DK167833B1 - Pay telephone installation or pay service installation - Google Patents

Description

DK 167833 B1

The present invention relates to a payment service system having at least one payment service system and a remote central computer, in particular a payment telephone apparatus with at least one payment telephone apparatus and a remote central computer. The invention further relates to a local computer in such a system.

Pay phones have been known for many years, with the single pay phone being operated using coins, having been paid for telephone calls by throwing 10 one or more coins into a slot in the pay phone. However, the emergence of credit cards issued by credit card companies, banks, etc. has resulted in a need for a payphone system in which a card such as a credit card can be used. The general trend towards the bill, 15 banknote and coinless society has further nurtured the need for a payphone system, in which user calls are paid using cards, such as magnetic cards, which are in principle of the conventional magnetic card type or · of similar type. In this context, the term "card" is a generic term for objects such as magnetic cards, magnetic tapes, magnetic plates, optically readable cards, plates and tapes or electronically readable objects such as active electronic cards, "chip" cards, etc.

Payphone systems in which the telephone is operated or activated by a card of the type described above have also been proposed in the art. However, the known payment telephone systems are very similar to the known credit card systems, in that the cards used in the payment telephone systems are personal cards issued to a particular 30 person and the person holding such a card is required to verify. of the person's eligibility or authenticity by entering in the payphone apparatus a PIN or PIN, such as a PIN (Personal Identification Number-35) code, which is only known by the beneficial owner of the card.

In the facility, the authenticity of the card must be verified and the authenticity of the person in possession of the card must also be verified. However, it will be understood that this two-step verification procedure involves very complicated processing routines that are usually performed in an on-line data system. Transmission of data to and from the central computer of the facility for verifying the authenticity of the card and for verifying the authenticity of the person in possession of the card takes time due to the limitations of transmission in the telephone line, and the transmission actually takes up a part of the telephone call time and must therefore be considered a loss in income to the telephone company. Common to these well-known pay phone systems is that the discretion and security of the system is associated with the discretion and security of the individual cards, which is further dependent on the discretion and security of the individual authentication and verification codes known only by the card's legitimate holders .

The basis of the present invention is quite different from these well-known credit card type telephone systems in that it has been recognized that the card which provides access to a service or telephone call is not a universal means of payment but a means of payment for a particular type. commodity and also of limited value. On the basis of this recognition, there is provided a payment service system of a type quite different from the known 25 telephone system types.

DE-A-2,731,127 discloses a payment service facility in which credit cards can be used. When using a credit card to pay a benefit, the card is verified using an identification code, and the card may further contain 30 information about the amount available within a predetermined period, for example a month. Unlike this payment service facility, the present application relates to a payment facility in which a prepaid card representing a limited value may be used. This card 35 is verified off-line based on a comparison of the amount entered in the card after the previous transaction and the amount entered on the card before the start of the current transaction. EP-A-88639 describes a telecommunications network in which credit cards can be used as a means of payment. To each phone is connected a local computer, 5 used to confirm whether the card belongs to one of the credit institutions affiliated with the telephone network. This differs from the present invention in which the means of payment is not a credit card but prepaid cards representing a particular value.

In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a payment service system comprising at least one payment service apparatus and a remote central computer, which payment service apparatus communicates with the central computer via a transmission line, the payment service apparatus being operated by a card containing data readable from the card and capable of identifying the card, which further represents an amount corresponding to an allowable service, which payment service apparatus comprises: a means for recording the card, a reading means for reading the readable data from the card which is recorded in the card receiving means, a writing means for writing data into the card, a first storage means connected to the reading means, for storing data read from the card by the reading means, a second storage means, a charging means for generating a signal representing a debit b a subtraction means connected to the first storage means and the charging means to subtract the charge signal from the amount represented by the data read from the card so that the amount is reduced, the reduced amount being stored in the first storage means and further read out to the writing means and written into the card by the writing means at the end of the service, and a gate means connected to the subtraction means and fed to the reduced amount during the service to 4

Wolf Ib / bJd bl comparing the reduced amount and a predetermined threshold to discontinue service when the reduced amount becomes less than the predetermined threshold, peculiar in that the verification of the card is not based on the use of a personal identification code, but based on cross-revision in the remote central computer of data loaded from various payment service apparatus, that the first storage means can be further connected to the transmission line for transferring data to the remote central computer via the transmission line; the second storage means can be addressed from the remote central computer via the transmission line, for storing data transferred from the remote central computer, a comparator means connected to the first storage means and the second storage means, for comparison of those in the first storage means stored data and the data stored in the other storage means so that the card is identified as a legal card or instead as an illegal card, and further to generate and deliver an acceptance signal to prepare the payment service apparatus for a service provided the card is identified as a legal card, or instead of generating and issuing a rejection signal to the recording device, provided the card is identified as an illegal card, to cause the recording device to reject the card, storing the accept signal or the rejection signal in it; first storage means, the payment service apparatus being arranged to output data which is l arranged in the first storage means, for the transmission line, for transferring data to the remote central computer for storage or processing in the same after completion of service, and the remote central computer adapted to transmit data identifying legal cards and data , which identifies illegal cards, to the second storage service in the payment service apparatus through the transmission line when the payment service device is not operational.

In accordance with the idea of the present invention, service is made possible by means of a card, provided that the card is identified by the payment service apparatus as a legal card and provided that the amount corresponding to a permissible service is not below the predetermined threshold, i.e. usually greater than zero. Two special features of the payment service concept of the present invention are to be emphasized.

First, the identification of the card as a legal card is based on a comparison of data read from the card with data loaded into the second storage device of the payment service apparatus from the remote central computer of the payment service facility. The data which is loaded into the second storage device in the payment service apparatus, ie. the data supplied from the remote central computer may include both positive and negative verification data. Thus, the verification data stored in the second storage means may include data identifying fake cards or cards tampered with, such as cards in which attempts have been made to change the data stored in the card by, that data is again written in the card representing an amount greater than the amount written in the card at the end of the last telephone call. The processing of data in the remote central computer can very easily reveal tampering attempts of this type by a simple cross-revision of data loaded from the various payment service devices into the payment service system for each card. In the case of an attempt to tamper with a card by increasing the amount represented by the card's data, that card will be identified as an illegal card by the data transmitted to the other storage body of the payment service apparatus from the remote central computer.

It will be appreciated that data in the second storage device is updated periodically and that the security of the payment service system can also be changed, for example, by increasing the updating period and by adapting the processing of data in the remote central computer according to individual requirements.

Second, the transmission of data from the first storage means to the remote central computer and the transmission of data from the remote central computer to the second storage means in the payphone apparatus do not record telephone call time. The data transmission to and from the remote central computer may occur at any convenient time when the payphone apparatus is not used, for example, at a time of lower cost, such as at night, and furthermore with any suitable period of time, as described above. .

As already mentioned, the payment service facility may constitute a payphone system. In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, a payphone system may constitute an aspect of a payment service system where the transmission line is a telephone line, the service service is a telephone call and the payphone apparatus communicates with a telephone exchange via the telephone line.

In many applications, the payphone devices are located side by side, such as at railway stations, airports, hospitals or other public buildings, and several payphone devices may therefore have in a payphone system of the invention a common first storage means, second storage means and comparator means, whereby the overall complexity of the plant is reduced. In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a payphone system peculiar in that it further comprises a local atomic machine, which payphone apparatus communicates with a telephone exchange and the local computer via a telephone line and furthermore with the central computer via a data transmission line. or an additional telephone line, wherein the reading means may be connected to the telephone line for transmitting data to the local computer via the telephone line, the writing means may be connected to the telephone line for receiving data from the local computer via the telephone line, which local computer comprises : the first storage means, the second storage means and the comparator means, the local computer being adapted to output data stored in the first storage means to the data transmission line or telephone line, for transmitting data to the remote central computer; tamper for storage or 15 processing in the same.

In accordance with this aspect of the present invention, the first storage means, the second storage means and the comparator means are contained in the local computer, while the first storage means, the second storage means and the comparator means are in accordance with the first aspect described above of the present invention. is included in the payphone. According to this aspect of the present invention, the local computer may be located in the telephone exchange. Furthermore, the two aspects of the present invention can be combined in a payphone system.

Depending on the location of the local computer, the local computer may be assigned to a single payphone or, in accordance with a further embodiment of this aspect of the present invention, may be assigned to multiple payphone devices, e.g., multiple payphone devices in individual telephone booths at a railway station, in an airport or similar. In accordance with a further embodiment of the payphone system of the present invention DK 187833 bl 8, the payphone apparatus is further arranged to be operated by a second card which represents a credit card and can be recorded in the recording device of the payphone apparatus and further contains data which can be 5 is read from the card and identifies the card which remote central computer is connected to or can be connected to a further computer in a credit card organization, which comparator is further arranged to identify the card as a credit card based on the comparison of the the first storage means stored data and the data stored in the second storage means and to address the first storage means so as to cause the first storage means to output the data stored in this storage means to the telephone line for transferring data to the remote central computer , in advance the card is identified as a credit card, which remote central computer is further arranged to address the additional computer in the credit card organization when the data received from the payphone device relates to the credit card, and to transmit data to the additional computer to allow the additional computer verifies the authenticity of the credit card and, provided the credit card of the additional computer is verified as a legal credit card, to prepare the payment telephone apparatus for a telephone conversation, and which payment telephone apparatus is arranged to output the debit signal generated by the billing body during the telephone call to the telephone lead. the charge signal through the telephone line to the central computer when the telephone apparatus is being prepared via remote control and which remote central computer is further arranged to transmit it from the payment telephone apparatus received charge signal to the additional computer. 1

The charge of the telephone call may be limited to an individual maximum limit controlled by the additional computer or may be limited to a generally maximum amount controlled by the remote central computer in the payphone system.

Although the payphone system concept of the present invention can be used in connection with operator-operated payphone devices or voice-operated telephone systems, the payphone apparatus of the payphone system of the present invention is preferably a direct dial telephone. In this context, the term "call" refers to the generation of signals which address selector bodies in the telephone exchange by arbitrary, appropriate dialing or switching means, such as keyboards, dials or the like. Accordingly, the payphone apparatus of the payphone system preferably has a dialing means comprising manual switching means for generating a sequence of tone pulse signals and for supplying the sequence to the telephone exchange via the telephone line for addressing selector means in the telephone exchange.

The teachings of the present invention further enable the payphone system to be adapted to a mode of operation in which a telephone subscriber is called and asked if the subscriber will accept to pay for the telephone call by providing the payphone apparatus in an embodiment where the telephone apparatus further has a manual switching means. and a speech generator means, which further manual switching means is connected to the speech generator means and arranged to activate the latter, said first storage means being further arranged to store the sequence of tone pulse signals generated by the manual switching means in the dialing means, which speech generator 30 means are provided to generate a request signal and may be connected to the telephone line so that the speech generator means generates and supplies the request signal to the telephone line when activated by the additional manual switching means, the request signal providing is further transmitted to the telephone subscriber which is addressed by the sequence of tone pulse signals generated by the manually actuated 10

The wolf b1 switching means in the caller means, and which payment telephone apparatus is further arranged to be prepared for the telephone call by an acceptance signal, which is applied to the payment telephone apparatus from the telephone subscriber's apparatus in response to the request signal.

In this embodiment, the accept signal supplied to the payphone apparatus from the subscriber's telephone apparatus may be generated in any convenient manner, for example by means of a dialing means in the telephone subscriber's apparatus, the request signal being able to ask the telephone subscriber to activate the dialing means on the subscriber's telephone apparatus in a prescribed manner, ie. to enter a digit specified in the request.

Further, like conventional telephone sets, the telephone set of the payment system of the present invention may further have a handset body containing at least two electro-acoustic transducers, one of which is adapted to convert acoustic energy into electrical energy and to supply the electrical energy to the telephone line. when the payphone apparatus is in operation, and of which another 20 is arranged to receive electrical energy from the telephone line and to convert the electrical energy to acoustic energy when the payphone apparatus is in operation.

The electro-acoustic transducers may instead be contained in another or additional apparatus connected to the payphone apparatus, for example, contained in a conventional coin operated telephone apparatus further connected to the card operated payphone apparatus of the payphone system of the present invention. In the above-described embodiment of the payment telephone system according to the invention, the first storage means and the second storage means in the telephone apparatus can be constituted by individual storage means which meet any suitable requirements. In another embodiment, however, the first storage means and the second storage means in the payphone apparatus are constituted by a first and a second part of a single storage means, respectively. To ensure that the data stored in the second storage device in the payphone apparatus, i.e. the data loaded from the remote central computer and the data containing empirical experience collected during the preceding time period is not lost if the payphone apparatus in the payphone system is disconnected from the supply; from the telephone line, the second storage device in the payphone system is preferably a non-volatile storage such as an electrically erasable programmable read only memory (E2-PROM), while the first storage device in the payphone apparatus may be a non-volatile or a volatile storage device; such as a random access memory (RAM).

As will be apparent from the explanation above and further from the following detailed description, the payphone apparatus of the payphone system according to the invention is in principle an autonomous unit operating substantially independently of the remote central computer as the verification of the card is carried out in the payphone apparatus. on the basis of the comparison of the data input from the card and the data supplied to the pay phone apparatus from the remote central computer previously. In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the payphone apparatus of the payphone system of the invention, the payphone apparatus further has a central control means which controls the overall operation of the apparatus. The central control means of the payphone apparatus may preferably be a microcomputer body.

The payphone system may further comprise encryption and / or decryption means to enable data to be transmitted to and from the first storage means and the second storage means in the payment telephone apparatus and optionally further transmitting data from and to the reading means and the writing means in the payment telephone apparatus in the encrypted state. By transmitting data in encrypted mode, it is prevented that an impostor can access the verification data stored in the second storage device in DK Ί67833 Bl 12 by tampering with the payment telephone apparatus. In a first embodiment of the payphone system containing encryption or decryption means in the payphone apparatus, the payphone apparatus includes a decryption means for decrypting data read from the card recorded in the card receiving means by the reading means and furthermore for decrypting data read from the second storage device in the payphone apparatus. Accordingly, the data stored in the card is provided in encrypted state, and the data transferred from the remote central computer to the second storage means in the payphone apparatus is also provided in encrypted state. The decryption means may further or instead be arranged to decrypt the data read out from the first storage means, enabling data to be stored in the first storage means in encrypted state. In a further or alternate embodiment of the payphone system, further comprising encryption and decryption means, an encryption means is connected between the first storage means and the telephone line, and between the telephone line and the second storage means a decryption means respectively is applied to the data read out from the first storage means. the telephone line in the encrypted state and for decrypting the data transferred from the remote central computer to the second storage means from an encrypted state to a decrypted state.

In order to inform a person operating the telephone in the telephone system of the operating state of the system and furthermore the amount consumed by the initial amount represented by the data read from the card, the pay phone apparatus may preferably have a display means connected to the comparator means for the subtraction means and to the gate means for displaying information corresponding to the accept signal 35 or instead the rejection signal emitted from the comparator means to display the amount supplied from the subtraction means and further to display the information supplied by the gate means.

The card (s) operating the payphone system of the present invention may, as described above, be any one of the cards described above which contain data readable from the card and which furthermore allows data to be written into the card. Since the cards are, so to speak, consumed by the reduction of the amount represented by the data read from the card, and consequently converted into items 10 without value, the card itself is preferably of a construction and form which represents an extremely low price. An example of a card that represents a low price is a magnetic card. Accordingly, the card used in connection with the payphone system of the invention is preferably a card with a band of magnetic material disposed on one side of the card, the reading and writing means of the payphone apparatus being magnetic reading and writing means, respectively.

In addition to providing a card at an exceptionally low price by providing the card as a magnetic card, the payment telephone system also becomes compatible with the conventional magnetic cards issued by credit card organizations, etc. The magnetic cards to be used in connection with the payment telephone system of the invention are preferably 25 of the type disclosed in Applicants PCT Application PCT / DK84 / 00118, in which an application discloses a magnetic recording part, preferably a magnetic card, with a magnetic carrier consisting of two parts or two layers. By providing the magnetic information carrier as two 30 parts or two layers, the two parts or two layers together constituting a substantially homogeneous magnetic part or a substantially homogeneous magnetic layer and wherein the first part or first layer contains an original information , for example, the initial amount written on the card, where the other 35 part or second layer must have additional information recorded representing the "consumption" of the amount, a card is secured which is secured against manipulation as it becomes impossible to change the additional information without tampering with the original information so that any manipulation attempts are very easily detected. Further, the magnetic cards to be used in connection with the payphone system of the present invention are preferably in accordance with, or substantially in accordance with, the ISO 2894 standard for magnetic cards.

It is further believed that the idea 10 of the present invention can be used advantageously in connection with payment service facilities, for example in connection with transport vehicles such as buses, rental cars, trains, aircraft, ferries etc. and furthermore in any other situation where a user pays for a service.

The present invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to the drawing in which: 1 shows a payphone apparatus in a payphone system of the present invention connected to a conventional coin operated payphone apparatus, viewed in perspective and schematically; FIG. Fig. 2 is a perspective and schematic view of a preferred embodiment of a payphone apparatus of the present invention; 3 is a block diagram of the payment facility concept of the present invention; FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the individual blocks of the presently preferred embodiment of the payphone apparatus of the invention; and FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the verification routine of the above-mentioned preferred embodiment of the payphone apparatus of the present invention. 1 FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of a payphone apparatus in a payphone system according to the invention. The apparatus is an auxiliary apparatus designated by reference numeral 10 and connected to a conventional coin operated 35 payphone apparatus 12. The apparatus 12 has a housing 14, contained in a coin container (not shown in the drawing). On the upper front face of the housing 14 is provided a coin receiving slot 16 and a repayment push button 18 as well as a calling means 20. In a recess 22 in the left-hand side of the housing 14, a hand-held device 24 is mounted on a fork in the apparatus containing switching means for change the device for operation. The handset 24 is connected to the housing 14 via a spiral cable 26. On the lower front surface of the housing 14, a plate informs a user how to use the telephone apparatus.

The auxiliary device 10 has a housing 28 and is operated by a magnetic card received in a magnetic card receiving slot 30 on the front of the device housing 28. The auxiliary device 10 further has a display device 32 located at the upper end of the front surface of the housing 28, and further, two manually operable buttons 33 and 34, which serve to change the payphone assembly comprising the auxiliary apparatus 10 and the coin operated payphone apparatus 12 into an operating state in which the telephone call is paid by the telephone subscriber to which the telephone call is addressed. This state in which the receiving telephone subscriber pays for the telephone call will be described in more detail below with reference to FIG. 4. FIG. 2 is a presently preferred embodiment of a payphone apparatus in a payphone system of the present invention. The payphone apparatus is collectively designated by reference numeral 40 and comprises the housing 14 described above and the handset 24 which is received in the recess 22 of the housing 14 and which is further connected 30 to the housing 14 via the cable 26. Instead of the coin receiving slot 16, the call means 20 and the payback push button 18 have the one shown in FIG. 2 shows a card receiving slot 42 substantially identical to that of FIG. 1, a keypad call means 44, a display device 35 46 substantially similar to the one shown in FIG. 1, and two pushbuttons 48 and 49, which in total 16 • UK Ib / bJd b1 correspond substantially to those in FIG. 1 and the operation and function of the apparatus 40 will be apparent from the detailed description below with reference to FIG. 4th

In FIG. 3 is a schematic representation of a payphone system according to the present invention. The system comprises several pay phone devices 40, e.g., of the type shown in FIG.

2, which is connected via telephone wires to a local computer 50, for example, in a telephone exchange 52, and which is further connected to a remote central computer 54, to which one of the pay telephone devices 40 is directly connected. The payphone devices 40 are operated by magnetic cards 55, 56 and 57, which are preferably of the type described in the applicants' PCT application PCT / DK84 / 00118, and are substantially in accordance with ISO standard 2894. In addition to the by the magnetic card issued by the telephone company, the telephone sets 40 can be operated by a magnetic card issued by a credit card organization. In FIG. 3, reference numeral 58 denotes a first credit card organization's data system, and reference numeral 60 20 indicates a second credit card organization's data system. The remote central computer 54 is further provided via a telephone line in connection with a terminal 59, for example a terminal in a telephone shop.

A telephone apparatus 40 (shown in the lower right-hand side of Fig. 3) 25 which communicates directly with the remote central computer 54 contains a storage means, as will be described in more detail below with reference to Figs. 4 and 5, which are addressed from the remote central computer 54 and contain data identifying 30 legal magnetic cards and illegal magnetic cards.

When a magnetic card, e.g. 3, is inserted into the magnetic card receiving slot 42 of the payphone 40, the data stored in the magnetic tape on the card is read from the card and is loaded into a storage means in the payphone apparatus. The data transmitted from the magnetic card and the data transmitted from the remote computer 54 to the aforementioned storage device in the payphone apparatus are compared and on the basis of the comparison the card is identified as a legal card or instead as an illegal card, and the further examines whether the amount represented by the data read from the card, which represents a maximum telephone call duration, is different from zero and has not been changed to a value that exceeds the value entered in the magnetic card at the end of it. previous phone call, which 10 was paid using that card. Provided the card is identified as a legal card and furthermore a card that gives access to a telephone call, the amount being different from zero and not changed to a larger value, the payphone device is made ready for a telephone call, 15 and the person operating the device , is requested by means of the display means 46 of the apparatus (see Fig. 2) to enter a telephone number by means of the keypad caller 44. Assuming that the total amount read from the card 55 is not reduced to zero during the telephone call, the reduced amount is written in the card at the end of the telephone conversation before returning the card to the person operating the device from the magnetic card receiving slot 42.

The reduced amount in the card is stored in the apparatus and later transferred to the remote central computer 54, in which the data is processed, the data being cross-revised relative to data input from other payphone devices and from local computers such as the local computer 50, and on the basis of the data processing in the remote central computer 54, any illegal cards are identified, i.e. cards that have been altered or otherwise tampered with, and data identifying those cards are output from the remote central computer 54 to the storage means of the individual payphone devices 40.

The pay phone devices in the left half of FIG. 3 is connected to a local computer 50 containing the storage means addressed from the remote central 18

Wolf I b / ood B l computer 54, which contains data that identifies legal and illegal cards, and furthermore the storage means in which the data read from cards 55-57 are stored, together with the comparison block in which they read data from the card and 5 the data transmitted previously from the remote central computer 54 is compared to each other to identify the current card as a legal or illegal card.

In the event that a card issued by a credit card organization, e.g., the credit card organization operating the data system 10 58, is inserted into the payphone 40, the data read from the card identifies the card as a credit card and the payphone device addresses the remote central computer 54 which further addresses the credit card data facility in which the authenticity of the card is verified. Assuming the authenticity of the card issued by the credit card organization is verified, the payphone 40 is prepared for a telephone call, ie. the person operating the payphone apparatus is requested to enter a telephone number by means of the keypad caller 44 as described above. The data read from the card issued by the credit card organization is stored in the payphone together with the amount representing the duration of the telephone call and is subsequently transferred to the remote central computer 54 and 25 further from the same to the data system 50 so that the telephone call the credit card account is charged corresponding to the credit card used for the telephone call. The remote central computer 54 may be arranged to automatically limit the duration of the telephone call to a predetermined value.

The terminal 59 makes it possible to investigate the history of a particular card by addressing the remote central computer 54 to investigate a complaint regarding a magnetic card. 1 FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the payphone apparatus 35 40, the apparatus centrally comprising a microcomputer 62 which controls the overall operation of the apparatus and is connected to the individual blocks of the apparatus which will be described below. The microcomputer 62 is connected to the keyboard calling means 44, the display device 46, and a block 64 containing an audio circuit to which the handset 24 is connected. Further, the microcomputer 62 is connected to a magnetic read and write block 66 containing the magnetic card receiving slot 42, a magnetic read head 67, a magnetic write head 68, and rollers 69 and 70 serving to supply 10 magnetic cards and or driven rollers or combinations of bypass and driven rollers.

The microcomputer 62 is also connected to a speech generator block 72 which is further connected to a block 74 which contains the push buttons 48 and 49 activating the switch in the block 74. The microcomputer 62 is further connected to a first memory 76, in which they from the card by means of the magnetic read head 67 read data is input via the microcomputer 62, and further a second store 78, in which data identifying legal and illegal cards is input from the remote in FIG. 3, via a load / read interface block 82 connected to a telephone line and further through an encryption / decryption block 80. A decryption block may instead be contained in the microcomputer 62 so that they can be removed from the remote 25. central computer 54 shown in FIG. 3, the data transmitted to the second storage 78 in the payphone apparatus 40 is in encrypted state and so that the data read from the magnetic card or cards, e.g. 3, 55, 56 and 57, furthermore are in encrypted state and stored in the first storage 76 in encrypted state. Accordingly, a fraudster who seeks to reveal the information stored in the stores 76 and 78 internally by tampering with the payphone apparatus 40 will not be able to obtain any relevant information regarding the payphone system, since the data stored in the stores 76 and 78 is encrypted condition. As will be understood, the data transmitted to and from the individual blocks of the apparatus, i.e. to and from the read and write block 66 and to and from the UK 16/833 Bl 20 bearings 76 and 78, and further transmitted to the apparatus or from the apparatus via the telephone line in encrypted mode. Only in the microcomputer or microcomputer 62 is the data revealed in clear text.

During normal operation of the apparatus, the data read from cards recorded in the magnetic card-receiving slot 42 are read into the first memory 76 and stored in the same and further compared with data stored in the second memory 78 and representing legal and illegal cards. On the basis of comparison 10, it is determined whether or not the card is a legal card. Provided that the card is identified as a legal card and that the amount that gives access to a telephone call and which is read from the card is an amount greater than zero, the payment telephone apparatus is made ready for a telephone call. The person operating the apparatus is informed by the display device 46 that a telephone number must be entered by the keypad caller 44. The telephone number called is displayed on the display device 46 and when the connection is established, the display device 46 changes to show the 20 amount that gives access to the phone call. The amount is gradually reduced and the reduced amount is displayed to the person operating the device on the display device 46. At the end of a telephone call, the reduced amount is written into the magnetic card by the printhead 68 in block 25 66. In the event that amount is reduced to zero before the end of the telephone call, the payphone apparatus automatically disconnects the telephone call and the reduced amount, ie. the amount zero is written in the magnetic card, which is thus converted into a worthless card. 1 2 3 4 5 6 In another operating mode, the person operating the device activates one of the pushbuttons 48 and 49, thereby activating the speech generator block 72 and the microcomputer 62 and 4 changes the device to an operating state in which telephone 5 calls the subscriber who receives the 6 telephone call will be charged. After activating the relevant pushbutton, ie. one of the pushbuttons 48 and 49, the person operating the apparatus is asked to call the telephone number by means of the keypad dialer 44, the telephone number being stored in the first storage 76 and when the connection is established, the speech generator block 72 emits an audible signal. to the 5 telephone line, which signal asks the telephone subscriber who receives the telephone call whether he will agree to pay for the telephone call. If the telephone subscriber is willing to agree to pay for the telephone call, the telephone subscriber activates the caller on his telephone in 10 prescribed manner, ie. the telephone subscriber "rotates" a number requested by the signal generated by the speech generator block 72 by the dialer on the telephone subscriber's telephone apparatus to generate a sequence of tone pulse signals supplied to the pay telephone apparatus via the telephone line.

The amount representing the duration of the telephone call is also stored in the first storage 76, and at a later time, when the data stored in the storage 76 is transferred to the remote central computer 54, this amount is debited to the telephone subscriber's account.

In FIG. 5, the verification routine performed in the payphone apparatus 40 or in the auxiliary apparatus 10 connected to the conventional coin operated payphone apparatus is shown in a flow chart. Data read from card 55 identifying the card, for example at its 25 number or the like, is compared to data read from the store 78 in a verification block 84. Data read from the card 55 and representing an amount giving access to a telephone call, is compared with data read out from the store 76 in another verification block 86. Provided the verification blocks 84 30 and 86 identify card 55 as a legal and a non-exhausted card respectively, an additional logical decision block 88 prepares the payphone apparatus for a telephone call.

As described above, the person operating the device is requested to call a telephone number by means of the keypad dialer 44. The keypad dialer 44 further activates the UK Ib / BBJ B1 22 a charge pulse generator block 90, which provides charging pulses to an arithmetic block 92, which further receives the amount read from the card 55 and reduces the amount in response to the charge pulses supplied from the charge pulse generator block 90 5.

The actual or reduced amount is displayed on display device 46 and loaded into memory 76 and further transferred to block 94 adapted to interrupt the telephone call when the amount is reduced to below a predetermined threshold value such as a zero threshold. At the end of the telephone conversation, the store 76 reads out the reduced amount to the magnetic printhead 68 shown in FIG. 4, by means of which the amount is written in the card 55. Through the telephone line connected to the telephone exchange and furthermore to the one in FIG. 3, the data stored in the storage 76 is read out to the remote central computer at a convenient time, for example at night, and in the remote central computer the data as described above is processed and the data stored in the storage 78 as identifies legal and illegal cards, is updated in response to processing of the data in the remote central computer.

In the description above, an integrated payphone apparatus is described. In the lower left side of FIG. 325, the storage 76, the storage 78, the verification block 84, the verification block 86, the logical decision block 88, and the microcomputer 62 controlling the overall operation of the apparatus are contained in the local computer 50. In another alternative embodiment, multiple payment telephones of the type shown in the lower right side of FIG. 3, include the control, storage and decision blocks identified above, for example in applications where several payphone devices are installed in adjacent telephone boxes, eg in railway stations, in airports, etc.

Claims (15)

A payment service system comprising at least one payment service apparatus (40, 12) and a remote central computer (54), which payment service apparatus (40, 12) communicates with the central computer (54) via a transmission line, said payment service apparatus (40, 12) is operated by a card (55, 56, 57) containing data readable from the card (55, 56, 57) and capable of identifying the card (55, 56, 57) and which card (55, 56, 57) an additional 10 represents an amount corresponding to a permissible service, which payment service apparatus (40, 12) comprises: a means (30, 42) for receiving the card (55, 56, 57), a reading means (67) for reading the readable data from the card (55, 56, 57) recorded in the card receiving means (30, 42), a write means (68) for writing data into the card (55, 56, 57), a first storage means (76), connected to the reading means (67), for storing data read from the card (55, 56, 57) by means of the reading means (67), a a second storage means (78), a charging means (90) for generating a. signal representing a charge amount, a subtraction means (92) connected to the first storage means and the charge means to subtract the charge signal from the amount represented by the data read from the card (55, 56, 57) so that the amount is reduced, the reduced amount being stored in the first storage means (76) and further read out to the writing means (68) and written into the card (55, 56, 57) by the writing means (68) at the end of the service, and a gate means (94 ) connected to the subtractor and fed to the reduced amount during the service, for comparison of the reduced amount and a predetermined threshold to interrupt the service when the reduced amount becomes less than the predetermined threshold, 35 characterized by the fact that the card is not verified. is based on the use of a personal identification code, but based on cross-examination in the remote central 24 UIV ΙΟ / ΰέέ DI a computer (54) of data loaded from various payment service apparatus, and that the first storage means (76) can be further connected to the transmission line for transferring data to the remote central computer (54) via the transmission line; the second storage means (78) can be addressed from the remote central computer (54) via the transmission line, for storing data transmitted from the remote central computer (54), a comparator (88) connected to the first storage means and the second storage means, for comparison of the data stored in the first storage means and the data stored in the second storage means, so that the card (55, 56, 57) is identified as a legal card or instead as an illegal card, and furthermore to generate and issuing an acceptance signal to prepare the payment service apparatus (12, 40) for a service provided the card (55, 56, 57) is identified as a legal card, or instead of generating and issuing a rejection signal to the receiving agency, provided the card (55, 56, 57) is identified as an illegal card, in order to cause the recording means (30, 42) to reject the card (55, 56, 57), storing the accept signal or the rejection signal in the the first storage means (76), the payment service apparatus (12, 40) being arranged to output data stored in the first storage means (76) to the transmission line, to transmit the data to the remote central computer (54) for storage or processing at the same after the end of the service, and the remote central computer (54) being arranged to transfer data identifying legal cards and 30 data identifying illegal cards to the second storage means (78) of the payment service apparatus (12, 40) via the transmission line when the payment service apparatus (12, 40) is not in operation. DK 167833 B1 25 Payment service system according to claim 1, characterized in that the payment service apparatus (12, 40) is a payphone (12, 40), that the transmission line is a telephone line, that the service is a telephone call and that the payphone (12, 40) communicates with a telephone exchange (52) via the telephone line. Payment service system according to claim 2, characterized in that a plurality of payment telephone apparatus (12, 40) together comprise the first storage means (76), the second storage means (78) and the comparator means (88). A payment service system according to claim 1 in the form of a payphone system with at least one payphone device (12, 40), characterized in that it further comprises a local computer (50), which payphone device (12, 40. communicates with a telephone exchange ( 52) and the local computer (50) via a telephone line and furthermore with the remote central computer (54) via a data transmission line or an additional telephone line, in which the reading means (67) can be connected to the telephone line for transferring data to the local computer (50). ) via the telephone line, the writing means (68) can be connected to the telephone line for receiving data from the local computer (50) via the telephone line, which local computer (50) comprises: the first storage means (76), the second storage means (78) and the comparator means (88), the local computer (50) being adapted to output data stored in the first storage means (76) for data transmission the transmission line or telephone line, for transferring the data to the remote central computer (54) for storage or processing in the same. UK IO / 3BB B l 26 Payment service facility according to claim 4, characterized in that the local computer (50) is assigned to several payment telephone devices (12, 40). Payment service system according to any of the preceding claims 2-5, characterized in that the payment telephone apparatus (12, 40) is further arranged to be operated by another card (55, 56, 57) representing a credit card and can be recorded in the recording means (30, 42) of the payphone (12, 40) and further contains data which can be read from the card (55, 56, 57) and identify the card (55, 56, 57) , which remote central computer (54) is connected to or may be connected to an additional computer (58, 60) in a credit card organization, which comparator (88) is further arranged to identify the card (55, 56, 57) as a credit card based on the comparison of the data stored in the first storage means (76) and the data stored in the second storage means (78) and to address the first storage means (76) so that the first storage means (76) are brought to the reading the data stored in this storage means (76) In the telephone line for transferring the data to the remote central computer (54), provided the card (55, 56, 57) is identified as a credit card, the remote central computer (54) is further arranged to address the additional computer (58, 60) in the credit card organization when the data received from the payphone apparatus (12, 40) relates to the credit card, and to transmit the data to the additional computer (58, 60) to verify the additional computer (58, 60) the authenticity of the credit card and, provided the credit card of the additional computer (58, 60) is verified as a legal credit card, to prepare the payphone (12, 40) for a telephone call, and which payphone (12, 40) is arranged to read it generated by the billing body (90) during the telephone call, the billing signal to the telephone line for transmitting the billing signal through the telephone line to the DK 1 67833 B1 27 central computer (54) when the telephone set (12, 40) is set up via remote control, and which remote central computer (54) is further arranged to transmit the charge signal received from the pay telephone apparatus (12, 40) to the further computer (58, SO). Payment service system according to any one of the preceding claims 2-6, characterized in that the payment telephone apparatus (12, 10 40) further has a dialing device (20, 44) containing manually activatable switching means for generating a consequence of tone pulse signals. and to transmit the sequence to a telephone exchange (52) via the telephone line for addressing selector means in the telephone exchange. Payment service system according to claim 7, characterized in that the payment telephone apparatus (12, 40) further has a manual switching means (33, 34, 48, 49. and a speech generator means (72), which further manual switching means (33, 34, 48, 49 ) is connected to the speech generator means (72) and arranged to activate the latter, which first memory means (76) is further arranged to store the sequence of tone pulse signals generated by the manually actuable switching means in the dialing means (20, 44). said speech generator means (72) adapted to generate a request signal and may be connected to said telephone line so that said speech generator means (72) generate and supply said request signal to said telephone line when activated by said further manually operable switching means (33, 34, 48, 49 ), the request signal being further transmitted to the telephone subscriber being addressed by the sequence of tone pulse signals generated by means of the manual switching means of the dialing means (20, 44), and which payment telephone apparatus (12, 40) is further arranged to be prepared for the telephone call by an acceptance signal supplied to the payment telephone apparatus (12, 40) from the telephone subscriber's apparatus in response to the request signal . Ul \ ΙΌ / Ούύ D I 28 Payment service system according to any one of the preceding claims 2-8, characterized in that the payphone apparatus (12, 40) further has a handset device (24) containing at least two electro-acoustic transducers, one of which is arranged for converting acoustic energy into electrical energy and supplying the electrical energy to the telephone line when the payphone is in operation, and of which the other is arranged to receive electrical energy r 10 from the telephone line and converting the electrical energy to acoustic energy, when the payphone is in operation. Payment service system according to any one of the preceding claims 2-9, 15, characterized in that the first storage means (76) and the second storage means (78) in the payment telephone apparatus (12, 40) comprise a first and a second part respectively. of a single storage means and / or that the first storage means (76) of the payphone apparatus (12, 40) is constituted by a volatile store of 20 and the second storage means (78) of the payment telephone apparatus (12, 40) is constituted by a volatile stock. Payment service system according to any one of the preceding claims 2-10, characterized in that the payment telephone apparatus (12, 25 40) further has a central control means (62) which controls the overall function of the apparatus, which is preferably central control means (62). by a microcomputer means (62). Payment service system according to any one of the preceding claims 2-11, 30, characterized in that the payment telephone system further has encryption and decryption means, that an encryption means (80) is connected between the first storage means (76) and the telephone line. a decryption means (80) is interconnected between the telephone line and the second storage means (78), respectively to output the data read out from the first storage means (76) to the telephone line in the encrypted state and to decrypt the data from the telephone line. the remote central computer (54) to the second storage means (78) transmits data from encrypted state to decrypted state. Payment service system according to any of the preceding claims 2-12, characterized in that the payment telephone apparatus (12, 40. further has a display means (46) connected 10 to the comparator means (88) to the subtraction means (92) and to the gate means (94) for displaying information corresponding to the accept signal or, instead, the rejection signal emitted from the comparator means (88), to display the amount supplied by the subtraction means (92), and further to display information supplied from the gate means (94). Payment service facility according to any one of the preceding claims 2-13, characterized in that the card (55, 56, 57) is a card with a band of a magnetic material disposed on one side 20 of the card, and read (67) - and the writing means (68) of the payphone apparatus (12, 40) are magnetic writing and reading means, respectively. A local computer in a payment service system according to claim 4, comprising a first storage means (76), a second storage means (78) and a comparator means (88), characterized in that it is associated with several payment telephone devices (12, 40).