DE3031470C2 - Facility for cashless telephoning - Google Patents

Description

a) With a readable first generic code (5) provided credit cards (1) and with a readable second generic code (11) and a card number or an identification number provided credit cards (7) are optional. sin and the same read head (14) readable.

b) The control device controls the validation head when the first generic code (5) is determined (15) to debit or cancel the call charge on the prepaid card (1) and a comparator (21) when determining the second generic code (11).

c) The comparator (2l) compares the read card or identification number and the via the number dial (16) entered identification number and triggers if correct Assignment of a release signal that the telephone connection releases.

d) The memory (23) also stores the taxi pulses triggered by the taxi pulse generator (22) an account number assigned to the credit card concerned (7).

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the telephone station (12) has a transmitter (18) for transmitting the card number via the telephone line (19) to the control center (20).

3. Device according to claim 2, characterized in that the comparator (21) in the center is arranged.

4. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the memory (23) is arranged in the telephone station (13) and is formed by a cassette memory.

5. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that for storing the date and time of the telephone connection, the memory (23) is connected to a clock (24) is.

The invention relates to a device for cashless telephoning from a control center connected telephone station of the application mentioned in the preamble of claim 1.

Such a device is already known (CH-PS 5 72 259). It has the use of a prepaid card the advantage over the insertion of coins, that the user does not have to have coins of the required coin value to hand in order to make a phone call. Rather, he can buy a prepaid card in advance, which can then be used each time he telephones a corresponding equivalent value depending on the duration of the telephone conversation or the removal of the telephone connection is validated or "debited" from the prepaid card. Such a cancellation can be optiscii, magnetic or otherwise. In addition, this facility also provides for phone management the advantage that the telephone stations do not have to be continuously emptied as soon as there is a risk that the coin container is full.

It is also known to use a credit card to make phone calls. The user uses a telephone connection to give the operator who works in the central office the name of the cardholder and the number of the credit card, whereupon the operator charges the credit card holder's account after the telephone call has been completed in accordance with the taxi pulses used that the operator cannot check whether the user actually has such a credit card. Because of the possibilities fraudulent telephony, this process has therefore not been proved in practice to be readily feasible unless, not loading a lot of effort is consumed, "which requires, for example, that each telephone station mv ^T is equipped of a television camera. In addition, devices for checking the assignment of an individual identification number to a card number stored on a card are known (CH-PS 6 04 285), which are used for personal control, for example to control authorized access to secure rooms, etc. The card number is read out in a test device and compared with the identification number entered by the user on a keyboard.

Finally, it is also known (DE-OS 25 15 879), cash machines, which are also used to issue Services modified seic! Tonnen, with a facility equipment that allows the use of a check card. Such check cards are for example Issued by banking institutions, but can only be used to the extent of such a value as the corresponds to the minimum amount of money deposited by the respective check card holder at the bank. at This device is intended to take advantage of the disadvantages of using two separate cards, namely one on the one hand Check card and on the other hand a prepaid card are avoided in that the cards both as Credit card has a credit balance that can be valued as well as with the corresponding numbers is provided in order to be usable in the sense of a check card and on the automatic debiting procedure from Account of the cardholder at the relevant bank insiitut. Here, too, it is known that eii Lesckopf the account number, the credit status and an identification number serving as a secret number mer reads from the combination card and the withdrawal of cash the identification number keyed into a keyboard door, so that a comparator reads the mi the keyed-in identification number comparison and, in the same case, booking allows Dii Use of this procedure / for cashless parts

M do not, however, simply form the input ramming a training crit.

The invention is based on the object of a direction of the genus mentioned at the beginning

to improve that both by means of a prepaid credit card and by means of a credit card cashless telephone calls can be made without fraudulent abuse being easily possible Serving facility should get by with as few units as possible in order to keep the susceptibility to failure small.

The invention is characterized in claim 1 and in Untera ^ checks are further developments same claimed

In the invention, the above-mentioned object is achieved in that one and the same reading head is to be determined can determine whether a prepaid card or a credit card has been inserted through the acceptance slot. in the In the case of a prepaid card, the first generic code read out causes the validation head to take effect depending on the time and distance of the phone call. The reading head reads a credit card off, the comparator is prompted to compare the identification number read out with that of the User identification number entered in the numeral to be carried out only in the case of correct assignment, in particular the match, the telephoning and finally an appropriate one Allow the cardholder's credit account to be charged.

An exemplary embodiment of the invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the drawing. It shows
F i g. 1 a prepaid card,
F i g. 2 a credit card and

F i g. 3 shows a schematic diagram of a device for cashless telephoning.

The in the F i g. 1 has one or more information groups 2. On this Information track 2 is information in the form of optical markings 3 and subsequently again triggered optical markings 4 stored. The markings 3 are z. B. Holograms, the accordingly their difficult manufacturability ensure a high level of protection against forgery and z. B. by thermal Effect are extinguishable. Some of the remaining 5 marks at the beginning of the information track 2 represent a first generic code which identifies the card 1 as a prepaid card. Any of the rest If it has not yet been erased, markings 6 represent a unit of value. In the example shown some of the marks 6 have already been deleted, i.e. H. the prepaid card 1 is partially canceled.

The credit card 7 according to df.r F i g. 2 has an information track 8 with remaining optical markings 9 and subsequently deleted again optical Markings 10. The markings 9 do not need to differ from the markings 3 of the credit card 1 differ so that ne can be read out in the telephone station with identical optical means. Some of the remaining markings 11 at the beginning of the information track 8 represent a second generic code which identifies the card 7 as a credit card. The other, partly remaining, partly erased markings 12 represent an individual card number in binary coded form. This card number associated with the cardholder's account number can be identical is a secret individual identification number assigned.

According to FIG. 3, the telephone station 13 has a Read head 14 for reading out information stored on the credit card 1 or on the credit card 7, a validation head 15 for debiting the call fee on the Guihabenkarte 1, one to the Read head 14, to the validation head 15 and to a numeric dial 16 (dial or keyboard) connected control device 17 and a transmitter 18. The control device 17 and the transmitter 18 are connected to a control center 20 via a telephone line 19. The transmitter 18 is used to transmit the Card number via the telephone line 19 to the control center 20 and can have a pulse contact on the output side

ίο have the parallel to the pulse contact of the number dialer 16 is switched.

A comparator 21 is preferably arranged in the control center 20, which the assignment of a means of the Number dialer 16 entered identification number to the card number of a credit card 7 checks The control center 20 also contains a taxi pulse generator 22, a memory 23 and a clock 24.

The telephone station 13 is designed to accept either a prepaid card 1 or a credit card 7. To do this, the user enters his / her / his / her card into an unsigned acceptance box of the Tciefonsiation

13, whereupon the control device 17 puts the reading head 14 into operation and initially the generic code on the Card is read. Reading out can be done in the known serial or parallel mode of operation; with serial The card or the read head will work

14 moved mechanically so that the reading head 14 moves along the information track 2 or 8.

If the card inserted into the acceptance slot is a prepaid card 1 and is accordingly the presence of the first generic code by means of the reading head 14 and the control device 17 determined, it is then checked whether 1 value units on the credit card to settle the Call charge are saved. If applicable, the desired connection is released and the Call charge on the credit card 1 debited by everyone from the taxi pulse generator 22 in the Te.'cfonstation 13 emitted tax pulse of the validation head 15 is controlled and on the credit card 1 a Markie, ung 6 is wiped out.

lsi, however, is the one introduced into the acceptance slot Card a credit card 7 and thus the presence of the second generic code is determined, see above the reading head 14 remains in operation after reading out the second generic code on the credit card 7 stored card number is read out by means of the transmitter 18 via the telephone line 19 into the Central station 20 transmitted and stored there in the comparator 21 for a certain time. If necessary, the Comparator 21 compared the card number with a blacklist. The user can then use the Nummenrväh!,: R5 16 Enter his identification number in the telephone station. This identification number is transmitted like a call number to the control center 20 and checked in the comparator 21. Was using the dialer 16 the correct identification number assigned to the relevant card number has been selected, the desired telephone connection is released by a yes signal from the comparator 21, the user can dial a number and the call charge is calculated in the center 20 by continuously counting the tax impulses and at the end of the call written into the memory 23 together with an account number assigned to the credit card 7. at this account number can be the card number, the identification number or a third assigned one Act number. The registration of the

Call charge in the memory 23 can be calculated by storing the number of tax pulses or the number calculated therefrom Estimate. The date and time of the telephone connection are advantageously recorded by means of the clock 24 and also stored in the memory 23 together with the call charge and the account number. Even the call number can be registered in the memory 23. The data contained in the memory 23 can be periodic read out, transferred to a central Datcnernahmstellc and the account holder z. B. simultaneously with will be charged to the regular telephone bill.

The facility described allows the user public telephone stations, depending on your preference, the call fee when buying a prepaid card 1 to be paid in advance or to make phone calls using a credit card 7 and the call fee to pay later. The participation of a telephone operator in establishing a credit connection is not required, and the amount of the possible call charge is not due to the possession of prepaid cards restricted with the corresponding value. Are fraudulent acts to the detriment of third parties practically impossible, as both a valid credit card and the assigned identification number are available must be known in order to benefit from a credit connection.

It is possible to use the comparator 21 and the memory 23 not to be arranged in the control center 20, but in each individual telephone station 13, so that the transmitter 18 unnecessary. In this case, a cassette memory, whose cassette is used for transmission, is advantageously used as the memory 23 the data can easily be exchanged at a central point. The arrangement of the comparator 21 in the control center 20 is preferable if the check of the assignment of the identification number to the card number is J5 mer elaborate operations, e.g. B. the implementation of complex algorithms requires.

The described storage of the information on the credit card 1 or v. on the credit card 7 by means of optical markings ensure a very high level of security against fraud at low manufacturing costs for the cards. But there are also others, e.g. B. magnetic or electronic storage method conceivable. The debiting of the call charge on the prepaid card 1 can be done by deleting value units step by step during the telephone connection or by deleting the credit and saving it completely of the new remaining credit after the call has ended.

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1 sheet of drawings

Claims (1)

Patent claims: 1. Device for cashless telephoning from a telephone station connected to a control center, one acceptance slot for receiving prepaid credit cards, one reading head for reading of information that is stored on the prepaid card, a validation header for debiting the call charge on the credit card, one connected to the reading head and the validation head Has control device and a number selector, and with a tax pulse generator and a storage tank, characterized by the combination of the following features: