DE20011602U1 - Loading terminal for prepaid cards - Google Patents

Description

PRINZ & PARTNERS · -

g6r

Patent Attorneys Manzingerweg 7

European patent attorneys D-81241 Munich

EUROPEAN TRADEMARK ATTORNEYS Tel. +49 89 89 69 80

July 4, 2000

Leicher GmbH & Co.
Feringastrasse 10

85774 Unterfoehring

Our reference: L 1679 DE

HD/mr

Loading terminal for prepaid cards

The invention relates to a charging terminal for prepaid cards, in particular telephone cards for portable telephones with prepayment.

Prepaid cards for portable phones are widely used.

They are currently designed as chip cards according to the GSM standard and in the future also according to the UTMS standard. When the card is purchased, it is usually equipped with a starting credit. When the credit is used up, the card can be "recharged". In order to equip the card with a certain credit, a card must first be purchased from a retailer for the desired amount. A code number is printed on it behind a removable cover. The person purchasing the card reveals the code number, then calls their telephone operator and gives the code number, whereupon their subscriber number is activated with the purchased credit.

These transactions are cumbersome and require a lot of human resources on the part of the telephone operator. On the user's side, the inevitable waiting time until the activation is effective is disruptive.

The invention provides a loading terminal for prepaid cards, with which the payment for "loading" the card

-2-

can be processed conveniently, waiting times until activation are eliminated and personnel costs on the part of the card service provider are avoided.

The charging terminal according to the invention for prepaid cards, in particular telephone cards for portable telephones with prepayment, contains a deposit machine, a control computer which has a graphical user interface with a control panel for selecting the appropriate card service provider and for entering a card number, and a modem for direct connection to the card service provider, which immediately activates the service requested with the payment upon proof of payment. The deposit machine, which can be used to pay with banknotes or cashlessly, gives the user the option of conveniently processing the desired transactions at any time of day. The deposit machine can be operated in the same way as familiar cash machines. If the connection to the card service provider is established via the modem, the card service provider can automatically activate the service requested with the payment after the payment has been verified and the payment amount has been credited. This eliminates the need to call the card service provider to give a code number, as well as the manual activation by the staff usually assigned to do this.

In a further development of the invention, if a connection to the card service provider cannot be established via the modem, a code previously agreed with the card service provider is generated by a code generator. This code is communicated to the user by means of a visual display and/or printout on paper. The user can then contact the card service provider in the usual way, give the code and have the service activated. The same option is available if the card number is not available after payment has been made. In the case of a portable telephone, this is the telephone number, which the user does not have to know.

The user can then call the phone operator and give them the code, after which the phone will be unlocked.

In the preferred embodiment, all valuable and security-relevant components of the charging terminal are housed in a safe. The charging terminal preferably has the user-side

-3-

most components in common with a conventional deposit terminal. This means that not only can prepaid cards be "topped up" at the terminal, but a wide range of transactions can also be processed.

Further advantages and features of the invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the charging terminal and from the accompanying drawings, to which reference is made. In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of the charging terminal; Figure 2 is a block diagram of the charging terminal; and

Figure 3 is a flow chart illustrating the charging process that can be carried out with the charging terminal.

The loading terminal for prepaid cards, in particular telephone cards for portable telephones, shown in Figure 1 is installed in a safe. The safe, designated 10, is generally cuboid-shaped with a control panel 12 attached to the side and a table-like shelf 14. The control panel 12 has a slanted front panel. A touch-sensitive display panel 16, an input panel 18, a slot 19, from which receipt slips and the like are issued, and an insertion slot 20 for bank cards are arranged on the control panel 12. A banknote reader 22 and an insertion flap 24 are arranged in the upper area of the front of the safe 10.

Inside the safe 10 there is a control computer, which is preferably designed as a personal computer (PC) and runs under a conventional operating system. The touch-sensitive display panel 16 provides a graphical user interface in conjunction with the software running on the control computer. The input panel 18 comprises a numeric keypad, some control keys and a small display panel. The insertion slot 20 belongs to a card reader with motorized card insertion and ejection.

Figure 2 shows schematically the organization of the various components of the charging terminal. The control computer 26 has a number of

-4-

Interfaces for connecting to the various functional units of the charging terminal. The card reader 20, the banknote reader 22 and the input field 18 are each coupled to the control computer 26 via a bidirectional connection. The touch-sensitive display field 16 is also coupled to the control computer 26 via a bidirectional connection. A printer 28 is connected to the control computer 26 via the parallel interface. A modem 30 is also connected to a serial interface of the control computer 26.

The method according to the invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to Figure 3.

In step 100, the customer is initially authenticated using a card inserted into the card reader 20, for example an EC card, credit card or customer card. Then, in step 102, a selection of card service providers is offered on the touch-sensitive input field 16. The selection is made by touching and confirming the relevant display information. In step 103, the decision is made whether payment is to be made in cash or by debit from the account. If payment is to be made by debit, an online connection to a bank is established in step 104 via the modem 30. If the connection is established, the amount to be paid is specified in the following step 106. In step 108, it is then checked whether the payment was successful, in particular by checking the validity of the card. If the payment is successful, a corresponding credit is made to the card service provider in step 110. In step 112, the user's card number, i.e. the telephone number on a portable telephone, is then requested. After entering the card number, the service requested with the payment is automatically activated in step 114, in particular the activation of the portable telephone. Finally, in step 116, a receipt is printed out and issued at slot 19.

If no online connection is established in step 104, payment can only be made in cash. Payment is then made in step 118 by inserting banknotes into the banknote reader 22. The control computer 26 contains a code generator, which is activated in this case and generates a code agreed in advance with the card service provider. This code is sent to the

-5-

The code is issued to the user, preferably by printing it on the receipt slip. Alternatively, the code is issued in whole or in part on the display field 16; it is also possible to split the code between the display field 16 and the receipt printer. In the next step 122, the user then contacts the card service provider and informs them of the code generated and issued by the charging terminal. In step 124, the service provider then activates the requested service.

Even if the card number is not entered in step 112, as an alternative to automatic activation, a code is generated and issued by branching to step 120.

If the cashless payment fails in step 108, a cash deposit is still possible. This takes place in step 126, which is then followed by step 104.

Security concerns can be taken into account when implementing the procedure. In the event of a robbery, it is possible to confiscate the bank card and trigger a silent alarm.

Furthermore, to increase ease of use, it is possible to give the card service provider a direct debit authorization. The location of the nearest charging terminal and its operating status can be found out by calling the card service provider.

Furthermore, following customer authentication in step 100, it is possible to establish a connection to a desired card service provider, to retrieve information from this provider and, for example, to conclude new contracts.

When paying in cash, a high level of security against counterfeit money can be achieved using the banknote reader 22 used. When paying cashlessly, the same level of security is achieved as with standard bank cards or credit cards.

Claims (7)

1. Loading terminal for prepaid cards, in particular telephone cards for portable telephones with prepayment, characterized by - a deposit machine, - a control computer having a graphical user interface with a control panel for selecting the appropriate card service provider and entering a card number, - a modem for a direct connection to the card service provider, who immediately activates the service requested with the payment upon proof of payment. 2. Loading terminal according to claim 1, characterized in that the deposit machine selectively accepts cash and cashless means of payment. 3. Charging terminal according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by a code generator which then generates a code agreed with the card service provider, - if no connection to the service provider can be established via the modem, - if the card number is not available, and by an issuing device through which a code generated in this way is made available to the user. 4. Charging terminal according to claim 3, characterized in that the output device comprises a receipt printer. 5. Charging terminal according to claim 3, characterized in that the output device is at least partially formed by the graphical user interface. 6. Charging terminal according to claims 4 and 5, characterized in that part of the generated code is output on the graphical user interface and another part on the receipt printer. 7. Charging terminal according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by a safe that accommodates all valuables and security-relevant components.