Electronic money apparatus, method, card and computer readable record medium having electronic money processing program recorded thereon

An electronic money processing method, comprising:

• storing a general electronic money balance available for any genre purchase, a specific electronic money balance available for specific genre purchases, and available genre information defining the types of purchases for which the specific electronic money balance may be used, in a carriable card having an integrated circuit with a processor and a memory, the available genre information stored in said card containing a use limit flag defining the presence or absence of a use limit, and specific genre information containing at least one of an available store, an available counter, an available commodity genre and an available commodity;
• transferring, one or more specific genres and a specified amount of money from the general electronic money balance of a transferor carriable card to the specific electronic money balance of a transferee carriable card, said transferring comprising
• placing a transferor carriable card and a transferee carriable card in a transfer processing unit and receiving, by the transfer processing unit, an amount of money to transfer and a genre code specifying a use restriction of the money to be transferred,
• acquiring a card number and a password of the transferor card and the transferee card, respectively,
• setting the use limit flag of the transferee card,
• registering the genre code in the transferee card, and
• withdrawing the specified amount of money to be transferred from the general electronic money balance of the transferor card and adding the same to the specific electronic money balance of the transferee card, and registering the card number and the password of the transferor card in the transferee card, the transfer processing unit comprising one of a handheld computing device and a personal computer;
• and
• comparing genre information acquired from a purchased commodity or service with the available genre information of the transferee carriable card and, when a coincidence occurs, deducting a purchase amount of money from the specific electronic money balance of the transferee carriable card and, when a non-coincidence occurs, prohibiting a deduction from the specific electronic money balance.

An electronic money transfer apparatus, comprising:

• a transfer processing unit transferring a specified amount of money from a general electronic money balance of a transferor carriable card to a specific electronic money balance of a transferee carriable card, the general electronic money balance being available for any genre purchase and the specific electronic money balance being available for specific genre purchases, the transferor and transferee cards each having an integrated circuit with a processor and a memory, the memory storing therein the general electronic money balance, the specific electronic money balance, and available genre information defining the types of purchases for which the specific electronic money balance may be used,
• wherein the available genre information contains a use limit flag defining the presence or absence of a use limit, and specific genre information containing at least one of an available store, an available counter, an available commodity genre and an available commodity, and
• wherein the transferor carriable card and the transferee carriable card are placed in the transfer processing unit, the transfer processing unit receiving the specified amount of money to transfer and a genre code specifying a use restriction of the money to be transferred, acquiring a card number and a password of the transferor card and the transferee card, respectively, setting the use limit flag of the transferee card, registering the genre code in the transferee card, withdrawing the specified amount of money to be transferred from the general electronic money balance of the transferor card and adding the same to the specific electronic money balance of the transferee card, and registering the card number and the password of the transferor card in the transferee card, the transfer processing unit comprising one of a handheld computing device and a personal computer.

A computer readable storage medium storing an electronic money processing program, comprising:

• a transfer processing module transferring a specified amount of money from a general electronic money balance of a transferor carriable card to a specific electronic money balance of a transferee carriable card, the general electronic money balance being available for any genre purchase and the specific electronic money balance being available for specific genre purchases, the transferor and transferee cards each having an integrated circuit with a processor and a memory and storing therein the general electronic money balance, the specific electronic money balance, and available genre information defining the types of purchases for which the specific electronic money balance may be used;
• and
• a settlement processing module comparing genre information acquired from a purchased commodity or service with the available genre information of the transferee carriable card, said settlement processing module, when a coincidence occurs, deducting the purchased amount of money from the specific electronic money balance of the transferee carriable card, said settlement processing module, when a non-coincidence occurs, prohibiting the deduction from the specific electronic money balance,
• wherein the available genre information contains a use limit flag defining the presence or absence of a use limit, and specific genre information containing at least one of an available store, an available counter, an available commodity genre and an available commodity, and
• wherein the transferor carriable card and the transferee carriable card are placed in the transfer processing unit, the transfer processing unit receiving the specified amount of money to transfer and a genre code specifying a use restriction of the money to be transferred, acquiring a card number and a password of the transferor card and the transferee card, respectively, setting the use limit flag of the transferee card, registering the genre code in the transferee card, withdrawing the specified amount of money to be transferred from the general electronic money balance of the transferor card and adding the same to the specific electronic money balance of the transferee card, and registering the card number and the password of the transferor card in the transferee card, the transfer processing unit comprising one of a handheld computing device and a personal computer.

An electronic money apparatus, comprising:

• a carriable card having an integrated circuit with a processor and a memory, the memory storing therein a specific electronic money balance available for specific genre purchases, and available genre information defining the types of purchases for which the specific electronic money balance may be used;
• and
• a settlement processing unit comparing genre information acquired from a purchased commodity or a provided service with the available genre information of the carriable card, said settlement processing unit, when a coincidence occurs, deducting the purchased amount of money from the specific electronic money balance of the carriable card, and said settlement processing unit, when a non-coincidence occurs, prohibiting the deduction from the specific electronic money balance,
• wherein the available genre information stored in the carriable card contains a use limit flag defining the presence or absence of a use limit, and specific genre information containing at least one of an available store, an available counter, an available commodity genre and an available commodity, and
• wherein the carriable card receives a specified amount of money from another card, the specified amount of money being withdrawn from the other card and added to the specific electronic money balance of the carriable card, and the carriable card receives, from the other card, a genre code specifying a use restriction of the specified amount of money added to the specific electronic money balance and information to set the use limit flag of the carriable card.

An electronic money processing method, comprising:

• storing a specific electronic money balance available for specific genre purchases and available genre information defining the types of purchases for which the specific money balance may be used, in a carriable card having an integrated circuit with a processor and a memory;
• and
• comparing genre information acquired from a purchased commodity or service with the available genre information of the carriable card and, when a coincidence occurs, deducting a purchase amount of money from the specific electronic money balance of the carriable card and, when a non-coincidence occurs, prohibiting a deduction from the specific electronic money balance,
• wherein the available genre information stored in the carriable card contains a use limit flag defining the presence or absence of a use limit, and specific genre information containing at least one of an available store, an available counter, an available commodity genre and an available commodity, and
• wherein the carriable card receives a specified amount of money from another card, the specified amount of money being withdrawn from the other card and added to the specific electronic money balance of the carriable card, and the carriable card receives, from the other card, a genre code specifying a use restriction of the specified amount of money added to the specific electronic money balance and information to set the use limit flag of the carriable card.

An electronic money apparatus, comprising:

• a first card storing a general electronic money balance for purchasing any type of item, a specific electronic money balance for purchasing at least one designated type of item, and allowable purchases information defining the types of purchases for which the specific electronic money balance may be used;
• a transfer processing unit transferring the allowable purchases information and a specified amount of money from the general electronic money balance of said first card to the specific electronic money balance of a second card;
• and
• a settlement processing unit matching the allowable purchases information from the second card with item information associated with an item to be purchased, and allowing the second card to purchase the item when a match occurs,
• wherein the allowable purchases information contains a use limit flag defining the presence or absence of a use limit, and specific genre information containing at least one of an available store, an available counter, an available commodity genre and an available commodity, and
• wherein the first card and the second card are placed in the transfer processing unit, the transfer processing unit receiving the specified amount of money to transfer and a code specifying a use restriction of the money to be transferred, acquiring a card number and a password of the first card and the second card, respectively, setting the use limit flag of the second card, registering the code in the second card, withdrawing the specified amount of money to be transferred from the general electronic money balance of the first card and adding the same to the specific electronic money balance of the second card, and registering the card number and the password of the first card in the second card, the transfer processing unit comprising one of a handheld computing device and a personal computer.

An electronic money processing method, comprising:

• storing, on a first card, a general electronic money balance for purchasing any type of item, a specific electronic money balance for purchasing at least one designated type of item, and allowable purchases information defining the types of purchases for which the specific electronic money balance may be used;
• transferring the allowable purchases information and a specified amount of money from the general electronic money balance of the first card to the specific electronic money balance of a second card;
• and
• matching the allowable purchases information from the second card with item information associated with an item to be purchased, and allowing the second card to purchase the item when a match occurs,
• wherein the allowable purchases information contains a use limit flag defining the presence or absence of a use limit, and specific genre information containing at least one of an available store, an available counter, an available commodity genre and an available commodity, and
• wherein the first card and the second card are placed in the transfer processing unit, the transfer processing unit receiving the specified amount of money to transfer and a code specifying a use restriction of the money to be transferred, acquiring a card number and a password of the first card and the second card, respectively, setting the use limit flag of the second card, registering the code in the second card, withdrawing the specified amount of money to be transferred from the general electronic money balance of the first card and adding the same to the specific electronic money balance of the second card, and registering the card number and the password of the first card in the second card, the transfer processing unit comprising one of a handheld computing device and a personal computer.