THE SYSTEM AND OPERATIONAL METHOD OF MOBILE TELECOMMUNICATION DEVICE FOR ELECTRONIC CASH
Technical Field
The present invention relates to a field into which mobile communications devices and electronic money techniques are integrated. Here, the mobile communications devices are devices, such as mobile phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and IMT2000, which allow their users to make a phone call while they are moving. However, the present invention will be described in the following paragraphs, taking a mobile phone as an example. Conventionally, mobile phones having functions related to mobile telecommunications network or having functions of a credit card authorization terminal have been used. In the present invention, 'electronic money' functions represent techniques of recording the value of money in semiconductor chips or other electronic memory devices as software and changing it so that the money can be electronically saved and transferred.
Background Art
In the prior art, electronic money has been circulated via cards including no touch traffic cards or integrated chip (IC) cards or has been commercialized through a technique of saving the value of money in personal computers (PC) as software and allowing the money to be transferred via on-line network. These conventional techniques of operating electronic money are useful when people want to transfer money for the purpose of paying for what they need to pay. However, these conventional techniques themselves do not provide any functions of allowing people to transfer money to one another without the help of
other auxiliary devices and lack mobility. In addition mobile communications devices also serving as a no touch traffic card that supports a later payment function have been suggested, they are still inferior to bills and coins in terms of money circulation, due to the passiveness of money transfer or the impossibility of setting up the amount of money to be transferred. In other words, the conventional electronic money techniques have succeeded in partially realizing the general functions of cash.
The present invention provides a mobile phone manufactured to have the characteristics of electronic money by installing a semiconductor chip, a recording device, or software in the mobile phone, i.e., a mobile phone capable of electronically saving and directly transferring money to other mobile phones without using its mobile telecommunications functions. In addition, the mobile phone according to the present invention is manufactured so that money can be directly transferred between the mobile phone and an electronic terminal device developed for supporting electronic money functions without using the mobile telecommunications functions of the mobile phone. However, in some cases, mobile telecommunications network or wired telecommunications network may be needed to authorize transactions related to money transfer.
In addition, It is necessary to provide a function of transferring money between a mobile phone and a computer system of an electronic money management company using mobile telecommunications network and a function of transferring money between an electronic terminal device and the computer system of the electronic money management company using wired telecommunications network or mobile telecommunications network. And, it is also necessary to allow a user to input electronic commands for setting up the amount of money to be transferred and then transferring money with the use of number buttons
or other buttons of a mobile phone or an additional input device.
Disclosure of the Invention
The present invention provides a mobile phone shown in FIG. 2 basically including a semiconductor chip or an electronic recording device, which is built in the mobile phone for supporting electronic money functions, and an interface device 8, which reads/records software or electronic information from/in the semiconductor chip or the electronic recording device and allows a user to exchange such electronic information with other users in ways other than a mobile communications networking method. The interface device 8 may be mounted at a side of the mobile phone or on top of the mobile phone.
As shown in FIG. 1 , a structure 7 having electronic money functions, such as a mobile phone or an electronic terminal device, includes an external input device 1 , a money transfer command module 2, a current value memorization module 3, a current value calculation module 4, a module 5 for processing interface with other mobile phones, and an external interface device 6.
In addition, a system 11 for connecting a mobile phone or an electronic terminal device and a module for managing electronic money and personal savings in a computer system 12 of an electronic money management company via mobile communications network or wired telephone network must be additionally equipped. As shown in FIG. 3, an electronic terminal device having electronic money functions includes an interface device 9. The interface devices 8 and 9 may adopt a manner of receiving/transmitting information from/to other devices via a physical contact with them or a manner of receiving/transmitting information from/to other devices in a short distance via a wireless method. The basic operational structure of electronic money functions of the electronic terminal device shown in FIG. 3 is the same as that of
the mobile phone shown in FIG. 1.
Brief Description of the Drawings
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a process of operating a mobile phone or an electronic terminal device having electronic money functions;
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of an external interface device prepared for electronic money functions of a mobile phone; and FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an electronic terminal device having electronic money functions.
< Description of signs on important parts in these diagrams. >
I . External Input device 2. Money Transfer Command Module
3. Current Value Memorization Module
4. Current Value Calculation Module
5. Interface Processing Module
6. External Interface Device 7. System of Mobile phone and Electronic Terminal Device
Having Electronic Money Functions
8. Example of External Interface Device of Mobile Phone Prepared for Electronic Money Functions
9. Example of External Interface Device of Electronic Terminal Device Prepared for Electronic Money Functions
10. Control Module
I I . Module for Managing Electronic Money and Personal Savings
12. System of Electronic Money Management Company 13. Communications Network
14. Control and Transaction Authorization Module
Best mode for carrying out the Invention
The present invention provides a method and a system for circulating electronic money between a mobile phone having electronic money functions and an electronic money management company, between one mobile phone having the electronic money functions and another, between the mobile phone and an electronic terminal device having the electronic money functions, and between the electronic terminal device and the electronic money management company.
Firstly, a method and a system for circulating electronic money between a mobile phone 7 having electronic money functions and an electronic money management company 12 will be described. A user connects the mobile phone 7 to a system of the electronic money management company 12 via mobile communications network and converts the current mode of the mobile phone 7 into an operation mode for transferring money. Thereafter, the user sets up the amount of money to be transferred using, for example, number buttons of the mobile phone 7, as shown in FIG. 2, and designates a savings account of the electronic money management company 12. Then, the user can receive, in the mobile phone 7, as much electronic money as he or she wants to withdraw within the available amount of money deposited in the savings account or can send as much electronic money as he or she wants to deposit in the savings account. Thereafter, the user completes the current session of mobile communications.
Secondly, a method and a system for circulating money between the mobile phones shown in FIG. 2 will be described. Two users each having a mobile phone supporting electronic money functions convert the current mode of their mobile phones into an operation mode for transferring electronic money between mobile phones. Then, the users
set up the amount of electronic money to be transferred to each other and input a command for transferring electronic money so that the two mobile phones can transmit information to each other via their respective external interface devices 8 following a direct wireless transmission method or a contact-type electronic signal communication method. Thereafter, the users complete the current session.
Thirdly, a method and a system for circulating electronic money between a mobile phone having electronic money functions and an electronic terminal device having electronic money functions is the same as the method and the system for circulating money between mobile phones having the electronic money functions except that the electronic terminal device preferably shows a consumer the amount of money, which the consumer is supposed to pay, in advance, using a liquid crystal display. Fourthly, a method and a system for circulating electronic money between the electronic terminal device shown in FIG. 3 and the electronic money management company 12 is as follows. A user connects the electronic terminal device to the electronic money management company 12 via mobile telecommunications network or wired communications network and converts the current mode of the electronic terminal device into an operation mode for transferring money. Thereafter, the user sets up the amount of money he or she wants to receive or to send using number buttons of the electronic terminal device, and the user designates a savings account of the electronic money management company 12 and hits a command button. Thereafter, the user completes the current session.
Industrial Applicability
Electronic money provided by the present invention is cost-effective as compared with conventional plastic cards having
electronic money characteristics. In addition, since in the present invention, electronic money functions are applied to mobile phones, which are almost considered things of daily necessity, people do not need to carry plastic cards having electronic money functions with them any more.
In addition, according to the present invention, it is possible to get rid of transaction fees, which are charged on every electronic transaction performed via mobile telecommunications network, by allowing people to set up the amount of money to be transferred and then directly transfer money to one another using direct information transmission therebetween. If a function of transferring money from an electronic money management company or a bank to a mobile phone using mobile telecommunications network and a function of transferring money between mobile phones and terminal devices of shops are commercialized at the same time, electronic money will replace bills and coins in the near future, providing perfect circulation of money, in which case the amount of work a clerk at the window in a bank is supposed to deal with may considerably decrease and automatic teller machines may not be needed any more.