METHOD AND PORTABLE APPARATUS FOR SETTLING TRANSACTION
A method and portable apparatus for settling a transaction are provided, in which the portable apparatus may be used as a card substitute payment device for settling a transaction. Information to conduct a settlement may be stored in the portable apparatus. The portable apparatus may be, for example, a portable phone or a PDA. A transaction inquiry machine may read or receive the information from the portable apparatus, similar to that of a card reader reading a magnetic card, and transmit the information to a VAN company server or a card company server, to then request for an approval to settle the transaction.
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This is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/412,365 filed Mar. 27, 2009, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/148,326 filed on May 29, 2002, which claims priority to PCT/KR01/00428 filed on Mar. 16, 2001 and claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(a) of a Korean patent application numbers 2000-13426, 2000-26621, 2000-31567, 2000-16328, 2000-32454, 2000-32455, 2000-33198, 2000-21614, 2000-73716, 2000-73717, 2000-73718, 2000-73719, and 2001-1540, filed on Mar. 16, 2000, May 18, 2000, Jun. 9, 2000, Jun. 9, 2000, Jun. 13, 2000, Jun. 13, 2000, Jun. 16, 2000, Jul. 28, 2000, Dec. 6, 2000, Dec. 6, 2000, Dec. 6, 2000, Dec. 6, 2000, and Jan. 11, 2001, respectively, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the entire disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
This application is related to: a U.S. application Ser. No. 11/291,291 filed on Dec. 1, 2005, which is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/148,326 filed on May 29, 2002; a U.S. application Ser. No. 11/497,645 filed on Aug. 2, 2006, which is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/148,326 filed on May 29, 2002; and a U.S. application Ser. No. 11/877,346 filed on Oct. 23, 2007, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/148,326 filed on May 29, 2002, and the entire disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
All related applications and the disclosures thereof are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
TECHNICAL FIELDThe following description relates to a wireless settlement transceiver and a wireless settlement system using the same, and more particularly, to a system for settling an expense of various transactions through a portable device in which payment information is contained in the portable device to which a wireless settlement transceiver is attached.
BACKGROUNDRecently, cards convenient to use and handy to carry are widely being used compared with cash. The cards are classified into a credit card, a cash card, a direct payment card, an advance payment card, a traffic card and so on according to a settlement method. For example, cards are frequently used to settle accounts for purchase of products in general shops or department stores. Also, cards are used to pay for filling gas in gas stations or having food in restaurants. Recently, cards are being used for traffic fare in taxis, subways or buses. In addition, cards are being used for electronic commerce transactions or automatic transfer machines (ATMs)/CDs. As such, card affiliated stores continue to increase and card settlement items become diverse. However, cards are not still sufficiently applied to toll gates, tunnel passage, vending machines, and self-service kiosks.
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Meanwhile, an electronic money is used as a new payment means in addition to cashes or cards. The electronic money may be classified into a network-type electronic money, an IC card-type electronic money and a petty sum electronic money using a phone number. The network-type electronic money adopts a method of storing a substantial monetary value in a particular database on a network and transmits a requested value at a needed time on an on-line, which cannot be used on an off-line. The IC card-type electronic money is represented by a Mondex card as an example. The petty sum electronic money using a phone number adopts a method of inputting a phone number such as a portable phone number instead of payment information such as credit card information when goods or services are purchased on the Internet after registration with respect to corresponding electronic money dealing stores, to thereby allow a phone number inputter to purchase his or her desired goods or services, and charging the amount summed in a following month bill for phone charges to him or her.
By the way, the above-described credit card holder should always possess it in order to pay for charges. If the credit card is lost, it may be unduly used. Also, personal credit information of a credit card holder can be unduly exposed through use of the credit card. Also, in the case that a credit card is handed over to a seller for inquiry of the credit card, the credit card may be easily illegally copied. For this reason, a dispute between a card holder and a card company is frequently raised. However, all responsibilities are taken to a card holder.
Also, in the case that a credit card is a magnetic card, such a credit card can be easily read-out by an unauthorized person and damaged by a careless use and treatment. Also, since a valid data of use is determined, a new credit card should be re-issued for even a member having a normal credit standing every three or five years, and delivered again. Accordingly, a business cost increases. Also, a card is usually kept in custody in a wallet. Thus, in the case that a card is lost, it is difficult to recognize that the card has been lost until it is time when the card is used again or it is found that the wallet has been lost. Thus, an illegal use may be aggravated due to a theft or loss. In addition, since an existing magnetic card can contain only a small amount of information, it cannot be applied to a variety of application fields. Further, since card issuance responsibilities of each card such as entrance cards, security cards, service cards and so on are diverse, persons who wish to receive diverse services provided from the various card issuing authorities should possess a plurality of cards.
Meanwhile, since the number of possessed cards increases and use of cards is frequently made, loss or theft of cards frequently occurs, which increases a burden to suspend dealings on a credit card. Also, if a card holder is registered as a poor credit standing due to a unpaid card dealing amount, it is necessary to suspend such a card dealing. For suspending such a card dealing, a card company server keeps black list (B/L) information with respect to poor credit standing cards and checks whether a card dealing should be suspended if a card dealing approval request is received from a card dealing store. Otherwise, a card reader installed in a bus or subway entrance gate downloads B/L information by wire from a card company server, and compares input card information with the stored B/L information during using of cards in a bus or subway, to thereby check whether such a card is black-listed.
However, the above card dealing suspension methods have the difficulty that a massive amount of information should be stored in each card company server or card reader, which causes an operation of systems difficult. Further, as an amount of information to be processed increases, it becomes longer to check a B/L card and thus a reaction time of the card company server or card reader becomes later, which may cause complaint or dissatisfaction due to inferior services.
SUMMARYAccordingly, there is provided a method for issuing information to a portable device selected by a user to settle a transaction using the portable device, the method including obtaining the information by a terminal, wherein the information being information generated in response to an approval of an application for the information to settle a transaction using the portable device, and transmitting the information by the terminal to the portable device selected by the user.
The terminal may be one of a terminal used by a card issuer, a terminal used by a relay center, a terminal used by a mobile communication servicer servicing the portable device, a terminal used by a provider of the portable device, and a terminal used by an agent of the card issuer, the relay center, the mobile communication servicer, and/or the provider.
The transmitting of the information may include transmitting card information to settle a transaction using the portable device.
The method may further include communicating by the terminal to a terminal used by a service provider of the portable device or an agent of the service provider to determine whether the applicant for the information is an authorized user of the portable device.
The method may further include requesting data by the terminal to the portable device to authenticate whether a user of the portable device is an authorized user, wherein the transferring of the information comprises transferring the information where the user of the portable device is the authorized user.
The data may correspond to personal identification data input by the user using the portable terminal.
The transmitting of the information may include transmitting the information to the portable device by wire or wirelessly.
The method may further include transmitting information by the terminal to the portable device or a terminal used by a relay center or an agent of the relay center to change a status of the information to correspondingly effect a further transaction using the information by the portable device.
The method may further include transmitting information by the terminal to the portable device or a terminal used by a relay center or an agent of the relay center to display information pertinent to a transaction using the portable device.
The displayed information may correspond to a message indicating one of issuance of the information to the portable device, authorization of the transaction, denial of the transaction, that the transaction using the information by the portable device is not authorized, nature of the transaction, and that a further transaction is suspended or resumed.
The portable device may be a hand-held phone, the application for the information may include a phone number designated to the hand-held phone, and the transmitting of the information may include transmitting the information to the hand-held phone where the applicant for the information is an authorized user of the hand-held phone having the designated phone number.
The method may further include communicating by the terminal to a terminal used by a mobile communication servicer servicing the hand-held phone or an agent of the mobile communication servicer to determine whether the applicant for the information is an authorized user of the hand-held phone having the designated phone number.
There is also provided a method for settling a transaction with a transaction terminal using a portable device selected by a user, the method including receiving information by the portable device, wherein the information being information generated in response to an approval of an application for the information to settle a transaction using the portable device, and storing the information by the portable device, wherein the information stored in the portable device is read or received by the transaction terminal to settle the transaction with the transaction terminal.
The receiving of the information may include receiving the information from one of a terminal used by a card issuer, a terminal used by a relay center, a terminal used by a mobile communication servicer servicing the portable device, a terminal used by a provider of the portable device, and a terminal used by an agent of the card issuer, the relay center, the mobile communication servicer, and/or the provider.
The storing of the information may include storing the information in one of an internal memory and a removable memory of the portable device.
The memory may be one of SIM, UIM, and USIM.
The method may further include receiving information by the portable device corresponding to one of an electronic money, a coupon, a ticket, and service information so as to settle a transaction, review the service information, or transmit all or a portion of the received electronic money, coupon, or ticket to another portable device.
The method may further include requesting data by the portable device to a user of the portable device to determine whether the user is an authorized user of the information to conduct the transaction with the transaction terminal, wherein the information is read or received by the transaction terminal in response to the user being determined as the authorized user to settle the transaction with the transaction terminal.
The information may be read or received by the transaction terminal in response to a single button input by a user of the portable device using the portable device.
The method may further include requesting one or more of a personal identification number, a signature, and bio-identification information by the portable device to a user of the portable device, wherein the information is read or received by the transaction terminal along with the one or more of the personal identification number, the signature, and the bio-identification information to settle the transaction with the transaction terminal.
The method may further include receiving a request by the portable device for data to authenticate whether a user of the portable device is an authorized user of the information to receive the information, and requesting the data from the user, wherein the receiving of the information comprises receiving the information in response to the user being determined as the authorized user.
The data input by the user may correspond to personal identification data input using the portable device.
The method may further include receiving information by the portable device to change a status of the information to correspondingly effect a further transaction using the information by the portable device.
The method may further include receiving information by the portable device to display a message indicating one of issuance of the information to the portable device, authorization of the transaction, denial of the transaction, that the transaction using the information by the portable device is not authorized, nature of the transaction, and that a further transaction is suspended or resumed.
The portable device may be a hand-held phone, the application for the information may include a phone number designated to the hand-held phone, and the receiving of the information may include receiving the information by the hand-held phone where the applicant for the information is an authorized user of the hand-held phone having the designated phone number.
There is also provided a computer-readable storage medium storing a program to issue card information to a portable device selected by a user to settle a transaction using the portable device, including instructions to cause a terminal or a computer of the terminal to obtain the information, wherein the information being information generated in response to an approval of an application for the information to settle a transaction using the portable device, and transmit the information to the portable device selected by the user. There is also provided a computer-readable storage medium storing a program to settle a transaction with a transaction terminal using a portable device selected by a user, including instructions to cause the portable terminal or a computer of the portable terminal to receive information, wherein the information being information generated in response to an approval of an application for the information to settle a transaction using the portable device, and store the information, wherein the information stored in the portable device is read or received by the transaction terminal to settle the transaction with the transaction terminal.
There is also provided a system for issuing information to a portable device selected by a user to settle a transaction using the portable device, the system including a terminal to obtain the information and transmit the information to the portable device selected by the user, wherein the information being information generated in response to an approval of an application for the information to settle a transaction using the portable device.
The terminal may be one of a terminal used by a card issuer, a terminal used by a relay center, a terminal used by a mobile communication servicer servicing the portable device, a terminal used by a provider of the portable device, and a terminal used by an agent of the card issuer, the relay center, the mobile communication servicer, and/or the provider.
The terminal may communicate to a terminal used by a service provider of the portable device or an agent of the service provider to determine whether the applicant for the information is an authorized user of the portable device.
The terminal may request data to the portable device to authenticate whether a user of the portable device is an authorized user and transfers the information to the portable device where the user of the portable device is the authorized user.
The terminal may transmit information to the portable device or a terminal used by a relay center or an agent of the relay center to change a status of the information to correspondingly effect a further transaction using the information by the portable device.
The terminal may transmit information to the portable device or a terminal used by a relay center or an agent of the relay center to display information pertinent to a transaction, and the displayed information may correspond to a message indicating one of issuance of the information to the portable device, authorization of the transaction, denial of the transaction, that the transaction using the information by the portable device is not authorized, nature of the transaction, and that a further transaction is suspended or resumed. The portable device may be a hand-held phone, the application for the information may include a phone number designated to the hand-held phone, and the terminal may transmit the information to the hand-held phone where the applicant for the information is an authorized user of the hand-held phone having the designated phone number.
The terminal may communicate to a terminal used by a mobile communication servicer servicing the hand-held phone or an agent of the mobile communication servicer to determine whether the applicant for the information is an authorized user of the hand-held phone having the designated phone number.
The information may include card information to settle a transaction using the portable device, and the information may be transmitted to the portable device by wire or wirelessly.
There is also provided a transaction settlement system to settle a transaction with a transaction terminal using information, the system including a portable device to receive the information and store the information, wherein the information being information generated in response to an approval of an application for the information to settle a transaction using the portable device, the portable device being selected by a user to receives the information, and the information stored in the portable device is read or received by the transaction terminal to settle the transaction with the transaction terminal.
The portable device may receive the information from one of a terminal used by a card issuer, a terminal used by a relay center, a terminal used by a mobile communication servicer servicing the portable device, a terminal used by a provider of the portable device, and a terminal used by an agent of the card issuer, the relay center, the mobile communication servicer, and/or the provider.
The portable device may store the information in one of an internal memory and a removable memory of the portable device.
The portable device may receive information corresponding to one of an electronic money, a coupon, a ticket, and service information so as to settle a transaction, review the service information, or transmit all or a portion of the received electronic money, coupon, or ticket to another portable device.
The portable terminal may receive the information by wire or wirelessly.
The portable device may request data to a user of the portable device to determine whether the user is an authorized user of the information to conduct the transaction with the transaction device, and the information stored in the portable device may be read or received by the transaction terminal in response to the user being determined as the authorized user to settle the transaction with the transaction terminal.
The information stored in the portable device may be read or received by the transaction terminal in response to a single button input by a user of the portable device using the portable device.
The portable device may request one or more of a personal identification number, a signature, and bio-identification information to a user of the portable device, and the information stored in the portable device may be read or received by the transaction terminal along with the one or more of the personal identification number, the signature, and the bio-identification information to settle the transaction with the transaction terminal. The portable device may receive a request for data to authenticate whether a user of the portable device is an authorized user of the information to receive the information, request the data from the user, and receive the information in response to the user being determined as the authorized user.
The portable device may receive information to change a status of the information to correspondingly effect a further transaction using the information by the portable device.
The portable device may be a hand-held phone, the application for the information may include a phone number designated to the hand-held phone, and the hand-held phone may receive the information where the applicant for the information is an authorized user of the hand-held phone having the designated phone number.
The portable terminal may display a message indicating one of issuance of the information to the portable device, authorization of the transaction, denial of the transaction, that the transaction using the information by the portable device is not authorized, nature of the transaction, and that a further transaction is suspended or resumed.
There is also provided a card issuance system for enabling a card applicant to use a portable device as a substituted card, in which card information is input into the portable device such as a wireless communications terminal including a cellular phone, a PCS, a portable mobile phone, a PDA, an IMT-2000 device and so on, instead of a magnetic card.
There is also provided a new settlement system for optically transmitting and receiving card information for paying for an expense and settling the expense payment.
There is also provided a settlement system in which an optical transmitter containing card information is rent and all purchased amount bills can be settled.
There is also provided a card information reception combining apparatus for use in a credit card inquiry machine, which receives optically transmitted card information to thereby perform a successful transaction, in which an existing credit card inquiry machine is used as it is without purchasing a credit card inquiry machine attached with an optical receiver receiving optically transmitted card information.
There is also provided an authentication system enhancing a reliability with respect to user authentication in the above settlement system.
There is also provided a portable device which has a larger information storage capability to thereby provide a variety of services which are not limited in payment of banking or financing transactions.
There is also provided a portable device including information on various cards thereby enhancing user conveniences in which a user possesses a single portable device instead of a plurality of cards.
There is also provided an optical payment transceiver which is manufactured easily to hand, contains payment information, and transmits the stored payment information by infra-red communications upon manipulation of user buttons, to thereby settle the payment securely.
Other features and aspects will be apparent from the following detailed description, the drawings, and the claims.
Throughout the drawings and the detailed description, unless otherwise described, the same drawing reference numerals will be understood to refer to the same elements, features, and structures. The relative size and depiction of these elements may be exaggerated for clarity, illustration, and convenience.
DETAILED DESCRIPTIONThe following detailed description is provided to assist the reader in gaining a comprehensive understanding of the methods, apparatuses, and/or systems described herein. Accordingly, various changes, modifications, and equivalents of the systems, apparatuses and/or methods described herein will be suggested to those of ordinary skill in the art. Also, descriptions of well-known functions and constructions may be omitted for increased clarity and conciseness.
First, a card issuance system which issues payment information such as a credit card, a payment card, an electronic money, a merchandise coupon and so on, which is contained in a personal portable information device such as a portable phone or a PDA, will be described below.
The card applicant 41 purchases a portable terminal such as a portable phone and a PDA which can be used as an optical payment unit, in the mobile communications company agency 45 (step 51). The cars used in the present embodiment is a mobile communications terminal having a portable phone or a PDA form incorporated with an optical transceiver which can transmit and receive card information. The mobile communications company agency 45 transmits the received card issuance application to the card company 42 via a card recruiter 46. The card company 42 ascertains whether the card applicant is the same person as that which is filled in the card issuance application and examines a card issuance qualification (step 52). In the case that the card issuance application proved to be submitted by a person who lost a card issuance qualification in the result of examination of step 52, the card issuance application is returned to the card recruiter 46 or the card applicant 41 or card issuance is rejected. In the case that the card issuance application has been passed through the card issuance examination, a person in charge enters the card applicant information filled in the card issuance application in a server in the card company 42, to then let the server to produce a card number by a card number generation program (step 53). The card company 42 requests a computer server in the mobile communications company 43 to ascertain whether a portable terminal in which the residence number and card information of the card issuance applicant are stored is possessed by the card applicant via a dedicated line which has been already installed according to the contract (step 54). If the residence numbers do not match between the possessor of the portable terminal and the card applicant in the result of ascertainment of step 54, the card issuance application is returned. If it is ascertained that the portable terminal is possessed by the card applicant 41, the server in the card company 42 encrypts the credit card information including the generated card number and transmits the encrypted credit card information to the relayer 44 via the dedicated line together with the portable terminal number (step 55). The relayer 44 receives the encrypted card information together with the portable terminal number. The relayer 44 calls the portable terminal having the same number as the received portable terminal number via the mobile communications network and transmits the credit card information at the connected state where the relayer 44 is connected to the portable terminal (step 56). The portable terminal stores the received credit card information in a memory region which is not accessible by a user, and displays a message for user confirmation on a screen (step 57). On the portable terminal screen, is displayed a message “Dear Mr. Kim, congratulate on your card subscription. Your credit limit is one million U.S. dollars.” Thus, the user can ascertain his or her own name and credit limit and so on, and check whether or not error information has been input (step 58). Upon confirmation, the portable terminal returns to step 56 so that the relayer 44 can re-transmit the card information in order to perform the operations of steps 56-58 again, if the received information has not been normally input.
Here, the above card issuance system is called a push system. According to the push system, a portable terminal designated at the time when a card issuance application has been submitted is called if a card applicant is a person who meets a card issuance qualification condition and stores card information transmitted from a card company therein, and then notifies the card applicant that a card has been issued, irrespective of connection of the card applicant to the card company. However, a card can be issued at the state when a user gains access to a card company server via the Internet. In the case of the card issuance via the Internet, card issuance is not notified to the card applicant after issuance of the card but card reception intention is asked and then a card is issued to the card applicant only in the case that the card applicant acknowledges the card reception.
In addition, a card applicant can visit a card company and directly input card information into a portable terminal. This is called a keypad system. A card issuance system using the keypad system is shown in
A card applicant pays a visit to a card issuance company, holding his or her own portable terminal in person, and fills in a card issuance application and submits the same to the company (step 71). A card issuing person inputs contents filled in the submitted application in a computer via the card issuance terminal 64 (step 72). The contents stored in the computer is transmitted to the main computer via the computer network 65. Also, the card issuing person identifies whether the card applicant is the same person as one whose information has been filled in the card issuance application, through an identification card such as a residence card, a passport, and a driving license (step 73). After identification, the card issuing person converts the card issuance terminal 64 into an input mode (step 74), and then ascertains whether the number of the portable terminal 61 being an input object is identifies with that of the submitted portable terminal (step 75). In this case, the portable terminal is identified by asking or calling a mobile communications company if the number of the portable terminal 61 is identifies with that of the submitted portable terminal. Then, the submitted portable terminal 61 is converted into a card input mode (step 76). If the card issuance terminal 64 and the portable terminal 61 have been converted into the input mode, respectively through steps 74 and 76, the optical transceiver 62 attached to the portable terminal 61 and the optical transceiver 63 attached to the card issuance terminal 64 are positioned to face each other so that the one can optically transmit and receive card information to and from the other. Of course, the card issuance terminal 64 and the portable terminal 61 can be directly connected by cable, to thereby transmit and received card information. The card issuing person presses predetermined input buttons on a keyboard of the card issuance terminal 64 to thereby transmit personal card information, a name, and other information required by a banking authority (step 77). Here, the transmitted information is input to the main computer 66 through the computer network 65 as well as the portable terminal 61 and then recorded therein. The portable terminal 61 receives the information transmitted from the optical transceiver 63 of the card issuance terminal 64 via the optical transceiver 62 and records the received information therein (step 78). When the card information has been completely input, the optical transceiver 62 is positioned to face the optical transceiver 63 at a normal operational state confirmation mode of the card issuance terminal 64, and then the predetermined buttons are pressed to ascertain an operational state (step 79). If it is confirmed that there is no abnormality, the personal card information entry is finally approved (step 80).
Other than the optical transmission and reception, the portable terminal can be connected to the card issuance terminal by cable via an external communications port provided in the portable terminal, so that card information can be stored in the portable terminal. A variety of information can be stored in the portable terminal by means of the previously described optical payment device other than the card information. That is, existing ticket- or coupon-fashioned premium information and respective service card information is stored and then transmitted via an optical transceiver.
Besides, a card-patterned chip containing card information is directly issued to a card application using a SIM (single in-line memory) method and the chip is incorporated and mounted in a portable terminal, to be used as an optical payment unit. In this case, a unique number of the portable terminal is stored in a portable terminal together with the card information.
The optical payment unit according to an exemplary embodiment is not limited to a portable terminal being a mobile communications terminal in which an optical transceiver is attached, and is applied to a key-chain, a watch, an electronic notebook, a PDA, and so on, which enables fabrication of a variety of mobile units (MUs) which can be selectively used according to users' needs.
When a user presses the petty cash button 96 for credit dealing or the credit button 97 for petty money dealing, the CPU 94 receiving button inputs reads credit card information from the memory 95 in which payment information is stored. The UART portion 93 converts the credit card information read via the CPU 94 into a serial patterned UART standard signal and transmits the converted result to the IrDA encoder 92B. The IrDA encoder 92B converts the UART standard serial signal into the IrDA standard signal, and transmits the converted result via the infrared light emitting portion 91B. The infrared credit card information is transmitted to a credit card inquiry terminal, that is a base unit (BU) in which an optical transceiver is attached, so as to be settled. Usually, if credit information is normally received, the base unit responds to the received credit information in an infrared signal. The infrared signal is received in the infrared receiver 91A of the optical payment unit 90 and converted into an electrical signal. The UART portion 93 converts the UART standard signal into the 8-bit unit parallel signal and transmits the converted result to the CPU 94. The CPU 94 performs a communications operation according to a protocol determined by an internal program and controls the display 98 to display the communications success or failure thereon.
Here, additional buttons for performing credit dealing and petty money dealing are provided, so that a respectively different operation is performed during a petty money dealing and a large sum dealing. First, in the case of a petty settlement such as a traffic fare, a secret input is not needed. Thus, a simple settlement can be performed with only one touch of the petty money button 96. However, in the case of a large sum settlement, a settlement is usually performed by confirmation of a secret number. Thus, in the case that the credit button 97 is pressed, a credit card inquiry machine (not shown) at a reception end requests a secret number, and then a user inputs a secret number using a keypad at the reception end in which a personal identification number (PIN) input keypad is provided, to thereby perform a business transaction.
In the case that a secret number input means such as a keypad is installed for a large sum settlement which requires a secret number input, a production cost increases and a volume of the device is enlarged. Thus, a tone recognition module of a portable phone keypad may be incorporated in the above-described optical payment unit, so that a secret number can be input using the portable phone keypad. That is, in the case of a large sum settlement, the tone recognition module is positioned to be close to the speaker of the portable phone. In this state, a secret number is pressed using the portable phone keypad. Then, the portable phone speaker outputs a dial tone signal corresponding to the corresponding number of the pressed buttons. Then, the tone recognition module receives a tone signal corresponding to the corresponding secret number and recognizes the secret number from the received tone signal. If the large sum settlement button is pressed in this state, the CPU 94 transmits the secret number recognized in the tone recognition module externally. Here, since the transmitted secret number is not stored in the optical payment unit but output externally, there is no concern about an exposure of the secret number even in the case of loss or theft of the optical payment unit.
Portable phones possessed by most people can be used as the above-described optical payment unit. In this case, it is preferable that an optical transmission circuit is integrated and incorporated into a portable phone circuit. However, it takes much time and requires much cost to design and fabricate a new portable phone incorporated with the optical transmission circuit. Thus, an optical transmitter is incorporated into a battery of the portable terminal such as the portable phone, so that a currently available portable terminal is used as it is while performing the function of an optical payment settlement system.
A portable terminal 100 is a terminal which is carried and movable by a user, including a portable phone, a wireless Internet communications terminal and a PDA. A pack-type battery 101 includes a rechargeable battery 105 for supplying power to the portable terminal 100, a charging circuit and charging taps 107. Also, the battery 101 includes an optical transmitter for enabling an optical payment credit dealing as in a credit card. The optical transmitter is incorporated into the battery 101, which includes the optical transmission circuit 102 for generating an optical signal, a light emitting element 103 for emitting an optical signal from the optical transmission circuit 102 externally, and a settlement switch 104 for approving a settlement of the optical payment according to the emitted optical signal.
The optical transmission circuit 102 is incorporated using an internal clearance space in the battery pack 101. The light emitting element 103 is attached near the charging taps 107. Of course, the light emitting element 103 can be attached in a proper place of the battery pack 101 so as to perform an optical transmission easily. In the case that the light emitting element 103 is attached in the periphery of the charging taps 107 as in this embodiment, the light emitting element 103 should be attached so that it is not protruded from an external surface of the battery pack 101. Also, the settlement switch 104 is attached unprotrudingly on the rear surface of the battery pack 101 in order to prevent an unwanted settlement optical signal from be emitted due to an external contact.
A power circuit 111 is a circuit for supplying power to an optical transmission unit, in which power is obtained from a rechargeable battery in the battery pack. The memory 113 stores user credit dealing information and an optical transmitter 114 converts credit dealing information into an optical signal so as to be externally emitted. A controller 112 transmits information from the memory 113 to the optical transmitter 114, and controls the operation of a circuit 112.
If a user presses a settlement switch 104 attached in the battery pack 101, the power circuit 111 supplies power to the whole parts of the optical transmission circuit 102. Then, the controller 112 reads information from the memory 113 and transmits the read information to the optical transmitter 114. The optical transmitter 114 converts the received information into an optical signal such as an infrared signal. That is, received digital information is converted into an optical signal using a light intensity. In the case that a longer transmission distance is needed, a communications distance can be increased using an additional modulation/demodulation unit. The converted optical signal is emitted via the light emitting element 103 externally. Here, an IC chip such as an IC card can be used as the memory 113. The IC chip has a single unique recognition number, to thereby prevent personal information from being leaked due to an illegal reproduction of the IC chip.
As another embodiment, the optical transmission circuit 102 can be incorporated in the portable terminal 100 not in the battery pack 101. In this case, a connection means is needed for connecting the optical transmission circuit 102 incorporated in the portable terminal 100 to the light emitting element 103 and the settlement switch both of which are attached in the battery pack 101. Such a connection means is formed by using a power supply terminal for supplying power to the portable terminal 100 or an additional terminal.
As shown in
A conventional credit card inquiry machine adopts a method of receiving credit information via a magnetic card or a contact-type IC card and processing the same. For this reason, the conventional credit card inquiry machine cannot receive an infrared credit information transmitted from the optical payment unit according to an exemplary embodiment. Thus, an optical receiver is incorporated in the credit card inquiry machine so that the infrared credit information can be directly received in the credit card inquiry machine. The optical receiver will be described with reference to
The credit card inquiry machine 140 shown in
The optical receiver incorporated credit card inquiry 140 performs the same operation as a settlement procedure using a magnetic card even in the case of the optical payment settlement. First, if a customer expresses a credit dealing intention using an optical payment unit (not shown), a credit dealing mode is input using a predetermined function key on a keypad 145. A CPU 144 having received key inputs requests a card input via a display 146. Usually, a card inserted according to the card input request is read by a card reader 147, so that card information stored in the magnetic portion of the card is input. Here, in the case that a customer indicates a credit dealing intention using the optical payment unit, a credit dealing button (
The above-described optical receiver incorporation type requires that additional space and an interface unit in the credit card inquiry machine be provided. Thus, such an optical receiver incorporation type is not easy to be applied to credit card inquiry machines which have been fabricated or available on market. An optical receiver externally installed credit card inquiry machine is shown in
However, even in the case of the externally installed optical receiver, a program stored in the credit card inquiry machine should be modified. Thus, considering that respective existing credit card inquiry machines are provided with a card reader slot having an identical magnitude, an adapter which can be fitted into the slot is fabricated, which is shown in
An adapter 160 shown in
However, in the case of the above-described adapter, a magnetic interface card should be inserted and taken out every time when a settlement is made by an optical payment unit and a magnetic card. Thus, an adapter which can be settled by a magnetic card without taking out a magnetic interface card is shown in
First, if a customer expresses a credit dealing intention using an optical payment unit, a credit dealing mode is input using a predetermined function key on a credit card inquiry machine 155. The credit card inquiry machine 155 requests a card input via a display 146. The customer presses a predetermined credit dealing button in a portable terminal such as a portable phone or PDA possessed as the optical payment unit so that credit information is transmitted in the form of an infrared ray. The adapter 170 connected to the magnetic interface card 177 inserted into the card reader 147 of the credit card inquiry machine 155 by cable receives credit information via the infrared receiver 171A.
Meanwhile, if a customer expresses a credit dealing intention using a magnetic card, a credit dealing mode is input using a predetermined function key on a credit card inquiry machine 155. The credit card inquiry machine 155 requests a card input via a display 146. The customer inputs card information stored in a magnetic portion of the card via the card reader 173 attached to the adapter 170. The card information input via the card reader 173 is converted into an 8-bit parallel signal via the UART portion 174 and transmitted to the CPU 175. The CPU 175 applies an alternating current signal to an I/F converter 176 in order to alter the card information transmitted from the UART portion 174 into an electromagnetic change of the ISO-7811 type. The I/F converter 176 converts the applied alternating current signal into an impedance voltage appropriate for the magnetic interface card 177 inserted into the slot of the credit card inquiry machine 155 and transmits the altered impedance voltage. The magnetic interface card 177 generates a flux change in an iron core when the alternating current signal transmitted via the I/F converter 176 has been applied to the coil. The generated flux change brings out an effect like a swapping effect of a magnetic card. Of course, the card information read through the card reader 173 attached to the adapter 170 can be transmitted to the credit card inquiry machine 155 directly.
Meanwhile, the above-described optical payment unit can settle using an infrared communication only in the case that a card inquiry machine is positioned close to a customer. That is, the current infrared communication distance is limited to one meter or so. This makes settlement using the optical payment unit inconvenient at gas stations, department stores where card inquiry machines are installed in several limited places, and restaurants having several compartments. Thus, a mobile relayer is shown in
The optical relayer base unit 190 is connected to a credit card inquiry machine by cable or through an adapter, which receives credit information the mobile optical relayer 180 and transmits the received credit information to the card inquiry machine 155 in order to inquire the creditability of the user. Here, the optical relayer base unit 190 user (customer) credit information via an optical signal transmitted from the mobile optical relayer 180, or receives user credit information from the mobile optical relayer 180 at the state where the optically relayer base unit 190 is connected to the mobile optical relayer 180 via a connector.
In the mobile optical relayer 180, an infrared receiver 181A receives credit information in the form of an infrared signal from a portable terminal and converts the same into an electrical signal. A CPU 184 temporarily stores the received credit information in a memory 185, and controls a LED 186 to operate and indicate that the credit information has been normally received. After recognizing the display of the LED 186, the optical relayer 180 is positioned on the optical relayer base unit 190 connected to the credit card inquiry machine 155 and then a data transfer button 187 is pressed. Here, the optical relayer 180 is connected to the optical relayer base unit 190 as shown in
In the optical relayer base unit 190, a reception port 194 is connected to the transfer port 188 of the optical relayer 180, receives credit information transmitted in the form of a UART standard signal and outputs the received credit information to a CPU 195. An infrared receiver 191A receives credit information in the form of an infrared signal transmitted from the infrared emitter 181B of the optical relayer 180 and converts the received credit information into an electrical signal. The CPU 195 transmits the credit information received via the reception port 194 or the infrared receiver 191A to the credit card inquiry machine 155 connected by cable.
Also, the above-described optical relayer 180 can be fabricated so as to be easily used at a circumstance where a clip is attached to the optical relayer, so that a slip is presented in a distance from a counter as in a restaurant, in order to make a settlement, as shown in
As shown in
The optical relayer base unit 190 can be fabricated in an adapter form so as to be connected to an existing credit card inquiry machine without any change of functions and external appearance thereof like an adapter-type credit card inquiry machine as shown in
Referring to
The portable terminal 215 receives card information including a card ID from the relayer 210. A storage index portion 216 in the portable terminal 215 registers the card ID included in the transmitted card information as an index and stores the card information in a memory 217. The storage index portion 216 also stores a card name corresponding to the card information stored in the memory 217 in a screen display memory 218, in order to make a user confirm the kind of the card selected by him or her. Thus, when a user selects a card, the corresponding card name stored in the screen display memory 218 is displayed on a screen so that the user can ascertain the selected card. Here, the storage index portion 216 has an index memory as shown in
In
An infrared data transmission method is a protocol for a one-to-N transmission, in which a recognition protocol is complicated between communicating stations and thus it takes 2-3 seconds only in the case that a mutual recognition is performed between the communicating stations only with a basic protocol link hierarchy, which causes a time delay. The one-to-N transmission protocol cannot be applied to a fee payment field where an information transfer time is of importance because of the above time delay. Thus, a new communications protocol is presented for a one-to-one communication.
As described above, card information is stored in a portable terminal in place of a magnetic-type card such as a credit card, a prepaid card, and a banking card. In this case, if card information is stored in a portable terminal without any modification, there may be a concern about an illegal reproduction of the card. In particular, in the case that card information is directly input in a memory of a portable terminal, a person who developed a portable terminal may illegally reproduce a portable terminal memory using specific equipment. Thus, card issuing authorities such as card companies or banks wish to avoid that card information is stored in a portable terminal in the same form as that stored in a magnetic card. However, an encryption system using a personal asymmetric key requires long calculation time in banking transactions performed by a plurality of unspecific people, which makes customers more inconvenienced compared to a current system. Also, since symmetric keys input in a number of POS terminals are same in the case that a symmetric key is used, key protection may be so much difficult.
Considering the above, a new IC card system has been developed, which is not however widely spread due to an infrastructure setup cost. Thus, the exemplary embodiment uses a current system as it is and uses a user designating secret number as an encryption algorithm key in order to increase a security, which will be described in detail with reference to
A customer fills in an application in order to use his or her own portable terminal as a card, and applies it to a corresponding banking authority. In this case, a secret number for a settlement mode of the terminal is additionally filled in the application (step 241). The banking authority examines the application and then after the application has been accepted, card information such as a card number and a valid period is encrypted using a secret number requested by the customer as an encryption key (step 242). An encryption method uses an algorithm of a symmetric key pattern which cannot be solved without knowing a card possessor's secret number. Accordingly, although internal card information is read from a portable terminal, the read card information cannot be used illegally. Here, only part of card information can be encrypted. The encrypted card information is input in a portable terminal. For security, a customer who visits a corresponding banking authority inputs information via an interfacer located in the lower end of the portable terminal. According to selection of a user, information can be input in a portable terminal by using a wireless network. If financial information is completely input in the portable terminal after credit approval, the customer makes a secret number at a settlement mode match the secret number filled in at the time of application of card issuance. Here, in the case that the secret number is encrypted in the form of an irreversible function, a security can further heightened. When a card substitute portable terminal issued through the above process is used, a customer manipulates a keypad in the portable terminal to input a settlement secret number and selects a settlement mode (step 243). The portable terminal ascertains whether the input secret number is a preset settlement secret number (step 244). If it is ascertained that two secret numbers equal each other, the portable terminal operates a settlement mode normally. If two secret numbers do not equal each other a few times or more, the settlement mode is locked to prevent an exposure of a secret number. At a normal settlement mode, a customer selects the kind of a card to be used and presses a transmission button. As a result, the card information and secret number stored in the portable terminal are transmitted in the form of an infrared signal (step 245). An optical receiver connected to a POS terminal in a contract shop receives the card information and secret number from the customer's portable terminal and transmits the received result to the contract shop POS terminal. Here, a distance between the portable terminal and the optical receiver is a short distance within about one meter. Since a linearity is obtained by using light, it is not possible to illegally record the information. The POS terminal operates a decoding algorithm without keeping a separate encryption key in custody, and decodes the card information by using the received secret number (step 248). Thereafter, like the existing banking transaction systems, an approval of the credit dealing is determined in a card company computer via a VAN company (step 247). If the input secret number is incorrect, the received card information is also incorrect. Thus, an approval of the credit dealing is not made. It takes much time for even a specialist to mechanically find out a settlement secret number of a portable terminal. For the time when a person tries to find out a secret number illegally, the possessor of the portable terminal reports the loss of the portable terminal, and thus it is not possible to find out a settlement secret number without having an agreement of the portable terminal possessor, except for the time when an afterservice (A/S) is applied. Also, if the settlement secret number is altered and then A/S is committed, even in the case of the A/S application, the encrypted card information cannot be solved. Also, in the case that the portable terminal is handed over to a sales clerk at a normal settlement mode, the portable terminal is designed so that only one-time settlement is made and the secret number is again requested during reuse. In this case, the exemplary embodiment can improve inconveniences greatly which causes customers to always go to a calculation counter for safety of a dealing in restaurants or gas stations. Accordingly, a credit settlement can be safely used via a portable terminal. In the case that a customer wishes to know his or her own card information at a portable terminal settlement mode, he or she selects a card information ascertainment menu. Then, a decoding program operates in the portable terminal to thereby display information such as a card information and valid period on a screen.
The optical payment settlement system can be applied to various fields. For example, the optical payment system can be used in most of fields where a fee payment is performed as in general commerces, toll gates, subways, city buses, tunnels, gas stations, electronic commerces, department stores and so on. The embodiments of the optical payment settlement system will be described in detail.
A customer having had food at a restaurant selects a settlement method at a counter at the time of payment for the food price (step 281). Here, the customer determines whether an optical payment settlement will be performed (step 282). In the case of an optical payment settlement, the customer makes an optical receiver attached in a portable terminal 10 being an optical payment unit face the optical receiver 20 or 21 and transmits card information stored in the portable terminal 10 in the form of an optical signal to perform the settlement (step 283). The optical receiver 20 or 21 is connected to a credit card inquiry machine 30 installed on a counter by cable or an adapter, or incorporated in a credit card inquiry machine 31. The optical receiver 20 or 21 receives the card information transmitted in the form of an optical signal from the optical transmitter in the portable terminal 10 being an optical payment transmitter, and sends a response signal with respect to the received card information. The portable terminal 10 being an optical payment transmitter receives the response signal sent from the optical payment receiver 20 or 21 at the end of the credit card inquiry machine 30 or 31 and judges whether the transmitted card information has been normally received (step 284). If the card information has not been normally received, a message indicating an abnormal reception is displayed on a display of the portable terminal 10, and repeatedly performs the following steps including step 283 in order to re-transmit the card information. If the card information has been normally received, a message indicating a normal reception is displayed on the display of the portable terminal 10 (step 285). The optical payment receiver 20 or 21 converts the received optical signal card information into the form which can be recognized in the credit card inquiry machine 30 or 31 and transmits the converted result. If the customer's settlement method is not an optical payment settlement in step 282, the settlement process is performed with other settlement unit (step 286). For example, if a settlement method is method of using a magnetic credit card, the card reader of the credit card inquiry machine 30 or 31 or the card reader mounted on the optical receiver adapter 21 reads a magnetic portion on the card to receive card information. The credit card inquiry machine 30 or 31 ascertains credit information with respect to the card information transmitted from the optical payment receiver 20 or 21 or input via the card reader (step 287). That is, The credit card inquiry machine 30 or 31 requests for an approval to the card company via the VAN company server 40. The card company server 50 transmits a dealing approval or disapproval to the credit card inquiry machine 30 or 31 via the VAN company server 40 with respect to the requested card information. In the result of credit information ascertainment, if an approval of dealing is not accepted, the following steps including step 286 are repeatedly performed. If an approval is accepted, an employee prints out a sales slip from the credit card inquiry machine 30 or 31 and receives a customer's signature thereon, a settlement is completely finished (step 288).
If only credit information is transmitted using a portable phone in the above-described settlement system, only a signature of a purchaser performed on a sales slip becomes a subject identification unit of the dealing action, according to a general practice in a present credit dealing. In particular, if a user should sign on a receipt every time when a dealing action is done in a credit settlement for traffic fare related dealing action or a comparatively petty cash, the whole execution time of the dealing action is delayed. Thus, a commerce participant can be identified using a portable phone number.
When credit information is stored in a portable terminal such as a portable phone or a PDA, the credit information corresponds to the phone number assigned to the terminal on a one-to-one basis and stored in the terminal. If a button input is done by the user for optical payment settlement, the portable terminal (MU) 10 transmits the phone number together with the stored credit information in the form of an infrared signal. The optical receiver (BU) 20 receiving the phone number extracts the credit information and the phone number from the received optical signal. The optical receiver (BU) 20 transmits the extracted credit information and phone number to the credit card inquiry machine 30. The credit card inquiry machine 30 transmits the received credit information for authentication externally and keeps the phone number in custody. The card company 50 receives the credit information and approves dealt particulars. If the dealt particulars have been approved, the credit card inquiry machine 30 prints out purchased particulars together with the kept phone number on a receipt. Accordingly, a transaction subject is indicated as a phone number on the receipt.
In the optical payment settlement system using a phone number as an ID, a person concerned which performs dealings using a portable terminal selects a mobile communications company of his or her own subscribed terminal not a card company as a dealing authority, in order to perform a dealings action, in the case of a vendor machine or a traffic fare related dealing action, which is a batch processing settlement system without passing through an existing on-line approval system, to thereby diversify selection of a credit dealing authority.
A phone number which can be used as an ID has been already stored in a portable terminal and the phone number is used on a one-to-one relationship basis with respect to the portable terminal. If a user selects a mobile communications company as a credit dealing authority in the case of a vendor machine or a traffic fare related dealing action, which is a batch processing settlement system, and performs a button manipulation for optical payment settlement, the portable terminal transmits the contained phone number together with an authentication key in an infrared form. The optical receiver receiving the phone number together with the authentication key identifies the authentication key using a decoding key and approves dealing particulars and keeps it in custody, if it is identified that the transmitted phone number is a specific number input when the user subscribed in the communications network, using the identified authentication key.
If a vehicle arrives at an access road of a departure toll gate, a driver or a passenger makes a portable optical payment transmitter face the optical transceiver 104 which is located at the side of the access road, and then presses a transmission button. The card information stored in the optical payment transmitter is transmitted in the form of an optical signal. The optical transceiver 104 receives the card information transmitted from the optical payment transmitter. The optical transceiver 104 checks a signal format of the received card information. In the case that the signal format is normal which meets a predetermined protocol, the card information is transmitted to the vehicle lane controller 101. The vehicle lane controller 101 adds one to the number of standby vehicles (step 322), if a vehicle approach is detected in the vehicle approach detector 102 (step 321). Then, the vehicle lane controller 101 ascertains whether the approaching vehicle is an optical payment information transmission vehicle (step 323). If the approaching vehicle is an optical payment information transmission vehicle, the vehicle lane controller 101 sends entrance related approach information in the form of an optical signal via the optical transceiver 104 (step 324). The portable terminal being the optical payment transmitter records the entrance approach information transmitted from the optical transceiver 104 in a memory. The entrance approach information includes a current toll gate information, time information and vehicle type information. The vehicle type is classified via the vehicle classifier 106. If the approaching vehicle is not an optical payment information transmission vehicle, the vehicle lane controller 101 sends entrance approach information to the ticket issuing machine 105 to make the ticket issuing machine issue a ticket containing entrance approach information (step 325). If the above procedure is completed, the vehicle lane controller 101 displays a signal approving passage of the vehicle and informs the passenger of a passage approval (step 326). The vehicle lane controller 101 subtracts one from the number of standby vehicles (step 328) if a vehicle departure is detected in the vehicle departure detector 103 (step 327). The vehicle lane controller 101 transmits each vehicle entrance approach information to a corresponding business office computer 200.
If a vehicle having passed through a departure toll gate arrives at an arrival toll gate, a driver or a passenger makes the portable optical payment transmitter face the optical transceiver 306 which is located at the toll gate access road, and then presses a transmission button. The card information stored in the optical payment transmitter is transmitted in the form of an optical signal, and the entrance approach information stored in the memory is transmitted in the form of an optical signal. The optical transceiver 306 receives the card information and the entrance approach information transmitted from the optical payment transmitter. The optical transceiver 306 checks a signal format of the information transmitted from the optical payment transmitter. In the case that the signal format is normal, the optical transceiver 306 transmits the received information to the vehicle lane controller 301. The vehicle lane controller 301 adds one to the number of standby vehicles (step 332), if a vehicle approach is detected in the vehicle approach detector 302 (step 331). Then, the vehicle lane controller 301 ascertains whether the approaching vehicle is an optical payment information transmission vehicle (step 333). If the approaching vehicle is an optical payment information transmission vehicle, the vehicle lane controller 301 calculates a passage fee as much as a corresponding passage interval based on the transmitted information, and levies a passage fee in linkage with the card information (step 334). The vehicle lane controller 301 records the transaction particulars in a memory of the optical transceiver 306 and simultaneously transmits the transaction particulars to the optical payment transmitter so that a cumulative settlement amount is stored (step 335). The transaction particulars is transmitted to the business office computer 200 and then be recorded therein. Meanwhile, if the approaching vehicle is not an optical payment information transmission vehicle, the ticket processor 305 receives from the driver the ticket issued at a departure toll gate and levies a toll gate passage fee in cash or a fixed amount ticket (step 336). In the case that the toll gate passage fee is paid in the fixed amount ticket, a corresponding fee is settled via the fixed amount ticket identifier 303 and then the difference is recorded and displayed thereon and returned. After a fee is levied through the above procedure, a receipt is issued via the receipt issuance machine 304. If a passage fee is settled, the vehicle lane controller 301 displays a passage approval (step 337). The vehicle lane controller 301 subtracts one from the number of the standby vehicles (step 339), if a vehicle approach is detected in the vehicle detector 302 (step 338).
The business office computer 200 checks whether the transaction particulars recorded with respect to the approaching and departing vehicles are congruous with the transaction particulars recorded in the optical transceivers 104 and 306 attached to the toll gates by every point of time. If two recorded transaction particulars are congruous with each other, the business office computer 200 clears the records of the optical transceivers 104 and 306, and transmits the transaction particulars to a collection server (not shown). Here, the collection server is a central server for centrally controlling respective business office computers connected to each other. The collection server checks if the transaction particulars recorded in the business office computer 200 are congruous with the collected data and transmits the collected data in a bundle to a card company server only when the former is congruous with the latter. Then, the recorded data in the business office computer 200 is cleared.
The operation of the optical payment settlement system in the drive-thru ordering system having the above configuration will be described in detail with reference to
A customer stops a vehicle at an order reception stand 340A (step 371). Then, the customer sees a menu plate 341 installed at the order reception stand 340A and orders a commodity to be purchased at the state where the customer gets in the vehicle (step 372). A clerk receiving orders inputs order data in the POS 60. The input data is output on a screen which can be seen by a clerk who selects the commodity so that the clerk takes out ad pays the customer's ordered commodity. If an order is completed, the customer determines whether or not the commodity payment is done by an optical payment settlement (step 373). In the case that an optical payment settlement is done, the customer identifies the item-by-item order particulars with the payment settlement amount, which are displayed on the order items display board 343 installed at the order reception stand 340A (step 374), to thereby perform an optical payment settlement. Here, the customer can settle the payment without opening a window of the vehicle. As shown in
As described above, in the case that the drive-thru ordering system adopts an optical payment settlement system, payment information is transmitted at the same time when an order is sent, and thus all the settlements for payment of the commodity are completed, thereby sharply increasing a sales amount per time.
At a gas station, an operator informs a customer that a fuel is completely filled and asks a settlement method of him or her. Then, the customer selects a settlement method after filing (step 391). The operator ascertains whether the customer's desired settlement method is an optical payment settlement method (step 392). In the case that the customer desires an optical payment, the operator inputs a settlement amount into a mobile optical relayer 180 and presents the settlement amount entered mobile optical relayer 180 to the customer (step 393). The customer ascertains the settlement amount displayed on the mobile optical relayer 180 presented by the operator at the state where the customer gets in the car, and transmits credit information to the mobile optical relayer 180, by means of a portable phone 10 which is his or her own optical payment unit (step 394). The mobile optical relayer 180 ascertains whether an optical signal has successfully arrived from the portable phone (step 395). If the optical signal arrives at the mobile optical relayer normally, the credit information included in the optical signal is temporarily stored in the mobile optical relayer 180. In the case that an optical signal does not reach normally or the reached optical signal is abnormal so as not to read credit information normally, the operator requests that credit information should be re-transmitted to the mobile optical relayer. Here, it is natural that an optical receiver be attached in a portable phone 10 which is an optical payment unit so that the mobile optical relayer 180 requests that credit information be re-transmitted to the portable phone 10 automatically, through automatic optical communications between the portable phone 10 and the mobile optical relayer 180. After receiving the credit information, the operator takes the mobile optical relayer 180 to an optical relayer base unit 190 in order to transmit the credit information to the optical relayer base unit 190 (step 396). This method can be largely embodied into two. First, the mobile optical relayer 180 is so mounted that the connector of the mobile optical relayer 180 contacts the connector of the optical relayer base unit 190. Second, the mobile optical relayer 180 transmits an optical signal including credit information to the optical receiver in the optical relayer base unit 190. Here, the mobile optical relayer 180 transmits corresponding credit information to the optical relayer base unit 190 only one time. In the case that a customer desires to pay for in cash or other settlement methods other than an optical payment at step 392, a settlement procedure proceeds depending upon the customer's desired settlement method (step 397). That is, a customer hands over his or her own magnetic card to an operator, and then the operator processes a settlement using a card reader in a credit card inquiry machine or POS terminal 60 installed in a settlement place. In the case that a magnetic interface card is attached to the mobile optical relayer 180 held by the operator, the magnetic credit card is read using the magnetic interface card without using a card reader in the credit card inquiry machine or POS terminal 60 and then the read card information is temporarily stored to then be the optical relayer base unit 190. The optical relayer base unit 190 having received the credit information from the mobile optical relayer 180 transmits the corresponding credit information to the credit card inquiry machine or POS terminal 60. The credit card inquiry machine or POS terminal 60 the credit information to the VAN or card company 40 or 50 to ascertain whether the transaction is approved (step 398). If the transaction is approved from the VAN or card company 40 or 50, the optical relayer base unit 190 prints transaction particulars with a printer and outputs the printed result, and the operator hands over the printed receipt to the corresponding customer to make him or her check the transaction particulars (step 399). If the transaction is not approved from the VAN or card company due to a poor credit or an excess limit, the optical relayer base unit 190 outputs an error signal and makes another settlement unit perform a settlement as in step 397.
Here, in the case that an optical receiver is mounted in the credit card inquiry machine or POS terminal 60, the mobile optical relayer 180 directly transmits customer's credit information to the credit card inquiry machine or POS terminal 60 which is not the optical relayer base unit 190, in the form of an optical signal to thereby perform an optical payment.
Also, in the case of a bonus card issued in order to assign a bonus point depending upon an amount of fuel filled and pay for a commodity according to a cumulated points, a card number is contained in a portable phone, so as to be transmitted in the form of an optical signal. The POS terminal 60 transmits points depending upon the input bonus card number and the amount of fuel filled to a corresponding oil refinery company 70. The oil refinery company 70 cumulates a newly generated point to the points cumulated in the corresponding card number and transmits the cumulated points to the POS terminal 60 again, to thereby make the customer identify how many total points are his or her own bonus points.
In the case that an optical payment settlement method is used in the above-described gas station fee levying system, the customer can settle the cost incurred instantly without moving to the credit card inquiry machine or POS terminal 60 and needing to hand over a credit card to an operator.
A customer transmits payment information in the form of an optical signal to a mobile optical relayer 180 held by a department store clerk during purchasing an article and performs a settlement of the cost incurred. The department store clerk transmits the payment information received in the optical relayer 180 to the credit card inquiry machine or POS terminal 60 via the optical receiver incorporated in or externally mounted on the credit card inquiry machine or POS terminal 60, or the credit card inquiry machine or POS terminal 60 via the optical relayer base unit 190. The credit card inquiry machine or POS terminal 60 sends the transmitted credit information to the VAN or card company 40 or 50 via the department store server 80, to thereby identify a transaction approval or disapproval. If the transaction is approved from the VAN or card company 40 or 50, the optical relayer base unit 190 prints transaction particulars with a printer and outputs the printed result, and the department store clerk hands over the printed receipt to the corresponding customer to make him or her check the transaction particulars. Here, in the case that payment information is card information of a card issued from a department store, a department store server 80 itself determines a transaction approval or disapproval in consideration of personal credit information, an installment approval or disapproval, and a settlement amount.
As described above, the optical settlement system including the mobile optical relayer and the optical relayer base unit can be applied to a customer table calculation restaurant. In this case, a clerk uses a clip-type mobile optical relayer as shown in
Also, the teachings provided herein can be applied to an unmanned vending machine installed in a building or on the street, to thereby make a user use the vending machine although he or she does not have a coin or small petty cash.
A customer pays for products purchased (step 431). In the case of a coffee automatic vending machine, a customer pays for drinks of the kind to be desired. In the case of a cash payment, the customer inputs a corresponding amount of cash into a cash inlet 424 in the automatic vending machine 420. In the case of an optical payment, card information is optically transmitted via the portable terminal 40. The optical transceiver 421 in the automatic vending machine 420 receives an optical signal including the card information, and transmits the received optical signal to a controller 422. The controller 422 checks if a payment is an optical payment settlement (step 432). In the case of the optical payment settlement, it is checked if the received corresponding card information is significant information (step 433). It is ascertained of its own power without passing through a card company 418 whether the card information is significant. That is, the controller 422 stores for registration poor transaction card information, named as card information corresponding to a blacklist and simply ascertains whether the received card information is included in the previously registered poor transaction card information, to thereby identify a validity of the card. Through such a simple identification, each automatic vending machine does not need to install a particular dedicated line to perform a credit card information inquiry and a transaction approval by the card company 418 or the VAN company 416, to thereby make an installation cost low. Also, the poor trade or blacklist is periodically updated to thereby secure safety of transactions. Of course, a blacklist is registered in the corresponding portable terminal 410 so that payment information need not be transmitted optically in the portable terminal 410, in which case it need not be identified whether card information is valid. The registration of the poor traders will be described later. If a payment is not an optical payment settlement in step 432, it is judged whether an amount of money more than a corresponding price of the purchased product is input into the cash inlet 424 (step 434). If the corresponding card information is valid information in step 433 or the input money is more than the corresponding product price in step 434, the controller 422 displays a product withdrawal approval signal on a product selector 426 (step 435). The customer selects a desired product which is displayed for approval of withdrawal on the product selector 426. The controller 422 discharges the selected product (step 436). For example, in the case that a customer selects a cup of “milk coffee,” the controller 422 controls a coffee motor driver 429A, a sugar motor driver 429B and a milk motor driver 429C to be driven, and discharge a cup of milk coffee mixed with coffee, sugar and milk through a cup outlet 428. In the case of a cash payment, the controller 422 calculates change and discharges a corresponding amount of money via a money refunder 427. If a customer cancels a purchase of product via a refund requester 427, the controller 422 refunds the input money via the refunder 427. If the customer receives the discharged product, the controller 422 checks again if a payment is an optical payment settlement (step 437). In the case of an optical payment, the sales particulars are recorded in the recorder 423 (step 438).
Meanwhile, an operator of the automatic vending machine 420 goes to the places where the automatic vending machines 420 are installed with the totalization device 412 every interval of period, to collect particulars of sales in sum. That is, the sale particulars recorded in the recorder 423 are downloaded into the totalization device 412 via the optical transceiver 421 in the automatic vending machine 420. The operator collects all the sales particulars with respect to the automatic vending machines which are distributively located in various places, and then makes the totalization device 412 connected with a transfer terminal 414 to then be transmitted to the server of the VAN company 416 for approval in bulk. The server of the VAN company 416 transmits the bulk-approval-requested sales particulars to the server of the corresponding card company 418. Here, the totalization device 412 and the transfer terminal 414 will be described below.
A portable terminal 410 is a portable phone or portable personal device containing card information such as a credit card, an advance payment card and a direct payment card, which can transmit user's card information in the form of an optical signal.
A kiosk 440 receives an optical signal from the portable terminal 410, extracts card information from the received optical signal and issues a user's desired document. The kiosk 440 stores transaction details and then transmits the stored transaction details to a totalization server 450 through a phone call connection in accordance with an operator's manipulation. The totalization server 450 transmits the totalized transaction details to a card company 418 in a package.
The server 418 of the card company 418 remits a corresponding dealing amount into an operator's account of a designated kiosk if a dealing details of a kiosk is received, and charges for a dealing amount to a card user.
The controller 442 displays a menu including possible services which can be provided on the display 445, to thereby let a customer to select his or her desired service (step 461). The customer sees the contents of the menu displayed on the display 445 and selects his or her desired service. If a service is selected via the input portion 444, the controller 442 displays a fee on the display 445 so that a customer to pay for a corresponding fee (step 462). Here, the controller 442 confirms whether an optical payment settlement is displayed on the display 445 (step 463). The customer confirms an amount displayed on the display 445 and then pays for the amount of fees in his or her desired settlement method. In the case of an optical payment settlement, the customer makes the portable terminal 410 used as an optical payment unit face the optical receiver 441 in the fee processor 446, and then transmits card information in the form of an optical signal (step 464). The optical receiver 441 in the fee processor 446 extracts card information from the received optical signal and transmits the extracted result to the controller 442. The controller 442 confirms whether the received corresponding card information is significant information (step 465). If the card information is not significant information, the controller 442 notifies the customer that the card information is not significant information and lets the customer to pay for it in cash (step 466). If the card information is significant, the controller 442 displays normal indication on the display 445 and receives necessary personal information such as an identification via the input portion 444 (step 467). The controller 442 stores the transaction details in the transaction details storage unit 443 (step 468). Here, the transaction details includes service items, fees, issuance dates, and so on. If the payment is not an optical payment settlement in step 463, the customer pays for the fee in cash (step 466). In the case that the fee has been paid for in an optical payment or cash, the controller 442 loads necessary information from the main computer 441 based on the input information, prints a certificate via the certificate printer 452 and issues the printed certificate to the customer (step 469).
As described above, the transaction details collected in the transaction details storage unit 443 are transmitted to a totalization server 450 at a certain point in time. That is, the stored transaction details are transmitted by manipulation of an operator of the kiosk 440. The totalization server 450 compares the transmitted transaction details with those stored in the transaction details storage unit 443, and transmits the transaction details to the card company 418 in package only if both the transaction details equal each other, to then clear all the transaction details of the transaction details storage unit 443. Here, the kiosks are distributively disposed in various places and connected via a computer network. Thus, the main computer 451 managing the kiosks in entirety plays a role of the totalization server 450. The card company having received the transaction details remits an amount of money based on the corresponding transaction details to a bank account of the operator of the predetermined kiosk 440 and sends a debit note to the customer.
In the case that a settlement on credit cannot be performed on a real-time basis as in an automatic vending machine or kiosk, a mobile collection device is needed, in which the collected credit information is totally calculated, to thereby enable the customer to move to a place which can settle the payment on credit. According to an exemplary embodiment, a mobile collection device using a PDA or memory pack may be provided.
An optical payment receiver 471 installed in an automatic vending system monitors a vending machine controller 470 via an intermediate frequency (I/F) portion 477. Whenever a transaction item occurs in the result of monitoring, a CPU 475 detects the transaction item and records the same in an internal memory 476. Meanwhile, a PDA illustrated in
An optical payment receiver 471 installed in an automatic vending system monitors a vending machine controller 470 via an intermediate frequency (I/F) portion 477. Whenever a transaction item occurs in the result of monitoring, a CPU 475 detects the transaction item and records the same in an internal memory 476. A memory pack 488 for collecting transaction details is a non-volatile memory NV-RAM, and is connected to a UART 474 in the optical payment receiver 471 via a memory connector 479 as shown in
In the case of the above mobile collection device, an administrator disposed in a system installation place totalizes transaction details and collects the totalized PDA or memory pack, to then be directly carried to a settlement authority. Thus, a transfer terminal which can transfer transaction details data collected via a modem may be provided.
When each of devices included in an automatic vending system is installed in each floor in a building having a plurality of floors, a power line in the building provides a closed circuit. That is, as shown in
An administrator who processes transaction details in a package manipulates a keypad 505 of a transmission terminal 500 shown in
In the case of the above-described power line modem connection device or mobile communications modem incorporated terminal, a system should be newly constructed. Thus, a portable phone connection device is provided so that transaction details data can be transmitted via a portable phone which is mostly and widely possessed by people.
As shown in
In the case that a portable phone is used as described above, the transaction may not be applicable with respect to an automatic vending machine which is installed in a place out of service. Thus, an Internet connection device which can transmit transaction details via the Internet having no regional limitation may be provided.
An administrator connects a PC 26 to a connection device 520 by cable. The mobile collection device shown in
In the case of a place where the Internet is not supplied, a dial-up VAN connection device is provided so that transaction details data can be transmitted via a phone line.
An administrator connects the memory packs 488 in the mobile collection device to be processed with each coupling hole in the connection device 530 connected to the phone line. Transaction details data collected from a vending machine installed in a respectively different place is recorded in each memory pack 488. The CPU 532 transmits the data to a modem 533 via a UART 531 and loads it in the phone line to then be transmitted to a central server 527. After transferring the transaction details data, the CPU 532 deletes the recording contents of the processed memory pack 488 if data is successfully transmitted.
When the above-described transfer terminal is used, the optical payment settlement method according to an exemplary embodiment can be applied to a bus or taxi fare automatic collection system.
A customer riding a bus or taxi pays for a fare. In the case of an optical payment, the customer uses the portable terminal 540 which is an optical payment unit and transmits optical payment information toward the optical transceiver 551 in the RF terminal 550. The optical transceiver 551 receives the optical payment information transmitted from the customer's portable terminal 540 having ridden the bus or taxi and transmits the received optical payment information to the controller 552. In the case of a payment of an existing plastic card or an IC card such as a traffic card which does not adopt an optical payment method, a customer contacts a corresponding card to a RF card communications module 554 to transfer card information in the form of radio frequency. The RF card communications module 554 receives the transmitted RF card information and transmits the received card information to the controller 552. The controller 552 checks whether the received card information is valid. If card information is RF card information, the controller 552 checks a black list (B/L) stored in a B/L data storage module 555, and checks whether the card information is valid. If card information is valid, the controller 552 displays the levying fare and the remainder of the card on a display 557 via a user interface module 556. Meanwhile, in the case of an optical payment, the controller 552 need not check a black list separately. In the optical payment settlement system, the portable terminal which is a corresponding optical payment unit checks a black list. In the optical payment settlement system, the controller 552 displays the levying fare and the cumulative amount on the display 557 via the user interface module 556. In addition, the controller records the levying details such as the corresponding card information and amount in the recorder 553.
In order to read the above-described recorded information, an administrator visits a place where the transfer terminal 542 is installed and separates the recorder 553 from the RF terminal 550, to thereby connect the separated recorder with the transfer terminal 542. The transfer terminal 542 reads the levying details from the connected recorder 553 and transmits the read result to the VAN company server 546. The VAN company server 546 transmits the received levying details to the corresponding card company server 548.
Meanwhile, in the case of a subway, toll gate or kiosk, there is provided a system central server, which plays a role of a collection device or transfer terminal without adopting an additional collection device or transfer terminal. Here, a case using the central server will be described below.
The RF terminals 570 provided in the subway station entrance and exit are connected to a subway station central server via a terminal computer communications module 576. In order to ride on a subway train, a passenger transmits optical card information to the optical transceiver 571 in the RF terminal 570, using the card information incorporated portable terminal 560. Then, the optical transceiver 571 transmits the received card information to the controller 572. The controller 572 confirms whether the received card information is valid data of a predetermined protocol. If it is valid data, the controller 572 transmits the departure station information and time information to the portable terminal 560 via the optical transceiver 571. The portable terminal 560 receives the departure station information transmitted from the optical transceiver 571 and temporarily stores the same therein. The controller 572 controls the entrance and exit opening system to allow the passenger to pass through the entrance and exit opening system and to ride on the subway train. When the passenger rides on the subway train and arrives at a desired destination, he or she uses the portable terminal 560 in which the departure station information has been stored, and proceeds the get-off procedure. Here, the departure station information together with the card information is transmitted to the optical transceiver 571 in the RF terminal 570 provided in the entrance and exit opening system of the arrival station. The optical transceiver 571 receives the departure station information together with the card information transmitted from the portable terminal 560 and transmits the same to the controller 572. The controller 572 checks whether the received card information is valid data of a predetermined protocol. If it is valid data, the controller 572 calculates a fare from the departure station to the arrival station and displays a calculated amount and/or a used cumulative amount on a display 578 via a user interface module 577. Also, the controller 572 records the levying details such as the card information, transaction date, fare, and cumulative amount on the recorder 573.
The central server 562 being the collection server collects the transaction details recorded in the recorder 573 in the RF terminal 570 installed in each subway station, at every interval of period. The central server 562 checks if the collected transaction details matches the transaction details recorded in the recorder 573. Then, if both match, the central server 562 transmits the transaction details to a card company 564 and requests for an approval of settlement of the used amount and then clears the recorded contents from the recorder 573.
Of course, the passenger can use a subway ticket which is another payment ticket or uses a traffic card such as a plastic card or an IC card to have it contact the RF card communications module 574 to settle the payment.
Hereinbelow, a case that a phone number is used as an ID for a batch processing settlement system in a vending machine, a bus or a subway will be described.
A user possessing a portable terminal 890 incorporated with an optical payment function selects a corresponding mobile communications company as a credit transaction authority for taking a transaction action requiring a batch processing settlement. The user selects the mobile communications company 898 as a credit transaction authority in an optical menu of the portable terminal 890, and then transmits a phone number and an authentication key registered in the portable terminal 890 in the form of an infrared ray by means of manipulation of buttons. An optical receiver 892 installed in a vending machine, a bus, or a subway station receives a phone number and an authentication key from the portable terminal 890. The optical receiver 892 confirms the received authentication key by using a decoding key and confirms whether the received phone number is an inherent number input at the time of participating in the communications network using the confirmed authentication key. If it is confirmed that the phone number is an inherent number, the optical receiver 892 approves the transaction action and then keeps the transaction details in custody with a self-authentication program. The optical receiver 892 transmits the transaction amount to the portable terminal 890 in the form of an infrared ray. The portable terminal 890 cumulates the transmitted transaction amount and keeps the cumulated result in a memory which can be controlled by the mobile communications company 898. The portable terminal 890 can continue to take a credit transaction action within a limit determined by the mobile communications company 898. Meanwhile, an operator transmits the stored transaction details to a collection center 896. The collection center 896 totalizes the collected sales data and converts the totalized sales data into purchase data for the mobile communications company 898, to then transfer the converted result to the mobile communications company 898. The mobile communications company 898 settles the purchase data and pays for the credit sales debts to the collection center 896 according to a payment interval of period. If the debts are paid for from the mobile communications company 898, the collection center 896 pays for the credit sales debts to each affiliated shop to be settled. The mobile communications company 898 charges for the credit sales debts collected for a predetermined period in addition to a communications fee and sends a bill to the user at a date which is determined to be settled by the user. Since the user pays for the billed fees, such an optical payment settlement credit purchase is completed by using a phone number as an ID.
Meanwhile, since the number of persons who use the Internet increases sharply, a commercial use of the Internet, that is, an electronic commerce becomes quickly and widely spread. The electronic commerce uses a settlement system requiring a user to input card information such as a user name, card number, secret number, and a valid date on a browser provided by a cyber shopping mall. The teachings provided herein may be applied to the electronic commerce so that a settlement processing can be performed without inputting card information each time.
A customer gains access to the shopping mall 584 by the computer 583 connected to the Internet and searches products. Then, the customer determines purchase items and makes up an order sheet. Then, the customer selects a settlement method for settlement of a debt on a screen and clicks the selected settlement method (step 591). The shopping mall system 584 checks if the customer's selected settlement method is an optical payment settlement method (step 592). If the customer determines the payment by one of other settlement method other than the optical payment, a settlement procedure using the determined settlement method (step 593). There are an electronic money, an MS card and so on as the settlement methods other than the optical payment. If a payment is an optical payment settlement, a customer uses a portable unit 581 which is an optical payment unit and transmits the card information to the optical transmitter 582 connected to the computer 583 (step 594). Since the optical payment unit has been described above, the detailed description thereof will be omitted. The customer inputs a secret number which is known only by him or her and presses a settlement button, and then transmits card information necessary for settlement to the optical receiver 582 attached to the Internet connection computer 583, by using an optical communications method, in particular, an infrared communications method. The optical receiver 582 received the transmitted card information and converts it into the form which can be processed in the computer 583 so as to be input to the computer 583. The computer 583 transmits the input card information to the shopping mall system 584. The shopping mall system 584 transmits the received card information to the optical payment dedicated gateway 585. The optical payment dedicated gateway 585 having received the card information performs decoding and authenticating of the received card information (step 595). The optical payment dedicated gateway 585 checks whether the optical payment settlement is authenticated from an authentication server (step 596). If it has been authenticated, the optical payment dedicated gateway 585 requests for an approval to the VAN company 586 or directly to the card company 587. If it has not been authenticated, a settlement processing is performed by other payment methods (step 593). The optical payment dedicated gateway 585 checks an authentication result (step 597) and transmits the check result to the transaction generated shopping mall 584. When the shopping mall 584 is notified from the optical payment dedicated gateway 585 that the transaction is normally approved, it notifies to a customer's browser that the transaction is normally approved (step 598). Then, products purchased by the corresponding customer are delivered within a determined delivery date. If the shopping mall 584 is notified from the optical payment dedicated gateway 585 that the transaction is not approved due to poor creditability, an excess of limitation, or an illegal use, it notifies to the customer's browser that the transaction is not approved (step 599).
As described above, the optical settlement system according to an exemplary embodiment can be applied to an electronic payment on the wireless Internet as well as that on the wired Internet.
In the wireless Internet-based electronic commerce, the customer uses a terminal such as an Internet connectable portable phone or PDA as an optical payment unit. The optical payment unit uses a micro-browser mounted portable phone terminal in which the micro-browser is a commercially available software program such as WAP/UP, ME, etc. The customer gains access to the shopping mall 602 on the wireless Internet via the wireless Internet connectable terminal 601 which is used as an optical payment unit. The customer selects goods or services to be purchased according to a menu provided from the shopping mall 602, and then selects an optical payment settlement as a settlement method. The customer uses an optical transmitter in the terminal 601 which is an optical payment unit and optically transmits card information incorporated in the terminal (step 611). Here, the customer inputs a secret number into the terminal 601. If the secret number is correct, the customer can access the card information. If not, the customer cannot use the incorporated card information. When the customer inputs the secret number into the terminal 601 and then presses a transmit button on a menu, the card information incorporated in the terminal 601 is encoded and then transmitted to the shopping mall server 602 which is currently connected on the wireless Internet. The shopping mall server 602 confirms the transmitted card information. If the transmitted card information is normally received, the shopping mall server 602 sends a reception message to the customer's terminal, while if not, the former sends a re-transmission requesting message to the customer's terminal 601 and displays the re-transmission requesting message on the customer's terminal screen to thereby make the customer check if the card information has been normally transmitted (step 612). If the card information has not been transmitted, the customer manipulates the terminal 601 again and re-transmits the card information (step 613). If it is checked that the card information has been normally received in step 611, the shopping mall server 602 transmits the encoded card information to the optical payment dedicated gateway 604 (step 614). Here, the optical payment dedicated gateway 604 is a separately existing payment gateway server in order to decode only data which has been stored in the terminal and then encoded and transmitted, in addition to payment information processed in a general key-in method. The reason why the optical payment dedicated gateway 604 is provided in comparison with the general payment gateway 603 is because the optically transmitted data is encoded and thus cannot be decoded in the general payment gateway server 603. The optical payment dedicated gateway 604 receives the settlement information transmitted via the shopping mall system 602 and decodes it into an original prior-to-being-encoded state. Then, the optical payment dedicated gateway 604 requests for an approval to a bank 606 or a card company 608 which is a settlement authority through an authentication procedure (step 615). Here, a dedicated network 605 or 607 of X.25 is connected between the optical payment dedicated gateway 604 and the corresponding settlement authority 606 or 608. The optical payment dedicated gateway server 604 checks if an approval has been done from the corresponding settlement authority such as the bank 606 or card company 608 (step 616). If an approval has been done, the optical payment dedicated gateway server 604 notifies the shopping mall 602 that the payment has been completed and the customer that the settlement has been completed (step 617). If an approval has not been done in the result of checking of step 616, the optical payment dedicated gateway server 604 notifies the customer via the shopping mall 602 that the settlement has been rejected, to thereby allow the customer to use other settlement methods (step 618).
A customer determines a purchase item and selects a settlement method in a store counter (step 621). The system checks if the customer's selected settlement method is an optical payment settlement (step 622). If the customer's settlement method is an optical payment settlement, the customer uses a portable terminal 581 which is an optical payment unit, and transmits card information to the electronic commerce optical receiver 582 attached to a PC 583 in the store (step 623). The card information includes a secret number and a settlement command. If the customer's settlement method is not an optical payment settlement, the customer performs a settlement processing in cash or with other payment methods such as a magnetic card (step 624). The PC 583 plays a role of a Web-POS and encodes the received card information and transmits it to the optical payment dedicated gateway 585 in order to request for an approval. The optical payment dedicated gateway 585 decodes the card information received via the Internet into an original prior-to-being-encoded state, and proceeds to an authentication procedure (step 625). The optical payment dedicated gateway 585 checks if an optical payment settlement is authenticated from an authentication server (step 626). If the optical payment settlement is authenticated, the optical payment dedicated gateway 585 requests for an approval to a VAN company 586 or directly to a card company 587. If not, a settlement processing is performed with other payment methods (step 624). The optical payment dedicated gateway 585 checks if an approval has been done (step 627). If an approval has been normally done, the optical payment dedicated gateway 585 notifies the browser of the Web-POS 583 connected via the Internet that an approval has been normally done (step 628). If a normal approval has been notified, the shopping mall hands over to the customer the products purchased by the customer. If an approval has not been done due to poor creditability, an excess of limitation and an illegal use, the optical payment dedicated gateway 585 notifies the browser of the Web-POS 583 that the transaction has not been approved (step 629).
An authentication unit is needed in order to prevent an illegal use of payment information in an optical payment commerce. As shown in
The secret number for authentication of a user in a portable terminal which is an optical payment unit can be exposed to others. Thus, the secret number is combined with user's bio-identification information such as the iris, face, footprint, voice, etc. In this embodiment, a user authentication using a secret number and face recognition data will be described below.
In
A user authentication will be described in the case of the portable terminal 641 in which facial data has been input through the above procedure.
A user selects a settlement mode in the portable terminal 641 and then presses a confirmation button in order to access his or her own payment information (step 651). If the portable terminal 641 is selected at a settlement mode, it displays a message for requesting the user to input a secret number on a screen as shown in
Next, additional services such as change in card information, termination/stoppage/loss of the card, and transaction suspension for the optical payment settlement system according to an exemplary embodiment will be described.
If an alteration cause of card information such as an address, a secret number, a contact address, and a bill recipient place occurs, a card member 661 requests for an alteration of the card information by phone, via wired or wireless Internet, or by paying a direct visit of a corresponding card company 663 or a relayer 662 (step 671). The relayer 662 having received the card information alteration application, demands on data for ascertaining the applicant is the card member 661 in person, and ascertains the contents of the card information to be changed and the card company of the card to be changed. The relayer 662 applies for an alteration of the card information by proxy of the card member 661 via the dedicated line with respect to the card company 663 in question (step 672). Here, the relayer 662 transmits authentication data necessary for identifying the person in question such as part of a secret number, a residence number and final sales approval details, to the card company 663, together with the card information alteration application. The card company 663 verifies whether the received application is an application applied by the person in question, with the in-person authentication data transmitted from the relayer 662. In the case that the card member 661 applies for an application of alteration of the card information to a corresponding card company, the card company 663 receives the in-person authentication data from the card member 661. If it has been checked that the applicant is a person in charge, the card company 663 compares the card information in a member computerized sheet registered in the card company server 663 with the card information to be changed (step 673). In the result of comparison of step 673, if both of the card information coincide with each other, the card company 663 notifies the relayer 662 that there is no change matter in the card information. The relayer 662 transmits the notified contents of the card company 663 to the card member 661 in the form of a wireless data format. In the result of comparison of step 673, if both of the card information do not coincide with each other, the card company 663 changes the card information contents on the member computer recording sheet upon request of the member (step 674). When the card information change is completed, the card company 663 notifies the relayer 662 that the card information has been completely changed. The relayer 662 transmits a message of “card information change completion” to a card substitute portable phone of a corresponding card member according to the notification of the card company (step 675). The card substitute portable phone carried by the card member displays the card information change completion message on its screen and informs the user that the card information has been changed (step 676). Thus, when the other person tries to change the card information illegally, the card holder can ascertain the illegal card information change.
Meanwhile, in the case that the card holder is registered as a person of poor credit due to theft or loss of the card, or the card use money in arrears, the card transaction needs to be suspended. In this case, there are two existing methods for checking the card transaction suspension. One method is to manage black list (B/L) information with respect to cards which need to be suspended for their transactions from the card company server in the case that the cards need to be suspended for their transactions and check whether the card is suspended if a card transaction approval request is received from an affiliated store. The other method is to download black list (B/L) information in package from a card company server by wire and store the downloaded B/L information in a card reader installed in a subway ticket gate or a bus ticket gate during use of subway or bus, and compare the input card information with the stored B/L information. In the case of these methods, it takes long time to check a B/L and burdens the subway or bus card reader to store B/L data. Thus, in the case of a card which needs to suspend transactions, the card company transmits transaction suspension information to a portable phone which is used as an optical payment unit in the form of a wireless data format using a mobile communications method and registers the transaction suspension information in the portable phone, to thereby prevent the portable phone from being used as the optical payment unit. This process is shown in
If a customer applies withdrawal or stoppage of a card (step 691) or is registered as a person of poor credit called a B/L person in the result of a credit estimation in the card company 682 (step 692), it is judged whether the card is a card incorporated in the portable phone or PDA (step 693). If the card is a card incorporated in the portable terminal in the result of judgement of step 693, the card company 682 ascertains a phone number of the portable terminal having an incorporated card (step 694), the card suspension information is transmitted to the relayer 683 via the dedicated line (step 695). The relayer 683 calls a corresponding portable terminal 681 by the ascertained phone number via the mobile communications network 684 and transmits the transaction suspension information (step 696). Here, the transaction suspension information is transmitted in the form of a wireless data format. The corresponding portable terminal 681 receives the transaction suspension information and registers the B/L data in a memory (step 697). The portable terminal 681 having received the transaction suspension information sends a response signal to the card company 682 and enables the card company 682 to judge whether the transaction suspension information is normally input. The card company 682 judges whether the transaction suspension information is input in the portable terminal 681 normally (step 698), and if the transaction suspension information is not input normally, the card company 682 repeatedly performs the steps starting from step 695 so that the card transaction suspension information is re-transmitted. Meanwhile, if the card is not a portable card in the result of judgement of step 693, the card company 682 processes in the same manner as the existing card (step 698). That is, the card transaction suspension information is registered in the card company approval server.
The method for suspending the transactions during a card substitute use of the portable terminal 681 registered as the B/L data will be described in detail with reference to
When the card substitute portable terminal 681 holder presses a credit card use button of the portable terminal 681 and transmits the credit information in order to pay for cost of the service (step 701), a controller in the portable terminal 681 ascertains whether the card is registered as B/L card (step 702). If the card is registered as the B/L data, the controller in the portable terminal 681 rejects the transaction by display of an error message on a display screen in the portable terminal 681 (step 704) and completes the program. If the card is not registered as B/L data in the result of ascertainment of step 702, the portable terminal 681 transmits the incorporated credit information to the card information reception portion (step 703) and completes the program.
With the above transaction suspension method, in a petty cash transaction performed without approval of transaction, that is, traffic transactions in facilities such as paid roads, buses, subways, and parking rots, vending machines, and a small-money electronic commerce, a B/L check is performed in the card substitute portable terminal during use of the credit card with the portable terminal. Accordingly, the processing speed of the card substitute portable terminal is faster than that of comparing the B/L data downloaded from the card company server in package by wire in a card reader one by one, and the system running cost of the former is cheaper than that of the latter.
If a card member loses a card by faulty or by accident, or forgets the classes or numbers of his or her possessed cards but recognizes that the card has been lost (step 721), the card member declares the card loss to the relayer 712 (step 722). The relayer 712 collects materials for ascertaining that a declaring person is an actual card possessor of the lost card, that is, a part of a secret number, a residence number, and recent approval details. The relayer 712 extracts card numbers whose valid dates do not elapse among all card numbers issued to the corresponding card member based on the residence number among the collected materials. The relayer 712 transmits the information representing that the card has been lost, to the card company 713 except for the cards which are not lost by the card member among the extracted card numbers, together with the in-person authentication information via the dedicated line (step 723). The card company 713 ascertains the in-person authentication information among the received information to thereby ascertain that the card holder is a true card possessor. In this case, the card company 713 records the transaction suspension due to the loss of the card in a computer DB 714, and transmits the transmits the recorded information to the relayer 712 (step 724). The relayer 712 transmits the transaction suspension information received from the card company 713 to a wireless terminal 711 designated by the card member in the form of a wireless data format (step 725). The wireless terminal 711 displays the transaction suspension completion due to loss on a display screen and makes the card member see that the loss of card is declared and processes (step 726). If the displayed contents are not correct, the card member appeals the card company 713 or the relayer 712 (step 727).
As such, if the card transaction suspension is performed due to the card loss, the payment information transmission of the lost portable terminal is stopped. Also, the communications function of the portable terminal can be stopped through the mobile communications company, to thereby make the portable terminal disabled.
By the way, the illegal use of the card having occurred before declaring the card loss or theft is not easily accepted by the card company although an appeal is filed by the card member, which causes a dispute. In order to prevent such a dispute in advance, a method for transferring transaction details by use of various payment information incorporated in the portable terminal to a user portable terminal is proposed.
A customer purchases goods or services in an affiliated store (step 741), and payment information for optical settlement is transmitted. Then, a card inquiry machine 732 sends an approval request to a card company 733. The card company 733 checks remainder limitation and transaction suspension of the approval requested card. If there is no abnormality, the approval signal is transmitted to the card inquiry machine 732 (step 742). Also, the card company 733 ascertains whether a member of an approval requested card number is a member who applies for receiving approval details wirelessly (step 743). If it is ascertained that the member of the card number is a member who does not apply for receiving the approval details, the program is completed. If it is ascertained that the member of the card number is a member who applies for receiving the approval details, and the approval is a firstly generated approval after application of the approval, it is ascertained whether the card member is a possessor of a wireless data transceiver 731 such as a portable phone, a PDA, and a beeper through which the card member wishes to receive the approval details via the dedicated line connected to a mobile communications company 755 (step 744). If it is ascertained that the card member is a possessor of the mobile data transceiver 731, the card company 733 transmits the approved details such as a sales generated time, sales amount, affiliated store name, and part of the card number to a relayer 734 via the dedicated line (step 745). The relayer 734 uses a communications network 736 of the mobile communications company 735 and transmits the approved details transmitted from the card company 733 by e-mail or by a wireless transmission method (step 746). The wireless data transceiver 731 designated to receive the approved details by the card member receives and records the approved details by e-mail, wireless data transmission method, or WAP (step 747), displays the approved details on a screen to receive a confirmation from the card member (step 748). If approved details are transmitted to his or her wireless data transceiver 731, although he or she does not use the card, the card member appeals that such sales are illegal sales to the relayer 734 or the card company 733 and requests for taking a proper action (step 749). If such an appeal is raised, the relayer 734 transmits the appeal information to the card company 733, immediately. The card company 733 starts to investigate the received appeal (step 750).
In addition, a system for leasing an optical payment unit and settling all purchase-related amount is presented. This is more effective if the rental service of the optical payment unit is applied to a business place for an attendance as in a theme park.
If a user wishes to use an optical settlement system according to an exemplary embodiment when the user enters a game resort such as a theme park or in a zoo, or after entrance there, the user goes to a rental counter located in the entrance and exit gate or park, for leasing the optical transmitter 750, and requests for rental of the optical transmitter 750 (step 761). The user can select his or her desired settlement method (step 762), in which there are a prepaid type for depositing a predetermined amount of money and a credit card type using a credit card as a settlement method. If a user selects a prepaid settlement method, the user deposits an amount of money to be consumed and a guarantee money of the optical transmitter 750 (step 763). A clerk in the counter selects one among various optical transmitters 750 which are kept in custody and then transmits an inherent number registered in the IC chip incorporated in the optical transmitter 750 toward the optical receiver 756 attached to the counter terminal 754. The optical receiver 756 receives the inherent number transmitted from the optical transmitter 750 and outputs the same to the counter terminal 754 (step 764). The clerk key-inputs an amount of the user deposited and consumable money into the inherent number of the optical transmitter 750 which is input into the counter terminal 764 (step 765). Then, the corresponding optical transmitter 750 becomes an enabling state which can be used by the user and the key input value is input to the main computer 752. The clerk ascertains the usable state via the counter terminal 754 and then rents the optical transmitter 750 to the user (step 766).
If a user selects a credit card settlement method in step 762, the carried credit card is presented to a clerk in the counter (step 767). The clerk puts the credit card into a card reader 758 attached to the counter terminal 754 and registers the credit card information of the user into the counter terminal 754 (step 768). Then, an inherent number of an optical transmitter 750 to be rent to the user is input into the counter terminal 754 in the same manner as that of the prepaid settlement method (step 769), and matches the inherent number with the credit card information (step 770). Then, the corresponding optical transmitter 750 becomes a usable state and the state value is input to the main computer 752. Then, the clerk ascertains the input results and rents the optical transmitter 750 to the user (step 766).
When a user rents an optical transmitter 750 and then wishes to go to a restaurant or purchases goods, a clerk in the restaurant or store key-inputs a transaction amount into the calculation terminal 760 (step 771). Then, the user transmits the inherent number of the carried optical transmitter 750 toward the optical receiver 762 attached to the calculation terminal 760, so that the inherent number is input into the calculation terminal 760 (step 772). the main computer 752 receives the transaction amount of money and the inherent number of the optical transmitter 750 from the calculation terminal 760 and checks a settlement method (step 773). If the settlement method is a prepaid type, the main computer 752 subtracts the transaction amount of money from the usable amount of money and settles the transaction amount of money (step 774). The main computer 752 outputs a usable remainder amount of money to the calculation terminal 760 and the calculation terminal 760 displays the usable remainder amount of money and simultaneously outputs a receipt (step 775). If the settlement method is a credit card type, the main computer 752 accumulates the transaction amount of money and settles the accumulated amount of money (step 776). The main computer 752 outputs a current total of transaction amount of money to the calculation terminal 760, and the calculation terminal displays the total transaction amount of money and simultaneously outputs a receipt (step 777).
The above-described rental concept can be extended to an overseas use as well as a domestic use. Although such a system for embodying an optical payment settlement method is not described specifically, it can be understood by one skilled in the art based on the teachings provided herein.
Meanwhile, although the above-described embodiments have been described only with respect to a financial transaction system, the teachings provided herein can be applied to a system requiring an entrance and exit security management such as in a company or governmental office. A conventional entrance and exit security system chiefly uses a non-contact type RF-ID card. The conventional non-contact RF-ID card relies on imported components, and the size of the maximum data which can be stored is limited to 96 bits. The conventional non-contact RF-ID card requires a separate device for issuing cards. Also, in order to enter and exit various offices controlling entrance and exit of persons, the persons should additionally carry the cards as many as the number of the offices to enter and exit. Thus, personal identification information including a name, an employee number, a in-service department may be input into a personal portable terminal such as a portable phone and a PDA containing an optical transceiver. The personal identification information contained portable terminal is used as a personal identification unit, which substitutes a card for an entrance and exit security system.
A user's entrance/exit information should be input to the central controller 822, in order to enter and exit an entrance/exit gate. In this process, the optical transceiver 800 is directed toward the optical receiver 824 connected to the central controller 822 and then inherent ID input in the optical transceiver 800 is optically transmitted. The optical receiver 824 receives the inherent ID transmitted from the optical transceiver 800 and transmits the same to the central controller 822. The central controller 822 registers the transmitted inherent ID in a DB.
At the state where the inherent ID has been registered, a visitor manipulates a menu on the portable terminal 800 which is a personal identification unit and selects an entrance/exit mode (step 811). After selecting the entrance/exit mode, the visitor manipulates a keypad on the portable terminal 800 and inputs a secret number in response to a request for an input of the secret number (step 812). The portable terminal 800 checks if the input secret number is correct (step 813). If the secret number is correct, the portable terminal 800 is converted into an entrance/exit information transfer mode. If the visitor presses a transfer button at the entrance/exit information transfer mode, the entrance/exit information is optically transmitted via the optical transceiver of the portable terminal 800. If the optically transmitted entrance/exit information is information registered in the DB of the central controller 822, the entrance/exit gate is open and admitted for entrance (step 814). If the secret number is not correct or the entrance/exit information does not coincide with the pre-registered information, the steps starting from step 811 will be resumed.
Meanwhile, if the entrance/exit information is received (step 821), the optical receiver 810 attached to the entrance/exit gate decodes the received information and then transmits the decoded result to the controller 820 (step 822). The controller 820 adds necessary information including entrance/exit identification information to the received information so that it can be identified whether the received information is information transmitted from which entrance/exit gate, and transmits the added result to the central controller 822 (step 823). The central controller 822 searches the DB and judges whether the received information is an entrance/exit admitted personal information registered in the DB (step 824). If the user is an unregistered person, the central controller 822 takes no action in response to the input information and thus the entrance/exit gate is not open. If the user is a registered person who is admitted for entrance/exit, the central controller 822 transmits an entrance/exit gate opening signal to the controller 820 corresponding to the entrance/exit gate to which the entrance/exit information is transmitted (step 825). The controller 820 having received the entrance/exit gate opening signal opens the entrance/exit gate by an electrical operation (step 826).
A function of storing or transmitting an actual monetary value is added in a portable terminal incorporated with an optical transceiver, to thereby allow the portable terminal to give and take the monetary value with a cash input and output machine (ATM) or a portable terminal of the other person in real-time, Also, when a user pays for transaction money in a general store, it is preferable that a monetary value can be transmitted from the in-person portable terminal to a portable terminal of a seller or a card reader attached with an optical receiver, in real-time.
First of all, a case that the electronic money is withdrawn from the cashier machine 840A will be described.
A user selects a cashier machine 840A on a menu screen (a) of
In the following, an electronic money exchange between portable terminals will be described.
A provider and a receiver respectively select a cash transfer and a cash reception at a menu screen on the portable terminal 830A or 830B, as shown in the screen (a) in
In the following, an electronic money payment using a portable terminal in a general commerce will be described.
When a user who possesses a portable terminal 830A incorporated an electronic money purchases goods or services in a general store, and then intends to pay for the transaction money with the electronic money, the user selects a cash transfer on a menu as shown in the screen (a) of
According to certain examples described above, an optical payment transceiver and an optical settlement system using the same according to an exemplary embodiment incorporates credit information in a portable terminal attached with an optical transceiver and transmits the credit information in the form of an infrared ray. Accordingly, a simple and safe transaction system can be embodied. In the case of a large amount of credit transaction requiring a secret number, a receiver receives a secret number and uses the same. Accordingly, there is no risk of leaking personal payment information. Also, since an optical receiver is attached to a credit information inquiry machine and credit information transmitted in the form of an infrared ray is transmitted to the inquiry machine, the credit card need not be presented to a clerk when the credit card transaction can be done. Accordingly, the illegal use of the credit card information can be prevented fundamentally. Also, a settlement can be done at a location distant from a credit card inquiry machine via a movable relayer and a device. In the case of a vending machine which cannot settle by a credit card in real-time, payment information is stored and collected at a predetermined point in time so as to be processed in package. Accordingly, it is possible to construct a credit transaction environment even in a field where a card has not been used. Thus, an exemplary system described above minimizes inconveniences where users carry cards or cash, and can prevent risks due to loss, theft and damage of the cards. Further, teachings provided herein can be applied to most fields where financial transactions are performed as in a general commerce, a drive-thru ordering system, a restaurant, a gas station, a department store, an electronic commerce, a vending machine, a subway or bus fare levying system, a toll gate fee collection system, a fee payment of kiosks, and an electronic money, and provides conveniences to users to thereby expedite active transactions. Also, the teachings can be applied to an entrance/exit security system requiring personal identification as well as the financial transaction. In addition, a secret number and bio-identification data are combined when an in-person is identified in order to access payment information incorporated in a portable terminal. Thus, an access with respect to personal payment information by an unauthorized person is prevented fundamentally, to thereby reinforce a security. Further, in a card transaction suspension field, a card reader downloads a blacklist from a card company in package and compares input credit information with the stored blacklist. If the input card information is blacklisted, an optical payment operation is not performed in a portable terminal. Accordingly, the exemplary embodiment is faster in view of a blacklist processing speed, and cheaper in view of a system running cost. Moreover, a cost for issuing plastic cards continuously can be reduced.
The methods described above may be recorded, stored, or fixed in one or more computer-readable media that includes program instructions to be implemented by a computer to cause a processor to execute or perform the program instructions. The media may also include, alone or in combination with the program instructions, data files, data structures, and the like. Examples of computer-readable media include magnetic media, such as hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tape; optical media such as CD ROM disks and DVDs; magneto-optical media, such as optical disks; and hardware devices that are specially configured to store and perform program instructions, such as read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), flash memory, and the like. Examples of program instructions include machine code, such as produced by a compiler, and files containing higher level code that may be executed by the computer using an interpreter. The described hardware devices may be configured to act as one or more software modules in order to perform the operations and methods described above, or vice versa.
A number of exemplary embodiments have been described above. Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may be made. For example, suitable results may be achieved if the described techniques are performed in a different order and/or if components in a described system, architecture, device, or circuit are combined in a different manner and/or replaced or supplemented by other components or their equivalents. Accordingly, other implementations are within the scope of the following claims.
Claims
1. A method for issuing information to a portable device selected by a user to settle a transaction using the portable device, the method comprising:
- obtaining the information by a terminal, wherein the information being information generated in response to an approval of an application for the information to settle a transaction using the portable device; and
- transmitting the information by the terminal to the portable device selected by the user.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the terminal is one of a terminal used by a card issuer, a terminal used by a relay center, a terminal used by a mobile communication servicer servicing the portable device, a terminal used by a provider of the portable device, and a terminal used by an agent of the card issuer, the relay center, the mobile communication servicer, and/or the provider.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting of the information comprises transmitting card information to settle a transaction using the portable device.
4. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating by the terminal to a terminal used by a service provider of the portable device or an agent of the service provider to determine whether the applicant for the information is an authorized user of the portable device.
5. The method of claim 1, further comprising requesting data by the terminal to the portable device to authenticate whether a user of the portable device is an authorized user, wherein the transferring of the information comprises transferring the information where the user of the portable device is the authorized user.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein the data corresponds to personal identification data input by the user using the portable terminal.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting of the information comprises transmitting the information to the portable device by wire or wirelessly.
8. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting information by the terminal to the portable device or a terminal used by a relay center or an agent of the relay center to change a status of the information to correspondingly effect a further transaction using the information by the portable device.
9. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting information by the terminal to the portable device or a terminal used by a relay center or an agent of the relay center to display information pertinent to a transaction using the portable device.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein the displayed information corresponds to a message indicating one of issuance of the information to the portable device, authorization of the transaction, denial of the transaction, that the transaction using the information by the portable device is not authorized, nature of the transaction, and that a further transaction is suspended or resumed.
11. The method of claim 1, wherein:
- the portable device is a hand-held phone,
- the application for the information includes a phone number designated to the hand-held phone, and
- the transmitting of the information comprises transmitting the information to the hand-held phone where the applicant for the information is an authorized user of the hand-held phone having the designated phone number.
12. The method of claim 11, further comprising communicating by the terminal to a terminal used by a mobile communication servicer servicing the hand-held phone or an agent of the mobile communication servicer to determine whether the applicant for the information is an authorized user of the hand-held phone having the designated phone number.
13. A method for settling a transaction with a transaction terminal using a portable device selected by a user, the method comprising:
- receiving information by the portable device, wherein the information being information generated in response to an approval of an application for the information to settle a transaction using the portable device; and
- storing the information by the portable device, wherein the information stored in the portable device is read or received by the transaction terminal to settle the transaction with the transaction terminal.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein the receiving of the information comprises receiving the information from one of a terminal used by a card issuer, a terminal used by a relay center, a terminal used by a mobile communication servicer servicing the portable device, a terminal used by a provider of the portable device, and a terminal used by an agent of the card issuer, the relay center, the mobile communication servicer, and/or the provider.
15. The method of claim 13, wherein the storing of the information comprises storing the information in one of an internal memory and a removable memory of the portable device.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein the memory is one of SIM, UIM, and USIM.
17. The method of claim 13, further comprising receiving information by the portable device corresponding to one of an electronic money, a coupon, a ticket, and service information so as to settle a transaction, review the service information, or transmit all or a portion of the received electronic money, coupon, or ticket to another portable device.
18. The method of claim 13, further comprising requesting data by the portable device to a user of the portable device to determine whether the user is an authorized user of the information to conduct the transaction with the transaction terminal, wherein the information is read or received by the transaction terminal in response to the user being determined as the authorized user to settle the transaction with the transaction terminal.
19. The method of claim 13, wherein the information is read or received by the transaction terminal in response to a single button input by a user of the portable device using the portable device.
20. The method of claim 13, further comprising requesting one or more of a personal identification number, a signature, and bio-identification information by the portable device to a user of the portable device, wherein the information is read or received by the transaction terminal along with the one or more of the personal identification number, the signature, and the bio-identification information to settle the transaction with the transaction terminal.
21. The method of claim 13, further comprising:
- receiving a request by the portable device for data to authenticate whether a user of the portable device is an authorized user of the information to receive the information; and
- requesting the data from the user, wherein
- the receiving of the information comprises receiving the information in response to the user being determined as the authorized user.
22. The method of claim 21, wherein the data input by the user corresponds to personal identification data input using the portable device.
23. The method of claim 13, further comprising receiving information by the portable device to change a status of the information to correspondingly effect a further transaction using the information by the portable device.
24. The method of claim 13, further comprising receiving information by the portable device to display a message indicating one of issuance of the information to the portable device, authorization of the transaction, denial of the transaction, that the transaction using the information by the portable device is not authorized, nature of the transaction, and that a further transaction is suspended or resumed.
25. The method of claim 13, wherein:
- the portable device is a hand-held phone,
- the application for the information includes a phone number designated to the hand-held phone, and
- the receiving of the information comprises receiving the information by the hand-held phone where the applicant for the information is an authorized user of the hand-held phone having the designated phone number.
26. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program to issue card information to a portable device selected by a user to settle a transaction using the portable device, comprising instructions to cause a terminal to:
- obtain the information, wherein the information being information generated in response to an approval of an application for the information to settle a transaction using the portable device; and
- transmit the information to the portable device selected by the user.
27. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program to settle a transaction with a transaction terminal using a portable device selected by a user, comprising instructions to cause the portable terminal to:
- receive information, wherein the information being information generated in response to an approval of an application for the information to settle a transaction using the portable device; and
- store the information, wherein the information stored in the portable device is read or received by the transaction terminal to settle the transaction with the transaction terminal.
28. A system for issuing information to a portable device selected by a user to settle a transaction using the portable device, the system comprising:
- a terminal to obtain the information and transmit the information to the portable device selected by the user, wherein
- the information being information generated in response to an approval of an application for the information to settle a transaction using the portable device.
29. The system of claim 28, wherein the terminal is one of a terminal used by a card issuer, a terminal used by a relay center, a terminal used by a mobile communication servicer servicing the portable device, a terminal used by a provider of the portable device, and a terminal used by an agent of the card issuer, the relay center, the mobile communication servicer, and/or the provider.
30. The system of claim 28, wherein the terminal communicates to a terminal used by a service provider of the portable device or an agent of the service provider to determine whether the applicant for the information is an authorized user of the portable device.
31. The system of claim 28, wherein the terminal requests data to the portable device to authenticate whether a user of the portable device is an authorized user and transfers the information to the portable device where the user of the portable device is the authorized user.
32. The system of claim 28, wherein the terminal transmits information to the portable device or a terminal used by a relay center or an agent of the relay center to change a status of the information to correspondingly effect a further transaction using the information by the portable device.
33. The system of claim 28, wherein:
- the terminal transmits information to the portable device or a terminal used by a relay center or an agent of the relay center to display information pertinent to a transaction, and
- the displayed information corresponds to a message indicating one of issuance of the information to the portable device, authorization of the transaction, denial of the transaction, that the transaction using the information by the portable device is not authorized, nature of the transaction, and that a further transaction is suspended or resumed.
34. The system of claim 28, wherein:
- the portable device is a hand-held phone,
- the application for the information includes a phone number designated to the hand-held phone, and
- the terminal transmits the information to the hand-held phone where the applicant for the information is an authorized user of the hand-held phone having the designated phone number.
35. The system of claim 34, wherein the terminal communicates to a terminal used by a mobile communication servicer servicing the hand-held phone or an agent of the mobile communication servicer to determine whether the applicant for the information is an authorized user of the hand-held phone having the designated phone number.
36. The system of claim 28, wherein:
- the information comprises card information to settle a transaction using the portable device, and
- the information is transmitted to the portable device by wire or wirelessly.
37. A transaction settlement system to settle a transaction with a transaction terminal using information, the system comprising:
- a portable device to receive the information and store the information, wherein
- the information being information generated in response to an approval of an application for the information to settle a transaction using the portable device,
- the portable device being selected by a user to receives the information, and
- the information stored in the portable device is read or received by the transaction terminal to settle the transaction with the transaction terminal.
38. The system of claim 37, wherein the portable device receives the information from one of a terminal used by a card issuer, a terminal used by a relay center, a terminal used by a mobile communication servicer servicing the portable device, a terminal used by a provider of the portable device, and a terminal used by an agent of the card issuer, the relay center, the mobile communication servicer, and/or the provider.
39. The system of claim 37, wherein the portable device stores the information in one of an internal memory and a removable memory of the portable device.
40. The system of claim 37, wherein the portable device receives information corresponding to one of an electronic money, a coupon, a ticket, and service information so as to settle a transaction, review the service information, or transmit all or a portion of the received electronic money, coupon, or ticket to another portable device.
41. The system of claim 37, wherein the portable terminal receives the information by wire or wirelessly.
42. The system of claim 37, wherein the portable device requests data to a user of the portable device to determine whether the user is an authorized user of the information to conduct the transaction with the transaction device, and the information stored in the portable device is read or received by the transaction terminal in response to the user being determined as the authorized user to settle the transaction with the transaction terminal.
43. The system of claim 37, wherein the information stored in the portable device is read or received by the transaction terminal in response to a single button input by a user of the portable device using the portable device.
44. The system of claim 37, wherein the portable device requests one or more of a personal identification number, a signature, and bio-identification information to a user of the portable device, and the information stored in the portable device is read or received by the transaction terminal along with the one or more of the personal identification number, the signature, and the bio-identification information to settle the transaction with the transaction terminal.
45. The system of claim 37, wherein the portable device receives a request for data to authenticate whether a user of the portable device is an authorized user of the information to receive the information, requests the data from the user, and receives the information in response to the user being determined as the authorized user.
46. The system of claim 37, wherein the portable device receives information to change a status of the information to correspondingly effect a further transaction using the information by the portable device.
47. The system of claim 37, wherein:
- the portable device is a hand-held phone,
- the application for the information includes a phone number designated to the hand-held phone, and
- the hand-held phone receives the information where the applicant for the information is an authorized user of the hand-held phone having the designated phone number.
48. The system of claim 37, wherein the portable terminal displays a message indicating one of issuance of the information to the portable device, authorization of the transaction, denial of the transaction, that the transaction using the information by the portable device is not authorized, nature of the transaction, and that a further transaction is suspended or resumed.
Type: Application
Filed: Jun 30, 2017
Publication Date: Nov 16, 2017
Applicant: HAREXINFOTECH, INC. (Seoul)
Inventors: Kyung Yang PARK (Seoul), Chul Ki KIM (Songnam-city), Que Min HWANG (Seoul), Bong Sung JUNG (Seoul), Kwang Hyun SUNG (Seoul), Do Ha KIM (Seoul), Hoon Joon JUNG (Gunpo-city), Bog Heui KANG (Seoul), Eun Sang CHO (Seoul), Won Dong KIM (Seoul), Dae Yeon KIM (Seoul), Kwang Su CHANG (Seoul), Hee Gu WOO (Seoul)
Application Number: 15/638,893
