Method and apparatus for recording usage data of card operated devices

• US 5,914,471 A
• Filed: 08/27/1996
• Issued: 06/22/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke PTT Nederland N.V. (Royal KPN NV)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke PTT Nederland N.V. (Royal KPN NV)
• Inventors: Van De Pavert, Hendricus J. W. M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hajec, Donald
• Assistant Examiner(s): TREMBLAY, MARK STEPHEN
• Application Number:
  US08/703,824
• Time in Patent Office: 1,029 Days
• Field of Search: 235/378, 235/380, 235/382, 235/382.5, 379/145, 902/26, 902/28
• US Class Current: 235/380
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/229 Hierarchy of users of accounts
• 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 20/4093 Monitoring of device authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4097 using mutual authentication between devices and transaction partners
• 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 9/026 for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty

Abstract

A method for recording usage data of a card-operated device, such as a public telephone set or a vending machine. In particular, usage data, such as totalized charges, is stored in a storage unit associated with the device. At the onset of a transaction, e.g., a telephone call, an initial balance, representing a existing pre-paid credit, is read from memory in the card and transferred to the device. Based upon usage of the device, during the course of the transaction and/or at its completion, the device instructs the card, at least once, to reduce its balance by, e.g., a fixed amount to yield a current balance, which is, in turn, then stored back into the card. The card then sends the current balance back to the device. Device usage for this transaction is subsequently determined, within the device, as a difference between the initial and current balances, and is added to (totalized) usage data stored therein. The security of the data transfers may be cryptographically enhanced. Preferably, the current balance is transmitted from the card to the device unit during a verification procedure through which the authenticity of the card is checked.

Claims

1. A method of recording payment data of a card-operated device, the device being capable of exchanging data with a card, said card being capable of registering payment data therein and the payment data relating to a transaction performed by a user with the device, the method comprising the steps of:

within the card, forming a first message and communicating the first message to said device, the first message containing an initial value of a balance then stored within a memory situated on the card, the initial value of the balance representing an unused pre-paid monetary amount then available for payment by the user for a transaction to be effectuated with the card and through the device;

forming, within the device and in response to usage of the device during the transaction, at least one decrease command and routing the decrease command from the device to the card, wherein said decrease command instructs the card to decrease the balance stored in the memory by a pre-defined amount;

in the card, updating, in response to said decrease command, the balance then stored in the memory on the card so as to form a current value of the balance stored therein;

within the device and at a proximate conclusion of said transaction, generating a data request and communicating said data request from the device to the card;

forming, in the card, in response to said data request, a second message and communicating the second message to the device, said second message containing a value representing the current balance then existing in the memory on the card; and

within the device, determining a total amount spent by the user for the transaction in response to a difference between the initial and current values of the balance.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

within the device, generating, in response to insertion of the card into the device and establishment of electrical communication therebetween, a first request and communicating the first request from the device to the card; and

wherein the first and second message define first and second responses, respectively, and said data request defines a second request and the first message forming step is responsive to the first request.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of cumulatively updating a usage counter situated within the device by adding the total amount to contents of the usage counter so as to form an accumulated result and storing the accumulated result into-the usage counter whereby the contents of the usage counter reflect accumulated charges incurred through use of the device.

4. The method in claim 3 further comprising the steps of:

producing within the device, a unique random number for each of said first and second requests so as to form first and second random numbers; and

said first request generating step and said data request generating step each includes the step of incorporating an authentication code within each of said first and second requests, wherein the authentication code for each of said first and second requests contains said first and second random numbers, respectively.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said first message forming step comprises the step of generating a first authentication code in response to the first random number and the initial value of the balance.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the first authentication code generating step comprises the step of generating the first authentication code as a function of the first random number, the initial value of the balance and data identifying the card.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein said first message forming step further comprises the step of producing said first response by cryptographically encoding said first authorization code.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising the step of, in said device, verifying authenticity of said first response by regenerating the first authentication code, in response to said first random number, so as to define a regenerated first authentication code and determining whether the regenerated first authentication code matches the first authentication code produced by the card and, in response thereto, recovering the initial value of the balance from said first response and storing the initial value of the balance in said device.

9. The method of claim 4 wherein said second message forming step comprises the step of generating a second authentication code as a function of the second random number and the current value of the balance.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said second response forming step further comprises the step of producing said second response by cryptographically encoding said second authorization code.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising the step of, in said device, verifying authenticity of said second response by regenerating the second authentication code, in response to the second random number, so as to define a regenerated second authentication code and determining whether the regenerated second authentication code matches the second authentication code produced by the card and, in response thereto, recovering the current value of the balance from said second response and storing the current value of the balance in said device.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the data request forming and second message forming steps are repeated in succession a plurality of times while said transaction is occurring so as to verify the balance then stored in the memory of the card, such that a plurality of corresponding second random numbers are generated, with each one of said second random numbers being incorporated within a corresponding one of a plurality of second requests.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising the step of separately verifying, in response to each of said second responses, the authenticity of said each second response by determining whether an associated authentication code regenerated in the device, in response to an associated random number, matches a corresponding authentication code received from the card and, in response thereto, recovering the current value of the balance from said each second response and storing the current value of the balance, as the balance, in said device.

14. The method of claim 4 wherein the balance updating step performed in the card comprises the step of decreasing the balance stored in the card either by a pre-defined amount specified by the decrease command or a fixed amount.

15. The method of claim 4 wherein the card is a pre-paid telephone payment card and the device is a card-operated pay telephone.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the data request forming and second message forming steps are repeated a number of times in succession while the transaction is occurring so as to repeatedly transfer the current value of the balance from the card to the device during the transaction.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising the step of updating, after each time the balance has been transferred to the device, a usage counter situated within the device by adding the total amount to contents of the usage counter so as to form an accumulated result and storing the accumulated result into the usage counter whereby the contents of the usage counter reflect accumulated charges incurred through use of the device.

18. Apparatus for recording payment data of a card-operated device, the device being capable of exchanging data with a card, said card being capable of registering payment data therein and the payment data relating to a transaction performed by a user with the device, the apparatus comprising:

a card having;

a memory;

means for forming a first message and communicating the first message to a card-operated device, the first message containing an initial value of a balance then stored within the memory situated on the card, the initial value of the balance representing an unused pre-paid monetary amount then available for payment by the user for a transaction to be effectuated with the card and through the device;

means for updating, in response to a decrease command, the balance then stored in the memory so as to form a current value of the balance stored therein;

means for forming in response to a data request, a second message and communicating the second response to the device, said second message containing a value representing the current value of the balance then existing in the memory; and

the card-operated device having;

means for forming, in response to usage of the device during the transaction, at least one decrease command and routing the decrease command from the device to the card, wherein said decrease command instructs the card to decrease the balance stored in the memory by a pre-defined amount;

means, operative at a proximate conclusion of said transaction, for generating a data request and communicating said data request to the card; and

means for determining a total amount spent by the user for the transaction in response to a difference between the initial and current values of the balance.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 further comprising, within the device, means, operative in response to insertion of the card into the device and establishment of electrical communication therebetween, for generating a first request and communicating the first request from the device to the card;

wherein the first and second message define first and second responses, respectively, and the data request defines a second request and the first message forming and communicating means is responsive to the first request.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 further comprising means for cumulatively updating a usage counter situated within the device by adding the total amount to contents of the usage counter so as to form an accumulated result and storing the accumulated result into the usage counter whereby the contents of the usage counter reflect accumulated charges incurred through use of the device.

21. The apparatus in claim 19 further comprising:

means, within the device, for producing a unique random number for each of said first and second requests so as to form first and second random numbers; and

said first request generating means and said data request generating means each comprises means for incorporating an authentication code within each of said first and second requests, wherein the authentication code for each of said first and second requests contains said first and second random numbers, respectively.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein said first message forming means comprises means for generating a first authentication code in response to the first random number and the initial value of the balance.

23. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein said first authentication code generating means generates the first authentication code as a function of the first random number, the initial value of the balance and data identifying the card.

24. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein said first message forming means further comprises means for producing said first response by cryptographically encoding said first authorization code.

25. The apparatus of claim 24 further comprising means, located in the device, for verifying authenticity of said first response by regenerating the first authentication code, in response to said first random number, and determining whether the regenerated first authentication code matches the first authentication code produced by the card, and in response thereto, recovering the initial value of the balance from said first response and storing the initial value of the balance in said device.

26. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein said second message forming means comprises means for generating a second authentication code as a function of the second random number and the current value of the balance.

27. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein said second response forming means further comprises means for producing said second response by cryptographically encoding said second authorization code.

28. The apparatus of claim 27 further comprising means, located in the device, for verifying authenticity of said second response by regenerating the second authentication code, in response to the second random number, so as to define a regenerated second authentication code and determining whether the regenerated second authentication code matches the second authentication code produced by the card and, in response thereto, recovering the current value of the balance from said second response and storing the current value of the balance in said device.

29. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the balance updating means decreases the balance stored in the card either by a pre-defined amount specified by the decrease command or a fixed amount.

30. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein the card is a pre-paid telephone payment card and the device is a card-operated pay telephone.

31. A card-operated device for use in apparatus for recording payment data of a card-operated device, the device being capable of exchanging data with a card, said card being capable of registering payment data therein and the payment data relating to a transaction performed by a user with the device, the device comprising:

means for receiving, a first message from the card, said first message having an initial value of a balance stored in the card;

means for forming, in response to usage of the device during the transaction, at least one decrease command and routing the decrease command from the device to the card, wherein the decrease command instructs the card to decrease the balance stored therein by a pre-defined amount;

means, operative at a proximate conclusion of the transaction, for generating a data request to the card so as to obtain a current value of the balance then stored in the card and for receiving a second message having the current value of the balance then stored in the card; and

means for determining a total amount spent by the user for the transaction in response to a difference between the initial and current values of the balance.

32. The apparatus of claim 31 wherein the receiving means further comprises means for generating a first request to the card to obtain the value of the initial balance stored therein and for communicating the first request to the card so as cause the card to generate the first message;

and wherein the data request defines a second request.

33. The apparatus of claim 31 further comprising means for cumulatively updating a usage counter situated within the device by adding the total amount to contents of the usage counter so as to form an accumulated result and storing the S accumulated result into the usage counter whereby the contents of the usage counter reflect accumulated charges incurred through use of the device.

34. The apparatus of claim 33 further comprising:

means for producing within the device, a unique random number for each of said first and second requests so as to form first and second random numbers; and

said first and second request generating means each comprises means for incorporating an authentication code within each of said first and second requests, wherein the authentication code for each of said first and second requests contains said first and second random numbers, respectively.

35. The apparatus of claim 34 further comprising means for verifying authenticity of a first response received from the card, as a result of said first request, by regenerating the first authentication code, in response to the first random number, so as to define a regenerated first authentication code and determining whether the first regenerated authentication code matches the first authentication code produced by the card and, in response thereto, recovering the initial value of the balance from said first response and storing the initial value of the balance in said device.

36. The apparatus of claim 34 further comprising means for verifying authenticity of a second response received from the card, as a result of said second request, by regenerating a second authentication code, in response to the second random number, so as to define a regenerated second authentication code and determining whether the regenerated second authentication code matches the second authentication code produced by the card and, in response thereto, recovering the current value of the balance from said second response and storing the current value of the balance in said device.

37. The apparatus of claim 34 wherein the balance updating means decreases the balance stored in the card either by a pre-defined amount specified by the decrease command or a fixed amount.

38. The apparatus of claim 34 wherein the device is a card-operated pay telephone.