Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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This invention relates to a system for automatically dispensing
value and more particularly to such a system which is operated by cards.
A typical example of such a system is a cash dispen~ser. There are
known two types of cash dispensersO One is the on-line type which is
directly connected to a central processing unit (to be referred to as CPU
hereinafter), while the other is the off-line type which is not controlled
by a CPU but in which necessary information is stored in cards.
The two types of cash dispensers have their respective advantages
and disadvantages. In the on-line system, since the cash dispenser is
directly connected to a CPU, when a customer asks for payment of cash
from the dispenser, it is possible to instantly know the current balance of
his or her savings account, so that payment canlbe made within the limits of ;~
the current balance. In other words, with thellon-line system it is possible
to always withdraw cash from the updated balance. Thi9 Oertairlly iS one of
the advantages the on-line system has.
Generally, however, the CPU in a banking system rests at night or
on holidays-when the working rate of the terminal machines is greatly
reduced, so that customers cannot use the on-line cash dispenser at night ~ ~ ;
i or on holidays. This is very inconvenient.
In the off-line system, each cash dispenser operates independently, `~
so that there is no limitation on its working time or location of installation
but it can stand operative at night or on holidays and be installed at
various places such as buildings, offices, amusement centers, etc. This is
very convenient. However~ since the off-line cash dispenser is not
connected to a CPU unlike the on-Line dispenser, it is possible for a
customer to withdraw not from the current balance of his or her savings
account but only from the balance recorded on the card the customer has.
This is quite unreasonableO
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~s mentioned above, both the on-line and off-line cash dispensers
have their own advantages and disadvantages. There have been proposed no
system which can operate in both on-line and off-line modes, ~o that people
~` are compelled to open two separate accounts in both on-line and off-line -
systems and inconveniently have and use two cards for the two systems. ;
In order to overcome the above disadvantage there has been proposed
a system in which a single cash dispenser can selectively operate in on-line
and off-line modes. The cash dispenser operates in on-line mode while the
CPU is operating. However, when the CPU stops its operation at night or on ~ ;
holidays or gets out of order, the cash dispenser is switched over to the
off-line mode of operation. The card used in this system has recorded thereon
necessary information including at least the account number and the off-line
balance of the account ~to be referred to as the off-line balance). When
~ the system operates in on-line mode, the account number recorded on the card
i is read for access to be made to the corresponding account recorded in the
CPU so that payment is made within the on-line balance of the account ~to be
~! referred to as the on-line balance). When the system is operating in off-line
mode, payment of the amount of money requested by the customer is made within
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the limits of the off-line balance recorded on the card.
The above system, however, has the following defect. Suppose that
the amount of money the customer requests to be paid from the cash dispenser
happens to be more than the on-line balance but less than the off-line balance.
If the system operates in on-line mode, no money is paid to the customer
since payment is to be made wlthin the limits of the on-line balance even
when the off-line balance is more than the requested amount of money. This
is quite unreasonable.
Accordinglyj one obJect of the invention is to provide a system
~ for dispensing a monetary value in which when the system operates in
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on~line mode, pa~men-t of money ls determined on the basis of the sum
total of the balances the cus-tomer has.
Another obJect of the invention is to provide such a system
as aforesaid, ~hereln the amoun-t.of mone~ the customer requests to be
paid is checked with the total of the on-line and off-line balances for
determination of payment of the requested amount. ~ :~
; Another obJect of the inven-tion is to provide such a system :
as aforesaid, whereln a single kind o~ card can be used regardless of
the mode of operation o~ the cash dlspenser.
Another object of the invention is to provide such a system as '~
aforesaid, wherein when payment of the requested amount of money is
permitted on -the basis of the total of the on-line and off-line balances, ~ ~
the requested amount is then checked wlth the on-line balance alone, so ~.
that paymen-t is made preferentially from the on-line balance. ~his ls
because the on-line balance is likely to be automatlcally increased by
an automatic credit system, whereas in order to increase the off-line
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` balance the customer must present to the bank his card together with an ;~
~ amount of money for the off-line balance to be rewritten.
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Another ob~ect of the inventlon is to provide such a system as
aforesaid, wherein payment of the requested amount of money is determined
in consideration of the off-line balance even when the system operates
in on-line mode.
In accordance with this invention there is provided a system ~ `.
for automatically dispensing value such as cash, wherein a card for :
i operating said system is previously issued to each customer having an ~
- account in the system, said card having recorded thereon necessary data ~ ;
. including at least the identification number and the current off-line
~ balance of said account, said system comprising: means for receiving said
-` card; means for reading said data from said card; means for setting the ~ ~
30 amount of value which said customer requests to be dispensed; means for ~ :
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s-tori.ng the account numbers of all customers and the corresponding on-line
balances so that access is made by the account nurQber of said card received
by said receiving means -to the corresponding one o:~ said on~:line balances;
and means for determining whether said requested amount o~ value ls -to be
dispensed in on-line mode on the basis of sald of:r-line and on-line balances
and said requested amount of value. ~ :
The invention will be described in detail with reference to
the accompanying dra~ings, wherein:
Figure 1 is a top plan view of a card used in the system of
the invention;
Figure 2 is a block diagram of one embodiment of the invention;
and ~`
Figure 3 is a flow chart of the sys-tem o~ the invention.
Referring first to Figure 1, there is sho~n a card CRD used
in the ~ystem of the in ention. he card has three storlng are~s 3, 4 snd 5.
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The area 3 stores the secret n~ber of the card; the area ~ stores the
off-line balance of the accolmt of the card owner; and the area S stores
the account number of the card owner. These data are stored in the respective
areas in a well known manner such as magnetically.
Turning to Figure 2, the sys~em of the invention is shown comprising
a cash dispenser CD as a terminal machine and a central processing unit CPU
with a storage device MD included in the CPU0
The on-line mode of operation will first be described, in which
data are transmitted between the component parts. ~he operation of the
system is initiated by the card CRD shown in Figure 1 that has been put into `;
an inlet (not shown) provided on the front panel of the cash dispenser CDo
The card introduced into the machine is led to a card reader 101 provided
with a reading and writing head 102, which reads the data stored in the
storing areas on the card. The secret number read from the card is stored
in a register 103; the off-line balance, in a register 104; and the account
~ number, in a register 105. The secret number stored in the register 103 is ;
- applied to a comparator 106. ~
The customer then operates a keyboard 107 to enter into the machine -
the secret number previously known to and memorized by him. The entered
~0 secret number is stored in a register 108. The secret number stored in the
register 108 is applied to the comparator, which compares the secret number
read from the card and the secret number entered by the customer~ If the
two numbers agree, the comparator produces an agreement output signal, but
if they disagree, it produces a disagreement output signal.
; m e agreement output signal is applied as one input to an AND gate
Gl, whereupon the keyboard 107 is ready for the customer to enter the amount
of money he wishes to withdrawO The disagreement output signal is applied
back to the card reader 1017 which then operates to return the card to the
customer.
~hen the customer has entered the amount of money he w:ishes to
withdraw through the keyboard, the entered data are applied as the other
input to the gate Gl and thence to a register 109 to be stored therein.
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The various data stored in the registers, i.e., the off-line ha:Lance
in the register 104, the account number in the register 105 and the requested
amount of money in the register 109 are transmitted through a transmission
control unit 110 and a MODEM 111 to the CPU.
At the CPU, the data from the MODEM 111 are received by a MODEM 211.
A communication control unit 217 operates so that the requested amount of
money, the off-line balance and account number are stored in registers 209,
204 and 205, respectively.
The account number stored in the register 205 is read out by a
reading and writing device 302 provided in the memory device MDo The device
MD is provided with a file 319 comprising, say, a magn~etic disk pack which
; stores the on-line and off-line balances of the savings accounts of all the
customers in the system. By the account number read out by the device 302
a~cess is made to the corresponding on-line and off-line balances in the
file 319, which are read out by the device 302.
The on-line and off-line balances are stored in a memory register
301 and then the on-line balance is applied to an- operation and control
circuit 218 provided in the CPU. The requested amount of money and the
off-line balance stored in the registers 209 and 204, respectively3 are
also applied to the circuit 218. On the basis of these input data the
circuit 218 decides whether the requested am~unt of money is payable or not.
First, the sumi of the off-line balance from the register 204 and the on-line
balance from the register 301 is calculated so as to determine whether the
sum total exceeds or equals the requested amount stored in the register 209,
that is, whether (the on-line balance) + ~the off-line balance) - the ;
requested amount.
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If the sum of the on-line and off-~ine balances is less than the
requested amount of money, the circuit 213 produces a payment rejection sig-
nal. If the sum is equal to or more than the requested amount, the circuit
; 30 218 judges that the requested amount is payable, whereupon the circuit 218
operates so as to see if the requested amount is payable on the basis of
the on-line balance alone, that is, if the on-line balance - the request0d
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amount. If the on-line balance equals or exceeds the requested amount, the ;
de~ice 218 produces a message No. 1 to permit payment. IY the sum of the
off-line and on-line balances equals or exceeds the réquested amount, but the ~ ;~
on_line balance is less than the requested amolmt, the device 218 produces
a message No. 2 to permit payment.
In other words, if the requested amount is payable from the on-line
balance alone, the payment permission message No. 1 is produced, if the
on-line balance is short of the requested amount but the sum of the on-line
and off-line balances enables payment of the requested amount, the payment `
permission message No. 2 is produced3 and if the sum is short of the
requested amount, the payment reaection message is produced
In accordance with these messages the cash dispenser determines
its mode of payment in the following manner.
Suppose that the operation and control circuit 218 has produced ;
the payment rejection message. This message is stored in a payment mode
register 212, from which it is transmitted through the communication control
unit 217 and the MOD~M 211 to the cash dispenser C~. The payment rejection
message transmitted from the MODEM 211 is received by the ~ODEM 111 and ;;
thence sent through the transmission control unit 110 to a payment mode ^
register 112 and thence to a payment mode discriminator 114. When the
message received has been recognized as the payment rejection message, the
device 114 produces a payment rejection signal to be applied to the card
reader 101, which then operates to return the introduced card to the
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customer.
Suppose that the operation and control circuit 218 has produced
i the payment permission message ~o~ 1. This message is transmitted through ~ `~
`~ the same path as the payment rejection message to the payment mode registor ~ -
~ 112 to be stored therein and thence to the payment mode discriminator 114,
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whereupon the device 114 produces an output signal OEl to be applied to a
cash dispensing device 115, which dispenses the requested amount of cash.
The signal OK1 is simultaneously applied to a slip issuing device 116, which
issues a slip on which necessary data are printed. The sign~l OKl is also ;
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applied ~o the card reader 101, wh~ch returns the card to the customer.
On the other hand, the operation and control circuit 2I8 subtracts
the requested amount (that is, the amount dispensed) from the on-line balance,
and the result of the subtraction is stored in the re~ister 301 and then
written by the reading and writing device 302 as a new on-line balance in
that on-line balance storing area or address in the file 319 which corresponds
to the custGmer's account number and from which the previous on-line balance
was read out. The off-line balance re~ains unchangedO
The payment permission message No. 2 is transmitted through the
same route as the message No. 1 to the payment mode register 112 to be
stored therein and ~hence applied to the payment mode discriminator 114,
which produces an output signal OK2. This signal causes the cash dispensing
device 115 to dispense the required amount of cash and the slip issuing
device 116 to issue a slip having necessary data printed thereon just as
in the case of the signal OKl. However, in the case of the signal OK2
it is necessary to rewrite the off-line balance on the card and in the
file 319 as well as the on-line balance in the file 319 in the CPU. To
this end, the circuit 218 subtracts the on-line balance from the requested
amount and then subtracts the result of the above subtraction from the off-
line balance. In other words, when the signal OK2 has been produced, paymentis made first from the on-line balance, and the shortage is then covered by
the off-line balance.
The result of the above subtraction, that is, the off-line balance
- 1 the requested amount - the on-line balance) is stored in the register
301 as the new~off-line balance, which is written by the reading and
; writing device 302 in that off_l;ne balance storing area or address in the
- file 319 which corresponds to the customer's account to which access was
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previously made. iAt the same time the new off-l~ne balance is stored in a
register 213. The new off-line balance is sent to the cash dispenser
together with the payment permission message No. 2. The off-line balance
is stored in a register 113. The signal OK2 ~rom the payment mode discrimina-
tor 11~ is applied as one input to the gate G2, to which the new off-l~ne
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balance stored in the register 113 is applied as the other input and thence
to the register 104 to be stored therein.
The reading and writing head 102 writes the new of~-line balance
stored in the register 104 in the off line balance storing area on the card
in place of the previous off-line balance. Then the card reader returns the
card to the customer.
On the other hand, the on-line balance previously stored in the
register 301 is reduced to zero, which is written by the reading and writing
device 302 in the on-line storing area in the file 319 which corresponds to
the customer`s account number stored in the register 205
In the above embodiment, the requested amount of money is compared
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first with the sum of the on-line and off-line balances, and if the sum
is equal to or more than the requested amount, then the requested amount
is compared with the on-line balance alone.
In another embodiment, however the requested amount is compared ~ ?~
first with the on-line balance, and if the on-line balance is less than
the requested amount, then the requested amount is compared with the sum of
the on-line and off-line balances. In this case, if the on-line balance
equals or exceeds the requested amount, the payment permission message~No. 1
- 20 is produced; if the sum of the on-line and off-line balances equals or
exceeds the requested amount, the payment permission message NoO 2 is produced;
and if the sum is less than the requested amount, the payment rejection mes-
sage is produced, just as in the case of the previous em~odiment.
The cash dispenser can be switched over to the off-line mode by,
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say, a manual switch operated by an officer in charge. When the cash dis~ ~
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penser is in off-line mode, there is no communication between the terminal
machine and the CPU, and payment of the requested amount is determined on
the basis of the off-line balance recorded on the oard alone
In this case, the comparator 106 compares the secret number read
from the card and the secret number manually entered through the keyboard
107. If the two numbers coincide~ the requested amount of money manually ~ -
; entered by the customer through the keyboard 107 and stored in the register
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109 and the off-line balance read from the card and stored in the register
104 aI~e compared with a suitable comparator not shown. If the requested
amount is equal to or less than the off-line balance, the cash dispensing
device 113 and the slip issuing device 116 are operated accordingl~. The
difference between the off-line balance and the requested amount i9 recorded
on the card in place of the previous off-line balance thereon. The details
of the payment are recorded on a punch tape ~not shown), which is processed
at a suitable time, for example, once in a day, so that the of~-balances
in the file 319 in the CPU are rewritten.
In the above embodiments7 the operation of various data is conducted
in the CPU. The arrangement may also be such that the operation is con-
ducted in the terminal machine. In this case, the on-line balance is
sent to the terminal cash dispenser, and after the required operation has
been conducted therein the new on-line balance is sent back to the central
station to be stored therein.
There are various modified forms of the invention such as ~ollows:
(1) If a loan can be obtained from the ~ank, the on-line balance
comprises the sum of the actual balance of the customer's account and the -
maximum amOunt to be loaned out to the customer. m e sum may be calculated
beforehand or whenever required.
(2) Cash may be handed to the customer by a teller at the window
without using the cash dispensing device 1150
(3) In the illustrated embodiment, when the signal o~2 has bèen
produced, the requeste~amount is paid preferentially from the on-line
balance. Payment may be made preferent1all~ from the off-line balance, or a
predetermined portion of the requested amount may be paid from one of the
on-line and off-line balances, with the rest of the amount being paid from
the other balance.
(4) In the illustrated embodiment, the invention is applied to a
system for withdrawing cash from savings accounts. It is also applicable
to systems for vending articles or services by POS (point of sales)
terminal machines.
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