JPH09293175A - Card management system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To considerably remove the possibility of illegal use and to realize smooth card system operation. SOLUTION: In a system for managing prepaid cards 3 which respective users have in a center 1, the card's own peculiar numbers are recorded in the respective prepaid cards 3 and denominations showing limit amounts that the users can purchase by the cards are filled. The denomination of the card is ciphered and displayed on the card's own peculiar number and data on the use results and issuing dates are recorded and managed in a host computer 2 provided for the center 1 in accordance with the card's own peculiar number 4.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a card management system for managing cards such as prepaid cards by a computer.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Prepaid cards and credit cards are widely used because they are convenient because they can be used for goods purchase and service provision without carrying cash.

[0003]

However, since these are substitutes for cash, there is a high risk of unauthorized use, and protection against them has been insufficient in the past.

Particularly, in the conventional prepaid card, its validity, balance, etc. are judged only by the data recorded on the card. Therefore, the denomination frame can be expanded by falsifying the recorded data on the card. , There was a possibility of fraud, such as expanding the balance of used cards to the denomination limit.

Further, since prepaid cards of the same denomination have the same card unique number, a large number can be duplicated, and there is a risk that each of the duplicated cards will be used up to its denomination limit. It was

[0006] Furthermore, once the prepaid card is lost, it is difficult to reissue it, which imposes a heavy burden on the user.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an object of the present invention is to eliminate the possibility of improper use as much as possible and to enable a smooth card system operation.

That is, according to the present invention, in a system in which a prepaid card owned by each user is managed at a center, a unique number is recorded on each prepaid card and the maximum amount that can be purchased with the card is shown. The denomination is described, and the denomination of the card is encrypted and displayed in the card unique number, and the host computer provided in the center corresponds to the card unique number and the usage record of the card, It is characterized in that data such as the date of issue is recorded and managed.

In this card management system, a specific numeral or letter or symbol indicating a denomination is displayed at a specific digit position of the card unique number, and a combination of this digit position and denomination display is made for each denomination. It can be encrypted and displayed as different.

The present invention also provides a card management system for managing a card owned by each user at a center,
A unique number is recorded on each card, and the host computer provided in the center records and manages the data related to the card corresponding to the card unique number. Can be constructed as a card management system characterized in that at least one of data related to the card is encrypted and displayed.

Further, according to the present invention, in a card management system for managing a card owned by each user at a center, each card has a unique number recorded therein, and a host computer provided at the center has It can be constructed as a card management system characterized in that variable data that changes each time the card is used is recorded and managed corresponding to the card unique number.

[0012] In this case, the variable data may indicate the accumulated usage amount or balance of the card, or may indicate the usage history of the card.

[0013]

1 shows the outline of a prepaid card management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The management center 1 is provided with a host computer 2 which centrally processes and manages data relating to the issued prepaid card 3 (denomination of each card, issue date, lot number, usage record, etc.).

Each prepaid card 3 is provided with an ID number display field 4 in which an ID number unique to the prepaid card is recorded by means such as magnetic recording, and the prepaid card can be used for product purchase and service provision. A denomination display column 5 is provided in which denominations indicating the maximum amount of money are displayed.

Each shop 6 in which products can be purchased and services can be provided by the prepaid card 3 has a terminal 7 connected to the host computer 2 by an optical fiber or the like.

The prepaid card 3 owned by the user is inserted into the terminal 7 and the unique ID of the prepaid card is inserted.
When the number is read, the data is transmitted to the host computer 2 and data regarding whether or not the prepaid card 3 is valid is displayed on the terminal device 5. After confirming that the prepaid card 3 is valid, the shop 6 authorizes the owner user to purchase a product or provide a service at its own shop. 2 is sent. It is practical and preferable that the terminal 7 is linked with a POS (not shown).

The host computer 2, which has received the data transmission regarding the usage fee from the terminal device 7, adds the current usage fee to the cumulative usage fee recorded for the prepaid card 3 at that time, and updates the cumulative usage fee. To record.

As described above, the prepaid card 3 has the denomination display field 5 displaying the maximum amount of use of the card, and further, I recorded in the prepaid card 3
The denomination is also encrypted and displayed on the D number.

This encrypted display can be performed, for example, by displaying a number indicating a denomination at a specific digit position of the ID number. For example, a 10,000-yen prepaid card has the third digit "5" and a 20,000-yen prepaid card has the fifth digit "1".
The number "2" is on the 6th digit for a 10,000 yen prepaid card, and "8" is on the 2nd digit for a 100,000 yen prepaid card.
, And create an ID number for each prepaid card so that only one of these combinations is satisfied. As a result, in the management center 1 including the host computer 2, for example, “4291170
It is possible to immediately know that the prepaid card having the ID number of "3" is of a denomination of 20,000 yen based only on the ID number.

As another example of the encrypted display, numbers indicating denominations may be inserted at a plurality of digit positions of the ID number. For example, a prepaid card of 100,000 yen has a second digit of "5" and a fifth digit of "9". Alternatively, the numbers "5" and "9" may be inserted into two digit positions such as the second digit and the sixth digit, which are placed for three digits.

That is, the host computer 2 is programmed so that some regularity is preset for each denomination and an ID number including the regularity is given to each prepaid card 3. Of course, it is impossible to know that the ID number of each prepaid card 3 is encrypted and displayed in this way, unless the program of the host computer 2 is accessed, and the owner of each prepaid card 3 receives the money. I think that the seeds are only displayed in the denomination display field 5.

This prepaid card 3 is effectively protected against unauthorized use, and when lost, it can be reissued by transferring the balance at that time to a new card.

That is, the owner makes a note of the ID number and denomination displayed on his or her prepaid card 3, and immediately reports them to the management center 1 when they are lost. The management center 1 immediately invalidates the prepaid card 3 having the reported ID number. After that, when the prepaid card 3 is inserted into the terminal 7 provided in each shop 6, it is displayed that the card is already invalid, so that the unauthorized use by a third party who picks up the prepaid card is prevented. It

There is a possibility that the prepaid card 3 may be illegally used by the finder unless the loss is reported, but the prepaid card used in the system of the present invention can be reissued as described below. Therefore, the owner who notices the fact of the loss is expected to immediately report to the management center 1, and it is possible to operate the card system smoothly by eliminating unauthorized use as much as possible.

Further, even if a person who picks up a prepaid card changes the denomination (for example, changes the display of the denomination column of the 10,000 yen prepaid card to 100,000 yen) and abuses the prepaid card, If the ID number is inquired to the host computer 2, the original denomination will be immediately revealed by the above-mentioned encrypted display. Therefore, even if the finder uses the card, it is limited to the range of the balance of the card.

Unauthorized use by changing the denomination is impossible even on the part of the owner of the prepaid card.
That is, even if the owner of the 10,000 yen prepaid card requests the management center 1 to reissue it because of loss or theft, the management center 1 does the ID number and denomination reported correspond? Host computer 2
You can check immediately by accessing.

In the above-mentioned embodiment, the host computer 2 records the accumulated usage amount of each prepaid card 3, but the available balance (remaining number) may be recorded. That is, when a product is purchased or a service is provided by using a card at the shop, a new balance obtained by subtracting the usage amount from the balance up to that point is updated and recorded in the master data of the host computer 2. Since the balance is not recorded on the card 3, it is impossible to falsify the balance on the card 3.

In addition to the specific examples described above, many modes can be envisaged for the encrypted display of the card ID number. For example, in the case of a prepaid card, the encrypted display can be made more effective by changing the digit position for displaying the denomination according to other card-related data such as the card issue date (day of the week). It is also possible to use a plurality of data as data for designating the denomination display digit position, and create the card ID number while changing the priority order thereof according to a specific rule.

FIG. 2 shows a configuration example of the master data 8 of the host computer 2 in the present invention. That is, the master data 8 has the same ID number as the ID number recorded on the card 3 described above, and the card issuance date, lot number, denomination, as data related to the card.
It is configured by combining a balance and a number (may be a symbol or a code. The same applies hereinafter) indicating the usage history. Of course, these related data may be continued before or after the ID number, or may be divided into arbitrary two groups and distributedly arranged before and after the ID number.

Of these related data, the issue date, the lot number and the number indicating the denomination are unique to each card and do not change, but the numbers indicating the balance and the usage history are the same even if they are the same card. This is the variable data 9 that changes with use.

Here, the usage history means that the data such as the shop where the card is used, the date of use, and the amount of money are shown for the latest use and several uses before that. For example, a unique number is given in advance to each card-usable shop, and the number indicating the shop is displayed for the last several times (predetermined number of times) of use. Alternatively, a number indicating the amount of money used several times recently is displayed as a usage history. The usage history created in this way is updated each time the card is used. For example, recently 4
“2”, “8”, “3”,
When the number is "1" and the number "2831" is displayed as the usage history, the usage history number is updated to "8315" when the usage at the shop "5" is performed this time.

As described above, the recording of the variable data 9 which is updated each time it is used together with the card ID number in the master data 8 of the host computer provides effective protection against imitation or forgery of the card.

In other words, if the master data 8 of the host computer is accessed by a hacker and the card is imitated or forged, a card having exactly the same master data is temporarily owned by the original owner. However, if any one of these cards with the same master data is used, the variable data indicating the balance and the usage history will fluctuate due to its use, Even if the ID numbers are the same, different master data will be updated and created as a whole.

Here, when the genuine card is used before the imitation card is used, the variable data 9 is used at that time.
Is updated and different master data 8 is created. Therefore, even if an imitation card is subsequently used, the ID number of the card and the updated variable data do not correspond to each other on the master data. The imitation card cannot be used.

Although it is difficult to prevent the imitation card from being used before the genuine card is used, a certain degree of protection against unauthorized use is possible in this case as well. That is, if the authentic card is used once after the imitation card is used, since the master data is updated by the use of the imitation card, an error is displayed when the original owner uses the authentic card. However, it is recognized that the original owner generally knows or remembers the usage history of his or her card at least to some extent accurately, and in particular can reproduce the recent usage history almost completely. Therefore, even if an error is displayed, if the management center 1 is informed of the shop recently used, the amount of money used, and the like, by collating the variable data 9 indicating the usage history in the master data 8 related to the card, You can see that the card is authentic.

After it is confirmed that the card is a genuine card in this way, the owner of the card is permitted to use the card, and the variable data 9 in the master data 8 is rewritten to a value corresponding to the use of the card. As a result, when the imitation card is to be used thereafter, the variable data 9 does not correspond and an error is displayed. Since the imitation card owner cannot reproduce the usage history by the original owner, the error cannot be canceled.

The master data 8 as shown in FIG. 2 can be applied not only to prepaid cards but also to credit cards, cash cards, etc., and can be effectively protected from imitation and forgery.

[0038]

According to the present invention, the possibility of unauthorized use of a card can be eliminated as much as possible, and a smooth operation of the card system can be achieved.

More specifically, in the present invention, the data recorded on the prepaid card is collated with the master data on the host computer to check the validity, balance, etc., so that the judgment is made only on the data on the card. It is impossible to expand the denomination frame like a conventional prepaid card.

In addition, since the variable data such as the usage history, which is updated each time the card is used, is recorded on the master data, the prepaid card that has been used even once is in an unused state even if the recording on the card is falsified. It cannot be returned.

Further, since a unique number is recorded on each card, and only one card having the same card number exists, even if many cards having the same number are duplicated, one card is used once. After that, all other cards will become invalid, and it will be possible to prevent the amount of money being illegally used from becoming huge. Moreover, since the presence / absence of an unauthorized user is confirmed when the authorized user who has the genuine card of the same number uses the card, it is possible to prevent the unauthorized use thereafter.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing a configuration of a prepaid card management system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a configuration example of master data including a card ID number.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Management Center 2 Host Computer 3 Prepaid Card 4 Card ID Number 5 Kind of Money Display 6 Shop 7 Terminal 8 Master Data 9 Variable Data

Claims (6)

[Claims] 1. In a system in which a prepaid card owned by each user is managed at a center, each prepaid card has a unique number recorded therein and a denomination that indicates the maximum amount that can be purchased with the card. In addition, the denomination of the card is encrypted and displayed in the card unique number, and the host computer provided in the center corresponds to the card unique number and the usage record of the card, issue date, etc. A card management system characterized in that the data of is recorded and managed. 2. A specific number or letter or symbol indicating a denomination is displayed at a specific digit position of the card unique number, and the combination of the digit position and denomination display is different for each denomination. The card management system according to claim 1, wherein the card management system is encrypted. 3. A card management system for managing a card owned by each user at a center, wherein each card has a unique number recorded therein, and a host computer provided at the center has a unique card number. Correspondingly, the data related to the card is recorded and managed, and at least one of the data related to the card is encrypted and displayed in the card unique number. 4. A card management system for managing a card owned by each user at a center, wherein each card has a unique number recorded therein, and a host computer provided at the center has a unique card number. Correspondingly, the variable data that changes each time the card is used is recorded and managed, and the card management system is characterized. 5. The variable data indicates the accumulated amount of money used or the balance of the card.
Card management system. 6. The card management system according to claim 4, wherein the variable data indicates a usage history of the card.