Method for the secure handling of monetary or value units using prepaid data carriers

• US 6,745,940 B1
• Filed: 06/25/2001
• Issued: 06/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Deutsche Telekom AG
• Original Assignee: Deutsche Telekom AG
• Inventors: Korst, Uwe K. H., Wanko, Clemens
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Thien M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nowlin, April
• Application Number:
  US09/869,222
• Time in Patent Office: 1,079 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/379, 235/380, 705/65, 705/66, 705/67, 705/72
• US Class Current: 235/380
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/28 Pre-payment schemes, e.g. "pay before"
• 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 20/355 Personalisation of cards for use
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3558 Preliminary personalisation for transfer to user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/385 using an alias or single-use codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40975 using encryption therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system

Abstract

A payment method in public telecommunications systems uses pre-paid chip cards whose value management and communication is entirely controlled by a background system. A provider gives the chip a definite identification number of identification characteristic(s). A value is assigned to the identification characteristic(s), but not saved on the chip. The value and identification characteristic(s) are made available for a background system via a communications channel and saved in a databank in the communications channel. Label “not cleared” is provided to the identification characteristic(s), and is cancellable by the databank just before the card is sold, making the value ready for debiting. When used, only the identification characteristics are read out from the card to forward the identification characteristic to the background system and request a debit. The background system may release the original value, allocate value to the identification characteristic(s), confirm the debit, and/or sever communications when value is depleted.

Claims

1. A method for at least one of securely handling and securely manipulating at least one of monetary units and value units using a prepaid data carrier, which is prepaid by at least one of a customer and a user and which is personalized by a card issuer, the prepaid data carrier being for uniquely identifying itself to at least one of a terminal and a background system, and the at least one of the monetary units and the value units being for use in assigning an amount, depending on at least one of a sold service and a purchased service, to the prepaid data carrier, the amount being subsequently automatically reduceable and administerable in the at least one of the terminal and the background system, the at least one of the terminal and the background system communicating in a particular network node, the method comprising:

providing the prepaid data carrier with a single and unique one of at least one of an identification pattern and an identification feature;

assigning a value to the at least one of the identification pattern and the identification feature that are made available to the at least one of the terminal and the background system via a communication path for transmitting personalization data;

storing the at least one of the identification pattern and the identification feature in the at least one of the terminal and the background system for only one specific data carrier for use by the at least one of terminal and the background system for controlling access by decrypting response data of a response; and

classifying the prepaid data carrier as authentic when challenge data matches associated response data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one of terminal and the background system directly administers and controls a communication connection, and the at least one of the identification pattern and the identification feature of the data carrier includes a public cryptographic key existing only once for each prepaid data carrier, further comprising:

assigning a specific rate chart to the at least one of the identification pattern and the identification feature.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one of the identification pattern and the identification feature is complex for making scanning by an unauthorized entity difficult.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the identification pattern and the identification feature is complex for making scanning by an unauthorized entity difficult.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the identification pattern and the identification feature includes at least one of a serial number, a cryptogram, and an encryption key.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the prepaid data carrier is used in at least one of an electronic transaction system, a phone card system, and a purse system.

7. A method for at least one of securely handling and securely manipulating at least one of monetary units and value units using a prepaid data carrier, which is prepaid by at least one of a customer and a user and which is personalized by a card issuer, the prepaid data carrier being for uniquely identifying itself to a background system, and the at least one of the monetary units and the value units being for use in assigning an amount, depending on at least one of a sold service and a purchased service, to the prepaid data carrier, the amount being subsequently automatically reduceable and administerable in the background system, the at least one of the terminal and the background system communicating in a particular network node, the method comprising:

providing the prepaid data carrier with a single and unique one of at least one of an identification pattern and an identification feature, wherein the prepaid data carrier is personalized with personalization data by the card issuer;

assigning a value to the at least one of the identification pattern and the identification feature, both the identification pattern and the identification feature being made available to the background system via a communication path for transmitting the personalization data;

storing both the identification pattern and the identification feature at the background system with a qualifier “

not released;

”

removing the qualifier from the background system immediately before or when the prepaid data carrier is sold;

supplying automatically the identification patter to a terminal in response to use, without assistance of a user;

adjusting automatically in the background system the at least one of monetary units and value units assigned to the data carrier, on basis of at least one of the identification pattern and the data carrier uniquely identifying itself to the background system.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

requesting input of further identification features by the user before completing verification.