US 5,868,236 AGranted

Pin vending dispenser

AssigneeDarrell G. Rademacher

InventorDarrell G. Rademacher

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A phone card vending machine has a secure, locking cabinet; a card dispenser; a bill acceptor or similar cash acceptor; a printer for printing slip receipts containing an activated PIN; and a controller board within the cabinet and connected to the dispenser, printer, and cash acceptor. The card dispenser contains a supply of zero-value telephone cards. The controller board has a PIN memory that stores PIN numbers for each of several amounts of long distance calling time. The customer purchases a card by inserting paper currency or coins, and making a selection from a keypad on the cabinet. The customer can select from eight (or more) different values, and then presses a select button to dispense the card. At the time the card is dispensed, the printer also prints and dispenses a paper receipt that shows the purchase price, including any relevant taxes, the amount of long distance service time purchased, and the PIN number. The vend machine can replenish its stock of activated PIN numbers by modem from a remote location.

Claims18

Dependent claims

Automated self-serve vending station for prepaid telephone cards at which a customer is able to select the amount of prepaid long distance service from a plurality of predetermined amounts of long distance service, and which provides the customer with a telephone card and a separate slip carrying a PIN that authorizes the customer to use the long distance service up to the selected predetermined amount;

the vending station comprising:
a secure lockable cabinet having an interior and an exterior;
a card dispenser contained in the interior of said cabinet for dispensing said telephone cards to the customer through a penetration of said cabinet;
a printer within said cabinet including a supply of printable medium for printing said slip with said PIN and at least one additional number, and dispensing the same to the customer through a penetration in said cabinet;
a payment acceptor means for accepting a form of payment from a customer and establishing a credit escrow amount for the customer;
selection means for said customer for selecting among said plurality of said predetermined amounts of long distance service;
a PIN memory for storing a plurality of activated PINs separate from said additional number, the latter being stored in a separate memory;
and
controller board means within said cabinet and coupled to said card dispenser, said printer, said payment acceptor means, and said selection means such that when the customer has deposited sufficient payment into said payment acceptor means and is actuated said selector means for a selected long distance service amount, the controller board means sends a command signal to said card dispenser to dispense a telephone card, obtains one of said activated PINs from said PIN memory, and communicates with said printer to control same to print said slip with said PIN and said selected long distance service amount and to dispense said slip to said customer.

6 more elements

Automated self-serve vending station for prepaid telephone long distance service at which a customer is able to select the amount of prepaid long distance service from a plurality of predetermined amounts of long distance service, and which provides the customer with a printed slip carrying a PIN that authorizes the customer to use the long distance service up to the selected predetermined amount;

the vending station comprising:
a secure lockable cabinet having an interior and an exterior;
a printer within said cabinet including a supply of printable medium for printing said slip with said PIN and with at least one additional number, and dispensing the same to the customer through a penetration in said cabinet;
a payment acceptor means for accepting a form of payment from a customer and establishing a credit escrow amount for the customer;
selection means for said customer for selecting among said plurality of said predetermined amounts of long distance service;
and
controller board means within said cabinet, wherein said controller board includes a PIN memory that stores a series of activated PIN numbers separate from said additional number the latter being stored in a separate memory, for each of said predetermined amounts, and said controller board means being coupled to said card dispenser, said printer, said payment acceptor means, and said selection means such that when the customer has deposited sufficient payment into said payment acceptor means and has actuated said selector means for a selected long distance service amount said controller board means transfers a respective one of the stored activated PIN numbers from said memory to said printer when the customer actuates said selector means, and the controller board means communicates with said printer to control same to print said slip with said PIN and said selected long distance service amount and to dispense said slip to said customer.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 08/757,586Filed 27 Nov 1996
Granted: 9 Feb 1999
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification11 codes

G07F 7/02
Mechanisms actuated by objects other than coins to free or to actuate vending, hiring, coin or paper currency dispensing or refunding apparatus:…
G06Q 20/341
Using cards, e.g. integrated circuit [IC] cards or magnetic cards: active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including…
G06Q 20/3437
Cards including a counter: the counter having non-monetary units, e.g. trips
G06Q 20/355
Using cards, e.g. integrated circuit [IC] cards or magnetic cards: personalisation of cards for use