Patent · US Active

Intelligent transaction router and process for handling multi-product point of sale transactions

US7580859B2 · kind B2 · utility

85Cited by
33References
28Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 23, 2004
Grant dateAug 25, 2009
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 22, 2026

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04M17/205
  • WIPO fieldTelecommunications
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

A transaction router and corresponding process that enables the point-of-sale activation (POSA) of POSA type devices, such as POSA pre-paid gift cards, debit cards, telephone cards and cellular replenishment cards, while utilizing a standard credit card swipe terminal (reader). The transaction router, during use, receives the output of the reader and allows standard credit and debit card transactions to pass to the financial transaction processing entity that is called by the reader, to allow the financial transaction to be carried out. If the card or device being read by the reader is a POSA type device to be activated, then the router routes the communication initiated by the reader to another processing entity capable of activating the POSA device. The reader is unaware of the existence of the router and operates in its ordinary manner, whether standard credit and debit cards are being processed, or whether a POSA card or other POSA device is being activated. Increasing the value of a previously activated POSA card also may be carried out.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.