JPH04359158A - Toll setting device by prepaid card - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To use up the fraction of the amount of money of a prepaid card or the value corresponding to the amount of money without making a device large-sized and complex. CONSTITUTION:A calculating means 12 subtracts the toll for the unit use quantity as prepayment from the numeral of the amount of money of a prepaid card read by a reading/writing means 13, outputs a signal indicating the permission for use to the outside, repeats the prepayment calculation and use permission indication each time the use count value from the outside reaches the unit use quantity. When the amount of money becomes a preset value or below, the amount of money of the prepaid card 10 is rewritten to zero by the reading/ writing means 13, and the prepaid card 10 is discharged from a single card entrance 9 by a card moving means 11. The remainder at the time of insertion is added to the amount of money of the prepaid card 10 newly inserted in place of the old one.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

[Field of Industrial Application] The present invention relates to an improvement in a usage fee adjustment device using a prepaid card, which controls the amount of electricity, gas, or water that is allowed to be used in an amount corresponding to the amount of money on the prepaid card or a numerical value equivalent to the amount of money. be.

0002

[Prior Art] Prepaid cards have traditionally been used for telephone call charges, railway fares, etc., but conventional prepaid cards are equipped with a simple card reading/writing means that doubles as a prepaid card inlet and outlet. The card system does not accept fractions that are less than the amount required for the transaction or the value equivalent to the amount, and it was necessary to either discard the fraction with the remainder or use a cash combination system to supplement the shortage with cash. .

[0003] Furthermore, even if you are lucky enough to be able to use your prepaid card perfectly and not have too much or too little as a transaction object, if you want to continue the transaction, you will need to insert a new prepaid card before the transaction ends. , it is necessary to take in two prepaid cards into the device, and for this purpose it is necessary to provide separate prepaid card inlet and outlet.

0004

[Problem to be solved by the invention] When using a prepaid card to use electricity, gas, or water, the charge per unit of usage is determined in detail down to the 1 yen unit, so the amount of the prepaid card or It is rare that the amount equivalent to the amount is used up exactly, and there are overwhelmingly many cases where fractions remain.

[0005] Therefore, it is conceivable to adopt the above-mentioned cash combination system, but it would be necessary to provide a space for storing cash and a security mechanism in the device, which would make the device larger and more complicated, and it would be necessary to collect money. As a result, the biggest advantage of prepaid cards, which is that they do not handle cash, disappears.

[0006] Furthermore, if a device as described above is provided with separate prepaid card inlet and outlet,
By inserting a new prepaid card into a prepaid card, you can use up the remaining prepaid card and continue transactions. This also increases the length of the device, resulting in an increase in the size of the device.

[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide a usage fee adjustment device using a prepaid card, which makes it possible to use up the amount of the prepaid card or a fraction of the amount equivalent to the amount without waste, without increasing the size or complexity of the device. It is to provide.

[0008]

[Means for Solving the Problems] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides for prepaying a usage fee for a unit usage amount or a value equivalent to a usage fee from an amount or a value equivalent to an amount read by a reading/writing means. At the same time as the subtraction, a signal instructing usage permission is output to the outside, and each time the usage measurement value from the outside reaches a unit usage amount, the prepayment subtraction and usage permission instruction are repeated, and the amount or a numerical value equivalent to the amount is a predetermined value. When the following occurs, the amount or value equivalent to the amount on the prepaid card is rewritten to zero by the reading/writing means, the prepaid card is ejected from a single card entrance by the card moving means, and a new one is inserted in its place. The present invention is characterized by comprising calculation means for adding the remaining amount at the time of insertion to the amount of money of the prepaid card or a numerical value equivalent to the amount of money.

[0009]

[Operation] When a prepaid card is inserted through a single card slot, the card moving means moves the prepaid card to a predetermined position. The reading/writing means reads the written amount or a numerical value equivalent to the amount written from the prepaid card placed at a predetermined position, and transmits it to the calculation means.

[0010] The arithmetic means subtracts the usage fee for the unit usage amount or the value equivalent to the usage fee in advance from the amount or the value equivalent to the amount read by the reading/writing means, and at the same time outputs a signal to the outside instructing permission for use. do. Thereafter, each time the usage measurement value from the outside reaches the unit usage amount, the prepayment subtraction and usage permission instruction are repeated. When the amount or the value equivalent to the amount falls below a predetermined value, the reading/writing means rewrites the amount or the value equivalent to the amount on the prepaid card to zero, and the card moving means ejects the prepaid card from the card slot. . When a new prepaid card is inserted instead, the remaining amount at the time of insertion is added to the amount or a numerical value equivalent to the amount.

[0011] The arithmetic means generates a signal instructing the prohibition of use when the prepaid card is removed or when the amount or the value equivalent to the amount becomes less than the usage fee for the unit usage amount or the value equivalent to the usage fee. Output to outside.

0012

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 shows a card meter system including an electric power usage rate adjusting device which is an embodiment of the present invention.

The prepaid card used in this electric energy card meter system is a magnetic card or an IC card. Magnetic cards are suitable for disposable cards that become unusable when the written amount or numerical value equivalent to the amount (hereinafter simply referred to as the amount) reaches zero, while IC cards are suitable for discarding a predetermined amount when the written amount becomes zero. Suitable for reusable cards that can be used again after paying and requesting the card to be regenerated. These cards are
Issued at the electricity company counter or from a vending machine,
will be played. It is desirable that a reusable card be provided with a current limit value storage function, a consumer unique number, a usage amount of electricity, and other storage functions in addition to a payment amount storage function.

The card meter system consists of a usage fee adjustment device 1, a power meter 2, and a circuit breaker device 3. The transmitter circuit 4 built into the watt-hour meter 2 calculates the unit power consumption (
For example, one pulse is transmitted every time 1 Kwh) is measured. The circuit breaker device 3 has a breaker 5, a control circuit 6, and an interface 7, and when the control circuit 6 receives an instruction signal indicating permission for use sent from the charge adjustment device 1, the circuit breaker 5 is turned on. When a power supply voltage of AC 100 V is supplied to the load and an instruction signal prohibiting use is received, the breaker 5 is cut off to stop the power supply. Although not shown,
It is preferable that the circuit breaker device 3 has the function of a current limiter that can change the current limit value.

The usage fee adjustment device 1 connects the transmitting circuit 4 of the electricity meter 2 and the circuit breaker device 3 through the interface 8.
Connect to interface 7 of Usage fee adjustment device 1
has a single card entrance/exit 9, and this card entrance/exit 9
When the prepaid card 10 is inserted, the card moving means 11 detects the insertion of the prepaid card 10, transmits the information to the calculating means 12, holds the prepaid card 10 according to instructions from the calculating means 12, and moves the prepaid card 10 to a predetermined position. move it. The reading/writing means 13 reads the written amount from the prepaid card 10 located at a predetermined position and transmits it to the calculating means 12. The calculation means 12 temporarily stores the amount in a built-in memory.

The calculation means 12 includes a reading/writing means 13
The unit usage amount (for example, 1Kw) is calculated from the amount read by
h) The usage fee (for example, 28 yen) or a value equivalent to the usage fee (hereinafter simply referred to as usage fee) is subtracted from the prepaid amount, stored in the built-in memory, and the reading/writing means 13 rewrites the amount on the prepaid card 10 into the remaining amount. At the same time, a signal indicating permission for use is sent to the control circuit 6 of the circuit breaker 3. The control circuit 6 turns on the circuit breaker 5 in response to the use permission instruction signal.

After that, from the transmitting circuit 4 of the electricity meter 2 to the transmitting circuit 1
Each time a pulse is received, that is, each time the usage measurement value reaches a unit usage amount, the calculating means 12 repeats the prepayment subtraction and usage permission instruction. The calculation means 12 causes the display means 14 to display the remaining amount and the like.

When the amount becomes less than a predetermined amount (for example, less than an amount corresponding to about one day's power consumption), the calculating means 12 uses the reading/writing means 13 to write the prepaid card 10.
The amount of money is rewritten to zero, and the prepaid card 10 is ejected from the card slot 9 by the card moving means 11. At the same time, in order to notify the consumer of this discharge, the display means 14 is made to generate an alarm sound and cause the alarm light to blink. Even during an alarm, the calculation means 12 performs the prepayment subtraction and usage permission instruction every time it receives one pulse from the transmitting circuit 4, so the amount in the built-in memory decreases until the next prepaid card 10 is inserted. I will do it.

When the consumer notices the alarm and inserts a new prepaid card 10 instead, the calculating means 12 adds the remaining amount at the time of insertion to the amount and stores the added amount in the built-in memory, The reading/writing means 13 rewrites the amount on the new prepaid card 10 into an additional amount. As a result, the fractional amount that is less than the usage fee for the unit usage amount is added to the amount of the next prepaid card 10, and is effectively used.

[0020] When the consumer performs an operation to remove the prepaid card 10 (for example, by pressing the eject operation button) using the operation means 15, or when the amount stored in the built-in memory of the calculation means 12 is less than the usage fee for the unit usage amount. , the calculation means 12 sends a signal instructing the prohibition of use to the control circuit 6 of the circuit breaker 3, and causes the breaker 5 to shut off. In addition, in the case of the above-mentioned take-out operation, the use prohibition instruction signal may be sent immediately, or the use prohibition instruction signal may be sent after the consumption of the prepaid unit usage amount is completed. At the same time, the prepaid card 10 on which the remaining amount has been written is ejected by the card moving means 11.

Note that the rewriting of the amount on the prepaid card 10 may not be performed every time a unit usage amount is consumed, but may be rewritten all at once when the prepaid card 10 is ejected.

[0022] Preferably, the operating means 15 includes a portion for operation by the electric power company.

[0023]

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, according to the present invention,
When the amount of the prepaid card or the value equivalent to the amount falls below a predetermined value, the amount or the value equivalent to the amount is rewritten to zero, the prepaid card is ejected from a single card slot, and the amount of the new prepaid card inserted in its place is Alternatively, since the remaining amount at the time of insertion is added to the amount equivalent to the amount, it is possible to use up the amount of the prepaid card or a fraction of the amount equivalent to the amount without making the device larger or more complicated. Become.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a card meter system including an electric power usage fee adjustment device that is an embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Usage fee adjustment device 2　Electricity amount 3. Circuit breaker device 4 Transmission circuit 5. Breaker 6 Control circuit 9 Card entrance/exit 10 Prepaid card 11 Card movement means 12 Calculation means 13 Read/write means 14 Display means 15 Operation means

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A single card slot into which a prepaid card is inserted and ejected, and a card movement for moving the inserted prepaid card from the card slot to a predetermined position or from the predetermined position to the card slot. a reading/writing means for reading or rewriting the amount or a numerical value equivalent to the amount written on the prepaid card located at the predetermined position; and a unit usage amount from the amount or numerical value equivalent to the amount read by the reading/writing means. At the same time, a signal instructing usage permission is output to the outside, and each time the usage value from the outside reaches the unit usage amount,
The prepaid subtraction and usage permission instructions are repeated, and when the amount or the value equivalent to the amount becomes less than a predetermined value, the reading/writing means rewrites the amount or the value equivalent to the amount on the prepaid card to zero, and the prepaid card is transferred to the prepaid card. Adding the remaining amount at the time of insertion to the amount of the prepaid card or a value equivalent to the amount of the prepaid card that is ejected from the card slot by the card moving means and newly inserted in its place;
a calculation means for outputting a signal instructing prohibition of use to the outside when the prepaid card is removed, or when the amount or the value equivalent to the amount becomes less than the usage fee for the unit usage amount or the value equivalent to the usage fee; A usage fee adjustment device using a prepaid card.