JPH05181981A - Prepaid card totalization system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To send total information to a computer which processes the information by using not a communication line, but a card written by the card reader writer of a liquidation machine. CONSTITUTION:When the liquidation card 1C is inserted into the liquidation machine 2, the card reader writer 6 controlled by a control part 7 reads the contents of the liquidation card IC, stores the total information on the issue date, issue amount, liquidation amount, liquidation date, etc., of the liquidation card IC in use in a storage part 8, and outputs the data to the card through the control part 7. A totalization card 1B which is outputted is put in a totalization machine 3 to read the total information out and the computer 4 processes the sent total information into a form required for the supervisor of the liquidation machine 2 and outputs the information on a printer 5.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a low-cost transmission means for transmitting and processing prepaid card total information to a computer, which can be implemented even in a relatively small scale.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional configuration will be described with reference to FIG. The user purchases the payment card 1C, which is a prepaid card, with cash, a credit card, or the like in advance. The settlement machine 2A, which uses the settlement card 1C to settle expenses such as items purchased by the user, has a card reader / writer 6 for reading and writing the settlement card 1C, a control unit 7 for controlling the card reader / writer 6, and information about the settled card. The storage unit 8 is provided. Further, the modem 1 for transmitting the contents of the storage unit 8
0, the modem 10 is connected to the communication line 11. In addition, a plurality of arbitrary settlement machines 2B,
2C etc. can be connected. The computer 4 is connected to the communication line 11 via the modem 10 similarly to the settlement machine 2A, and the computer 4 includes a printer 5 for output.

Regarding operation, the settlement card 1C is operated by the settlement machine 2
When inserted into A, the card reader / writer 6 controlled by the control unit 7 reads the contents of the settlement card 1C, and reads the issue amount, issue date, balance, etc. from the settlement card 1C according to the user's settlement amount, Write the balance after payment to the payment card 1C. Information such as the year and month of issuance of the settlement card 1C used at this time, the issuance amount, the settlement amount, the settlement date and time is stored in the storage unit 8 and is stored as total information. In response to an instruction from the control unit 7, the data stored in the storage unit 8 is converted into a modulated wave of a voice signal and output by the modem 10 so as to be placed on a communication line when being transmitted to the external computer 4. Since a telephone line or a dedicated line is used for the modem 10, the lines of the plurality of settlement machines 2B and 2C can be switched and can be connected in parallel. Further, since each settlement machine 2 is connected by the communication line 11, it may be a long distance. A modem 10 for converting signals of the communication line 11 is similarly connected to the computer 4, converts voice signals into digital signals that can be input to the computer 4, and receives total information. The computer 4 uses the information sent to
The administrator of the settlement machine 2 processes the information into what is considered necessary, outputs it to the printer 5, and uses it as data for management and administration.

[0004]

However, in the conventional tabulation system, since the communication line 11 is used for transmitting the tabulation information, the modem 10 is required for each settlement machine, and the communication line 11 is used. A separate line usage fee is required to use the service. Therefore, in the case where the number of the settlement machines 2 is not large, or when the settlement machines 2 are deployed in a short distance, the cost of the apparatus becomes large and there is a problem that the burden of introduction is large. ..

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a low-cost transmission means which can be implemented in a relatively small scale in transmitting the total information of prepaid cards to a processing computer.

[0006]

In order to solve the above problems, in the present invention, a card written by a card reader / writer 6 is used instead of the means for transmitting total information by the communication line 11. That is, the totalization card 1B in which the totalization information is written is used as a transmission means from the settlement machine 2 to the computer 4, and the modem 10 and the communication line 11 are used.
By configuring the means for transmitting the aggregated information without using, it is possible to reduce the cost of the device.

[0007]

In the totalizing system configured as described above, the totalizing information in the storage section 8 is written in the blank card 1A using the card reader / writer 6 by the settlement machine 2 and the totaling card 1B is used to make the computer 4 Prepared for 3
Read with.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT An embodiment of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to FIG. When a prepaid card (hereinafter, referred to as a settlement card) is inserted into the settlement machine 2, the card reader / writer 6 controlled by the control unit 7 reads the contents, and the usage amount and the balance according to the settlement contents at that time are read. Write to the settlement card 1C. At this time, at the same time, information such as the date of issuance of the settlement card 1C, the issuance amount, the settlement amount, and the settlement date is stored in the storage unit 8. The data stored in the storage unit 8 is output as a totaling card 1B via the card reader / writer 6 according to an instruction from the control unit 7.

The recording / reading system of the present invention may be a thermal printing optical reading system in which thermal color printing is read by an optical sensor or a magnetic system in which a magnetic tape on a card is read / written by a magnetic head. In the heat-sensitive type, the corresponding card is the same material as the settlement card 1C, and a blank card 1A in which no information is written may be used as the blank card 1A. On the other hand, in the case of the magnetic type, information can be overwritten on an ordinary magnetic card. The card reader / writer 6 can be used in either a magnetic type or a thermal type in the same manner, but the thermal type is preferable in that the total contents can be confirmed. Further, it is possible to use both magnetism and heat sensitivity.

Next, the totaling card 1B is provided with a card reader / writer 6 controlled by the control unit 7, and the information is read by the totaling machine 3 which can send the read contents to the computer 4 through the communication interface 9. The configuration of the counting machine 3 is almost the same as that of the settlement machine 2,
It can also be used as the settlement machine 2. At this time, it is possible to put different contents for each settlement machine 2 on the totaling card 1B for discrimination, and if the totaling information does not fit in one card, enter the number of processed sheets in the plural cards. This will be possible. The computer 4 processes the sent information into information that the administrator of the settlement machine 2 seems to need, outputs it to the printer 5, and uses it as data for management and administration.

[0011]

As described above, according to the present invention, the total cost can be transmitted without using a communication line in a small-scale system such as a small number of checkout machines or a narrow installation range. There is an effect that it does not take. In addition, the card reader / writer that is normally used can be used for writing / reading to / from the aggregation card, and there is no duplication of the device, so that there is an effect that the cost can be reduced.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1A Rank card 1B Total card 1C Settlement card 2 Settlement machine 3 Totaling machine 4 Computer 5 Printer 6 Card reader / writer 7 Control section 8 Storage section 9 Communication interface 10 Modem 11 Communication line

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Kazuo Kaneko 6-31-1 Kameido, Koto-ku, Tokyo Seiko Electronics Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Takashi Tanioka 6-31-1 Kameido, Koto-ku, Tokyo Seiko Electronics Industry Co., Ltd.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A payment machine for paying a prepaid card and storing the information, and a means for collectively collecting the contents of the card and the information at the time of payment stored in the payment machine, and transmitting this to a computer. And a computer for processing the transmitted information, in a totaling system in which the totalizing information is written by the settlement machine in addition to the card, and a totaling machine for reading the information written in the totaling card. A prepaid card counting system characterized by having and.