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US 6,065,679 AGranted
Modular transaction terminal
AssigneeIVI Checkmate Corp.
InventorsStephen Alan Levie, Bradley Dale Brown, Gregory John Loxtercamp, Michael E. Hermansen, Emmett E. O'Hare, Ahmad Ghanbarzadeh
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Abstract
A modular terminal apparatus including a core unit interchangeable with a plurality of communication modules.
Claims31
A modular Point-Of-Sale (POS) terminal apparatus comprising:
- a core unit comprising a printed wiring board including a processor and associated basic memory, a keypad for inputting data, an integral display for displaying data from the processor, and plural hardware-based interfaces that, in use, support optional modules which may be connected to said core unit, said core unit hardware-based interfaces including:
- a hardware-based magnetic stripe card reader interface for, in use, supporting a magnetic stripe card reading module,
- a hardware-based smart card module interface for, in uses, supporting a smart card module,
- a hardware-based memory interface for, in use, supporting an expansion memory module,
- a hardware-based security module interface for, in use, supporting a security module, and
- a hardware-based data exchange interface for providing data exchange with a communication unit printed wiring board;
- and a communication unit including:
- a top cover having an opening facing the core unit;
- said communication unit printed wiring board including an interface connector extending through the opening to connect to the core unit hardware-based data exchange interface;
- and
- a bottom cover, wherein the top cover and the bottom cover define a housing capable of retaining plural optional modules.
8 more elements
A modular terminal base unit capable of being connected to optional modules adding or enhancing functionality to said modular terminal base unit, said modular terminal base unit comprising:
- a processor,
- a memory,
- a display,
- a keypad, and
- an application-specific integrated circuit coupled to at least said processor, said application-specific integrated circuit including display interface circuitry interfacing with said display, keypad interface circuitry interfacing with said keypad, a processor bus interface interfacing with said processor, memory interface circuitry interfacing with said memory, a magnetic stripe card reader interface, a smart card reader interface, a security module interface, and at least one further communication interface for data exchange with at least one external device.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.