Smartcard-based value transfer

• US 20070094149A1
• Filed: 03/15/2004
• Published: 04/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ECEBS Limited (Visa, Inc.)
• Inventors: Peters, Michael, Breslin, Anthony, Hochfield, Barry
• Granted Patent: US 8,694,437 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/64
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/0425 the cheque being electronic only
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/367 involving electronic purses or money safes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/403 Solvency checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1025 Identification of user by a PIN code

Abstract

In a value transfer scheme, users are provided with programmable devices, for example, smart cards, capable of carrying data representing at least one available commodity value. Data representing user accounts is held at a remote processing station. Transactions between users are effected by the off-line exchange of data between users'"'"'respective smartcards, the exchanged data containing a record of each transaction entered into. The user account data for each user'"'"'s account held at the remote processing station is updated only subsequently when the user'"'"'s smartcard is on-line to the remote processing station and data therefrom is uploaded to the remote processing station. The scheme of the invention can, conveniently, be based around the ITSO scheme which is used to govern the secure transfer of data The scheme is capable of providing a secure multi-commodity value transfer system.

Claims

1. A value transfer scheme wherein users are provided with programmable devices capable of carrying data representing at least one available commodity value, and data representing user accounts is held at a remote processing station;

wherein transactions between users are effected by the off-line exchange of data between users'"'"'respective programmable devices, the exchanged data containing a record of the or each transaction entered into; and

wherein the user account data for each user'"'"'s account held at the remote processing station is updated only subsequently when that user'"'"'s programmable device is on-line to the remote processing station and data therefrom is uploaded to the remote tprocessing station.

2. A scheme according to claim 1 wherein the identity of users party to a transaction is verified prior to the exchange of data between the user'"'"'s programmable devices.

3. A scheme according to claim 1 or 2 wherein the or each programmable device is a smartcard.

4. A scheme according to any of claims 1 to 3 wherein the exchange of data is such that a data file from each of two programmable devices party to a transaction is copied to the other such device;

the second programmable device modifying the data file received from the first and copying the modified file back to the first device;

the first device then modifying the data file copied from the second in response to the modified file returned to it by the second device and to copying the file it has modified back to the first.

5. A scheme according to any preceding claim wherein one of a plurality of data files representing available values of different commodities is selected for use in a transaction.

6. A scheme according to any preceding claim wherein software based on an ITSO Scheme Security Management System generates keys used to verify or modify the content of the or each data file involved in a transaction.

7. A scheme according to any preceding claim wherein software based on an ITSO Application Management System controls loading of new data files onto the programmable device or devices and the deletion of such data files therefrom.

8. An interface device for use in a value transfer scheme in accordance with the scheme of any preceding claim, the device including means for interfacing with the programmable devices of at least two users party to a transaction and for effecting the off-line exchange of data between the users'"'"'respective programmable devices.

9. A programmable device for use in the scheme of any of claims 1 to 7 comprising data representing at least one available commodity value and means for interfacing with the programmable device of another user offline by means of the interface device of claim 8.