Wireless telephone debit card system and method

• US 6,003,770 A
• Filed: 10/21/1997
• Issued: 12/21/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Interdigital Technology Corporation (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Interdigital Technology Corporation (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Inventors: Schilling, Donald L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hajec, Donald
• Assistant Examiner(s): TREMBLAY, MARK STEPHEN
• Application Number:
  US08/954,788
• Time in Patent Office: 791 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/380, 235/381, 235/382.5, 379/58, 379/61, 379/144, 379/357
• US Class Current: 235/382.5
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 17/0022 arrangements or provisions for transferring data to distant stations, e.g. from a sensing device "transfer between computer elements G06F13/00 "; data-transmission H04L
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/26 Debit schemes, e.g. "pay now"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/28 Pre-payment schemes, e.g. "pay before"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/325 using wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/363 with the personal data of a user
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0866 by active credit-cards adapted therefor G07F7/1008 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/68 Payment of value-added services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/715 Activating new subscriber or card
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8353 during the communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/842 Announcement, e.g. IVR dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/852 Low balance or limit reached
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/00 Prepayment of wireline communication systems, wireless communication systems or telephone systems using a coded card to authorise calls from a telephone set H04M1/675
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/02 Coin-freed or check-freed systems , e.g. mobile- or card-operated phones, public telephones or booths
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/103 using SIMs (USIMs) or calling cards
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/106 using commercial credit or debit cards
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/20 with provision for recharging the prepaid account or card, or for credit establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2017/12 using calling, telephone credit/debit cards
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2017/14 using commercial credit/debit cards, e.g. VISA, AMEX
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2017/2518 : from material card, using a magnetic stripe card
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2017/255 : local at the terminal itself
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0196 : Payment of value-added services, mainly when their charges are added on the telephone bill, e.g. payment of non-telecom services, e-commerce, on-line banking
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2026 : Wireless network, e.g. GSM, PCS, TACS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 : Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7027 : Activate new subscriber or card
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/8112 : during the communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/8133 : Announcement, e.g. IVR dialogue, intelligent peripheral or switch
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/8158 : Low balance or limit reached
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/14 : including a card reading device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 : Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 : Terminal devices

Abstract

A wireless debit card communications system comprising a radio unit, a base station, and an end station. The radio unit, for example, a radio telephone, includes a first processor, a reader for reading a credit amount and a personal access number from a debit card, and a transceiver for communicating, using radio waves, a credit signal. The base station receives and relays the credit signal over a communications channel to the end station. The end station includes a switch to generate a first control signal to allocate the credit amount of the debit card to the radio unit, and to set a radio unit access number of the radio unit to the personal access number of the debit card with a communications path through the base station. The end station also generates a second control signal for changing the credit amount and the personal access number of the debit card. The base station may be connected to a debit meter. The radio unit and the debit meter respond to the second control signal to change the credit amount and the personal access number using magnetic writers or writer processors to store an updated credit amount and personal access number on a magnetic strip on a debit card or on a chip on the debit card as the debit card is used in the radio unit. The personal access number may be used as a telephone number of the radio unit.

Claims

1. A wireless debit card system comprising:

at least one radio unit, each radio unit including;

means for receiving communications directed to selected access numbers, including a fixed radio unit access number unique to said radio unit;

means for reading a credit amount and a personal access number from a debit card;

first processing means for generating a credit signal from the credit amount and the personal access number;

means for communicating, using radio waves, the credit signal;

access control means associated with said receiving means for activating the personal access number as an additional selected access number in response to a first control signal; and

changing means for changing the credit amount of a debit card in response to a second control signal; and

at least one base station for receiving credit signals and for transmitting first and second control signals to a radio unit from which a credit signal is received which is responsive to the received credit signal such that;

said first control signal verifies the credit amount of the debit card to said radio unit and enables activation of an additional selected access number of the radio unit corresponding to the personal access number of the debit card, and

said second control signal enables changing the credit amount of the debit card by said radio unit changing means.

2. The wireless debit card system as set forth in claim 1, wherein an end station communicates with said base station and generates said first and second control signals.

3. The wireless debit card system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said changing means of each radio unit includes means for changing both the credit amount and the personal access number of the debit card in response to said second control signal.

4. The wireless debit card system as set forth in claim 1 wherein each radio unit includes a radio telephone.

5. The wireless debit card system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the debit card includes a magnetic strip;

wherein said reading means of each radio unit includes a magnetic reader for reading the credit amount and the personal access number from the magnetic strip; and

wherein said changing means of each radio unit includes a magnetic writer for rewriting the magnetic strip.

6. The wireless debit card system as set forth in claim 1 wherein the debit card includes a chip having a memory;

wherein said reading means of each radio telephone includes a reader processor for reading the credit amount and the personal access number from the memory of the chip; and

wherein said changing means of each radio telephone includes a writer processor for rewriting the memory of the chip.

7. In a wireless debit card system including a plurality of radio units and a base station, a method comprising the steps of:

providing radio units for receiving communications from a base station based on selected access codes, each radio unit having at least one unique pre-assigned access code as one of the selected access codes;

storing a credit amount and a personal access number on a debit card;

using a selected radio unit to read a credit amount and a personal access number from a debit card; and

to

generate a credit signal based thereon;

transmitting the credit signal over a broadcast channel;

receiving the credit signal at the base station;

transmitting a control signal from the base station responsive to said credit signal for verifying the credit amount of the debit card to said selected radio unit and for enabling activation of an additional selected access code of said selected radio unit corresponding to the personal access number of the debit card; and

activating the additional access code at said selected radio unit to thereby enable receiving of communications from said base station based on said additional access code.

8. The method as set forth in claim 7, further comprising:

allocating the credit amount of the debit card to the radio unit using the control signal.

9. The method as set forth in claim 8, further comprising:

generating a second control signal in response to said credit signal;

changing the credit amount of the debit card in response to said second control signal.

10. The method as set forth in claim 7, further comprising:

relaying the credit signal from the base station to an end station and generating said control signal at said end station.

11. The method as set forth in claim 9, further comprising:

changing the personal access number of the debit card in response to said second control signal.

12. The method as set forth in claim 9 wherein the step of changing the credit amount includes:

revising the credit amount as an updated credit amount in said radio selected unit; and

storing the updated credit amount on the debit card.

13. The method as set forth in claim 11,

wherein the step of changing the credit amount includes:

revising the credit amount as an updated credit amount in said selected radio unit;

storing the updated credit amount on the debit card;

wherein the step of changing the personal access number includes the steps of;

revising the personal access number as an updated personal access number in said selected radio unit; and

storing the updated personal access number on the debit card.

14. The method as set forth in claim 11,

wherein reading the credit amount and the personal access number on the debit card includes reading a magnetic format on a magnetic strip of the debit card;

and

wherein changing the credit amount and the personal access number on the debit card includes writing the credit amount and the personal access number in the magnetic format on the magnetic strip of the debit card.

15. The method as set forth in claim 11 wherein reading the credit amount and the personal access number on the debit card includes reading a memory on a chip of the debit card;

and

wherein changing the credit amount and the personal access number on the debit card includes writing the credit amount and the personal access number in the memory on the chip of the debit card.

16. A radio unit for use in a wireless debit card system having at least one base station for transmitting control signals in response to received credit signals, said radio unit including:

means for receiving communications directed to selected access numbers including a fixed radio unit access number unique to said radio unit;

means for reading a credit amount and a personal access number from a debit card;

first processing means for generating a credit signal from the credit amount and the personal access number;

means for communicating, using radio waves, the credit signal to a base station;

access control means associated with said receiving means for activating the personal access number as an additional selected access number in response to a first control signal received from a base station for verifying a credit amount of the debit card to said radio unit and enabling activation of the personal access number of the debit card; and

changing means for changing the credit amount of the debit card in response to a second control signal received from a base station.

17. The radio unit as set forth in claim 16 wherein said changing means of said radio unit includes means for changing both the credit amount and the personal access number of a debit card in response to said second control signal.

18. The radio unit as set forth in claim 16 wherein said radio unit is a radio telephone.

19. The radio unit as set forth in claim 16 wherein said reading means includes a magnetic reader for reading the credit amount and the personal access number from a magnetic strip of a debit card;

and

said changing means of said radio unit includes a magnetic writer for rewriting the magnetic strip.

20. The radio unit as set forth in claim 16 wherein said reading means of said radio telephone includes a reader processor for reading the credit amount and the personal access number from a memory of a chip of a debit card;

and

said changing means of said radio telephone includes a writer processor for rewriting the memory of the chip.