GB2353889A - Electronic funds transfer system - Google Patents

Abstract

An electronic funds transfer system comprises a microprocessor 1, a key pad 2, a display 3, telephone 20 and a Smart card 8. The card 8 can be part of the system as shown or separate and removable (Figs 2 and 3). The phone can be conventional or mobile (Figs 2 and 3). The system allows simultaneous voice and data transfer so that the user can inform an operator of the service(s) required and pay for it by debiting and updating the financial information provided on the card. The card can also accept authorisation remotely to enable it to be used for collecting a ticket locally, e.g. for an event or for travel. The telephone is connected via an interface unit 6 allowing also connection of a non-contact card reader 7 or a microwave antenna 22. Further features of the system and data transmission or checking procedures are as set out in GB2291724, GB2291727, GB2057740, GB2092344 or GB2130412B.

Description

2353889 Te 1 ephone- supported Travel Pass for the transfer of funds and

authentic entitlement passes or tickets.

The present paper is based on existing patents, namely GB 2,291,724 and GB 2,281,727. Its purpose is to establish functional links between those two patents so that they can be manifested in a single product. The firstnamed patent is a communication device having built-in transfer elements for exchanging data and control outputs with a memory card or card containing a computer chip. The relates to second-named patent j/ a multi-application smart card device with contactless proximity data transfer elements, a data display device and some form of manual data entry means. What the first one lacks is the ability to interface with a Reader of cards, thereby serving as an access to services or goods. What the first one teaches is the safe transfer of transfer instructions of monetary values and entitlement specifications via --.a. telephone network.- The second patent lacks the ability to mediate speech to a distant receiver, or receive itself such communication in an audible or visible form. What it does teach is a secure system for interfacing with multiple providers of services or goods, and the maidng of corresponding payments to each of them. The patent also describes a travel pass with management aids such as the summing up of expenditures for specific -categories of:pLyments. The patent provides for protection against loss in various ways.

It would thus be desireable to combine the various patented merit elements of the cited patents in a single product. The means for doing this may not be considered inventive enough so as to require a separate patent protection. Be this as it may, it is considered helpful to eliminate any doubt by actually describing the combination of the two patents and to claim the resulting features as an advance beyond the utility of each patent separately. As both the cited patents derive from the same PCT publication with the same date of priority, a measure of unity is already given. Building on it, we shall use one of the drawing sheets in order to illustrate the combining effect by way of illustration.

2 The Figure 1 in the present paper is thus the old Figure 1 in the British '727 publication. Figure 2 derives from Fig.2 of the same publication. Figure 3 is added material, but only to show an example of the functionality of the combination effect.

The elements added in Fiqure 1 are: An indication for the posi tion of a Reader Antenna (7A).

A lead 18 to feed the telephone receiver (20) and microphone (21).

An additional (microwave) antenna (22), and a switch lever (23) for substituting antenna 7 with antenna 22.

In FiQure 2 the followina elements are added:

The shortwave antenna 22 (here shown in a variable attitude fix ture); a socket 16 built into the device 2; a plug 17 with cable 18; an switch-over fitting 19 as part of the cable; earphones 20 and microphone 21;and,again an indication of the proximity reader antenna 7A.

Figure 3 shows the telephone elements (20,21y and the card ele ment 2 with its keyboard and supplementary card 8. The same may have a contact module or be contactless,. The remainder of Fig.

3 shows block units which, as far as their physical location is concerned, may be accommodated within the component 2.

The contact pairs MCC (microphone controlled contacts) and SWCC (switch controlled contacts) may best be implemented purely elec tronically.

The combined device permits a user to speak.)with a distant sta tion and explain what he/she wants and when the trader's item is identified and the price agreed, make a payment of cash over utilising the communication network. Of importance in this connection are the encryption circuit 6A in Fig. 1 and 6A1 to6A4 in Figure 3. The functional blocks are given below as follows.

2 2.. VHD antenna 25..capacitor 26..a selective admittance (for sub-carrier frequency f=fy) 27..a selective admittance (for sub-carrier frequency f=fz) 28..signal shaper to produce logic input levels 29.. 11 it of if it 11 6A1decryption channel Al, The same for A2p A3 and A4-being enrcyption contains display electronics channels.

3 3 the display section 2 the integrated unit with keyboard, also referred to as 'travel pass'.

2c..switch. Once actuated, it holds the system in the "Receive" condition for a minimum time, needed to allow the user to read from the display which contains the proposed service and the price thereof. When the user agrees to the transaction, the flip is switched again, or a data entry device marked "YES" is used. This response switches the unit to its sending mode causing the information visible on the screen to be re-transmitted back to its source and entered there into permanent re cord.

8.. smart card (may contain routines specific to another company, or another country.

31.. microphone amplifier 32.. digitizer and output level converter 33.. digitizer 35.. divider, divides the carrier frequency, for exmaple by 8 and modul- ates it.

36-- it 11 11 if it ir 11 it " 40 It 11 it 37.. an analogue summing circuit Description of the three figures.

The system will permit the fixed or mobile phone to be used in a more inten - sive manner than merely for an exchange of views.It would enable experi ence in a certain f ield, to be of assistance to others on the occasion when good advice is needed. This may refer to medical matters, to travel decisions, to the choice of books, films, theatres, etc.financial decisions not necessa rily all major matters. In many cases, the ability to ask someone for advice and pay a modest sum for it immediately, instead of waiting for an appoint ment three weeks ahead, may have practical significance. It would also be possible to transmit only credit card numbers for specific moderate amounts.

But for busy persons to loose a lot of time to correlate payments with credit card numbers and to follow through who paid what, is far too much trouble.

Payment therefore should be received into a smart card which automatically accumulate the electronic cash, and makes it instantly spendable for taxi rides, petrol, restaurants and in supermarkets of every description.

With the aid of the three drawings and diagrams respectively, it is pos sible to follow through the combined communication and payment system in full detail.

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Claims (9)

1. C 1 a i m s l.A.n electronic fund transfer system comprising a data

   transfer terminal for exchanging data with a portable electronic pass device, said terminal com--prising a telephone set connectable to the existing net-work of telephone line and switching stations, said telephone set having built-in transducers to communicate by data transfer means with the electronic pass device and to communicate with-a.remote accountancy system, wherein fund transfer is carried out between said pass device and said accountancy system via said terminal, and wherein the said terminal also has a built-in visual display and means for separately channeling audible and data information so that both may be received simultaneously in the respective telephone audio transducer and said display device.
2. 2.A system as in Claim 1 wherein communication is carried out on the basis of protocol standards including authenticity checking procedures as described in GB 2,057,740 and GB 2,092,344.
3. 3.A system asin Claim 1 or 2 wherein the data transmitted to a distant station are mixed with random data in a continuous chain of variable length data words as set out in GB 2, 130,412 B.
4. 4.A system as in Claim 1,2 or 3, characterized by means in the electronic circuit within the telephone set to receive from the device in an encoded form the telephone number to be sent out to a Bank, and further means to decode the number before it reaches the first switching station to adapt it to the locally used dialling form, and to send it out via the general telephone system.
5. 5.A system as in any preceding claim, wherein during each update transaction the date and the time of the transaction is recorded in both the computer memory of an accountancy system concerned a n d also in said travel pass device involved in an update operation, and no subsequent update attempt is executed without first testing the equality of the two records of the dates and times of the preceding update.
6. 6.A system as in any preceding claim, said terminal having a built-in data transfer transducer into which said portable pass device can be placed, or in the proximity of which said pass device can be placed, in order to establish for the duration of the network connection a functionally closely interacting binary circuit group which performs as if consisting of a single digital circuit executing logic functions in a given sequence preset by protocol.
7. 7.An electronic fund transfer system comprising a pocketsize electronic travel and commuter pass cooperating with outlets of accountancy systems, said pass comprising a telephone set connectable to the existing network of telephone lines and switching stations to communicate with a remote terminal of said accountancy systems, wherein fund transfer is carried out between said pocketsii! travel and commmuter pass and said accountancy system, among others, for two cardinal purposes: Updating the monetary value of said pass,or,/&- converting part of the memory of the pass into a receptor of authenti3--atipgjaformation authorising the holder of the pass to be present at a specific event, receiving specific goods, or to travel along a specified route to a specified destination during a predetermined period of time.
8. 8 A system as in Claim 7 wherein the conversion of a part of the pass memory into authenticated travel pass information serving as a 'ticket' to an event or other entitlement is linked to a procedure involving the following steps: (a) conversation over the telephone with an issuer of entitlements (b) transmission in digital form from the issuer's station of details of the proposed entitlement such as name of the Stadium, theatre,conference hall, etc., location and address, location within the building concerned, seat nr. times of beginning and end, and the price of the admission. (c) the holder of the travel pass can -propose certain modifications (d) the holder of the travel pass agrees with the conditions by sending out an affirmative signal (such as pushing a button marked 'yes', etc.), thereby transfering the entire information on the display screen into a semi-permanent memory, both at the issuer station and in the travel pass. In addition this is automatically followed by an encrypted and secured fund transfer from the travel pass value to the Issuer's cash register of the price in the c urr ency as stated on the display screen.
9. 9. A pocketsize electronic travel and commuter pass as in Claims 7 or 8, adapted to receive a standard ISO chipcard as a supplementary data base.