Granted Patent B2

US 10,891,608 · App. 15/878,352 · Granted Jan 12, 2021

Inventor: Paresh K. Patel (Portland, OR)

Assignee: PAYRANGE INC.

G06Q20/327

Abstract

Claims (77)

1. A payment module for an offline payment-operated machine including a coin receiving switch, the payment module comprising:

a short-range wireless transceiver configured to communicate with one or more mobile devices;

one or more processors;

a first interface module configured to output to a control unit of the offline payment-operated machine one or more electrical pulses, each of the one or more electrical pulses emulating an analog signal generated by the coin receiving switch of the offline payment-operated machine in response to insertion of a single coin of a predetermined type in the offline payment-operated machine; and

memory with one or more programs for execution by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for:

storing, in the memory of the payment module, a number of the electrical pulses that must be received by the control unit to initiate an operation of the offline payment operating machine;

receiving a wireless request via the short-range wireless transceiver from a respective mobile device of the one or more mobile devices to initiate a cashless operation of the offline-payment operated machine; and

in response to the wireless request:

determining a first number of electrical pulses to output via the first interface module to the control unit of the offline payment-operated machine in order to initiate the requested cashless operation of the offline payment-operated machine;

causing the offline payment-operated machine to initiate the requested cashless operation by issuing the first number of electrical pulses to the control unit via the first interface module; and

sending operation information corresponding to the initiated operation of the offline payment-operated machine to the respective mobile device via the short-range wireless transceiver.

2. The payment module of claim 1 , wherein the one or more programs further comprise instructions for:

prior to sending the operation information and after causing the offline payment-operated machine to initiate operation by issuing the first number of electrical pulses to the control unit, obtaining a notification from the offline payment-operated machine indicating initiation of the operation of the offline payment-operated machine; and

in response to receiving the notification:

generating the operation information based at least in part on the notification; and

storing the generated operation information in the memory of the payment module.

3. The payment module of claim 2 , wherein the notification obtained from the offline payment-operated machine includes inventory information.

4. The payment module of claim 2 , further comprising a second interface module configured to store control signals from the control unit of the offline payment-operated machine that initiate operation of the offline payment-operated machine; wherein obtaining the notification from the offline payment-operated machine includes sampling the control signals from the control unit via the second interface module.

5. The payment module of claim 1 , wherein the offline payment-operated machine is not connected to any networks.

6. The payment module of claim 1 , wherein the offline payment-operated machine is a coin-operated laundry machine, a vending machine, or a kiosk.

7. A method for accepting electronic payments at an offline payment-operated machine, the method comprising:

at a payment module with one or more processors, memory, a short-range wireless transceiver configured to communicate with one or more mobile devices, a first interface module configured to output to a control unit of the offline payment-operated machine one or more electrical pulses, each of the one or more electrical pulses emulating an analog signal generated by a coin receiving switch of the offline payment-operated machine in response to insertion of a single coin of a predetermined type in the offline payment-operated machine:

storing, in the memory of the payment module, a number of the electrical pulses that must be received by the control unit to initiate an operation of the offline payment operating machine;

receiving a wireless request via the short-range wireless transceiver from a respective mobile device of the one or more mobile devices to initiate a cashless operation of the offline-payment operated machine; and

in response to the wireless request:

determining a first number of electrical pulses to output via the first interface module to the control unit of the offline payment-operated machine in order to initiate the requested cashless operation of the offline payment-operated machine;

causing the offline payment-operated machine to initiate the requested cashless operation by issuing the first number of electrical pulses to the control unit via the first interface module; and

sending operation information corresponding to the initiated operation of the offline payment-operated machine to the respective mobile device via the short-range wireless transceiver.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

prior to sending the operation information and after causing the offline payment-operated machine to initiate operation by issuing the first number of electrical pulses to the control unit, obtaining a notification from the offline payment-operated machine indicating initiation of the operation of the offline payment-operated machine; and

in response to receiving the notification:

generating the operation information based at least in part on the notification; and

storing the generated operation information in the memory of the payment module.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the notification obtained from the offline payment-operated machine includes inventory information.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the payment module includes a second interface module configured to sample control signals from the control unit of the offline payment-operated machine that initiate operation of the offline payment-operated and obtaining the notification from the offline payment-operated machine includes sampling control signals from the control unit via the second interface module.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the offline payment-operated machine is not connected to any networks.

12. The method of claim 7 , wherein the offline payment-operated machine is a coin-operated laundry machine, a vending machine, or a kiosk.

13. An offline payment-operated machine, comprising:

a coin receiving switch that generates analog signals in response to insertion of a single coin of a predetermined type in the offline payment-operated machine;

a control unit; and

a payment module that includes:

a short-range wireless transceiver configured to communicate with one or more mobile devices;

one or more processors;

a first interface module configured to output to a control unit of the offline payment-operated machine one or more electrical pulses, each of the one or more electrical pulses emulating an analog signal generated by the coin receiving switch of the offline payment-operated machine in response to insertion of a single coin of a predetermined type in the offline payment-operated machine; and

memory storing one or more programs to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs comprising instructions for:

storing, in the memory of the payment module, a number of the electrical pulses that must be received by the control unit to initiate an operation of the offline payment operating machine;

receiving a wireless request via the short-range wireless transceiver from a respective mobile device of the one or more mobile devices to initiate a cashless operation of the offline-payment operated machine; and

in response to the wireless request:

determining a first number of electrical pulses to output via the first interface module to the control unit of the offline payment-operated machine in order to initiate the requested cashless operation of the offline payment-operated machine;

causing the offline payment-operated machine to initiate the requested cashless operation by issuing the first number of electrical pulses to the control unit via the first interface module; and

sending operation information corresponding to the initiated operation of the offline payment-operated machine to the respective mobile device via the short-range wireless transceiver.

14. The offline payment-operated machine of claim 13 , wherein the one or more programs further comprise instructions for:

prior to sending the operation information and after causing the offline payment-operated machine to initiate operation by issuing the first number of electrical pulses to the control unit, obtaining a notification from the offline payment-operated machine indicating initiation of the operation of the offline payment-operated machine; and

in response to receiving the notification:

generating the operation information based at least in part on the notification; and

storing the generated operation information in the memory of the payment module.

15. The offline payment-operated machine of claim 14 , wherein the notification obtained from the offline payment-operated machine includes inventory information.

16. The offline payment-operated machine of claim 14 , further comprising a second interface module configured to sample control signals from the control unit of the offline payment-operated machine that initiate operation of the offline payment-operated machine; wherein obtaining the notification from the offline payment-operated machine includes sampling the control signals from the control unit via the second interface module.

17. The offline payment-operated machine of claim 13 , wherein the offline payment-operated machine is not connected to any networks.

18. The offline payment-operated machine of claim 13 , wherein the offline payment-operated machine is a coin-operated laundry machine, a vending machine, or a kiosk.

19. A payment module for an offline payment-operated machine including a coin receiving switch, the payment module comprising:

a short-range wireless transceiver configured to communicate with one or more mobile devices;

one or more processors;

a first interface module configured to communicate with a control unit of the offline payment-operated machine using a serial interface to send one or more commands to the control unit;

a second interface module configured to count one or more electrical pulses generated by the coin receiving switch of the offline payment-operated machine in response to the insertion of a single coin of a predetermined type in the offline payment-operated machine and to store an output of the control unit corresponding to an operation of the offline payment-operated machine; and

memory with one or more programs for execution by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for:

storing, in the memory of the payment module, a number of the electrical pulses that must be received by the control unit to initiate an operation of the offline payment operating machine;

receiving a wireless request via the short-range wireless transceiver from a respective mobile device of the one or more mobile devices to initiate a cashless operation of the offline-payment operated machine; and

in response to the wireless request:

determining a first number of electrical pulses to output via the first interface module to the control unit of the offline payment-operated machine in order to initiate the requested cashless operation of the offline payment-operated machine;

causing the offline payment-operated machine to initiate the requested cashless operation by issuing the first command to the control unit via the first interface module; and

sending operation information corresponding to the initiated operation of the offline payment-operated machine to the respective mobile device via the short-range wireless transceiver, the operation information including a value of the requested cashless operation corresponding to a number of coin insertions associated with a total number of the pulses counted by the second interface module to initiate the operation of the offline payment-operated machine.

20. The payment module of claim 19 , wherein the one or more programs further comprise instructions for:

prior to sending the operation information and after causing the offline payment-operated machine to initiate operation by issuing the first command to the control unit, obtaining a notification from the offline payment-operated machine indicating initiation of the operation of the offline payment-operated machine; and

in response to receiving the notification:

generating the operation information based at least in part on the notification; and

storing the generated operation information in the memory of the payment module.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (7)

Cited By (14)

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