	US 7,464,867 B1
	Cashless vending system with tethered payment interface
H. Brock Kolls, Pottstown, Pa. (US)
Assigned to USA Technologies, Inc., Malvern, Pa. (US)
Filed on Feb. 07, 2006, as Appl. No. 11/348,744.
Application 11/348744 is a division of application No. 10/277458, filed on Oct. 22, 2002.
Application 10/277458 is a continuation in part of application No. 10/263515, filed on Oct. 03, 2002.
Application 10/263515 is a continuation in part of application No. 10/153478, filed on May 22, 2002.
Application 10/153478 is a continuation in part of application No. 10/138385, filed on May 03, 2002, granted, now 7,131,575.
Application 10/138385 is a continuation in part of application No. 10/121081, filed on Apr. 12, 2002, granted, now 7,076,329.
Application 10/121081 is a continuation in part of application No. 10/118123, filed on Apr. 08, 2002.
Application 10/118123 is a continuation in part of application No. 10/100680, filed on Mar. 18, 2002.
Application 10/100680 is a continuation in part of application No. 10/083032, filed on Feb. 26, 2002.
Application 10/100680 is a continuation in part of application No. 10/277458.
Application 10/277458 is a continuation in part of application No. 10/051594, filed on Jan. 18, 2002.
Application 10/051594 is a continuation in part of application No. 09/888797, filed on Jun. 25, 2001.
Application 09/888797 is a continuation in part of application No. 09/884755, filed on Jun. 19, 2001, granted, now 6,505,095.
Claims priority of provisional application 60/278599, filed on Mar. 26, 2001.
Int. Cl. G06F 7/08 (2006.01)

U.S. Cl. 235—381 [235/449; 235/451]

17 Claims

1. An audit-credit-interactive system for facilitating cashless vending, said system comprising:

a tethered payment interface, said tethered payment interface is accessible by a user and mounts on an external surface of a vending machine, said tethered payment interface further comprising:

a magnetic card payment interface;

an RFID payment interface;

a display;

a first interactive interface; and

an enclosure, said magnetic card payment interface, said RFID payment interface, said display, and said first interactive interface are packaged in said enclosure;

and;

a payment module, said payment module is not accessible to a user and is secured inside of said vending machine, said payment module further comprising:

a microcontroller;

a vending equipment interface interconnected with said microcontroller, said payment module, by way of said vending equipment interface, interconnects to and data communicates with a vending machine controller, said vending machine controller is interconnected with and controls said vending machine; and

a second interactive interface interconnected with said microcontroller, said second interactive interface interconnects said payment module to said tethered payment interface by way of said first interactive interface,

data communicated between said first interactive interface and said second interactive interface includes said magnetic card payment interface data, said RFID payment interface data, and said display data, based in part on data communicated between said tethered payment interface and said payment module and data communicated between said payment module and said vending machine controller, said audit-credit-interactive system monitors said vending machine activity, and selectively controls said vending machine vending cycles effectuating cashless vending.