SYSTEM FOR CASHLESS PAYMENT OF PRODUCTS OR SERVICES

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a system for cashless payment of products or services at vending machines, whereby vending machines are understood to include both vending machines and service machines, such as washing machines or dryers.

[0002] Such a system is known from US Pat. No. 8,856,045 B1, for example, in which a vending machine has a payment unit that includes at least one transmitting / receiving unit for short-range communication and a processing unit with a memory. A user with a mobile phone, which also includes a transmitting / receiving device for both short-range communication and long-range communication, a processing unit, and a memory, can establish short-range communication with the payment unit, such as Bluetooth or the like, whereby this communication is naturally encrypted. The user can initiate an inquiry about a product or service from the vending machine, whereby in the cited prior art, an authorization request for a sum of money to be paid for the product or service is sent from the payment unit to the mobile phone.The mobile phone forwards this authorization request for a monetary amount to a server via long-distance communication. The server is located at a bank or other credit service provider, such as PayPal or the like. The server, which has received the relevant credit information from the mobile phone user, then sends a confirmation signal for the monetary amount to the mobile phone using long-distance communication, and the mobile phone forwards this confirmation signal to the payment unit of the ATM via short-range communication. Upon receipt of the confirmation signal, the product or service is dispensed from the ATM, and the transaction is complete.

[0003] This well-known cashless payment system requires both short-range and long-range communication to complete the sales transaction, namely between the vending machine and a mobile phone using a short-range connection, and between the mobile phone and a bank or financial institution. Therefore, if long-range communication is not possible at the location of the vending machine, cashless payment cannot be processed. For example, if the vending machines are designed as dryers or washing machines, they are often located in rooms such as basements or similar locations that do not have internet access as a long-range communication option.

[0004] From WO2015 / 186141A1, a vending machine with a payment unit, a short-range communication between the vending machine and a mobile unit, and a long-range communication between the mobile unit and the server is known.

[0005] US2015 / 235202A1 discloses a system and method for cashless purchases at a vending machine. A conventional vending machine can be upgraded with a Bluetooth transceiver that can communicate with the Bluetooth interface of a mobile phone.

[0006] The article "Mdb / Icp ET AL:"Multi-Drop Bus / Internal Communication Protocol National Automatic Merchandising Association EVA European Vending Association EVMMA European Vending Machine Manufacturers Association", February 1, 2011 (2011-02-01) XP055702096" is also known on this topic.

[0007] From US6772048B1 a system is known for controlling one or more vending machines, each of which has an associated module capable of transmitting and receiving radio signals, the system including a central data acquisition device capable of transmitting data that can be used to control the operation of these machines.

[0008] US2015 / 339621A1 discloses a system with multiple vending machines that can connect to a notification unit. This unit can forward data from the vending machines to a network via communication with a mobile device.

[0009] It is an object of the present invention to provide a system for cashless payment of products or services using a mobile phone, in which long-term communication does not necessarily have to be established simultaneously with the sales transaction. Another object of the invention is to forward information relating to the process of dispensing the products or services from the vending machine, as well as the vending machine itself, to a remote, neutral central station that stores the information about the vending machines, products, and services. The vending machine operator, for example, can retrieve the information, also via a long-distance connection.

[0010] This object is achieved by the features of the appended claims.

[0011] The invention relates to a system for cashless payment of products or services comprising: a payment unit arranged in at least one vending machine, which has at least one transmitting / receiving unit for short-range communication, a processing unit, and a memory, and at least one mobile phone, which has a transmitting / receiving device for both short-range communication and long-range communication, a processing unit, and a memory, wherein a credit for the operator of the vending machine is stored in the memory of the mobile phone and wherein, after selecting at least one product or at least one service, the payment unit is configured to send an amount stored in the memory of the payment unit for the selected product or service to the mobile phone exclusively via short-range communication, the processing unit of the mobile phone being designed,to reduce the credit stored in the memory of the mobile phone by the amount and the transmitting / receiving device sends an acknowledgment signal for reducing the amount to the payment unit, which then releases the selected product or service for dispensing, wherein the system further comprises a server and a plurality of machines with payment units and with sensors for sensing parameters of the functioning of the machines indicating the state of the machines, wherein the transmitting / receiving units of the respective payment unit are configured to send data about the state of the respective machine to each other via short-range communication and to store them in their respective memories, wherein the data is transmitted to the at least one mobile phone during the short-range communication between one of the payment units and the mobile phone and is temporarily stored in its memory, wherein the server is configured,to receive from the at least one mobile phone, via a long-distance communication, the data on the status of the plurality of machines and on the selected product or service, which are transmitted during the short-distance communication between the payment unit and the mobile phone, as soon as a long-distance connection can be established, possibly with a time delay.

[0012] Therefore, with this system it is not necessary for a long-distance connection to be immediately available for communication; rather, the mobile phone can contain credit that has been set up in advance for the operator of the vending machine. Of course, multiple credit accounts can be set up for different vending machine operators. The product or service can be selected directly at the vending machine, but it is also possible to make the selection via a corresponding dialogue with the payment unit on the mobile phone itself. The process for purchasing the product or service is stored in a corresponding program that can be loaded onto the mobile phone as an application. Such applications are usually managed by and can be downloaded from a central location.

[0013] After the payment unit transmits the amount for the selected product or service to the mobile phone, the mobile phone's processing unit can check whether the balance is sufficient for the amount, and if sufficient, the balance is reduced by the amount. If insufficient, a message indicating the need to increase the balance can be displayed on the mobile phone, and / or the mobile phone's transceiver can establish a connection via long-range or short-range communication to a credit or payment terminal, via which the balance for the machine operator is increased by an incremental amount and stored in the mobile phone's memory as an increased balance.The credit increase can be carried out by means of the user's credit information, which is stored in the memory of the mobile phone or can be entered by the user, whereby the credit information can be sent from the mobile phone's transceiver to the credit station via long-distance communication, and from this a confirmation signal about the crediting of the increase amount can be received for the operator of the machine and the increased credit can be stored accordingly in the mobile phone's memory.

[0014] If a long-distance connection cannot be established, the user can temporarily interrupt the vending process and go to a location with a long-distance connection, top up the credit there, and then continue the vending process. However, it is also possible to pay a sum of money at the location where the vending machine is installed, particularly if there are multiple vending machines operated by one operator, such as a laundromat, via a payment station installed there by the operator. After the top-up amount has been paid, a confirmation signal regarding the top-up amount crediting the vending machine operator can be received via the mobile phone's transceiver via short-range communication with the payment station, and the top-up credit can be stored in the mobile phone's memory.

[0015] The payment unit of the at least one vending machine allows data about the status of the at least one vending machine and about dispensed products or services to be stored in its memory, which is transmitted to the at least one mobile phone via short-range communication. The data about the status of the at least one vending machine, for example, a washing machine, can be detected by sensors located on or in the vending machine and transmitted wired or wirelessly to the payment unit.

[0016] The system comprises a server which is located, for example, at a neutral location, i.e. is not provided by the operator of the vending machines, wherein the server is configured to receive, via long-distance communication, from the at least one mobile phone the data about the status of the at least one vending machine and about the dispensed products or services, which are transmitted during short-distance communication between the payment unit and the mobile phone. The memory of the at least one mobile phone is configured to temporarily store the data about the status of the at least one vending machine and about the dispensed products or services, and the transceiver of the mobile phone is configured to send the temporarily stored data to the server as soon as long-distance communication can be established.The server can be configured to send a confirmation signal to the mobile phone upon receiving the data, which is temporarily stored in the mobile phone's memory. This type of communication makes it possible to securely transmit the data relating to the vending machine to the server. The long-distance communication between the mobile phone and the server can be delayed from the actual sales transaction, namely when a long-distance connection can be established between the mobile phone and the server. This means that the mobile phone merely acts as a "messenger" that forwards the data information from the payment unit to the server.

[0017] The mobile phone's transceiver can transmit the buffered receive signal for forwarding the data on the status of the vending machine and the dispensed products or services to the vending machine's payment unit as soon as short-range communication can be established between the payment unit and the mobile phone. This means that this transmission of the confirmation of receipt signal from the mobile phone to the vending machine's payment unit is independent of the actual sales transaction and occurs when short-range communication between the mobile phone and the vending machine is or is established. This can occur much later, namely when the mobile phone user wishes to initiate another sales transaction with the vending machine. The confirmation of receipt message buffered in the mobile phone is deleted from the mobile phone's memory after being forwarded to the payment unit.The information can also be deleted after a longer specified period of time, since the mobile phone does not necessarily pass the machine within this period.

[0018] The system can comprise a plurality of mobile phones, wherein the respective mobile phone of the plurality of mobile phones receives and temporarily stores data about the status of the at least one machine and about dispensed products or services, which are stored in the memory of the payment unit of the machine, during a short-distance communication between the payment unit and the respective mobile phone, and wherein the server is configured to receive the data about the status of the at least one machine and about dispensed products and services, which are sent from the respective mobile phones, via a long-distance communication from the respective mobile phone of the plurality of mobile phones as soon as the long-distance communication can be established.The server is further configured, after receiving the data, to send a receipt confirmation signal to the plurality of mobile phones as soon as a long-distance communication is established between a respective one of the plurality of mobile phones, which is temporarily stored in the memory of the respective mobile phone.

[0019] This system ensures that data is forwarded from the respective payment unit to the server, with the majority of mobile phones serving as "messengers." Since all mobile phones can store and forward a set or subset of data about the status of at least one vending machine and the dispensed products and services, if long-distance communication is possible, the probability that the server receives the information is greatly increased, reaching 100%.

[0020] The system also includes a plurality of vending machines with respective payment units, wherein the plurality of vending machines exchange data about their status and about dispensed products and services via a short-distance connection, which is temporarily stored in the respective memories of the payment units. In this system, the corresponding information about all vending machines is forwarded to the server via at least one mobile phone of the plurality of mobile phones, possibly from several mobile phones, possibly with a time delay.The respective confirmation signal of the data received from the server is forwarded via one or more of the plurality of mobile phones to the payment units, which exchange the information among themselves via short-range communication, thereby ensuring that data and information can be exchanged between the payment units and the server, and between the server and the payment units via the mobile phones. Once the confirmation signal has been forwarded from the respective mobile phone to at least one payment unit, the data in the mobile phone is deleted, and the data can be deleted from the payment units in the same way after receiving the confirmation signals.

[0021] The server data can be accessed by the vending machine operator via long-distance communication, such as the internet. All communication between the mobile phone and the vending machine's payment unit, and between the mobile phone and the server, is encrypted and individually authorized.

[0022] The system is shown in the drawing and is explained in more detail in the following description.

[0023] Fig. 1 is an example of a system structure.

[0024] The Fig. 1The system shown comprises, by way of example, a plurality of machines 1, of which only three are shown in the figure, although a large number of machines can be provided. For example, the machines are designed as washing machines in a laundromat, which provide different washing processes and charge certain amounts for these washing services. The machines can also be vending machines that contain different products with different amounts. The machines 1 each have payment units 2 which have at least one processing unit, e.g. a microcontroller, a memory and a transmitting / receiving unit for short-range communication. The short-range communication is based, for example, on a Bluetooth module, although other technologies are also possible.The vending machines 1 can contain sensors 3 that sense parameters for the state of the respective vending machine 1, with the state being based on parameters of the vending machine's functionality. The individual vending machines 1 are connected to each other via a short-range communication line 4 and each transmits data relating to the state of the vending machine and the products or services provided by the vending machine. This information is stored in the memories of the payment units of all vending machines. Furthermore, the memories of the payment units store the amounts for the products or services that a vending machine contains or provides.

[0025] The figure shows two mobile phones 5. These two mobile phones are shown only as examples; only one mobile phone can be provided. In the exemplary embodiment, however, the system is described with a plurality of mobile phones, which have at least one processing unit and a memory, as well as a display and a transceiver for short-range communication and long-range communication. A program or application is stored in the mobile phone 5, which controls the communication process between the components of the system. Data is stored in the memory of the mobile phone 5, which the amount of one or more credits for the operator of the machines and, if applicable.for other operators of other vending machines, whereby the credit has been transferred or credited in advance by the mobile phone user to the operator, with the proviso that the credit is depleted by using products or services provided by the vending machines 1. A short-range communication 6, for example, as a Bluetooth connection, can be established via the transmitting / receiving device of the mobile phone 5 and the transmitting / receiving unit of the payment unit 2 of a vending machine 1.

[0026] Another component of the system is a server 7, which stores data on the status of the vending machines 1 as well as on the products or services provided by the machines. Naturally, the server 7 also has all the components inherent to a server, such as a processing unit, memory, and communication units, which will not be described in detail here. The mobile phones 5 can conduct long-distance communication with the server, for example, via an internet connection.

[0027] The communication between mobile phone 5 and payment unit 2 of the machine will be described below.

[0028] At the start of the short-distance communication 4 between the transmitting / receiving device of the mobile phone 5 and the transmitting / receiving unit of the payment unit 2, the mobile phone 5 transmits the wish to purchase one or more products or services. The payment unit or the transmitting / receiving unit can also communicate a number of possible products and services along with their prices to the mobile phone 5, and the mobile phone user selects the products they would like on the mobile phone. The selection, along with the prices, is then sent to the vending machine. After the user has selected the product or service on their mobile phone and / or the vending machine itself, the respective amount for the product or service is transmitted from the payment unit 2 to the mobile phone 5. The mobile phone 5 first checks whether the credit or the amount stored in the memory of the mobile phone 5 is sufficient for the sales transaction.the amount stored there is sufficient. If this amount is sufficient, the balance is reduced by the amount to be deducted, and an acknowledgement signal for the reduction in the amount is sent to payment unit 2, so that the selected product or service can be released for dispensing.

[0029] If the credit stored on the phone 5 is insufficient, the user of the mobile phone 5 can communicate with a bank 9 or a financial service provider via a long-distance connection, where an amount referred to as the credit is credited to the ATM operator. Following this transaction, the payment service provider or bank 9 sends a confirmation signal with the payment amount to the mobile phone 5, whose memory then increases the credit by the payment amount. The "advance" payment to the ATM operator can be made in the usual way using a credit card, PayPal account, or other direct debit authorization.

[0030] However, the operator of the machines can also provide a payment station or a top-up station in the immediate vicinity of the machines 1. In this case, for example, cash payments can be made via a payment machine, and the credit on the mobile phone 5 can be increased via near-field communication between the payment machine or the payment station.

[0031] The communication between the payment unit 2 of the machine 1 and the mobile phone 5 is of course secured by an encryption procedure.

[0032] As can be seen from the above description, the system does not manage money, the balance stored and managed on the mobile phone 5 always corresponds to a credit given by the user of the mobile phone 5 to the operator of the machines 1.

[0033] The following describes the communication between payment unit 2 of vending machines 1 and server 7. This communication does not take place directly, but only via users' mobile phones 5, which forward data and information as so-called "messengers" or as a so-called "communication hub." As already explained, there is short-range communication between the payment units 2, which takes place via a connection established at intervals. During this communication, data regarding the status of the vending machines 1, obtained, for example, via sensors 3, is transmitted to all payment units 2, so that all data from the other vending machines is stored in the payment unit 2 or its memory. This applies to the status of the individual vending machines as well as to information about the products or services available and dispensed.This information stored in the memory of the respective payment unit 2 is transmitted to this mobile phone 5 during short-range communication 6 between one of the machines or payment units 2 and a mobile phone 5. This means that all mobile phones 5 that connect to one of the machines via short-range communication 6 receive information about the status, products, and services of all machines. This information is stored in the respective memory of the mobile phone 5. In addition to this information, the mobile phone stores information about the current sales transaction, which may not yet have been forwarded from the current payment unit 2 to the other payment units 2. The information stored in this way is forwarded to the server 7 via long-range communication 8, for example an internet connection, as soon as long-range communication can be established.This means that the data is not forwarded to server 7 simultaneously or shortly after the sales transaction between mobile phone 5 and vending machine 1, but can also be forwarded with a time delay. For example, if long-distance communication is not possible in the vicinity of the vending machines, communication with server 7 is only established when, in the example case, an internet connection is actually available.

[0034] Since the data of the payment units 2 from each mobile phone 5 that has connected to a vending machine 1 and temporarily stored it in the memory is transmitted to the server 7 at a time when long-distance communication is established, it can be assumed that all necessary data from the vending machines is collected in the server 7. As soon as the server 7 receives data from one of the mobile phones 5 via the long-distance communication 8, it sends a receipt confirmation signal back to the respective mobile phone 5, which in turn stores this information in its memory. As soon as the mobile phone 5 comes within proximity of a vending machine 1 again and establishes near-field communication 6, the receipt confirmation signal is forwarded to the respective payment unit 2, which then transmits the information of the receipt confirmation signal to the other payment units 2 via the short-range communication 4 with a slight time delay.This transmitted information is then deleted from both the mobile phone 5 and the payment units 2. If the mobile phone 5 receiving the confirmation signals no longer comes within range of the machines, the information is deleted after a specified period of time.

[0035] After identification, the machine operator can retrieve the relevant data from server 7 via long-distance communication. Data about the machine operator is included in the payment unit configuration, so that the payment units are assigned to the operators, which are sent to the server via messages from the "messengers" (mobile phones 5).

Claims

1. A system for the cashless payment of products or services, comprising: a payment unit which is arranged in at least one automat and which comprises at least one transmitting / receiving unit for short-range communication, a processing unit and a memory, and at least one mobile telephone which comprises a transmitting / receiving device for short-range communication as well as for long-range communication, a processing unit and a memory, wherein a credit for the operator of the automat is stored in the memory of the mobile telephone and wherein the payment unit is configured to send an amount which is stored in the memory of the payment unit and is for the selected product or the service, exclusively via the short-range communication to the mobile telephone after the selection of at least one product or at least one service, and the processing unit of the mobile telephone is designed to reduce the credit stored in the memory of the mobile telephone by the amount, and the transmitting / receiving device sends a receipt signal for the reduction of the amount to the payment unit, said payment unit thereupon enabling the release of the selected product or the service, wherein the system further comprises a server and a plurality of automats having payments units and having sensors for scanning parameters of the functioning manner of the automat concerning the condition of the automat, wherein the transmitting / receiving units of the respective payment unit are configured to send data on the condition of the respective automat amongst one another via a short-range communication and to store this data in their respective memories, wherein the data is transmitted to the at least one mobile telephone in the short-range communication of one of the payment units with this mobile telephone and is intermediately stored in its memory, wherein the server is configured to receive the data on the condition of the plurality of automats and on the selected product or service from the at least one mobile telephone via a long-range communication, said data being transferred between the payment unit and the mobile telephone with the short-range communication as soon as a long-range communication can be established, if necessary in a temporally staggered manner.

2. A system according to claim 1, in which the processing unit of the mobile telephone examines as to whether the credit for the amount is sufficient or not after the transfer of the amount for the selected product or service by the payment unit to the mobile telephone, and if the credit is sufficient, then the credit is reduced by the amount, and if it is not sufficient, a notification for increasing the credit is displayed and / or the transmitting / receiving device of the mobile telephone via a long-range communication or short-range communication creates a connection to a credit station or payment station, via which the credit for the operator of the automat can be increased by an increase amount and stored in the memory of the mobile telephone as an increased credit.

3. A system according to claim 2, in which credit information of the user is stored in the memory of the mobile telephone, or credit information can be inputted into an input unit of the mobile telephone, said credit information being sent from the transmitting / receiving device of the mobile telephone via the long-range communication to the credit station, and a confirmation signal concerning the crediting of the increase amount for the operator of the automat is received from this credit station, and the increased credit is stored in the memory of the mobile telephone.

4. A system according to claim 2, in which the transmitting / receiving device of the mobile telephone, via the short-range communication, receives a confirmation signal concerning the crediting of the increase amount for the operator of the automat, from the payment station after the payment of the increase amount, and the increased credit can be stored in the memory of the mobile telephone.

5. A system according to claim 1, characterised in that the payment unit of the at least one automat is configured to store data on the condition of the at least one automat and on issued products or services, in its memory, wherein this data is transmitted to the at least one mobile telephone via the short-range communication.

6. A system according to claim 5, which moreover comprises a server which is configured to receive the data on the condition of the at least one automat and on the issued products or services, from the at least one mobile telephone via a long-range communication, said data being transmitted between the payment unit and the mobile telephone with the short-range communication.

7. A system according to claim 6, in which the memory of the at least one mobile telephone intermediately stores data on the condition of the at least one automat and on the issued products or services, and the transmitting / receiving device of the mobile telephone is configured to send the intermediately stored data to the server, as soon as a long-range communication can be established, wherein the server is configured, after receiving the data, to send a receipt acknowledgement signal to the mobile telephone, said signal being intermediately stored in the memory of the mobile telephone.

8. A system according to claim 6, in which the transmitting / receiving device of the mobile telephone sends the intermediately stored receipt acknowledgement signal concerning the transfer of the data on the condition of the automat and on the issued products or services, to the payment unit of the automat, as soon as a short-range communication can be established between the payment unit and the mobile telephone.

9. A system according to claim 6, which comprises a plurality of mobile telephones, wherein the server is configured, via a long-range communication, to receive data on the condition of the at least one automat and on the issued products and services, from at least one of the plurality of mobile telephones, said data being transmitted between the payment unit and the respective one of the plurality of mobile telephones with a short-range communication, wherein the memories of the plurality of mobile telephones intermediately store the data on the condition of the at least one automat and on the issued products or services, and the transmitting / receiving device of the respective mobile telephone is configured to send the intermediately stored data to a server as soon as a long-range communication can be established, wherein the server is configured, after receiving the data, to send a receipt acknowledgement signal to the plurality of mobile telephones as soon as a long-range communication between a respective one of the plurality of mobile telephones is established, wherein this signal is intermediately stored in the memory of the respective mobile telephone.

10. A system according to claim 9, which comprises a plurality of automats with a payment unit, wherein the plurality of automats exchanges, in each case via a short-range connection, data on their condition and on issued products and services, and this data is intermediately stored in the respective memories of the payment units.

11. A system according to claim 10, in which the transmitting / receiving device of the respective mobile telephone of the plurality of mobile telephones sends the intermediately stored receipt acknowledgement signal concerning the transfer of the data on the condition of the automat or automats and on the issued products or services, to the payment unit of an automat, as soon as a short-range communication is established between the payment unit and the mobile telephone.

12. A system according to claim 1, in which the transmitting / receiving device of the mobile telephone is configured to send the intermediately stored data to the server, as soon as a long-range communication can be established, wherein the server is configured to send a receipt acknowledgement signal to the mobile telephone after receiving the data, the transmitting / receiving device of the at least one mobile telephone sends the receipt acknowledgement signal to at least one payment unit as soon as a short-range connection transferring the information to the other payment units can be established, and the data intermediately stored in the memory of the mobile telephone is deleted.

13. A system according to claim 1, in which the payment unit of the at least one automat is designed as a coin tester for receiving coils and banknotes and comprises the transmitting / receiving unit for a short-range communication.