Electronic money system and payment accepting apparatus

• US 8,468,101 B1
• Filed: 05/26/2000
• Issued: 06/18/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Kawai, Shigeyuki, Ito, Koji
• Primary Examiner(s): Chencinski, Siegfried E
• Application Number:
  US09/578,728
• Time in Patent Office: 4,771 Days
• Field of Search: 705 35- 38, 705/40
• US Class Current: 705/69
• 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 20/0652 e-cash with decreasing value according to a parameter, e.g. time
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/204 Loading of a stored value token using an ATM

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basis of the information about the timing with which the amount of money data equivalent to an amount of money used are withdrawn from an information card, thereby allowing the user owning the information card to use an electronic money system regardless of whether time zones having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.

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.

2. The electronic money system according to claim 1, wherein said information card is a non-contact type information card for transferring said amount of money data in a non-contact manner.

3. The electronic money system according to claim 1, wherein the merchant accounts are also settled according to an electronic money-use fee that is calculated on the basis of a plurality of different fee rates that are respectively determined based upon the time of day in which corresponding transactions occur.

16. The electronic money system of claim 1, wherein the usage history includes amount of money data and information identifying a time when the amount of money is withdrawn.

19. An electronic money system according to claim 1, wherein the usage history of the information card based on data associated with the transactions stored by said electronic money terminal comprises a usage log, and wherein said usage log comprises a key version information indicative of the version of an encryption key that is used in communicating the money data from the information card to the electronic money terminal.

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.

5. The payment accepting apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said payment accepting apparatus withdraws amount of money data equivalent to an amount of money used from amount of money data inputted in an information card as electronic money, thereby accepting a payment equivalent to said amount of money used in the form of said amount of money data.

6. The payment accepting apparatus according to claim 4, wherein timing information is associated with a time when the amount of money is withdrawn and a computing means computes a payment processing fee based on a plurality of different fee rates that are respectively determined based upon the time of day in which corresponding withdrawals occur.

7. The payment accepting apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said information card is a non-contact type information card for transferring said amount of money data in a non-contact manner, said payment accepting apparatus further comprising:

a communication means for receiving said amount of money data from said information card in a non-contact manner.

20. A payment-accepting apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the means for summarizing and storing usage history implements a usage log, and wherein said usage log comprises a key version information indicative of the version of an encryption key that is used in communicating the amount of money data from the information card to the payment-accepting apparatus.

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.

9. The electronic money system according to claim 8, wherein said timing information is associated with a time when the amount of money is withdrawn and said electronic money managing means computes an electronic money use fee based upon the time of day in which corresponding withdrawals occur.

10. The electronic money system according to claim 8, wherein said electronic apparatus is a card-shaped storage medium.

11. The electronic money system according to claim 10, wherein said card-shaped storage medium is a non-contact type information card that transfers said amount of money in a non-contact manner.

12. The electronic money system according to claim 8, wherein said electronic apparatus is at least a communication terminal apparatus.

13. The electronic money system according to claim 8, wherein said electronic apparatus at least performs personal authentication.

21. An electronic money system according to claim 10, wherein the electronic money managing means implements a usage log, and wherein said usage log comprises a key version information indicative of the version of an encryption key that is used in communicating the amount of money data from the electronic apparatus to the electronic money system.

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.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the merchant accounts are also settled according to an electronic money-use fee that is calculated outside the electronic money terminal on the basis of a plurality of different fee rates that are respectively determined based upon the time of day in which corresponding transactions occur.

22. A method of executing a transaction according to claim 14, wherein collecting and summarizing the usage history implements a usage log, and wherein said usage log comprises a key version information indicative of the version of an encryption key that is used in communicating the money data from the information card to the electronic money terminal.

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.