Electronic settlement system using separate communication channels for settlement between sales and payee terminals

• US 6,853,977 B1
• Filed: 11/28/2000
• Issued: 02/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lenovo Innovations Ltd Hong Kong (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Niwa, Yushi
• Primary Examiner(s): Fischer, Andrew J.
• Application Number:
  US09/722,739
• Time in Patent Office: 1,533 Days
• Field of Search: 705/16, 705/21
• US Class Current: 705/21
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/425 using two different networks, one for transaction and one for security confirmation

Abstract

In an electronic settlement system, a local link is established between a sales terminal and a payee terminal. The sales terminal transmits settlement information including payment data to the payee terminal, and establishes a first communication channel to a settlement center in response to receipt of a payee-terminal identifier identifying the payee terminal and transmits a first signal containing the settlement information and the identifier to the settlement center. The payee terminal transmits the payee-terminal identifier to the sales terminal when a password is entered thereto after the payee terminal has received the settlement information, establishes a second communication channel to the settlement center and transmits the password and a second signal containing the settlement information and the payee-terminal identifier to the settlement center. The settlement center performs a settlement process if the password is a registered password and the first and second signals are identical to each other.

Claims

1. An electronic settlement system for performing a transaction comprising:

a sales terminal;

a payee terminal for establishing a local link to said sales terminal; and

a settlement center,

wherein said sales terminal transmits settlement information to the payee terminal via said local link, establishes a first communication channel to the settlement center in response to receipt of an identifier identifying the payee terminal, and transmits a first signal containing the settlement information and said identifier to the settlement center;

wherein

said payee terminal receives a password entered by a user of the payee terminal, and said payee terminal checks the password to see if it matches a password previously stored in said payee terminal, and only if a match exist, said payee terminal permits additional processing of said transaction;

said payee terminal performing said permitted additional processing by transmitting said identifier to the sales terminal via said local link after the payee terminal has received said settlement information, establishes a second communication channel to the settlement center, and transmits said password and a second signal containing the settlement information and said identifier to the settlement center; and

wherein

said settlement center performs a settlement process only if

(1) said password received from said payee terminal matches a password stored at said settlement center in a password-identifier mapping table, said received password also being stored in the payee terminal, and

(2) the first and second signals are identical to each other.

2. The electronic settlement system of claim 1, wherein said payee terminal is a wireless personal communication device for establishing said second communication channel via a mobile communication network.

3. The electronic settlement system of claim 2, wherein said wireless personal communication device is a digital cellular mobile telephone.

4. The electronic settlement system of claim 2, wherein said wireless personal communication device is configured to establish an alternate communication channel if an attempt to establish said second communication channel fails.

5. The electronic settlement system of claim 1, wherein said settlement center is configured to transmit a message to said sales terminal and said payee terminal when said settlement process is completed, and wherein said settlement terminal is configured to transmit a signal to said payee terminal indicating that the sales terminal has received said message.

6. The electronic settlement system of claim 1, wherein said settlement information includes an identifier identifying the sales terminal and an identifier identifying said transaction between said sales terminal and said payee terminal.

7. The electronic settlement system of claim 1,

wherein said payee terminal is configured to transmit a phone number to said settlement center, and

wherein said settlement center includes a mapping table for mapping a plurality of phone numbers and a plurality of identifiers identifying different payee terminals;

wherein said settlement center is configured to make a search through said mapping table for a phone number mapped to the identifier of said payee terminal and perform said settlement process if the mapped phone number is detected in said mapping table.

8. The electronic settlement system of claim 1, wherein said sales terminal and said payee terminal are configured to exchange an original signal and a replica of the original signal until the original signal and the replica are determined to be equal to each other.

9. The electronic settlement system of claim 1, wherein said settlement center is configured to transmit a replica of an original signal to each of said sales and payee terminals until the original signal and the replica are determined to be equal to each other.

10. A settlement method for a transaction in a system comprised of a sales terminal, a payee terminal and a settlement center, comprising the steps of:

a) establishing a local link between the sales terminal and the payee terminal;

b) transmitting settlement information from the sales terminal to the payee terminal via said local link;

c) entering a password into said payee terminal;

d) in said payee terminal, conforming said password by checking to see if said entered password matches a password previously stored in said payee terminal, and permitting continuation of said transaction only if a match exist;

e) transmitting an identifier identifying the payee terminal from the payee terminal to the sales terminal via said local link when said password has been confirmed after the payee terminal has received said settlement information;

f) establishing a first communication channel from the sales terminal to the settlement center in response to receipt of said identifier and transmitting a first signal containing the settlement information and said identifier to the settlement center;

g) establishing a second communication channel from the payee terminal to the settlement center in response to entry and confirmation of said password and transmitting said password and a second signal containing the settlement information and said identifier to the settlement center; and

h) receiving, at said settlement center, said first signal from the sales terminal and said password and said second signal from the payee terminal; and

i) performing a settlement process only if

(1) said password received from said payee terminal matches a password stored at said settlement center in a password-identifier mapping table, said received password also being stored in the payee terminal; and

(2) the first and second signals are identical to each other.

11. The settlement method of claim 10, wherein said settlement center is configured to transmit a message to said sales terminal and said payee terminal when said settlement process is completed, and wherein said settlement terminal is configured to transmit a signal to said payee terminal indicating that the sales terminal has received said message.

12. The settlement method of claim 10, wherein said settlement information includes an identifier identifying the sales terminal and an identifier identify said transaction between said sales terminal and said payee terminal.

13. The settlement method of claim 10, wherein said settlement center includes a mapping table for mapping a plurality of phone numbers and a plurality of identifiers identifying different payee terminals, wherein step (e) further comprises the step of:

transmitting a phone number from the payee terminal to said settlement center, and

wherein step (f) further comprises the step of;

making a search through said mapping table for a phone number mapped to the identifier of said payee terminal, and

performing said settlement process if the mapped phone number is detected in said mapping table.

14. The settlement method of claim 10, wherein step (b) comprises receiving a replica of an original signal sent from the sales terminal to the payee terminal and retransmitting a copy of the original signal to the payee terminal until the original signal and the replica are determined to be equal to each other.

15. The settlement method of claim 10, wherein step (c) comprises receiving a replica of said identifier sent from the payee terminal to the sales terminal and retransmitting a copy of the identifier to the sales terminal until the identifier and the replica are determined to be equal to each other.

16. The settlement method of claim 10, wherein step (f) comprises the steps of:

transmitting a replica of said first signal sent from the sales terminal to the settlement center;

retransmitting a copy of the first signal to the sales terminal until the first signal and the replica are determined to be equal to each other;

transmitting a replica of said second signal sent from the payee terminal to the settlement center;

retransmitting a copy of the second signal to the payee terminal until the second signal and the replica are determined to be equal to each other.

17. A payee terminal for processing a transaction in an electronic settlement system, wherein the system includes a sales terminal and a settlement center, wherein the sales terminal transmits settlement information to the payee terminal via a local link, and establishes a first communication channel to the settlement center in response to receipt of an identifier identifying the payee terminal and transmits a first signal containing the settlement information and said identifier to the settlement center, and wherein said settlement center performs a settlement process only if (1) a password received from the payee terminal matches a password stored in said settlement center in a password-identifier mapping table, said received password being also the same as a password stored in the payee terminal and (2) the first signal from said sales terminal is identical to a second signal from said payee terminal, the payee terminal comprising the functions of:

establishing said local link to said sales terminal,

entering a password into said payee terminal;

confirming said password by checking the entered password to see if it matches a password previously stored in said payee terminal, and only if a match exist, permitting additional processing of said transaction

performing said additional processing by transmitting said identifier to the sales terminal via said local link when said password is confirmed after the payee terminal has received said settlement information from the sales terminal and

establishing a second communication channel to the settlement center and transmitting said password and said second signal containing the settlement information and said identifier to the settlement center.

18. A sales terminal for an electronic settlement system wherein the system includes a payee terminal and a settlement center, wherein the payee terminal transmits an identifier identifying the payee terminal when the payee terminal receives settlement information from the sales terminal via a local link;

receives a password entered by a user of the payee terminal;

confirms said entered password by checking to see if said entered password matches a password previously stored in said payee terminal, and establishes a first communication channel to the settlement center in response to confirmation of said entered password after the payee terminal has received said settlement information and transmits to said settlement center said confirmed password and a signal containing the settlement information and said identifier, and wherein said settlement center performs a settlement process only if (1) said password received from the payee terminal matches a password stored at said settlement center in a password-identifier mapping table, said received password also being stored in the payee terminal and (2) the signal from said payee terminal is identical to a signal from said sales terminal, the sales terminal comprising the functions of;

establishing said local link to said payee terminal,

transmitting said settlement information to the payee terminal via said local link, and

establishing a second communication channel to the settlement center in response to receipt of said identifier from the payee terminal and transmitting a signal containing the settlement information and said identifier to the settlement center.

19. A settlement center for processing a transaction in an electronic settlement system wherein the system includes a sales terminal and a payee terminal, wherein the sales terminal transmits settlement information to the payee terminal via a local link, and establishes a first communication channel to the settlement center in response to receipt of an identifier identifying the payee terminal and transmits a first signal containing the settlement information and said identifier to the settlement center, and wherein the payee terminal receives a password entered by a user of the payee terminal and confirms said entered password by checking the entered password to see if it matches a password previously stored in said payee terminal, and only if a match exist, said payee terminal permitting additional processing of said transaction;

said additional processing including transmitting said identifier when the payee terminal receives said settlement information and establishes a second communication channel to the settlement center in response to confirmation of said password after the payee terminal has received said settlement information from the sales terminal, and transmits said password and a second signal containing the settlement information and said identifier to the settlement center, the settlement center comprising the functions of;

receiving the first signal via said first communication channel and the password and the second signal via said second communication channel;

comparing said first signal to said second signal; and

performing a settlement process only if (1) said password matches a password stored at said settlement center in a password-identifier mapping table, said received password also being stored in the payee terminal and (2) the first and second signals are identical to each other.