CA1049656A - Token-control - Google Patents
Token-controlInfo
- Publication number
- CA1049656A CA1049656A CA218,133A CA218133A CA1049656A CA 1049656 A CA1049656 A CA 1049656A CA 218133 A CA218133 A CA 218133A CA 1049656 A CA1049656 A CA 1049656A
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- token
- time
- period
- authorized
- commencement
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired
Links
Classifications
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
- G07F—COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS
- G07F7/00—Mechanisms actuated by objects other than coins to free or to actuate vending, hiring, coin or paper currency dispensing or refunding apparatus
- G07F7/08—Mechanisms actuated by objects other than coins to free or to actuate vending, hiring, coin or paper currency dispensing or refunding apparatus by coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
- G07F—COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS
- G07F19/00—Complete banking systems; Coded card-freed arrangements adapted for dispensing or receiving monies or the like and posting such transactions to existing accounts, e.g. automatic teller machines
- G07F19/20—Automatic teller machines [ATMs]
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
- G07F—COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS
- G07F19/00—Complete banking systems; Coded card-freed arrangements adapted for dispensing or receiving monies or the like and posting such transactions to existing accounts, e.g. automatic teller machines
- G07F19/20—Automatic teller machines [ATMs]
- G07F19/202—Depositing operations within ATMs
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
- G07F—COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS
- G07F7/00—Mechanisms actuated by objects other than coins to free or to actuate vending, hiring, coin or paper currency dispensing or refunding apparatus
- G07F7/08—Mechanisms actuated by objects other than coins to free or to actuate vending, hiring, coin or paper currency dispensing or refunding apparatus by coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means
- G07F7/12—Card verification
Abstract
Abstract Methods and equipment for token control are known in which performance of an operation in response to presentation of a credit-card or like token is con-ditioned by information which is read from a recording borne by the token, the recorded information relating to the extent of previous use of the token within one of a succession of periods of time throughout each of which the token is authorized for limited use, and in which the recorded information is up-dated on the token in dependence upon the operation performed and the result of comparison between a date read from the token-recording and the current date. Previously the token-recorded date defines the period of last use of the token. According to this invention this date is instead taken to define the commencement of the authorized-use period which is next to commence following the last use of the token, and the record of this date is up-dated on the token (for example in accordance with other token-recorded data) when the result of the date comparison signifies that the next period-commencement is not later than the current date. This has the advantage of enabling a greater flexibility of allocation of credit- or other use- authorization from one user to another.
Description
10~
~hl8 lnventlon relates to token co~trol.
ThQ i~vention relate~ to methods o~ token control but more especially to equipment in whlch operation ln ;`
re~ponae to a toke~, ~uch as a credlt card, presented to the equipment i~ conditioned by 1niormatlon which i8 read ~rom a recording borne by the token. More particularly : ;
the inventlon concern~ such equipment of the speci~ic kind in which the recorded lnformation rel~tes to the extent of previous use o~ the token withln one oi a succes~io~ of period~ o~ time throughout each o~ which the toke~ i~ -: authorized ~or limited u~e9 and in which the record of the information i~ up-dated on the token by the eq~ipment in depende~ce upo~ ~he operation performed by ~he equipment and the result of csmparison between time-idsnti~ying data read ~rom the toke~-recordlng and re~erence signals generated for ~he purpose of de~ln~ng with$n the equipment a current epoch l~ tlme. ~.
Equipment o~ thi8 speci~ic kind i8 diclosed i~ U.S0 Patent Speciiication No. 3,610~889, ~or use in the co~trol : 20 o~ a customer'~ reque~t for credit purchasing at a point of - sale. The disclosed equipment recei~es the c~stomer'æ credit card and read~ from thl~ two numbers that are recorded on the card magnetically. One of the two ~umber~ de~lnes the calendar mo~h ln which the card wa~ last used,a~d ~he other number the total amount of credit already received or used ln that ~onth. m e month-ldentifying number read ~rom ~he card i~ compared wlth a ~um~er which indicates the current month-period and which ls s~t into the equipment by the ::
sales atte~da~t. The ~ales attendan~ also sets into the 30 . equlpment the value o~ the credit required in the re~ue~ted transaction and ths authorlzed monthly-l~mit of credlt indlcated on the customer~s card.
~hl8 lnventlon relates to token co~trol.
ThQ i~vention relate~ to methods o~ token control but more especially to equipment in whlch operation ln ;`
re~ponae to a toke~, ~uch as a credlt card, presented to the equipment i~ conditioned by 1niormatlon which i8 read ~rom a recording borne by the token. More particularly : ;
the inventlon concern~ such equipment of the speci~ic kind in which the recorded lnformation rel~tes to the extent of previous use o~ the token withln one oi a succes~io~ of period~ o~ time throughout each o~ which the toke~ i~ -: authorized ~or limited u~e9 and in which the record of the information i~ up-dated on the token by the eq~ipment in depende~ce upo~ ~he operation performed by ~he equipment and the result of csmparison between time-idsnti~ying data read ~rom the toke~-recordlng and re~erence signals generated for ~he purpose of de~ln~ng with$n the equipment a current epoch l~ tlme. ~.
Equipment o~ thi8 speci~ic kind i8 diclosed i~ U.S0 Patent Speciiication No. 3,610~889, ~or use in the co~trol : 20 o~ a customer'~ reque~t for credit purchasing at a point of - sale. The disclosed equipment recei~es the c~stomer'æ credit card and read~ from thl~ two numbers that are recorded on the card magnetically. One of the two ~umber~ de~lnes the calendar mo~h ln which the card wa~ last used,a~d ~he other number the total amount of credit already received or used ln that ~onth. m e month-ldentifying number read ~rom ~he card i~ compared wlth a ~um~er which indicates the current month-period and which ls s~t into the equipment by the ::
sales atte~da~t. The ~ales attendan~ also sets into the 30 . equlpment the value o~ the credit required in the re~ue~ted transaction and ths authorlzed monthly-l~mit of credlt indlcated on the customer~s card.
-2-~L~4~;56 I~ the result of the compari~on involvi~e the month-ident~yi~g number read from the card in the earller-dlsclosed equipment, ~3 such a8 to lndlcate that the last use o~ the card was ea~ller than the current credit-mo~th, approval of the transactlon w1ll be signified to the sales attendant provlded only that the credit required i8 withln the credlt-limit authorized. The mo~th-identifying and credit-used numbers recorded on the card are then up-dated to indicate the use ln the current-month and the value of the one tran~actlon so iar made ln the month.
~n the other hand, if the result of the compari~on i8 uch as to lndicate that the credit card ha~ already been used in the current month there i8 no change made in the month-ldentifying number recorded on the card. Also, ; approval ~or the transaction i~ given only if the total sumo~ the credlt Yalue required ~or the reque~ted transaction and the value indicated by the credit-u~ed number read from the card, does not exceed the credlt llmit. Ii the total is withln ~he llmit and appro~al i~ consequently given, the recording o~ the number indicating the credit already u~ed i8 approprlately up-dated on the card.
An indlcation that the transaction is ~ot to proceed i8 given to the sale~ attenda~t by the equipment, and no up-dating takes place, whenever the credit limit ~or the current month would otherwi~e be exceeded. The transaction i~ ~:
simllarly inhlbited a~d warnlng i8 gi~en if as a result oi ~ ~ome tampering wlth the recordi~g on the card, the month-: identifying ~umber read out i~ indicatl~e o~ a later month than the current-month number set lnto the equipment by the - 30 sale~ attendant. With thls earlier-propo~ed equipment the ::
month-identi~ying number recorded on the card define~ the last u~e of the card and clearly the identi~icatio~ of a '' ~ . ` ' ' :
9~6 later month cannot occur in ]egi-tima-te operation of the equipment. ~ ;
According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided in a system comprising, in combination, equipmen-t for receiving a token, and a token for use with -the equipment, said token bearing recorded information relating to an aggre~ate the extent of previous plural use of the token within one of a succession of periods of time throughout each of which the token is authorized for limited use, and the recorded information also including time-identifying data, said equipment being adapted to receive said token and being operative to perform an opera-tion in dependence upon said recorded information, said equipment including means for reading said recorded information from the token, means for providing reference signals defining a current epoch in time, means for comparing the time-identifying data read from the token with said reference signals, and means for up-dating the said information recorded on the token in dependence both upon the said operation performed by the equipment and the result of the said comparison between the -time-identifying data read from the token and the said reference signals, the improvement wherein the time-identifyir.g data recorded on the token defines the commencement of the authorized-use period which is next to commence following the last use :, .
of the token, and the said equipment includes means for up-dating the - record of said time-identifying data on the token when the result of said comparison signifies that the next period-commencement is not later than the current time identified by the reference signals.
Thus with this equipment of the present invention it is only when the new period indicated by the time-identifying data has been entered `-`
that up-dating of that data takes place. In contrast to the earlier-disclosed equipment referred to above, where the time-identifying data recorded on the token relates to the last use of the token, such da-ta relates in the equipment of the present invention to -the next following period of authorized-use.
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The use of time-identifying data defining -the nex-t authorized- :
use period rather than the present period, facilitates 6reater flexibility in allocation of credit-or other use-authoriæa-tion from one user to another. It also enables the individual user to be given a greater degree of freedom in -the use of the authorized credit, outside a rigid month-by-mon-th or other fixed period-by-period sequence applicable to all users.
For example, it is readily possible for the allocation of authorized-use to be in terms of a maximum, permissible rate or frequency of use that is expressed as a number N of uses (for example of money-or other value-significance) in a number D days, and for the combinations of values of ; the numbers N and D to differ from :
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~04~tiS~
token to toke~ the~e clrcums~ances the tlme-ldenti~yi~g ~ -data recorded on the token when the toke~ is fir~t used would de~lne commencement of the ~e~t, ~econd, authorized-u~e period a3 a date D day~ later. The recording oi thl~
date would remaln unchanged until the flrst use on or after this date, that 1~ to say in the ~econd perlod, whereupon the recording would be up-dated to define the commencement of the next, third, period of D days. The up-dating may be related directly irom the date of thi~ first u~e in the 3econd period, rather than ~rom the e~d of the first perlod, so that the ~ull period of D day~ i8 afforded for e~ercise of the allocated permis~ible rate or frequency of use. The succesæive periods oi authorized-u~e may ~im~larly proceed in tur~ related to use made of the indlvidual token rather than to any generally-applied and predetermined month-by-month, or similar, period-sequence.
Information de~ining the rate or frequency o~ authorized use of the token may be recorded on the token ~or reading by the equipment. More especlally, i~ ~he exAmple gi~en above~
the toke~ may bear a recording of data that ~dentifie~ the values of th~ numbers N and D applica~le to the token, for use by the equipment when up-dating the token-recordings oi the time-tdenti~ying data and the in~ormatio~ concerning the exte~t oi prevlou~ u3e.
m e date of explry o~ the token may be recorded o~ the toke~ for readi~g by the equipment and in these clrcum~tances the date of commencement o~ the ~ext authoriæed-u~e period may be recorded on the token a~ the number oP day~ ~rom thi~ -latter date to expiry, or at least ~ the end o~ ~he year of expiry. The method of represe~ting ~he oommencement o~ the next authorized u~e period in thi8 way i8 Og advantage in relation to ~ecurity, especlally where ~oke~ are i~ued f~r " , ' ': , ~ .
11)~96S6 one year only. More particularly any fraudulent attempt to prolong -the life of the token by modification of the year of explry recorded on the token will in general have the effect of inhibiting use of the token for the interval by which the expiry date has been changed. Any attempt on the other hand to secure early commencement of a new authorized-use period by advancing the recorded expiry date will in general be fruitless in -that it will lead to reten-tion of the card as having expired.
The equipment of the present invention may be used for credit control at a point of sale, but is applicable to control of accesss to any form of facility, for example, entry to a restricted area, use of a service, or release of means enabling withdrawal of an item or product (in predetermined or selected quantity). In the latter context equipment according to the invention may form part of an item-dispensing system, in which the equipment is used to regulate release of a dispenser. One particular application of such a system is in the field of banking where a money-dispensing system is to be provided for use by customers at all times, the customers being issued with individual tokens for presentation to the system when withdrawal of money is required. The equipmen-t of the present invention in this latter connection may be arranged to regulate operation of the money-dispenser so that money (for example, in bank-note form) is dispensed to the customer in response to each valid 'request' for withdrawal.
According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided in a method for performing an operation in response to presentation of a token, which method is conditioned by information read from a recording borne by the token, the recorded information relating to an aggregate of the extent of previous plural use of the token wi-thin one of a succession of periods of time throughout each of which -the tokeniis authorized for limited use, and wherein said method includes the steps of reading da-te `
information from the token, comparing the read date information with the ,..... .
.: . . . .
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~49656 current date, and updating the recorded information on the token in dependence upon the operation performed and the result of said comparison the improvement wherein the date information recorded on the token defines the commencement of the authorized-use period which is next to cor~mence ~ -following the last use of the token, and the updating of the information recorded on the -token occurs when the result of said comparison signifies that the nex-t period-commencement is not later than the current date.
A money-dispensing system including equipment in accordance with the present invention, together with a method of operation thereo~
in accordance with the invention, will now be described, by way of example, : with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-: Figure 1 is a schematic representation of the money-dispensing system; ~:
Figures 2 and 3 illustrate the top and underside respectively of a credit card used with the system of Figure l; and Figure 4 is an enlarged view of a part of the card of Figures 2 .
and 3 illustrating the magnetic recording tracks embodied in the card and the relative orientation of magnetic recording heads used to read and record in~or~ation in these tracks.
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~ ~9 ~S 6 The money-dispensing system represented in Figure 1 is operable to dispense packets of bank notes to authorised customers of a bank after, as well as during, normal banking hours. The customers authorized to use the sys-tem are each issued wlth a coded token in the form of a rectangular plastics card 10 that may be used generally as a credit card.
Each card 10, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, bears the date of expiry and numerical information identifying the account of the customer to whom the card has been issued. This information, as well as being embossed directly on the card in alpha-numeric characters 11, is recorded magnetically in a strip 12 uf a ferromagnetic oxide. The strip 12 is inset in the underside of the card 10 to extend lengthwise of the card along one edge.
Each customer is informed of a secret, personal ~ identification number that is individual to his account i but cannot be deduced from the card 10 itself, and of a maximum, permissible rate or frequency of use of the card to withdraw packets of bank-notes. The frequency-of-use limit is specified as a particular maximum u~mber N of packets in a certain period of D days; for example, the maximum frequency of withdrawal may be five packets in any period of seven days.
When the customer wishes to withdraw a packet of bank-notes he presents his card 10 to a card-reception unit 13 of the system. The unit 13 has a facia that is mounted in an external wall of the bank to be accessible from outside and to provide an entrance 14 for the card 10. 1 j me card 10 is inserted in the entrance 14 lengthwise with the embossings 11 uppermost and with the leading end 15 just within the unit 13. Entry of th~ card 10 further is , .
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1049~;5~
blocked by an apertured shutter 16 until the existence of the strip 12, with appropriate offset to one side in the entrance 14, is detected by an electromagnetic detector 17.
Detection of the appropriately-located strip 12 causes the shutter 16 to be li~ted to admit the card 10 fully to the unit 13 through the entrance 14.
The card 10 admitted fully to the unit 13 is drawn lengthwise along a guideway 18 by rollers 19 that are ~:
driven by a card-transport unit 29. In its passage along the guideway 18 the card 10 passes successively across a I reading-recording head unit 21 and two reading-head units : 22 and 23. The head units 21 and 23, although spaced longitudinally of the guideway 18 ~rom one another, are both located in a position across the guideway 18 to read from the card 10 information recorded magnetically in a :
i longitudinal track T1 of the strip 12. The head unit 22 on -¦ the other hand, i8 located at a position to read recorded .. ~:`
information ~rom a parallel track T2. The tracks T1 and T2 together with certain data recorded magnetically in them, are indicated diagrammatically in the representation of the strip 12 in ~igure 3.
. Four words W1 to W4 are recorded in track T1 on the ~ card 10 using the technique described in British Patent :: Specification No. 1,336,132. In this technique the recording ls made using two magnetic heads that are positioned very closely side-by-side across the track width with their convent~onally-straight gaps obliquely oriented to the track length and also to one another, in a Y-shaped, or chevron, configuration. Only half of the full track width is covered by the gap of each head, and binary~encoded data is recorded using a carrier oscillation having a frequency _g_ '~ ~
~1~49~56 of, for example, 4 kHz., that i5 applied to the t~o heads with a relative phasi~g that is s~itched to in-phase or anti-phase according to the binary value to be recorded.
The phase-modulated and angled recordings consequently made in the two halves of the track wid-th can be read out intelligibly only if a pair of closely-positioned reading heads wi-th the same relative gap-orientation or chevron angle, are used.
The word W4 is recorded in track T1 using a pair of heads that have a different chevron angle from the pair of angled heads used to record the words W1 to W3.
The task of the head unit 21 is to read, and subsequently to make reGordings of, the words W1 to W3.
As illustrated in Figure ~, the unit 21 includes two angled-gap heads 24A and 24B providing the appropriate chevron angle for the task. The head unit 23, on the other hand, serves to read the word W4 only, and the unit 23 accordingly includes two angled heads 25A and 25B having the different chevron angle required in respect of the word l~r4.
~oth units 21 and 23 include an electrical circuit or other means for checking that the signals that are derived by its respective pair of heads 24A, 24~ or 25A, 25B are in-phase or anti-phase and also have nominally equal magnitudes tllat lie above a prede-termined threshold level.
The check is satisfied and a read ou~ of data is made only if the recording sensed by the head pair was made using a correspondingly-angled pair of heads with the appropriate phase-modulation method. Provided constructional details ~ -concerning the pairs of heads 24A, 24B and 25A, 25B (in particular of the chevron angles used) are main-tained secret, it is possible to regard all the information recorded in ~10-:: , . . : : .
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track T1 as secure. Such in~orma-tion may also be regarded to be immune to an acceptable degree from attempts to modify it fraudulently.
Two words W5 and ~!~6 are recorded in track T2 using a conventional recording head, and in this respect cannot be regarded as sec~re and immune from fraudulent modification.
The ~it 22 as illustrated in Figure 4, includes a normal straight-gap reading head 26 at right angles to the track length, for deriving a read out of the words W5 and W6 in the conventional manner. The words ~5 and W6 represent respectively the expiry date, in month and year, and the customer's acoount number, as both embossed on -the card 10 in the characters 11. Signals in accordance with the expiry date and account number read from the card 10 by the unit 22 are supplied to a 'use' processing unit 27 and an 'account' processing unit 28 respectively. Signals representative of the words W1 to W3 and W4 read from track T1 are supplied from the units 21 and 23, to the ~use' processing unit 27.
The words ~11 and W2 define, as at the date of the ; 20 last use of the card and immediately following that use, the status of the card in relation to the frequency-of-use restriction. More particularly, the word W1 is indicative of the date following the last use, from which the next period of D days is to commence. The word W2, on the other hand, is indicative of the number of packets that immediately following the last use could still be requested without exceeding the frequency-of-use limit imposed on the customer.
Both words W1 and W2 are recorded as binary counts of the numbers involved. The date o~ commencement of the next period of D days represented in the word W1, is however not recorded in conventional-calendar form, but rather as a count of the number of days from that date to the end of the year of expiry. The year of expiry applicable is defined by the word W5 read from track T2 by the head unit 22.
A device 29 that is set day-by-day either automatically or manually~ supplies to the 'use' processing unit 27 signals in accordance with the current day's date. The unit 27 computes from these signals the number of days from the current date to the end of the year of expiry indicated by word W5 read from tra~k T2. The result of the computation is compared in the unit 27 with the word W1.
If the computed number of days is larger than the nurnber represented by the word W1, then dispensing can go ahead only up to the number of packets available as indicated by ~ -~
the word W2. Assurning that the computed number is in fact larger than the number represented by the word W~ and that the word W2 signifies a nurnber other than zero, then a signal indicative of this is supplied from the 'use7 processing unit 2~ to a release unit 30 via a lead ~
The release unit 30 controls operation of a dispenser 32 to dispense packets of money to the customer through a delivery slot (not shown) in the facia of the unit 13.
The 'a~count~ processing unit 28 responds to the signals it receives in accordance with the word W6 read from track T2 to check the custorner~s account number against ; the account nurnbers of customer's cards that are no longer valid by virtue of having been reported lost or stolen.
A signal ls supplied to the release unit 30 from the unit 28 via a lead 33 only if the account number is cleared in this check.
The account n~nber is in addition used in the unit 28 to derive the secret personal-identi~ication number ~2-.,. ~
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1(~4965tii individual to the account. This may be derived from a memory that provides an index from all account numbers to their individually-paired personal-identification numbers, or alternatively may be derived from the account number using an algorithm or encyphering technique such as described in British Patent Specification No. 1,336,133. In either case signals in accordance with the derived number are conveyed from the unit 28 to a comparison unit 34.
The customer is now instructed by illumination of a sign (not shown) on the facia of the unit 13 to enter his personal-identification number into the system. The number, for example of six digits, is entered using a set of ten push-buttons 35 mo~ted on the facia of the unit 13 and numbered 0 to 9. As the push-buttons 35 are operated one at a time to enter the digits s~quentially, their values are conveyed to the comparison unit 34. In the unit 34 the manually-entered number is compared digit-by-digit with the number derived from the account number by the unit 28.
If there is correspondence between the two numbers the unit 34 supplies a signal to -this effect to the release unit 30 such that if appropriate signals are also present on the leads 31 and 33 (signifying that the checks as to the withdrawaI-frequency and validity carried out in the units 27 and 28 are satisfied), the unit 30 then releases the dispenser 32 to dispense a packet of bank-notes to the customer through the delivery-slot in the facia of the unit 13.
More than one packet of bank-notes may be dispensed at any one time at the selection of -the customer. In this respect a selector 36 (for example in the form of a further set of push-buttons~ is provided o~ the ~acia of the unit -~3-4965~
13. Operation of the selector 36 by the customer to signify the sum of money he wishes to have dispensed, controls througl~ the 'use' processing unit 27 the number of times the dispenser 32 is released by the unit 30 in the one operation of the equipment. The nun~ber of times t~e dispenser 32 is released in this way, and therefore the number of packets of bank-notes that can be dispensed in the one operation of the equipment,is nonetheless restricted by the unit 27 to lie within the limit represented by the : 10 word W2, in order that the prescribed maximum freqlency-of-use shall not be exceeded.
Once dispensing has taken place the card transport unit 20 drives the rollers 19 to transport the card 10 ~ :
back to the customer through the entrance 14. The heads 24A and 24B of the unit 21 are energized from the unit 27 during this to record the appropriate word W2 and also to re-record the word W1, both in the characteristic phase-modulated form, in track ~1 of the strip 12 of the card 10.
The word ~2 recorded is a number equal to the number read :
out on entry of the card 10 as reduced by the number of packets of bank-notes that have been dispensed in the transa~tion.
The unit 30 does not release the dispenser 32, and no dispensing therefore takes place, in the event that the -~ numbers compared by the unit 34 do not correspond, or the .
checks on withdrawal-freauency and validity carried out by the units 27 and 28, are not satisfied. The customer is ;
allowed to make up to three attempts with the one ~
insertion of the card, to satisfy the correspondence check ~ :
using the push-buttons 35. In normal circumstances the card is returned to the customer following the thlrd -14- ' , ~g6s6 unsuccessfuI attempt, but an overall limit is imposed on the total number of unsuccessful attempts at achieving correspondence that may be made success~vely at any time throughout the life of the card. To this end the word W3 read from the track T1 by the unit 21 represents the number of consecutive unsuccessful attempts in which the card has been involved since the last time the correspondence check was satisfied. Thus the card is returned to the customer if when the number represented by the word W3 read from the card 10 is taken into account, the prescribed overall limit of consecutive unsuccessful attempts is not reached. During such return the heads 24A and 24B of the unit 21 are appropriately energized to up-date the recorded word W3 as well as the word W2. If at any time however, the limit is reached, the card 10 is not returned but instead driven from the guideway 18 into a safe bin (not shown) for retention within the equipment.
The card is also driven to be retained within the equipment if the validity chèck carried out by the unit 28 is not satisfied, and aIso of course if the word ~5 read from track T2 isbe~ore the current date set into the unit 27 by the device 29, that is to say, i~ the card 10 is indicated as having expired. If however, it is only the withdrawal-frequency check performed by the unit 27 that is not satisfied, in particular by virtue of the number represented by word W2 read from track T1 being zero, the card 10 is returned to the customer through the entrance 14.
It has been assumed above that the date of commencement of the next withdrawal-frequency period represented on the card 10 by the word W1 and read from track T1 on insertion of the card into the equipment, is later than the current .. . . .
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~ 5 6 date. If this i5 not the case, and the number of days computed by the unit 27 to the end of the expiry year, is accordingly equal to or less than the number of days represented by the word 1~1, a new period o~ D days for frequency-of-use purposes has no~J begun. The operation of the unit 27 in these circumstances is to substitute the number N for the number represented by the word W2 read from track T1. The value of N appropriate for this is derived within the unit 27 in accordance with whichever of a plurality of possible frequency-of-use gradings applies to the customer. Identification of the customer's grading in this respect is carried by the card 10 in the word W4 recorded in track T1 and read from the card by the heads 25A and 25B. The word W4 may in this respect simply be a code that iden-tifies ~hich of a series of predetermined combinations of values of N and D held as stored information in the equipment, is to apply to use of the customer's card. The unit 27 is programmed to generate from the word W4 as conveyed to it from the unit 23, the values of N and D, defining the allowed maximum frequency-of-use, appropriate to the identified grading.
The value of D generated in the uni-t 27 from the word W4 in the circumstances under consideration, is utilised ~;
for the computation of the commencement of the next frequency-of-use period. In this respect the co~mencement of the next frequency-of-use period is to be D days after the current date set into the unit 27 by the device 29.
The unit 27 accordingly acts to derive an appropriate number for substitution for the out-of-date number represented by the word ~1 read from the card 10. As described above, the unit 27 already computes the number of days from the . .
~ 4q~56 current date to the end o~ the expiry year represented by word ~5 read from the card 10, and this number after reduction by the value of D is therefore appropriate for -the up-dating of the word ~1. Up-dating of the recording of word W1 in track T1 is carried out by appropriate energization of the heaas 24A and 24B by the unit 21 as the card 10 is returned along the guideway 18. The word W2 recorded on the card is also up-dated at the same time to the value N or, depending on whether dispensing has ; 10 taken place, to some lesser value in accordance with the ~ number of packets dispensed.
; Thus~ as described above, -the status of the card 10 as regards the frequency-of-use requirement defined by word W4, is embodied in the two recorded words W1 and ~2 in a manner that readily allows for any appropriate up-dating with passage of time and use of the card. In particular, when the card is used the word W1 recorded on the card and representative of the-commencement of the next period of full-use remains unmodified unless the new period has by then been entered. It is only in the circumstances that the represented new period has been entered that up-dating of the word W1 takes place, such up-dating then being made from the current date se-t in by the device 29, so as to preserve full availability within the frequency-of-use limitation.
The method of representing the commencement of the next frequency-of-use period as the number of days to the end of the expiry year is of advantage in relation to security, especially where cards are issued fo~ one year only. More particularly, any fraudulent attempt to prolong the life of the card by modification of the year of ex~iry . .
' ~ 4~56 represented in the word l~l5, will in general have the effect of inhibiting use of the card (apart from any use already available as represented by the ~ord W2) for the interval of time by which the expiry date has been changed. Until this interval of time has passed, commencement of a new frequency-of-use period (defined in relation to the expiry year of the recorded word W5, by the word ~1 recorded on the 'secure' track T1) cannot occur. ~ny attempt on the other hand to achieve early oommencement of a new frequency-of-use perlod by advancing the expiry year will in general befruitless in that it will lead to retention of the card as having expired.
The security in the above aspects can be increased ~-by computing the n~ber of days appropriate to word ~1 to the end of the month of expiry, or alternatively by arranging that the life of each card is limited to the calendar year.
The 'use' and 'account~ processing ~mits 27 and 28 may be provided as specific units in the same installation as the card-reception unit 13 as shown. Their function may however be performed by a central computer or data processor that is common to a ~umber of card-reception units and is in on-line communication with them. In the ;
- latter case, nonetheless, a processor having the function of the units 27 and 28 may be provided with each individual card-reception unit for back-up purposes in the event of a break in the on-line operation. ~hatever the case, storage capability or other i~acility is also provided within the system to ena~e appropriate records of each transaction performed, to be produced for accounting purposes ' . :::' ,.
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~n the other hand, if the result of the compari~on i8 uch as to lndicate that the credit card ha~ already been used in the current month there i8 no change made in the month-ldentifying number recorded on the card. Also, ; approval ~or the transaction i~ given only if the total sumo~ the credlt Yalue required ~or the reque~ted transaction and the value indicated by the credit-u~ed number read from the card, does not exceed the credlt llmit. Ii the total is withln ~he llmit and appro~al i~ consequently given, the recording o~ the number indicating the credit already u~ed i8 approprlately up-dated on the card.
An indlcation that the transaction is ~ot to proceed i8 given to the sale~ attenda~t by the equipment, and no up-dating takes place, whenever the credit limit ~or the current month would otherwi~e be exceeded. The transaction i~ ~:
simllarly inhlbited a~d warnlng i8 gi~en if as a result oi ~ ~ome tampering wlth the recordi~g on the card, the month-: identifying ~umber read out i~ indicatl~e o~ a later month than the current-month number set lnto the equipment by the - 30 sale~ attendant. With thls earlier-propo~ed equipment the ::
month-identi~ying number recorded on the card define~ the last u~e of the card and clearly the identi~icatio~ of a '' ~ . ` ' ' :
9~6 later month cannot occur in ]egi-tima-te operation of the equipment. ~ ;
According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided in a system comprising, in combination, equipmen-t for receiving a token, and a token for use with -the equipment, said token bearing recorded information relating to an aggre~ate the extent of previous plural use of the token within one of a succession of periods of time throughout each of which the token is authorized for limited use, and the recorded information also including time-identifying data, said equipment being adapted to receive said token and being operative to perform an opera-tion in dependence upon said recorded information, said equipment including means for reading said recorded information from the token, means for providing reference signals defining a current epoch in time, means for comparing the time-identifying data read from the token with said reference signals, and means for up-dating the said information recorded on the token in dependence both upon the said operation performed by the equipment and the result of the said comparison between the -time-identifying data read from the token and the said reference signals, the improvement wherein the time-identifyir.g data recorded on the token defines the commencement of the authorized-use period which is next to commence following the last use :, .
of the token, and the said equipment includes means for up-dating the - record of said time-identifying data on the token when the result of said comparison signifies that the next period-commencement is not later than the current time identified by the reference signals.
Thus with this equipment of the present invention it is only when the new period indicated by the time-identifying data has been entered `-`
that up-dating of that data takes place. In contrast to the earlier-disclosed equipment referred to above, where the time-identifying data recorded on the token relates to the last use of the token, such da-ta relates in the equipment of the present invention to -the next following period of authorized-use.
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The use of time-identifying data defining -the nex-t authorized- :
use period rather than the present period, facilitates 6reater flexibility in allocation of credit-or other use-authoriæa-tion from one user to another. It also enables the individual user to be given a greater degree of freedom in -the use of the authorized credit, outside a rigid month-by-mon-th or other fixed period-by-period sequence applicable to all users.
For example, it is readily possible for the allocation of authorized-use to be in terms of a maximum, permissible rate or frequency of use that is expressed as a number N of uses (for example of money-or other value-significance) in a number D days, and for the combinations of values of ; the numbers N and D to differ from :
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token to toke~ the~e clrcums~ances the tlme-ldenti~yi~g ~ -data recorded on the token when the toke~ is fir~t used would de~lne commencement of the ~e~t, ~econd, authorized-u~e period a3 a date D day~ later. The recording oi thl~
date would remaln unchanged until the flrst use on or after this date, that 1~ to say in the ~econd perlod, whereupon the recording would be up-dated to define the commencement of the next, third, period of D days. The up-dating may be related directly irom the date of thi~ first u~e in the 3econd period, rather than ~rom the e~d of the first perlod, so that the ~ull period of D day~ i8 afforded for e~ercise of the allocated permis~ible rate or frequency of use. The succesæive periods oi authorized-u~e may ~im~larly proceed in tur~ related to use made of the indlvidual token rather than to any generally-applied and predetermined month-by-month, or similar, period-sequence.
Information de~ining the rate or frequency o~ authorized use of the token may be recorded on the token ~or reading by the equipment. More especlally, i~ ~he exAmple gi~en above~
the toke~ may bear a recording of data that ~dentifie~ the values of th~ numbers N and D applica~le to the token, for use by the equipment when up-dating the token-recordings oi the time-tdenti~ying data and the in~ormatio~ concerning the exte~t oi prevlou~ u3e.
m e date of explry o~ the token may be recorded o~ the toke~ for readi~g by the equipment and in these clrcum~tances the date of commencement o~ the ~ext authoriæed-u~e period may be recorded on the token a~ the number oP day~ ~rom thi~ -latter date to expiry, or at least ~ the end o~ ~he year of expiry. The method of represe~ting ~he oommencement o~ the next authorized u~e period in thi8 way i8 Og advantage in relation to ~ecurity, especlally where ~oke~ are i~ued f~r " , ' ': , ~ .
11)~96S6 one year only. More particularly any fraudulent attempt to prolong -the life of the token by modification of the year of explry recorded on the token will in general have the effect of inhibiting use of the token for the interval by which the expiry date has been changed. Any attempt on the other hand to secure early commencement of a new authorized-use period by advancing the recorded expiry date will in general be fruitless in -that it will lead to reten-tion of the card as having expired.
The equipment of the present invention may be used for credit control at a point of sale, but is applicable to control of accesss to any form of facility, for example, entry to a restricted area, use of a service, or release of means enabling withdrawal of an item or product (in predetermined or selected quantity). In the latter context equipment according to the invention may form part of an item-dispensing system, in which the equipment is used to regulate release of a dispenser. One particular application of such a system is in the field of banking where a money-dispensing system is to be provided for use by customers at all times, the customers being issued with individual tokens for presentation to the system when withdrawal of money is required. The equipmen-t of the present invention in this latter connection may be arranged to regulate operation of the money-dispenser so that money (for example, in bank-note form) is dispensed to the customer in response to each valid 'request' for withdrawal.
According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided in a method for performing an operation in response to presentation of a token, which method is conditioned by information read from a recording borne by the token, the recorded information relating to an aggregate of the extent of previous plural use of the token wi-thin one of a succession of periods of time throughout each of which -the tokeniis authorized for limited use, and wherein said method includes the steps of reading da-te `
information from the token, comparing the read date information with the ,..... .
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~49656 current date, and updating the recorded information on the token in dependence upon the operation performed and the result of said comparison the improvement wherein the date information recorded on the token defines the commencement of the authorized-use period which is next to cor~mence ~ -following the last use of the token, and the updating of the information recorded on the -token occurs when the result of said comparison signifies that the nex-t period-commencement is not later than the current date.
A money-dispensing system including equipment in accordance with the present invention, together with a method of operation thereo~
in accordance with the invention, will now be described, by way of example, : with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:-: Figure 1 is a schematic representation of the money-dispensing system; ~:
Figures 2 and 3 illustrate the top and underside respectively of a credit card used with the system of Figure l; and Figure 4 is an enlarged view of a part of the card of Figures 2 .
and 3 illustrating the magnetic recording tracks embodied in the card and the relative orientation of magnetic recording heads used to read and record in~or~ation in these tracks.
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~ ~9 ~S 6 The money-dispensing system represented in Figure 1 is operable to dispense packets of bank notes to authorised customers of a bank after, as well as during, normal banking hours. The customers authorized to use the sys-tem are each issued wlth a coded token in the form of a rectangular plastics card 10 that may be used generally as a credit card.
Each card 10, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, bears the date of expiry and numerical information identifying the account of the customer to whom the card has been issued. This information, as well as being embossed directly on the card in alpha-numeric characters 11, is recorded magnetically in a strip 12 uf a ferromagnetic oxide. The strip 12 is inset in the underside of the card 10 to extend lengthwise of the card along one edge.
Each customer is informed of a secret, personal ~ identification number that is individual to his account i but cannot be deduced from the card 10 itself, and of a maximum, permissible rate or frequency of use of the card to withdraw packets of bank-notes. The frequency-of-use limit is specified as a particular maximum u~mber N of packets in a certain period of D days; for example, the maximum frequency of withdrawal may be five packets in any period of seven days.
When the customer wishes to withdraw a packet of bank-notes he presents his card 10 to a card-reception unit 13 of the system. The unit 13 has a facia that is mounted in an external wall of the bank to be accessible from outside and to provide an entrance 14 for the card 10. 1 j me card 10 is inserted in the entrance 14 lengthwise with the embossings 11 uppermost and with the leading end 15 just within the unit 13. Entry of th~ card 10 further is , .
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blocked by an apertured shutter 16 until the existence of the strip 12, with appropriate offset to one side in the entrance 14, is detected by an electromagnetic detector 17.
Detection of the appropriately-located strip 12 causes the shutter 16 to be li~ted to admit the card 10 fully to the unit 13 through the entrance 14.
The card 10 admitted fully to the unit 13 is drawn lengthwise along a guideway 18 by rollers 19 that are ~:
driven by a card-transport unit 29. In its passage along the guideway 18 the card 10 passes successively across a I reading-recording head unit 21 and two reading-head units : 22 and 23. The head units 21 and 23, although spaced longitudinally of the guideway 18 ~rom one another, are both located in a position across the guideway 18 to read from the card 10 information recorded magnetically in a :
i longitudinal track T1 of the strip 12. The head unit 22 on -¦ the other hand, i8 located at a position to read recorded .. ~:`
information ~rom a parallel track T2. The tracks T1 and T2 together with certain data recorded magnetically in them, are indicated diagrammatically in the representation of the strip 12 in ~igure 3.
. Four words W1 to W4 are recorded in track T1 on the ~ card 10 using the technique described in British Patent :: Specification No. 1,336,132. In this technique the recording ls made using two magnetic heads that are positioned very closely side-by-side across the track width with their convent~onally-straight gaps obliquely oriented to the track length and also to one another, in a Y-shaped, or chevron, configuration. Only half of the full track width is covered by the gap of each head, and binary~encoded data is recorded using a carrier oscillation having a frequency _g_ '~ ~
~1~49~56 of, for example, 4 kHz., that i5 applied to the t~o heads with a relative phasi~g that is s~itched to in-phase or anti-phase according to the binary value to be recorded.
The phase-modulated and angled recordings consequently made in the two halves of the track wid-th can be read out intelligibly only if a pair of closely-positioned reading heads wi-th the same relative gap-orientation or chevron angle, are used.
The word W4 is recorded in track T1 using a pair of heads that have a different chevron angle from the pair of angled heads used to record the words W1 to W3.
The task of the head unit 21 is to read, and subsequently to make reGordings of, the words W1 to W3.
As illustrated in Figure ~, the unit 21 includes two angled-gap heads 24A and 24B providing the appropriate chevron angle for the task. The head unit 23, on the other hand, serves to read the word W4 only, and the unit 23 accordingly includes two angled heads 25A and 25B having the different chevron angle required in respect of the word l~r4.
~oth units 21 and 23 include an electrical circuit or other means for checking that the signals that are derived by its respective pair of heads 24A, 24~ or 25A, 25B are in-phase or anti-phase and also have nominally equal magnitudes tllat lie above a prede-termined threshold level.
The check is satisfied and a read ou~ of data is made only if the recording sensed by the head pair was made using a correspondingly-angled pair of heads with the appropriate phase-modulation method. Provided constructional details ~ -concerning the pairs of heads 24A, 24B and 25A, 25B (in particular of the chevron angles used) are main-tained secret, it is possible to regard all the information recorded in ~10-:: , . . : : .
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track T1 as secure. Such in~orma-tion may also be regarded to be immune to an acceptable degree from attempts to modify it fraudulently.
Two words W5 and ~!~6 are recorded in track T2 using a conventional recording head, and in this respect cannot be regarded as sec~re and immune from fraudulent modification.
The ~it 22 as illustrated in Figure 4, includes a normal straight-gap reading head 26 at right angles to the track length, for deriving a read out of the words W5 and W6 in the conventional manner. The words ~5 and W6 represent respectively the expiry date, in month and year, and the customer's acoount number, as both embossed on -the card 10 in the characters 11. Signals in accordance with the expiry date and account number read from the card 10 by the unit 22 are supplied to a 'use' processing unit 27 and an 'account' processing unit 28 respectively. Signals representative of the words W1 to W3 and W4 read from track T1 are supplied from the units 21 and 23, to the ~use' processing unit 27.
The words ~11 and W2 define, as at the date of the ; 20 last use of the card and immediately following that use, the status of the card in relation to the frequency-of-use restriction. More particularly, the word W1 is indicative of the date following the last use, from which the next period of D days is to commence. The word W2, on the other hand, is indicative of the number of packets that immediately following the last use could still be requested without exceeding the frequency-of-use limit imposed on the customer.
Both words W1 and W2 are recorded as binary counts of the numbers involved. The date o~ commencement of the next period of D days represented in the word W1, is however not recorded in conventional-calendar form, but rather as a count of the number of days from that date to the end of the year of expiry. The year of expiry applicable is defined by the word W5 read from track T2 by the head unit 22.
A device 29 that is set day-by-day either automatically or manually~ supplies to the 'use' processing unit 27 signals in accordance with the current day's date. The unit 27 computes from these signals the number of days from the current date to the end of the year of expiry indicated by word W5 read from tra~k T2. The result of the computation is compared in the unit 27 with the word W1.
If the computed number of days is larger than the nurnber represented by the word W1, then dispensing can go ahead only up to the number of packets available as indicated by ~ -~
the word W2. Assurning that the computed number is in fact larger than the number represented by the word W~ and that the word W2 signifies a nurnber other than zero, then a signal indicative of this is supplied from the 'use7 processing unit 2~ to a release unit 30 via a lead ~
The release unit 30 controls operation of a dispenser 32 to dispense packets of money to the customer through a delivery slot (not shown) in the facia of the unit 13.
The 'a~count~ processing unit 28 responds to the signals it receives in accordance with the word W6 read from track T2 to check the custorner~s account number against ; the account nurnbers of customer's cards that are no longer valid by virtue of having been reported lost or stolen.
A signal ls supplied to the release unit 30 from the unit 28 via a lead 33 only if the account number is cleared in this check.
The account n~nber is in addition used in the unit 28 to derive the secret personal-identi~ication number ~2-.,. ~
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1(~4965tii individual to the account. This may be derived from a memory that provides an index from all account numbers to their individually-paired personal-identification numbers, or alternatively may be derived from the account number using an algorithm or encyphering technique such as described in British Patent Specification No. 1,336,133. In either case signals in accordance with the derived number are conveyed from the unit 28 to a comparison unit 34.
The customer is now instructed by illumination of a sign (not shown) on the facia of the unit 13 to enter his personal-identification number into the system. The number, for example of six digits, is entered using a set of ten push-buttons 35 mo~ted on the facia of the unit 13 and numbered 0 to 9. As the push-buttons 35 are operated one at a time to enter the digits s~quentially, their values are conveyed to the comparison unit 34. In the unit 34 the manually-entered number is compared digit-by-digit with the number derived from the account number by the unit 28.
If there is correspondence between the two numbers the unit 34 supplies a signal to -this effect to the release unit 30 such that if appropriate signals are also present on the leads 31 and 33 (signifying that the checks as to the withdrawaI-frequency and validity carried out in the units 27 and 28 are satisfied), the unit 30 then releases the dispenser 32 to dispense a packet of bank-notes to the customer through the delivery-slot in the facia of the unit 13.
More than one packet of bank-notes may be dispensed at any one time at the selection of -the customer. In this respect a selector 36 (for example in the form of a further set of push-buttons~ is provided o~ the ~acia of the unit -~3-4965~
13. Operation of the selector 36 by the customer to signify the sum of money he wishes to have dispensed, controls througl~ the 'use' processing unit 27 the number of times the dispenser 32 is released by the unit 30 in the one operation of the equipment. The nun~ber of times t~e dispenser 32 is released in this way, and therefore the number of packets of bank-notes that can be dispensed in the one operation of the equipment,is nonetheless restricted by the unit 27 to lie within the limit represented by the : 10 word W2, in order that the prescribed maximum freqlency-of-use shall not be exceeded.
Once dispensing has taken place the card transport unit 20 drives the rollers 19 to transport the card 10 ~ :
back to the customer through the entrance 14. The heads 24A and 24B of the unit 21 are energized from the unit 27 during this to record the appropriate word W2 and also to re-record the word W1, both in the characteristic phase-modulated form, in track ~1 of the strip 12 of the card 10.
The word ~2 recorded is a number equal to the number read :
out on entry of the card 10 as reduced by the number of packets of bank-notes that have been dispensed in the transa~tion.
The unit 30 does not release the dispenser 32, and no dispensing therefore takes place, in the event that the -~ numbers compared by the unit 34 do not correspond, or the .
checks on withdrawal-freauency and validity carried out by the units 27 and 28, are not satisfied. The customer is ;
allowed to make up to three attempts with the one ~
insertion of the card, to satisfy the correspondence check ~ :
using the push-buttons 35. In normal circumstances the card is returned to the customer following the thlrd -14- ' , ~g6s6 unsuccessfuI attempt, but an overall limit is imposed on the total number of unsuccessful attempts at achieving correspondence that may be made success~vely at any time throughout the life of the card. To this end the word W3 read from the track T1 by the unit 21 represents the number of consecutive unsuccessful attempts in which the card has been involved since the last time the correspondence check was satisfied. Thus the card is returned to the customer if when the number represented by the word W3 read from the card 10 is taken into account, the prescribed overall limit of consecutive unsuccessful attempts is not reached. During such return the heads 24A and 24B of the unit 21 are appropriately energized to up-date the recorded word W3 as well as the word W2. If at any time however, the limit is reached, the card 10 is not returned but instead driven from the guideway 18 into a safe bin (not shown) for retention within the equipment.
The card is also driven to be retained within the equipment if the validity chèck carried out by the unit 28 is not satisfied, and aIso of course if the word ~5 read from track T2 isbe~ore the current date set into the unit 27 by the device 29, that is to say, i~ the card 10 is indicated as having expired. If however, it is only the withdrawal-frequency check performed by the unit 27 that is not satisfied, in particular by virtue of the number represented by word W2 read from track T1 being zero, the card 10 is returned to the customer through the entrance 14.
It has been assumed above that the date of commencement of the next withdrawal-frequency period represented on the card 10 by the word W1 and read from track T1 on insertion of the card into the equipment, is later than the current .. . . .
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~ 5 6 date. If this i5 not the case, and the number of days computed by the unit 27 to the end of the expiry year, is accordingly equal to or less than the number of days represented by the word 1~1, a new period o~ D days for frequency-of-use purposes has no~J begun. The operation of the unit 27 in these circumstances is to substitute the number N for the number represented by the word W2 read from track T1. The value of N appropriate for this is derived within the unit 27 in accordance with whichever of a plurality of possible frequency-of-use gradings applies to the customer. Identification of the customer's grading in this respect is carried by the card 10 in the word W4 recorded in track T1 and read from the card by the heads 25A and 25B. The word W4 may in this respect simply be a code that iden-tifies ~hich of a series of predetermined combinations of values of N and D held as stored information in the equipment, is to apply to use of the customer's card. The unit 27 is programmed to generate from the word W4 as conveyed to it from the unit 23, the values of N and D, defining the allowed maximum frequency-of-use, appropriate to the identified grading.
The value of D generated in the uni-t 27 from the word W4 in the circumstances under consideration, is utilised ~;
for the computation of the commencement of the next frequency-of-use period. In this respect the co~mencement of the next frequency-of-use period is to be D days after the current date set into the unit 27 by the device 29.
The unit 27 accordingly acts to derive an appropriate number for substitution for the out-of-date number represented by the word ~1 read from the card 10. As described above, the unit 27 already computes the number of days from the . .
~ 4q~56 current date to the end o~ the expiry year represented by word ~5 read from the card 10, and this number after reduction by the value of D is therefore appropriate for -the up-dating of the word ~1. Up-dating of the recording of word W1 in track T1 is carried out by appropriate energization of the heaas 24A and 24B by the unit 21 as the card 10 is returned along the guideway 18. The word W2 recorded on the card is also up-dated at the same time to the value N or, depending on whether dispensing has ; 10 taken place, to some lesser value in accordance with the ~ number of packets dispensed.
; Thus~ as described above, -the status of the card 10 as regards the frequency-of-use requirement defined by word W4, is embodied in the two recorded words W1 and ~2 in a manner that readily allows for any appropriate up-dating with passage of time and use of the card. In particular, when the card is used the word W1 recorded on the card and representative of the-commencement of the next period of full-use remains unmodified unless the new period has by then been entered. It is only in the circumstances that the represented new period has been entered that up-dating of the word W1 takes place, such up-dating then being made from the current date se-t in by the device 29, so as to preserve full availability within the frequency-of-use limitation.
The method of representing the commencement of the next frequency-of-use period as the number of days to the end of the expiry year is of advantage in relation to security, especially where cards are issued fo~ one year only. More particularly, any fraudulent attempt to prolong the life of the card by modification of the year of ex~iry . .
' ~ 4~56 represented in the word l~l5, will in general have the effect of inhibiting use of the card (apart from any use already available as represented by the ~ord W2) for the interval of time by which the expiry date has been changed. Until this interval of time has passed, commencement of a new frequency-of-use period (defined in relation to the expiry year of the recorded word W5, by the word ~1 recorded on the 'secure' track T1) cannot occur. ~ny attempt on the other hand to achieve early oommencement of a new frequency-of-use perlod by advancing the expiry year will in general befruitless in that it will lead to retention of the card as having expired.
The security in the above aspects can be increased ~-by computing the n~ber of days appropriate to word ~1 to the end of the month of expiry, or alternatively by arranging that the life of each card is limited to the calendar year.
The 'use' and 'account~ processing ~mits 27 and 28 may be provided as specific units in the same installation as the card-reception unit 13 as shown. Their function may however be performed by a central computer or data processor that is common to a ~umber of card-reception units and is in on-line communication with them. In the ;
- latter case, nonetheless, a processor having the function of the units 27 and 28 may be provided with each individual card-reception unit for back-up purposes in the event of a break in the on-line operation. ~hatever the case, storage capability or other i~acility is also provided within the system to ena~e appropriate records of each transaction performed, to be produced for accounting purposes ' . :::' ,.
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Claims (18)
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. In a system comprising, in combination, equipment for receiving a token, and a token for use with the equipment, said token bearing recorded information relating to an aggregate the extent of previous plural use of the token within one of a succession of periods of time throughout each of which the token is authorized for limited use, and the recorded information also including time-identifying data, said equipment being adapted to receive said token and being operative to perform an operation in dependence upon said recorded information, said equipment including means for reading said recorded information from the token, means for providing reference signals defining a current epoch in time, means for comparing the time-identifying data read from the token with said reference signals, and means for up-dating the said information recorded on the token in dependence both upon the said operation performed by the equipment and the result of the said comparison between the time-identifying data read from the token and the said reference signals, the improvement wherein the time-identifying data recorded on the token defines the commencement of the authorized-use period which is next to commence following the last use of the token, and the said equipment includes means for up-dating the record of said time-identifying data on the token when the result of said comparison signifies that the next period-commencement is not later than the current time identified by the reference signals.
2. A system according to claim 1 wherein said information recorded on the token includes further data defining the length of each said authorized-use period, and wherein the said up-dating means includes means operative to define the next-period commencement as following at an interval of time equal to said length after the current epoch defined by the said reference signals.
3. Equipment for performing a function in dependence upon a token presented thereto, which token bears changeable recorded data defining the remaining available use of the token within one of a succession of periods throughout each of which the token is authorized for plural use, said equipment comprising means for receiving the token presented to the equipment, means for reading the recorded data from the received token to derive time-identifying signals, said time-identifying signals defining the authorized-use period which is next to commence immediately following previous use of the token, means for supplying reference signals defining a current epoch in time, means for effecting a comparison between the time-identifying signals and said reference signals to provide a first signals when said current epoch in time is before the said next authorized-use period defined by said time-identifying signals and otherwise to provide a second signal, output means operable to perform said function, means for operating said output means in accordance with a condition for operation that depends at least in part upon whether the result of said comparison is said first or second signal, said operating means including means responsive to occurrence of said first signal for determining whether said function may be performed without exceeding said remaining available use, and means responsive to occurrence of said second signal to up-date the said data recorded on the token to define a fresh one of said periods commencing after said current epoch.
4. Equipment according to claim 3 including means for reading further data from the received token to define the length of each said authorized-use period, and wherein said up-dating means is operative to define the commencement of said fresh period as following at an interval of time equal to said length after the said current epoch defined by said reference signals.
5. Equipment according to claim 4 including means for reading from the received token information as to its date of expiry, and wherein said up-dating means is operative to record on the token a number computed in dependence upon the interval of days between the dates of said commencement and expiry.
6. The combination of a dispenser that is releasable to effect a dispensing operation, and equipment according to claim 5, said output means of said equipment being operable to release the dispenser in performance of said function.
7. Equipment for controlling use of a credit card or like token that bears a recording medium, whereby the token is to have a limited aggregate extent of authorized use within each of successive periods of time, the equipment comprising means for receiving the token, means for reading from the received token information recorded in said medium, means deriving from said information use-related signals and time-related signals, said use-related signals being indicative of the aggregate use of said token in one of said periods and said time-related signals being indicative of the commencement of the next of said periods following said one period, means for supplying reference signals indicative of a current epoch in time, means for comparing the time-related signals with said reference signals to provide a first signal when said current epoch in time is before the indicated commencement of the next of said periods and otherwise to provide a second signal, means for signifying a requested use of the token, processing means operative in a first mode in response to said first signal and operative in a second mode in response to said second signal, said processing means when operative in said first mode determining whether the sum of the said requested use and said aggregate use lies within the said authorized limit of use of the token and, if it is, to issue an approval signal and a total signal indicative of the value of said sum, and said processing means when operative in said second mode determining whether the said requested use lies within the said authorized limit and, if it is to issue said approval signal and said total signal indicative in said second mode of the value of said requested use alone, approval means to manifest approval of the requested use in response to occurrence of said approval signal, means to change the recording of aggregate use on the token to the value indicated by said total signal, and means operative in response to occurrence of said second signal to up-date the recording of said commencement of the next said period to a point in time following said epoch.
8. Equipment according to claim 7 including means for reading further data from the received token to define the length of each said authorized-use period, and wherein said up-dating means is operative to define the next-period commencement as following at an interval of time equal to said period length after said current epoch defined by the said reference signals.
9. Equipment according to claim 7 in combination with dispensing means releasable to perform a dispensing operation, and wherein said approval means is means for releasing the dispensing means in response to issue of said approval signal.
10. In a method for performing an operation in response to presentation of a token, which method is conditioned by information read from a recording borne by the token, the recorded information relating to an aggregate of the extent of previous plural use of the token within one of a succession of periods of time throughout each of which the token is authorized for limited use, and wherein said method includes the steps of reading date information from the token, comparing the read date information with the current date, and updating the recorded information on the token in dependence upon the operation performed and the result of said comparison, the improvement wherein the date information recorded on the token defines the commencement of the authorized use period which is next to commence following the last use of the token, and the updating of the information recorded on the token occurs when the result of said comparison signifies that the next period-commencement is not later than the current date.
11. A method according to claim 10 wherein further data is read from the token and the commencement of the next authorized-use period is defined in the updating so as to follow the current date after an interval that is of a length determined from the said further data.
12. A method according to claim 11 wherein the further data read from the token defines the length of each of the said authorized-use periods, and the said interval is made equal to this.
13. A method according to claim 11 wherein the further data read from the token defines the maximum extent of use of the token authorized for each authorized-use period, the method including the step of up-dating the recorded information relating to the extent of previous use of the token in accordance with the token-defined maximum whenever the date of commencement of the next authrozed-use period is updated.
14. A method according to claim 10 including the step of reading from the token a record of the date of its expiry, and the step of recording on the token the date of commencement of the next authorized-use period as a number in accordance with the interval of days between the two dates.
15. A method according to claim 10 wherein said operation is dis-pensing of money in accordance with a request made by the token-holder.
16. A method for controlling a credit transaction by use of a credit card or like token that bears recorded information relating to a limited aggregate extent of authorized plural use of the token within each of a plurality of successive periods of time, said method comprising reading said recorded information from the token, deriving from said read information use-related signals and time-related signals, said use-related signals being indicative of the aggregate use of said token in one of said periods and said time-related signals being indicative of the commencement of the next of said periods following said one period, supplying reference signals indicative of a current epoch in time, comparing the time-related signals with said reference signals to provide a first signal when said current epoch in time is before the indicated commencement of the next of said periods and otherwise to provide a second signal, determining in response to occurrence of said first signal whether the sum of the said requested use and said aggregate use lies within the said authorized limit of use of the token, producing an approval signal and a total signal indicative of the value of said sum when said determination is affirmative, alternatively determining in response to occurrence of said second signal whether the said requested use lies within the said authorized limit, producing said approval signal and said total signal indicative of said requested use alone when said alternative determination is affirmative, manifesting approval of the requested use in response to occurrence of said approval signal, changing the recording of aggregate use on the token to the value indicated by said total signal, and up-dating the recording of said commencement of the next said period to a point in time following said epoch in response to occurrence of said second signal.
17. The method of claim 16 wherein said reading step reads further data from the token to define the length of each said authorized-use period, and said up-dating step defines the next-period commencement as following at an interval of time equal to said period length after the current epoch defined by the said reference signals.
18. The method of claim 16 or claim 17 including the step or performing a dispensing operation in response to occurrence of said approval signal.
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB2699/74A GB1494736A (en) | 1974-01-21 | 1974-01-21 | Token-control |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1049656A true CA1049656A (en) | 1979-02-27 |
Family
ID=9744234
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA218,133A Expired CA1049656A (en) | 1974-01-21 | 1975-01-17 | Token-control |
Country Status (7)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| US (1) | US4020326A (en) |
| JP (1) | JPS50108996A (en) |
| CA (1) | CA1049656A (en) |
| DE (1) | DE2502305A1 (en) |
| FR (1) | FR2273327B1 (en) |
| GB (1) | GB1494736A (en) |
| SE (1) | SE7500562L (en) |
Cited By (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US4861971A (en) * | 1987-08-10 | 1989-08-29 | Chan Mike T | Parking meters capable of being operated without monetary coins |
Families Citing this family (27)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB1556186A (en) * | 1975-08-14 | 1979-11-21 | Matsushita Electric Ind Co Ltd | Automatic vending systems |
| FR2386080A1 (en) * | 1977-03-31 | 1978-10-27 | Cii Honeywell Bull | ACCOUNTING SYSTEM FOR PREDETERMINED HOMOGENEOUS UNITS |
| US4247759A (en) * | 1978-10-10 | 1981-01-27 | Cubic Western Data | Self-service passenger ticketing system |
| DE3005432A1 (en) * | 1980-02-14 | 1981-08-20 | Stockburger, Hermann, 7742 St. Georgen | Authorisation card safeguarded against misuse when stolen - has data stored magnetically and selectors for checking against personally allocated number |
| JPS57125464A (en) * | 1981-01-26 | 1982-08-04 | Omron Tateisi Electronics Co | Automatic cash paying machine |
| ZA829559B (en) * | 1982-01-29 | 1983-10-26 | Hawker Siddeley Revenue Contr | Read and erase device |
| US5940504A (en) * | 1991-07-01 | 1999-08-17 | Infologic Software, Inc. | Licensing management system and method in which datagrams including an address of a licensee and indicative of use of a licensed product are sent from the licensee's site |
| US6948070B1 (en) | 1995-02-13 | 2005-09-20 | Intertrust Technologies Corporation | Systems and methods for secure transaction management and electronic rights protection |
| US6157721A (en) * | 1996-08-12 | 2000-12-05 | Intertrust Technologies Corp. | Systems and methods using cryptography to protect secure computing environments |
| US7069451B1 (en) | 1995-02-13 | 2006-06-27 | Intertrust Technologies Corp. | Systems and methods for secure transaction management and electronic rights protection |
| US7165174B1 (en) | 1995-02-13 | 2007-01-16 | Intertrust Technologies Corp. | Trusted infrastructure support systems, methods and techniques for secure electronic commerce transaction and rights management |
| DE69638018D1 (en) * | 1995-02-13 | 2009-10-15 | Intertrust Tech Corp | Systems and procedures for managing secure transactions and protecting electronic rights |
| US7095854B1 (en) | 1995-02-13 | 2006-08-22 | Intertrust Technologies Corp. | Systems and methods for secure transaction management and electronic rights protection |
| US5943422A (en) | 1996-08-12 | 1999-08-24 | Intertrust Technologies Corp. | Steganographic techniques for securely delivering electronic digital rights management control information over insecure communication channels |
| US6658568B1 (en) | 1995-02-13 | 2003-12-02 | Intertrust Technologies Corporation | Trusted infrastructure support system, methods and techniques for secure electronic commerce transaction and rights management |
| US7133845B1 (en) | 1995-02-13 | 2006-11-07 | Intertrust Technologies Corp. | System and methods for secure transaction management and electronic rights protection |
| US7143290B1 (en) * | 1995-02-13 | 2006-11-28 | Intertrust Technologies Corporation | Trusted and secure techniques, systems and methods for item delivery and execution |
| US7124302B2 (en) | 1995-02-13 | 2006-10-17 | Intertrust Technologies Corp. | Systems and methods for secure transaction management and electronic rights protection |
| US5892900A (en) | 1996-08-30 | 1999-04-06 | Intertrust Technologies Corp. | Systems and methods for secure transaction management and electronic rights protection |
| US7133846B1 (en) | 1995-02-13 | 2006-11-07 | Intertrust Technologies Corp. | Digital certificate support system, methods and techniques for secure electronic commerce transaction and rights management |
| DE19527597C2 (en) * | 1995-07-28 | 1999-01-21 | Good Night Inn Motel Managemen | System and method for the temporary activation of energy of at least one electrical or electronic device |
| US7062500B1 (en) | 1997-02-25 | 2006-06-13 | Intertrust Technologies Corp. | Techniques for defining, using and manipulating rights management data structures |
| US7092914B1 (en) | 1997-11-06 | 2006-08-15 | Intertrust Technologies Corporation | Methods for matching, selecting, narrowcasting, and/or classifying based on rights management and/or other information |
| US7430670B1 (en) | 1999-07-29 | 2008-09-30 | Intertrust Technologies Corp. | Software self-defense systems and methods |
| US6817524B2 (en) * | 2001-08-24 | 2004-11-16 | Cubic Corporation | Universal ticket transport |
| CA2538182A1 (en) * | 2003-09-22 | 2005-04-07 | Cubic Corporation | Mass transit bus fare box |
| US8572699B2 (en) * | 2010-11-18 | 2013-10-29 | Microsoft Corporation | Hardware-based credential distribution |
Family Cites Families (3)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB1336132A (en) * | 1969-12-03 | 1973-11-07 | Smiths Industries Ltd | Access-control equipment and item-dispensing systems including |
| JPS4929083B1 (en) * | 1970-03-03 | 1974-08-01 | ||
| US3657702A (en) * | 1970-08-19 | 1972-04-18 | Digital Data Systems Corp | Transaction accumulator for a credit verification system |
-
1974
- 1974-01-21 GB GB2699/74A patent/GB1494736A/en not_active Expired
-
1975
- 1975-01-17 CA CA218,133A patent/CA1049656A/en not_active Expired
- 1975-01-20 SE SE7500562A patent/SE7500562L/xx unknown
- 1975-01-20 FR FR7501690A patent/FR2273327B1/fr not_active Expired
- 1975-01-20 US US05/542,624 patent/US4020326A/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1975-01-21 DE DE19752502305 patent/DE2502305A1/en not_active Withdrawn
- 1975-01-21 JP JP919075A patent/JPS50108996A/ja active Pending
Cited By (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US4861971A (en) * | 1987-08-10 | 1989-08-29 | Chan Mike T | Parking meters capable of being operated without monetary coins |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| FR2273327A1 (en) | 1975-12-26 |
| DE2502305A1 (en) | 1975-07-24 |
| FR2273327B1 (en) | 1980-04-11 |
| US4020326A (en) | 1977-04-26 |
| GB1494736A (en) | 1977-12-14 |
| SE7500562L (en) | 1975-07-22 |
| JPS50108996A (en) | 1975-08-27 |
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