Electronic cashless system

• US 6,926,200 B1
• Filed: 07/14/2000
• Issued: 08/09/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Hayashida, Shoji
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Ahshik
• Application Number:
  US09/616,969
• Time in Patent Office: 1,852 Days
• Field of Search: 235/380, 235/379, 235/382.5, 235/383, 705/35, 705/39, 705/41
• US Class Current: 235/379
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/108 Remote banking, e.g. home banking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/26 Debit schemes, e.g. "pay now"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/401 Transaction verification
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/20 Automatic teller machines [ATMs]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/202 Depositing operations within ATMs depositing in general G07D11/00

Abstract

An electronic cashless system uses a cashless medium for memorizing amount information and for performing an operation of amount information. The electronic cashless system comprises an automatic transaction terminal device having a reading/writing unit for writing amount information to the cashless medium, and a center device having a unit for identifying the account balance of multiple accounts and for storing amount information and a non-settled fund file unit for storing amount information written by the cashless medium and a seller ledger file means for identifying the account balance of the multiple seller'"'"'s accounts and for storing amount information.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

transferring, via a computer terminal unit, to an electronic medium, only electronic money information;

transferring to a non-settled account at a settlement center an amount of electronic money transferred to the electronic medium;

paying, via a point of sale (POS) computer terminal, a payment amount of electronic money from the electronic medium; and

settling with the POS computer terminal by the settlement center from the non-settled account, an amount of money equivalent to the payment amount of electronic money, thereby replacing cash with an electronic medium storing only electronic money information, as information equivalent to cash, the cash equivalent information having characteristics of cash to accommodate identityless monetary transactions with two or more sellers using the cash equivalent information.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

withdrawing, by the settlement center, from an account of a holder of the electronic medium an amount of money responsive to the amount of electronic money transferred to the electronic medium.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the paying comprises:

storing in the POS computer terminal payment amounts of electronic money responsive to identityless cashless monetary transactions with buyers and information of a financial institution, as the settlement center, associated with the electronic money, wherein in the settling a seller receives from the non-settled account of the financial institution an amount of money responsive to the payment amounts of electronic money stored in the POS computer terminal.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein

the settling with the POS computer terminal comprises transferring from the non-settled account of the financial institution, as the settlement center, to accounts of the two or more sellers an amount of money responsive to the payment amounts of electronic money stored in respective POS computer terminals of the sellers for the identityless electronic monetary transactions with the electronic money.