Method and apparatus for receipt printing and information display in a personal identification number delivery system

Abstract

A method of obtaining a personal identification number (PIN) in the form of a receipt printed by a client terminal is disclosed. The method includes storing, at the client terminal, receipt templates received from a server for plural prepaid services. The method further includes receiving, at the client terminal, a request for a PIN associated with a first of the plural prepaid services. A requested PIN and other information associated with the first of the plural prepaid services is then printed, in accordance with a first of the receipt templates associated with the first of the plural prepaid services, upon the receipt and dispensed by the client terminal.

1 . A method of obtaining a personal identification number (PIN) from a client terminal, comprising: 
 storing, at the client terminal, receipt templates for plural prepaid services wherein the receipt templates are received from a server;    receiving, at the client terminal, a request for a PIN associated with a first of the plural prepaid services; and    printing a requested PIN and other information associated with the first of the plural prepaid services upon a receipt dispensed by the client terminal in accordance with a first of the receipt templates associated with the first of the plural prepaid services.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  further including: 
 sending, from the client terminal, a PIN request to the server in response to the request for a PIN; and    receiving, at the client terminal, the requested PIN.    
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1  further including dispensing an additional requested PIN from the client terminal by printing an additional receipt wherein additional information is printed upon the additional receipt in accordance with a second of the receipt templates associated with a second of the prepaid services.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1  further including receiving, at the client terminal, an identifier corresponding to the first of the receipt templates.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein at least certain of the other information is provided by the server and received by the client terminal.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1  further including receiving and storing, at the client terminal, a product catalog containing information identifying the plural prepaid services.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6  further including displaying, upon a screen of the client terminal, prompts relating to information required to be provided in connection with purchase of one of the plural prepaid services wherein the prompts are stored within the product catalog.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1  further including displaying, upon a screen of the client terminal, at least certain of the other information.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1  further including: 
 storing, at the client terminal, a plurality of report templates; and    printing, at the client terminal and in accordance with one of the report templates, a report pertaining to operation of the client terminal.    
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1  further including: 
 receiving, at the client terminal, a configuration file downloaded from the server wherein the configuration file includes the receipt templates; and    storing a checksum for the configuration file at the client terminal upon completion of downloading of the configuration file.    
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10  further including: 
 communicating the checksum to the server;    comparing the checksum to a configuration checksum maintained at the server; and    downloading, from the server to the client terminal, an updated configuration file when the checksum does not match the configuration checksum.    
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 1  further including: 
 downloading, from the server to the client terminal, user interface templates corresponding to a type of the client terminal; and    displaying information on a screen of the client terminal in a manner consistent with one or more of the user interface templates.    
   
   
       13 . A client terminal, comprising: 
 a processor;    memory operatively coupled to the processor, the memory storing receipt templates for plural prepaid services wherein the receipt templates are received from a server;    a user interface through which is received a request for a PIN associated with a first of the plural prepaid services; and    a dispensing mechanism for printing, in accordance with a first of the receipt templates associated with the first of the plural prepaid services, a receipt containing a requested PIN and other information associated with the first of the plural prepaid services.    
   
   
       14 . The client terminal of  claim 13  further including a network interface through which is transmitted, to the server, a PIN request generated in response to the request for a PIN and through which is received the requested PIN.  
   
   
       15 . The client terminal of  claim 13  wherein the dispensing mechanism is further configured to print, in accordance with a second of the receipt templates associated with a second of the plural prepaid services, an additional receipt containing an additional requested PIN and other information associated with the second of the plural prepaid services.  
   
   
       16 . The client terminal of  claim 13  wherein an identifier corresponding to the first of the receipt templates is received from the server through the network interface.  
   
   
       17 . The client terminal of  claim 13  wherein at least certain of the other information is provided by the server and received by the client terminal through the network interface.  
   
   
       18 . The client terminal of  claim 13  wherein the memory further stores a product catalog received from the server through the network interface, the product catalog containing information identifying the plural prepaid services.  
   
   
       19 . The client terminal of  claim 18  wherein the user interface is further operative to display prompts relating to information required to be provided in connection with purchase of one of the plural prepaid services wherein textual information relating to the prompts is stored within the product catalog.  
   
   
       20 . The client terminal of  claim 13  wherein the memory further includes user interface templates corresponding to a type of the client terminal, said user interface templates being downloaded from the server to the client terminal.  
   
   
       21 . The client terminal of  claim 20  wherein the user interface is operative to present display information in a manner consistent with one or more of the user interface templates.  
   
   
       22 . A PIN delivery system comprising: 
 a plurality of client terminals wherein at least a first client terminal included within the plurality of client terminals is of a first terminal type and wherein at least a second client terminal included within the plurality of client terminals is of a second terminal type;    a server containing a processor and memory operatively coupled to the processor; and    a database in communication with the server, the database containing: 
 a plurality of sets of PINs associated with a corresponding plurality of prepaid services;  
 a first set of receipt templates disposed to be utilized by ones of the client terminals of said first terminal type;  
 a second set of receipt templates disposed to be utilized by ones of the client terminals of said second terminal type ;  
   wherein the processor executes instructions stored in the memory for: 
 sending, to the first client terminal, the first set of receipt templates and at least a first PIN included within the plurality of sets of PINs; and  
 sending, to the second client terminal, the second set of receipt templates and at least a second PIN included within the plurality of sets of PINs.  
   
   
   
       23 . The PIN delivery system of  claim 22  wherein each receipt template of the first set of receipt templates corresponds to one of said plurality of prepaid services and wherein each receipt template of the second set of receipt templates corresponds to one of said plurality of prepaid services.  
   
   
       24 . The PIN delivery system of  claim 22  wherein a wherein the first client terminal includes a first dispensing mechanism through which is dispensed a first receipt upon which is printed the first PIN, the receipt further including other information printed in accordance with a first receipt template of the first set of receipt templates wherein the first PIN and the first receipt template are associated with a first of the plurality of prepaid services.  
   
   
       25 . The PIN delivery system of  claim 24  wherein the second client terminal includes a second dispensing mechanism through which is dispensed a second receipt upon which is printed the second PIN, the receipt further including additional information printed in accordance with a second receipt template of the second set of receipt templates wherein the second PIN and the second receipt template are associated with a second of the plurality of prepaid services.  
   
   
       26 . The PIN delivery system of  claim 24  wherein the database further contains: 
 a first set of report templates disposed to be utilized by ones of the client terminals of said first terminal type; and    a second set of report templates disposed to be utilized by ones of the client terminals of said second terminal type.    
   
   
       27 . The PIN delivery system of  claim 26  wherein the processor executes additional instructions stored in the memory for: 
 sending, to the first client terminal, the first set of report templates; and    sending, to the second client terminal, the second set of report templates.    
   
   
       28 . The PIN delivery system of  claim 24  wherein the database further contains: 
 a first set of user interface templates disposed to be utilized by ones of the client terminals of said first terminal type; and    a second set of user interface templates disposed to be utilized by ones of the client terminals of said second terminal type.    
   
   
       29 . The PIN delivery system of  claim 28  wherein the processor executes additional instructions stored in the memory for: 
 sending, to the first client terminal, the first set of user interface templates; and sending, to the second client terminal, the second set of user interface templates.