KR20030086780A - Apparatus and method for auto-charging of electronic purse - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: An automatic electronic money charging system and method is provided to enable a user to automatically charge a prepaid card without visiting a charging office or connecting a payment terminal to an accounting server, and to use the prepaid card as a credit card. CONSTITUTION: A minimum charging amount and a designated charging amount are set at an electronic money card and a database of an accounting server. When a payment terminal processes the electronic money card, a charge request list is constructed when a remaining amount is under the minimum charging amount, and is transmitted to the accounting server. The accounting server approves the designated charging amount by using an account linked to the electronic money card. A charging list for the approved card is constructed and transmitted to plural payment terminals. When the electronic money card is processed at a payment terminal, the electronic money card is charged with the designated charging amount.

Description

Electronic money automatic charging system and method for charging list transmission {APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR AUTO-CHARGING OF ELECTRONIC PURSE}

Currently, prepaid and postpaid electronic money are widely used, especially in transportation cards. The double prepaid card is faithful to the concept of the electronic wallet, and it is sufficient to expand its application area including a transportation card, but it is inconvenient for the user to repeatedly charge it every time. The postpaid card is convenient because it does not need to be charged, but there is a risk of unsuccessful payment. Therefore, the postpaid card is limited to a relatively small transportation card, and there is a problem of risk and uncertainty for application in a relatively expensive area.

In order to remedy this inconvenience for postpaid cards, there have been several proposals for automatic charging at payment terminals, but all of them are unsure of the guarantee of account transfer for recharging. Rechargeable) and relatively expensive areas (distribution terminals such as convenience stores and restaurants) also pose a risk.

Another method of recharging a postpaid card is that the payment terminal has a real-time connection to the financial institution server (real time connection to the settlement server if using a virtual account), so that the actual utility value is very low.

The present invention has been devised to improve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to automatically charge in use without the need for the user to visit the charging station in the prepaid transportation card.

Another object of the present invention is to improve the problem that the automatic charging can be made several times without the account transfer or payment for the charge in the automatic charging.

Still another object of the present invention is to enable automatic charging even when the payment terminal and the settlement server are not connected in real time.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an automatic charging method and apparatus that can be used as a prepaid type as well as providing a service in a postpaid type.

1 illustrates an electronic money automatic charging system according to the present invention.

Fig. 2 (a) shows a data storage structure in an electronic money card used in the first embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 2 (b) shows the charge request list structure used in the first embodiment of the present invention,

Figure 2 (c) shows the structure of the filling list used in the first embodiment of the present invention,

Fig. 2 (d) shows the structure of the charge card information DB in the settlement server used in the first embodiment of the present invention.

3 is a flowchart illustrating a charging request list preparation process of a payment terminal according to the present invention.

4 is a flowchart illustrating a charging list preparation process of the settlement server according to the present invention.

5 is a flowchart illustrating a process of charging in a payment terminal according to the present invention.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an electronic money card having a minimum charge liquid field, a current balance field, a card number field, an automatic charge counter and a charge request flag;

List of each requested card data consisting of an automatic charge counter and a card number field if the current balance field storage value in the card is smaller than the minimum charge amount field value after receiving the data from the electronic money card. A payment terminal 20 for creating and transmitting a charge request list and charging a designated charge amount when a card matching the card number of the charge list stored in the payment terminal is used;

Receiving the list of charges received from the terminal, the charge request card transfer payment to the designated account in the designated account, the account settled with the account number of the account transfer is composed of the settlement server 30 to transmit to the payment terminal It is characterized by.

The minimum charge amount, which is the standard amount for which the payment terminal prepares the charge request list, and the designated charge amount, which is the one-time charge amount for automatic charging, can be set by one of the following methods.

There is a way to enter both amounts into the card itself. In this case, when the card is read at the payment terminal, the minimum charge amount and the designated charge value along with the card number and current balance are transmitted from the card to the terminal. This method does not need the designated charge amount field in the charge list stored in the payment terminal, which can reduce the memory burden or the transfer path burden on the payment terminal, but when the user tries to change the setting of the designated charge amount, This has the disadvantage of being cumbersome because the data must be changed.

There are other ways to record the minimum charge on the card and the specified charge on the server and the charge request list. In this method, the payment terminal receives the card number, the current charge amount and the minimum charge amount, and the charge list, the automatic charge counter, the card number and the designated charge amount are recorded. This method has a disadvantage in that the charging list becomes large, but the card user simply changes the settlement server DB when a request for changing the designated charge amount setting is made on the telephone (internet).

Operation of the present invention will be described in the following specific embodiments.

(First embodiment)

The memory in the electronic money card 10 includes a card number field, a current balance field, a minimum charge amount field, an automatic charge counter, a charge request flag, and a final request date and time field. The charge request list to be created is composed of a card number and a charge request counter for each card, and the settlement server DB includes a card number field for each card, a designated charge amount field, a list creation date (date) field, and an automatic charge counter and designation. It consists of account-related information recording fields, and the filling list created by the settlement server 30 is composed by recording a creation date and time (date) in a list consisting of data consisting of a card number field, a designated charging amount field, and an automatic charging counter. .

3 to 4, the operation of the present embodiment will be described. 3 is a flowchart illustrating only a charging list preparation process in the payment terminal 20, FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a process of creating a charging list for the cards requested to be charged in the settlement server 30, and FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a process of charging the card 10 existing in the charge list during payment processing in the payment terminal 20.

When the user pays a transportation fee using the electronic money card 10, the payment terminal, if the charge balance after the payment is less than the charge request amount set in the card, if the charge request flag is less than a predetermined number of times, the charge request list Record the card number and the card's automatic charge counter value, and increase the charge request flag by 1 (charge request allows only a certain number of times). When the charge request flag has reached a certain number of times, the elapsed time from the date of the last request recorded on the card to the present time is examined. Reset the charge request flag and complete the charge list again. The payment terminal 20 transmits the charge request list created within a predetermined period (generally, the period between transmission points) to the server 30, and deletes the charge request list that has been completed. DB of server has charge card information DB which stores card number, automatic charge counter value, designated charge amount, charge list creation date (date) and account related information for each card. The server 30 checks whether the automatic charge counter value on the charge request list of each card that receives the charge request and the automatic charge counter value on the charge card information DB of the server are the same. In the same case, the server 30 checks the filling list creation date of the corresponding card number, and regenerates the filling list without account transfer if the current time passes a certain period (charge list storage period) from the creation date. If the value of the automatic charge counter on the charge request list is one greater than the value of the automatic charge counter on the charge card information DB, request the transfer of the designated charge amount from the account specified on the card. Recorded in the "Account-related" area). If the transfer is unsuccessful, the charging operation is terminated. If the transfer is successful, the server 30 increases the automatic charge counter on the charging card information DB by one, and the related information of the card (increased automatic charge counter, card number, designation). Record the charge amount) in the charge list. The filling list is recorded with the filling list creation date (or date) and recorded in the filling date field on the charging card information DB. The server 30 transmits the created charging list to each terminal 20, and each of the received terminals 20 records the charging list in a memory. When the user uses the card, the terminal checks whether the card number is recorded in the charging list (it may be implemented to perform the test only when the current balance is less than or equal to the minimum charge amount). If a card number exists in the charging list, compare the automatic charging counter of the charging list with the automatic charging counter recorded in the card. If both counter values are the same, the terminal 20 simultaneously charges the card with the designated charge amount and increases the in-card auto charge counter by one, and resets the charge request flag.

(2nd Example)

The memory in the electronic money card 10 includes a card number field, a current balance field, a minimum charge amount field, a designated charge amount field, an automatic charge counter, a charge request flag, and a final charge date and time field. The charge request list created by the payment terminal 20 is composed of a card number for each card, a charge request counter, and a designated charge amount. The settlement server DB includes a card number field for each card, a list creation date field, and an automatic charge counter. It consists of a designated account-related information recording field, the filling list created by the settlement server 30 is composed by recording the creation date and time in a list consisting of data consisting of the card number field and the automatic charge counter.

The operation of this embodiment is similar to that of the first embodiment, but the payment terminal 20 records the designated charge amount in the charge request list and transmits it to the settlement server 30, and the settlement server 30 is assigned to the corresponding card number. The bank transfer request the designated charge amount recorded in the charge request list in the designated account, and when the transfer is completed, the charge list recording the card number and the automatic charge counter is paid to the payment terminal 20. The payment terminal 20 automatically charges the designated charge amount value read from the card when the user card number exists in the charge list. In this embodiment, the setting change of the designated charging amount should change the value in the card 10.

(Third Embodiment)

This embodiment is almost similar to the first embodiment, but charges the designated charge amount in advance free of charge when the user issues a card. When the current balance falls below the minimum charge amount, the charge request is made to the settlement server by the charge request list as in the first embodiment, but in this case, the nature of the charge request has the nature of a payment request for the amount used after the previous charge. The account transfer is also replaced with a payment request, and when the payment completion signal from the card company (bank) 40, the settlement server 30 creates and sends a charging list (having the nature of the payment completion list). In this embodiment, the procedure becomes somewhat complicated when the designated charge amount setting is changed, and the settlement amount field is added to the charge card information DB. When the user requests the settlement server 30 to change the designated charge amount setting, the settlement server 30 records the designated charge amount value on the charge card information DB before the change in the settlement amount field and changes the designated charge amount value to the charge card. Record it in the designated charge amount field in the information DB. In this case, when the charge request is received, the settlement server 30 requests the payment (bank transfer) to the financial institution (card company, bank) 40, and deletes the payment expected value after the payment is completed, the charge card information Fill list is filled with designated charge amount value in DB. If the settlement amount field is deleted at the time of the charging request (payment request), the payment is made at the designated charging value and a filling list is created.

(Example 4)

This embodiment is almost similar to the second embodiment, but charges the designated charge amount free of charge when the user issues a card (postpaid). When the current balance falls below the minimum charge amount, the charge request is made to the settlement server 30 by the charge request list as in the second embodiment, but in this case, the charge request has the nature of a payment request for the amount used after the previous charge. The account transfer is also replaced with a payment request, and when the payment completion signal from the card company (bank) 40, the settlement server 30 creates and sends a charging list (having the nature of the payment completion list). In this embodiment, the procedure for changing the designated charge amount setting becomes more complicated than prepaid, and additionally records the estimated settlement value in the card 10. When the user requests to change the designated charge amount setting, the changed designated charge amount value is recorded in the designated charge amount field in the card 10, and the designated charge amount value before the change is recorded in the settlement estimated amount field. The payment terminal 20 requests a charge (payment) with the value if the value is recorded in the settlement amount field when the charging (payment) request list is created, and charges (payment) with the designated charge amount value if the settlement amount field is cleared. do. The payment terminal 20 also charges the designated charge amount value at the time of automatic charging, and erases the estimated payment amount recorded on the card 10.

The payment terminal 20 of the present invention automatically deletes the list even after a certain period of time from the creation date attached to the charging list. The predetermined period is a charging list preservation period, which is to prevent more than the required charging list is accumulated in the payment terminal 20. The payment terminal 20 goes through a process of checking whether the card number exists in the charging list even when the balance of the electronic money is insufficient for the fee. The present invention may be implemented by storing the charge list transmission area for each card in the settlement server DB, by limiting the payment terminal to which the charge list is transmitted for each card by region or type (convenience store or fast food).

In addition, the present invention can be implemented so that the card user can be charged using a conventional manual charger or a charger and a phone built in the ATM (if this does not increase the automatic charge counter), if it is not yet dropped to less than the minimum charge amount in advance. It may be.

When the present invention is operated as a postpaid credit card, for the convenience of the credit card user, in consultation with a credit card company, even if the amount of payment is not settled, a certain number of times unless a stolen / lost card report or a credit report is not received. Depending on the state).

The present invention may be implemented to allow a small amount of charge before payment only once if the balance is completely exhausted for the convenience of the user. In this case, a precharge flag is provided in the electronic money card, and when the balance is exhausted and the precharge is set, the flag is set (precharge is not possible when the flag is set), and a predetermined amount is precharged. When the automatic charging is made, it is implemented to charge the amount minus the amount used as precharge from the designated charging amount. At this time, the payment terminal pre-charges with a prepaid charge (fixed amount) when the prepaid charge flag is not set even if the current balance is insufficient during the payment processing of the electronic money card and the electronic money card number does not exist in the charge list. And set a precharge flag, and when charging with the designated charge amount, if the precharge flag is set, the amount charged by subtracting the current balance in the card from the precharge amount is charged from the designated charge amount, And resetting the charging flag.

In addition, when the present invention is used in a postpaid manner, even when the designated charge amount setting is changed, the application of the designated charge amount setting change is made without changing the designated charge amount setting in a rather complicated process as in the third and fourth embodiments. It can be implemented to complete the payment for the amount of the electronic money card up to and set it as a newly changed designated charge amount. (In this case, it has an advantage that the structure is almost similar to prepaid. There is discomfort.)

The account related information recording field in the charge card information DB of the settlement server of the embodiments of the present invention is to record relevant information and a flag (counter) for account transfer, for example, the related account number field and account transfer. If a settlement flag is requested by the settlement server (the settlement server is online with the bank server), an account transfer request is made with the account number recorded in the account number field associated with the card. Is displayed as 'Transfer request'. In case of 'transfer request', when charging request is received, no operation is performed and ignored.If the transfer fails due to insufficient balance, the charging operation (charge list creation operation) is terminated (status flag is reset to its original state). ). When the transfer is completed, the 'Transfer Complete' flag is displayed, and the charging list creation procedure described in the above embodiments is performed. In addition, the transfer request time may be displayed in the account-related information recording field so that a predetermined period of time during the transfer request may be treated as a transfer failure. In addition, when the transfer fails due to the absence of the account may be implemented to not respond to the next charge request by displaying the status flag as 'account not present'.

The present invention may be implemented by further using a charging completion list. In this case, the data flow is first sent from the card to the payment terminal in the payment processing, and the payment terminal forms a charge request list for the cards whose current balance is less than the minimum charge amount and sends it to the settlement server. The settlement server transfers (or pays) the designated charge amount from the designated account for each card requested to be charged, forms a charge list with the paid cards, and sends it to each payment terminal. If the payment number is present in the charge list, the payment terminal charges with the designated charge amount, and forms a charge completion list with the charged cards and sends it to the settlement server. In case of using the charge completion list, an automatic charge counter is required to prevent the double charge, and it is necessary to reduce the redundant charge request by using the charge request flag.

If the charging complete list is further provided, the automatic charging counter can be verified once more using the charging completion list, and there is a safety advantage that the server can check whether the charging is completed, and the settlement server sends a charging list to schedule If the charge complete list does not arrive within the period (charge list retention period), it is recorded in the charge list again and sent to the payment terminal in case the charging is not performed within the charge list retention period.

The procedure of automatic charging during electronic money payment processing according to the present invention is as follows.

Setting a minimum charge amount and a designated charge amount in a DB of an electronic money card or a settlement server; When the payment is made to the payment terminal in electronic money, constructing a charge request list if the balance after payment processing is less than or equal to the minimum charge amount; Transmitting the charge request list to a settlement server; Approving (account transfer or payment) the designated charging amount in the account set in the electronic money in the settlement server; Creating a charging list for the approved electronic money; Transmitting the charging list to one or more payment terminals; When the next payment processing to the payment terminal with the electronic money, it characterized in that it comprises the step of charging the card with the designated charge amount recorded on the charge list. Creating a charging completion list consisting of card numbers for which the payment terminal is fully charged when using the charging completion list; The method may further include transmitting the charging completion list to the settlement server. When the present invention is implemented in a postpaid manner, the automatic charging procedure includes a step of free charging a predetermined amount (which becomes a designated charging amount) in advance when the card is issued. In the case of adding a precharge function for the convenience of the user to the present invention, if the precharge flag in the card is not set when the user's card balance is exhausted, a predetermined amount (a small amount due to the problem of risk, and fixed value for convenience of implementation And the pre-charge flag is set in this case, and the automatic charging by the charging list is the same as above when the pre-charge flag is not set by reading the pre-charge flag. Calculating an amount of money minus the current balance (amount of money used for precharging) from a predetermined precharge amount (which is a fixed value); The precharging further includes a step of subtracting the used amount from the designated charging amount and recharging (at this time, resetting the precharge flag).

Advantages of the present invention having the configuration as described above are as follows. There is no risk of being charged on the stolen card or stolen card. Since the charging list transmission method, the automatic charging can be performed in a state where the payment terminal to the financial institution server is not connected in real time. In the case of initially charging the charge amount free of charge, it can be used as a postpaid, and also has the advantage that prepaid and postpaid is operated in the same way. In the case of postpaid payment, it is possible to implement the card company so as not to be liable for loss by viewing the charged amount in general currency (in this case, the discount rate can be increased as much as the risk), and in this case, there is an advantage of not requiring BL management.

Claims (8)

In the electronic money card system, in the automatic charging system in which the minimum charge amount value, which is the threshold value at which the charge is made, and the designated charge amount value, which is the amount at one charge, are preset, Receives the charge list from the settlement server and stores it in memory, charges the designated charge amount when an electronic money card matching the card number recorded in the stored charge list is used, and charges if the current balance is less than the minimum charge amount after payment. A payment terminal which records in the request list and has a control unit for transmitting the charge request list to the settlement server; It is provided with a control unit for approving (transferring or paying) a designated charge amount in the account for each card for the charge request list, recording the approved card account in the charge list, and transmitting the charge list to the payment terminal. Electronic money card automatic charging system, characterized in that consisting of a settlement server. According to claim 1, wherein the payment terminal when the electronic money card of the card number recorded in the charge list, the charge completion list consisting of the charged card numbers, and transmits to the settlement server Currency automatic charging system. According to claim 1 or 2, wherein the payment terminal performs a pre-payment charge with a precharge only once per card, even if the current balance is insufficient at the time of payment processing and the card number does not exist in the charge list. Electronic money automatic charging system, characterized in that. A memory for storing a charge request list consisting of one or more card interface units, numbers of cards whose charge is below the charge request, a memory for receiving a charge list from a settlement server, and a card currently in contact with a terminal. After the payment, if the current balance is lower than the charge request amount, check whether the card number exists in the charge list, if it exists, charge it with the charge setting value, and if it does not exist, add the card number to the charge request list. Payment terminal, characterized in that configured as a central processing unit. 5. The payment terminal of claim 4, wherein the central processing unit performs a function of creating a charging completion list consisting of card numbers and transmitting the electronic money cards to the settlement server. Setting a minimum charge amount and a designated charge amount in a DB of an electronic money card or a settlement server; When the payment is made to the payment terminal in electronic money, constructing a charge request list if the balance after payment processing is less than or equal to the minimum charge amount; Transmitting the charge request list to a settlement server; Approving (account transfer or payment) the designated charge amount in the account set in the electronic money in the settlement server; Creating a charging list for the approved electronic money; Transmitting the charging list to one or more payment terminals; The electronic money automatic charging method comprising the step of charging with the designated charge amount for the card recorded in the charge list at the next payment processing to the payment terminal with the electronic money. 7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the steps of: charging with a designated charging amount, the payment terminal creating a charging completion list consisting of card numbers which have been fully charged; Electronic charge automatic charging method comprising the step of transmitting the charge completion list to the settlement server. 8. The automatic charging method for electronic money according to claim 6 or 7, further comprising the step of free charging the same amount as the designated charging amount in advance when the electronic money card is issued.