Transaction Auditing via Unique Identifier Assignment

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Solution Overview

Problem

The vending industry faces challenges in reconciling cashless transactions with inventory and ensuring accountability due to issues with fee deductions, aggregated transaction processing, and lack of oversight in cashless payment systems, leading to inaccuracies and delays in settlement processes across multiple vending equipment locations.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a system with a server switch that generates unique identifiers for transactions, communicates these identifiers, and receives data packets to audit transactions, ensuring proper sequencing and authorization, thereby providing transaction-level accountability and reconciliation across the network.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If cashless transactions are processed through third party servers with aggregated batch processing, then transaction processing efficiency is improved, but transaction-level accountability and reconciliation accuracy deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetransaction processing efficiencyVSAvoidtransaction reconciliation accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the aggregated cashless transaction batches into individual transaction records by assigning unique identifiers to each transaction. This allows the system to maintain the efficiency of batch processing while enabling transaction-level tracking and reconciliation with inventory and EFT records.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements feedback mechanisms where transaction data is continuously monitored and reconciled against inventory levels and EFT records. This feedback loop ensures that any discrepancies between cashless transactions, inventory changes, and fund transfers are detected and resolved, maintaining reconciliation accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Loss of time

If EFT transactions aggregate multiple transactions into batches, then processing time is reduced, but the ability to match individual vend events with cashless transactions deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesettlement processing timeVSAvoidtransaction matching information

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of timeVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by assigning unique identifiers to cashless transactions at the point of sale, before the EFT batch processing occurs. This preliminary tagging ensures that when EFT batches are received, each transaction can be individually matched to its corresponding vend event, preserving transaction-level information despite batched processing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Device complexity

If cashless transaction data is stored in vending machines or en route to servers, then system complexity is reduced, but settlement timing and reconciliation accuracy deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetransaction data management complexityVSAvoidsettlement reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary settlement engine that acts as a mediator between vending machines and third-party servers. This intermediary receives transaction data from machines, processes and reconciles it with inventory and EFT records, and ensures accurate settlement. This adds a layer of complexity but significantly improves settlement reliability and timing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS10685356B2Systems and methods for providing electronic transaction auditing and accountability

Publication Date: 2020.06.16 THE COCA COLA CO

AI summary

Embodiments of the invention can provide systems and methods for electronic transaction auditing and accountability. In one embodiment, a method of providing electronic transaction auditing can be implemented. The method can include determining at least one unique identifier associated with a respective transaction. The method can also include communicating the at least one unique identifier to a destination server. In addition, the method can include receiving data associated with an electronic transaction and at least one unique identifier corresponding to the unique identifier previously communicated to the destination server and associated with the respective transaction.