WO1993008533A1

WO1993008533A1 - Portable calculator device for bank account management

Info

Publication number: WO1993008533A1
Application number: PCT/FR1991/000839
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jacques Dupre
Original assignee: LAURENT, Gérard
Priority date: 1991-10-24
Filing date: 1991-10-24
Publication date: 1993-04-29

Abstract

A portable calculator device for bank account management, having a keyboard with at least one function key (12) related to the desired payment method, and triggering a specific display sequence, a numeric keypad (10), and means (23, 25, 14, 21) operated by pressing the function key (12) and used to display an order number and input (10, 11) a transaction sum and the date.

Description

PORTABLE CALCULATION DEVICE FOR MANAGEMENT

ACCOUNT IN BANK

The present invention relates to a portable computing device for bank account management. Portable calculation devices are known, such as small calculators sold commercially and some of which are specifically adapted to financial calculations.

However, this kind of calculator does not allow a simple and efficient way to manage a bank account. So when a user of a bank account makes purchases or withdrawals with his credit card, even if he collects tickets issued by the merchant or bank distributors, after a certain moment he does not know where in is his account and if he wants to know it he is obliged to collect and add the tickets to obtain the result by a series of operations which can seem tedious.

A first object of the invention is therefore to make it possible to solve the above problems.

This object is achieved by the fact that the portable calculation device for bank account management comprises a keyboard with at least one functional key associated with a payment method used and triggering a specific display sequence, a keypad of numeric keys, means allowing the actuation of the functional key to display a row number and to introduce a transaction amount and the date. According to another characteristic, the device comprises a validation key allowing, after introduction of the amount of the transaction, to memorize the transaction with the date in a non-volatile programmable memory. According to another characteristic, the device includes means for unwinding the stored information making it possible to display on the display a scan of all the transactions recorded in the programmable non-volatile memory for the selected payment mode.

According to another characteristic, the device comprises means for displaying and calculating the sum of the transactions recorded in relation to a payment method and for viewing the result.

According to another characteristic, the device comprises several functional keys, each associated with a payment mode, each payment mode having at least one associated memory area in which the transactions are stored.

According to another characteristic, the device comprises means of calculating the new balance of the account by subtracting the amount or sums of the transactions carried out on each mode of payment of the balance of the account introduced on the keypad of numeric keys.

According to another characteristic, the device comprises initialization means making it possible to enter the time and the date.

According to another characteristic, the device comprises means for resetting the transaction memories to zero.

According to another characteristic, the initialization means consist of a switch placed in a particular position followed by the introduction on the keypad of numeric keys of the time and the actuation of a specific key.

According to another characteristic, the device comprises means making it possible to enter alphabetical information in the associated memory area with an amount corresponding to the rank of an operation. Another object of the invention is to propose an assembly allowing the use of the device.

This object is achieved by the fact that the assembly includes a pocket on a flap of which the calculation device is fixed while the other flap comprises slots allowing the introduction of credit cards.

Other characteristics and advantages of the present invention will appear more clearly on reading the description below made with reference to the appended drawings in which:

- Figure 1 shows a top view of the cover comprising the device of the invention;

- Figure 2 shows the electronic diagram of the electronic circuit of the device of the invention;

- Figure 3 shows different displays made by the device according to the functions.

The device of the invention, shown in Figure 1 consists of an envelope pocket (2) formed of at least two flaps. A first part p _* ?. * .Net ia fixing of a calculation device (1) whose fa-. _ front is shown in this figure and the electronic device included in it, shown in Figure 2.

The front face of the calculation device (1) comprises a numeric keypad (10), a validation key (11), a first display line (14), a second display line (15), at least one key functional (12A) associated with the payment method for which the card is created. Thus in the variant embodiment of FIG. 1, a first key (12A) is used for a first payment card (1), a second key (12B) for a second payment card, a third key (12C) for a third payment card. The number of cards can be changed without changing the spirit of the invention. You can also replace a key associated with a card by a key associated with a checkbook or other means of payment.

The device also comprises at least two display lines (14, 15), a switch (16) for positioning the device, either in initialization mode, or in normal operating mode. A pair of keys, (17A) for the date, (17B) for the time, allows the initialization of the date and time and a key (18) allows the card to be reset. An on-off key (13) and a key (19) relating to addition, subtraction and sum operations are added to the device. Finally, the device is completed by a front key (18A) making it possible to display the transactions recorded previously on the display device, a key after (18B) making it possible to display the recorded transaction after that which is shown on the display, a print key (18C) for printing the content of the memories of the device, a sum key (18D) for carrying out the sum of the transactions recorded for a means of payment.

As shown in FIG. 2, the keyboard (1) is associated with a keyboard logic (27) which communicates with the bus (28) of a microprocessor (23), itself connected to a read-only memory (25) of the ROM or EPROM type and containing the device operating program.

This microprocessor (23) is also connected by the bus

(28) to a random access memory RAM (22) serving as a buffer memory temporarily storing results such as the balance result and to a programmable non-volatile erasable memory, of type E PR0M (24), or of type

RAM with battery, to store the information entered on the keyboard. A clock (26) makes it possible to sequence the assembly and to keep the date and time. The microprocessor bus (28) is also connected to a display logic circuit (21), which controls the display (14, 15).

In an alternative embodiment, it is understood that the display (14, 15) can be constituted by a liquid crystal assembly and several lines and the keyboard simplified so as to simply allow the device to be controlled by a menu appearing on the display and action on a limited number of keys. In operation, the device for the first use is switched on by pressing the on-off button (13), the first screen line (14) displays the zero values. At this time the switch (16) is positioned so as to reveal a distinctive color, for example green, indicating that it is an initialization operation and the operator presses the button (17B ) which controls the time display. The user then enters the time on the numeric keypad and by pressing the time button (17B) again, the time which was displayed on the screen line (14) is stored in the memory of the device. He then presses the date button (17A) to modify the date "00" which initially appears on the screen. The operator enters the date by pressing the numeric keys and, by pressing the date key again, stores it in the device memory and displays the associated time on the screen line (14) on the date represented by the day, the month and the year. The device will then keep the date and time permanently, as long as the batteries supplying the electronic circuit are in good condition.

The habit, 11th use of the device is shown in Figure 3.

After pressing the on-off button (13) and a button corresponding to the payment method for which the user wants to record a transaction. for example the key (12A) associated with the card (1) it has just used, the screen displays on the first line (14) the information represented by the reference (30), namely the row number of the future transaction. To record a transaction, all you have to do is press the keys on the numeric keypad to enter the corresponding amount and confirm it by hitting the validation key (11). The validation triggers the transfer of the information entered from the RAM to the non-volatile memory and at the same time the writing in at least one area of the non-volatile memory associated with the payment of the amount and the date of amount entry. After this validation operation, the screen displays the rank number of the next operation, namely (4). When the operator wants to stop, he presses the start-stop button again. If, on the other hand, after a recording operation, he wants to view the expenses made by the payment method, he presses for example the front key (18A) so as to view the previously recorded transaction and, as shown in the reference ( 31), it appears on the first screen line (14) the amount of the transaction and the rank number thereof, that is to say the second transaction. Line (15) shows at the same time the date of entry of the expense. If the user wants to continue forward, he presses the front key again (18A) and the first expense appears, as well as the date of entry of the expense. To go back, just press the key after (18B). When the user wants to exit the procedure, he presses the validation key (11) and the screen displays, as shown in the reference (34), the hour and the month.

The device can also be used to display the sum of all expenses for the payment method concerned by pressing the key. sum (18D). To this facility is also added that of allowing the calculation of the balance of his account by adding the initial balance of the account to the sum of withdrawals made. In this case, all you have to do is press the + key referenced (19), enter by the numeric keypad (10) the initial balance of the account which will be displayed on line (14) and then press the key marked of the = sign, the device will immediately calculate the account balance by subtracting from the initial balance the sum of the operations carried out for the designated payment method. This operation does not in any way modify the storage carried out in the non-volatile memory of the sum of all the expenses for the card concerned which can be reappeared by pressing the sum key (18D).

It is easy to understand that the electronic circuit of FIG. 2 allows, thanks to the processor (23) and the program installed in the ROM read only memory, to carry out the operations which have just been described, to manage the display and to write the operations in the programmable memory, memorizing for each operation the amount of the expense and the date. Each card is associated with a part of the programmable non-volatile memory (24) and the microprocessor thus manages the writes and readings in this programmable non-volatile memory.

The operation described with a first payment method (3A) called "card 1" will be identical with a second payment method (3B) which can be a second card or a checkbook, or even a third payment method (3C).

The device thus described allows a user to keep in a simple manner the memory of the operations he performs with a certain number of payments made available to him and to view the balance of his account at any time without having to carry out long operations and tedious. As we have seen previously, the use of several functional keys associated with each payment method can be replaced by the use of a single key and a drop-down menu to be displayed on the display device, thus making it possible by selection made in relation to the screen to select the payment method on which we want to store or view transactions.

Other modifications within the reach of the skilled person are also part of the spirit of the invention.

Thus, the device can include an alphabetical keyboard which would allow the user, by actuating the keys of the alphabetical keyboard, to designate all the operations carried out with the card or the checkbook, this designation of the operation being arranged with the amount of the corresponding rank. to the operation in memory.

Claims

1. Portable calculation device for bank account management characterized in that it comprises a keyboard with at least one functional key (12) associated with a payment method used and triggering a specific display sequence, a keypad numerical (10), means (23, 25, 14, 21) allowing, upon actuation of the functional key (12) to display a row number and to introduce (10, 11) a transaction amount and the date.

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a validation key (11) allowing after introduction of the amount of the transaction to store it with the date in a programmable non-volatile memory (24).

3. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises means (18, 23, 25) of unwinding of the stored information making it possible to make on the display (14) a scan of all the transactions recorded in the non-memory volatile programmable (24) for the selected payment method.

4. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises means (14, 15, 18D) for displaying and calculating the sum of the transactions recorded in relation to a payment method and for viewing the result.

5. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises several functional keys (12A, 12B, 12C), each associated with a payment mode (3A, 3B, 3C), each payment mode having a memory area of the associated non-volatile memory (24) in which the transactions are stored.

6. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises means (23, 25) for calculating the new account balance by subtracting the or the amounts of the transactions carried out on each method of payment of the account balance.

7. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises initialization means (16, 17) making it possible to enter the time and the date.

8. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises means (16, 18) for resetting the transaction memories (24).

9. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the initialization means consist of a switch placed in a particular position followed by the introduction on the keypad of numeric keys (10) of the time and actuation a specific key (17).

10. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises means making it possible to enter alphabetical information in the associated memory area with an amount corresponding to the rank of an operation.

11. Assembly allowing the use of the device, characterized in that it comprises a pocket

(2) on a flap of which the calculating device (1) is fixed while the other flap comprises slots allowing the introduction of credit cards (3A, 3B, 3C).