GB2110861A - Coded information device - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention comprises (a) a portable male "coded device" which will take the approximate form and size of a conventional pen or key and (b) a stationary female "receiver" which will accept the male coded device and make the necessary electrical/electronic connections to allow the male coded device to be energised by a stimulus in order to record on or read from its own internal micro-chip memory. The male coded device will be carried by individuals and will serve the same purpose as existing magnetically coded or light sensitive cards etc. which allow access to whatever by authorised holders only, the very important difference being that this pen/key shaped coded device being of solid state construction is infinitely more substantial and in no way depends upon unreliable remote mechanical movement in order to be encoded or read. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Creditlaccess issuing and recording This invention relates to the issuing and recording of credit or cash and the authorised accessibility to commodities and places through a personalised electronic device which could possibly be pen shaped or key shaped, (hereafter known as "the coded device"), and compatible number.

One object of the invention is to streamline the issuing of credit. At present this is largely done with the aid of magnetically and non-magnetically embossed personalised coded plastic cards used in conjunction with a simple manually operated machine where the information on the embossed plastic card is transferred to a carbonised receipt pad when a compression saddle is slid over the two. A sample signature on the reverse side of the plastic card is then compared with a freshly written signature on the carbonised receipt pad. If the two are found to be compatible the transaction becomes authorised and valid.

The recording and subsequent processing of these transactions must be a lengthy and thus very costly operation. This invention is designed to save a great deal of time, materials and labour at present utilised in these processes.

For many years now a popular way of obtaining instant credit has been by means of "credit cards". It is my contention that not only is this principle comparatively insecure, but the overall cost of operating such a scheme both to the credit company and the customer is unrealistically high. Using the new microchip technology now available it is my intention to replace the age-old plastic credit card with a small personalised silicon chip transmitter (the coded device) which could possibly be in the form and size of a key or small pen. The existing hand machinery which records the embossed card details on the carbonised receipt pad would be replaced by a small electronic instrument, hereafter called the "receiver".On insertion into the receiver the coded device becomes energised and transmits by one means or another its personalised information to the receiver which electronically accepts the transmitted information from the said coded device.

In order to provide a measure of security these details would be held in a memory in "the receiver" until the owner of the coded device tabulates a multi digit alpha numeric entry, hereafter known as the code number, on a keyboard pad which would be externally mounted on "the receiver" and electronic ally connected to it. This "code no." would have previously been issued to the owner of the coded device and would be known only to that person. If the information held in "the receiver" memory correlates favourably with the "code no." tabulated on the keyboard pad then the transaction would be deemed to be valid and authorised and an indication from "the receiver" to that effect would be forthcom ing. Should the wrong number be tabulated in then an audible and/or a visual alarm will inherently recommend the restarting of the insertion cycle.To elucidate, when a coded device is read by "the receiver" only one inserted code number will bring acceptance. It is evisaged that additional information including the value of the transaction will need to be inserted on the same "receiver" keyboard pad after which a receipt, possibly printed on paper would be automatically issued to the owner of the coded device and the transaction details further recorded on several other recording units situated either remotely or inside "the receiver" for permanent future reference. It is further envisaged that the electronic transaction recordings could then, at regular intervals, be transmitted electronically, possibly by land line to a central collating point where invoicing would ensue.

The invention is now further described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figure lisa blow flow diagram of the complete system.

Figures 2 and 3 are block flow diagrams of the Coded Device 10.

Figure 4 is a block flow diagram showing credit limitation and lockout controls.

Figure 5 is a block flow diagram showing operation of Credit Limit Check Unit 38.

Every authorised credit customer is issued with a CODED DEVICE 10 and a personalised numeral or alpha numeric, hereafter referred to as the Code Number.

The purchaser places his or her personalised CODED DEVICE 10 into the RECEIVER SOCKET 11.

This action generates a signal to say that a CODED DEVICE 10 has been inserted and an excitation signal is returned to the CODED DEVICE 10 from OSCILLA TOR 12 via RECEIVER SOCKET 11. The CODED DEVICE 10 may be connected to the RECEIVER SOCKET 11 either by direct electro-mechanical contact, by ultrasonic media or by electro-magnetic induction and/or radiation. This excitation signal causes the data stored electronically in the CODED DEVICE 10 to be transmitted by any of the media mentioned above to the SIGNAL CONDITIONER 13.

Here this data is manipulated by DATA MANIPULA TOR 14 and proceeds to COMPARATOR 18.

KEYBOARD PAD 15 is then used by the vendor to enter relevant information including the monetary value of the transaction ("price data" on block diagram) and this is displayed on a suitable DISPLAY UNIT 16 (e.g. LED). If the purchaser confirms the display value at 16 he or she then enters his or her own personalised CODE NUMBER on KEYBOARD PAD 15 which should correspond with his or her personalised CODED DEVICE 10. This CODE NUM BER may or may not appear on DISPLAY UNIT 16 depending upon security requirements and considerations. The CODE NUMBER data is manipulated by DATA MANIPULATOR 17 and then proceeds to the COMPARATOR 18. The two inputs to the COM PARATOR 18 will only result in compatabilitywhen the manipulated CODED DEVICE 10 data from 14 and the manipulated CODE NUMBER data from 17 are equal.This equality at COMPARATOR 18 is necessary before any transaction can proceed. If the signals entering COMPARATOR 18 from DATA MANIPULATOR 14 and DATA MANIPULATOR 17 are not equal then this condition is recognised by COMPATABILITY DETECTOR 19 which aborts the whole sequence of events and instructs ABORT INDICATOR 20 to give visual and/or audible indication to this effect.

If the signals entering COMPARATOR 18 from DATA MANIPULATOR 14 and DATA MANIPULATOR 17 are equal then this condition is recognised by COMPATABILITY DETECTOR 21 which visually indicates approval at 40 and allows all relevant transaction information including vendor identification and date (furnished automatically from UNIT 28) and customer recognition etc. to be recorded on suitable BULK STORAGE RECORDING MEDIUMS 22 and 24 (e.g. floppy disc, magnetic tape, paper tape or other equivaient equipment) which can then later be transmitted via MODEM 26 and land line or any other convenient means to a central analytical collating point hereafter known as the Central Depot.

The same data is recorded by a CUSTOMERS RECEIPT PRINTER 23 and SELLERS RECEIPT PRIN TER 25 which provide an instant "tear-off" receipt for the purchaser and an internal duplicate printed receipt for the seller. When a RECEIVER IS INSTAL LED AS A CONTROL UNIT and used in conjunction with an automatic delivery device which may or may not be manned, providing goods or services of any description where the unit price data could be variable and notenterable manually, then a SELEC TOR SWITCH 27 can be set to automatically allow a predetermined UNIT PRICE FACILITY 29 to be used instead of a manual price data entry from KEYBOARD PAD 15 (e.g. all night fuel pumps using different grades of petrol or diesel.

The operation of the CODED DEVICE 10, RECEIVER 11, OSCILLATOR 12 and SIGNAL CONDITIONER 13 will now be described in more detail with reference to Figures 2,3,4 and 5.

Description of the CODED DEVICE 10, SOCKET I 11, AMPLIFIER 12 and SIGNAL CONDITIONER 13.

CODED DEVICE 10 This will be of a pre-determined shape (possibly that of a pen or key) and will consist of a SEMI CONDUCTOR MEMORY 32, an ADDRESS COUNTER 33, a SHIFT REGISTER 34 and a "DIVIDE BY EIGHT" UNIT 35, see Figure 3. When the CODED DEVICE 10 is plugged into the RECEIVER SOCKET 11 a copy of the pre-coded data in the MEMORY 32 is fed into the SIGNAL CONDITIONER 13 (Figure 1).

In Figures 2 and 3 the MEMORY 32 would be arranged in a binary form as in existing commerciaily available devices. Typically, an alpha numeric character stored in the MEMORY 32 would occupy eight consecutive BITS, collectively called a BYTE, such that eight pulses from the clock signal would shift out a complete BYTE which would represent a complete alpha-numeric character as represented by the A.S.C.I.I. code (American Standard Code for international interchange).

The ADDRESS COUNTER 33 points to any one location in the MEMORY 32. The location may comprise 'N' digital BITS. Every 'N' clock pulses causes the ADDRESS COUNTER 33 to point to the next successive memory location.

In one configuration the memory location may only be one BIT wide. Figure 2 specifically shows this and each clock pulse would advance the ADDRESS COUNTER 33. In another configuration, specifically Figure 3 the memory location may be eight BITS wide, in which case an additional "PARALLEL TO SERIAL SHIFT REGISTER 34" and a "DIVIDE BY EIGHT" unit 35 are necessary to correlate the data.

Other configurations may be either greater or less than eight BITS wide but clearly Figure 2 is cheaper to manufacture.

RECEIVING EQUIPMENT 11, 12, 13, 14. Ref. Figure 1 The RECEIVER is continuously sending out a clock signal and continuously looking at any incoming data. On the insertion of a CODED DEVICE 10 into the RECEIVER SOCKET 11, the first data that comes in will be a "START CODE" which every CODED DEVICE 10 must have in its MEMORY 32. The START CODE will be decided by the operator who could be Access, Barclaycard or American Express for instance and could be different for every operator.

Subsequent data from the CODED DEVICE 10 relates to its user, i.e., name, address, account number and code number etc. Units 12,13 and 14 would be embodied in, and part of, a micro-computortogether with units 17, 18,30,31,36,38 and 39. The first element of the micro-computer would set out the data from the CODED DEVICE 10 into a set of eight BITS known as a BYTE. The number of BYTES read in is determined by data contained in the START CODE, Figure 4 explains this.

When a START CODE has been recognised the system will know that the next "so many" BYTES will contain name and address, account number and personal number etc. This data is noted by the RECEIVER but not recorded yet on units 22, 23, 24 and 25.

Then, the micro-computer will request the seller one way or another to enter the price data on the KEY PAD 15. The micro-computer will now request the purchaser one way or another to enter his/her personal CODE NUMBER. If the customer agrees quantitively with the price date inserted at KEY PAD 15 and displayed at LED DISPLAY UNIT 16 he will, as requested insert his personal CODE NUMBER. When correlation is reached i.e. the compatibility of the CODED DEVICE 10 and the inserted personal CODE NUMBER, all the data will be recorded on units 22, 23,24 and 25.

There will be occasions when particular purchasers must be denied credit for one reason or another.

An on-going facility exists for the CENTRAL DEPOT to record on a LOCK-OUT STORAGE UNIT 30 details of any such purchasers CODED DEVICE 10 so that if and when COMPARATOR 31 detects a "locked-out" CODED DEVICE 10 the sale will be aborted and if necessary the CODED DEVICE de-activated. Every "de-activation" would be recorded on the BULK STORAGE MEDIUMS 22 and 24to inform CENTRAL DEPOT that that particular CODED DEVICE 10 has now been rendered useless.

Locked-out CODED DEVICE 10 details may be transmitted from CENTRAL DEPOT to LOCK-OUT STORAGE UNIT 30 before, during or after the transmission of transaction data to the CENTRAL DEPOT. The CENTRAL DEPOT may also transmit back a summary of the transactions for the Vendor to compare with his own records. This comparison may have the facility to be automatic.

In the event of a CODED DEVICE 10 being "found" by someone other than its authorised user and an attempt made by said finder to falsely obtain credit, THE RECEIVER will accept only four attempts by the finder to key in the compatible personal CODE NUMBER. If after four attempts compatibility is not reached then the CODED DEVICE 10 will be rendered permanently useless by DEACTIVATION UNIT 39.

This information will then be transmitted to the CENTRAL DEPOT as described before.

In the event of a purchaser accidently inserting the wrong CODE NUMBER at KEY PAD 15, he will as previously described be allowed four insertions in order to obtain the right personal CODE NUMBER before deactivation.

If the sale value entered on KEY PAD 15 is above a certain predetermined amount, then the system will instantly and automatically check the purchasers personal credit limit with CENTRAL DEPOT using the MODEM and an indication at 41 that this is happening may be shown to the buyer and/or seller. The CENTRAL DEPOT computer will then either authorise or deny credit.

The vendor may, if he so desires, set a "sale value" credit limit of his own by means of SALE VALUE LIMIT CHECK UNIT 37. All purchases will be checked by "ABOVE LIMIT COMPARATOR" 36 and any purchases exceeding the set limit will instantly and automatically be visually indicated at41 and the transaction stopped pending further enquiries. Provision will be made to check that the PRIMARY BULK STORAGE MEDIUM 22 is working correctly. In the event of its failure an indication will be made, and the SECONDARY BULK STORAGE MEDIUM 24 will take over and ensure that transactions can continue to take place without the loss of any previous or current transaction data.

Provision will be made to prevent unauthorised transmission duplication of transaction data to CEN TRAL DEPOT.

If, for instance, a vendor has already transmitted his daily transaction data to CENTRAL DEPOT from the PRIMARY BULK STORAGE MEDIUM 22 and endeavours subsequently to illegally transmit the same transaction data from the SECONDARY BULK STORAGE MEDIUM 24 the CENTRAL DEPOT computerwill recognise the transmission duplication and will refuse to accept the duplicated data.

Claims (4)

1. The improvement consists of a control system which comprises a coded device in the form and shape of a conventional key or pen, in the case of the latter the coded device will have built into it a socket simiiar in design to a conventional proprietory female jack socket being circular and separately concentric with the exterior profile of said pen shaped coded device and extending inwards from the end opposite the end having implanted in it a clip, used for retention in a pocket, for a predetermined distance said jack socket will have in its makeup a number of wafer contacts set around the internal diameter of said jacket socket and insulated from one another which will be internally connected to electrical and/or electronic micro-circuitry said wafer contacts being the female medium through which coded data can be either initially transmitted for recording on said internal micro-circuitry during or after manufacture, altered at a later date or collected upon demand.

2. An alternative key shaped coded device will comprise of an electrically insulated shank substan tiallytapered in profile and parallel in section which will have built into its edges a number of solid metallic contacts which will be internally connected to electrical and/or electronic micro-circuitry situated in the head of said key said head being substantially square in shape and separately parallel in section yet thicker than last mentioned insulated shank, last mentioned solid metallic contacts being the male medium through which coded data can be either initially transmitted for recording on last mentioned internal micro-circuitry during or after manufacture, altered at a later data or collected on demand.

3. The combination of elements recited in Claims 1 and 2 wherein the last mentioned pen shaped coded device will be inserted into a receiver which comprises a circular socket of a predetermined depth and diameter which has emulating from its base or bottom a circular male jack plug of a predetermined length and diameter and similar in form to a conventional jack plug and being mounted concentrically to the internal diameter of last mentioned circular socket and having in its make up a number of metallic contact bands running around its periphery insulated from and in spaced relation to one another said contact bands being the male medium through which coded data can be either transmitted or received by the sending of a stimulus to last mentioned pen shaped coded device said coded data can be made available to external systems.

4. An alternative receiver which will have last mentioned key shaped coded device inserted in it will comprise a tapered socket of shape and depth so as to be compatible with last mentioned key shaped coded device on its insertion and have in its make up a number of metallic wafer contacts incorporated in the sides of said tapered socket insulated from one another and spaced in direct relation to solid metallic contacts on last mentioned key shaped coded device said wafer contacts being the female medium through which coded data'can be either transmitted or received by the sending of a stimulus to last mentioned key shaped coded device said coded data can be made available to external systems.