Transaction method of electronic money system

• US 6,213,390 B1
• Filed: 09/13/1996
• Issued: 04/10/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hanger Solutions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Oneda, Hideo
• Primary Examiner(s): Frech, Karl D.
• Application Number:
  US08/713,532
• Time in Patent Office: 1,670 Days
• Field of Search: 235/380, 235/375, 235/379, 235/381, 902/24
• US Class Current: 235/379
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/18 involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals

Abstract

An IC card is issued from a retail trade to a consumer. The consumer withdraws a necessary money amount from an own bank account and stores into the issued IC card. At the same time, the same money amount as the withdrawal money amount of the consumer is transferred to a bank account of the retail trade. Further, when the consumer buys goods from the retail trade or receives a presentation of a service, a requested money amount is paid by using the IC card.

Claims

1. A transaction method of an electronic money system for performing a cash transaction by using electronic money stored in a card in which a processor and a memory are installed, comprising:

a card issuing operation of issuing the card from a retail trade to a consumer, the card having a bank standard format region;

an account transfer operation of transferring the same amount of money as that withdrawn via the card from a bank account of the consumer into a bank account of the retail trade at the time when the consumer withdraws a necessary amount of money via the card from the bank account of the consumer, such that a maximum amount of money that may be withdrawn via the card is equal to the amount of money in the consumer bank account; and

a card using operation of paying a requested money amount only to the retail trade with the card when the consumer buys goods or receives a presentation of a service from the retail trade such that the requested money amount is received into a bank account of the retail trade during the same day that the card is issued.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein in said account transfer operation, when the necessary money amount is withdrawn via the card, advance management information on the card is updated.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the card comprises at least an account number, a bank name, an advance money amount, a balance, a use money amount, and a date as the advance management information.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein as the advance management information of the card, security information to check an illegal use of the card is further comprised.

5. A method according to claim 3, wherein:

application information to limit a purchase of goods in accordance with a use application of the card is further comprised as the advance management information of the card; and

in said card using operation, the use by a goods purchase adapted to the application information of the card is enabled, and the use by a goods purchases, which is not adapted to the application information, is inhibited.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein in said account transfer operation, when the withdrawal money amount of the consumer is transferred to the bank account of the retail trade, advance management information of the consumer is recorded onto a managing file of the retail trade and is managed.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein the advance management information of the managing file comprises at least a consumer name, a card number, an advance date, a use date, a use money amount, an advance balance, and a use bank name of the consumer bank.

8. A method according to claim 6, wherein in said card using operation, when a discount service is provided, a discount rate of the advance management information is referred and a money amount obtained by multiplying the discount rate to the requested money amount is subtracted from a present balance.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein in said withdrawing operation, when a withdrawal money amount of the consumer is transferred to the bank account of the retail trade, a premium service is provided to the consumer.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein the premium service is a point service or a discount service.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein said card using operation comprises:

a retrieving operation of retrieving advance management information of the card in response to a settlement request of the card;

a checking operation of checking a validity of the card; and

an advance money deleting operation of subtracting a requested money amount from a balance and updating the balance in the case where when a check result succeeds in said checking operation, the requested money amount is compared with the advance balance and there is a balance exceeding the requested money amount.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein when the validity of the card cannot be discriminated in said checking operation, a use impossibility of the card is trade other than a card issuing source.

13. A method according to claim 11, wherein in said advance money deleting operation, when the requested money amount is less than an advance balance, a balance due is notified.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein in said advance money deleting operation, in response to a notification of the balance due, a settlement or the like by cash, a credit card, or another card is enabled.

15. A method according to claim 11, wherein in said advance money deleting operation, when said advance money deleting operation is completed, advance management information of the card is updated.

16. A method according to claim 1, wherein in said card using operation, the card can be used by a retail trade other than a card issuing source.

17. A method according to claim 16, wherein when the card is used by the retail trade other than the card issuing source, a money amount obtained by adding a predetermined extra charge to an advance deleting money amount is transferred to the bank account of the retail trade as a card issuing source.

18. A method according to claim 1, wherein:

in said account transfer operation, the withdrawal is performed to the card by using a terminal unit connected to a host system; and

in said card using operation, a requested money amount is paid by using a terminal unit of a host system of a retail trade installed in a shop or the like.

19. A method according to claim 1, wherein an advance balance is exchanged between different cards by using a reader/writer.

20. An electronic money system, comprising:

a card, issued from a retail trade to a consumer, to store a use money amount for a goods purchase designated from the consumer, the card having a bank standard format region;

a goods management terminal unit for using the card in response to an instruction of the consumer and for instructing transfer of the money amount from a bank account of the consumer into the issued card during the same day that the card is issued such that a maximum amount of money that may be transferred into the card is equal to the amount of available money in the consumer bank account; and

a transference processing unit for performing a transferring process when the transference is instructed from said goods management terminal unit such that only the retail trade receives the money amount into a bank account of the retail trade during the same day that the card is issued.

21. A system according to claim 20, wherein the card comprises at least a use money amount for a goods purchase designated from the consumer, a bank name of the first bank in which the consumer saves and from which a use money amount is withdrawn, a bank account number, and a balance.

22. A goods management terminal, comprising:

a card issuing unit for issuing a card from a retail trade to a consumer in which a use money amount for a goods purchase designated from a consumer has been stored, the card having a bank standard format region;

a transference instructing unit for instructing a financial agency to transfer the money amount from a bank account of the consumer into the issued card during the same day that the card is issued; and

a card updating unit for updating a balance of the use money amount in the card only when the consumer buys goods by using the card at the retail trade,

wherein a maximum amount of money that may be withdrawn via the card is equal to the amount of money in the consumer bank account, and said transference instructing unit transfers the money amount into a bank account of the retail trade during the same day that the card is issued.

23. A transaction method of an electronic money system for performing a cash transaction, comprising:

a card issuing operation of issuing a card from a retail trade to a consumer, wherein the card stores electronic money by using a processor and a memory, and the card has a bank standard format region;

a withdrawing operation of withdrawing a money amount by the consumer from a bank account of the consumer and depositing the money amount into the issued card during the same day that the card is issued, such that a maximum amount of money that may be withdrawn via the card is equal to the amount of money in the consumer bank account; and

a card using operation of using the card by the customer to purchase goods or services only from the retail trade by paying a purchase money amount corresponding to the goods or services to be purchased, such that the retail trade receives the money amount into a bank account of the retail trade during the same day that the card is issued.

24. A transaction method of an electronic money system for performing a cash transaction by using electronic money stored in a card in which a processor and a memory are installed, comprising:

a card issuing operation of issuing the card from a retailer to a consumer, the card having a bank standard format region;

an account transfer operation of using the issued card to withdraw and transfer money from an interest bearing bank account of the consumer into a bank account of the retailer; and

a card using operation of using the issued card to buy goods or services from the retailer such that the retailer receives the requested money into a bank account of the retailer during the same day that the card is issued.

25. A transaction method of an electronic money system, comprising:

a card issuing operation of issuing a card from a retailer to a consumer, the card having a processor, a memory, and a bank standard format region, such that electronic money may be stored in the card;

an account transfer operation of using the issued card to withdraw and transfer money from an interest bearing bank account of the consumer into a bank account of the retailer, and transferring money from a bank account of the retailer into the card itself, and

a card using operation of using the issued card to buy goods or services from the retailer such that the retailer receives the requested money into a bank account of the retailer during the same day that the card is issued and used.