Information processing system, information processing method, and recording medium for an information processing program

• US 20040117301A1
• Filed: 10/03/2003
• Published: 06/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Original Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation (Seiko Group)
• Inventors: Mizuno, Michiko, Fujisawa, Teruhiko, Kinoshita, Satoshi
• Application Number:
  US10/678,407
• Publication Number:
  US 20040117301A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/39
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/065 using e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/14 specially adapted for billing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/24 Credit schemes, i.e. "pay after"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/352 Contactless payments by cards

Abstract

A data processing system to manage credit card use for a plural number of credit cards and to reconcile credit card statements. The data processing system 1 has multiple POS terminals 21 and cash registers 25, and a personal computer 45. The POS terminals 21 and cash registers 25 can write card usage information to a small, portable storage device represented by an IC card 10 having a rewritable nonvolatile storage unit for storing multiple card usage information records. The card usage information includes credit card number information, payment method information, payment date information, and payment amount information. The personal computer 45 runs a read process to read the card usage information from the IC card 10, and a transaction management process based on the card usage information read by the read process. The IC card 10 can communicate wirelessly with the POS terminals 21 and cash registers 25.

Claims

1. A data processing system for processing and storing information relating to purchases made with one or more credit cards comprising:

a portable storage device independent of the credit card used to make a credit card purchase, said storage device having a rewritable nonvolatile memory unit for storing credit card usage information;

a first data processing device for running a write process for generating card usage information for a payment made with a credit card when a credit card is used to make a purchase, and writing the credit card usage information to the portable storage device; and

a second data processing device comprising a processor for running a read process to read card usage information for each credit card written to the portable storage device.

2. A data processing system according to claim 1 further comprising means for enabling the portable storage device to communicate wirelessly with said first and/or second data processing portable storage device.

3. A data processing system according to claim 2, wherein the card usage information includes a payment amount and credit card number for the credit card used to make a purchase;

and

wherein the processor of the second data processing device executes a transaction management process based on the card usage information read by the read process for grouping and sorting payment amounts by credit card number and for executing a calculation process for calculating totals for the sorted payment amounts.

4. A data processing system according to claim 3, wherein the card usage information further includes a payment deadline for the credit card used for purchases;

and

the second data processing device further comprises an input unit for specifying a billing month for the credit card,

wherein the processor of the second data processing device includes means for calculating the total of payment amounts included within the payment deadline in the billing month specified using the input unit.

5. A data processing system according to claim 2, wherein the card usage information includes a payment amount and credit card number for the credit card used to make a purchase;

and

the second data processing device further comprises a storage unit for storing an account number for a settlement account for the credit card used for purchases, and

wherein the processor of the second data processing device executes a transaction management process based on the card usage information read by the read process for grouping and sorting payment amounts by the account number and executes a calculation process for calculating totals for the sorted payment amounts.

6. A data processing system according to claim 5, wherein the card usage information includes a payment deadline for the credit card used for purchases;

and

the second data processing device further comprises an input unit for specifying a billing month for the credit card,

the storage unit of the second data processing device further storing balance data for the settlement account, and

wherein the processor of the second data processing device includes means for calculating the total of payment amounts included within the payment deadline in the billing month specified using the input unit, comparing the total of payment amounts included within the payment deadline in the specified billing month with the account balance, and determining and reporting if the settlement amount due from the settlement account can be debited.

7. A data processing system according to claim 1, wherein the portable storage device includes means for contactlessly reading and writing the card usage information from said

first data processing device and said second data processing device respectively.

8. A data processing system according to claim 3, wherein the card usage information includes a product name for which payment was made or a store name to which payment was made, and

wherein the second data processing device includes means for printing or displaying the product name or store name and payment amount read from the portable storage device.

9. A data processing system according to claim 8, wherein the card usage information includes information relating to the payment method of the credit card used to make a purchase, and

wherein the second data processing device includes means for printing or displaying the payment method and payment amount read from the portable storage device.

10. A data processing method comprising the steps of:

providing a portable storage device having a rewritable nonvolatile memory unit for storing card usage information for one or more credit cards used to make a purchase, with the portable storage device being independent of the credit cards;

generating card usage information for a payment made with a credit card when a credit card is used to make a purchase;

writing the card usage information to the portable storage device;

reading the card usage information for each credit card written to the portable storage device; and

running a transaction management process based on the read card usage information.

11. A data processing method according to claim 10, wherein the card usage information includes a payment amount and credit card number for the credit card used to make a purchase;

and

the transaction management process executes a sorting process for grouping payment amounts by credit card number and a calculation process for calculating totals for the sorted payment amounts.

12. A data processing method according to claim 11, wherein the card usage information further includes a payment deadline for the credit card used for purchases;

and

the transaction management process calculates the total of payment amounts included within the payment deadline in a billing month specified by an operator.

13. A data processing method according to claim 10, wherein the card usage information includes a payment amount and credit card number for the credit card used to make a purchase,

the account number of a settlement account for the credit card used to make a purchase is pre-stored, and

the transaction management process executes a sorting process for grouping payment amounts by account number, and a calculation process for calculating totals for the sorted payment amounts.

14. A data processing method according to claim 13, wherein the card usage information further includes a payment deadline for the credit card used for purchases;

and

the transaction management process calculates the total of payment amounts included within the payment deadline in the billing month specified by the operator,

receives the account balance of the settlement account for the credit card used for purchases,

compares the total of payment amounts included within the payment deadline in the specified billing month with the account balance, and

determines and reports if the settlement amount due from the settlement account can be debited.

15. A computer-readable recording medium for storing a computer program which implements a data processing method in a data processing device for reading and writing information to a portable storage device having a rewritable nonvolatile memory unit for storing credit card usage information for one or more credit cards used to make a purchase with said computer program including a read program to implement a read process for

reading card usage information from the portable storage device representative or purchases made by one or more credit cards;

and

including a transaction management program for implementing the running of a transaction management process based on card usage information read by the read process.

16. A computer-readable recording medium according to claim 15 wherein the card usage information includes a payment amount and credit card number for the credit card used to make a purchase;

and

wherein the transaction management process runs a sorting process for grouping payment amounts by credit card number and a calculation process for calculating totals for the sorted payment amounts.

17. A computer-readable recording medium according to claim 15 wherein the card usage information includes a payment amount and credit card number for the credit card used to make a purchase;

and

wherein the transaction management process runs a sorting process for grouping payment amounts by the account numbers of the settlement accounts for the credit cards used for purchases, and a calculation process for calculating totals for the sorted payment amounts.