Settlement Device Payment Suspension Fraud Prevention

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing settlement devices face challenges in preventing fraudulent activities where customers attempt to make it appear as if they have received change after depositing cash, allowing them to leave without completing the transaction.

Innovation Solution

A settlement device equipped with a processor that communicates with a change machine and a selection receiving unit, allowing for payment suspension instructions to delay cash repayment until another payment method is selected, thereby preventing immediate cash return after a payment suspension instruction is received.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the settlement device immediately repays deposited cash upon receiving a payment suspension instruction, then the ease of operation is improved, but the reliability deteriorates due to fraudulent activities

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of operationVSAvoidreliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary verification by checking whether another payment method has been selected before repaying the deposited cash. This preliminary action prevents fraudulent activities where customers might receive cash repayment without completing an alternative payment, thereby resolving the contradiction between ease of operation and reliability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If the settlement device delays cash repayment until another payment method is selected, then the reliability is improved, but the loss of time increases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovereliabilityVSAvoidloss of time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically adjusts the cash repayment timing based on the payment process state. When another payment method is selected, the system immediately enables cash repayment without unnecessary delays. This dynamic approach maintains reliability by ensuring alternative payment selection while minimizing time loss by not imposing artificial waiting periods.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Adaptability or versatility

If the settlement device provides cash return option, then the adaptability is improved, but the object-generated harmful factors increase due to fraudulent acts

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveadaptabilityVSAvoidfraudulent acts
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements feedback control by monitoring the payment process state and using this information to control cash repayment. The feedback mechanism ensures that cash is only repaid when another payment method has been selected, thereby preventing fraudulent acts while maintaining the adaptability of providing cash return option for legitimate use cases.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP4471698A1Settlement device and method for settlement device
Publication Date: 2024.12.04 TOSHIBA TEC KK
  • EP4471698A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4471698A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4471698A1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

According to an embodiment, a settlement device for handling payments for settling retail transactions includes a first interface to communicate with a change machine, a second interface to communicate with a selection receiving unit to receive an instruction to select a price payment method, and a processor. The processor perform settlement processing according to the selected price payment method received from the selection receiving unit, receives a payment suspension instruction via from the selection receiving unit to suspend the settlement processing for the transaction according to the selected price payment method, and controls the change machine to delay, upon the payment suspension instruction being received, repaying of any cash deposited into the change machine until after another selected price payment method is received from the selection receiving unit after the payment suspension instruction is received. The repaying may be delayed until the transaction is settled by the other payment method.