System and method for conducting cashless transactions
First Claim
1. Financial card apparatus comprising:
- first means for providing first data representing an available fund for cashless transactions;
second means for providing second data in said card apparatus representing a number of renewals, each of which represents an increase of a predetermined amount to said available fund; and
third means for providing third data identifying an account for billing, said account associated with said financial card apparatus;
whereby an increase in said available fund is accompanied by a change in said number of renewals, and whereby upon said change said account is billed for an amount which is a function of said predetermined amount and said change in said number of renewals.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
In a commercial transaction system, a system user uses a card device to interact with sales or transaction terminals to conduct cashless transactions. Each terminal processes data including a balance stored on the card device and updates the stored data at the end of the transaction. The system is specially designed for purchases of items or transactions of relatively small monetary value, where purchases are generally unattended by salespersons. In this manner, the amount of the transaction is deducted from the balance on the card device.
In accordance with the invention, when the existing balance associated with the card does not cover the price of the transaction, the system provides an automatic renewal feature which automatically increases the balance of the card device by a predetermined amount. Such a feature allows the purchase to be made without inconveniencing the card user to increase the balance by other means. Each time the balance is increased by an automatic renewal, the card issuing bank bills the card user for increments of the predetermined amount.
555 Citations
54 Claims
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1. Financial card apparatus comprising:
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first means for providing first data representing an available fund for cashless transactions; second means for providing second data in said card apparatus representing a number of renewals, each of which represents an increase of a predetermined amount to said available fund; and third means for providing third data identifying an account for billing, said account associated with said financial card apparatus; whereby an increase in said available fund is accompanied by a change in said number of renewals, and whereby upon said change said account is billed for an amount which is a function of said predetermined amount and said change in said number of renewals. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. Terminal apparatus for conducting a cashless transaction comprising:
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means for receiving a card apparatus containing data representing at least a number of renewals and an available fund for said cashless transaction; means for reading said data from said card apparatus; means responsive to at least said data for increasing said available fund and causing said number of renewals to be changed; and means for processing said cashless transaction. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A system for conducting a cashless transaction comprising:
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at least one user card apparatus containing data representing at least a number of renewals and an available fund for said cashless transaction; at least one terminal apparatus including (a) means for receiving said user card apparatus;
(b) means for reading said data from said card apparatus;
(c) means responsive to at least said data for increasing said available fund and causing said number of renewals to be changed and (d) means for processing said cashless transaction; andmeans for collecting from said terminal apparatus information about said cashless transaction. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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44. A method for conducting a cashless transaction with a user card apparatus comprising the steps of:
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providing data in said user card apparatus representing at least a number of renewals and an available fund for said cashless transaction; increasing said available fund in response to at least said data; causing said number of renewals to be changed when said available fund is increased; and processing said cashless transaction. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54)
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Specification