Chip card, method and system for using and paying for services

• US 6,126,069 A
• Filed: 02/06/1997
• Issued: 10/03/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Alcatel SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Barth, Ulrich, Stiefel, Rolf, Sawatzki, Roland
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Michael G
• Assistant Examiner(s): FUREMAN, JARED
• Application Number:
  US08/796,810
• Time in Patent Office: 1,335 Days
• Field of Search: 235/380, 235/381, 235/492, 380/227, 380/228, 380/229, 380/230, 380/231, 380/233, 705/52, 705/53
• US Class Current: 235/380
• 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 20/3576 Multiple memory zones on card
• 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: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system

Abstract

Anonymous use of and payment for, as well as collection of statistics, fee-based services, in particular Near-VOD services, employing a single chip card that can be used for all service providers. The chip card is used for paying for fee-based services of different service providers. Storage of usage-related data for collection of statistics and for payment for fee-based services as well as an authorization check is provided on the chip card. When an amount of money is loaded onto the chip card, these data are read and transmitted to a central office for the purpose of collecting statistics relating to the usage of individual services and crediting the individual service providers while, at the same time, guaranteeing anonymity of the individual customer-specific data.

Claims

1. A chip card for a user to use and pay for fee-based services of different service providers (A, B, C), the chip card comprising:

first means (EP) for decoding information sent by the selected fee-based service of the different service providers (A, B, C),

a first memory (I) for storing an aggregate amount for paying for the fee-based services of any of the different service providers (A, B, C),

a second memory (KM) for storing usage data of the fee-based services of the different service providers (A, B, C) so as to eliminate a need for a backward channel to the different service providers (A, B, C) in order to use the chip card for fee-based services, wherein the second memory (KM) stores;

a service provider identity,

the fee-based service,

start time and duration of the usage of the fee-based service, and

a fee charged to the user for using a fee-based service,

the chip card further storing cost associated with the fee-based services incurred to a card company (Z) and comprising means (ST) for evaluating stored data and for determining cost of an actual fee-based service therefrom, and for reducing the aggregate amount which is stored in the first memory by an amount equal to the cost,

wherein the aggregate amount is loaded at a loading station which has no backward channel to the fee-based service providers (A, B, C) and wherein the loading station has a backward channel linking to the card company (Z) so as to allow the card company (Z) to determine payable amounts to be credited to the different service providers based on a respective usage and the cost stored on the chip card.

2. A chip card according to claim 1, wherein the first means (EP) for decoding decodes authorization information and control information.

3. A chip card according to claim 2, wherein the fee-based service is a fee-based distribution service or a fee-based retrieval service.

4. A chip card according to claim 1, wherein the fee-based service is a fee-based distribution service or a fee-based retrieval service.

5. The chip card according to claim 1, wherein the fee-based services of different service providers (A, B, C) are provided directly to a user of the chip card.

6. A method for a user to use and pay for fee-based services of different service providers (A, B, C), wherein a fee-based service is requested and information sent by the selected fee-based service is decoded with the help of a chip card (CC) having a memory (KM), wherein data relating to a usage of the fee-based services, a fee charged to the user for using a fee-based service, and cost of the fee-based service incurred to a card company (Z) are stored in the memory (KM) of the chip card (CC) so as to eliminate a need for a backward channel to the different service providers (A, B, C) in order to use the chip card for fee-based services, and wherein an aggregate amount of money is loaded onto the chip card (CC) at a loading station (LS) which has no backward channel to the fee-based service providers (A, B, C) for paying for services provided by any of the different service providers (A, B, C) and data relating to the usage are read and erased from the chip card, and wherein the read data are transmitted to the card company (Z) so as to allow the card company (Z) to determine payable amounts to be credited to the different fee-based service providers (A, B, C) based on a respective usage and the cost stored in the chip card.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the fee-based services of a service provider are evaluated and the respective service provider is credited for providing the services according to their usage.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the use of the fee-based services of different service providers (A, B, C) is anonymous to the fee-based service providers (A, B, C).

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein the fee-based services of different service providers (A, B, C) are provided directly to a user of the chip card.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the fee-based services of different service providers (A, B, C) are accessed by the user via an auxiliary device (STB).

11. A system for using fee-based services of different service providers (A, B, C), the system comprising:

a chip card (CC) to be used by a user, having means for receiving and decoding a request of fee-based services of different service providers (A, B, C), a first memory, and a second memory for storing usage data of the fee-based services of any of the different service providers (A, B, C), a fee charged to the user for using a fee-based service, and cost of the fee-based service incurred to a card company (Z) so as to eliminate a need for a backward channel to the different service providers in order to use the chip card for fee-based services,

a loading station (LS) for loading an aggregate amount onto the first memory of the chip card (CC) for paying for services provided by any of the different service providers (A, B, C) and for reading and erasing usage data of the fee-based services of the different service providers (A, B, C) from the second memory of the chip card (CC), wherein the loading station has no backward channel to the fee-based service providers (A, B, C) and wherein the loading station has a backward channel linking to the card company (Z) so as to allow the card company (Z) to determine payable amounts to be credited to the service providers depending on a respective usage and the cost stored on the chip card.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein a statistics is collected in the card company (Z) for specifying a usage frequency of individual services.

13. A system for using the fee-based services of different service providers (A, B, C), the system comprising:

a chip card (CC), having means for receiving and decoding a request of fee-based services of different service providers (A, B, C), a first memory, and a second memory for storing usage data of the fee-based services of any of the different service providers (A, B, C), a fee charged to the user for using a fee-based service, and cost of the fee-based service incurred to a card company (Z) so as to eliminate a need for a backward channel to the different service providers in order to use the chip card for fee-based services and to guarantee anonymous use;

a loading station (LS) for loading an aggregate amount onto the first memory of the chip card (CC) for paying for services provided by any of the different service providers (A, B, C) and for reading and erasing usage data of the fee-based services of the different service providers (A, B, C) from the second memory of the chip card (CC), and

wherein the card company (Z) is connected to the loading station (LS) for determining amounts to be credited to the service providers depending on respective usage.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the fee-based services from different service providers are directly provided by the service providers to a user of the chip card.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the fee-based services from different services providers are accessible by an auxiliary device (STB).