US 4,802,218 A · Automated transaction system

Abstract

An automated transaction system employs a card maintaining an account balance and a terminal for dispensing an article of value and debiting the card's balance. The card has a secure, resident microprocessor which executes an interactive handshake recognition procedure with a secure, resident microprocessor in the value dispensing section of the terminal prior to actuating a requested transaction. In the preferred form, the handshake procedure operates by an exchange of encrypted words between the card microprocessor and the dispenser microprocessor using corresponding encryption algorithms and a secret key number, and the card microprocessor providing a command signal to the dispenser microprocessor only upon successful completion of the procedure. The automated transaction system is particularly suitable as a postage metering terminal having a postmark printer as the value dispensing section. Postage is printed only if the handshake procedure is executed between the card microprocessor and the printer microprocessor. The postal terminal also receives a rate card for computing postage automatically, and prints an invisible authentication mark along with the postmark to discourage counterfeiting. The terminal can be configured to print standard form waybills for postal and private carrier services by loading waybill information from an IC ROM services card. The balance in the user card is refilled in a refilling terminal using a master card which maintains a master account balance and a supervisor card which is in the custody of an authorized person.

Claims42

Dependent claims

An automated transaction system comprising:

(a) a user card having a card microprocessor mounted therein for maintaining a transaction account, said user card having data output means connected to said microprocessor;
(b) a transaction terminal having first receiving means for receiving said user card inserted therein and establishing a connection with said user card data output means, and operating means including a terminal microprocessor for performing a set of terminal operations;
(c) a value dispensing section securely mounted in said transaction terminal having a dedicated, dispensing section microprocessor incorporated therein for operating said value dispensing section to dispense an item of value separately from performance by said transaction terminal of said set of terminal operations;
and
(d) first path means formed in said transaction terminal for establishing a data communication path between said user card microprocessor inserted in said first receiving means of said transaction terminal and said dispensing section microprocessor of said value dispensing section, such that said user card microprocessor communicates with said dispensing section microprocessor to authorize the dispensing of an item of value by said value dispensing section and correspondingly to update said transaction account maintained by said user card microprocessor.

2 more elements

An automated postal transaction system comprising:

(a) a user card having a card microprocessor mounted therein for maintaining a postage transaction account, said user card having data output means connected to said microprocessor;
(b) a transaction terminal having first receiving means for receiving said user card inserted therein and establishing a connection with said user card data output means, and operating means including a terminal microprocessor for performing a set of terminal operations;
(c) a printing section securely mounted in said transaction terminal having a printhead and a dedicated, printing section microprocessor for operating said printhead incorporated therein in order to print a postage value mark separately from performance by said transaction terminal of said terminal operations;
and
(d) first path means formed in said transaction terminal for establishing a data communication path between said user card microprocessor inserted in said first receiving means of said transaction terminal and said printing microprocessor of said printing section, such that said user card microprocessor communicates with said printing section microprocessor to authorize the printing of a postage value mark by said printhead and correspondingly to update said postage transaction account maintained by said user card microprocessor.

2 more elements

An automated transaction system comprising:

(a) a user card having a user card microprocessor mounted therein for maintaining a user account balance, said user card having data output means connected to said microprocessor;
(b) a master card having a master card microprocessor mounted therein for maintaining a master account balance and for transferring an account value amount to the user account balance of an authorized user card, said master card having data output means connected to said microprocessor;
(c) a refilling terminal having first receiving means for receiving said user card inserted therein and establishing a connection with said user card data output means, second receiving means for receiving said master card inserted therein and establishing a connection with said master card data output means, and operating means including a terminal microprocessor for performing a set of terminal operations;
and
(d) first path means formed in said refilling terminal for establishing a data communication path between said user card microprocessor inserted in said first receiving means and said master card microprocessor inserted in said second receiving means of said refilling terminal,
wherein said master card microprocessor and said user card microprocessor have security program means respectively incorporated therein for executing a handshake procedure between said microprocessors and preventing said account value amount from being transferred from said master card to said user card until said handshake procedure has been completed;
and
said master card microprocessor communicates with said user card microprocessor to authorize the transfer of an account value amount to the user account balance of the user card and correspondingly to update said master account balance maintained by said master card microprocessor separately from performance by said refilling terminal of said terminal operations.

5 more elements

An automated transaction system comprising:

(a) a user card having a user card microprocessor mounted therein for maintaining a user account balance, said user card having data output means connected to said microprocessor;
(b) a master card having a master card microprocessor mounted therein for maintaining a master account balance and for transferring an account value amount to the user account balance of an authorized user card, said master card having data output means connected to said microprocessor;
(c) a supervisor card having a supervisor card microprocessor mounted therein and data output means connected to said microprocessor;
(d) a refilling terminal having first receiving means for receiving said user card inserted therein and establishing a connection with said user card data output means, second receiving means for receiving said master card inserted therein and establishing a connection with said master card data output means, third receiving means for receiving said supervisor card inserted therein and establishing a connection with said supervisor card data output means;
(e) first path means formed in said refilling terminal for establishing a data communication path between said user card microprocessor inserted in said first receiving means and said master card microprocessor inserted in said second receiving means of said refilling terminal, such that said master card microprocessor communicates with said user card microprocessor to authorize the transfer of an account value amount to the user account balance of the user card and correspondingly to update said master account balance maintained by said master card microprocessor;
and
(f) second path means formed in said refilling terminal for establishing a data communication path between said master card microprocessor inserted in said second receiving means and said supervisor card microprocessor inserted in said third receiving means of said refilling terminal, such that said supervisor card microprocessor communicates with said master card microprocessor to authorize said master card to execute an account value transfer to the user account balance of a user card.

4 more elements

A automated transaction system comprising:

(a) a user-carried, portable first unit having a first microprocessor mounted therein for maintaining a user transaction account, said first unit having data output means connected to said microprocessor;
(b) a transaction terminal having first receiving means for establishing a connection with said data output means of said first unit, and operating means including a second microprocessor for performing a set of terminal operations;
(c) a second unit connected with said transaction terminal having a dedicated third microprocessor securely incorporated therein for performing a value transfer operation separately from performance by said transaction terminal of said set of terminal operations;
wherein said second unit is a dispensing section for dispensing an item of value, and said user card microprocessor and said third microprocessor of said dispensing section having security program means respectively incorporated therein for executing a handshake procedure between said microprocessors and preventing said value dispensing section from dispensing an item of value until said handshake procedure has been completed;
and
(d) path means in said transaction terminal for establishing a data communication path between said first microprocessor of said first unit and said third microprocessor of said second unit such that said first microprocessor communicates with said third microprocessor to authorize the performance of the value transfer transaction by said second unit and corresponding to update said transaction account maintained by said first microprocessor of said first unit.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Automated transaction system

Life of this patent

Automated transaction system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims42