Modular transaction terminal with microprocessor control

Abstract

A versatile readily serviced transaction terminal includes a credit card control mechanism, a user keyboard, a user display, a document handling system for cash and printed transaction statements, and a system for controlling terminal operation. The terminal receives a user credit card having a magnetic stripe with prerecorded account information, reads the account information, and then receives a user personal ID number through the keyboard. As an available option, the terminal may require a predetermined correspondence between the personal ID number and the account information. After any required correspondence is satisfied, the user is permitted to operate the keyboard to indicate a selected one of an unlimited range of possible transaction requests. The control system, which includes a programmable microprocessor and a plurality of passive terminal elements interconnected by a terminal information bus, operates to assemble user supplied information, terminal status information, communicate transaction requests to a host, and provide central information to terminal modules for the execution of requested transactions in a manner consistent with host generated transaction reply messages. Each terminal element handles one or more terminal functions such as the control of hardware or the control of user communications in direct response to microprocessor control information. All decision making is handled by the microprocessor with only specific, well defined commands being executed by the bus connected modules.