Abstract: A smart card having a planar surface is provided. A plurality of sectors extend over the planar surface. Each sector includes a set of transaction processing electronics for performing account transactions in a manner independently operable from every other sector. The transaction processing electronics typically include a processor and memory for processing and storing data, a power coupler for transmitting power to the processor and memory, and a data coupler for transmitting data between the processor and memory and a smart card reader. The smart card serves as a substitute for a plurality of single-application cards. In one particular example, the smart card maintains up to four individual accounts, where each account is associated with a different quadrant of the card. The user simply selects the appropriate account by properly orienting the card upon inserting it into a smart card reader.

Abstract: A payment system for use with electronic payment devices. Electronic payment cards (e.g. "Smart Cards"), may be used with one or more payment stations (e.g. electronic cash registers). The payment stations are designed for receiving, during a payment transaction, a monetary value by crediting, in the payment station, a first value, and debiting, in the payment means, a second value corresponding to the first value. The first and second values may be expressed in different calculation units, such as currencies of different countries. The system furthermore offers a payment device for application in such a system, and a method for effecting a payment transaction with an electronic payment means.

Abstract: A device for automatically reading checks, wherein a scanner includes a reading unit for reading an identification code on the check, and a reading unit for taking an image of the surface of the check, and the device also includes a central processing unit receiving the digitized image of the check, and for defining an the image, on the basis of the identification code, at least two subimages respectively containing the numeric amount and the alphabetic amount of the check. The device also provides for binary-coding the subimages to automatically read the numeric and alphabetic amounts in the binary-coded subimages, and for correlating the two amounts to elect a final amount, which is displayed on a video of the processing unit together with the image of the check.