System and method for conducting cashless transactions on a computer network
First Claim
1. A system for conducting cashless transactions on a network which transmits data, comprising:
- a plurality of consumer terminals coupled to said network, each of said plurality of consumer terminals comprising an input means for selecting one of said cashless transactions, a processor and a memory including a first storage area for storing data representative of an available fund;
a merchant computer coupled to said network for providing data representing at least one of said cashless transactions, including a transaction amount to at least one of said plurality of consumer terminals over said network, and a financial services provider computer coupled to said network for receiving increase requests from and providing data representative of said available fund to said plurality of consumer terminals;
wherein said processor of said at least one of said plurality of consumer terminals is responsive to said transaction amount and said available fund such that if the difference between said available fund and said transaction amount is below a predetermined threshold, it provides to said financial services provider computer request data to increase said available fund a predetermined amount and upon said increase executes said selected cashless transaction by decreasing from said available fund said transaction amount to complete said cashless transaction.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In a commercial transaction system, a system user uses a personal computer to interact with merchant computers over the Internet to conduct cashless transactions. Each system user computer processes data including a balance stored in the computer'"'"'s memory 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. In this manner, the amount of the transaction is deducted from the balance on the computer. In accordance with the invention, when the existing balance associated with the computer does not cover the price of the transaction, the system provides a reload feature which gives the user an option to increase the balance of the computer. Such a feature allows the purchase to be made without inconveniencing the user to increase the balance by other means. Each time the balance is increased by a reload, the user'"'"'s issuer bank bills the user for the reload amount.
757 Citations
71 Claims
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1. A system for conducting cashless transactions on a network which transmits data, comprising:
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a plurality of consumer terminals coupled to said network, each of said plurality of consumer terminals comprising an input means for selecting one of said cashless transactions, a processor and a memory including a first storage area for storing data representative of an available fund; a merchant computer coupled to said network for providing data representing at least one of said cashless transactions, including a transaction amount to at least one of said plurality of consumer terminals over said network, and a financial services provider computer coupled to said network for receiving increase requests from and providing data representative of said available fund to said plurality of consumer terminals; wherein said processor of said at least one of said plurality of consumer terminals is responsive to said transaction amount and said available fund such that if the difference between said available fund and said transaction amount is below a predetermined threshold, it provides to said financial services provider computer request data to increase said available fund a predetermined amount and upon said increase executes said selected cashless transaction by decreasing from said available fund said transaction amount to complete said cashless transaction. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A system for extending funds to a consumer account to conduct cashless transactions on a computer network, comprising:
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a plurality of consumer terminal apparatus coupled to said computer network, each of said plurality of consumer terminal apparatus comprising a processor and a dedicated memory including an available fund stored therein; a financial services provider computer coupled to said computer network; and an issuer bank computer coupled to said computer network; wherein said processor of at least one of said plurality of consumer terminal apparatus generates request data for an increase in said available fund stored in said at least one consumer terminal apparatus and increases said available fund by a reload sum if granted request data is received from said financial services provider computer; wherein said financial services provider computer receives over said computer network said request data from said at least one consumer terminal apparatus for an increase in said available fund located in said memory of said at least one consumer terminal apparatus, determines whether to grant said received request, and if granted, transmits said granted request data to said at least one consumer terminal apparatus and transmits reload data representing said reload sum over said network to said issuer bank computer; and wherein said issuer bank computer receives said reload data and bills a consumer account associated with said at least one consumer terminal apparatus for said reload sum. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. A method for conducting cashless transactions on a computer network with a consumer terminal apparatus coupled to said network, said consumer terminal apparatus comprising a memory, a communications device, a display and input means, said method comprising the steps of:
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storing data representative of at least an available fund in said memory of said consumer terminal apparatus; accessing said computer network with said communications device; receiving transaction information data from a merchant computer coupled to said network; transmitting selecting data with said communications device to said merchant computer over said computer network responsive to said input means and said transaction information; increasing said available fund located in said memory of said consumer terminal apparatus if the difference between said transaction cost and said available fund is below a predetermined threshold; and decreasing said available fund responsive to said transaction cost and said selecting data. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55)
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56. A method for extending funds from a host system to a consumer terminal apparatus comprising a memory storing an available fund separate from said host system to complete a cashless transaction over a network, comprising the steps of:
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receiving at said host system over said network a request for an increase in said available fund from said consumer terminal apparatus to complete a cashless transaction; determining at said host system whether to grant said received request for said consumer terminal apparatus; and transmitting a reply signal from said host system to said consumer terminal apparatus indicating whether said request was granted, wherein said available fund in said consumer terminal apparatus is increased if said request is granted and wherein said available fund is used to complete said cashless transaction. - View Dependent Claims (57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62)
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63. A consumer terminal apparatus for conducting cashless transactions on a computer network, comprising:
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a memory comprising a first storage area for storing data representative of an available fund, data representative of a current number of available fund increases and data representative of a maximum number of available fund increases allowed; a communications device for accessing said computer network and receiving from a merchant computer cashless transaction signals representing at least one cashless transaction to select and a cashless transaction amount required to complete said at least one cashless transaction and for transmitting selection data responsive to said input means to said merchant computer, said selection signal representing a selected cashless transaction to be conducted with said merchant computer over said computer network; a display for displaying information representative of said at least one cashless transaction and said available fund; an input means for selecting at least one of said at least one cashless transaction; and a processor for increasing said available fund when said available fund is less than a selected transaction amount of said selected cashless transaction; and
for decreasing said available fund by said selected transaction amount to complete said selected cashless transaction, wherein said processor updates said current number of available fund increases upon each occurrence of said available fund increase. - View Dependent Claims (64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71)
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Specification