Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING OR CALCULATING; 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
  • G06Q20/22—Payment schemes or models
  • G06Q20/26—Debit schemes, e.g. "pay now"
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING OR CALCULATING; 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
  • G06Q20/04—Payment circuits
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING OR CALCULATING; 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
  • G06Q20/22—Payment schemes or models
  • G06Q20/223—Payment schemes or models based on the use of peer-to-peer networks
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING OR CALCULATING; 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
  • G06Q20/32—Payment architectures, schemes or protocols characterised by the use of specific devices or networks using wireless devices
  • G06Q20/322—Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G06—COMPUTING OR CALCULATING; 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
  • G06Q20/38—Payment protocols; Details thereof
  • G06Q20/40—Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
  • G06Q20/401—Transaction verification
  • G06Q20/4014—Identity check for transactions
• • 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
  • G07F7/10—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

Definitions

• This invention concerns a banking system.
• a banking system comprising:
• accounting means containing account control information, being information about accounts of the bank's users whereby transactions associated with those accounts are controlled;
• identification means such that each ascribed register device is inoperative unless and until its authorised user is identified by that register device and
• a register for storing a value representative of a cash amount
• communication means for passing account control information between the accounting means and the register devices
• transaction means operable by an identified user of a said register device alternatively to effect
• the identification means of the invention provides improved security in comparison with conventional banking systems. And this improved security allows the system to support certain transactions without centralised control, thereby enabling users to make payments, eg of small sums for commonplace purchases, as quickly and as easily as with cash.
• the invention combines the benefits of conventional card purchases (which are secure, offer credit, and save the user from carrying large sums of money) with those of cash purchases (which are quick, immediately monitored, and not burdened with an administrative overhead).
• Vazvan describes a system in which electronic payments can be made directly from one terminal of the system to another, rather than via a network, but which specifically requires for each such payment that the payer's terminal receive the payee's account control information (namely account number and contact codes) before the payment is effected.
• the payer's terminal receive the payee's account control information (namely account number and contact codes) before the payment is effected.
• the payee's account control information namely account number and contact codes
• the register devices of the present invention may comprise electronic and/or magnetic cards.
• the register devices may comprise mobile telephones, in which case the communication means preferably comprises a cellular radio network.
• the transaction means is operable at a said register device, which may include a keypad whereby the transaction means is operable.
• the transaction means may be operable to effect a transaction of the second kind with a device not being a portable register device of the system - eg a POS terminal.
• a register device of the system may include means whereby it may be connected to another device - of the system or otherwise - for transactions of the second kind.
• the identification means includes reference means for holding a representation of an authorised user's fingerprint or other biometric characteristic, input means for inputting a biometric characteristic of a would-be user, and comparator means for comparing the input characteristic with the reference representation to check that the would-be user is the authorised user.
• the register devices include exchange means operable to alter the currency of said cash amount.
• a said register device may include means audibly to indicate operation of the identification means, the communication means and the transaction means.
• the system may include charging means operative to charge an authorised user in relation to usage of his ascribed register device.
• FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a banking system according to the invention.
• Figure 2 is a block diagram of a register device of the banking system of Figure 1;
• Figure 3 is a block diagram of two register devices involved in a banking transaction.
• FIG. 1 this shows a banking system comprising an accounting subsystem 10 and three portable register devices 12 (out of a large number thereof).
• Each register device 12 includes a transceiver 14 arranged to be in communication with a transceiver 16 of the accounting subsystem 10 for exchange of information about banking transactions.
• the transceiver 16 is operatively connected by a network 18 to a plurality of stores 20 holding users' account details.
• Each register device 12 includes reference means 22 holding a digital representation of an authorised user's fingerprint.
• a detector 24 is arranged to read and digitise a fingerprint of a user, and a comparator 26 compares the digitised input from the detector 24 with the digital representation of the authorised user's fingerprint held in the reference means 22.
• the transceiver 14 is connected to the comparator 26 so as to be operative only when the input from the detector 24 is the same as the representation in the reference means 22. In other words, a user can operate the transceiver 14 (and thereby access his account) only if he proves his identity by way of the detector 24.
• the banking system of Figure 1 improves the security of each store 20 by checking the actual presence of the authorised user each and every time an attempt is made to access the stores 20.
• the individual register devices 12 may have different authorised users, eg one for each, so that even an authorised user of one register device 12 cannot access the corresponding store 20 by using another authorised user's register device. Referring now to Figure 2, this shows a portable register device 30
• transceiver 32 which is operable only when a comparator 34 determines that a user's fingerprint input and digitised by a detector 36 is the same as a digital representation of an authorised user's fingerprint held in reference means 38.
• the transceiver 32 is operable to transmit data to and receive data from a central transceiver 40 of an accounting subsystem 42, and the central transceiver 40 is operatively connected to a plurality of stores 44 storing account balances and other records of the bank's users.
• the register means 30 includes a keypad 46 whereby a user can input information for transmission to the accounting subsystem 42 by the transceiver 32 (subject to authorisation). Thus a customer can access his bank records. Further, he can arrange a release of funds from his account, as will now be described in more detail.
• the register means 30 includes a register 48 which stores a value representative of a cash amount.
• the (authorised) customer can increase this amount by signalling the accounting subsystem 42 to draw on his account. Similarly the customer can add to his account by signalling the accounting subsystem 42 to draw down from the register 48.
• the register means 30 also includes exchange means 50 operable from the keypad 46 to change the currency of the amount held in the register 48.
• register means 30 is as good as banknotes and coins in terms of value and portability, and more convenient in its capacity for currency change.
• Figure 3 shows how the invention can cater for person-to-person financial transactions, even of small value.
• a first customer wishes to make some payment to a second customer. He connects his register device 60 to the register device 62 of the second customer.
• the register devices 60 and 62 are essentially identical (and the same as the register device 30 of Figure 2) and each comprises a transceiver 64, reference means 66, a detector 68, a comparator 70, a r o ister 72 for a value representative of a cash amount, exchange means 74 and a keypad 76.
• the register devices 60 and 62 also include male/female connectors (not shown) which enable the two register devices 60 and 62 to be connected together and establish a two-way connection 78 between their respective transceivers 64.
• the first customer now puts his finger on the detector 66 of the first register device 60 and this is compared with the reference representation held therein. Assuming the first customer's fingerprint accords with the reference representation, the transceiver 64 of the first register device is enabled, and the first customer can then use the keypad 76 of the first register devices 60 to instruct transfer of the required payment to the second register device 62, up to the value held by the first register device 60.
• the result is an electronic transaction equivalent in all respects to the first customer's passing cash to the second customer.
• transfers direct from the first register device 60 to the second register device 60 do not require any communication with an accounting subsystem or any other central banking facility. Thus such transfers are quick and easy, and the communication network is not overloaded. Numerous additions, modifications and adaptations of the systems described may be made without departing from the essence of the invention.
• information transmitted should be encrypted for security, and a wide variety of encryption technologies are available for this purpose.
• the register devices may be embodied as smart cards, or possibly as electronic calculators which may utilise BluetoothTM or other infrared communications technology.
• each register device may include means such as a dual tone multi-frequency (DTMF) generator to produce tones indicating each action performed on or by the register device - eg yes/no signals from the identification means, operation of a keypad, completion of transactions and so forth.
• DTMF dual tone multi-frequency
• charging means may be provided to record the usage of register devices (number and/or level of transactions, of both the first and second kinds) and levy charges against users accounts in relation thereto.
• banks, post offices and other like institutions could issue a register device means preloaded with a cash value and programmed with foreign exchange rates, to function as a versatile travellers' cheque whereby a user may make cash equivalent purchases in a variety of countries

Landscapes

• Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Accounting & Taxation (AREA)
• Strategic Management (AREA)
• General Business, Economics & Management (AREA)
• Theoretical Computer Science (AREA)
• Computer Security & Cryptography (AREA)
• Finance (AREA)
• Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
• Financial Or Insurance-Related Operations Such As Payment And Settlement (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=9943068

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (4)

Family Cites Families (5)

• 2002
  • 2002-08-29 GB GBGB0219950.3A patent/GB0219950D0/en not_active Ceased
• 2003
  • 2003-08-28 EP EP03791058A patent/EP1540611A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2003-08-28 WO PCT/GB2003/003772 patent/WO2004021295A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 2003-08-28 AU AU2003263295A patent/AU2003263295A1/en not_active Abandoned

Non-Patent Citations (2)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events