JPH03182992A - Prepaid card rewrite preventing system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent a prepaid card from being rewritten with the wrong use of a prepaid card terminal by providing the prepaid card terminal with a production keyword storage means and a maintenance keyword storage means. CONSTITUTION:A production keyword storage means 3 and a maintenance keyword storage means 4 are provided, and the keyword given to each terminal at the time of producing the prepaid card terminal is stored in the means 3, and the keyword sent from a maintenance center at the time of installing the prepaid card terminal is received and stored in the means 3, and the keyword stored in the means 4 is extinguished at the time of cutting off the operating current. When a prepaid card 6 is inserted to a slot, a keyword collating means 5 collates keywords and does not operate a card reader/writer 2 in the case of disaccord between them. Thus, a user cannot use the prepaid card terminal to rewrite the prepaid card unless the knows the keyword.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Summary] Regarding a method for preventing unauthorized rewriting of a prepaid card at a prepaid card terminal, the present invention relates to a method for preventing unauthorized rewriting of a prepaid card using a prepaid card terminal. manufacturing keyword storage means for storing keywords assigned to each terminal at the time of manufacture of the prepaid card terminal; The prepaid card terminal is used with a maintenance keyword storage means that receives and stores a keyword sent from a maintenance center when the prepaid card terminal is installed, and erases the stored keyword when the operating power is cut off. Each time, the keyword stored in the manufacturing keyword storage means is compared with the keyword stored in the maintenance keyword storage means, and if they match, the keyword is sent to the card reader/writer.
The present invention is configured to include keyword matching means for outputting a control signal to enable the writer to operate.

[Industrial application field]

The present invention relates to a method for preventing unauthorized rewriting of a prepaid card at a prepaid card terminal.

In recent years, the number of systems that use prepaid cards, including public telephones, has been increasing, but at the same time, a crime has appeared in which the number of uses of prepaid cards is fraudulently changed.

However, since conventional prepaid card terminals do not assume that unauthorized rewriting will occur, only those with sufficient knowledge of hardware and programs can use prepaid card terminals to illegally rewrite prepaid cards. could not be prevented from doing so.

For this reason, there is a need for a prepaid card terminal that prevents a person who illegally obtained the prepaid card terminal or someone who can illegally operate the prepaid card terminal from rewriting the prepaid card using the prepaid card terminal. .

[Conventional technology]

FIG. 3 is a main configuration diagram of a conventional prepaid card terminal.

Although the prepaid card terminal in FIG. 3 is an example of a card-type public telephone, other prepaid card terminals can be considered to have almost the same configuration except for the line interface portion.

In FIG. 3, a line interface section 35 of a card-type public telephone 31, which is a prepaid card terminal, is connected to an exchange 38 through a telephone line.

When the user of the card-type public telephone 31 lifts up the handset 37 and inserts the prepaid card 39 into a card slot (not shown), the card reader 32a reads the maximum number of usable cards (remaining card number), and the remaining card number is displayed. If so, a signal is sent to the line interface section 35 to perform call processing on the telephone line. Connection is established by the user's operation of the dial key 36, and when the other party's terminal responds, the first charging signal is sent from the exchange 38, and thereafter charging signals are sent at fixed time intervals during the call depending on the distance to the destination. .

The billing signal is sent to the controller 33 via the line interface section 35, and the controller 33 has a ROM
Control is performed according to the program stored in the (continued exclusive memory) 34, and the remaining number of credits recorded in the prepaid card 39 is subtracted by one number each time a billing signal is received. The remaining power is rewritten by the card writer 32b. When the call ends, the rewriting of the prepaid card 39 is completed, and the prepaid card 39 on which the final remaining card count is recorded is returned from a card insertion slot (not shown).

However, with the configuration of the prepaid card terminal as shown in the above-mentioned card-type public telephone 31, it is not impossible to write an unauthorized usage limit.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

Conventional prepaid card terminals have not been able to prevent the usable limit of a prepaid card from being rewritten.

An object of the present invention is to prevent unauthorized use of a prepaid card terminal to rewrite a prepaid card.

[Means to solve the problem]

FIG. 1 is a diagram explaining the principle of the present invention.

In the figure, 1 is a prepaid card that uses a prepaid card.
A card terminal; 2 is a card reader/writer for reading and writing prepaid cards; 3 is a manufacturing keyword storage means that stores keywords assigned to each terminal when the prepaid card terminal is manufactured; 4 is a card reader/writer for prepaid card terminals; maintenance keyword storage means that receives and stores keywords sent from the maintenance center at the time of installation, and erases the stored keywords when the operating power is cut off; The keyword stored in the keyword storage means 3 is compared with the keyword stored in the maintenance keyword storage means 4, and if they match, the keyword is sent to the card reader/writer 2.
6 is a prepaid card.

[For production]

In FIG. 1, a manufacturing keyword storage unit 3 of a prepaid card terminal 1 stores keywords assigned to each prepaid card terminal at the time of manufacturing. When the prepaid card terminal 1 is installed, the construction worker who did the installation work calls the maintenance center and informs the maintenance center of, for example, the serial number of the prepaid card terminal.
The maintenance center sends out a keyword corresponding to the prepaid card terminal using means (details omitted) for indexing the keyword based on the serial number.

The keyword sent from the maintenance center is stored in the maintenance keyword storage means 4.

When the prepaid card terminal 1 in the above state is used by a user and the prepaid card 6 is inserted into the prepaid card insertion slot (not shown), the keyword matching means 5 stores the keyword in the manufacturing keyword storage means 3. The keyword stored in the maintenance keyword storage means 4 is read out and compared, and if both keywords match, the card reader/writer 2 is made operable for the card reader/writer 2. Send a signal. As a result, the reader part of the card reader/writer 2 reads the usable limit number of the inserted prepaid card 6, and if the usable limit number is 0, it starts a predetermined operation and ends the use or returns the usable limit number. Until the number reaches 0, the writer section of the card reader/writer 2 subtracts the frequency corresponding to the usage fee from the usable limit stored in the prepaid card 6 and writes it into the prepaid card 6. I'm leaving.

As mentioned above, keywords are checked each time they are used,
Since the card reader/writer 2 does not operate if the keywords do not match, the prepaid card 6 cannot be rewritten using the prepaid card terminal 1 unless the keywords are known. In addition, in the above, the keywords stored in the manufacturing keyword storage means 3 are configured so that they cannot be easily read (details are not shown). Further, since the keywords stored in the maintenance keyword storage means 4 are configured to disappear when the power is turned off, it becomes impossible to read the keywords if the prepaid card terminal 1 is removed from the installation location.

As described above, even if the prepaid card terminal 1 is obtained illegally, the card reader/writer 2 will not operate unless the keyword is known, and since it is difficult to read the keyword, the limit on the use of the prepaid card will be limited. It becomes impossible to rewrite the numbers.

〔Example〕

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

In the figure, 11 is a card type public telephone which is an example of a prepaid card terminal, 12a is a card reader 12b is a card writer, 13 is a controller, 14 is a ROM (memory for continuous use) that stores programs, and 15 is a RAM
(Random access memory), 16 is a keyword matching circuit, 17 is a line interface, 18 is a keyword receiving circuit, 19 is a dial key 20 is a power supply circuit, 2
1 is a handset, 22 is a prepaid card, 23 is a maintenance center, 24 is an exchange, and 25 is a keyword sending circuit.

In FIG. 2, a keyword verification circuit 16 of a card-type public telephone 11 stores keywords assigned to each card-type public telephone at the time of manufacture.

When the card-type public telephone 11 is installed, the construction worker who carried out the installation work calls the maintenance center 23 and, for example, provides the serial number of the card-type public telephone 11 to the maintenance center 23.
3, the maintenance center 23 sends out the keyword corresponding to the card-type public telephone 11 from the keyword sending circuit 25 using a means (details omitted) for indexing the keyword based on the serial number. Maintenance center 2
A signal such as a multi-frequency signal used in a pushbutton telephone is used as the keyword sent from 4, and is received by the keyword receiving circuit 18 and stored in the RAM 15.

When the card-type public telephone 11 in the above state is used by a user, and the user takes the handset 21 off-hook and inserts the prepaid card 22 into the prepaid card slot (not shown), the controller 13 and the insertion of the prepaid card 22 is detected, and R
The keyword sent from the maintenance center 23 stored in the AM 15 is read out and sent to the keyword matching circuit 16. Since the keyword matching circuit 16 stores the keywords assigned to each card-type public telephone at the time of manufacture as described above, the keywords from the maintenance center 23 are compared with the keywords at the time of manufacture, and the comparison results match. If so, card reader 12a and card writer 12b
A control signal is sent to enable operation.

When the card reader 12a and card writer 12b become operational, the card reader 12a reads the inserted prepaid card 22 and sends the usable limit to the controller 13. If the usable limit is 0, the controller 13 sends a call control signal to the line interface section 17, and the line interface section 17
An outgoing call connection is made to the exchange 24 via. Next, the controller 13 performs a connection operation by the user's operation of the dial key 19, and after the other party answers, the card writer 12b handles the call charges until the call ends or the usable limit reaches 0. The number of degrees is subtracted from the usable limit stored in the prepaid card 22 and written in the prepaid card 22.

As described above, each time a phone call is made using the prepaid card 22, keywords are checked, and if the keywords do not match, the card reader 12a and card writer 12
b does not work, even if a person who illegally obtains the card-type public telephone 11 attempts to rewrite the prepaid card using the card-type public telephone 11, the prepaid card will not be rewritten.
It is impossible to rewrite the card 22.

In the above, the keywords stored in the keyword matching circuit 16 use a structure or code that cannot be easily read, and the keywords stored in the RAM 15 from the maintenance center 23 disappear when the operating power of the RAM 15 is turned off. The configuration is as follows. Therefore, in the case of a removable prepaid card terminal, such as the card-type public telephone 11 mentioned above, when the card-type public telephone 11 is removed, the power supplied from the commercial power source or the telephone line is stopped, and the power supply to the RAM 15 is interrupted. The corresponding RAM
The memory contents of 15 are erased and cannot be read. Furthermore, even if the prepaid card terminal is connected to the power supply, such as in a ticket vending machine, the RAM 15 is installed in order to read keywords if someone attempts to illegally rewrite the prepaid card. If you remove the printed board, etc., the stored contents will similarly disappear, so it is impossible to illegally learn the keywords.

As described above, even if a person who illegally obtains or operates a prepaid card terminal attempts to rewrite a prepaid card, the card reader 12
A and the card writer 12b do not work, and it is difficult to read the keywords, making it impossible to rewrite the prepaid card.

In FIG. 2, keywords from the maintenance center 23 are sent directly from the keyword sending circuit 25 to the line for the card-type public telephone 11, but the exchange 24
It may also be sent via . Further, the power supply circuit 17 is a circuit that supplies operating power inside the card-type public telephone 11, and although the power supply source to the power supply circuit 17 is not shown, even if it is a commercial power source, the exchanger 24 A DC power source supplied via a communication line may also be used.

In addition, the above embodiment has been explained using an example in which the prepaid card terminal is a card-type public telephone, but if the prepaid card terminal is a ticket vending machine, for example, the keyword input from the maintenance center can be The person in charge of managing the ticket vending machine may directly input the keyword. In addition, if the prepaid card terminal is a ticket vending machine, the telephone handset 21 and dial key 19 shown in FIG. However, such modified portions do not change the basic configuration and operation of the present invention, and the present invention does not exclude these modifications.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, according to the present invention, even if a person who attempts to illegally obtain or manipulate a prepaid card terminal attempts to rewrite a prepaid card, the card reader/writer will not operate unless he or she knows the keyword. , and since the keywords cannot be read, it becomes impossible to rewrite the prepaid card using a prepaid card terminal, and such prepaid
This greatly contributes to improving the reliability of card-based systems and preventing social unrest.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the principle of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of a conventional system. In the figure, 1 prepaid card terminal 2 - card reader/writer 3 manufacturing keyword storage means 4 maintenance keyword storage means 5
- Keyword verification means 6 Prepaid card 6. 〉 Conventional system configuration diagram 1113

Claims (1)

[Claims] In a prepaid card terminal (1) having a built-in card reader/writer (2) for reading and writing a prepaid card (6), each prepaid card terminal (1) is provided with a a manufacturing keyword storage means (3) for storing keywords assigned to the prepaid card terminal (1); and a manufacturing keyword storage means (3) for receiving and storing the keywords sent from the maintenance center when the prepaid card terminal (1) is installed, and when the operating power is cut off. maintenance keyword storage means (4) for deleting the keywords stored in the prepaid card terminal (1); 4) Check the keywords stored in , and if there is a match, the card reader/
The card reader/writer 2 against the writer (2)
A method for preventing rewriting of a prepaid card, characterized by comprising a keyword matching means (5) for outputting a control signal for enabling the prepaid card.