Value transfer system

• US 6,439,455 B1
• Filed: 07/07/2000
• Issued: 08/27/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mastercard Europe Services Limited (MasterCard Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Mondex International Ltd. (MasterCard Incorporated)
• Inventors: Bailey, Alan, Everett, David Barrington, Viner, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Thien M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): FUREMAN, JARED
• Application Number:
  US09/611,867
• Time in Patent Office: 781 Days
• Field of Search: 235/379, 235/380, 235/492, 705/41, 705/44, 902/26, 902/39, 902/40
• US Class Current: 235/379
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/105 involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"
• 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: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system

Abstract

The invention is concerned with systems for transferring value between electronic purses, usually in the form of IC or “Smart” cards, via the intermediary of an interface device. In order to control the flow of value between purses a hierarchical class structure is proposed. This is achieved by assigning to each purse a class which controls the conditions under which value may be transferred to and from (mainly from) a purse. Thus each purse stores in memory a representation of its own class, together with a list of those classes to which the purse can transfer value.

Claims

1. A value transfer system comprising a plurality of electronic purses, and interface devices whereby purses may communicate with each other to transfer value by means of transactions, each of which involves an exchange of electric signals between a pair of purses, each purse including memory means storing a record of accumulated value currently contained within the purse, the system being characterized in that each purse is assigned a class in a hierarchical structure and in that said memory means further stores a record of the class of that purse, together with a list of those classes to which that purse tan transfer value, wherein the class list is stored in said memory means as a bit map comprising a pattern of bits, and wherein each category and/or subject within each category is represented by one bit within the pattern of bits, and wherein each class category is given a unique offset within said bit map such that a purse class belongs to the class list only if bit position n within the bit map has a particular value, where:

2. A value transfer system comprising a plurality of electronic purses, and interface devices whereby purses may communicate with each other to transfer value by means of transactions, each of which involves an exchange of electric signals between a pair of purses, each purse including a memory storing a record of accumulated value currently contained within the purse, the system being characterized in that

each purse is assigned to at least one of a plurality of possible groups of purses, wherein each group is defined by a list of the group or groups to which value transfer is permitted when the purse is assigned to that group;

the memory of each purse further stores a record of the identity of the group or groups to which that purse is assigned, together with the corresponding list or lists of the group or groups of purses to which value transfer is permitted whereby the memory record of the group assignment identity of a value transferee purse is compared to the list or lists stored in the memory of a value transferor purse and value transfer is only permitted when a group assignment identified in the transferee purse memory is found in a list of permitted groups stored in the transferor purse memory;

at least a first purse is assigned to a first group which is defined by a list of groups including a second different group wherein said second group is defined by a list of groups which does not include said first group such that said first purse includes a memory record identifying said first group as a group to which said first purse is assigned and a corresponding list including said second group as a group to which value transfer is permitted; and

at least a second purse is assigned to said second group such that said second purse includes a memory record identifying said second group as a group to which said second purse is assigned and a corresponding list of groups, not including said first group, to which value transfer is permitted by said second purse whereby said first purse is permitted to transfer value to said second purse, but said second purse is not permitted transfer value to said first purse when said first and second purses are electronically coupled.

3. A value transfer system as claimed in claim 2 wherein at least some of said purses store in their memory a plurality of class lists, each class being assigned to a particular currency.

4. A value transfer system comprising a plurality of electronic purses, and interface devices whereby purses may communicate with each other to transfer value by means of transactions, each of which involves an exchange of electric signals between a pair of purses, each purse including memory means storing a record of accumulated value

currently contained within the purse, the system being characterised in that each purse is assigned a class in a hierarchical structure of classes, wherein each class is defined by a list of the class or classes to which value transfer is permitted when the purse is assigned to that class;

the memory of each purse further stores a record of the identity of the class or classes to which that purse is assigned, together with the corresponding list or lists of the class or classes of purses to which value transfer is permitted whereby the memory record of the class assignment identity of a value transferee purse is compared to the list or lists stored in the memory of a value transferor purse and value transfer is only permitted when a class assignment identified in the transferee purse memory is found in a list of permitted classes stored in the transferor purse memory;

at least a first purse is assigned to a first class which is defined by a list of classes including a second different class wherein said second class is defined by a list of classes which does not include said first class such that said first purse includes a memory record identifying said first class as a class to which said first purse is assigned and a corresponding list including said second class as a class to which value transfer is permitted; and

at least a second purse is assigned to said second class such that said second purse includes a memory record identifying said second group as a group to which said second purse is assigned and a corresponding list of groups, not including said first group, to which value transfer is permitted by said second purse whereby said first purse is permitted to transfer value to said second purse, but said second purse is not permitted transfer value to said first purse when said first and second purses are electronically coupled.

5. A value transfer system as claimed in claim 4 wherein, in each purse or associated transfer device, is a microprocessor which is programmed so that each value transfer transaction from a payer purse to a payee purse includes at least the step of checking whether the purse class of the payee purse appears on the class list of the payer purse before allowing the transfer of value to take place.

6. A value transfer system as claimed in claim 5 wherein said step of checking comprises passing an electric signal representative of the purse class of the payee purse from the payee purse to the payer purse via an interface device, and carrying out the check in said payer purse.

7. A value transfer system as claimed in claim 6 wherein the information relating to the purse class of the payee purse is cryptographically protected before being passed to the payer purse.

8. A value transfer system as claimed in claim 4 wherein the purse class is representative of a category of purse user, in a hierarchical tree.

9. A value transfer system as claimed in claim 8 wherein said class categories include or comprise any one or more of the following categories:

Value manufacturer;

Bank;

Service Provider;

Consumer;

or their equivalent.

10. A value transfer system as claimed in claim 9 wherein the class lists of the respective purses in said categories are such that the value manufacturer purse can only transfer value to and from the bank purse and cannot transfer value directly to or from the service provider purses and/or the consumer purses.

11. A value transfer as claim 8 wherein one or more of said purse categories each includes a subset of purse classes representative of a hierarchy within the category.

12. A value transfer system as claimed in claim 4 wherein the purse class is stored in said memory means as a 1 byte number whose first 4 bits represent the purse class category and whose second 4 bits is a number which represents a subject within the purse class category.

13. A value transfer system as claimed in claim 11 wherein the class list is stored in said memory means as a bit map comprising a pattern of bits, and wherein each category and/or subject within each category is represented by one bit within the pattern of bits.

14. A method for value transfer between a plurality of electronic purses and interface devices whereby purses may communicate with each other to transfer value by means of transactions, each of which involves an exchange of data signals between a pair of purses, each purse including a memory storing a record of accumulated value currently contained within the purse, the method comprising:

assigning each purse to a group of purses, wherein each group is defined by a list of the group or groups to which value transfer is permitted, by storing on the purse a record of the identity of the assigned group together with the corresponding list of groups of purses which define the assigned group;

defining a first group by a list of groups including a second different group;

defining said second group by a list of groups which does not include said first group;

assigning a first purse to said first group such that said first purse includes a memory record identifying said first group as a group to which said first purse is assigned and a corresponding list including said second group as a group to which value transfer is permitted; and

assigning a second purse to said second group such that said second purse includes a memory record identifying said second group as a group to which said second purse is assigned and a corresponding list of groups, not including said first group, to which value transfer is permitted by said second purse whereby said first purse is permitted to transfer value to said second purse, but said second purse is not permitted transfer value to said first purse when said first and second purses are electronically coupled.