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SYSTEM FOR MAINTAINING THE STATUS OF CREDIT ACCOUNTS

  • US 3,697,693 A
  • Filed: 03/11/1970
  • Issued: 10/10/1972
  • Est. Priority Date: 03/11/1970
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A system for handling credit transactions at a plurality of remote stations in accordance with credit account records maintained at a central station, comprising:

  • a termiNal unit at each of said remote stations for producing a coded inquiry message to determine the status of a credit account from the records at said central station in accordance with a credit transaction involving that credit account at a remote station;

    a data processor at said central station responsive to an inquiry message from a terminal unit, for accessing information from said records pertaining to the respective credit account and for formulating a coded reply indicating one of the following;

    a positive response that the credit account is in an acceptable state, a negative response that the credit account is in an unacceptable state, or an indefinite response;

    a communications network including a plurality of communication channels for transmitting inquiry messages from each terminal unit to said data processor and for transmitting reply messages from said data processor to the respective terminal unit, in response to selective acquisition of a communication channel by each inquiring terminal unit;

    each of said terminal units including means for decoding the reply message received from said data processor, and means responsive to the decoded reply message for indicating one of a plurality of possible procedures to be followed in handling a credit transaction, according to the credit account state from which the reply message was formulated; and

    a supervisory terminal unit coupled to said communication network for monitoring reply messages and for being disposed in an inoperative mode in response to the positive response and in an operative mode in response to either a negative or indefinite response to acquire a communication channel between said supervisory terminal unit and said central station.

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