Registers – Systems controlled by data bearing records – Banking systems
Reexamination Certificate
2002-03-20
2004-09-28
St. Cyr, Daniel (Department: 2876)
Registers
Systems controlled by data bearing records
Banking systems
C235S380000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06796491
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic payment system, a payment apparatus and terminals thereof for electronic money transactions or financial dealings. More particularly, the present invention relates to processing payments by electronic money by validating the payments to prevent improper and fraudulent use.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a conventional electronic payment system in which the payments on dealings are made by electronic money, there are possibilities of falsification and unfair use of the electronic money. Thus, the system was configured to use an improved encryption technique in order to prevent the disclosure of information regarding the electronic money, or to record the information regarding the electronic money on an IC (integrated circuit) card so as to allow the use and deposit of the electronic money only via an exclusive IC card reader.
The conventional electronic payment system using electronic money, described above, has a problem in that the exclusive IC card reader or a complicated authentication and encryption procedure is required so as to enhance security in order to prevent the falsification and unfair use of the electronic money, thus giving up the convenience of electronic money.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a safe and convenient electronic payment system using electronic money, which is capable of overcoming the above drawbacks accompanying the conventional art. The above and other objects can be achieved by combinations described in the independent claims. The dependent claims define further advantageous and exemplary combinations of the present invention.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, an electronic payment system that makes electronic money payment relating to a dealing, comprises: a payment terminal operable to store a first balance of electronic money for the electronic money payment relating to the dealing; a demanding terminal operable to communicate with the payment terminal to demand the payment; and a payment apparatus operable to communicate with the demanding terminal and to store a second balance of electronic money to correspond to an identification number of the payment terminal for validating the payment, wherein the demanding terminal receives from the payment terminal the first balance stored in the payment terminal and transmits the first balance to the payment apparatus, and the payment apparatus detects unfair use of the electronic money by checking the first balance stored in the payment terminal, which was received from the demanding terminal, with the second balance stored in the payment apparatus.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, an electronic payment system for making payment on a dealing by electronic money, comprises: a payment terminal operable to store a first reference number for electronic money for making payment on the dealing by the electronic money; a demanding terminal operable to communicate with the payment terminal to demand the payment; and a payment apparatus operable to communicate with the demanding terminal and to store a second reference number to correspond to an identification number of the payment terminal for allowing settlement of the payment on the dealing, wherein the payment apparatus updates the second reference number in accordance with a predetermined update rule, the payment terminal receives the update rule of the second reference number from the payment apparatus and updates the first reference number in accordance with the update rule, and in a case where the demanding terminal received from the payment terminal the first reference number stored in the payment terminal and then transmitted the first reference number to the payment apparatus, the payment apparatus checks the first reference number, received from the demanding terminal, with the second reference number stored in the payment apparatus to detect unfair use of the electronic money.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, a payment apparatus that communicates with a payment terminal and a demanding terminal to make settlement on an electronic money payment for a dealing, the payment terminal being operable to store an electronic money balance for making payment on the dealing by the electronic money, the demanding terminal being operable to demand the payment on the dealing, the payment apparatus comprises: a memory unit operable to store a check balance of the electronic money to correspond to an identification number of the payment terminal; a communication unit operable to receive, from the demanding terminal, a payment amount of the electronic money to be paid by the payment terminal; and a processor operable to update the check balance of the electronic money stored in the memory unit based on the payment amount received from the demanding terminal.
In a case where the communication unit received from the payment terminal a deposit-requested amount of the electronic money, the processor may update the check balance stored in the memory unit based on the deposit-requested amount, and the communication unit may transmit a new balance, obtained by the update, to the payment terminal.
The communication unit may receive the electronic money balance for making payment on the dealing, when the deposit-requested amount of the electronic money is received from the payment terminal, and the processor may compare the electronic money balance the communication unit received from the payment terminal with the check balance stored in the memory unit, may transmit the new balance to the communication unit when the compared balances coincide, and may notify a manager of the payment apparatus of a warning indicating a possibility of unfair use when the compared balances do not coincide.
The communication unit may receive from the demanding terminal the electronic money balance for making payment on the dealing, which is notified from the payment terminal, when the communication unit receives, from the demanding terminal, the payment amount to be paid by the payment terminal, and the processor may compare the electronic money balance the communication unit received from the demanding terminal with the check balance stored in the memory unit, may update the check balance stored in the memory unit when the compared balances coincide, and may notify a manager of the payment apparatus of a warning indicating a possibility of unfair use when the compared balances do not coincide.
In a case where the communication unit received a balance inquiry request from the payment terminal together with the electronic money balance for making payment on the dealing, the processor may compare the electronic money balance the communication unit received from the payment terminal with the check balance stored in the memory unit, and may transmit a warning indicating a possibility of unfair use when the compared balances do not coincide.
The communication unit may transmit a balance inquiry request to the payment terminal and may receive the electronic money balance for making payment on the dealing from the payment terminal, and the processor may compare the electronic money balance the communication unit received from the payment terminal with the check balance stored in the memory unit, and may notify a manager of the payment apparatus of a warning indicating a possibility of unfair use when the compared balances do not coincide.
The memory unit may store a term of validity in relation to the electronic money, and in a case where the communication unit received the payment amount of the electronic money from the demanding terminal, the processor may not update the check balance of the electronic money stored in the memory unit based on the payment amount, and may notify a manager of the payment apparatus of a warning indicating a possibility of unfair use, when a time that has passed after a start time, at which the communication unit transmitted, to the payment terminal, t
Cyr Daniel St.
Pillsbury & Winthrop LLP
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