Electronic money system and payment accepting apparatus
First Claim
Patent Images
1. An electronic money system comprising:
- a money input terminal through which amount of money data as electronic money are inputted into an information card;
an electronic money terminal that captures amount of money data from the information card as a first use amount or a second use amount to complete transactions, and stores usage history of the information card based on data associated with the transactions; and
an electronic money manager that collects and summarizes the usage history of the information card from the electronic money terminal at a first predetermined interval, and settles merchant accounts associated with the transactions at a second predetermined interval, wherein when the amount of money data is captured as the second use amount merchant accounts are settled in conjunction with a usage fee that corresponds to plural instances of the second use amount in the summarized usage history for the second predetermined interval, wherein the plural instances of the second use amount occurring for transactions during the second predetermined interval are accumulated and collectively settled in one communication operation that is initiated by the electronic money terminal at the second predetermined interval, and one corresponding instance of the usage fee,wherein the first use amount is a cash amount and the second use amount is a credit amount, andwherein when the captured first use amount fails to satisfy a transaction such that a balance remains, the electronic money manager captures the second use amount to satisfy the remaining balance provided that a credit use flag for the information card is set.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An electronic money system and a payment-accepting apparatus that further facilitate the use of cards substituting cash money. The electronic money use fee is computed on the basis of the information about the timing with which the amount of money data equivalent to an amount of money used are withdrawn from an information card, thereby allowing the user owning the information card to use an electronic money system regardless of whether time zones having different profit rates. Consequently, the user owning the information card always may pay by the information card, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of the information card that substitutes cash money.
-
Citations
22 Claims
-
1. An electronic money system comprising:
-
a money input terminal through which amount of money data as electronic money are inputted into an information card; an electronic money terminal that captures amount of money data from the information card as a first use amount or a second use amount to complete transactions, and stores usage history of the information card based on data associated with the transactions; and an electronic money manager that collects and summarizes the usage history of the information card from the electronic money terminal at a first predetermined interval, and settles merchant accounts associated with the transactions at a second predetermined interval, wherein when the amount of money data is captured as the second use amount merchant accounts are settled in conjunction with a usage fee that corresponds to plural instances of the second use amount in the summarized usage history for the second predetermined interval, wherein the plural instances of the second use amount occurring for transactions during the second predetermined interval are accumulated and collectively settled in one communication operation that is initiated by the electronic money terminal at the second predetermined interval, and one corresponding instance of the usage fee, wherein the first use amount is a cash amount and the second use amount is a credit amount, and wherein when the captured first use amount fails to satisfy a transaction such that a balance remains, the electronic money manager captures the second use amount to satisfy the remaining balance provided that a credit use flag for the information card is set. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 16, 19)
-
-
4. A payment-accepting apparatus for accepting payment of an amount of money used in the form of money data corresponding to the amount of money used, comprising:
-
means for reading data of the electronic money stored in an information card; means for withdrawing amount of money data for payment from the information card as a first use amount or a second use amount; means for summarizing and storing usage history which includes the amount of money data and information about the timing of the withdrawal; and means for transferring the stored usage history to an electronic money managing unit so as to carry out account settlement based on a total amount of money data withdrawn from the information card for withdrawals occurring over a predetermined interval, wherein the amount of money data withdrawn as the second use amount for the account settlement is settled in conjunction with a usage fee that corresponds to plural instances of the second use amount in the summarized usage history for the predetermined interval, wherein the plural instances of the second use amount occurring for withdrawals during the predetermined interval are accumulated and collectively settled in one communication operation and one corresponding instance of the usage fee, wherein the first use amount is a cash amount and the second use amount is a credit amount, and wherein when the withdrawed first use amount fails to satisfy the payment such that a balance remains, the means for withdrawing withdraws the second use amount to satisfy the remaining balance, provided that a credit use flag for the information card is set. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 20)
-
-
8. An electronic money system comprising:
-
a withdrawing means for withdrawing an amount of money as a first use amount or a second use amount from an electronic apparatus having an information storage section that stores a monetary value as a balance of electronic money; an electronic money terminal apparatus having a storage means for storing timing information that identifies a time the amount of money is withdrawn; and an electronic money managing means for summarizing said amount of money withdrawn from said electronic apparatus and the timing information at a predetermined intervals, wherein the amount of money data withdrawn as the second use amount for an account settlement is settled in conjunction with a usage fee that corresponds to plural instances of the second use amount in a summarized usage history for the predetermined interval, wherein the plural instances of the second use amount occurring for withdrawals during the predetermined interval are accumulated and collectively settled in one communication operation and one corresponding instance of the usage fee, wherein the first use amount is a cash amount and the second use amount is a credit amount, and wherein when the captured first use amount fails to satisfy the transaction such that a balance remains, the electronic money manager captures the second use amount to satisfy the remaining balance, provided that a credit use flag for the electronic apparatus is set. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 21)
-
-
14. A method of executing a transaction in an electronic money system using an information card which stores data of electronic money, comprising the steps of:
-
storing electronic money data in the information card; withdrawing, by a processing unit, money data from the information card through an electronic money terminal as a first use amount or a second use amount to complete transactions; storing usage history that includes the amount of money data and the timing information of the withdrawal; withdrawing, by a processing unit, money data from the information card as the second use amount when the withdrawn first use amount fails to satisfy a transaction such that a balance remains, wherein the first use amount is a cash amount and the second use amount is a credit amount, provided that a credit use flag for the information card is set; and collecting and summarizing, but a processing unit, the usage history of the information card from the electronic money terminal at a first predetermined interval, and settling merchant accounts associated with the transaction at a second predetermined interval, wherein when the amount of money data is withdrawn as the second use amount, merchant accounts are settled in conjunction with a usage fee that corresponds to plural instances of the second use amount in the summarized usage history for the second predetermined interval, wherein the plural instances of the second use amount occurring for transactions during the second predetermined interval are accumulated and collectively settled in one communication operation and one corresponding instance of the usage fee. - View Dependent Claims (15, 22)
-
-
17. An electronic money system that executes a transaction, comprising:
-
a transaction card that includes identification information, an electronic money value, and a credit flag; a money input terminal that transfers a cash value or a credit value to the transaction card as an electronic money value; a transaction terminal that reads the transaction card to capture at least the identification information and the electronic money value, subtracts a transaction balance of the transaction from the electronic money value to obtain a difference, and stores transaction information associated with the transaction as usage history for a series of transactions corresponding to the transaction card, wherein when the difference is a negative value and the credit flag of the transaction card is set, the difference is made up by available credit of the transaction card; and an electronic money manager that collects and summarizes the usage history of the transaction card for the series of transactions at a first predetermined time, settles accounts associated with the transaction card at a second predetermined time, wherein when the available credit of the transaction card is used, accounts are settled in conjunction with a usage fee that corresponds to plural instances of the credit value in the summarized usage history for the second predetermined time, such that the plural instances of the using credit for transactions during the second predetermined time are accumulated and collectively settled in one communication operation and one corresponding instance of the usage fee.
-
-
18. A method of executing an electronic sales transaction, comprising the steps of:
-
Transferring, by a processing unit, at least one of a cash value and a credit value to a transaction card as an electronic money value; reading the transaction card to capture at least card identification information and the electronic money value; comparing, by a processing unit, a transaction balance to the electronic money value of the transaction card; determining, by a processing unit, whether the transaction card has available credit when the transaction balance is greater than the electronic money value; adding, by a processing unit, at least a portion of the available credit of the transaction card to a difference between the transaction balance and the electronic money value, provided that a credit use flag for the transaction card is set; storing transaction information associated with the transaction as usage history; summarizing the usage history for a series of transactions corresponding to the transaction card at a first predetermined time; determining a usage fee that corresponds to the summarized usage history of the transaction card for the series of transactions; and settling, by a processing unit, accounts associated with the transaction card at a second predetermined time, wherein when the available credit of the transaction card is used, accounts are settled in conjunction with the usage fee that corresponds to plural instances of the credit value in the summarized usage history for the second predetermined time, such that the plural instances of using available credit for transactions during the second predetermined time are accumulated and collectively settled in one communication operation and one corresponding instance of the usage fee.
-
Specification