Title of Invention

METHOD FOR CASHLESS PAYMENT

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for cashless payment, in which a connection (V) is set up from the mobile telephone (MF) with multifunctional chip card (CK) to a retail outlet terminal (GE) via the mobile radio network (MS), a credit-worthiness check is carried out with a card number (KN) stored on the chip card (CK) , and, given a positive result of the credit-worthiness check, a sum of money which has been input at the retail outlet terminal (GE) is released for payment after confirmation at the mobile telephone (MF).

Full Text

Description Cashless payment using a mobile telephone The invention relates to a method for cashless payment. The cashless or paperless payment of sums of money is currently carried out, for example, in retail outlets by using a cheque card and inputting a personal identification number. Instead of inputting the personal identification number, it is also possible for a direct debit to be carried out after the data on the card have been read electronically and a corresponding document has been signed. The inputting of the personal identification number and the signature serve to authenticate the customer and at the same time permit the accepted sum of money to be confirmed by the customer. Retail outlet should be understood below as referring to all points or terminals at which a customer can pay for goods, a service or the like. For the processing of the payment, the retail outlet is equipped with a retail outlet terminal, for example a cash terminal with a connection to a credit card centre for checking the credit-worthiness of the customer. Multifunctional chip cards can be introduced to combine different services with one another. Thus, the Barclaycard, for example, can be used to carry out banking transactions and to operate a mobile telephone. A disadvantage here is that, for the banking transactions, the card has to be removed from the mobile telephone. This is relatively inconvenient and during this time the customer cannot be contacted via the mobile radio network. In addition, to a certain extent mobile telephones use so-called minicards which are rather unsuitable for hand-held use. It is possible to exchange digital data using mobile radio systems or mobile radio networks, for example according to the GSM standard. These digital data can be digitized voice signals, data for fax communica- GR 96 P 2087 - 2 - tion or, quite generally, data for stationary or mobile data processing systems, such as personal computers or notebooks. The invention is based on the object of simplifying a method of the type mentioned at the beginning using a multifunctional chip card. This object is achieved according to the invention by means of the features specified in Patent Claim 1. The method according to the invention provides the following advantages for the customer. An extra card, check or credit card for payment is dispensed with. Similarly, a personal identification number for this • extra card is dispensed with. In addition, the manufacturer of the mobile telephones does not need to pay attention to the format of the multifunctional chip card, since this card does not have to be removed from the mobile telephone. The invention is described in more detail below with reference to an exemplary embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawing. The details which are necessary for comprehension of the invention are illustrated in the single figure. A mobile radio system MS has a mobile switching centre MSC. The cell structure of the mobile radio system MS and the associated base stations are of second-ary importance for the invention and are not illustrated in the figure. The mobile radio system MS may be implemented according to the GSM or DECT Standard as well as according to a different national or international radio system. Cashless payments are processed with a retail out1et terminal GE which is installed for example in a retail outlet, in a bank or in a free-standing way. The retail outlet terminal GE may be a payment card-operated terminal or a bank terminal. The retail outlet termi- nal GE has a display device AZ2 and a keypad TR2. In order to carry out the method according to the invention, a customer has a mobile telephone MF. This GR 96 P 2087 - 3 - mobile telephone MF has, in a manner known per se, a display device AZ1 and a keypad TR1. A personal identifi-cation number PIN and a card number KN are stored on a multifunctional chip card CK which is inserted into the mobile telephone MF. To register with the mobile radio system MS, the identification number PIN has to be input by the user of the mobile telephone MF. After registra-tion, i.e. when the correct identification number PIN has been input, the mobile telephone MF is signed on to the mobile radio system MS. The identification number PIN is generally checked in the mobile telephone MF itself. A connection V is set up from the mobile telephone MF to the retail outlet terminal GE via the mobile switching centre MSC. For this purpose, the customer uses the keypad TR1 to enter, for example, the telephone number specified at the retail outlet terminal GE into his mobile telephone MF. This connection V is a first step for the processing of the cashless payment. The mobile switching centre MSC and/or the retail outlet terminal GE are connected to a card centre KZ. The card centre KZ serves to check the credit-worthiness of the customer and/or of the chip card CK used by him. The connection to the card centre KZ can be realized via an ISDN telephone line or via a GSM mobile radio network. The next step is that a credit-worthiness check of the customer is carried out in the card centre KZ using the card number KN stored on the chip card CK. The card number KN can be transmitted from the mobile switch-ing centre MSC to the card centre KZ, the result of the credit-worthiness check then being transmitted automatic-ally to the retail outlet terminal GE via the connec-tion V. The card number KN can also be transmitted from the retail outlet terminal GE to the card centre, the result of the credit-worthiness check then being trans-mitted from the card centre KZ directly to the retail outlet terminal GE. At the retail outlet terminal GE, the sum of money to be paid is input via the keypad TR2. This sum of money is transmitted to the mobile telephone MF via the GR 96 P 2087 - 4 - connection V and displayed there on the display-device AZ1. The sum of money can also give rise to a reservation in the card centre KZ in the usual manner. After the credit-worthiness check has taken place with a positive result, the customer is requested to confirm the sum of money. In a further step for processing the cashless payment, the customer inputs a confirmation on his mobile telephone MF by activating one or more keys of the keypad TR1, said confirmation being transmitted via the connection V to the retail outlet terminal GE. After this confirmation of the sum of money, and if appropriate the direct debiting procedure in the card centre KZ, the cashless payment is processed between the mobile telephone MF of the customer and the retail outlet terminal GE. In one variant of the invention, the connection V is set up to the card centre KZ via the retail outlet terminal GE, for example using a mobile radio network according to the DECT Standard. In one refinement of the invention, the mobile telephone MF has a reception device EE and the retail outlet device GE has a transmission device SE. The transmission and reception device EE, SE are preferably of wireless design. This wireless connection between the retail outlet terminal GE and the mobile telephone MF can be realized, for example, by means of an infrared transmission link and appropriate transmission and reception modules. The telephone number of the retail outlet termi-nal GE can be broadcast by the transmission device SE. It is then not necessary for the customer to input this telephone number on the mobile telephone MF, but instead this received telephone number can then be used in a simplified manner, for example by means of a simple confirmation, to set up the connection V in the mobile radio system MS. Authentification of the customer with regard to the chip card is carried out with the personal identification number PIN. The credit-worthiness of the customer GR 96 P 2087 - 5 - is checked with the credit-worthiness check using the card number KN. In one refinement of the invention, there may be. provision for a further identification number to be input in order to carry out the actual payment, for example before the confirmation of the requested sum of money. Instead of the personal, or the further, identi-fication number PIN, it may in future also be possible to use other identification features of the customer, for example his fingerprint or his voice. Instead of the mobile telephone MF, the customer can quite generally use a terminal with a wireless connection to a mobile radio system MS. Such a terminal can be for example a Personal Intelligence Communicator (PIC) or a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) . Such data processing devices with a wireless interface are also suitable for carrying out the method according to the invention. Patent claims . 1. Method for cashless payment, in which - contact is made with a multifunctional chip card (CK) in a mobile telephone (MF) with wireless connection to a mobile radio network (MS), - after a personal identification feature (PIN) has been input at the mobile telephone (MF), said mobile telephone (MF) is registered with the mobile radio network (MS) and signed on to it, - a connection (V) from the mobile telephone (MF) to a retail outlet terminal (GE) is set up via the mobile radio network (MS), - a credit-worthiness check is carried out with a card number (KN) stored on the chip card (CK), and - a sum of money which has been input at the retail outlet terminal (GE) is displayed on the mobile telephone (MF) via the connection (V), and, given a positive result of the credit-worthiness check, is released for payment after confirmation at the mobile telephone (MF). 2. Method according to Claim 1, in which parameters (telephone number) which are necessary to set up the connection (V) are transmitted from a transmission device (SE) of the retail outlet terminal (GE) to a reception device (EE) of the mobile telephone (MF). 3. Method according to Claim 1 or 2, in which a further identification feature is input at the mobile telephone (MF) in order to carry out the credit-worthi-ness check. 3. Dated this 4th day of SEPTEMBER 1997. The invention relates to a method for cashless payment, in which a connection (V) is set up from the mobile telephone (MF) with multifunctional chip card (CK) to a retail outlet terminal (GE) via the mobile radio network (MS), a credit-worthiness check is carried out with a card number (KN) stored on the chip card (CK) , and, given a positive result of the credit-worthiness check, a sum of money which has been input at the retail outlet terminal (GE) is released for payment after confirmation at the mobile telephone (MF).

Documents:

01635-cal-1997-abstract.pdf

01635-cal-1997-claims.pdf

01635-cal-1997-correspondence-1.pdf

01635-cal-1997-correspondence-2.pdf

01635-cal-1997-description(complete).pdf

01635-cal-1997-drawings.pdf

01635-cal-1997-form-1.pdf

01635-cal-1997-form-2.pdf

01635-cal-1997-form-3.pdf

01635-cal-1997-form-5.pdf

01635-cal-1997-pa.pdf

01635-cal-1997-priority document.pdf

1635-cal-1997-granted-abstract.pdf

1635-cal-1997-granted-acceptance publication.pdf

1635-cal-1997-granted-claims.pdf

1635-cal-1997-granted-correspondence.pdf

1635-cal-1997-granted-description (complete).pdf

1635-cal-1997-granted-drawings.pdf

1635-cal-1997-granted-examination report.pdf

1635-cal-1997-granted-form 1.pdf

1635-cal-1997-granted-form 2.pdf

1635-cal-1997-granted-form 3.pdf

1635-cal-1997-granted-form 5.pdf

1635-cal-1997-granted-gpa.pdf

1635-cal-1997-granted-letter patent.pdf

1635-cal-1997-granted-others.pdf

1635-cal-1997-granted-priority document.pdf

1635-cal-1997-granted-reply to examination report.pdf

1635-cal-1997-granted-specification.pdf

1635-cal-1997-granted-translated copy of priority document.pdf