CA2113805C - Pocketsize electronic travel and commuter pass and a plurality of accounting systems. - Google Patents

Abstract

A pocket-size electronic travel and commuter pass which can be used for making valid payment of fares or purchases of services and goods, is disclosed. The pass contains capacitive plates or inductive coils in pairs of two a.nd are operated in such a way that their mutual phasing is correct for close proximity signal communications with an accountancy system. Noise and interference signals will appear in antiphase on the plates or coils and will not affect the desired signal communication. As a result, the pass exhibits a high signal to noise ratio.

Description

2113~0~
ELECTRONIC TRAVEL PASS
The present invention relates to an electronic travel pass and more particularly, the present invention relates to a portable pocketsize private data base.
Generally speaking, electronic cards for a host of transactions are well known in the art. These cards, although useful, are unfortunately suseptible to unauthorized use or access and can be readily copied and/or 1o modified for fraudulent use. Further, existing systems require the card to be inserted into a magnetic or other reader which also has inherent problems.
The present invention circumvents these and other limitations and in the aspect provides a pocketsize electronic travel and commuter pass, suitable for payment of fares and purchases of services and goods from the accountancy systems, the pass, comprising:
remote means for transferring to and receiving from the accountancy systems digital information, wherein the remote 2o means for data transfer includes at least two emitter elements received by one receiver element, each element having a full strength, the at least two emitter elements electrically and spatially arranged such that the sum of their respective field strengths decreases rapidly with distance relative to a single emitter element, whereby the possibility of a plurality of passes responding to an outlet point is reduced.
Significant advantages have been realized with the present invention such as: i) greater data transfer speed;
to protect; ii) integrity protection of the data in exterior electric noise or interference; iii) a broader range of applicability; permitting the owner to select his/her secret PIN and to change it at any time without the assistance from a second person or office; and iv) to 1o convert a travel pass, which normally can only communicate with a terminal at close proximity, into a radio-responsive card capable of passing on its serial number or account number over a distance of several feet.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, then is provided a pocketsize electronic travel and commuter pass, suitable for payment of fares, or purchases of services and goods from accountancy systems, the pass comprising:
remote means for transferring to and receiving from the 2o accountancy systems digital data, the digital data comprising a first flow of square pulses passing through one of the two said pass or accountancy systems and a flow of square pulses passing through the other of the said pass or accountancy systems in antiphase to the first flow wherein both the pass device and the accountancy system each contain a ~~COUNT TO THREE" binary counter, and wherein

2 a high logic data bit is represented by the absence of the middle one in the groups of three pulses in both the card processor and the reader processor.
A further aspect of the present invention relates to a pocketsize electronic travel and commuter pass, making valid payment of fares, or purchases of services and goods from accountancy systems, the pass comprising:
means for transferring to and receiving from the accountancy systems digital data, the pass including 1o electric change over switching elements for switching phasing of the pass and the accountancy systems can said pass from a responsive state to a non-responsive state to proximity signals issued by the accountancy systems, and responsive to signals from a more distant source.
Another aspect of the present invention relates to a pocketsize electronic travel and commuter pass, suitable for making valid payment of fares, or purchases of services and goods from accountancy systems, the pass comprising:
means for transferring to and receiving from the 2o accountancy systems digital data, the means for data transfer including capacitive plate elements or inductive coils electrically connected to the pass having a first voltage potential and into a reader means of the accountancy systems having a second voltage potential whereby an alternating voltage differential is created between the pass and the accountancy systems when brought

3 _ "....4 2113 0~
into spatial relationship, the voltage differential drive for actuating the pass circuits and sending data to the accountancy systems by short circuiting or loading energy from the voltage differential for a predetermined time.
A still further aspect of the present invention relates to a pocketsize electronic travel and commuter pass and a plurality of accounting systems at least one having a processor terminal as a means for payment of fares, or purchases of services or goods to accountancy systems, the 1o pass including means for transferring data from and to the processor terminal, the pass comprising: a register for storing data of passes in default; means for comparing a pass presented for a transaction against stored said passes in default passes; means for comparing a fare due for payment with a residual value of the pass; means in the processor for updating the value of the pass; and, register means in the processor for registering passes having an updated value.
Having thus generally described the invention, 2o reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, illustrating preferred embodiments and in which:
Figure 1 schematically illustrates a card with two embedded capacitive antenna plates and a data retrieval circuit associated therewith;
Figure lA is a schematic illustration of the circuits for data transfer by impedance changes;

4 2113~4~
Figure 2 illustrates wave forms at different parts of the circuit;
Figure 3A illustrates segments of the signal emitter circuit of the card READER unit;
Figure 3B illustrates the disposition of the capacitive elements relative to the card;
Figure 3C illustrates the card in position within a broad retrieval system;
Figure 4 is a schematic illustration of an alternate embodiment of the Figure 1 circuitry;
Figure 5 illustrates a schematic of a travel pass combined with a modified form of the Figure 1 circuit;
Figure 6 is a schematic illustration of a retrieval circuit connected to a Motorola CMOS microcomputer chip;
Figure 7 schematically illustrates a string of oc sin waves used for data modulation, and the string of ~3 sin waves used for producing timing pulses;
Figure 8 schematically illustrates logic levels transferred to the travel pass as data and logic levels applied to the 2o travel pass computer chip as clock pulses;
Figure 9 is a similar view to Figure 8 showing the output from the differential amplifier representing data transferred from the card to the reader;
Figure 10 is a schematic illustration of spiral coils connected in phase;
Figure 11 schematically illustrates the card circuit when the switches are in one position;
Figure 12 schematically illustrates the effective card circuit of the coils when the switches are in their other 3o position;

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Figure 13 schematically illustrates two spiral coils connected in phase for short distance Readers, in antiphase for any 'common mode' signal;
Figure 14 schematically illustrates the same arrangement as in Fig. 13, with the coil implanted into a silicon chip, the upper chip having in the center of the coil an integrated minicomputer, and the lower chip having at its center solid state integrated semiconductor switches;
Figure 15 schematically illustrates fare collection system to for use with travel passes;
Figure 16 is an even flow diagram for flat fare operation;
Figure 17 is an even flow diagram for graduated fare and graduated fare operation;
Figure 18 is a schematic illustration of the system travel pass;
Figure 19 is a perspective view of the travel pass;
Figure 19a is a cross sectional view of the display window in the card;
Figure 20 shows a travel pass circuit where the electronic 2o value memory is provided by a standard size smart card inserted into the pass;
Figure 21 is a perspective view of a travel pass with a facility to accept a cardlike prepaid cash component;
Figure 22 is a side view of another type of provision for electrically connecting a standard smart card to the travel pass device;

6 - --~ ~ 2 1 1 3 4 Figure 23 is a front elevational view of Fig. 22;
Figure 24 is a cross sectional view of one of the spring loaded contact pins;
Figure 25 is a plan view of a keyboard with numerical and functional keys for use with the present invention;
Figure 25A is a view of the keyboard in use;
Figure 25B is a schematic illustration depicting the manner of use of the card;
Figure 26 provides a guide for the use of the keyboard of 1o Fig. 25;
Figure 27 is a logic flow diagram for various optional preparations; and Figure 28 is a schematic illustration depicting various optional procedures for using a travel pass at a vending machine or a market point of sale desk. Similar reference numerals used in the text denote similar elements.
Referring now to the drawings, and initially to Figure 3A, shown is the approximate mutual position of emitter plates 1 arranged on the Read/Write terminal and 2o corresponding antenna plates 3 arranged on the backside of the travel pass. The spacing between the metal plates 2a and 2(3, and the metal plates 4a and 4(3 may be between 5 to 30 mm. The a line carries square pulses as does the ~3 line, phase shifted 180° against the former. Figures 3A, B, & C are described hereinafter.
Figure 2 illustrates several voltage-time diagrams.
On rows 1 and 2 the input signals 2a and 2(3 are shown. The voltages that arise from the reactive transfer on the metal plates 4a and 4(3, respectively are similar to those shown on rows 1 and 2, respectively if the impedances of leakages to quasiground level are very high, typically 50 MOhm. At lower bleeder resistances, of approximately 5 MOhm, the differentiator effect ensues; row 3 illustrates the 4a pulses.
The transfer circuit is shown in Figure 1. T1 and T2 represent field effect transistors. The general data 1o transfer parameters can be described as follows: Each data binary bit is embedded in one of three clock pulses. More accurately, each bit is embedded in the second one of three clock pulse positions. If a number contains many zeros, the flow of clock pulses continues unchanged. The clock pulses occur in groups of three, counting a,b,c - a,b,c etc. A data bit can appear only during the part period 'b'. A logic one is represented by the absence of a clock pulse during period 'b'.
The basis of synchronization is the two-bit counter 20 using two D-type bistables III and IV. In the example, the repetitive count is given by the states 1,2,3; the state 0 is skipped, using AND gate 6 for this purpose. A high data bit to be transfered from the card circuit 100 to the reader unit must pass through the AND gate 9 which is enabled only during the 'b' period (count 2) of the counter. If the data to be transfered are held in a shift register the shift clock is obtained as an output from the NAND gate 7 at the beginning of each 'b' period. Any high output from the AND gate 9 is applied to the control gate of the transistor T3 which then virtually shortens the capacitor plate 4a to a reference level, quasiground level.
As a consequence, there is a low resistance path from the plate 4a to the plate 4(3, which amounts to a drastic reduction of impedance to the supply line of the 2a imput pulses. As such, there is a major increase in the load current across the resistor Ra in the reader unit. This is detected by a sensor dement dA and used in the further circuitry of the reader unit to represent a logic "1" level in the reader Computer.
The data transfer in the opposite direction, from the reader to the card, can be delineated as follows.
In Figure 3, a high data bit is applied to the gate of transistor T6 which virtually eliminates during time period "b" the clock pulse potential on the capacitor antenna 2a.
This eliminates any voltage on gate Ga, so that the reset 2o potential of input point R remains high and the already set bistable I remains set with QI output being high (Figure 1). These conditions are illustrated on the voltage-time curves of Figure 2. On row 4 the gate c,a does not receive the regular spike, nor does the negative going reset spike develop on row 5 (CKa). The bistable output QI (row 7) changes from producing square pulses to remaining high over a period of two pulses. This also affects the next bistable II output, row 9. Strobed by clock pulses CK(32, QII goes now high shortly after the beginning of time period 'b' and remains so until shortly after the end of period 'b'. To obtain a data output which is cleanly cut off at the end of period 'b', one would have to provide extra gating, but this is in practice not needed. The small overlap is not of any consequence. The output of AND
gate 5 represents a strobing spike roughly in the middle of each time sector (a,b,c), and therefore, the downstream circuit (the card circuit) can use this spike for clocking the data (Q II) into its register.
Finally, if the reader computer routinewise emits a reset signal to ensure that all the registers and bistables of the receiving circuits are cleared before passing on a command etc., this may also be done by means of the present interface circuit. In this case, after the first data bit is sent in time sector 'b', another data bit is applied 2o immediately following in time sector 'c'. This keeps the data output on line 9 of Figure 2 high over the time periods 'b' and 'c'. The CK(31 spike during the middle of period 'c' is a unique pulse useable by the downstream circuitry as a reset pulse. It is obtained as an output from the four-input AND gate 10 shown in Figure 1.
l0 n Figure 4 shows essentially the same circuitry, but using an inductive coil (2a-4a,2(3-4~i). Such coils are generally configured as spiral coils on printed film. When a logic "1" is to be sent from the reader to the travel pass or card, the clock pulse in time sector 'b' is stopped by the transistor T7 of the PNP type while the NPN
transistor T$ shortens the coil to ground to ensure that no noise spike gets through during period 'b'.
Referring now to Figure lA, shown is how a data pulse 1o is transferred. High frequency clock pulses are applied in opposite phases to terminals a and Vii. When the switch is open the load is 3 M ~2; when closed, the load drops to a few hundred ohms. The capacitor plate at this point having been at normal alternating voltages, drops to a voltage of near zero.
It remains to describe the manner by which the reader circuit synchronizes its counter with that of the card. As set forth herein previously the terminal and the data card travel pass send out a data bit only in the counter period 2o 'b'. It is now assumed that the receiving party's counter circuit is at that monent not in the 'b' period but in the 'c' period of its triple cycle. A high data bit received in Figure 1 will cause, as explained, the bistable II to go high, virtually at the beginning of time section 'b' in the sending circuit but arrives, according to the present assumption in time period 'c' of the counter in Figure 1.

Generally the following events occur: Q of the bistable II, having previously been high goes low and applies a low-going pulse to capacitor C2; C2 does the same to the setting input of counter bistable IV as well as to the resetting input of the counter bistable III. This puts the counter immediately back into its time period b. The same would happen if a data bit is sent to the reader circuit, and its counter were not synchronized; sending data bit is therefore the synchronizing agent.
1o As Figure 1 illustrates, the circuit may also be used for charging a capacitor 'Co' via rectifier diodes dl and d3. The charging of this capacitor Co as well as the current load imposed by the integrated circuit have the same effect as the resistor Rl. These will cause a more or less gradual decline of the induced voltage. Accordingly, the resistor R1 may be omitted; resistors R2 and R4 should be made no lower than needed for operational stability. If the travel pass is powered by a battery (if the pass comprises a display, a battery will have to be included in 2o any case) and the differentiator resistors are omitted, the signal form applied to gate Ga will be virtually the same as the input signal. Even in that extreme case, the circuit of Figure 1 will function precisely as described.
As the travel pass transaction card is intended to be handheld during a data transfer it is important that any stray fields emanating from a user's hand do not affect 2113~~~
data integrity through distortion or one-sided super-imposition of static potentials.
A method for making common mode signals harmless is to apply to both the a and the (3 channel identical input signals, but of opposite polarity and at the receiving side apply them to a differential amplifier dA. This is shown in Figure 5. Since in this version both the input channels (a, (3) are used for the data input, the clock signals must be derived from the data stream. This is performed in the to clock pulse emulator circuit which uses a digital phase-locked loop. Figure 5 indicates this circuit group as a functional block.
The card 3 contains embedded in it not merely the active metal plates 4a and 4(3, but also a shield plate 3a. A
purpose of this plate is to ensure that the static potential induced from external sources is equal at all points and will thus elevate or reduce the potential of the active metal plates by the same amount.
In the lower part of Figure 5 the remaining component 20 elements of a travel pass are shown, namely the liauid crystal data display, the group of data entry keys, and the microcomputer chip which contains not merely the processor, but also the various data registers and memory banks. The main input and output ports of the microcomputer are also indicated which link with those of the interface circuit 2113 fl above. The described circuit is capable of transfering data at a rate only one third of the carrier. Using another interface circuit described hereinafter much lower data transfer speeds can be achieved.
Referring now to Fig. 6, shown is the card 3 containing two metallic layers 4a and 4(3. These layers may be either be a thin metallic deposit or may have the form of a spiral coil. In the second case, the arrangement of the circuit follows the indications of Figure 4. Using a l0 high rate of change induces field changes in the immediate surroundings of the capacitor plates, (or of the two spiral coils 4a and 4~3) sufficient to produce the operating voltages and currents in the integrated circuit of the card. In this present embodiment, the periodicity in channel a and channel ~i is the same, but opposite in phase as shown in Figure 7. Accordingly, with increasing distance from the signal source (the Reader-emitter), the field forces nearly cancel each other and would thus have no effect on the card receiver antennae at read-card 2o distances of more than a few inches.
When the operating voltage in the card has risen to an adequate level, microcomputer 7 is programmed to produce an output at PAo of chip 7 (Fig. 6) with the clock pulse applied to it. This is applied to AND gate 5 in Figure 6 producing a high output pulse making transistor 8 . "..,..

conductive. This produces a short pulse a-3 in the reader circuit. This pulse serves as a start signal for the reader computer unit to commence its program of data interchange.
Figure 8 shows the envelope of the waves for the data sequence 0 - 1 - 0. Figure 9 shows a data bit at the output of the differential amplifier 6 in the Reader Unit, demonstrating the principle of data flow from card to reader.
1o In this version of a proximity data transfer, the principle of a fully balanced twin-input can be realized.
The clock pulse channel must be replaced by an inverted second data input channel while clock pulses are derived from the data stream. This is facilitated by converting the binary code into the well-known Manchester Code from which the clock pulses can be derived.
With reference to Figures 10 through 14, the possibilities with switched sensors, will be explained.
Figure 10 shows coils 1 and 2, and capacitors 3 and 4, 2o as isolated components connected only to change-over switch elements 5, 6, 7 and 8.
Figure 11 shows two oscillator circuits operating independently from each other whereas in Figure 12 the two systems operate as a single resonance circuit. The resonance frequency in the two cases need not be the same.
In Figure 13, the two resonance systems deployed on the same card substrate work in one switch position in counterphase, in the other switch position in phase. It is also possible to embed the coil conductors as very fine lines into a silicon substrate, with very accurately dimensioned spacing between the coil windings. The inter-wire capacity together with the inductance acts as an oscillator circuit. The switches 26, 27 and 28 can be used for changing the relative phasing of the two systems. When the flux is as if from a source 23, it is a sink-flux 24 in 1o the other coil, and vice versa. If the switch is changed over, the two coils have uniform flux changes. The changeover switches may also affect additional capacitive elements if a change of frequency is desired.
These two factors, namely phase change and frequency change, facilitate separation of the two operational versions, the close proximity one and the moderate distance one.
As mentioned herein, the switches may be provided in solid state form. In the execution of Figure 14 the card 2o comprises two silicon chips, one for the microprocessor and memory, the other for the switch logic. The surrounding area in both chips is used for the placement of the inductive coils 21, and 22, respectively. Manual switches (A,B) arranged on the card cause the microprocessor to generate control signals (l,r) dependent on whether the user intends to make a POS transaction or a parking or road pricing transaction. Pinsize LEDs (AA, BB) may be utilized to indicate at all times which mode is in operation.
The switch logic may be combined with the microcomputer chip on the same substrate. In this case, the integrated circuit may be placed between the two coil areas.
Having thus discussed the important aspects of signal exchange between a travel pass and a reader unit, next, a programming feature to be incorporated in the travel pass is to be described, with reference to Figures 15 and 16.
1o The program principles to be discussed relate to the general area of payment of fares by a card system, especially at the critical moments when a fare is due, but the residual value of the card proves to be insufficient.
The principle explained will be particularly useful for revenue collection on buses, but would also be very useful in other small payment situations.
It has long been known that cards can be used as a voucher of credit issaed by financial institutions.
Although the credit issuing company debit the buyer 2o and/or the seller in return for pledging payment with a certain percentage, the procedure often includes a review of the card owner's accounts to determine credit worthiness.
Occasionally it is necessary to transmit the numbers of blacklisted cards directly into a register close to the point of transaction.

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w 2~~3 Assuming that equipment of this type is available on a bus, there exists also another technical difficulty affecting the cost efficiency of credit card debiting on public transportation in an urban area - the sheer number of transactions that occur. The average value for each such transaction is low, yet for each such transaction sufficient data have to be transmitted to a bank computer to obtain payment.
Faced with this inapplicability of prior art of credit 1o card payment to fare collection, the present invention provides for measures and card processing software which intend to make its use in travel available for both the daily commuters, occasional travellers, in short for a substantial majority of the travelling public.
This aim is achieved by combining the electronic register for blacklisted numbers with an accummulator of fares. The latter cause the latest fare to be added to the sum of preceding fares derived from the travel pass and then updates the sum in the card memory. Everytime a 2o traveller's card is presented to a transaction terminal it reads from the card the sum of earlier fares, adds the current fare and compares the new sum with a preset number in a separate register of the transaction unit. This last-mentioned register is non-volatile and represents a reference level with which the value level of accummulated paid fare memorized in the travel pass in addition to the fare that would be payable for the current trip, is compared. Assuming that the sum of all fares exceeds the reference value level another program condition set in the transaction programming unit triggers which:
(a) deducts from the reference value the amount by which the sum of all fares exceeds this value;
(b) the remaining value is entered as a refreshment update into the value register of the "travel pass";
to (c) the account number of the travel pass, together with the bank code and interbank fund transfer phone number are being read out from the travel pass and transfered to a register in the transaction unit.
In this manner, all travel passes are at all times updated by a constant value, in some cases by a multiple of the constant value. This arrangement not only permits the process to be automated, but also reduces the quantity of data that have to be processed by the transport operator's 2o computer plant and by the various banks who participate in the project. From the ordinary traveller's point of view this scheme has the advantage that he/she need not worry about fares exceeding the balance in the travel pass which otherwise would mean interrupting the journey and trying to find a branch of a suitable bank for updating the pass. If the travel pass requires updating during a high peak hour, 21 1 ~
or at a moment when a train has to be boarded, this can be highly inconvenient. The method set forth herein would, in practice, mean that on an average significantly fewer data transmissions would be carried out each day.
The performance of this system can best be understood with reference to Figure 15 in which the interactions between the travel pass 20, transaction unit l, a depot computer 14 and a central clearing computer 19 are represented by functional block diagrams. The card reader 1o consists of a plate containing a wire loop or capacitive plates 3, optionally a lamp 2, and interface circuit 5 for preparing signals for transfer to the card 20 as well as for receiving and adapting signals coming from the card for entry into the microprocessor 7. Between the units 7 and 5 a scrambling unit 6 may be provided for ensuring that vital data, such as the systems protection numbers, cannot be deciphered. The microprocessor 7 passes the serial number of the card 20 obtained via the reader 3, to the circuit group 8, which contains the means for comparing the serial 2o number with all the blacklisted numbers of the local traffic region. This is done at a high clock rate.
If any of the numbers contained in the blacklists of block 8 is equal to the serial number of a card being processed, the unit 8 emits a flag signal through its connector line 7-2 and causes the microprocessor 7 to change its program and produces a display on the driver's 2~~3;
console 12 or/and activates a buzzer, etc., and extinguishes lamp 2 (lamp 2 may be used for illuminating solar cells fitted on the travel pass card 20). The driver may then request fare payment in cash, or request update of the card against cash.
Assuming the card is not blacklisted, the next step would be to assess its authenticity. This is done by known techniques and a procedure is set forth in the flow diagram (Fig. 16). Returning to Figure 15, the scramble unit 6 and 1o the register 10 are contained on the same silicon chip together with the processor circuit 7 so that no external connection line is required to carry the secret protection number in clear form. This is essential for the preservation of secrecy.
Block 9 represents a register holding the number denoting a value level to be compared with the accummulated fares since the last update of the card. If there is an excess of fare debt over and above the reference number in block 9, a program in the microprocessor is initiated 2o which:
(a) deducts from the accummulated fares debt the fixed number in register 9; and (b) enters into the register 11, the card serial number of the card 20.
No further additional data need be entered into register 11 in support of the serial number, since recordal 21 ~ 34 of the serial number in register 11 is equivalent to a constant debit as prescribed by unit 9. This level, as already indicated, is the same throughout a given transport region.
As an example, when a bus (not shown) arrives at the depot 14, the bus personnel establish a connection between the transaction unit 1 and the depot computer 14. This controls the transfer of all the serial numbers of cards which underwent the described update procedure. The data 1o transfer is preferably done via an optical cable link 15-8.
On this occasion, the most recent compilation of blacklisted serial numbers are entered by the depot computer into the on-vehicle register block 8.
The computer translates, based on prepared tables, the serial numbers received from register 11 of the transaction units of buses into the appropriate account numbers which are then sorted by bank codes and branch numbers, enabling a computer to transmit the list of units debts to the various head office computers of the participating banks.
2o The individual accounts of patrons are debited with the charges, each bank sends to the various transport depot computers 14, 14', 14 " .... etc. the amount due to the various fleet owners. This step could be omitted if the operators opened bank accounts.
In respect of Figure 16, shown is a flow diagram for the sequencing of the described processing steps in cases 2'~ ~°
where fares are always flat fares pre-payable at the entry of a vehicle or a station platform.
Figure 17 is a flow diagram for graduated fares.
Section 'A' in this flow diagram is identical with that shown in Figure 16, and is therefore not shown. The diagram also illustrates the differences for railways and buses.
The processing of graduated fares on public transport systems is well known and uses magnetically encoded cards 1o whereas the present system relates to electronically encodable data components having processing capability within the cards. Compared with the apparatus of prior techniques, electronic readers are small and can be clamped to a support rail or side wall. Passengers need not enter the card into machine. The technique used in a travel pass is such that the traveller has to hold the pass briefly against the reader plate.
On long distance bus routes the passenger pays the fare for the whole distance upon entry. No equipment is 20 provided for checking out at any of the exit doors of the bus. Instead, all the stops along the route are fitted with so called refund units where passengers, after leaving the bus vehicle, can obtain a refund for any excess fare they paid when boarding the bus. The electronics of these units is protected by the systems check numbers and the scrambled communication system as described in the prior art.

Having described the travel pass in some detail with respect to its inventive techniques for communicating with a read-write unit, as well as some of its inventive features in its data processing programs, the further description of the travel pass will now reveal the innovative electrical and mechanical structures;
Reference will now be made to Figures 18, 19, 25 to 28. Figure 18 illustrates the basic electrical building blocks of a travel pass (at times also called "smart purse"). There is a microcomputer l, a push button aggregate 2 and a display window 3 with drive circuit 4, battery 9 and voltage stabilizer circuit 5 to produce the operating voltage for the microcomputer within the required tolerances, and antenna 7 cooperating with interface circuit 6. The latter may also comprise a scrambling/descrambling and security circuit 6a as described in, for example, GB patent 2,130,412. In place of antenna 7, optical or capacitive devices may be used for producing the field.
2o Referring to Figure 19, shown is data carrier 10 with numerical data entry buttons 2a, and functional command buttons 2b, and a sideways mounted button 2c. A display window using liquid crystal techniques 3 provides feedback to the user. Two apertures 11 permit the device to be suspended in a vehicle permitting data to be read while the vehicle is in motion.

Figure 19a shows a possibility for rear illuminating the liquid crystal display during or after a transaction.
(See also Fig. 24). The LCD glass plates are sandwiched between two parts, 10a and lOb, of the purse device. A
portion of rear surface lOd may be used for electricity generating photosensitive layers. A capacitive antenna plate lOp may be embedded in the plate l0a to function as a data transducer.
The data component, illustrated in Figure 25, employs 1o electronics as shown in Fig. 18, but offers more diversified facilities than the component of Fig. 19.
A larger readout window 3 permits alphanumeric information in both small and large lettering. Apart from the numbered manual data entry buttons (0-9) there are for entry buttons elongated data such as button 15 (marked En), a double arrow button for moving a cursor on the display screen to a desired position. Button 2d (marked U) is provided by which the numbers 0 - 9 are positioned in an upper case, as it were, thereby acquiring a different 2o meaning (see Table I, Figure 26). By pushing button 2d once, the number "1" acquires the meaning of a purchase code for purchasing stationaries. The user is aware that he has pressed button U because of the visual indication provided by the three pin-size LED lamps 19. The lowest one stands for the lower case, the middle one for the upper case, and the third one for the "double upper case" level.

2113' The third level is obtained when the button "U" is pressed twice. The three levels rotate with recurring push on button 'U'. Also display window indicators may be used to the same end.
The horizontally arranged buttons I, II, III, and IV
cannot be accessed without prior entry of a personal identifying number to give access to the respective memory sections containing credited sums of purchasing power. If the user wishes to get a visual display of the residual 1o credit present in one of the credit accounts I to IV, he may have to precede this by number, for example the number '9'. If, then, immediately after entering the PIN the number 9 + III is entered (which appears on the display window to assure correct entry) and thereafter the button En is pressed, the residual credit amount will become visible, based on the appropriate programming of the micro computer chip 1.
There are buttons marked alpha, beta and gamma, which, combined with number '9' produce a readout of the summed 2o discounts resulting from purchases with discount stores alpha, beta, or gamma.
These sums may not normally be useable for general payments, but only for purchases in the same stores which have offered the discounts. However, some stores may in tact offer discounts which do not need entry of a special code by the discount store's own terminal, but may be used for executing a payment at any terminal. This latter arrangement can best be implemented by arrangement with the store's bank, and would be handled like credits from banks I, II, III etc., in other words, the user may draw from an alpha store by transferring an amount to the so called "money store".
According to the cited system, payments can be made from the money store without requiring prior entry of the (PIN) personal identification number.
to The keyboard shown in Figure 25 offers additional methods for personal financial management. The following examples can be considered directives for programming the travel pass.
nv-nwer~r n t The combination of a double upper case level, 2X(U), with another of the ALPHA, BETA, OR GAMMA buttons produces on the screen window the last expenditure made. Upon pressing the button ALPHA again, the penultimate expenditure is displayed; after pressing ALPHA again, the 20 expenditure of the preceding purchase appears. The user may continue along this line and review the successive expenditures stored in the processor stack, and may write them down in his or her notebook. The user may get the same result when selecting BETA, but with the difference that any expenditure item displayed is deleted at the moment the next-earlier expenditure is selected. This way the stack is cleared in preparation for further expenditures.
Each stack row would display the following data: Date of purchase, amount, classification code, and the account used for the purchase (i.e. I, II, III, or IV).
EXAMPLE II
Another way of clearing the stack when the display indicates that it is full is to enter a sorting command.
The card processor will then be directed to sum 1o expenditures having the same classification code, and add the sum to the amount (if any) present at the same storage address containing already an amount constituting earlier summed expenditures of the same classification code. (See TABLE I, Figure 26). This procedure is repeated for all the ten classification codes. After that is done by the control circuit of the purse the stack is cleared of all its data.
The above mentioned 'sorting command' may be entered by means of selecting a number other than 9 plus the upper 20 case button (TT). If such a command is not issued when the stack is full, the earliest purchase record at the bottom of the stack would be lost at the next purchase transaction which would be entered at the top of the stack.
EXAMPLE III
Still another method for dealing with the stack data is to make its memory large enough for say 63, or even 127 21~~
purchases but permit no further purchase transaction if the stack is full. The user must then preset his/her purse for UPDATING. That means, the purse must be connected with a Bank computer of the owner's choice (if he has more than one credit account).
On this occasion, a printout is produced for all purchases contained in the enlarged stack by the bank equipment, and delivered by the bank to the user. After that, the entire stack is cleared by code signal from the 1o bank; however, the first line of the stack is then used to receive from the bank computer the date of the update, its bank code, and location code from where the update operation was done.
EXAMPLE IV
One important automatic summation store, also managed by the travel pass processor is a fee payable with each update operation. The fee is not a bank charge (which may also be levied) but will be a hire-purchase fee which is programmed to stop once the total amount has been paid.
2o Assume the travel pass costs fifty dollars. When the summation store reaches fifty, further debits will cease.
The banks receiving these amounts together with an appropriate coding flag will pass on these sums to the manufacturer or to the agents licensed to sell the travel pass devices.

21 13~
A similar principle may be applied to insurance contributions which may be payable to guard against the contingency of inadvertently loosing the travel pass. The insurance premium payable with each update may be 10 cents, or may be a small percentage of the value turnover. The percentage, however may increase with each incidence of loss affecting the same individual.
L'YZ1MDT L' i7 When a transfer is made from a selected credit account (I, II, III, IV) of a portion of the residual credit to the so called "money compartment" the present, invention provides for a time lapse command which the user may enter, ordering the purse processor after the expiry of the preset time lapse to return the residual amount in the money compartment of the memory to the credit account section of the travel pass. This command does not require a special command code if the entry of the time lapse is made immediately after the transfer of a sum from a credit account to the 'money store'. (see flow diagram Figure 27.) 2o From the example given in the flow diagram, the user wants the next payment to be made from credit transferred from his Account IV. The PIN had already been used for obtaining the display of the contents of the money store.
It is not repeated for obtaining the display of the contents of credit store IV, namely $238.20.

The user enters 125.00 units for transfer to the money store. After that, assuming that the shopping trip will be finished in one half hour, the user enters 40 (minutes), then presses En for enactment. This will ensure that the money account will become empty after 40 minutes whether anything was purchased or not.
EXAMPLE VI
In order to prepare a purse or pass for an UPDATE, a PIN must be entered correctly. This invention provides in to its programming the possibility for two different PINS
being used, namely one for all purchase and access transactions, and another for use only for update operations. Such a practice would increase the overall security for the account holders. After the PIN entry the user may select which of the accounts he wishes to update (I, II, III, IV). The display window will reflect the choice. This preparation also acts as an address selection for the purse sending out a dial signal over the telephone system to reach the respective bank computer center. This 2o signal can only be sent out via field disturbances representing data if the 'purse' or 'pass' is presented to an appropriate reader unit.
It is envisioned that UPDATE TERMINALS may be installed in the banks to the telephone network. Such units can be connected via the standard telephone switching system to the bank computer as "dialled" by the travel '' ' ..

2113v pass. Once the Pass establishes data contact with the bank computer concerned, a data dialogue is initiated controlled by protocol during which various security check data are called up by the Pass and if these data are in agreement with bank record the depleted credit level in the travel pass is brought up to the level as arranged with the branch manager. The end of the transaction is indicated by, for example, buzzing tone.
EXAMPLE VII
1o The travel pass may also be used for storing different telephone numbers. Access to the selected telephone number is by viewing it on the display window of the travel pass after entering a first or second shift level (using button 'U') combined with double digit number. When the travel pass is placed on the reader surface of a telephone, the travel pass will pass on its instructions and the full number held in memory, responsive to the selected two digit number.
EXAMPLE VIII
2o One of the advantages of a financial data carrier equipped with data entry buttons is that the PIN, can be changed by its owner without reference to a central computer and that such a change can be enacted virtually as soon as there is any suspicion that someone may have acquired knowledge of the code (flow chart Figure 27).

~"'"°.:
,.

21 13~ A5 In accordance with the present invention, it is also proposed that a programming option is foreseen which would permit the owner of a purse to allow a friend or relative to know one of two pin numbers, but not the other. The owner, however, would use the other PIN. The owner can also use the second PIN for changing the first PIN, whereas the first PIN cannot be used for changing any of the PINS.
This provision can be achieved by appropriate hardware and software design.
1o Another feature according to one embodiment of the invention is the provision that the user may, if under duress to disclose any of the secret access numbers, use them or have them used by a third party, but request an additional digit entry as part of the code which, if operated in a credit transfer with a bank, would cause an alarm to sound and also give the location of the payphone terminal from which the update or transfer attempt is made.

The conventional smart card as a data base for the smart purse.
Reference to Figure 20 will be made to show that contact smart cards can be a useful database for the versatile and fast-working travel passes.
The electrical connections for this combination are shown in Figure 20. It is possible to connect the serial output PAo of the microcomputer 1 with the I/0 point of the to card 8 because these are tristate output/inputs and since there is a common clock CLK and a common program sequence, these states of these interface points can be programmed not to conflict with each other.
For purely internal readout operations and number transfers between storage sections, the clock pulses are derived from an oscillator in the interface section 6.
However, when communicating with a terminal, the clock pulse frequency is under the control of the terminal input.
Circuit group 6 converts signals received by antenna 7 for 20 the field disturbance interpretable as data into logic levels binary signals. Examples of this circuitry include F/2F binary data coding; the phase modulation of a carrier wave; frequency shift keying; and the use of infra-red receptors and transmitters inter alia. A battery 9 must be powerful enough to cover the current requirement of both 21~~4~
the purse device and of the inserted smart card 8. The circuit group 5 is a 3% tolerant voltage stabilizer.
Figure 21 illustrates one version for applying a card to the purse device 10. At one end, a flat spring 13 is mounted to which is attached a pressure pad (not shown).
The same penetrates the shell 10 and partly blocks the internal slot area 12 so that a card cannot be introduced except by lifting the said flat spring 13 slightly. When the card is fully introduced, spring blade 13 is released 1o so that the same holds the card in position and the card can now be read by the purse electronics via the contact pad 14.
Another approach for employing a smart card into a functional relationship with the smart purse is shown in Figures 22, 23, 24. The rear of main frame 10 is covered by a metal lid 20 hinged at the upper end on an axle 22 held by flanges lOf. Lower edge 20a bears during the closing action against the thickened end 21a of a resilient metal angle 21. With additional pressure, the latter gives 2o way and the lid can be snap-closed.
To insert a card 8, the lid 20 is opened; the card inserted as shown; and the lid 20 fully closed again. An elastic pressure pad on the inside of the lid holds the card against the flat surface 10k. To improve the manual grip of the hand on the lid 20 when opening it, the main ,.

2~~~~
body 10 is slightly racessed on both sides on the middle area of the device; these recessed portions are marked lOg.
Contact with the metal pad 14 of the card 8 is made by platin-tipped, spring loaded pointed pins 23 shown enlarged in Figure 24. The tiny coil spring 24 as shown in Fig. 24 is also used as a wire 24a to establish continuity between the corresponding segment of the card contact pad 14 and the card electronics. The tiny coil spring 24 and the contactor pin 23 are retained in the hole of the central 1o main plate lOh by a bottom plate l0i and a top plate lOk.
The precision hole drilled in the cover plate lOk will ensure good moving fit for the contact pins 23.
The lid 20 may be used as a capacitive antenna for sending and receiving data to and from a travel pass communication terminal or reader unit. Any of the techniques discussed in the first part of this paper may be employed.
The hybrid solution presented here for using simultaneously a contact smart card and an electronic purse 20 (i.e. travel pass) could be usefully employed by persons who have several smart credit cards each holding credit from a different bank or building society etc. The versatility and convenience of a handheld payment instrument such as the travel pass could thus be made available to other card technology.

,:

21 ~ ~~05 Figure 3A illustrates the manner of interfacing a travel pass with a transaction terminal by holding it against the reader plate RP.
Figure 3B shows an interface terminal with capacitive coupling for use with a thin memory card or smart card.
The card C is inserted into a slot made of plastic material P internally lined with two metallic layers insulated from one another except that they are both connected to input bonds of the LSI chip CH. Each of said layers encompasses the slot gap on both sides forming a kind of Faraday cage into which the card is dipped. The drawing Fig. 3A shows these layers (a-2, and ~3-2) in cross section. The internal width would be only marginally wider than the thickest card or travel pass to be employed with that type of reader terminal.
The card itself may be thought of being made of three sandwiched layers two outer and a middle layer, the latter being cut away to make room for the LSI Chip. The same is a microcomputer with only two connector bonds, for connecting to the two transducer elements (capacitive plates or inductive coils). The same chip may also accommodate the extra logic for the scrambling/decrambling of the incoming/outgoing signals and for any extra switching functions which the proper performance of the described systems requires. W is an optional LCD window.

An advantage of the described configuration of the capacitive lining on a slotted reader unit is that a good coupling factor is obtained with the prospect of injecting enough power into the card or travel pass for powering the LSI circuit CH as well as the liquid crystal display showing the latest balance held in the pass, retaining it legible for up to one minute after a transaction.
Inexpensive, non-processing read-only readers can also be provided as a complement to the overall system where the 1o public may obtain a quick status readout without having to occupy the time of a transaction device.
Figure 3C provides an indication of the data transfer circuitry in the card of Fig. 3B.
The card C is again shown partly surrounded by the transfer elements (a-2) and (~3-2). They are connected to voltage amplifiers A via resistors R, driven by logic level square pulses CLK. If there are no outgoing data pulses Do from the Reader unit, the pair of capacitive plates are charged and discharged by a train of high frequency pulses 2o of same shape, phase, frequency and amplitude. These electrical conditions will, mirrored by similar voltage changes in the card transfer elements (a-1) and ((3-1) within the card. The rectifier diodes cause a build-up of positive and negative potential on the operating rails of the chip circuit. This causes a brief transitional charging period, sensed by the reader circuit by means of 211~~
the comparator CO across the resistor R. The simultaneous rise and fall of the input potential ( -l, -2) on both input terminals of the comparator dA will not cause any adequate output from this comparator circuit. The differentiator D generates a strobing clock pulse for any high level applied to output terminal Di so as to clock serial data into a buffer register provided in the microcomputer circuit of the chip CH (Fig. 3B). When the buffer register outputs a high level data bit it is applied 1o to AND gate G which is enabled only during a high-going data bit by means of a simple S/R bistable. The output therefrom is applied to the gate of a field effect transistor TR whereupon the plates a-1 and (3-1 are short circuited for the duration of a single clock pulse. In the Reader circuit, this causes a voltage drop across resistor R and an output wave Di from the comparator circuit C0.
The logic circuitry on the left is needed to change the input a-2 in such a manner that the differential amplifier dA in the card circuit produces a data bit output (Di) for 2o every data bit output (Do) on the reader side.
Although embodiments of the invention have been described above, it is not limited thereto and it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that numerous modifications form part of the present invention insofar as they do not depart from the spirit, nature and scope of the present invention.

Claims (30)

THE EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION IN WHICH AN EXCLUSIVE
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:

1. A pocketsize electronic travel and commuter pass, suitable for payment of fares and purchases of services and goods from accountancy systems, said accountancy systems including remote acting electromagnetic means for transferring digital information to said travel and commuter pass and means for receiving digital information from said pass, wherein said remote acting means include at least two emitter elements acting upon at least one receiving element in said pass, and wherein said emitter elements are electrically and spatially arranged such that the sum of their respective field vectors decreases rapidly with distance to reduce the possibility of a plurality of passes responding to an outlet point.

2. A pocketsize electronic travel and commuter pass, suitable for payment of fares or purchases of services and goods from accountancy systems, said pass comprising:
remote acting electromagnetic and electric means for receiving electrical energy and digital data from, and for transferring digital data to, said accountancy systems;
a capacitor for storing d.c. electric energy; and means for displaying digital data, wherein electrical energy induced in said pass provides power for activating an IC circuit in said pass and for charging said capacitor which for a short period after a transaction provides the operating power for maintaining visibility of said means for displaying digital data.

3. A pocketsize electronic travel and commuter pass, suitable for making valid payment of fares or purchases of services and goods from accountancy systems, said pass comprising:
means for transferring digital data to and receiving digital data from said accountancy systems, said pass including electric change over switching elements for switching mutual phasing of receptor elements of said pass and said accountancy systems from a state responsive to a state non-responsive to proximity emitter signals issued by said accountancy systems and becoming responsive to signals from a more distant source.

4. The pass as claimed in any one of claims 1 through 3, wherein said pass includes manual data entry means.

5. A pocketsize electronic travel and commuter pass, and a plurality of accounting systems at least one having a processor terminal as a means for payment of fares, or payment of services or goods, said pass including electromagnetic means for transferring data from and to said processor terminal, said terminal comprising:
a register in said processor terminal for storing identifying data of passes in default;
means for reading an identifying number of passes presented for payment;
means for comparing a pass presented for a transaction against stored pass data in default; and, means for rejecting a pass when found to be identical with said data of passes in default.

6. The pass as claimed in any one of claims 1 through 5, wherein said pass retains data in electronic binary states in semiconductor or ferro-electric materials, and wherein the terminals of said accountancy systems govern at least some of the movements of data between registers, signal converters and other retrieval circuits, the improvement comprising a manual data entry keyboard and an LCD window on a surface of said pass.

7. The pass as claimed in claims 4 and 6, further including a time lapse register preset table by said pass keyboard, and a time lapse metering device, said device being used for predetermining validity duration of a PIN-entry on said keyboard.

8. A pocketsize electronic travel and commuter pass and a plurality of accounting systems having outlet terminals, means for receiving payment, said pass including electromagnetic means for transferring data from and to an outlet terminal of said terminals, said outlet terminal comprising:
a register for a price or fare due for payment, comparison means for comparing a payment due with a residual value available on said pass;
means in said outlet terminal for updating pass value;
and a register in said outlet terminal for registering updated passes.

9. The pass as claimed in claims 4 and 7, wherein at least a part of said data entry elements comprise dedicated memory access buttons, said buttons for addressing data groups representing credited spending allowances, said data entry elements also including means for visually displaying said data.

10. The pass as claimed in claims 4 and 7, wherein at least a part of said data entry elements are dedicated to address data held in a data carrier, said data being accumulated monetary values of discounts transferred via transducer elements and representing a discount percentage on purchases bought using said pass terminal in order to display said accumulated discount values.

11. The pass as claimed in claims 4 and 7, wherein at least one of said dedicated data entry elements includes a command button U for selecting at least one of upper case levels for data entry elements in order to multiply codes available to a user.

12. The pass as claimed in claim 10, wherein said data entry elements comprise an addressable buffer register, and a processing controller which can by command entry from said keyboard deduct a specified amount from a balance of one of said data entry elements representing credited spending allowances and transfer said specified amount together with attributive data into said addressable buffer register, said buffer register unless otherwise directed, being in permanent connection with said transducer elements for transferring its data to an external terminal as part of a purchase transaction.

13. The pass as claimed in claim 12, wherein said processing controller, various memory and register elements and their addressing circuits, signal converters, scrambling and descrambling circuits and output circuits are combined in a large-scale integrated circuit chip, said chip mounted in the interior of said pass or card.

14. The pass as claimed in claim 6, wherein signal conversion and data transfer to and from a terminal is carried out by phase modulation of a carrier.

15. The pass as claimed in claim 6, wherein signal conversion is carried out in the form of an F/2F pulse transfer technique.

16. The pass as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein transfer of binary data from said pass to a terminal is carried out in the form of a pulse interval modulation or a Manchester Code alteration.

17. The pass as claimed in claims 6 and 12, wherein said pass includes an electrically alterable Read-Only-Memory, said Read-Only-Memory holding procedural programs, user identifying data and two personal secret numbers, a register into which a first of said secret numbers or a second of said secret numbers can be entered, a command signal to a process controller circuit to compare an entered user personal identification number (PIN) with said two personal secret numbers and access means to permit access to said data representing spending allowances, wherein access is inhibited if said entered PIN differs from both said secret numbers.

18. The pass as claimed in claim 17, comprising EAROM
or EEROM registers including command program for enabling a user of said pass to change a first personal identification number 1 or a second personal identification number 2 upon correct prior entry of said second personal identification number only.

19. The pass as claimed in claim 18, wherein said pass cannot be updated except on the condition that said second personal identification had been correctly entered prior to the intended update process, and will not respond in the same manner after an entry of said first personal identification.

20. The pass as claimed in claim 17, wherein said read only memory further includes a third secret personal (number 3), a register into which a user can manually enter a personal number, a command signal to said process controller circuit to compare the entered personal identification number with said third personal identification number 3 in said memory, and logic inhibitor means in an output of a comparator circuit to prevent communication with an update terminal if the comparison is negative and will thereafter not respond to PIN 1 or PIN 2 unless PIN 3 is entered again.

21. The pass as claimed in any one of claims 1 through 6, 14, 15 and 16, further including a data scramble and descramble circuit.

22. The pass as claimed in any one of claims 1 through 21, wherein said circuits of said pass comprise a single largescale integrated circuit chip mounted in said pass.

23. A pocketsize electronic travel and commuter pass, and a plurality of accountancy systems having at least one outlet point for making valid payment of fares, or purchases of services and goods, said pass comprising means for transferring to and receiving from said outlet point digital data; processing means for processing said data provided both in the pass and said outlet point of said accountancy systems, said processing means including a COUNT TO THREE binary counter wherein a high logic data bit is represented by the absence of a middle one in a group of three pulses received by said counter both in said pass and in said outlet point.

24. The pass as claimed in claims 3 and 21, wherein said pass is equipped with manual presetting means for setting said pass to communicate with a reader therefor or configure said data scramble and descramble circuit.

25. A pocketsize electronic travel and commuter pass and accountancy systems with one or more transaction outlet devices, said pass comprising a plurality of electronic memory devices; a plurality of data processing circuits; a plurality of electromagnetic data transfer elements wherein said memory includes registers and stacks of registers for retaining transaction details, said pass further including a scroll command button and a display window, whereby actuation of said scroll button illustrates previous transaction/details in said display window.

26. The pass as claimed in claim 25, wherein said display window includes an indicator to indicate when a transaction record stack is full, and for stopping further transactions unless at least part of said stack is cleared.

27. A pocketsize electronic travel and commuter pass, and a plurality of accountancy systems each having at least one outlet point for making valid payment of fares, or purchases of services and goods, said pass comprising transfer means for transferring to and receiving from said outlet point digital data; digital memory and data processing elements connected to said transfer elements;
surface positioned visual display means and data entry means, wherein said data entry means are rearranged on the surface of the said pass in such a manner to provide unencumbered gripping space enabling a user of the pass to hold said pass firmly.

28. A pocketsize electronic travel and commuter pass, and accountancy systems each of which having at least one outlet point for making payment of fares, or purchases of services and goods, said pass comprising means for tranferring to, and receiving from, any said outlet digital data, including digital memory and data processing elements connected to said transfer elements; visual display and data and command entry means on its surface, wherein a pass user may make payment selected from three sources including a cash reserve register in said pass, a institutional credited allowance register in said pass, or from a pre-debited register in said pass.

29. The pocketsize electronic travel and commuter pass, and accountancy system having transaction outlet points, as claimed in claims 1, 19, 21 and 24, wherein an accountancy system, after having received payment from a pass, is enabled to transfer entitlement data into same said pass which entitles a holder of said pass to utilize information for receiving a future service as provided in an entitlement schedule and advisory information related thereto.

30. The pocketsize electronic travel and commuter pass as claimed in claim 29, wherein the transfer of said entitlement data occurs via a communication network.