Patent US6015087A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US6015087A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Apparatus and method for leasing documents of value
Assignee: Western Union Co
•
Filing: 1996-10-04
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Granted: 2000-01-18
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Expires: 2016-10-04
Abstract
Abstract Disclosed is an apparatus and method for issuing documents of value such as money orders, gift certificates, utility remittances, phone card, payroll, etc. An apparatus according to the disclosure may include a compartment for receiving substrates on which information associated with a document of value is printed, a code reader which reads codes uniquely associated with each substrate from the substrates, a printer that prints information on the substrates, and a control terminal for controlling the code reader and printer. The control terminal is configured for communication with the code reader and for detection and recordation of the codes uniquely associated with each substrate. The control terminal may detect and record deviations from an expected order of the codes uniquely associated with the substrates upon the substrates being received in the apparatus. An additionally disclosed aspect of the control terminal is as a print access controller permitting physical access to a portion of the printer upon receipt of an access code. A further aspect of the control terminal includes connecting with a system for modification of a portion of the apparatus. A further disclosed aspect of the apparatus is voiding substrates. Additionally disclosed are methods for issuing documents of value. The disclosed methods may include receiving substrates having associated codes, reading the codes; dectecting and recording deviations froman expected order of the codes uniquely associated with the substrates before receiving a request to issue a document of value, receiving a request to issue a document of value, and printing information on a substrate to issue a document of value.
Inventors
- 👤 Dean Alan Seifert
- 👤 Earney Stoutenburg
- 👤 Paul J. Vogt
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 15:59
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06Q; G06Q20/00; G06Q20/04; G06Q20/042; G06Q20/38; G06Q20/40; G06Q20/403; G07; G07F; G07F17/00; G07F17/26; G07F17/42; G07F5/00; G07F5/18; G07F9/00; G07F9/002; G07G; G07G1/00; G07G1/12; G07G1/14; G07G5/00
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 37
Claim 1
Independent Claim
125 words
An apparatus for issuing documents of value, comprising: a compartment for receiving substrates, each substrate having an associated code, wherein the codes are uniquely associated with the substrates; a code reader, the code reader reading the codes associated with the substrates from the substrates; a printer, the printer generating documents of value by printing information on the substrates; and a control terminal for controlling the code reader and printer, the control terminal configured for communication with the code reader and the control terminal further configured for detection and recordation of the codes uniquely associated with the substrates, wherein the control terminal detects and records deviations from an expected order of the codes uniquely associated with the substrates upon the substrates being received in the apparatus.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
125 words
An apparatus for issuing documents of value, comprising: a compartment for receiving substrates, each substrate having an associated code, wherein the codes are uniquely associated with the substrates; a code reader, the code reader reading the codes associated with the substrates from the substrates; a printer, the printer generating documents of value by printing information on the substrates; and a control terminal for controlling the code reader and printer, the control terminal configured for communication with the code reader and the control terminal further configured for detection and recordation of the codes uniquely associated with the substrates, wherein the control terminal detects and records deviations from an expected order of the codes uniquely associated with the substrates upon the substrates being received in the apparatus.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
14 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the documents of value comprise a money order.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
10 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the substrates comprise paper.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
21 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the codes associated with substrates are serial, and wherein the substrates are in serial order.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
17 words
The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising means for recording which pre-serialized substrates have been printed on.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
21 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control terminal performs a predetermined action after detecting a substrate having an improper code.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
13 words
The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the predetermined action is voiding the substrate.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
28 words
The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the detecting of a substrate having an improper code comprises detecting a substrate having a code that deviates from an expected order.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
33 words
The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the control terminal further records one or more codes associated with the substrates responsive to detecting the substrate having a code that deviates from an expected order.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
13 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the codes are printed on the substrates.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
13 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the substrates are encoded using bar code.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
11 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the substrates encoding utilizes MICR.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
13 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the code reader reads codes using OCR.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
25 words
The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a memory, wherein the memory stores information indicating that a substrate has been read by the code reader.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
20 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the compartment comprises a lock and the lock is controlled by the control terminal.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
30 words
The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a printer access controller, the access controller permitting access to at least a portion of the printer upon receipt of an access code.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
17 words
The apparatus of claim 16, wherein an access code is associated with a limited number of users.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
15 words
The apparatus of claim 17, wherein each access code is associated with a single individual.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
25 words
The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising a memory, wherein an access code used to obtain access to the printer is stored in the memory.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
19 words
The apparatus of claim 19, wherein a time at which the printer is accessed is recorded in the memory.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
21 words
The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a memory, wherein the memory stores information indicating whether the printer has been accessed.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
10 words
The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the memory is nonvolatile.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
20 words
The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the memory stores information indicating a time at which the printer has been accessed.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
20 words
The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the memory stores information indicating which access code was used to access the printer.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
18 words
The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising means for detecting that substrates have been removed from the apparatus.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
21 words
The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising means for detecting which substrates have been removed and when the substrates were removed.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
40 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the control terminal is further configured to detect and record deviations from an expected order of the codes uniquely associated with the substrates upon receipt of a command to issue a document of value.
Claim 29
Independent Claim
172 words
An apparatus for issuing documents of value, comprising: a compartment for receiving substrates, each substrate having an associated code, wherein the codes are uniquely associated with the substrates; a code reader, the code reader reading the codes associated with the substrates from the substrates; a printer, the printer generating documents of value by printing information on the substrates; and a control terminal for controlling the code reader and printer, the control terminal configured for communication with the code reader and the control terminal further configured for detection and recordation of the codes uniquely associated with the substrates, wherein the control terminal detects and records deviations from an expected order of the codes uniquely associated with the substrates upon the substrates being received in the apparatus, and wherein the control terminal performs a predetermined action after detecting a substrate having an improper code, and wherein the detecting of a substrate having an improper code comprises detecting a substrate having a code that is improper for a document of value of a predetermined type.
Claim 30
Independent Claim
172 words
An apparatus for issuing documents of value, comprising: a compartment for receiving substrates, each substrate having an associated code, wherein the codes are uniquely associated with the substrates; a code reader, the code reader reading the codes associated with the substrates from the substrates; a printer, the printer generating documents of value by printing information on the substrates; and a control terminal for controlling the code reader and printer, the control terminal configured for communication with the code reader and the control terminal further configured for detection and recordation of the codes uniquely associated with the substrates, wherein the control terminal detects and records deviations from an expected order of the codes uniquely associated with the substrates upon the substrates being received in the apparatus, and wherein the control terminal performs a predetermined action after detecting a substrate having an improper code, and wherein the detecting of a substrate having an improper code comprises detecting a substrate having a code that is improper for a document of value of a predetermined type.
Claim 31
Independent Claim
77 words
A method for issuing documents of value comprising: receiving substrates, the substrates having associated codes, wherein the codes are uniquely associated with the substrates; reading the codes from the substrates; detecting and recording deviations from an expected order of the codes uniquely associated with the substrates before receiving a request to issue a document of value; receiving a request to issue a document of value; and printing information on a substrate to issue a document of value.
Claim 32
Independent Claim
77 words
A method for issuing documents of value comprising: receiving substrates, the substrates having associated codes, wherein the codes are uniquely associated with the substrates; reading the codes from the substrates; detecting and recording deviations from an expected order of the codes uniquely associated with the substrates before receiving a request to issue a document of value; receiving a request to issue a document of value; and printing information on a substrate to issue a document of value.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
22 words
The method of claim 29 wherein the step of detecting and recording deviations from an expected order occurs upon receiving the substrates.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
33 words
The method of claim 29 further comprising: detecting and recording deviations from an expected order of the codes uniquely associated with the substrates upon receiving a request to issue a document of value.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
32 words
The method of claim 29 further comprising: receiving input of an access code; and selectively permitting physical access to a portion of an apparatus implementing the method responsive to the access code.
Claim 36
Independent Claim
103 words
A method for issuing documents of value comprising: receiving substrates, the substrates having associated codes, wherein the codes are uniquely associated with the substrates; reading the codes from the substrates; detecting and recording deviations from an expected order of the codes uniquely associated with the substrates before receiving a request to issue a document of value, wherein detecting deviations from an expected order comprises detecting a substrate having a code that is improper for a document of value of a predetermined type; receiving a request to issue a document of value; and printing information on a substrate to issue a document of value.
Claim 37
Independent Claim
103 words
A method for issuing documents of value comprising: receiving substrates, the substrates having associated codes, wherein the codes are uniquely associated with the substrates; reading the codes from the substrates; detecting and recording deviations from an expected order of the codes uniquely associated with the substrates before receiving a request to issue a document of value, wherein detecting deviations from an expected order comprises detecting a substrate having a code that is improper for a document of value of a predetermined type; receiving a request to issue a document of value; and printing information on a substrate to issue a document of value.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2003-01-17 | 2003-07-19 | 2004-01-18 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2007-01-17 | 2007-07-19 | 2008-01-18 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2011-01-17 | 2011-07-19 | 2012-01-18 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |