FR2836266A1 - Mobile payment terminal, combines calculator, card reader and remote communication device in a portable unit that can be brought to the customer's table - Google Patents

Abstract

The mobile payment terminal (10) comprises a box (12) that can be manually transported, a payment card reader (22), a keyboard (14), a calculator (18) and a wireless link (24) to transfer payment information to a remote computer system (32,32A). The keyboard is used to enter data to compute the bill and data concerning payment. The bill is printed and the total displayed.

Description

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 The present invention relates to a mobile payment terminal, of the type comprising: - a box which can be transported manually; and - in said housing:. a payment card reader for reading information stored in card storage means; . means of establishing a total amount to be paid; . an information processing unit connected to the card reader and comprising means for implementing an electronic payment operation adapted to produce payment information from information stored on the card and the total amount to be paid; and. wireless means for transferring payment information from the information processing unit to remote computer means for processing payment information.

 Credit cards are used to settle many business transactions.

 Known mobile payment terminals include means for entering a total amount to be paid and means allowing the implementation of a payment transaction from the information read on the payment card and the total amount to be paid previously. grasped.

 These mobile payment terminals are used in particular in restaurants to avoid the holder of the payment card from having to travel to a fixed point where the payment terminal is located. Thus, the payment terminal can be brought to it by the server.

 To determine the total amount to be paid, the server uses a calculator to total the prices of the services provided and to determine the total amount to be paid.

 Thus, the payment procedure is relatively complex for the server, since the latter must move from the fixed point where the computer is located to the customer's table to allow payment.

 The object of the invention is to propose a mobile payment terminal making it possible to limit the movements of the server, or of any other merchant.

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 To this end, the invention relates to a mobile payment terminal, of the aforementioned type, characterized in that said means for establishing a total amount to be paid comprise: - means for entering at least two pieces of information representing - each of a purchase to be paid, - arithmetic means for calculating the total amount to be paid on the basis of the information entered representative of each purchase to be paid, and - means of controlling the information processing unit for the implementation of payment from the total amount payable calculated.

 According to particular embodiments, the mobile payment terminal includes one or more of the following characteristics: - said means for entering at least two pieces of information each representing a purchase to be paid includes means for entering the price of each purchase; - Said means of entering at least two pieces of information each representing a purchase to be paid includes a keyboard; - It comprises, in said housing, means of printing an invoice mentioning for each of said at least two purchases to be paid at least one of the information representative of each purchase to be paid; - Said printing means are suitable for printing an invoice presenting the unit price of each purchase; - said printing means are suitable for printing an invoice presenting the taxes payable on the total amount to be paid; and - said wireless information transfer means comprise means for direct connection to a terminal of a collective wireless telephone network and means for establishing communication with said remote means for processing payment information at through said collective telephone network.

 The invention will be better understood on reading the description which follows, given solely by way of example and made with reference to the drawings, in which:

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 - Figure 1 is a schematic view of a first embodiment of a payment terminal according to the invention; and - Figure 2 is a schematic view of an alternative embodiment of the payment terminal of Figure 1.

 The payment terminal according to the invention, designated by reference 10 in FIG. 1, is suitable for payment by card but also for producing invoices and performing arithmetic operations for the payment and establishment of invoices. It is called device, in the following description.

 This device is integrated in a housing 12 which can be held by hand and transported manually. On the front face of the housing, there is a keyboard 14 comprising keys numbered from 0 to 9. The keyboard also comprises calculation keys allowing in particular the carrying out of the four mathematical operations +, -, x and:. The keyboard also advantageously includes alpha-numeric keys allowing the input of words designating the nature of the purchases made.

 Other keys are used to ensure the determination of a total invoice amount, the launching of an electronic payment transaction, the printing of an invoice and the transmission of payment or accounting information.

 In addition, the keyboard 14 includes keys making it possible to cause a calculation of the taxes payable, as well as keys for controlling the device, in particular for displaying, printing or transmitting information.

 The device comprises a display screen 16 allowing the display of the data entered on the keyboard and the making available to the user of the results of the operations carried out from this keyboard.

 The keyboard 14 and the display screen 16 are connected to an information processing unit 18, consisting for example of a microprocessor associated with storage means, implementing a suitable program.

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 This program ensures in particular the management of the data entered from the keyboard 14, the calculation of arithmetic operations entered on the keyboard and the management of the temporary storage of the entered and calculated data.

 The device further comprises printing means 20 allowing the printing on paper of an invoice, as well as a voucher for payment by card.

 These printing means 20 are of any known suitable type. They operate under the control of the information processing unit 18 and are in particular adapted to allow the printing of data such as the company name of the company issuing the invoice, the date, the place of invoicing, the method of payment. , a description of the purchases, the unit amount of each purchase, the total amount to be paid and a detail of the taxes payable.

 The device 10 includes a payment card reader 22. This reader is for example a chip reader or a magnetic stripe reader. This reader is connected to the information processing unit 18 for reading the information stored on the card.

 Finally, the device comprises means 24 for wireless transmission of information to a terminal 26 of a collective network 28 of wireless telephony of a telephone operator.

 The transmission between the device 10 and the terminal 26 is carried out for example according to the GSM / GPRS standard.

 The information transmission means 24 include in particular a SIM card reader allowing the identification of the device by the telephone operator, after subscription of a subscription with this operator for the transmission of information.

 The means 24 are connected to the information processing means 18 for their control and the supply of the information to be transmitted. They are suitable in particular for the transmission, to the telecommunications network 28, of payment information comprising data contained in the payment card, as well as data corresponding to the total amount to be paid.

 In addition, the means 24 allow the transmission of accounting information, namely, in particular, the identification of the purchases made, their

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 unit price, the total price to pay, the amount of taxes, the date of the transaction, and any other data appearing on the invoice.

 The payment information and the accounting information are routed by the collective telecommunications network 28 to two separate databases.

 A first database 30 is specific to the company that sold the goods. The accounting information from the system is stored in this database.

 Another database 32 is specific to the financial institution responsible for payment. It is suitable for receiving payment information from the device.

 Remote processing computer means denoted respectively 30A and 32A are associated with each base to ensure the processing of the stored information.

 The device 10 advantageously allows the reading of several types of payment card issued by several financial institutions. Depending on the type of card, the device 10 ensures the communication of payment information to the base 32 specific to the financial institution ensuring the management of the card in question.

 The device 10 is equipped with autonomous supply means 34, such as batteries.

 The device illustrated in FIG. 1 allows a merchant both to establish the invoice for his client and to carry out the actual payment transaction.

 To this end, the merchant enters, from the keyboard 14, the unit amount of each of the purchases to be paid. From the mathematical operators at his disposal, the trader establishes the total amount to be paid. The different amounts entered, the intermediate results and the final result are displayed successively on screen 16.

 After entering all the information necessary for the invoice, an invoice is automatically printed from the printing means 20.

This invoice notably shows the amount of taxes payable.

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 After editing the invoice and from the same device, the merchant performs the actual payment transaction by inserting the customer's card in the reader 22.

 From the information contained in the card, and possibly after entering a confidential code, payment information is produced by the information processing unit 18. These are transmitted by the transmission means 24 up to the base 32 of the financial institution ensuring the payment. This payment information includes the total amount to be paid and information stored in the card.

 A payment voucher is also printed from the printing means 20.

 The accounting information included on the invoice is transmitted by the information transmission means 24 up to the base 30 specific to the company making the sale.

 It is understood that with such a billing and payment device, all the operations necessary for the marketing of products can be carried out simultaneously, on the same device and very easily by the merchant, without the merchant having to move between the client and a fixed invoice preparation unit.

 In the embodiment described above, the means for entering information representative of each purchase to be paid are constituted by the numerical keyboard 14 allowing the entry of the unit prices of each purchase to be paid.

According to an alternative embodiment, the numeric keys of the keyboard
14 are replaced by keys specific to each item sold.

Thus, the pressing of a key corresponding to a purchase causes the automatic increment of the total amount to be paid, of the unit price of this purchase.

 The variant shown in Figure 2 differs in that the information transmission means 24 are not suitable for direct communication with a telecommunications network. This communication takes place through a communication interface 40 connected by a link.

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son filaire au réseau téléphonique collectif 28. Cette interface de communication est propre au commerçant. Ainsi, la communication des informations entre les moyens de transmission 24 et l'interface 40 peut être assurée par tout moyen de communication sans fil, et suivant tout protocole adapté.

its wired to the collective telephone network 28. This communication interface is specific to the merchant. Thus, the communication of information between the transmission means 24 and the interface 40 can be ensured by any wireless communication means, and according to any suitable protocol.

The interface 40 comprises, in this case, in particular the means 30A for processing the accounting information transmitted from the device 10.

The billing information is sent by the interface 40 to the base 32 of the financial institution in charge of payment through the telecommunications network.

In this case, the accounting information storage base 30 is directly connected to the communication interface 40 for the direct reception of accounting information. On the contrary, the base or bases 32 of financial establishments are connected to the collective telephone network 28 to receive payment information from the device 10 and transmitted by the communication interface 40.

According to an embodiment not shown, the keyboard 14 allowing the input of information representative of each purchase to be paid is replaced by a bar code reader for reading such a code carried by each purchase.

Claims (7)

CLAIMS 1. - Mobile payment terminal (10) comprising: - a box (12) which can be transported manually; and - in said housing (12):. a payment card reader (22) for reading information stored in card storage means; . means (14,18) of establishing a total amount to be paid; . an information processing unit (18) connected to the card reader (22) and comprising means for implementing an electronic payment operation adapted to produce payment information from information stored on the card and the total amount payable; and. wireless means (24) for transferring payment information from the information processing unit (18) to remote computer means (32, 32A) for processing payment information, characterized in that said means (14,18) for establishing a total amount to be paid include: - means (14) for entering at least two pieces of information each representing a purchase to be paid, - means (14,18) arithmetic for calculating the total amount to be paid on the basis of the information entered representative of each purchase to be paid, and - means (14) for controlling the information processing unit (18) for implementing the payment from the total amount payable calculated.  2. - Terminal according to claim 1, characterized in that said means (14) for entering at least two pieces of information each representing a purchase to be paid include means for entering the price of each purchase.  3. - Terminal according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said means (14) for entering at least two pieces of information each representing a purchase to be paid comprise a keyboard (14). <Desc / Clms Page number 9>  4.-Payment terminal according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises, in said housing (12), means (20) for printing an invoice mentioning for each of said at least two purchases to pay at least one of the information representative of each purchase to pay.  5. - Terminal according to claim 4, characterized in that said printing means are suitable for printing an invoice presenting the unit price of each purchase.  6. - Terminal according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that said printing means are suitable for printing an invoice presenting the taxes payable on the total amount to be paid.  7. - Payment terminal according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said wireless means (24) for transferring information comprises means for direct connection to a terminal (26) of a collective network (28 ) wireless telephony and means for establishing communication with said remote means for processing payment information through said collective telephone network.