Universal funds transfer and identification card

• US 4,001,550 A
• Filed: 12/04/1975
• Issued: 01/04/1977
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/1975
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Distributed Intelligence Access Systems Corporation
• Original Assignee: Vernon L. Schatz
• Inventors: Schatz, Vernon L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cook, Daryl W.
• Application Number:
  US05/637,712
• Time in Patent Office: 397 Days
• Field of Search: 235/61.7 R, 235/61.7 B, 235/61.12 N, 235/61.12 C, 340/149 R, 340/149 A, 340/152 R, 340/174 M
• US Class Current: 235/379
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0638 Combination of memories, e.g. ROM and RAM such as to permit replacement or supplementing of words in one module by words in another module address formation of the next microinstruction G06F9/26; masking faults in memories by using spares or by reconfiguring G11C29/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07 with integrated circuit chips
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3415 Cards acting autonomously as pay-media
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3572 Multiple accounts on card
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/363 with the personal data of a user
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0866 by active credit-cards adapted therefor G07F7/1008 takes precedence

Abstract

A universal funds transfer and identification card for use with electronic terminals, such card including a random access memory for storing up to date account information sufficient to allow the completion of at least certain transactions without the intervention of a remote computer. The card includes a plurality of storage fields, selectively addressable for storing changeable information including account balance, total amount of transactions since last update of balance, and date of last update. The information necessary for authorizing and completing a transaction is addressed by a universal terminal for transfer to the terminal from the card. The terminal is adapted to determine the credit status of the account from the information contained on the card, perform the transaction if allowed, and update the information on the card so that the card is, itself, a record of the type and status of the account.

Claims

1. In a universal funds transfer and identification card for use with electronic terminals adapted to perform transactions and produce signals for carrying out and recording said transactions, the improvement comprising, random access memory means in said card for storing information including the following changeable information:

account balance,

total amount of transactions since last update of card,

and date of last update;

connecting means along a single edge of said card adapted to mate said terminal for coupling signals between said card and said terminal, and means coupling said connecting means to said random access memory means for selectively addressing fields within said memory means and transferring data between addressed fields and said terminal, whereby said card serves as an up to date record of said account.

2. The improvement as set forth in claim 1 wherein said memory means is a single plane core memory having a plurality of magnetic cores arranged in a rectangular matrix, first line means forming a first axis of said matrix and comprising a plurality of wires defining the respective lines of said first axis and passing through the cores in said lines, second line means forming a second axis of said matrix and comprising a plurality of wires defining the respective lines of said second axis and passing through the cores in said lines, and sense line means passing through all of said cores, said connecting means being located along one edge of said card generally perpendicular to said first axis with the wires of said first axis connected directly to said connecting means, the wires of the second axis of said matrix being folded parallel to said first axis so that said wires in said second axis are connected to said connecting means, said sense line means being connected to said connecting means, whereby the connecting means are localized along a single edge of said card.

3. The improvement as set forth in claim 1 wherein said random access memory means is a semiconductor random access memory, said card further including battery means coupled to said semiconductor memory for preserving the information stored in said random access memory means.

4. In a universal funds transfer and identification card for use with electronic terminals adapted to perform transactions and produce signals for carrying out and recording said transactions, the improvement comprising, random access memory means in said card having a plurality of fields for storing changeable information, connector means adapted to mate said terminal for coupling signals between said card and terminal, address lines on the card coupled between said connecting means and said random access memory means for coupling signals from said terminal for selectively addressing the fields of said memory means for access by said terminal, data lines on the card coupled between the connecting means and the memory means for transferring data between addressed fields and said terminal, and control line means on the card coupled between said connecting means and said memory means for carrying signals from said terminal for activating said memory means for reading from the addressed field of the memory means to said terminal or writing from said terminal to the addressed field of said memory means, whereby said card is adapted to transfer stored information to said terminal for performing a transaction and receive from said terminal updated information following said transaction.

5. The improvement as set forth in claim 4 wherein said random access memory means is a semiconductor random access memory, said card further including battery means coupled to said semiconductor memory for preserving the information stored in said random access memory means.

6. The improvement as set forth in claim 5 wherein the card further includes read only memory means for storing permanent data.

7. The improvement as set forth in claim 6 wherein the read only memory means is coupled to said address lines and data lines, and including enable line means coupling said connecting means with said random access memory means and said read only memory means for selectively actuating said memories for transfer of information with said terminal.

8. The improvement as set forth in claim 4 wherein said connecting means further includes a charging line for supplying charging current to said battery means from said terminal for recharging the battery during a transaction.

9. The improvement as set forth in claim 4 wherein said card further includes display means coupled to said random access memory and means for activating the display to show the stored account balance on command.

10. The improvement as set forth in claim 4 wherein the terminal is of the type including keys operated by a user for keying in a personal identification number, said changeable information stored on said card including a personal identification number for comparison by the terminal with said keyed number.

11. The improvement as set forth in claim 10 wherein the personal identification number is stored in said memory means in conjunction with a scramble code, said terminal being adapted to unscramble the personal identification number in accordance with the scramble code for comparison with the keyed number.

12. The improvement as set forth in claim 4 wherein the connecting means further includes power line means for supplying power to said card from said terminal during a transaction.

13. In a universal funds transfer and identification card for use with electronic terminals adapted to perform transactions and produce signals for carrying out and recording said transactions, the improvement comprising, random access memory means in said card having a plurality of fields for storing changeable information, said memory means comprising a single plane core memory having a plurality of magnetic cores arranged in a rectangular matrix, first line means forming a first axis of said matrix and comprising a plurality of wires defining the respective lines of said first axis and passing through the cores in said lines, second line means forming a second axis of said matrix and comprising a plurality of wires defining the respective lines of said second axis and passing through the cores in said lines, and sense line means passing through all of said cores, connecting means located along a single edge of said card generally perpendicular to said first axis with the wires of said first axis connected directly to said connecting means, the wires of the second axis of said matrix being folded parallel to said first axis so that said wires in said second axis are connected to said connecting means, said sense line means being connected to said connecting means, said first line means, second line means and sense line means serving to transfer information between said terminal and fields in said memory means addressed by said terminal, whereby said card is adapted to transfer stored information to said terminal for performing a transaction and receive from said terminal updated information for storage.