JPH087016A - Card system for writing available limited monetary amount - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To permit a sales source to securely collect a sales amount and to provide a safe card system by freely setting a maximum amount in the range of the real balance in the bank account of a card user, registering the maximum amount in a card and using the card only within this range. CONSTITUTION:A host station l is provided with a function for intensively managing data bases provided in plural banks 2, amount registration devices 3 and amount withdrawal devices 4. The three kinds of the devices 2-4 are individually connected and the devices 2-4 are prevented from being directly connected. The devices 3 register the available limited amounts in the cards. The host station 1 calls the designated account of the bank 2 and recognizes the balance, and the devices 3 register the maximum amount within the range. The devices 4 are provided with functions for withdrawing purchase amounts from the maximum amount registered in the card and they execute a series of procedures for transferring the numeral of the withdrawn amount to a different bank account which is previously registered in the device 4 is executed.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention allows a user to freely set a usage limit within the range of the balance of his / her bank account, and the use of this range can be surely deducted in cash. The present invention relates to a card system as a means.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, a cash payment mode has been standardized, such as a credit card, in which the credit of a card user is used to purchase a product by a card and receive a service. In this case, there are four parties involved in the whole process from the purchase of goods to the payment of cash, that is, the card user, the store, the credit card company, and the bank of the card user. Then, when the card user uses the card at the store, the store charges the credit card company, and the credit card company deducts the amount from the bank account designated by the card user.

[0003]

In the current card payment system, the credit card company generally sets a credit limit for each card user. I don't know.
Therefore, when a card user uses a small amount of money a plurality of times, it may exceed the limit of use and exceed the balance of the user's account at the same time, and there is a problem that the credit card company cannot withdraw the amount.

In the meantime, when the above problem occurs, the credit card company bears the amount that could not be debited, and later charges the shortage again to the card user. However, at the same time as the procedure becomes complicated, the card user may not be able to use the card afterwards due to his carelessness. In addition, the conventional system is based on the premise that the credit card company guarantees the credit of the card user to the store, but at present, whether or not the credit is appropriate because credit cards are provoked by multiple credit card companies. There is a serious problem that it is not possible to fully grasp the above.

In the present invention, based on the current situation as described above,
To solve the conventional problems by providing a system in which the card user can set the card usage limit only within the range of the balance currently in his bank account, and prioritize the use of the card within that range. And

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention adopts a system including a host station, a plurality of bank account databases, a plurality of amount registration devices, and a plurality of amount withdrawal devices. did. The above amount registration device is provided with a card slot device, and the card inserted into the card slot device is written with the bank account and password of the card user as fixed information and the maximum amount of card use as variable information. In the amount registration device, the maximum amount is registered in the card through the host station within the range of the current bank account balance. On the other hand, in the above money withdrawal device, the fixed information of the above card is read, the password is entered after entering the numerical value within the range of the above maximum amount, and the above withdrawal device from the bank account to the above money withdrawal device in advance via the host station. Transfer the amount corresponding to the above number to another registered bank account. The problems are solved by such means.

Further, in the amount registration device, the fixed information is read from the inserted card and uploaded to the host station, and the host station reads the account balance by accessing the database having the bank account of the card user according to the fixed information. The means for transmitting the account balance to the amount registration device and registering the maximum amount in the bank account and the card only when the maximum amount within this range is input is used. In addition, the money deduction device reads the fixed information and variable information from the inserted card and accesses the host station only when the value to be entered as the purchase amount is within the maximum amount and a valid password is entered again. , The means for uploading the fixed information and the input numerical values to this host station was used.

[0008]

The host station has a function of centrally managing the databases provided in a plurality of banks, the amount registration device, and the amount withdrawal device, and these three types of devices are connected separately. The three types of devices are not directly connected. The money amount registration device has a function of registering the maximum amount of money to be used in the card. The host station calls a designated account of the bank to check the balance and registers the maximum amount of money within this range. The money withdrawal device has a function of withdrawing the purchase amount from the maximum amount registered on the card, and the withdrawn amount is a series for transferring the numerical value to another bank account registered in advance in the amount withdrawal device. The procedure is performed.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. First, FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the card and the entire apparatus used in the present invention. Reference numeral 1 is a host station for centrally managing card use, 2 ... 2 are banks that have subscribed to the system, and a computer that manages a database of accounts handled by each bank is connected to the host station 1. are doing. 3 ... 3 are money amount registration devices each equipped with a slot of the card of the present invention, and equipped with means for inserting the amount of money within the range of the balance of the designated account of the user after inserting the card into the slot and inputting a necessary password and the like. ing. Denoted by 4 are money-receipt devices provided in the stores where the card is to be used, which deduct the money used from the card owned by the card user. The host station 1 is assumed to be connected to the bank 2, the amount registration device 3, and the amount withdrawal device 4 by any communication means. Arbitrary communication means means analog or digital public line, CATV network, etc.
It includes publicly known communication means and is equivalent to the communication means according to the present embodiment as long as it is a means capable of properly performing data transmission. Further, the bank 2 ... 2 is a concept including branches of existing banks.

Next, the structure of each amount registration device 3 will be described with reference to FIG. Reference numeral 11 is a communication control circuit such as a modem or NCU driven by a protocol according to the communication means, 12 is a slot device for inserting a card 13 and performing an operation such as writing to the card, 14 is an amount of money to be written to the card 13, An input device for inputting a password, 15 is a display means such as a CRT for displaying information necessary for an operator, 16 is an external storage device, and a CPU 17 controls these peripheral circuits. The card 13 is a portable medium such as an IC card or a magnetic card capable of magnetic recording in which information can be written or rewritten. Although a card is used in this embodiment, the function is not limited to a card having the original meaning of the term, and the function is equivalent whether it is a paper shape or a tape shape. The information written in the card 13 can be divided into fixed information and variable information. The fixed information mainly includes information about a user's bank, branch, and account specified by the card, and a password. The maximum amount paid by the card is written as the variable information. The maximum amount of money means a maximum amount of money when a card user purchases a product or receives a service by using the card, and the maximum amount of money cannot be used.

As means for registering the amount of money in the card 13, the user first inserts the card 13 into the slot device 12 of the arbitrary amount registration device 3. The slot device 12 detects that the card 13 is inserted, and reads information from the recording portion of the card. When the CPU 17 transmits the read fixed information such as the bank, branch, and account to the host station 1, it requests the password input of the card 13. When a valid password is input, the host station 1 calls the specified bank among the participating banks 2 ... 2 and requests the upload of the current data of the account. At the bank 2, when the account information is uploaded to the host station 1, the host station 1
Downloads it to the connected amount registration device 3. The display unit 15 of the amount registration device 3 displays the current balance of the account of the card 13 and the amount of money corresponding to the card usage portion. When the amount of money corresponding to the card usage portion is not registered at that time, the amount of money is not displayed as a matter of course. Then, when the card user wants to change the amount of money he / she wants to use with the card from the currently registered amount of money, or if he / she wants to set a new value, he / she can enter a numerical value from the input means 14, and this amount of money becomes the maximum amount of money for card usage. Become. The maximum amount of money can be arbitrarily set by the card user and can be arbitrarily changed.

The maximum amount of money of the card 13 set in this way is registered in the account of the card user of the bank 2 specified through the host station 1, and within the range of this maximum amount of money, the card is exclusively used for card use. To be done. In other words, of the amount of money currently in the account, only the part registered in the card as the maximum amount can be used, and even if the card user tries to withdraw cash by using a passbook, for example, the maximum amount can be deducted from the balance. You can only withdraw the amount that you have deducted. This can avoid the trouble of being unable to pay due to insufficient balance.

Next, the procedure of the money withdrawing device 4 installed in the store will be described. As a premise, a bank account for depositing the amount of money when the amount of money is withdrawn from the card 13 by operating the amount of money withdrawal device 4 is previously registered in the amount of money withdrawal device 4 as data. The card user presents the card 13 in which the maximum amount of money is registered at the store and purchases the product. At the store, when the card 13 is inserted into the slot of the money withdrawal device 4, the maximum amount of money written in the recording portion of the card 13 can be read, and it is confirmed whether or not the product to be sold is within the maximum amount of money. . If you can confirm that the purchase amount is within the maximum amount, you will be able to withdraw this purchase amount. At this point, the host station 1 is called for the first time, and it is input to the host station 1 that the purchase amount is deducted from the card 13 currently handled. By the way, in the currently accepted credit card, the signature of the card user is requested to confirm the intention to use the card, but in this embodiment, the host station 1 needs to confirm the intention to the card user as data. There is. Therefore, if the purchase amount is input from the host station 1, the password is continuously input as an answer back. If a valid password is transmitted from the money amount withdrawing apparatus 4, it is considered that the intention confirmation has been completed at this point, and the exchange between the money amount withdrawing apparatus 4 and the host station 1 ends. Next, the host station 1 calls the bank 2 recorded on the card 13, withdraws the corresponding amount from the designated account of the bank 2, and transfers the numbers to the account designated by the seller registered in the amount withdrawing device 4. This completes a series of card usage procedures.

Next, regarding the procedure in each bank 2, when the host station 1 requests the specific account to deduct the amount of money for card use, the amount is deducted from the range registered as the maximum amount. Withdraw. here,
There is a difference corresponding to the purchase amount between the maximum amount currently written in the card 13 and the amount specified as the actual maximum amount, but it is not possible to transfer this portion from outside the maximum amount of the balance. Be free. On the contrary, when the card 13 is used in the money withdrawing device 4, it is also possible to change the maximum money together. Which means is adopted depends on the entire system and the number of subscribers.

It should be noted that the present embodiment does not mention the fee for transferring the purchase amount from the designated account of the card user to the designated account of the seller or how to set the deposit interest rate for the maximum amount. However, since these are not technical means, description thereof will be omitted.

[0016]

According to the present invention, the maximum amount of money can be freely set within the range of the actual balance in the bank account of the card user in place of the credit card which has been widely used in the past, and this can be registered in the card. Since the card can be used only in this range, the seller can surely collect the sales amount and can provide a safe card system. In addition, we made it impossible to freely withdraw cash within the range registered as the maximum amount in a bank account, so the card itself will definitely have monetary value, and a credit card company that secures credit. No need for intervention. Therefore, the whole system becomes simple.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of the present invention,

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an amount registration device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Host Station 2 Bank 3 Amount Registration Device 4 Amount Debiting Device 11 Modem 12 Slot Device 13 Card 14 Input Device 15 Display Means 16 External Storage Device 17 CPU

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A host station, a database of a plurality of bank accounts, a plurality of amount registration devices, and a plurality of amount withdrawal devices, wherein the amount registration device has a card slot device and is inserted into the card slot device. The card user's bank account and password are written in the card as fixed information, and the maximum amount of card usage is written as variable information.The current amount is registered in the card through the host station in the amount registration device. While registering the maximum amount of money within the range of the balance of the account, in the amount deduction device, read the fixed information of the card, enter the numerical value within the range of the maximum amount of money, and then enter the password,
A usage limit amount writing card system, wherein the amount corresponding to the above numerical value is transferred from the above bank account to another bank account registered in advance in the above amount withdrawing device via the above host station. 2. The amount registration device reads fixed information from the inserted card and uploads it to the host station, and the host station reads the account balance by accessing the database having the bank account of the card user according to the fixed information. The maximum amount of money is written in the bank account and the card only when the maximum amount of money within the range is input to the amount of money registration device. Card system. 3. The money debiting device reads fixed information and variable information from the inserted card, and only when the value to be input as the purchase amount is within the maximum amount and a valid password is input again, 2. The limit-of-use amount writing card system according to claim 1, wherein the fixed amount information and the input numerical value are uploaded to the host station.