GB2291728A - System of revolving cash update for cards through vending terminals - Google Patents

Abstract

A card has an accumulating register updated with every transaction to contain the sum of all transactions. A reader compares the contents of the accumulating register with a reference level and compares the card serial number with a list of serial numbers of cards which have defaulted. <IMAGE>

Description

A SYSTEM OF REVOLVING CASH UPDATE FOR CARDS THROUGH VENDING TERMINALS This is a continuation in part divided out from PCT/GB92/1309 published under the title 'Electronic Travel Pass'(5N093/02430), and is directed to the description of program sequences and protocols in specific instances of using smartcards in a multi-vendor situation.

More particularly, the program principles to be discussed relate to the general area of Payment of Fares by a card system, especially at the critical moments when a fare is due but the residual value of the card proves to be insufficient. The principle explained will be particularly useful for revenue collection on buses, but would also be very useful in other small payment situations. The processes will subsequently be described in detail with the aid of Figures 1 and 2.

It has long been known that cards can be used as a voucher of credit issued by financially stable institutions (such as banks or building societies). Although the credit issuing company debits the buyer or the seller or both in return for pledging payment, with a certain percentage of the monies advanced, the procedure often includes a review of the card owner's accounts to see whether credit worthiness still exists. Sometimes it is necessary to transmit the numbers of blacklisted cards directly into a register close to the point of transaction.An example of how this can be done and how credit cards can be tested as to their validity is given in UK Patent Assuming that equipment of this type is available on a bus, there exists also another technical difficulty affecting the cost efficiency of credit card debiting on public transportation in an urban area: it is the sheer number of transactions that occur. The average value for each such transaction is low, say about Pounds Sterling 1.20, yet for each such transaction sufficient data have to be transmitted to the bank computer of the customer's bank to obtain payment.

It can easily be seen that the normal routine for credit card payments such as come into play with the purchase of capital goods, is not applicable lest the overheads would become too large.

Faced with this inapplicability of prior art of credit card payment to fare collection, the present invention provides for measures and card processing software which intend to make its use in travel available for both the daily commuters, occasional travellers, in short, for a substantial majority of the travelling public.

This aim is proposed to be achieved by combining the afore-mentioned electronic register for blacklisted numbers, with an accumulator of fares; the same would cause the latest fare to be added to the sum of preceding fares derived from the travel pass, and then updates said sum in the card memory. Every time the traveller's card is presented to a transaction terminal, it reads from the card the sum of earlier fares, adds the current fare and then compares the new sum with a preset number in a separate register of the transaction unit.

This last-mentioned register is non-volatile and represents a reference level with which the value level of accumulated paid fare memorized in the "travel pass", plus the fare that would be payable for the current trip, is compared. For the purpose of explaining the idea, it should be assumed that the comparison shows that the sum of all fares exceeds the reference value level. This condition triggers another program set in the transaction programming unit which: (a) deducts from the reference value the amount by which the sum of all fares exceeds this value; (b) the then remaining value is entered as a refreshment update into the value register of the "travel pass"; (c) the account number of the travel pass, together with the bank code and interbank fund transfer phone number are being read out from the travel pass and transferred to a Register in the Transaction Unit.

Throughout the entire regional transportation system the above cited reference value is the same, in other words, all travel passes are at all times updated by a constant value, in some cases by a multiple of that constant value. This arrangement does not only permit the process to be automated, but also reduces the quantity of data that have to be processed, both by the transport operators computer plant and by the various banks who participate in the project. From the ordinary traveller's point of view this scheme has the advantage that he/she need not worry about fares exceeding the balance in the travel pass which1 in other circumstances. may mean interrupting the journev and trying to find a branch of a suitable bank for updating the pass, or a person has to carry enough cash to have the pass updated by the bus driver or the local ticket office, etc.If the travel pass requires updating during a high peak hour, or at a moment when a train has to be boarded, this can be highly inconvenient. Some bus drivers may refuse to do any updating during rush hours. It would be an all-round inconvenience to all concerned and reduce the efficiency of the transport system. - The new method would, in practice, mean that on an average ten times fewer data transmissions need be carried out each day; the cost of the credit system would go down to acceptable levels. Also: transport companies will receive easily auditable bulk payment for their services to the public made directly by bank to their corporate bank accounts1 bypassing all paperwork and the handling of coins and bank notes, cheques and vouchers.The considerable overheads implicit in fare collection today can be reduced. - In addition, the very drastic reduction of boarding times would reduce turnround times which amounts to a better service to the public.

The feasibility of the envisaged performance can best be understood with reference to Figure 1, in which the interactions between the travel pass 20, the transaction unit 1, a depot computer 14, and a central clearing computer 19, are represented by functional block diagrams. The Card Reader consists of a plate containing a wire loop (or capacitive plates) 3, an optionally provided lamp 2, and interface circuit 5 for preparing signals for transfer to the card 20, as well as for receiving and adapting signals coming from the card for entry into the micro-processor 7. Between the units 7 and 5 may be provided a scrambling unit 6, which ensures that vital data, such as the systems protection numbers, cannot be deciphered by means of radio equipped clandestine analyzers. An example of such an encryption/ decryption circuit has been given in the published patent GB 2 130,412B. - The microprocessor 7 passes the serial number of the card 20, obtained via the Reader 3, to the circuit group 8 which contains the means for comparing the serial number with all the blacklisted numbers of the local traffic region. This is done at a high clock rate.

If any of the numbers contained in the blacklists of block 8 is equal to the serial number of a card being processed, the unit 8 emits a flag signal through its connector line 7-2 and causes the micro-processor 7 to change its program and produces a display on the driver's Console 12 or/and activates a buzzer or the like. and also extinguishes the lamp 2 (lamp 2 may be used for illuminating solar cells fitted on the travel pass card 20). The driver will request fare payment in cash, or request update of the card against cash.

Assuming the card is not blacklisted, the next step would be to assess its genuity. This is done by a procedure described in GB 2,092,344, a published patent. The procedure is recapitulated in the flow diagram Figure 2. Returning to Figure 1, the scramble unit 6 and the register 10 are assumed to be contained on the same silicon chip, together with the processor circuit 7, so that no external connection line is required to carry the secret protection number in clear form. This is essential for the preservation of secrecy.

Block 9 is important for our purposes in the present invention. It is a register holding the number which represents a value level to be compared with the accumulated fares since the last update of the card. If there is an excess of fares debts over and above the said reference number in block 9, a program in the micro-processor is started which (a) deducts from the accumulated fares debt the fixed number in register 9; (b) enters into the register 11 the card serial number of the card 20.

No further additional data need be entered into register 11 in support of the serial number since the very fact of a recording of the serial number in register 11 is equivalent to a constant debit as prescribed by unit 9. This level, as already indicated, is the same throughout a given transport region, and would also be agreed with the banks in that region.

When the bus arrives at the Depot 14 at the end of the day's shifts, the bus personnel establish a connection between the transaction unit 1 and the depot computer 14, which then controls the transfer of all the serial numbers of cards which underwent the described update procedure. The data transfer is preferably done via an optical cable link 15-8. On this occasion, the most recent compilation of blacklisted serial numbers are entered by the Depot Computer into the on-vehicle register block 8.

Between the late hours of the day and the early morning hours of the next day, the Depot Computer translates - based on prepared look-up tables - the serial numbers received from Register 1 1 of the transaction units of buses into the appropriate account numbers which are then sorted by bank codes and branch numbers, enabling a computer to transmit the list of units debts to the various Head Office computers of the participating banks While thus the individual accounts of various transport patrons are being debited with the said units charges in favour of the banks concerned, each bank will arrange to send to the various Transport Depot computers 14, 14', 14" ... etc. the amounts due to the various fleet owners. This lastmentioned step can be omitted if the various vehicle operators opened bank accounts with the major banks of the region. Thereby further savings can be achieved.

Figure 2 shows a flow diagram for the sequencing of the just described processing steps in cases where fares are always straight flat fares, pre-payable at the entry of a vehicle or a station platform.

Figure 3 is a flow diagram for graduated fares. Section 'A' in this flow diagram is identical with that shown in Figure 2 and is therefore not shown. The diagram also illustrates the differences for railways and buses.

The descriptions disclosed in the published patents GB 2,057 740, GB 2,075,732, GB 2, 130,412 and W093/02430 are herewith incorporated by reference.

Claims (2)

1. A system of Revolving Cash or Credit for Cards through reading terminals wherein the cards have an accummulating register updated with every transaction to contain the sum of all purchases including fare payments since the last update, and wherein the Reader Terminal electronics comprises a reference value level with which the instant card value is compared afterecrk transaction, and wherein all cards have an identifying number (serial number), and wherein the Reader Electronics comprises a list of card serial numbers which have defaulted (ie whose bank account is depleted) and with which all cards are compared which participate in the "perpectual credit" scheme.

2. On agreement as in the preceding Claim, wherein the off line terminal of an accountancy system ie the process terminal, comprises a register for storing the serial numbers of passes or cards in default; means of comparing a pass presented for a transaction to test it against the said list of defaulted passes in the said register; further means for comparing a face price due for payment with the residual value of the pass tested; means in the local processor terminal for updating the value of a pass by a present amount, conditional in the fare being due exceeding the additional value in the pass; and furtermore conditional in the serial no. of the pass number test having found to be not identical with any of the serial numbers should in the default register; and, an offline debit register in the said processor into which the serial number of all those passes are loaded which have received during a casual working shift the said present in general.