Point-of-sale system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9589428-B2
Application number	US-201514982840-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 29, 2015
Priority date	Apr 18, 2012
Publication date	Mar 7, 2017
Grant date	Mar 7, 2017

Abstract

A point-of-sale system includes a stand that supports a tablet computer. The tablet computer can run a merchant application to provide the typical functionality for a point-of-sale system. The stand can be rotatable to face either the merchant or the customer. The stand can incorporate a card reader. The tablet computer can be connected through a hub to other peripheral components, such as a controllable cash drawer, a printer and/or a bar code reader. The cash drawer can include a slidable drawer having sliding rails that are hidden from a top view of the drawer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A point of sale device comprising:
a bottom portion that extends horizontally;
a first upright portion that extends upwards from the bottom portion;
a cradle that supports a computing device having a first processor, wherein the cradle is connected to the first upright portion that extends upwards from the bottom portion;
a second upright portion that extends upwards from the bottom portion;
a payment device reader, wherein the payment device reader is connected to the second upright portion that extends upwards from the bottom portion; and
a second processor embedded within the point of sale device;
wherein the payment device reader is configured to send payment data to the second processor.

2. The point of sale device of claim 1 , wherein the first processor is configured to operate a display of the computing device and run a merchant application that guides a merchant through a point of sale transaction by displaying a plurality of user interfaces on the display of the computing device.

3. The point of sale device of claim 1 , wherein the second processor is configured to operate the payment device reader.

4. The point of sale device of claim 1 , wherein the second processor is configured to send the payment data from the payment device reader to the first processor.

5. The point of sale device of claim 1 , wherein the bottom portion extends horizontally between a first end and a second end, wherein the first upright portion extends upwards from the first end of the bottom portion, wherein the cradle is connected to the first upright portion that extends upwards from the first end of the bottom portion, and wherein the second upright portion extends upwards from the second end of the bottom portion.

6. The point of sale device of claim 1 , wherein the computing device comprises a tablet computer or a smart phone.

7. The point of sale device of claim 1 , wherein the second processor is configured to control communication between the first processor and the payment device reader.

8. The point of sale device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a hub including:
a chipset configured to communicate with the computing device,
a computing device port configured to couple the chipset to the second processor,
a connector for receiving power, and
an enclosure surrounding the chipset, the computing device port and the connector for receiving power.

9. The point of sale device of claim 1 , wherein the payment device reader includes one or more of: a magnetic stripe reader configured to read a magnetic stripe card, a near field communication (NFC) reader configured to read NFC payment devices, and an EMV reader configured to read EMV chips.

10. The point of sale device of claim 1 wherein the portable computing device is detachably secured to the point of sale device.

11. A system comprising:
a frame comprising:
a bottom portion that extends horizontally,
an upright portion that extends vertically from the bottom portion, and
a protruding portion that extends from the bottom portion and is distinct from the upright portion;

a cradle that supports a first processor, wherein the cradle is connected to the upright portion of the frame that extends vertically from the bottom portion of the frame;
a second processor embedded within the frame; and
a payment device reader that is connected to the protruding portion of the frame that extends from the bottom portion of the frame, the payment device reader configured to send payment data to the second processor.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the bottom portion extends horizontally between a first end and a second end, and the upright portion extends vertically from the first end of the bottom portion.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the first processor is configured to operate a display in communication with the first processor, and the first processor is configured to run a merchant application that guides a merchant through a point of sale transaction using a computing device that includes the first processor.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the second processor is configured to operate the payment device reader.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the first processor is configured to receive payment data from the payment device reader via the second processor.

16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the first processor is embedded within a computing device, and wherein the cradle is configured to support the computing device.

17. The system of claim 11 , wherein the second processor is configured to control communication between the first processor and the payment device reader.

18. The system of claim 11 , wherein the payment device reader includes one or more of: a magnetic stripe reader configured to read a magnetic stripe card, a near field communication (NFC) reader configured to read NFC payment devices, and an EMV reader configured to read EMV chips.

19. The system of claim 16 , wherein the computing device is detachably secured to the cradle.

20. The system of claim 11 , wherein the second processor is embedded within the upright portion of the frame.

Assignees

• Square Inc

Inventors

• Edwards Troy
• Skoog Lukas
• Babu Amish
• Dorogusker Jesse

Classifications

• G07G1/12

  electronically operated · CPC title

• G06F1/1632

  External expansion units, e.g. docking stations · CPC title

• G06Q20/209

  Specified transaction journal output feature, e.g. printed receipt or voice output · CPC title

• G07G1/0027 Primary

  Details of drawer or money-box · CPC title

• G06Q20/04

  Payment circuits · CPC title