Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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SYSTEM FOR HANDLING TRANSACTIONS INCLUDING A PORTABLE
PERSONAL TERMINAL
This application is a division of parent
Canadian Patent Application Serial No. ~97,444 filed
on December 12, 1985.
This application is also related to Canadian
Patent No. 1,240,068 entitled, "Portable Personal
Terminal For Use In A System For Handling
Transactions", which was assigned to the same assignee
as is this application.
Back~round of the Invention
This invention, taken in conjunction with the
aforesaid parent application, relates to a system
including a pocket-sized, portablel personal terminal
unit which may be used for handling a wide variety of
financial, shopping, and other transactions.
In recent years there has been a trend to
automate financial, shopping, and bill-paying transac-
tions and to eliminate bank checks by providing auto-
matic cash dispensing terminals and by providing
"debit" credit cards, for example.
One of the problems associated with the use
of financial or transaction terminals is that they
tend to "frighten" or overwhelm users who are not too
sophisticated in the use of such terminals. Another
problem is that users are re~uired to operate several
different terminals or are required to carry several
credit or debit cards to carry on their transactions.
For example, the following is a general list of dif-
ferent ways of handling financial transactions:
1. Automated Teller Machine (ATM) cash
deposits and/or withdrawals;
2. Personal checks;
3. Bill paying by telephone;
4. Point of Sale (POS) debit payments; and
5. Credit transactions.
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Summary of the Invention
In contrast with the above, the present
invention provides a system for unifying the handling
of the above recited financial transactions along with
certain personal activities of a user of the system
through the use of a user-friendly, pocket-sized
terminal. The term "user~friendly" means that suffi-
cient lead-through instructions, for example, are
provided to the user of the terminal to enable an
average user to operate the terminal without difficul-
ty.
This invention relates to a system for
handling data comprising: a portable data handling
device; at least one other system; and an interface
module for coupling said device with said other system
to transfer data between said device and said other
system; said device being an intelligent device,
comprising: means for storing data and machine in
structions; means for executing said machine instruc-
tions; means for displaying data to a user of said
device; and means for entering data on said device;
said storing means including a personal identification
number associated with a valid user of said device and
also including a device identification number associ-
ated with said device; and means for verifying that a
said user o said device is a valid user; and said
other system having means for verifying that said
device identification number is a valid one.
The advantages of this invention will be more
readily understood in connection with the following
description, claims, and drawing.
Brief Description of the Drawing
Fig. 1 is a schematic showing, in
perspective, of the system according to this invention
which includes a portabIe, personal terminal, and an
interface module which couples the personal terminal
to other terminals or systems;
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Fig. 2 is a schematic showing, in
perspective, or the personal terminal shown in Fig. 1
being coupled to its associated interface module;
Fig. 3 is a plan view of the personal
terminal when it is in an "initial" mode of operation;
Fig. 4 i5 a plan view of the personal
terminal showing another mode of operation with a
portion of the functions available on its main menu;
Fig. 5 is a plan view of the personal
terminal showing a review of the transactions associ-
ated with the user's bank account;
Fig. 6 is a plan view of the personal
terminal showing the terminal in a calculator mode;
Fig. 7 is an exploded view, in perspective,
of the components of the terminal shown in Fig. l;
Fig. 8 is a schematic block diagram showing
the means for controlling the operation of the person-
al terminal shown in Fig. l;
Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram showing a
display circuit which is used to energize particular
electrodes to produce the desired patterns or charac-
ters on the display of the personal terminal shown in
Fig. l;
Fig. 10 is a schematic circuit for energizing
a single electrode of many such electrodes associated
with the display on the personal terminal shown in
Fig. l;
Fig. 11 is a schematic diagram showing a
greatly-enlarged, single electrode or pixel associated
with the display of the personal terminal;
Fig. 12 is a schematic diagram, in block
form, showing the components included in the interface
module shown in Fig. l;
Fig. 13 is a schematic diagram showing the
optical interface or coupling between the personal
terminal and the associated interface module when they
are in the assembled relationship shown in Fig. 2;
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Fig. 14 is a schematic diagram, in
perspective, showing a second modification of the
interface module shown in Fig. l;
Fig. 15 is a schematic diagram, in
perspective, of a third modification of the interface
module shown in Fig. l;
Fig. 16 is a schematic diagram showing only
the display and key areas associated with the personal
terminal shown in Fig. l;
Figs. 17, 18, and 19 are schematic diagrams
similar to Fig. 16 showing different messages dis-
played on the personal terminal in performing a trans-
action;
Figs. 20 and 21 are schematic diagrams
similar to Fig. 16 showing the options presented to a
user in paying for a point of sale transaction;
Fig. 22 is a schematic diagram similar to
Fig. 21 showing a different display presented on the
personal terminal to a user in performing a transac-
tion;
Fig. 23 is a schematic diagram showing a
history trail for the transaction completed in Fig.
22;
Figs. 24, 25 and 26 are schematic diagrams
showing different displays and options presented in a
"Home Paying" transaction while using the personal
terminal shown in Fig. l; and
Fig. 27 shows a schematic diagram of the
display of the personal terminal when it and the
interface module are used in an on line system for
making home payments.
Detailed Description of the Invention
Fig. 1 shows a system 10 which is made
according to this invention. The system 10 includes a
portable, pocket-sized, personal terminal 12 (which
shall be referred to hereinafter as P Terminal 12), an
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interface module 14 (which shall be referred to here-
inafter as I Module 14), and other terminals or sys-
tems 16 which shall be referred to hereinafter as
Systems 16. Systems 16 represents a plurality o~
different terminals or systems which will be disclosed
hereinafter. For the moment, it is sufficient to
state that the I Module 14 provides the coupling or
interfacing between the P Terminal 12 and the Systems
16. The I Module 14 is coupled to the Systems 16 by a
conventional connection 18 which includes couplings
and coupling techniques which are appropriate to the
specific Systems 16.
Before discussing the various elements of the
system 10 in detail, it appears appropriate to discuss
their various functions and attributes in a general
~ay. In this regard, the P Terminal 12:
1. Is credit-card sized for easy
portability;
2. Is personalized to the individual
customer using it;
3. Is utilized by the customer for
performing business and financial transactions at
point of sale machines, at ATM's, and at the custom-
er's home, for example;
4. Is utilized by the customer for
ascertaining balances in checking or savings accounts
and for many other transactions;
5. Is utilized by the customer as a "memo"
reminder; and
6. Is battery powered~
As previously stated, the I Module 14 serves
as an interface between the P Terminal 12 and the
Systems 16. Some of the functions or attributes of
the I Module 14 in various combinations are as fol-
lows:
1. It is used to dial a network telephone
line.
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2. It is used optionally to couple the P
Terminal 12 to a:
a. Television set or video monitor;
b. Alphanumeric keyboard; and
c. Printer, for example.
3. It can be used in conjunction with a
personal computer enabling the computer to be employed
as a personal financial terminal, and also enabling
the computer to initiate telephone connections to
financial institutions for providing authorization or
data exchange.
4. It can be used to couple the P Terminal
12 to banks or store terminals.
5. The communications between the P
Terminal 12 and the I Module 14 are carried on by an
optical coupling. This connection reduces noise,
eliminates the precise tolerances necessary when using
mechanical electrical connectors, and minimizes the
electrical power consumption in the P Terminal 12.
Additional features and functions of the P
Terminal 12 and the I Module 14 will become apparent
as specific details of these elements are described
hereinafter.
Fig. 2 shows how the P Terminal 12 is coupled
to the I Module 14 for use therewith. A liyht modula-
tor area 20 in Fig. 1 (for transmitting-data) and a
light detector area 22 (for receiving data) are used
to optically couple the P Terminal 12 to the I Module
14 when the two are in the assèmbled relationship
shown in Fig. 2; this aspect will be discussed herein-
after.
Fig. 3 shows a plan view of the P Terminal 12
when it is in an "initial" mode of operation. The P
Terminal 12 is shown slightly larger than Eull size in
Fig~ 3, which siæe i5 about equal to that of a credit
card; the P Terminal 12 is less than l/4 inch thick in
the embodiment described. The P Terminal 12 has a
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semi-flexible, top panel 24 which functions as both a
display and a keyboard. When viewing the top panel 24
as a display, there are display elements or pixels
which are distributed over the panel 24 in a pattern
that is appropriate to display information to the
user. The panel can be viewed as having nine line
displays 26-1 through 26-9 which will be collectively
referred to as display 26. A single string of large
alphanu;nerics can be displayed in a line display like
26-1, or a double string of smaller alphanumerics can
be displayed in a line display like 26-3.
A feature of the preferred embodiment of P
Terminal 12 is that the display 26 consists of a
homogeneous, non-segmented matrix of display pixels
which are selectively energized to produce different
data and to highlight certain key areas as a sequence
of operations progresses. For example, Fig. 3 shows
the P Terminal 12 in the "initial" condition, in which
line displays 26-1 and 26-2 contain the time and date,
respectively; display lines 26-3 through 26-5 contain
certain memos or reminders as precisely entered by the
user; and display lines 26-6 through 26-9 contain
certain options which are available to the user at
this time. Notice that each of the display lines 26-6
through 26-9 has a key area 28-6 through 28-9, respec-
tively, which is highlighted or outlined by the dis-
play 26 to enable the user to make a selection by
actuating the associated key area. The top panel 24
has a plurality of switches 30 positioned relative to
the top panel 24 as shown in Fig. 7. When a particu-
lar switch of the plurality of switches 30 is to be
involved in one of the choices which is to be made
available to the user, the associated switch area on
the top panel 24 will be visually outlined by the
display 26 to make this choice apparent to the user.
The switches used in the P Terminal 12 are of the
"micromotion" type and are integrated with the display
26 as will be described hereinafter.
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Continuing with the example shown in Fig. 3,
suppose a user of the P Terminal 12 wished to "Go To
the Main Menu". In this situation, the user would
depress key area 28-6, and thereafter, the P Terminal
12 would present the selections shown in Fig. 4, as an
example. Notice that each of the options presented on
line displays 26-1 through 26-9 of the main menu in
Fig. 4 has a key area 28-1 through 28-9, respectively,
associated therewith. Notice also that line display
26-9 presents the option of going to the next menu
tnot shown) to present additional options to the user.
Continuing with the example shown in Fig. 4,
suppose the user of the P Terminal 12 wishes to select
the option presented by line display 26-7. In this
situation, the user would depress the key area 28-7 to
obtain "Review History Trail", which is essentially a
review of the transactions recorded against this
account, and this review of transactions is shown, as
an e~ample, in Fig. 5. There are five active key
areas presented in Fig. 5, and these key areas are 2~3-
9, 28-91, 28-92, 28-93, and 28-94. Notice that each
key area has an identifier associated therewith. Key
areas 28-94 and 28-93 are used as up-down arrows to
move or "scroll" the contents of the line displays if
the prior transactions exceed the eight lines of the
display. The key area 28-92 is used to reset the list
of transactions to the "first" eight items within a
transaction period, or alternatively, this key area
could be programmed by the P Terminal 12 to reset the
list of transactions to the "last" eight items within
the period. The key area 28-91 marked "Save" allows a
particular transaction to be carried forward into the
next transaction or accounting period. The key area
28-9, when actuated, returns the display 26 to the
main menu shown in Fig. 4.
When looking at the initial state of the P
Terminal 12 shown in Fig. 3, if the user had wished to
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select the "Calcul~tor Mode" instead of the "Menu" as
JUst described, the user would have actuated the key
area 28-7 shown in Fig. 3. When the key area 28-7 is
actuated, the P Terminal 12 becomes partially, a
con~entional, full-function calculator as shown in
Fig. 6. The P Terminal 12 (Fig. 6) has the arithmetic
and memory keys shown on line displays 26-6 through
26-9, with the answer line being shown on line display
26-5. Notice that the keys are outlined by the dis-
play 2~, and each key has its own designation thereon.
In the embodiment described, there are four key areas
28-1 through 28-4 which can be used in addition to
those employed in the calculator which is designated
generally as 36. The key areas 28-2 through 28-4 can
be actuated to obtain certain balances stored in the P
Terminal 12, or the key area 28-1 can be used to
return to the Main Menu.
In the embodiment described, the number of
switches included in the P Terminal 12 is 45, with
five switches being included in each of the nine line
displays 2~-1 through 26-9; naturally, this number
could be varied to suit particular applications. It
should also be noted that the key areas themselves
have no captions or labels on them in the usual sense.
The labels or designations are provided by the display
26 which lies below the plurality of switches 30.
While the actual (physical) switches in the plurality
o switches 30 are always present on the top panel 24,
they are outlined or highlighted only when they become
necessary for a particular function or instruction
being executed by the P Terminal 12. Figs. 3-6 illus-
trate a few of the uses of the P Terminal 12 while it
exists by itself without being connected to the I
Module 14.
Before proceeding further with a discussion
of the operation of the P Terminal 12, it appears
appropriate to discuss the construction details of
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this terminal itself. As previously stated, the P
Terminal 12 is about the size of a credit card and is
less than 1/4 inch thick in the embodiment described.
The P Terminal ]2 is shown in perspective, in
an exploded view, and in exaggerated si~e in Fig. 7 to
facilitate a showing of the various components includ-
ed in the terminal. The P Terminal 12 includes a
frame member 34 which is divided by the planar support
36 to provide a lower compartment 38-1 and an upper
compartment 38-2. A conventional, sheet battery 40,
which powers the P Terminal 12, is positioned in the
lower compartment 38-1 and retained therein by a
removable bottom cover 42 which is conventionally and
detachably secured to the frame member 34 to facili-
tate the replacement of the battery 40.
The upper compartment 38-2 contains those
elements included in the plurality of switches 30 and
they are included in the bracket 30-1 in Fig. 7.
Similarly, those elements included in the display 26
are included in the bracket 26-1. The P Terminal 12
also includes a printed circuit board 44 which con-
tains a microprocessor 46 (Fig. 8) and associated
circuitry to be described hereinafter. The printed
circuit board 44 and those elements included in brack-
ets 26-1 and 30-1 are retained in the upper compart-
ment 38-2 by a conventional Bezel frame 43 (Fig. 3)
which is detachably secured to the frame member 34.
The plurality of switches 30 included in the bracket
30-1 lies above the display 26 included in bracket 26-
l; however, the plurality of switches 30 is essential-
ly transparent to permit the display 26, when ener-
gized, to be visible through the switches 30.
The plurality of switches 30 included in the
bracket 30-1 in Fig. 7 is comprised of a top, trans-
parent, flexible, plastic-film layer 50 such as Mylar
which is a trademark of E.I. DuPont de Nemours and
Company of Delaware. The lower side of layer 50 has
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five, equally-spaced, transparent strips or conductors
52-1, 52-2, 52-3, 52-4, and 52-5 deposited thereon as
shown. In the embodiment described, the conductors
52-1 through 52-5 are each approximately 0.4 inches
wide and are spaced apart on 0.5 inch centers, al-
though other dimensions may be employed.
The plurality of switches 30 (Fig. 7) also
includes a thin, bottom, transparent, plastic-film
layer 54, and this layer has nine equally-spaced,
transparent strips or conductors 56-1, 56-2, 56-3, 56-
4, S6-5, 56-6, 56-7, 56-8, and 56-9 deposited on the
top surface of layer 54, with only conductors 56-1 and
56-~ being shown in Fig. 7 in order to simplify the
drawing. A spacer layer 58 is positioned between the
top layer 50 and the bottom layer 54 to provide insu-
lation between the conductors 52-1 through 52-5 and
the conductors 56-1 through 56-9. The layer 58 has a
plurality of holes therein, with each hole being
located at an intersection between one of the conduc-
tors 52-1 through 52-5 and one of the conductors 56-1
through 56-9. For example, only holes 60-1, 60-2, 60-
3 r 60-4, 60-5, 60-6, 60-7, 60-8, and 60-9 are shown in
Fig. 7 to simplify the drawing; however, the entire
array can be visualized from the fact that hole 60-1
is aligned with the intersection of conductor 52-5 and
conductor 56-1, and similarly, hole 60-9 is aligned
with the intersection of conductor 52-5 and conductor
56-9. The switch areas 28-1 through 28-9, alluded to
with regard to the discussion of Fig. 4, are aligned,
respectively, with holes 60-1 through 60-9 shown in
Fig. 7. When a user wishes to actuate one of the
plurality of switches 30, as for example that one
associated with key area 28-9 in Fig. 4, the user
simply depresses that area 28-9 causing the conductor
52-5 in Fig. 7 to pass through the hole 60-9 and
thereby contact the conductor 56-9. The key area 28-9
is outlined by the display 26 positioned beneath (as
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viewed in Fig. 7) the plurality of s~itches 30 as will
be described hereinafter. A transparent, glass sub-
strate 62 provides a rigid back-up plate for the
layers 50, 54, and 58 associated with the plurality of
switches 30. The conductors 52-1 through 52-5 and the
conductors 56-1 through 56 9 comprise the keyboard
array 64 shown schematically in Fig. 8, and the ends
of these conductors are connected to the printed
circuit board 44 by conventional connectors or "plated
through holes" (not shown). Although the fabrication
of switches 30 has been described in a specific man-
ner, it is not intended to exclude other alternative
methodologies to fabricate "transparent" switches such
as homogeneous or discrete capacitive-film switches
and electrostatic-sensitive switches, for example.
The glass substrate 62 alluded to forms a
part of the display 26 whose members are included in
the bracket 26-1 shown in Fig. 7. In the embodiment
described, the display 26 is of the liquid crystal
type. The major members of the display 26 shown in
bracket 26-1 also include an optical polarizer 66,
liquid crystal material 68, and a lower support glass
substrate 70. The side of the glass substrate 62
which faces the liquid crystal material 68 has a
common electrode or conductor 71 extending over the
entire area of the substrate. The common electrode 71
is shown schematically in Fig. 10, but is not shown in
Fig. 7. Correspondingly, the side of the glass sub-
strate 70 which faces the liquid crystal material 68
has a plurality of electrodes or pixels (PIX.) like 72
and 74 (Fig. 9) thereon. These pixels (picture ele-
ments) like 72 and 74 are selectively energi2ed by the
display circuit 76 (Fig. 9) to produce the hi~hlight-
ing of key areas like 28-1 through 2~-9 shown in Fig.
4, for example, and the various alphanumerics and
symbols displayed on the P Terminal 12. In the embod-
iment described, there are about 20,000 pixels like 72
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and 74 in the display 26. The liquid crystal material
68 is sealed between the substrates 62 and 70.
The pixel 72, shown within the display
circuit 76 (Fig. 9), is shown in more detail in Figs.
10 and 11. The pixel 72 (abbreviated PIX. in Fig. 9)
is fabricated by thin-film, transistor technology on
the glass substrate 70. The pixel 72 includes the
thin film transistor ~2-1 having its drain (D) con-
nected to a drain bus (Dl) and its gate (G) connected
to the gate bus Gl. The source (S) of the transistor
72-1 is connected to the electrode 72-2 which has the
general shape of a quadrilateral as shown in Fig. 11.
The liquid crystal material 68 lies between the co~mon
electrode 71 and the electrodes, like 72-2, of the
pixels included in the display 26. Each pixel, like
72 for example, has a thin film capacitor 72-3 whose
positive plate is connected to the source (S) of the
transistor 72-1 (Fig. 10), with the remaining plate
being connected to ground. In the embodiment de-
scribedr when the gate of transistor 72-1 is grounded,
current flows through the transistor to place a posi-
tive potential on the electrode 72-2 and the capacitor
72-3 causing the area between the electrode 72-2 and
the common electrode 71 to be highlighted as previous-
ly described. The ~apacitor 72-3, after being
charged, is used to maintain the charge on the elec-
trode 72-2 until the next subsequent energization by
the display circuit 76 shown in Fig. 9.
As previously stated, the display 26 is
comprised of a matrix of pixels like 72, 74, 80, 82,
84, 80-N, 82-N, and 84-N as shown in the display
circuit 76 (Fig. 9). The circuit 76 is conventional
and includes a gate bus driver 86 and a drain bus
driver 88. The drivers 86 and 88 are shown collec-
tively as display drivers 90 shown in Fig. 8. The
VDD2, VDD2/GND, VDDl/GND, GND, CL~CK P. and START P~
signals are conventional as shown in the Conference
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Record mentioned hereinafter, and are fed into the
gate bus driver 86 to conventionally address the
pixels selected by the microprocessor 46. There are
conventional, corresponding signals (not shown) ed
into the drain bus driver 88 to complete the selection
of pixels by the microprocessor 46.
When a particular pixel, such as 72 shown in
Fig. lO, is energi2ed, the liquid crystal material 68
between the associated electrode 72-2 and the common
electrode 71 is polarized by the application of volt-
age across these electrodes. The optical polarizer 66
(Fig. 7) is used to enable the user to distinguish
between polarized and non-polarized light as is done
conventionally. In the embodiment described, the
pixels are made to appear black to a user of the P
Terminal 12 when the pixel is made active. The par-
ticular patterns, key areas and alphanumeric displays
shown on display 26 are controlled by the microproces-
sor 46.
As previously stated, there are about 20,000
active pixels, like 72 and 74 (Fig. 9~ in the display
26 in the preferred embodiment of the P Terminal 12
being described. The techniques for forming and
operating such displays are described in detail in the
publication, Conference Record of 1980 Biennial Dis-
play Research Conference For Information Display
(S.I.D.). Gate and source leads of each transistor
like 72-l in Fig. lO are connected to the "x" and "y"
address lines to two on-board, thin~film, shift-regis-
ter drivers like gate bus driver 86 and drain bus
driver 88, causing the individual pixels in the dis-
play 26 to be scanned and selectively energized in
accordance with the associated input signals.
Fig. 8 shows the means for controlling the P
Terminal 12 which includes the circuit 92 and the
microprocessor 46 already alluded to. The micropro-
cessor 46 functions as the main source of control and
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initiator of events. The microprocessor 46 fetches
instructions from the read only memory (ROM) 94 and
executes these instructions in sequence to perform the
functions which are expected of the P Terminal 12. In
addition to specifying locations in ROM 94 and the
random access memory IRAM) 96, the microprocessor 46
determines the flow o data to and from the other
elements of the circuit 92 via the address bus 98,
da~a bus 100, and function select and control lines
102. In one typical implementation of the embodiment
described, the data bus 100 is eight bits wide and the
address bus 98 is sixteen bits wide. The timing and
bus driver circuits are not shown in Fig. 8; however,
they are conventional. The microprocessor 46 and the
majority of the remaining elements shown in Fig. 8 are
fabricated in CMOS technology so as to minimize the
power requirements on the sheet battery 40. The
battery 40 is connected to the rest of the circuit 92
through a battery system circuit 102 (connections not
shown) which contains the necessary capacitors tnot
shown) to provide voltage to the memories in the
circuit 92 during the time that sheet battery 40 is
being replaced and to maintain data in the RAM 96.
The ROM 94 (Fig. 8) contains the stored
programs and instructions to be executed during the
operation of the P Terminal 12, and to be used for
displaying the specific formats and messages on the
display panel 26. The particular programs and in-
structions within the ROM 94 are determined by the
issuer of the P Terminal 12 at the time of manufacture
of the ROM 94. Typical programs which may be included
in the ROM 94 are:
(1) Bill paying through a home computer;
(~) Paying for a purchased item at the point
of sale; and
(3) Withdrawing money from an ATM, to name a
few examples. These examples will be discussed in
detail hereinafter.
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The circuit 92 (Fig. 8) also includes a
permanent programmable memory (PPM) 104 which is
written or programmed at the time the P Terminal 12 is
issued to a user; the contents of this memory cannot
be changed after it is written into. The use of the
PPM 104 enables the P Terminal 12 to be "customized"
to satisfy the requirements of an individual user.
The circuit 92 also includes a keyboard interface 106
which couples the keyboard array 64 to the address and
data bus lines 38 and 100, respectively, and the
function select and control lines 102. The keyboard
interface 106 includes a set of drivers (not shown) to
scan the rows of switches in the keyboard array 64 and
to inform the microprocessor 46 of the switch clo-
sures. A communication interface 108 (to be described
later herein) couples the P Terminal 12 to the I
Module 14. The circuit 92 also includes conventional
time, date, and calculator chip circuitry which are
shown collectively as T.D.C. 81.
The I Module 14, alluded to earlier herein,
is shown in more detail in Fig. 12. The I Module 14
is modular in construction so as to adapt it to a
particular environment in which it will be used. As a
minimum, the I Module 14 includes the microprocessor
110, the ROM 112, the RAM 114, the power supply 116,
the interface 118 which is coupled to the interface
108 associated with the circuit 92 of the P Terminal
12, and the MODEM 120. The power supply 116 is con-
ventional in that it may be coupled to an outside
source of 110 volts AC or it may be coupled to other
terminals or systems 16 (Fig. 1) to obtain power
therefrom; the power supply 116 is connected to the
other elements shown by conventional connections (not
shown). The ROM 112 contains the various control
programs associated with the I Module 14, and in its
simplest state, the ROM 112 contains the necessary
control software to provide con~unication between the
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I Module 1~ and the P Terminal 12 and to ~ormat the
data ~or interfacing with the MODEM 120. The MODEM
120 has a plug 122 which connects to a telephone
receptacle (not shown in Fig. 12) such that when the P
Terminal 12 and the I Module 14 are coupled together
~Fig. 2), the P Terminal 12 is enabled to communicate
with other terminals or systems over the telephone
lines.
The microprocessor 110 (Fig. 12) is coupled
to the interface 10~ of the P Terminal by the inter-
face 118. In the embodiment described, the interfaces
108 and 118 are coupled together by light. This type
of coupling eliminates critical alignment problems, is
free of electrical noise which is usually associated
with capacitive and low-level-signal reception, and
permits minimum electrical energy to be required by
the circuitry of the P Terminal 12. The interface 118
is comprised of an output transmitter (XMTR) 124 and
an input receiver 126. The interface 108 includes an
input receiver 128 which is aligned with the output
XMTR 124, and correspondingly, the output XMTR 130 of
the interface 108 on the P Terminal 12 is aligned with
the input receiver 126 of the I Module 14.
Fig. 13 is a schematic diagram showing the
optical coupling between the P Terminal 12 and the I
Module 14 when the two are positioned in the assembled
relationship shown in Fig. 2. The output transmitter
124 (Fig. 12) of the I Module 14 includes the light
emitting diode (LED) 129 which is used to direct
modulated light as shown by arrow 132 (Fig. 13) on to
the light detector area 22 associated with the P
Terminal 12. Light from the LED 129 is modulated in
accordance with the stream of data to be transferred
from the I Module 14 to the P Terminal 12. The detec-
tor area 22 is part of the input receiver 128 (Fig.
12). The output XMTR 130 (Fiy. 12) of the P Terminal
12 includes the light modulator area 20 (Fig. 13)
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already alluded to. The input receiver 126 (Fig. 12)
of the I Module 14 includes the LED 134 which directs
unmodulated light (as represented by arrow 136) on to
the light modulator area 20 of the P Terminal 12.
When the P Terminal 12 is to transmit data to the I
Module 14, it energizes the light modulator area 20 in
conformance with the data. ~ feature of the light
coupling arrangement shown in Fig. 13 is that most of
the energy for the coupling is supplied by the I
Module 14. In this regard, the I Module 14 powers the
LED 134 which directs unmodulated light to the area 20
on the P Terminal 12. An optical system shown as a
lens 138 directs light reflected from the light modu-
lator area 20 to a photodetector 140 which is part of
the input receiver 126 located in the I Module 14.
The light modulator area 20 contains liquid crystal
material and may be fabricated as was the display 26
during the same manufacturing process; however, the
area 20 is physically separate from the display 26.
The substrate 70 (Fig. 7) which is part of the display
26 has a reflective metal layer (not shown) placed
thereon in the area of the light modulator area 20
(Fig. 1). The area 20 contains a liquid crystal
element which is modulated in accordance with the
stream of data to be transmitted from the P Terminal
12 to the I Module 14. Accordingly~ the reflected
light received by the photodetector 140 will be modu-
lated in accordance with the data to be trans~itted
from the P Terminal 12. If a higher throughput of
data is required than the one just described, then the
area 20 may be divided into a number of segments with
a corresponding number of photodetectors~ like 140, in
the I Module 14; if the number of segments equals two,
for example, data can then be transferred by the two
units in a parallel-by-bit, serial-by-character format
which will allow transfer rates to be higher than a
purely, serial-by-bit format.
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The light detector area 22 (Fig 13) contains
an array of thin~film transistors which serve as
photosensors. All these transistors (not shown) may
be connected in parallel to provide one output signal
to the input receiver 12~ of the P Terminal 12. All
the light from the LED 129 striking the transistors in
the area ~2 thereby contributes to the detector
signal, which is the electrical analogue of the
modulated light from the LED 129 which transfers data
Erom the I Module 14 to the P Terminal 12. Because of
the inherent speed o~ the light-sensitive, thin-film
transistors in the area 22, the data transfer from the
I Module 14 to the P Terminal 12 can be effected by
serial-by-bit, serial-by-character unless for reasons
of consistency with the area 20, a parallel-by-bit,
serial-by-character is chosen. As an alternate
implementation, the areas 20 and 22 (Fig. 13) may
consist of separate discrete elements which are
attached to the P Terminal 12 instead of being
manufactured with the process which produces the
display 26. The top transparent layer 50 (Fig. 7)
protects the areas 20 and 22.
Data is transferred among the different
elements of the I Module 14 (Fig. 12) by the
input/output (I/O) address bus 142, the I/O data bus
144, and the function select and control lines 146 by
conventional techniques. The I module 14 also
includes a conventional light curtain 144 (Fig. 1)
which forms a light seal between the I Module 14 and
the P Terminal 12 to prevent stray light from
affecting the transfer of data therebetween.
Having described the simpliest embodiment of
the I Module 14 shown in Fig. 12, it now appears
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appropriate to discuss additional embodiments of the I
Module 14 which enable it and the P Terminal 12 to
perform additional functions.
The second embodiment of the I Module
designated as 14-2 is shown in Fig. 14. This I Module
14-2 provides a home information system which includes
an alphanumeric keyboard 146, a printer 148, and a
video monitor 150 which are coupled to the I Module
1~-2 as shown in Figs. 14 and 12. The I Module 14-2
il~cludes an interface 152 which couples the printer
148 to the busses 142 and 144 and the function select
and control lines 146, and also includes the interfac-
es 154 and 156 which couple the keyboard 146 and video
monitor 150, respectively to these busses and control
lines. The interface 152 enables either serial or
parallel printing by the printer 148. The interface
156 includes a character and graphics generator to
provide the necessary signals to the video monitor
150, which could be a TV set in a low-cost environ-
ment. When the printer 148, keyboard 146, and video
monitor 150 are to be added to the I Module 14-2, the
associated application programs are included in the
ROM 112 (Fig. 12). The elements which are included in
the minimum configuration of the I Module 14 are shown
to the left of line B-B in Fig. 12, while the configu-
ration of the I Module 14-2 shown in Fig. 14 is shown
to the left of line C-C in Fig. 12.
Fig. 15 shows a third modification of the I
Module and it is designated generally as 14-3. The I
Module 14-3 has an appropriate connector 158 which can
be coupled directly into a matching connector 160
which is provided by the terminal 162. If the connec-
tor 160 is not conveniently located, a suitable con-
necting cable shown as dashed line 164 can be used to
enable the I Module 14-3 to be conveniently operated
with regard to the operating keyboard or controls (not
shown) associated with the terminal 162. The terminal
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162 ~shown as P.~. in Fig. 12) may be a point of sale
(POS) terminal such as an ATM, a gas dispensing termi-
nal, a ticket dispensing terminal, or a personal
computer (P.C.), for example. While the I Module 14
is shown as being separate from the terminal 162, it
can be totally integrated into the terminal 162. For
example, the I Module 14 may be constructed within the
frame of an ATM to receive the P Terminal 12. The I
~odule 14-3 could also be connected to a phone outlet
and an AC power outlet. The interface 166 (Fig. 12)
connects the terminal 162 to the I Module 14-3. The
form of the firmware/software associated with the
microprocessor 110 is dependent upon the business
machine or terminal 162 to which the I Module 14-3 is
to be connected. From what has been described with
regard to Fig. 12, it should be apparent that the I
Module 14 has a wide range of capabilities in inter-
facing the P Terminal 12 with a variety of other
terminals or Systems 16 as shown from Figs. 12 and 1,
for example.
Having described the P Terminal 12 and the I
Module 14, it now appears appropriate to discuss how
these two units are used in a typical transaction.
Assume that a user wishes to use the P
Terminal 12 in a POS transaction such as paying for a
grocery bill at a supermarket. In order to do so, the
user actuates key area 28-6 (Fig. 3) to go to the main
menu as previously described. While a POS transaction
is not shown on the main menu shown in Fig. 4, the
user would actuate key area like 28-g in Fig. 4, to
obtain the next menu (not shown) which might include
several POS transactions. In another embodiment, the
initial state of the P Terminal 12 might include the
choice "Transact" (not shown), which after being
selected, would include the transaction menus shown in
Figs. 16 and 17. The second "Transact" or transaction
menu shown in Fig. 17 is presented after the key area
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2~-8 (Fig. 16) is actuated to request "more" of the
menu. With the additional menu presented in Fig. 17,
a user would actuate key 28-1 to select a standard
point of sale (POS-STD) operation for paying for a
grocery bill in the example being described. After
the POS selection is made, the P Terminal 12 displays
a message (not shown) requesting that the user insert
his P Terminal 12 into the I Module 14 which is con~
nected to the terminal 162 as shown in Fig. 15. As
another mode of operation, the act of connecting the P
Terminal 12 to the I Module 14 which is connected to
the terminal 162 in Fig. lS could cause the P Terminal
12 to display the transaction menu shown in Fig. 16
because, in this situation, payment of the bill is the
expected reason for attaching the P Terminal 12 to the
terminal 162. Naturally, the particular terminal 162
would have to be modified to cooperate with the I
Module 14 in this regard.
Assume for the moment that the user actuated
key area 28-1 in Fig. 17 to select a standard point of
sale transaction in paying ~or the grocery bill in the
example being described. The display on the P Termi-
nal 12 would then instruct the user to install his P
Terminal 12 in the I Module 14 as shown in Fig. 15.
The I Module 14 is connected to the terminal 162 which
may be a point of sale terminal like a "cash regis-
ter". The terminal 162 may be an intelligent stand
alone device, or it may be connected "on line" to a
remote computer host (not shown), for example.
After the P Terminal 12 (Fig. 15) is coupled
to the I Module 14 in the example being described, the
P Terminal 12 requests that the user enter his person-
al identification number (PIN) as shown in Fig. 18.
As the user enters his PIN, a dash (not shown) appears
on line 26-2 in Fig. 18 for each number enter~d. A
dash instead of the particular number of the PIN is
shown for security reasons, and if the user is satis
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fied that he has entered his PIN properly, he actuates
the key area 28-7 (Fig. 18) requesting that the PIN be
entered. In the process of verifying the user oE the
P Terminal 12, a multi-digit number stored permanently
within P Terminal 12 but unknown to the user may also
be used to identify this terminal and the various
financial accounts associated with it and the user.
The actual verifying of the P Terminal 12 and the
user's PIN as valid may be effected ~y a conventional
~erifying technique. Assume that the PIN is accepted
by the P Terminal 12 and the multi-digit number stored
in the P Terminal 12 is accepted by the terminal 162
and/or its host system; in this situation, a message
like that shown on line display 26-2 in Fig. 19 is
displayed briefly. Thereafter, the messages and
options are presented on the P Terminal 12 to the user
as shown in Fig. 20. The amount of the sale $36.75 is
obtained from the terminal 162 (Fig. 15) and is
displayed on line display 26-3 (Fig. 20). Flexibility
is provided by adjusting the charge as shown on line
display 26-5 or cancelling the charge or transaction
as shown on line display 26-6. Assume that the user
accepts the charge; accordin~ly, the user then
actuates the key area 28-4 which action then presents
the displays and options shown in Fig. 21. Assume
further that the user wishes to pay for the purchases
from his checking account. In this situation, the
user then actuates the key area 2~-5 (Fig. 21)
associated with "checking" shown on line display 26-5.
At this point in the processing of a
transaction for the purchase of groceries, the user
has indicated that he wishes to pay for the
transaction from his checking account. As shown in
Fig. 22,
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the P Terminal 12 indicates: the charge $36.75 on
display line 26-2, his current checking balance of
$342.15 on display line 26-3, and the balance which
would remain in his checking account after this trans-
action is consummated as shown on display line 26-4.
The P Terminal 12 carries the various balance~ associ-
ated with the user's various accounts and updates them
to reflect transactions which he effects. If the user
is satisfied with his intended payment, he actuates
the key area 28-8 (Fig. 22) next to "ACCEPT" on line
display 26-8 to effect the transaction. The transfer
of funds from the user's account to that of the "Food-
town" store in the example described is effected
immediately if the terminal 162 is on line with the
host system or it may be done later if the terminal is
not on line. The total of the user's checking account
is also altered to reflect the recent payment of
$36.75 in the example described so that the P Terminal
12 always carries his actual remaining balance. To
assist the user in gaining confidence in the use of
the P Terminal 12 and related systems, the P Terminal
12 exhibits the display shown in Fig. 23. The line
displays 26-5 and 26-6 (Fig. 23) record the transac-
tion for the history trail discussed earlier in rela-
tion to Fig. 5, and the line displays 26-7 through 26-
9 (Fig. 23) request that the user remove his P Ter-
minal 1~ from the I Module 14 shown in Fig. 15.
While the P Terminal 12 has been describPd in
relation to a POS transaction involving a grocery
store, it is apparent that the techniques employed and
described may be used to purchase gasoline at an
automatic gasoline terminal or may be used with other
POS terminals like those used for the purchase of
tickets, for example.
Another feature of the P Terminal 12 is that
it may be used with a terminal 162 which may be a
personal computer (PC). The terminal 162 (PC~ may be
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supplied with a program for handling "Home Payment"
transactions, for example. With such a system, the
terminal 162 (pc) may be connected to a host system
via the telephone lines to provide the terminal 162
(PC) with the monthly bills to be paid by the user.
Naturally, those companies wanting to be paid in this
way would become part of the system for "Home Pay-
ment". The user would then use his P ~erminal 12 in
conjunction with the terminal 162 PC, and the user
would operate the P Terminal 12 as described in rela-
tion to a POS transaction already described. If the
terminal 162 (PC) did not have a MODEM, the MODEM
associated with the P Terminal 12 (Fig. 15) could be
used. For example, Figs. 24, 25, and 26 show certain
of the displays and options presented to the user from
his P Terminal 12 when operating it in a "Home Pay"
transaction. In this regard, the display 26 shows the
amount of the payment to be made as $52.00 on display
line 26-2 of Fig. 24; an earlier display ~not shown)
would have indicated that this payment was for Shil-
lito Rike's Department Store. In the example de-
scribed, assume that the user wishes to pay for this
bill from his VISA account; accordingly, the user
actuates the key area 28-6 (Fig. 24) which corresponds
to "VISA" being displayed on display line 26-6.
After the "VISA" choice is made by actuating
key area 28-6 (~ig. 24), the P Terminal provides the
user with the format shown in Fig. 25. Line display
26-3 (Fig. 25) shows the user's current VISA balance
for charges, and line display 26-4 shows how the
user's balance will be increased by the intended
purchase. If the user accepts this method o~ payment,
he actuates key area 28-8 (Fig. 25) which completes
the transaction. In this regard, the user's Shillito-
Rike's charge balance will be decreased by $52.00 and
his VISA charge balance will be increased by $52.00
through the "Home Pay" service in the example being
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described. These last transactions are also shown on
display lines 2~-4 and 26-5 of his P Terminal 12 as
shown in Fig. 26; these lines provide the history
trail previously discussedO Thereafter, the user can
actuate the key area 28-8 in Fig. 26 to "Quit" the
"Home Pay" service, and thereafter, the user will be
instructed to remove his P Terminal 12.
While the "Home Pay" service has been
described in conjunction with a terminal 162 (PC)
(Fig. 15), the payment of bills can be effected with-
out having the personal computer. Basically, the
payment can be effected through using the P Terminal
12t and the I Module 14 which includes the configura-
tion shown to the left of line B-B in Fig. 12, includ-
ing the MODEM 120. In this situation, the initial
mode of the P Terminal includes an option called "AUTO
DIAL". When this option is selected, the P Terminal
l~ and the I Module 14 become connected to the host
system by the telephone lines. After verification of
the user's PIN and account numbers as previously
described, a menu such as that shown in Fig. 27 is
presented to the user. Notice that display line 26-1
indicates that the P Terminal 12 and the I Module 14
are on an on line system with the host system and that
the menu indicates a partial list of those companies
which are part of the system for making home payment
by electronic funds transfer. If the user wishes to
pay his gas utility bill, he actuates the key area 28-
6 (Fig. 27) to start the sequence of activities al-
ready explained in relation to Figs. 20, 21, 22, and
23.
While the P Terminal 12 and the I Module 14
have been described in relation to financial transac-
tions, the same techniques employed herein can be
extended to use in office environments. Managerial,
professional, and clerical employees can use the P
Terminal 12 and the I Module 14 in conjunction with
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various types of office terminals and files in a
controlled-access environment.
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