Portable credit card verifier
AssigneeNCR Corporation
InventorManning I. Rose
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A portable credit card reader. A portable terminal reads a credit card, and accepts a keyed-in monetary amount. The terminal communicates with a credit card verification service, which accepts or rejects the monetary amount. The communication is done in a wireless manner. The terminal is self-teaching, allowing persons unfamiliar with its operation to successfully execute a credit card transaction without previous training.
Claims16
A portable terminal, comprising:
- a) a keypad containing between 10 and 15 keys;
- b) a card reader;
- c) a wireless modem for communicating with a local base station connected to a telephone line;
- d) a display;
- e) logic means for
- i) accepting data from the card reader and the keypad;
- and
- ii) transmitting said data to a base station, using said wireless modem
- and which comprises means for
- iii) issuing messages on said display which instruct the user to
- A) present a card to the card reader and
- B) enter a monetary amount using the keypad;
- and
- f) a printer for printing a paper receipt.
A system, located within a building, comprising:
- a) multiple base stations, each linkable to a respective dedicated telephone channel;
- b) multiple portable terminals, each comprising
- i) modem means for wireless communication with a base station;
- ii) a card reader;
- iii) a keypad containing between about 10 and 15 keys;
- iv) a display;
- v) logic means, coupled to the modem means, card reader, keypad, and display, for
- A) issuing a message on the display requesting a user to present a card to the card reader;
- B) issuing a message on the display requesting the user to enter a monetary amount via the keypad;
- and
- C) transmitting data read from the card and the monetary amount to a remote agency, via the modem means.
In a portable terminal which reads data from a credit card, transmits said data in a wireless manner to a remote station, and which contains a display, the improvement comprising:
- a) means for loading a monetary amount into the terminal, and displaying said monetary amount to a customer;
- b) means for preventing said customer for reducing said monetary amount;
- and
- c) means for responding to input from the customer, and, in response, transmitting said data and said monetary amount to the remote station.
A method of transmitting data to a system which maintains accounts of credit transaction, comprising the following steps:
- a) presenting a wireless terminal to a customer, which
- i) issues a message requesting presentation of a credit card;
- ii) reads card data from a credit card, when presented;
- iii) issues a message requesting entry of a monetary amount;
- iv) accepts said monetary amount from a keypad;
- v) transmits said monetary amount and said card data to said system;
- and
- vi) prints a receipt for the customer.
A credit card verification device, comprising:
- a) means for instructing a person, who has never seen said device previously, how to successfully
- (i) enter a credit card number into the device and
- (ii) enter a monetary amount into the device;
- b) means for transmitting said number and said amount, using a wireless modem, to a verification service;
- and
- c) means for indicating to said customer whether said verification service accepts said amount.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.