Bill Acceptor and Mobile Payment Integration for Automated Machines
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gaming machines and electronic settlement systems lack the capability to facilitate real-time, no-credit electronic transactions using remotely operable signals from mobile terminals and bill acceptors for cashless and cash payment options.
Innovation Solution
An automated machine equipped with a communications device to receive signals from mobile terminals and a bill acceptor to validate bills, allowing for real-time electronic transactions by retrieving account information and transaction fees, and enabling cashless or cash payment through a control device to drive the machine.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a bill acceptor is used for cash payment validation, then cash payment capability is provided, but the machine cannot process remote electronic signals from mobile terminals
Solution Approach 1:
The payment processing system is designed to accept multiple types of payment inputs through a unified interface. The bill acceptor and communications device both feed into the same control device, allowing the machine to process both cash and electronic payments without requiring separate processing paths. This multi-functionality resolves the contradiction by enabling versatile payment acceptance while maintaining relatively simple system architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The control device merges the output signals from both the bill acceptor and the communications device into a single drive signal for the drive device. By combining these different payment input sources into a unified control mechanism, the system achieves payment versatility without proportionally increasing complexity, as the merging point consolidates the control logic.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a communications device is added to receive remote signals, then electronic transaction capability is enabled, but the machine loses the ability to accept physical cash payments
Solution Approach 1:
The control device is designed to universally process both monetary signals from the bill acceptor and monetary signals from the communications device. This universal signal processing capability enables electronic transactions while preserving cash acceptance, achieving adaptability without requiring complex separate processing systems for each input type.
Solution Approach 2:
The control device acts as an intermediary that receives and harmonizes signals from different sources (bill acceptor and communications device). It converts both types of inputs into a standardized drive signal format, thereby enabling electronic transaction capability while maintaining cash payment functionality through a single mediation point that manages signal integration.
3Ease of operation
If the control device processes both bill acceptor signals and communications device signals, then both payment methods are supported, but the drive signal generation becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The control device autonomously determines which input source (bill acceptor or communications device) provided the valid monetary signal and generates the appropriate drive signal without requiring external intervention or complex coordination logic. This self-service capability simplifies the control logic by making the system self-sufficient in resolving signal integration, thereby supporting multiple payment options without proportionally increasing operational complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
An automated machine 1 is provided to comprise a communications device 5 for receiving remotely operable signals emitted from a mobile terminal 10 to produce monetary signals corresponding to money amount data in the remotely operable signals, a bill acceptor 4 for validating bills inserted from the outside to produce the monetary signals when bill acceptor 4 judges the inserted bill to be genuine and for relaying the monetary signals from communications device 5, a control device 8 that has built-in program software to produce drive signals of the amount corresponding to the monetary signals in accordance with the program software when control device 8 receives the monetary signals from bill acceptor 4. In another aspect, communications device 5 may receive the remotely operable signals emitted from mobile terminal 10 to produce the monetary signals corresponding to the money amount data in the remotely operable signals and receive the monetary signals from bill acceptor 4 and send them to control device 8.