DE19505848A1 - electronic charging system for goods or services - Google Patents

Abstract

The electronic charging system uses a charge card incorporating a memory loaded with a preset credit which can be used to pay for goods and services, with corresponding cancellation of the corresponding credit, upon insertion of the credit card in a card reader. The latter is coupled via an interface with a secure application module allowing connection to a central point via a further interface and a communication channel which are protected against unauthorised access.

Description

The invention relates to a cashless payment system.

Cashless payment systems are known which are known as Sy electronic wallet systems. Such "Electronic wallet" is a data carrier with an electronic one Memory, the content of which is representative of one when purchasing the Data carrier or when reloading the memory or amount of money credited by a financial institution. Instead of cash one To pay for goods or services, the data carrier is a Le segerät presents that the one trained for the goods or service "collected" that amount by corresponding to the contents of the memory is decremented accordingly. A widespread disk is one Plastic card with a memory either in the form of a magnetic strip or an optically readable code or in the form of a memory or Processor chips. In this respect, the term "electronic wallet" should also include those with memories where the data exchange done electromagnetically or electro-optically.  

A provider of goods or services can sign up for one System to take advantage of the known benefits of cashless payments, without having to take the risk that someone who has been accepted Check is not covered or a credit card is forged, since yes in everyone If the amount saved is prepaid or prepaid, the identity of the owner of the electronic wallet is irrelevant is.

Such electronic wallets for paying are often smaller Amounts used, such as at vending machines, ticket machines, public Chen phone booths, in parking garages and so on.

In the simplest case, the providers of the data carriers belong (or the Auf load from their storage) and the providers of the goods or services to one and the same institution, and it will always be with a bar prepaid money - so far is the term "cashless payment system "only partially applicable - a well-known example is telephone cards that are purchased from the telephone company and also from de ren publicly accessible telephones are "telephoned". On Another example is the operation of a parking garage where the user prepaid a certain parking period at the operator and then "ab parks ".

In general, however, such a system includes several participants:

• - prepaid customers,
• - the institution to which the advance payment is made,
• - the provider of goods or services who is cashless, namely from the "electronic wallet".

If, instead of prepaying cash, the customer opens an account with a bank want to load, the memory of his disk in addition to Kre This also includes data regarding the account and the bank used ten, and the bank in question is also involved in the system.

Since there are usually several, often even many independent goods and Service providers will give different revenue  Accounts with mostly different banks are still to be credited a "clearing house" is required, here and below as a system operator should be designated with a system center. This system Operator also provides corresponding services for prepayment institutions and any banks or other bodies involved institutes.

Of course, care must be taken to ensure that such a system has a high level security, both with regard to the operational sequence as well as in terms of manipulability. For example, over be checked whether a data carrier on the one hand, a reader on the other belong to the same system before the actual data exchange begins.

The European Institute for Standardization is currently developing a safety system security standard for such systems, the core of which is a security module which is referred to as the "Secure Application Module (SAM)" and both at participating providers of goods and services as well with the vendors of the data media and finally with the system driver is available. This security module is for these three types slightly different from participants and contains one or more Microprocessors, which in the goods and services tern via a first interface with the reader for the memory of the Data carrier is or are connected and via a second interface with its own device from this provider, such as a vending machine, a cash register, a ticket or parking ticket issue. Correspond The same applies to the security modules for the other two participants types.

It is therefore known, as stated in the preamble of claim 1, a cashless payment system where participating suppliers of goods or services have a security module that has a first interface is connected to a reader by means of which a as identification for advance payments and with an electronic, stored data representing the prepaid amount wearer can be queried and resilient, and that with a second cut  is connected to a provider-side device. In the Si security module of such a provider, the data within transactions made at a certain time interval, the must be brought to the attention of the system operator so that Sal compensation can take place. Such data at least define the sum of revenue; but in general much more data is required Lich, for example, those of bank accounts to be debited.

The same applies of course to the seller of the data carriers or the reloading stations.

For the communication of such data to the system operator, the Si Remove the security module and transport it to the system operator, where he is read out; To ensure that the system remains operational, the ENTOM mene security module replaced by another. Another possibility speed consists of using a special data medium - a so-called called collecting card - to read the security module and this then evaluate the special data carrier at the system operator. As long as the Group of participants remains manageable, these collection processes are still included reasonable effort, especially on the personnel side, feasible; it there is the disadvantage, however, that the collection intervals are relatively long and thus the transactions with a corresponding delay in System operators are charged.

Of course, you could also leave it to the individual participant, his Read the security module yourself and the read data to the system operator, for example, via a modem and a telephone line average. This would, however, with the required operational safety such a system collide because the data could be manipulated.

The object of the present invention is to make a cashless payment system with the features mentioned in the preamble of claim i to create that especially for a large circle of different part is suitable.  

According to the invention it is proposed that the security module Provider of goods and services (and preferably also that of Providers of data media or their recharge) via a third party Interface and a communication channel with the system center is connectable.

In this way it is possible that without or with very little Personnel deployment a data exchange between the system center and the Participants can take place at any time. At least so the collective accounts are made without any object between Participants and system operators must be transported back and forth. It can also transfer data from the system operator to the subscriber are, for example, to settle a request and the like. Monitoring operations can also be carried out via this third interface the communication channel.

For security reasons, it is useful if the third interfaces and their communication channels are protected against unauthorized access; this advantageously differentiates the system according to the invention from those in which the participant himself has read data about him reports an existing communication channel to the system center.

In the case of the interface, this protection against access can consist of that it or the entire security module is sealed, this The term is to be understood in the broadest sense. For example, the Si security module to be embedded in a potting compound when it is opened break the module is destroyed.

Wired or wireless connections can be used as the communication channel come into question. In principle, both can be tapped by unauthorized persons. Protection against access is then achieved by the fact that the data to be transmitted Data is encrypted; it is therefore expedient if everyone is safe unit is assigned a coding / decoding unit via which the Encryption and decryption takes place. It is understood that in As part of the data exchange between system operators and participants such encryption codes can be specified and / or changed.  

The communication link between the system operator and the individual participants do not have to be permanent. It is much more expedient that the system operator in the time division multiplex and only when needed communicated with the individual participants. The cashless payment The system according to the invention does not affect the decades in principle Central organizational structure in which payments between customers and participants without the involvement of the system operator is processed and not every single payment transaction in the system operator and / or credit institutions involved, but Collective accounts are created.

In a further development of the invention, the security modules are made in this way formed that they (only) from the system center can be activated and / or can be deactivated. The security modules can then be freely available in stores Anyone can be given, but can only be used when a potential participants in contact with the system operator and has been added to the directory of participants.

It is understood that the communication channel between the system center and the security modules as well as the security modules of the participants with each other at least with regard to the third interface, the Coding / decoding unit and, if available, the activation or Deactivation means will be the same.

Finally, it is also understood that communication between systems central and the security modules not limited to accounting data have to be. For example, a time clock can also be sent from the central office will be carried, if appropriate, to different tariffs to take into account different times, or it can be of the individual participants are notified of malfunctions. The respective The meaning of the transmitted data is not the subject of the present Invention.

Claims (6)

1.Cashless payment system in which participating providers of goods or services have a security module which is connected via a first interface to a reading device, by means of which a data carrier serving as identification for advance payments and provided with an electronic memory representing the prepaid amount can be queried and loaded, and is connected via a second interface to a provider-side device, characterized in that the security module of each participating provider can be connected to a system center via a third interface and a communication channel. 2. System according to claim 1, characterized in that teilneh vendors of the data carrier or other participants in the system, which perform the evaluation or loading of the data carrier via a secure unit that also have an interface and a comm Communication channel can be connected to the system center. 3. System according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized in that that the third interfaces and their communication channels against unbe authorized access are protected. 4. System according to claim 3, characterized in that the Interface is sealed. 5. System according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that each the security module a coding / decoding unit for the commu contains data to be exchanged. 6. System according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized records that the security modules over the communication channel from the System center can be activated and / or deactivated.