Wireless Payment Intermediary for Offline Vending Machines
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current electronic payment systems for non-Internet connected machines, such as vending machines, are limited by the need for internet connectivity, leading to unavailable payment options when machines are offline, resulting in lost sales and consumer inconvenience, and require significant upgrades or replacements to become operational.
Innovation Solution
A wireless communication-based system using user devices like smartphones or tablets, via Bluetooth or NFC, allows for electronic payments to non-Internet connected machines by transmitting machine identifiers, displaying menus, processing purchases, and authorizing transactions through payment providers, enabling payments even without internet connectivity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If unmanned machines are upgraded to have Internet connectivity for electronic payments, then payment availability is improved, but device complexity and upgrade costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a mobile device as an intermediary between the non-Internet connected unmanned machine and the payment provider. The mobile device communicates with the machine via Bluetooth or NFC to transmit payment information, while the payment provider processes transactions over the Internet. This mediator approach enables electronic payments without requiring the machine itself to have Internet connectivity, thus resolving the contradiction between payment availability and device complexity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If unmanned machines are upgraded to have Internet connectivity for electronic payments, then electronic payment option is improved, but implementation time and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile device serves as a portable intermediary that bridges the gap between traditional non-Internet machines and modern payment systems. By utilizing existing mobile devices with Bluetooth or NFC capabilities, the system enables electronic payments immediately without requiring time-consuming machine upgrades or replacements, thus resolving the contradiction between payment capability and implementation time.
3Ease of operation
If traditional online payment systems are used, then Internet connectivity is required, but payment availability when offline deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The mobile device acts as an offline-capable intermediary that stores payment information locally and can communicate with the unmanned machine via Bluetooth or NFC even when Internet connectivity is unavailable. The payment provider server processes the transaction in the background, allowing the user to make payments conveniently without requiring active Internet connection at the point of sale, thus resolving the contradiction between payment convenience and payment availability.
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided systems and method for an electronic payment to a non-Internet connected device. The methods include transmitting information corresponding to at least one item for sale at a non-Internet connected machine, receiving a purchase request from a user device for the at least one item from the non-Internet connected machine, and communicating, using a hardware processor of a payment provider server, an approval of the purchase request to the user device, wherein the user device is configured to transmit a purchase authorization to the non-Internet connected machine using a wireless connection.