Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
  • G07F—COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS
  • G07F7/00—Mechanisms actuated by objects other than coins to free or to actuate vending, hiring, coin or paper currency dispensing or refunding apparatus
  • G07F7/08—Mechanisms actuated by objects other than coins to free or to actuate vending, hiring, coin or paper currency dispensing or refunding apparatus by coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means
  • G07F7/10—Mechanisms actuated by objects other than coins to free or to actuate vending, hiring, coin or paper currency dispensing or refunding apparatus by coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means together with a coded signal, e.g. in the form of personal identification information, like personal identification number [PIN] or biometric data
  • G07F7/1008—Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
  • G06Q—INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • G06Q20/00—Payment architectures, schemes or protocols
  • G06Q20/30—Payment architectures, schemes or protocols characterised by the use of specific devices or networks
  • G06Q20/34—Payment architectures, schemes or protocols characterised by the use of specific devices or networks using cards, e.g. integrated circuit [IC] cards or magnetic cards
  • G06Q20/341—Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
  • G07F—COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS
  • G07F7/00—Mechanisms actuated by objects other than coins to free or to actuate vending, hiring, coin or paper currency dispensing or refunding apparatus
  • G07F7/08—Mechanisms actuated by objects other than coins to free or to actuate vending, hiring, coin or paper currency dispensing or refunding apparatus by coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means
  • G07F7/0806—Details of the card
  • G07F7/0813—Specific details related to card security
  • G07F7/082—Features insuring the integrity of the data on or in the card
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
  • G07F—COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS
  • G07F7/00—Mechanisms actuated by objects other than coins to free or to actuate vending, hiring, coin or paper currency dispensing or refunding apparatus
  • G07F7/08—Mechanisms actuated by objects other than coins to free or to actuate vending, hiring, coin or paper currency dispensing or refunding apparatus by coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means
  • G07F7/0866—Mechanisms actuated by objects other than coins to free or to actuate vending, hiring, coin or paper currency dispensing or refunding apparatus by coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means by active credit-cards adapted therefor
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
  • G07F—COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS
  • G07F7/00—Mechanisms actuated by objects other than coins to free or to actuate vending, hiring, coin or paper currency dispensing or refunding apparatus
  • G07F7/08—Mechanisms actuated by objects other than coins to free or to actuate vending, hiring, coin or paper currency dispensing or refunding apparatus by coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means
  • G07F7/0873—Details of the card reader

Definitions

• This invention relates to data carrying devices, and is particularly concerned with cashless systems in which such devices, in the form of cards or other-shaped tokens, are used in transactions.
• the data carrying device is held in position throughout the transaction.
• the credit data in the device is read out and cleared to zero.
• a decreased credit value is written into the data carrying device.
• the amount by which the credit value is decreased is variable, e.g. in dependence on the availability of the products requested, the number of products vended, the length of time for which a service is provided, the selection made from products of different values, etc. These factors can be taken into account before determining the updated credit value to be written into the data carrying device.
• the data carrying device is retained in position to ensure a reliable data transfer both in reading the credit data and writing an updated value into the device, and to ensure that the device cannot be removed in between these two operations when the device is storing a zero credit value.
• a switch is provided so that the user can operate this to instruct the machine to write into the device the updated credit value and to release the device for retrieval by the user.
• a machine for providing a product or service has a reader for reading a data carrying device, the reader being operable to perform a communication opera ⁇ tion with the device during the course of which the device can be removed at any time such that further communication is prevented, the arrangement being such that a full communication operation which takes place if the device is left in position involves reading credit data from the device without erasing the credit data and thereafter issuing an instruction to the device to cause the device to reduce its stored credit value, the machine being arranged to generate said signal for enabling pro- vision of a product or service following receipt by the reader of a signal from the data carrying device acknow ⁇ ledging the instruction to reduce the stored credit value.
• the invention also extends to a data carrying device for use with such a machine.
• the user's confidence in using the machine is substant ⁇ ially improved.
• the physical structure of the reader can be made simpler and its positioning is subject to fewer restrictions.
• the size and shape of the token is subject to fewer restrictions.
• the invention also extends to a method of performing transactions in which a step of communicating with a data carrying device is carried out, a product or service is enabled to be vended if the device has been found during said communication step to contain a sufficient credit value, and the credit value in the token is caused during said communication step to be decreased by an amount corresponding to the value of the vended product or service, wherein the communication step takes place while the data carrying device is positioned such that a user can remove the device at any time, and the credit value contained in the device is caused to be decremented by sending an instruction to the device while the device is currently storing the credit value to cause the device to decrement that value, the method including the step of checking that the instruction has generated a response from the device before enabling a vending step.
• the user can physically take hold of and remove the data carrying device throughout the communic ⁇ ation step.
• some form of unlocking device such as a door or switch
• this would differ from the switch referred to above in that it would merely release the device rather than initiating an updating of the credit value stored by the. device.
• the invention is particularly applicable to systems in which the amount by which the credit value is de ⁇ creased may vary.
• Each instruction may indicate the amount by which the credit value is to be reduced,- or the credit value ⁇ stored in the device may be caused to decrease in successive, preferably equal, steps. In the latter case, removal of the device in the course of the credit value being decremented -would result in the credit value being decreased only in accordance with the number of completed steps.
• This aspect of the invention is particularly, but not exclusively, useful if the product or service being obtained is vended in successive steps, so that each step or group of steps is associated with a step-wise reduction in the stored credit value.
• the invention may be applied to electricity meters or telephones, wherein each time a particular amount of electricity has been supplied, or each time a particular interval during a telephone call has elapsed, an instruction may be given to the data carrying device to cause the stored credit value to be decremented by a predetermined (possibly unitary) amount.
• the invention may be applied to data, video or other information broadcasting systems, such as satellite or cable T.V. systems, where the credit value is reduced in exchange for continued provision of the service. It will, of course, be appreciated that other aspects of the invention not necessarily requiring successive decre ⁇ menting of credit data in equal steps, are useful for such applications.
• the machine has a display for displaying the current credit value stored In the carrying device.
• the devices used with the machine are preferably arranged in such a manner that removal of the device during a communication operation will neither corrupt the data stored in the device nor cause the stored credit value to be inconsistent with the amount of credit that should be stored having regard to whether or not a trans ⁇ action has been carried out. Also, the device should preferably be arranged such that if communications are re-established, a transaction initiated during the previous communications operation can b-e successfully completed.
• the device sends the acknowledgement to the machine inbetween performing two data ' altering operations, so that if communications are terminated and then re-established, the device can determine from the stored data whether the acknowledgement message should be- re-sent.
• the device stores at least two data values, each of which normally corresponds to the stored credit value, and these are updated in successive opera ⁇ tions (which could form the two data altering operations mentioned above). As will be explained, this facilitates the recovery of the correct credit data on re- establishment of communication.
• the device store, in addition to the two data values mentioned above, at least a third data value which could be (a) a flag whose state is changed inbetween the updating of the first two data values, (b) a third value indicative of the stored credit value, and/or (c) a value indicative of the amount by which the stored credit value is to be reduced.
• a third data value which could be (a) a flag whose state is changed inbetween the updating of the first two data values, (b) a third value indicative of the stored credit value, and/or (c) a value indicative of the amount by which the stored credit value is to be reduced.
• FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a payphone in accordance with the invention.
• Figure 2 is a schematic view illustrating the way in which communications between a reader of the payphone and a data carrying device are carried out;
• Figure 3 is a flow chart illustrating a main part of the operation of the data carrying device.
• An embodiment of the invention will be described below in the context of a data carrying device in the form of a key-shaped token. However, the invention is equally applicable to other forms of data carrying device, such as coin-shaped or card-shaped tokens.
• the token is preferably operable to communicate in a contact- less manner, and may employ some of the techniques described in EP-A-0147099, GB-A-2186411 , GB-A-2196450, GB-A-2197107 and U.K. Patent Application No. 8718419-
• the payphone 2 corres ⁇ ponds in structure and function to a standard coin- operated telephone, with the exception of the points set out below.
• the telephone has a coin entry slot 4, into which a user can insert coins to increase a stored credit value in order to operate the telephone, a key ⁇ board 6 for push-button dialling of telephone numbers, a display 8 for displaying the amount of remaining credit during the course of a telephone call, a telephone handset 10, and a coin dispensing tray 12 into which the telephone delivers coins corresponding to the value of unused credit at the end of the telephone call.
• the telephone 2 can be operated by tokens in addition to coins, and to this end the telephone includes a token interrogator for reading the tokens, and the control circuit is operable to increase the stored credit value in response not only to signals from a coin validator but also to signals from the token interro ⁇ gator.
• the telephone may thus correspond in function and circuit to that described in GB-A-2186411 , except that in the preferred embodiment the location of a testing station at which tokens are interrogated, and the technique used for Interrogation and updating of the credit value stored in the token, are different, as will be explained.
• the testing station is preferably disposed adjacent the coin entry slot 4.
• a key-shaped token 14 has a main body portion 16 and a head portion 18.
• the body portion 16 contains the circuit of the token and a token antenna for communicating with an antenna coil 20 of the telephone interrogator.
• the token is sized such that the body portion 16 can be inserted into the coin slot 4, but the head portion 18 has a width and/or length such that it cannot pass through the slot. In use, the token is - thus held in position with the body portion 16 adjacent the interrogator coil 20, but with the head 18 of the token remaining physically accessible so that the token can be removed at any time.
• the interrogator coil may be positioned as indicated in phantom at 20' in proximity to the base of the coin dispensing tray 12 so that the token can be placed on the tray instead of into the coin slot 4.
• the interrogator coil could be located under the top surface 22 of the telephone housing so that the token need only be placed on top of the telephone housing in order to operate the telephone. If the invention were embodied in a product vending machine, the coil could be located for interrogating tokens placed in the product dispensing structure.
• the token interrogator is capable of detecting the presence of the token using the interrogator coil 20. Once the presence has been sensed, a communication oper ⁇ ation is commenced. Initially, security codes are ex ⁇ changed between the token and the interrogator so that each can check the validity of the other. Then, possibly following a request from the interrogator, the token transmits a number corresponding to its stored credit value to the interrogator, as indicated at 102 in Figure 2. Following receipt of that number, assuming that it represents a credit value which is sufficient to enable operation of the payphone, the interrogator transmits an instruction, indicated at 104 in Figure 2, for the token to decrement its stored value, e.g. by a unitary amount corresponding to 10p in British currency.
• This confirmation message may comprise the updated, I.e. reduced, credit value.
• the interrogator issues a signal to instruct the host machine, in this case the telephone, to proceed with a vending operation, i.e. to permit use of the telephone.
• the host machine delivers to the interrogator a request 112 for further credit. This may occur after a predetermined interval if the host machine is a telephone, or after a predetermined amount of electricity has been consumed, if the host machine is an electricity meter.
• the interrogator issues an instruction 114 to cause the token to decrement its stored credit value.
• the token responds by decrementing the value and sending the updated value to the interrogator as indicated at 116.
• Steps 108 to 116 are repeated until either the user removes the token, or the call is terminated in some other way e.g. by replacing the telephone handset, or until the stored credit value in the token is reduced to zero. If the token is removed, then the interrogator will receive no response to an instruction 114 to decrement the stored credit value, and this causes a signal to be generated to terminate the call. If the handset is replaced, the call is simply terminated as in conventional equipment. If the stored credit value received from the token at 116 is equal to zero, the control circuit responds to this by terminating the call.
• the token upon receipt of the instruction 10.4, the token carries out the following operations in sequence:
• the token receives the instruction.
• the instruction contains both a credit reduction value A which represents the amount by which the credit value stored by- the token is to be reducedj and a transaction number XYZ which identifies the particular transaction taking place and which could be a unique, preferably randomly-generated number produced by the machine.
• a credit reduction value A which represents the amount by which the credit value stored by- the token is to be reducedj
• a transaction number XYZ which identifies the particular transaction taking place and which could be a unique, preferably randomly-generated number produced by the machine.
• the token sends a message to the interrogator, the message containing the values A and XYZ, in order to request confirmation of the instruc ⁇ tion.
• a flag F1 is set.
• the flag is formed by a memory location of the non-volatile memory.
• a value V1 corresponding to the credit value and stored in the non-volatile memory is read out, reduced by the value A, and written-back into the memory location.
• a flag F2 is set.
• the flag F2 is formed by a memory location having an address separate from that of F1 , but in fact a single memory address could be used for both.
• a value V2 representing the credit value is decremented by A, in the same way that V1 was decremented at Stage 1 .
• a value V3 also representing the credit value is decremented by A.
• the token sends an acknowledgement (corres ⁇ ponding to confirmation message 106) to the interrogator.
• This acknowledgement includes the transaction number XYZ, and if desired it may also include A, and/or the reduced credit value.
• the token operates in accordance with the flow chart of Figure 3 at the time it establishes communication with the interrogator.
• the token proceeds to step 300, at which it checks flag F1. Assuming that the flag is clear the token then proceeds at step 302 to check flag F2. If this is also clear, then it has been determined that no transaction is pending, and the token can then await a new instruction from the interrogator and respond thereto in the manner described above, as indicated at step 304.
• step 306 the token reads out the values V1 , V2 and V3- V1 and V2 should be found to be equal.
• V3 is then set equal to V1 , the acknowledgement message is transmitted and flag F2 is cleared. This completes the transaction. It should be understood that the host machine will respond only to the first acknowledgement it receives from the token.
• the repeating of this acknowledgement at step 306 will not cause any problems.
• the acknowledgement will be ineffective because the transaction number will not be recognised by the new machine. Indeed, the new machine will probably not be in the middle of a trans ⁇ action, and therefore would disregard the acknowledge ⁇ ment.
• step 308 If at step 308 it is found that F2 is clear, this indicates that the previous communication operation was altered after stage 6 and before stage 9. Accordingly, the value V2 should be found to be equal to V3.
• the particular sequence of steps shown in Figure 3 involves the checking of flags to determine the point at which the previous communication sequence was halted. Although this is not necessary, it is a speedier process than comparing data values.
• the operations carried out in dependence upon the states in which the flags are found ensure that any data corruption which may have occurred at the end of the preceding communications operation as a result of the token being in the process of writing data when power is lost will not affect the data finally stored at the end of the new communication " operation.
• the use of three data values in addition to the storage of the value A enables a cross ⁇ checking operation to be carried out so as to avoid problems which might arise due to faulty memory devices.
• the above description mentions various points in the flow chart of Figure 3 where data values can be found to be equal. If desired, these can be checked by the token to ensure that they are indeed equal, and if not, because of for example faulty memory devices, some form of error procedure can be initiated.
• machines in accordance with the invention can be arranged to provide goods or services until the credit data in the data carrying device is reduced to zero.
• the machines could also be arranged so that goods and services are provided after the credit data is reduced to zero.
• an "overdraft" facility whereby continued use of the machine is permitted, preferably accompanied by an updating of the information stored by the data carrying device to reflect the value of the goods or services provided.
• the credit data could continue to be decremented below zero, or a second data value representing the overdraft could be incremented.

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• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Computer Security & Cryptography (AREA)
• Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
• Microelectronics & Electronic Packaging (AREA)
• Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
• Accounting & Taxation (AREA)
• Strategic Management (AREA)
• General Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
• Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
• Control Of Vending Devices And Auxiliary Devices For Vending Devices (AREA)

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Publications (1)

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• 1987
  • 1987-08-28 GB GB878720332A patent/GB8720332D0/en active Pending
• 1988
  • 1988-08-26 JP JP50721988A patent/JPH03501302A/ja active Pending
  • 1988-08-26 WO PCT/GB1988/000706 patent/WO1989002140A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1988-08-26 EP EP19880907747 patent/EP0389484A1/de not_active Withdrawn

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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