Prepaid or stored-value card with means for preventing useful fraudulent alteration

• US 6,045,050 A
• Filed: 02/02/1998
• Issued: 04/04/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alfi Srl (Unione Professionale Fiduciaria SPA)
• Original Assignee: Alfi Srl (Unione Professionale Fiduciaria SPA)
• Inventors: Ippolito, Giovanni, Colombo, Gianluca
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Michael G
• Assistant Examiner(s): FUREMAN, JARED
• Application Number:
  US09/017,153
• Time in Patent Office: 792 Days
• Field of Search: 235/379, 235/380, 235/492, 235/493, 902/25, 902/26, 902/27, 902/28
• US Class Current: 235/492
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3433 the counter having monetary units
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/02 by keys or other credit registering devices
• 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 7/125 Offline card verification

Abstract

A prepaid card with elements for preventing useful fraudulent alteration, comprising, on a supporting element, at least one electrically rewritable permanent register, at least one temporary register and at least one control element for comparison between a usable value that is present in the at least one permanent register and a new value which is temporarily provided in the at least one temporary register. The control element is suitable to allow to write the new value in the permanent register in replacement of the usable value only if the new value is smaller than the usable value.

Claims

1. A prepaid card with means for preventing useful fraudulent alteration, comprising, on a supporting element, at least one electrically rewritable permanent register, at least one temporary register and at least one control element for comparison between a usable value that is present in said at least one permanent register and a new value which is temporarily provided in said at least one temporary register, said at least one control element being suitable to allow to write said new value in said at least one permanent register in replacement of said usable value only if said new value is smaller than said usable value.

2. A card according to claim 1, wherein said electrically rewritable permanent register is constituted by an EEPROM.

3. A card according to claim 1, wherein said temporary register is implemented with (S)RAM technology.

4. A card according to claim 1, wherein said temporary register is constituted by an EEPROM.

5. A card according to claim 1, wherein said at least one control element is constituted by at least one comparator.

6. A stored-value card with means for preventing useful fraudulent alteration, comprising, on a supporting element, at least one electrically rewritable permanent register, at least one temporary register and at least one control element for comparison between an old value that is present in said at least one permanent register and a new value which is temporarily provided in said at least one temporary register, said at least one control element being suitable to allow to write said new value in said at least one permanent register in replacement of said old value only if said new value is greater than said old value.

7. A card according to claim 6, wherein said electrically rewritable permanent register is constituted by an EEPROM.

8. A card according to claim 6, wherein said temporary register is implemented with (S)RAM technology.

9. A card according to claim 6, wherein said temporary register is constituted by an EEPROM.

10. A card according to claim 6, wherein said at least one control element is constituted by at least one comparator.