Automated transaction system with insertable cards for downloading rate or program data

• US 4,900,904 A
• Filed: 10/17/1988
• Issued: 02/13/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 11/26/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Original Assignee: Wright Technologies Private Limited
• Inventors: Bristow, Stephen, Wright, Christopher B.
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAFTON, DAVID
• Application Number:
  US07/258,517
• Time in Patent Office: 484 Days
• Field of Search: 235/379, 235/380, 235/381, 235/449, 364/464.01, 364/464.03
• US Class Current: 235/381
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0034 the connector being capable of simultaneously receiving a plurality of cards in the same insertion slot
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/2295 Parent-child type, e.g. where parent has control on child rights
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/341 Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/363 with the personal data of a user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40975 using encryption therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 17/0008 Communication details outside or between apparatus coin-freed apparatus for franking per se G07F17/26
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 17/00193 Constructional details of apparatus in a franking system
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 17/00314 Communication within apparatus, personal computer [PC] system, or server, e.g. between printhead and central unit in a franking machine
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 17/00508 Printing or attaching on mailpieces printing mechanisms B41J; security printing B41M3/14; marking methods B41M5/00; inks C09D11/00; record carriers with at least a part designed to carry digital markings G06K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 17/00733 Cryptography or similar special procedures in a franking system
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00177 from a portable device, e.g. a card or a PCMCIA
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00225 Vending machine or POS (Point Of Sale) apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00322 Communication between components/modules/parts, e.g. printer, printhead, keyboard, conveyor or central unit
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00354 Setting of date
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00588 Barcode
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00653 Special inks, e.g. fluorescent
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00701 Measuring the weight of mailpieces
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/0075 Symmetric, secret-key algorithms, e.g. DES, RC2, RC4, IDEA, Skipjack, CAST, AES
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00838 Personal data, i.e. biometrics
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/26 : for printing, stamping, franking, typing or teleprinting apparatus ticket printing or the like apparatus G07F17/42
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/08 : by coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means without personal verification means G07F7/02
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0866 : by active credit-cards adapted therefor G07F7/1008 takes precedence
• 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 7/12 : Card verification
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/127 : in which both online and offline card verification can take place

Abstract

An automated transaction system employs portable rate cards having embedded memories for storing rate information corresponding to different services, and a terminal which receives an inserted rate card and operates to calculate the value of an item requested at the terminal by a user using the information stored in the rate card, and to dispense the requested item having the calculated value. In the preferred system, the rate cards are used for different postal carriers or different services of one carrier, and the item dispensed is a printed postmark corresponding to the value calculated and the selected carrier or service. The system also employs portable program cards which store programs for generating waybill forms used by different postal carriers or different postal services. The waybill generating program of a program card inserted in the terminal controls the display of the corresponding waybill form on the terminal display and the input of information to be printed on the resulting waybill.

Claims

1. An automated transaction system comprising:

a plurality of portable rate cards each having a memory embedded therein for storing rate information corresponding to a respective one of a plurality of different services, and data output means connected to said memory;

a transaction terminal having an external slot for insertion by a user of any one of said plurality of portable rate cards therein;

operating means in said terminal for executing terminal functions including the function of transacting an item of value in accordance with the respective rates of any selected one of said plurality of different services;

said terminal having connecting means in said terminal for establishing a connection between said operating means and the data output means of an inserted rate card, and input means for enabling a user to input a request for an item of value of any selected one of said plurality of different services; and

said operating means of said terminal including rate card verifying means for verifying that the rate card inserted by the user corresponds to the selected one service for which the item of value was requested, and rate calculation means for calculating the value of the requested item using the rate information stored in said memory of said inserted rate card which is verified as to said one service; and

dispensing means associated with said terminal for dispensing the requested item of said one service having the value calculated by said rate calculating means.

2. An automated transaction system according to claim 1, wherein said operating means of said terminal includes an operations microprocessor having rate program means for downloading rate information from said memory of said inserted rate card which is verified as to said one service.

3. An automated transaction system according to claim 1, wherein said item of value to be dispensed is a printed value indicia indicative of the item requested by the user available under the selected one service, and said terminal includes printing means as said dispensing means for printing the value indicia on an article.

4. An automated transaction system according to claim 3, wherein said plurality of different services are different postal carriers, and said printed value indicia is a postmark associated with a respective one of said plurality of different carriers.

5. An automated transaction system according to claim 3, wherein said plurality of different services are different postal service categories of one carrier, and said printed value indicia is a postmark associated with a respective one of said plurality of different postal service categories.

6. An automated transaction system according to claim 3, wherein said operating means of said terminal includes a memory for storing respective graphics data for generating respective value indicia for any one of said plurality of different services.

7. An automated transaction system according to claim 3, wherein said printing means of said terminal includes a memory for storing respective graphics data for generating respective value indicia for any one of said plurality of different services.

8. An automated transaction system according to claim 3, wherein said inserted rate card includes a memory for storing respective graphics data for generating a respective value indicia for the selected one of said plurality of different services.

9. An automated transaction system according to claim 3, further comprising a weighing scale for weighing an object and producing a signal indicative of the weight thereof, and means for connecting said weighing scale to said terminal in order to supply said weight signal to said operating means of said terminal, and wherein said plurality of different services are different postal services for shipping an object of a given weight, and said rate calculation means calculates the value amount of the requested value indicia using the rate information stored in said memory of said inserted rate card and the weight signal provided by said weighing scale.

19. An automated transaction system according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of rate cards each includes validity information indicating a condition under which the respective card is valid for use in a terminal, and said validity information is verified by said operating means of said terminal.

10. An automated transaction system comprising:

a plurality of portable program cards each having a memory embedded therein for storing program information corresponding to a respective one of a plurality of different services, and data output means connected to said memory;

a transaction terminal having an external slot for insertion by a user of any one of said plurality of portable program cards therein;

operating means in said terminal for executing terminal functions including the function of transacting an item of value in accordance with the respective program of any selected one of said plurality of different services;

said terminal having connecting means in said terminal for establishing a connection between said operating means and the data output means of an inserted program card, and input means for enabling a user to input a request for an item of value of any selected one of said plurality of different services; and

said operating means of said terminal including program card verifying means for verifying that the program card inserted by the user corresponds to the selected one service for which the item of value was requested, and program executing means for accessing the program information stored in said inserted program card corresponding to the selected one service and executing a transaction of the requested item in accordance therewith; and

dispensing means associated with said terminal for dispensing the requested item of said one service in response to said program executing means.

11. An automated transaction system according to claim 10, wherein said operating means of said terminal includes an operations microprocessor having program downloading means for downloading the program information from said memory of said inserted program card which is verified as to said selected one service.

12. An automated transaction system according to claim 10, wherein said item of value to be dispensed is a printed record indicative of the item requested by the user available under the selected one service, and said terminal includes printing means as said dispersing means for printing said printed record.

13. An automated transaction system according to claim 12, wherein said plurality of different services are different postal services, said record to be printed is a waybill associated with a selected one of said plurality of different postal services, and said program information stored in the inserted program card includes a waybill generating program for generating a waybill corresponding to the selected one postal service.

14. An automated transaction system according to claim 13, wherein said input means of said terminal includes a keyboard and a display, said waybill to be printed includes a plurality of separate information fields in which postal information is to be filled, and said waybill generating program includes a display control for displaying a form for the waybill including the separate information fields on said display, and a cursor control for displaying a cursor at each information field for which user information is to be input and for moving the cursor to the next information field in sequence upon input of the information by the user on said keyboard.

15. An automated transaction system according to claim 13, wherein said plurality of different postal services are those of different postal carriers, respectively, and said printed record is a waybill associated with a respective one of said plurality of different postal carriers.

16. An automated transaction system according to claim 13, wherein said plurality of different postal services are different postal service categories of one carrier, and said printed record is a service category record associated with a respective one of said plurality of different postal service categories.

17. An automated transaction system according to claim 13, further comprising a weighing scale for weighing an object and producing a signal indicative of the weight thereof, and means for connecting said weighing scale to said terminal in order to supply said weight signal to said operating means of said terminal.

18. An automated transaction system according to claim 13, wherein said program information on said inserted program card includes rate information for the one selected postal service, and said waybill generating program includes rate calculation means for calculating the value of the requested waybill using the rate information stored in said memory of said inserted program card and waybill information provided through said terminal input means.

20. An automated transaction system according to claim 10, wherein said plurality of program cards each includes validity information indicating a condition under which the respective card is valid for use in a terminal, and said validity information is verified by said operating means of said terminal.