JPH07121671A - Card processing system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a card processing system which can accurately grasp the using state and the unadjusted balance of each issued card. CONSTITUTION:If a memory 37 includes an area corresponding to the month/ year of issue of a card which is reproduced when a card 40 is used, a control circuit 31 stores the consumed amount of the card in the corresponding area. If the month/year of issue of the used card is later than the latest month/year stored in the memory 37, the cumulative amount consumed are successively shifted for each month/year area of the memory 37. At the same time, the amount consumed is stored in the latest area and also the cumulative amounts consumed are successively updated for each annual area. Thus it is possible to accurately grasp the using state and the unadjusted balance of each card.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a card processing system for managing the balance of issued prepaid cards.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A prepaid card (hereinafter referred to as a card), on which value information is recorded and sold in advance, such as a card used in each device such as a public telephone and a vending machine, makes a call without cash. It is a convenient item that can be used to purchase goods and goods. That is, when this card is inserted into the card reader built into each device when making a call or purchasing an article,
The card reader subtracts the value information corresponding to the frequency of the call and the purchase price of the article from the value information of the card and returns it.

[0003]

This type of card has one
All the value information is not lost by single use, and usually the card is used up by multiple uses. In such a case, it is important for the card issuing and selling side to formulate future business plans for the card issuer to understand the usage status of the card, such as the unbalanced balance of the card and the card usage cycle. It becomes a problem. However, under the present circumstances, it is difficult to grasp the usage status of each card because the above-mentioned information is lacking.

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to accurately grasp the unsettled balance and the usage status of each card already sold.

[0005]

In order to solve such a problem, the present invention provides a card processing system for managing the usage status of a card issued by previously recording money amount information together with the date of issue. , A playing means for playing back the amount information and the date of issue when the card is used, a recording means for subtracting the amount information corresponding to the used amount from the reproduced amount information and recording the remaining amount information on the card, and the used amount is accumulated. The memory and the control means for accumulating the usage amount in the memory according to the issue date reproduced by the reproducing means are provided. In addition, the above memory is divided into a plurality of areas for accumulating the usage amount for each year and month in order from the latest year and month of issuance of used cards, and the oldest of the years and months corresponding to each year and month area. The year including the year and month is taken as the latest year, and it is divided into a plurality of areas for accumulating the usage amount for each year in order from the latest year, and the above control means is used when the issued date of the used card is newer than the latest year and month. Is to shift the cumulative usage amount of each year / month area, store the usage amount in the latest year / month area, and update each cumulative usage amount of each year area. Further, means for pre-inputting the total amount of money for each issuance date of each card, and subtracting each usage amount accumulated in the memory from this total amount to calculate as a balance for each issuance date of the card Is provided.

[0006]

The amount of use of the card is accumulated in the memory according to the issue date of the card reproduced by the reproducing means. Therefore, by displaying the accumulated usage amount of the memory, the usage status of the issued card can be properly grasped.
If the issued date of the used card is newer than the latest year / month, the accumulated use amount of each year / month area is shifted and the used amount is stored in the latest year / month area, and the accumulated amount of each year area is accumulated. The usage amount is updated. Therefore, the usage status of the card can be grasped with a small memory capacity.
Further, the usage amount accumulated in the memory for each issuing year is subtracted from the total amount for each issuing year when each card is issued.
As a result, the balance of already issued cards can be properly grasped.

[0007]

The present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a system configuration of a card processing system according to the present invention, in which the center device 1 is provided with a POS (point of sale) via a telephone line L.
s) 2 are connected to each other, and a card reader device 3 is connected to each POS 2.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the structure of the POS 2, in which 21 is a CPU and 22 is an RS-232C.
A signal line, 23 is an interface circuit for transmitting and receiving data to and from the card reader device 3 via the RS-232C signal line 22, 24 is a communication processing unit for performing data communication with the center device 1 via the telephone line L, Reference numeral 25 is a ROM that stores a program executed by the CPU 21. Further, 26 is a RAM for storing various data, 27 is an operation unit,
28 is a display unit.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the card reader device 3, in which 31 is a control circuit including a CPU, 32 is an RS-232C signal line, and 33 is RS-2.
An interface circuit for transmitting and receiving various kinds of information to and from the POS 2 via the 32C signal line 32, and 34, when the card 40 which has already been sold to the user and recorded with the value information (amount information) is used, This is a magnetic recording / reproducing circuit for performing reproduction via the magnetic head HD.
Further, 35 is a motor drive circuit for driving a motor M to convey a card 40 inserted in this device, and 36 is a card 4
A puncher drive circuit that drives a puncher PS that punches 0, and 37 is a memory.

Next, the general operation of the system configured as described above will be described. When the card 40 is inserted into the card reader device 3 at the time of purchasing an article or the like and paying the price, the control circuit 31 controls the motor drive circuit 35 to drive the motor M. As a result, the card 40 is transported on the transport path,
When reaching the position of the magnetic head HD, the control circuit 31 reads the amount information of the card 40 via the magnetic head HD and the magnetic recording / reproducing circuit. After that, the operation unit 27 of the POS 2
When the withdrawal amount (usage amount) is input by the operation of, this is detected by the CPU 21 of the POS 2 and sent as the withdrawal amount information to the card reader device 3 via the RS-232C signal lines 22 and 23. When receiving the withdrawal amount information, the control circuit 31 in the card reader device 3 subtracts the withdrawal amount information from the read amount information of the card 40. Then, the magnetic recording / reproducing circuit 34
Is controlled to record the balance information on the card 40 and drive the motor M to return the card 40. The withdrawal amount information is transmitted to the center device 1 via the communication processing unit 24 of the POS 2 and the telephone line L, and is aggregated.

By the way, the date of issue is recorded in the card 40, and the card reader device 3 can manage the settlement sum of each card used based on the date of issue. FIG. 4 shows a format for grasping the settlement total of each card used, and a data area based on such a format is provided in the memory 37 of the card reader device 3.

That is, in the memory 37, as shown in FIG.
The device number of the device, the sales amount, and the number of sales are provided in order from the top area. Next, the settlement accumulated amount area of each card used in this device is provided in order from the latest year / month area as year / month areas for 24 months. Next, a reference year / month data area that indicates the year / month of the latest settlement accumulation amount area is provided. Furthermore, some of the above 24 months of the year / month overlap with the old year / month, but this year / month is followed by the newest year. There is a cumulative settlement area for every three years from fiscal year A to fiscal year B. Here, each year is set to, for example, April 1st to March 31st of the following year, and when combined with the above-mentioned accumulated settlement amount for 24 months which is newer than these years, the accumulated settlement amount for up to 4 years can be stored. ing.

As described above, when the card 40 is used and the settlement amount area of each year and each year corresponding to the year of issuance of the card is provided in the memory 37 of the present apparatus, the settlement amount is the first. The two years are accumulated monthly, and thereafter each year.

Next, the main part of the operation of the card reader device 3 will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. 6 and 7. When the card 40 is inserted into the apparatus when purchasing an article or the like and paying the price, the control circuit 31 detects the insertion of the card 40 via a sensor (not shown). When the "card insertion" judgment in step ST1 of FIG. 6 becomes "Y", the card 40 is conveyed to the position of the magnetic head HD, and in step ST2 the contents of the card 40, that is, the amount information recorded on the card 40, Read the issue date and other information. Then, the control circuit 31 determines in step ST3 whether or not the read card contents are normal, and if the card contents are normal, the process proceeds to step ST4.

At step ST4, the inserted card 40 is inserted.
The withdrawal amount information for is received from POS2.
Subsequently, in step ST5, the card contents are rewritten based on the received withdrawal amount information, and in step ST6, addition processing is performed on the settlement area shown in FIG. 7 described later, and then the card 40 is ejected in step ST7.

Next, with reference to the flow chart of FIG. 7, the execution status of the addition processing for the settlement area of the control circuit 31 will be described. Here, the settlement area is each year area and each year area of the memory 37 that stores the accumulated settlement amount of the card, and the control circuit 31 corresponds to the issue date of the card 40 when the card 40 is used. The amount of withdrawal amount is added to the accumulated settlement amount of the area. That is,
In step ST11, the reference year / month data indicating the storage area of the accumulated payment amount of the latest issued card of the memory 37 is subtracted from the read card issuance year / month, and this year / month difference is set to α.

Then, in step ST12, it is determined whether or not the year / month difference α is larger than "0" months. Here, when the issued date of the read card 40 is equal to or older than the reference date, and thus the year difference α is smaller than “0” months, the determination in step ST12 is “N”, In this case, the withdrawal amount of the used card 40 is added to the accumulated settlement amount in any of the year / month area and the year area in the memory 37.

That is, in this case, first, the process proceeds to step ST13, and the card 4 is inserted in each year / month area of the memory 37.
It is judged whether there is an area corresponding to the issue date of 0,
If the corresponding year / month exists, the withdrawal amount of the card 40 is added to the accumulated settlement amount of the area in step ST14, and the process proceeds to step ST15. If none of the year / month areas corresponds to the issue date of the used card 40, the process proceeds to step ST15. Step ST
In 15, it is judged whether or not the area of the year corresponding to the issue date of the used card 40 exists in the memory 37,
If there is a corresponding year area, the withdrawal amount of the card 40 is added to the accumulated settlement amount of the year area in step ST16.

On the other hand, the issued date of the used card 40 is newer than the reference date, so the year difference α is "0".
If it is greater than a month, the determination in step ST12 is "Y". In this case, first, step ST1
In step 7, the reference date data area in the memory 37 is rewritten to the issued date of the card 40 used, and step S
At T18, the data in each year / month area is totaled for each year, and the total amount is temporarily saved in a separate area of the memory 37. Next, in step ST19, the contents of the year / month area are shifted by the number of months corresponding to the year / month difference α, and as a result of the shift, the latest year / month area (the year N in FIG. 4) indicating the date of issue of the card used In step 20, the withdrawal amount of this card 40 is set in (corresponding to the accumulated amount area for X months).
In this case, if α indicates, for example, two months, “0” is set in the N-year-X-January settlement accumulated amount area in FIG.
Cards 4 in each accumulated settlement area after year X-February
Each settlement accumulated amount after N years X months before 0 is used is set, and the oldest two years and months areas (N years X-
The accumulated settlement data for February, Nth year-X-23th month) is discarded. In this way, it is possible to effectively utilize the given small memory capacity and accumulate the card withdrawal amount.

Due to the shift of the above-mentioned year / month area, the accumulated settlement data of the oldest year / month area is truncated, and as a result,
The last part of the year / month area (N year X-22 February, N year X-23
If the year corresponding to the old year / month area (such as the month) has changed from the year before the use of this card 40, the accumulated settlement data for this year already saved in step ST18 A as accumulated settlement data
Set in the year area. Subsequently, in step ST22, the accumulated settlement data for the year A before the card is used is set in the year B area, and in step ST23, the accumulated settlement data for the year B before the card is used is set in the year C area.

In this manner, each time the card 40 is used, the accumulated settlement amount in each year / month area and each year area of the memory 37 of the card reader device 3 is rewritten according to the card usage amount and the issuing date. It will be accumulated and accumulated. And
By transmitting the accumulated payment amount of such a card to the POS 2 and displaying it on the display unit 28, the usage status of the card can be accurately grasped. In addition, for example, the total monthly amount of the cards issued and sold in the period of two years may be sent to POS2 in advance, and the POS2 may subtract the accumulated monthly settlement amount of the used card from the total amount. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the transition status of the unsettled balance of the card can be displayed on the display unit 28, and thus the unsettled balance of the issued card can be accurately grasped, which can be useful for future card issuance plans. it can. In addition, the accumulated payment amount of the card used in each card reader device 3 is POS.
If the information is periodically transmitted to the center device 1 via the card 2, the center device 1 can collectively manage the usage status of all cards.

[0022]

As described above, according to the present invention, the usage amount of the usage card is accumulated in the memory according to the issuing date of the card reproduced when the card is used. By displaying, it is possible to appropriately grasp the usage status of the issued card.
If the issued date of the card used is newer than the latest year / month stored in the memory, the accumulated use amount of each year / month area of the memory is shifted and the used amount is stored in the latest year / month area. At the same time, since the cumulative usage amount of each year area is updated, there is an effect that the usage status of the card can be grasped by effectively utilizing the small memory capacity. Also, since the usage amount accumulated in the memory for each issuance date is subtracted from the total amount for each issuance date for each card, it is possible to properly grasp the unsettled balance of already issued cards. There is an effect that can be done.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a card reader device that constitutes a card processing system according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a POS that constitutes the card processing system.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the card processing system.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a memory configuration of the card reader device.

FIG. 5 is a graph showing a transition of an unsettled balance of cards managed in the system.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an operation of the card reader device.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an operation of the card reader device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 center device 2 POS 3 card reader device 21 CPU 22, 32 RS-232C signal line 23, 33 interface circuit 24 communication processing unit 27 operation unit 28 display unit 31 control circuit 34 magnetic recording / reproducing circuit 35 motor drive circuit 37 memory 40 prepaid Card (card) HD magnetic head M motor L telephone line

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of front page (72) Inventor Ichiyoshi Kobayashi 2-3-3 Shimeguro, Meguro-ku, Tokyo Inside Tamura Electric Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Toshiaki Watanabe 1-11, Higashikanda, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo No. 2 Inside U-Card Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Tosuri Amamiya 1-11-2 Higashi-Kanda, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Inside U-Card Co.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A card processing system that manages the usage status of a prepaid card that has been issued with the amount information recorded in advance together with the date of issuance. The amount information and the date of issuance are reproduced when the prepaid card is used. Reproducing means, recording means for recording the amount information corresponding to the usage amount from the reproduced amount information on the prepaid card as residual amount information, a memory for accumulating the usage amount, and an issue reproduced by the reproducing means. A card processing system comprising: a control means for accumulating the usage amount in the memory according to a year and month. 2. The card processing system according to claim 1, wherein the memory is divided into a plurality of areas as accumulated areas of usage amount for each year and month in order from the most recent year and month of issuance of used prepaid cards. Along with the year and month corresponding to each year and month area, the year including the oldest year and month is set as the latest year, and a plurality of areas are sequentially divided from this latest year as a cumulative area of usage amount for each year, and the control means is used. If the issue date of the prepaid card is newer than the latest year / month, the accumulated use amount of each year / month area is shifted and the used amount is stored in the latest year / month area, and each accumulated use of each year area is used. A card processing system characterized by updating the amount. 3. The card processing system according to claim 2, wherein the total amount of money for each issuance date of each prepaid card at the time of issuance is input in advance, and the respective usage amounts accumulated in the memory are calculated from the total amount. A card processing system comprising means for calculating the balance of each reduced issuance date of a prepaid card.