency capable of achieving extremely high-throughput of transactions, such as 1,500 per second, with extremely low fees. In the Stellar network, Stellar, Stellar Lumens or XLM is used, hereinafter referred to as XLM. XLM is an open source, decentralized protocol for digital currency to fiat money low-cost transfers which allows cross-border transactions between any pair of currencies. Example transaction fees, may be set to a default of 0.00001 lumens, XLM, which is currently equivalent to 0.000004 United States cents. The MFP pay-to-print app accepts payment in any currency, connects to the Stellar Network, exchanges that currency for XLM, then immediately exchanges that XLM for United States dollars, or any other target currency. This results in fast currency conversion as well as low transaction fees. A single application is suitably implemented one time to handle “any-to-any” transactions via the use of cryptocurrency. Application of cryptocurrency provides fast and low-fee cross-currency transactions with pay-to-print.
Example embodiments herein begin with an MFP application that is connected to a backend web application. The backend web application is responsible for generating a code, such as a barcode which may comprise a QR code, encoding a payment link that is displayed on the MFP's screen when the user uses pay-to-print on the MFP. Once the user initiates payment, the web application accepts that payment and connects with a cryptocurrency network to do a very fast, low-fee conversion from the user's local currency to whatever target currency an operator of the pay-to-print set up desires. The web application then deposits the funds into the operator's financial account once conversion is successful.
Leveraging a web application to connect to a cryptocurrency network can aid in accepting universal payments in any currency with lower fees, lower slippage, and lower clearance time than that typically associated with cross-currency transactions.
MFP 104 includes a user interface 124, suitably comprised of a touchscreen. A user wishing to engage pay-to-print services on MFP 104 sends or transfers a print job to MFP 104, and selects one or more pay-to-print operations. Once selected, a total cost is calculated and displayed, as well as a payment screen, such as payment screen 128. Payment screen 128 includes one or more payment types. In the example illustration, a standard credit card entry field is illustrated at 132. Such entry allows for securing funds from financial institution 112, suitably comprised of a credit card agency, bank, savings and loan, or the like. Also illustrated is a barcode 136 generated by MFP 104, which is a QR code in the illustrated example embodiment. Barcode 136 encodes a link to financial institution 112. A portable user data device, such as a smartphone or tablet computer includes a digital camera and a barcode reader. In the illustrated example, smartphone 140 is directed to barcode 136, which, once decoded connects to payment server 108. Such a service may include any suitable payment service, such as Google Pay, Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, or the like. Thus, funding may be supplied from either payment server 108 or financial institution 112 in a source currency associated with a user. As used herein, a financial service is comprised of payment server 108, financial institution 112, or both.
Payment server 108 or financial institution 112 relays funding information to cryptocurrency server 116, along with a target currency, suitably specified by administrative server 110 which oversees MFP pay-to-print operations. Cryptocurrency server 116 converts received funding into its cryptocurrency, and then immediately converts the cryptocurrency to the target currency and sends it to administrative server 110. Once payment is confirmed, administrative server 110 notifies MFP 104, and the user's pay-to-print job is processed.
Turning now to
Processor 202 is also in data communication with a storage interface 208 for reading or writing to a storage 216, suitably comprised of a hard disk, optical disk, solid-state disk, cloud-based storage, or any other suitable data storage as will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art.
Processor 202 is also in data communication with a network interface 210 which provides an interface to a network interface controller (NIC) 214, which in turn provides a data path to any suitable wired interface or physical network connection 220, or to a wireless data connection via wireless network interface 218. Example wireless data connections include cellular, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, wireless universal serial bus (wireless USB), satellite, and the like. Example wired interfaces include Ethernet, USB, IEEE 1394 (FireWire), Lightning, telephone line, or the like. Processor 202 is also in data communication with user interface 219 for interfacing with displays, keyboards, touchscreens, mice, trackballs and the like.
Processor 202 can also be in data communication with any suitable input/output (I/O) user interface 219 which provides data communication with user peripherals, such as displays, keyboards, mice, track balls, touch screens, or the like.
Also in data communication with data bus 212 is a document processor interface 222 suitable for data communication with the document rendering system 200, including MFP functional units. In the illustrated example, these units include copy hardware 240, scan hardware 242, print hardware 244 and fax hardware 246 which together comprise MFP functional hardware 250. It will be understood that functional units are suitably comprised of intelligent units, including any suitable hardware or software platform.
Processor 202 can also be in data communication with any suitable user input/output (I/O) interface 219 which provides data communication for interfacing with user peripherals, such as displays, keyboards, mice, track balls, touch screens, or the like. Processor 202 can also be in communication with hardware monitor 221, such as a page counter,
Turning now to
While certain embodiments have been described, these embodiments have been presented by way of example only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the inventions. Indeed, the novel embodiments described herein may be embodied in a variety of other forms; furthermore, various omissions, substitutions and changes in the form of the embodiments described herein may be made without departing from the spirit of the inventions. The accompanying claims and their equivalents are intended to cover such forms or modifications as would fall within the spirit and scope of the inventions.
