Communication terminal, server apparatus, electronic worth charging method, and electronic worth charging program

• US 20040158490A1
• Filed: 05/20/2003
• Published: 08/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ken Sakamura, NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation), Noboru Koshizuka
• Original Assignee: Ken Sakamura, NTT Docomo Incorporated (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation), Noboru Koshizuka
• Inventors: Ishii, Kazuhiko, Sakamura, Ken, Mori, Kensaku, Koshizuka, Noboru, Aono, Hiroshi, Hongo, Sadayuki
• Application Number:
  US10/441,163
• Publication Number:
  US 20040158490A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14
• 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 20/105 involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/26 Debit schemes, e.g. "pay now"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/341 Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/363 with the personal data of a user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40975 using encryption therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0225 Avoiding frauds
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0866 by active credit-cards adapted therefor G07F7/1008 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system

Abstract

A portable terminal 10 according to the present invention is provided with an electronic book coupon storage 12, an electronic book coupon transmitter 14, and an electronic book coupon receiver 15. The electronic book coupon storage 12 stores an electronic book coupon which can be charged with no electronic worth by the portable terminal 10. The electronic book coupon transmitter 14 transmits the electronic book coupon stored in the electronic book coupon storage 12, to an electronic book coupon circulating server 20. The electronic book coupon receiver 15 receives the electronic book coupon charged with electronic worth by the electronic book coupon circulating server 20, from the electronic book coupon circulating server 20.

Claims

1. A communication terminal comprising:

electronic value storing means for storing an electronic value which can be charged with no electronic worth by the communication terminal;

electronic value transmitting means for transmitting said electronic value stored in the electronic value storing means, to a server apparatus; and

electronic value receiving means for receiving from the server apparatus the electronic value which was charged with an electronic worth by said server apparatus.

2. The communication terminal according to claim 1, further comprising user information storing means for storing user information by which a user of the communication terminal can be identified,

wherein said electronic value transmitting means transmits said electronic value along with the user information stored in the user information storing means, to the server apparatus.

3. The communication terminal according to claim 1, wherein a digital signature is attached to said electronic value stored in the electronic value storing means, by an issuer of the electronic value.

4. A server apparatus comprising:

electronic value receiving means for receiving the electronic value from the communication terminal as set forth in claim 1;

electronic worth charging means for charging the electronic value received by the electronic value receiving means, with an electronic worth; and

electronic value transmitting means for transmitting the electronic value charged with the electronic worth by the electronic worth charging means, to the communication terminal.

5. The server apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising:

user authenticating means for performing a user authentication process of authenticating the user of the communication terminal, on the basis of the user information transmitted by the electronic value transmitting means of the communication terminal; and

settlement confirming means for performing a settlement confirmation process of confirming settlement about the user and the electronic value of the communication terminal,

wherein when the user authentication process by the user authenticating means and the settlement confirmation process by the settlement confirming means are successfully completed, the electronic value transmitting means lets the electronic worth charging means charge the electronic value with the electronic worth.

6. An electronic worth charging method for a communication terminal to implement transmission and reception of data to and from a server apparatus, said electronic worth charging method comprising:

an electronic value storing step of storing an electronic value which can be charged with no electronic worth by the communication terminal, in storing means;

an electronic value transmitting step of transmitting the electronic value stored in the storing means in the electronic value storing step, to the server apparatus; and

an electronic value receiving step of receiving from the server apparatus the electronic value which was charged with an electronic worth by the server apparatus.

7. An electronic worth charging method for a server apparatus to implement transmission and reception of data to and from a communication terminal, said electronic worth charging method comprising:

an electronic value receiving step of receiving an electronic value from the communication terminal;

an electronic worth charging step of charging said electronic value received in the electronic value receiving step, with an electronic worth; and

an electronic value transmitting step of transmitting the electronic value charged with the electronic worth in the electronic worth charging step, to the communication terminal.

8. A communication terminal comprising:

electronic value storing means for storing an electronic value containing identification information of an issuer;

issuer identification information receiving means for receiving identification information of the issuer of the electronic value from a server apparatus;

issuer authenticating means for performing an authentication process of authenticating the issuer of the electronic value, on the basis of the identification information of the issuer in the electronic value stored in the electronic value storing means and the identification information of the issuer received from the server apparatus by the issuer identification information receiving means; and

electronic worth charging means for charging the electronic value with an electronic worth when receiving charge information which is transmitted from the server apparatus if the issuer authenticating means authenticates the issuer of the electronic value and if the validity of a user of the communication terminal is authenticated.

9. A server apparatus comprising:

user authenticating means for, on the basis of user information transmitted from the communication terminal as set forth in claim 8, performing an authentication process of authenticating the user of the communication terminal; and

charge information transmitting means for transmitting charge information for charging the electronic value with an electronic worth, to the communication terminal when the authentication process for the user of the communication terminal is successfully completed by the user authenticating means.

10. The server apparatus according to claim 9 further comprising settlement confirming means for performing a settlement confirmation process of confirming settlement about the user and the electronic value of the communication terminal,

wherein when the user authentication process by the user authenticating means and the settlement confirmation process by the settlement confirming means are successfully completed, the charge information transmitting means transmits the charge information to the communication terminal.

11. The server apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said electronic value is an electronic book coupon.

12. The server apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said electronic value is an electronic coupon ticket.

14. An electronic worth charging method for a server apparatus to implement transmission and reception of data to and from a communication terminal, said electronic worth charging method comprising:

a user authenticating step of performing an authentication process of authenticating a user of the communication terminal, on the basis of user information transmitted from the communication terminal as set forth in claim 8;

and

a charge information transmitting step of transmitting charge information for charging the electronic value with an electronic worth, to the communication terminal when the authentication process for the user of the communication terminal is successfully completed in the user authenticating step.

13. An electronic worth charging method for a communication terminal to implement transmission and reception of data to and from a server apparatus, said electronic worth charging method comprising:

an electronic value storing step of storing an electronic value containing identification information of an issuer, in storing means;

an issuer identification information receiving step of receiving identification information of the issuer of the electronic value from the server apparatus;

an issuer authenticating step of performing an authentication process of authenticating the issuer of the electronic value, on the basis of the identification information of the issuer in the electronic value stored in the storing means and the identification information of the issuer received from the server apparatus in the issuer identification information receiving step; and

an electronic worth charging step of charging the electronic value with an electronic worth when receiving charge information which is transmitted from the server apparatus if the issuer of the electronic value is authenticated in the issuer authenticating step and if the validity of a user of the communication terminal is authenticated.

15. An electronic worth charging program for letting a communication terminal configured to implement transmission and reception of data to and from a server apparatus, execute the following processes:

an electronic value storing process of storing an electronic value which can be charged with no electronic worth by the communication terminal, in storing means;

an electronic value transmitting process of transmitting the electronic value stored in the storing means by the electronic value storing process, to the server apparatus; and

an electronic value receiving process of receiving from the server apparatus the electronic value which was charged with an electronic worth by the server apparatus.