Electronic purse application system and method thereof

• US 7,346,579 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2001
• Issued: 03/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Video And Information System Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd., Hitachi Video And Information System Inc.
• Inventors: Inoue, Masayuki, Itoh, Shigeyuki, Aizawa, Iwao, Matsumoto, Kenji, Takami, Yutaka
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, NGA B
• Application Number:
  US09/984,459
• Publication Number:
  US 20020029380A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,331 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27, 705/37, 705/39, 705/40, 705/41, 705/42, 705/16, 705/17, 705/43
• US Class Current: 705/41
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/06 Private payment circuits, e.g. involving electronic currency used among participants of a common payment scheme
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/105 involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/108 Remote banking, e.g. home banking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1085 involving automatic teller machines [ATMs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/342 Cards defining paid or billed services or quantities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4014 Identity check for transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/025 by means, e.g. cards, providing billing information at the time of purchase, e.g. identification of seller or purchaser, quantity of goods delivered or to be delivered

Abstract

On the basis of information which is the standard for transaction conditions such as amount information in an IC card as well as age information registered in the IC card or a predetermined contract destination, a transaction when electronic money is used and restrictions and conditions for program audience are automatically set.

Claims

1. An electronic purse application device for use with a distribution system to distribute programs to a plurality of viewer decoder units, with each viewer decoder unit to allow viewing of said programs, at least a sub-set of said programs being distributed in a form of encrypted data which constitute at least one of a video, audio and data signal, and containing corresponding standard age information for judging approval or disapproval of selling of said encrypted data, said device comprising:

an IC card to store electronic money information, age information and encryption key information for decrypting said encrypted data;

at least one said viewer decoder unit, said viewer decoder unit to receive distributed said encrypted data and said corresponding standard age information for judging approval or disapproval of selling of said encrypted data, and including a processor to automatically judge approval or disapproval of selling of said encrypted data on a basis of said age information stored in said IC card and said standard age information received by said viewer decoder unit, and to compare a balance of said money information stored in said IC card for adequacy against a price information of said encrypted data, and to subtract a selling price of purchased said encrypted data from said electronic money information of said IC card; and

a decoder to decrypt said encrypted data using said encryption key information stored in said IC card when said processor decides approval of selling of said encrypted data.

2. An electronic purse application device according to claim 1, wherein when said age information stored in said IC card indicates an age capable of viewing of said program, said processor subtracts said selling price for viewing from said electronic money information of said IC card.

3. An electronic purse application device according to claim 1, wherein said encrypted data constitute a program transmitted from a broadcasting station, and said standard age information data is transmitted with encrypted data from said broadcasting station.

4. An electronic purse application system, comprising:

an IC card which stores electronic money information and age information;

a price information memory which stores selling price information of a purchase item/service according to a plurality of pricing levels based upon age; and

a processor unit to receive said age information from said IC card and to automatically calculate a selling price from said plurality of pricing levels of an item/service to be purchased referring to said age information from said IC card and said selling price information, and to automatically subtract a calculated said selling price from said electronic money information of said IC card.

5. An electronic purse application device to use with an IC card which stores electronic money information and at least one predetermined parameter useable to determine a selling price from a plurality of different pricing levels, said device comprising:

a price information memory which stores selling price information of a purchase item/service according to a plurality of pricing levels determined on a basis of said at least one predetermined parameter; and

a processor unit to receive said at least one predetermined parameter from said IC card and to automatically calculate a selling price from said plurality of pricing levels of an item/service to be purchased referring to said at least one predetermined parameter from said IC card and said selling price information, and to automatically subtract a calculated said selling price from said electronic money information of said IC card.

6. An electronic purse application device according to claim 5, wherein said at least one predetermined parameter is one of an age and birth-date information.

7. An electronic purse application device according to claim 6, further comprising:

a standard information memory which stores predetermined standard information for judging approval or disapproval of selling of said purchase item/service; and

wherein said processor unit is to receive said predetermined standard information from said IC card, and to automatically calculate said selling price from said plurality of pricing levels of said item/service to be purchased referring to said predetermined standard information, and to automatically subtract a calculated said selling price from said electronic money information of said IC card.

8. An electronic purse application device according to claim 6, further comprising:

an input unit which selects said item/service to be purchased with electronic money stored in said IC card.

9. An electronic purse application device according to claim 6,

wherein said item/service is a ticket, further comprising a ticket issuer which issues said ticket.

10. An electronic purse application device according to claim 7, wherein said item/service is a ticket, further comprising a ticket issuer which issues said ticket when said processor decides approval of selling of said ticket.

11. An electronic purse application device according to claim 6, wherein said age information is a date corresponding to a birthday of said IC card owner.

12. An electronic purse application device according to claim 5, wherein said information for giving a transaction condition is a distinction of sex.

13. An IC card system, comprising:

an IC card which stores age information;

a price information memory which stores selling price information of a purchase item/service according to a plurality of pricing levels based upon age; and

a processor unit to receive said age information from said IC card and to automatically calculate a selling price from said plurality of pricing levels of an item/service to be purchased referring to said age information from said IC card and said selling price information.

14. A device to use with an IC card which stores at least one predetermined parameter useable to determine a selling price from a plurality of different pricing levels, said device comprising:

a price information memory which stores selling price information of a purchase item/service according to a plurality of pricing levels determined on a basis of said at least one predetermined parameter; and

a processor unit to receive said at least one predetermined parameter from said IC card and to automatically calculate a selling price from said plurality of pricing levels of an item/service to be purchased referring to said at least one predetermined parameter from said IC card and said selling price information.

15. A device according to claim 14 wherein said at least one predetermined parameter is an age or birth-date information.

16. A device according to claim 14, further comprising:

a standard information memory which stores predetermined standard information for judging approval or disapproval of selling of said purchase item/service; and

wherein said processor unit is to receive said predetermined standard information from said IC card, and to automatically calculate said selling price from said plurality of pricing levels of said item/service to be purchased referring to said predetermined standard information.

17. A device according to claim 14, wherein said item/service is a ticket, further comprising a ticket issuer which issues said ticket.

18. A device according to claim 14, wherein said information for giving a transaction condition is a distinction of sex.