Electronic money system, electronic value transfer method, mobile terminal, method for controlling mobile terminal, program product, and recording medium on which program product is recorded

An electronic money system comprising:

• a mobile terminal that is accessible to an IC module including a unit storing a terminal-side balance of electronic value and a unit changing the terminal-side balance by using amount change information;
• a server device that includes a unit generating amount change information which changes the terminal-side balance, a unit sending the generated amount change information to the IC module via the mobile terminal, a unit storing a server-side balance that is usable for payment using electronic value in a state in which the server-side balance is related to the IC module, and a unit updating the server-side balance;
• and
• an asynchronous-type payment terminal that includes a unit sending, to the IC module, the amount change information related to a settlement which changes the terminal-side balance and does not include a unit mediating, in real time, payment processing using the server-side balance, the payment processing which is performed between the IC module and the server device,
• wherein
• the electronic money system further comprises:
• an ultrasonic wave emission source that emits an ultrasonic wave in a vicinity of the asynchronous-type payment terminal, and
• the mobile terminal includes
• a storing unit that stores an approach pattern indicating a pattern of a volume level which is observed when a sound inputting unit that inputs the ultrasonic wave which is emitted from the ultrasonic wave emission source approaches the ultrasonic wave emission source, and
• a requesting unit that sends, if a determination is made that a volume level of the ultrasonic wave which is input by the sound inputting unit corresponds to the approach pattern stored in the storing unit, an electronic value downloading request to the server device such that at least part of the server-side balance stored in a state in which the server-side balance is related to the IC module is reduced and the terminal-side balance stored in the IC module is increased by an amount corresponding to the reduction of the server-side balance.

An electronic value transfer method, wherein

• a mobile terminal that is accessible to an IC module including a unit storing a terminal-side balance of electronic value and a unit changing the terminal-side balance by using amount change information and includes a storing unit that stores an approach pattern indicating a pattern of a volume level which is observed when a sound inputting unit that inputs an ultrasonic wave which is emitted from an ultrasonic wave emission source emitting an ultrasonic wave in a vicinity of an asynchronous-type payment terminal approaches the ultrasonic wave emission source, the asynchronous-type payment terminal which includes a unit sending, to the IC module, the amount change information related to a settlement which changes the terminal-side balance and does not include a unit mediating, in real time, payment processing using the server-side balance, the payment processing which is performed between the IC module and a server device, the mobile terminal performing determining processing by which a determination as to whether or not a volume level of the ultrasonic wave which is input by the sound inputting unit corresponds to the approach pattern stored in the storing unit is made and requesting processing by which an electronic value downloading request is sent to the server device if a determination is made that the volume level of the ultrasonic wave which is input by the sound inputting unit corresponds to the approach pattern, and
• the server device including a unit storing a server-side balance that is usable for payment using electronic value in a state in which the server-side balance is related to the IC module performs server-side balance updating processing by which at least part of the server-side balance stored in a state in which the server-side balance is related to the IC module is reduced, generating processing by which amount change information which increases the terminal-side balance stored in the IC module by an amount corresponding to the reduction of the server-side balance is generated, and terminal-side balance changing processing by which the generated amount change information is sent to the IC module via the mobile terminal.

A mobile terminal that mediates communication between an IC module including a unit storing a terminal-side balance of electronic value and a unit changing the terminal-side balance by using amount change information and a server device including a unit generating amount change information which changes the terminal-side balance and a unit sending the generated amount change information to the IC module via the mobile terminal, the mobile terminal comprising:

• a storing unit that stores an approach pattern indicating a pattern of a volume level which is observed when a sound inputting unit that inputs an ultrasonic wave which is emitted from an ultrasonic wave emission source emitting an ultrasonic wave in a vicinity of an asynchronous-type payment terminal approaches the ultrasonic wave emission source, the asynchronous-type payment terminal which includes a unit sending, to the IC module, the amount change information related to a settlement which changes the terminal-side balance and does not include a unit mediating, in real time, payment processing using a server-side balance, the payment processing which is performed between the IC module and the server device;
• a determining unit that determines whether or not a volume level of the ultrasonic wave which is input by the sound inputting unit corresponds to the approach pattern stored in the storing unit;
• and
• a requesting unit that sends, if a determination is made by the determining unit that the volume level of the ultrasonic wave which is input by the sound inputting unit corresponds to the approach pattern, an electronic value downloading request to the server device further including a unit storing a server-side balance that is usable for payment using electronic value in a state in which the server-side balance is related to the IC module and a unit updating the server-side balance, such that at least part of the server-side balance stored in a state in which the server-side balance is related to the IC module is reduced and the terminal-side balance stored in the IC module is increased by an amount corresponding to the reduction of the server-side balance.