(12) United States Patent
`Ito et al.
`
`US006321213B1
`(10) Patent No.:
`US 6,321,213 B1
`(45) Date of Patent:
`Nov. 20, 2001
`
`(54) ELECTRONIC MONEY PROCESSING
`METHOD HAVING A TRANSACTION FEE
`COLLECTING FUNCTION AND AN
`ELECTRONIC MONEY STORAGE
`APPARATUS FOR THE SAME
`
`(75) Inventors: Atsushi Ito, Tokyo; Masaaki Hiroya;
`Takeshi Teramura, both of Yokohama;
`Akira Muramatsu, Kawasaki;
`Yoshiaki Kawatsura, Yokohama, all of
`(JP)
`(73) Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd., Tokyo (JP)
`(*) Notice:
`Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this
`patent is extended or adjusted under 35
`U.S.C. 154(b) by 0 days.
`
`358112167 *
`358115577 *
`402017597 *
`9-128465
`WO91/16691
`WO 81/02070 *
`WO 00/22556 +
`
`7/1983
`7/1983
`1/1990
`5/1997
`10/1991
`9/1999
`4/2000
`
`(JP).
`(JP).
`(JP).
`(JP).
`(WO).
`(WO).
`(WO).
`
`OTHER PUBLICATIONS
`
`Scientific American, Aug. 1992, pp. 96–101.
`Illustrated Guide to Electronic Money of Financial System
`Promoting Division of Hitachi, Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun,
`Jun. 1996, pp. 124–127.
`“What price will consumers and Merchants pay for Modex”
`Anonymous; Bank Network News, Chicago; vol. 15, No.
`19, p. 3, 1 pgs, Feb. 1997.*
`
`* cited by examiner
`
`(21) Appl. No.: 09/259,335
`(22) Filed:
`Mar. 1, 1999
`Primary Examiner—Vincent Millin
`(30)
`Foreign Application Priority Data
`Assistant Examiner—Daniel S Felten
`(74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Mattingly, Stanger &
`Mar. 3, 1998
`(JP) ................................................. 10-067896
`Malur, P.C.
`(51) Int. Cl." … G06F 17/60
`(52) U.S. Cl. .............................. 705/39; 705/41; 235/380;
`ABSTRACT
`(57)
`235/379; 902/22
`An electronic money storage apparatus includes that an
`(58) Field of Search .................................. 705/39, 41, 42,
`amount of remittance p is determined on a remitting side and
`705/43; 235/380, 381, 379, 375; 902/22,
`a receiving side. A remitting apparatus obtains a remitter’s
`26
`transaction fee x and an amount y to be stored in a trans
`action fee storage area. The remitting apparatus obtains a
`sum of p and x, i.e., p.4-x from an electronic money storage
`area, divides the sum into an amounty to be stored on the
`remitting side and an amount remained p-x–y, stores y in a
`transaction fee storage area, and sends p+x —y to the
`receiving side. A receiving apparatus obtains a receiver’s
`transaction fee Z and an amount u to be stored in a trans
`action fee storage area, receives p.4-x–y, divides p+x–y into
`u to be stored on the receiving side and p-z, stores u in a
`transaction fee storage area, and stores remaining electronic
`money p-z in an electronic money storage area, thereby the
`transaction fee can be collected while retaining anonymity
`between the remitter and the receiver and usability of
`electronic money in the processing of electronic money by
`use of an IC card or the like.
`
`(56)
`
`References Cited
`U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS
`
`4,032,931 * 6/1977 Haker ................................... 340/365
`4,305,059 * 12/1981 Benton ...
`... 340/825.33
`4,320,387 * 3/1982 Powell ...
`... 340/825.34
`4,454,414 * 6/1984 Benton .......
`... 235/379
`4,549,075 * 10/1985 Saada et al. ...
`... 235/380
`4,669,730 * 6/1987 Small .........
`... 273/138
`4,877,947 * 10/1989 Mori ...........
`... 235/381
`5,221,838 * 6/1993 Gutman et al.
`... 235/379
`5,461,217 * 10/1995 Claus .............
`... 235/380
`5,854,581 * 12/1998 Mori et al. .
`... 235/379
`6,065,675 * 6/1998 Teicher ...........
`... 235/380
`6,189,782 * 2/2001 Takami et al. ....................... 235/375
`FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS
`O940784 A * 9/1999 (EP).
`
`
`
`9 Claims, 5 Drawing Sheets
`
`12.1Q
`
`,-1200
`
`1220
`
`1410
`&
`|
`
`, 1100
`} ELECTRONIC MONEY
`& STORAGE APPARATUS
`AR}THMETIC
`PROCESSING UNIT
`TRANSACTION FEE
`CALCULATING UNIT
`
`1120
`
`1421
`
`1122
`
`1123
`<
`1124
`
`1125
`
`STORAGE APPARATUS /
`~ ARTHMETIC
`COMMUNICATION || PROCESSING UNIT
`COMMUNICATION ||
`Hºris H STORAGE
`TRANSACTIONEEE||1221
`ÇALCULATING UNIT
`1222
`ELECTRONIC MONEY |||—-->
`DELIVER?NG UNIT
`TRANSACT;ON FEE 1223
`STøRAGE UNIT
`1224
`ELECTRONIC MAGNEY
`?|WIDING UNIT
`ELECTRONIC McNEyil 1225
`REMITTING UNIT
`
`ELECTRONIC MONEY
`REMITTENG UNIT
`
`|
`
`|
`
`1431
`<---
`1132
`
`ELECTRONIC MONEY
`STORAGE AREA
`TRANSACTION FEE
`STGRAGE AREA ------1430
`
`ELECTRONIC MONEY
`STORAGE AREA
`TRANSACTIGN FEE
`STCRAGE AREA
`
`1231
`1232
`
`1230-~~~~
`
`PayPal Ex.1020, p.1
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`

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`U.S. Patent
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`Nov. 20, 2001
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`US 6,321,213 B1
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`U.S. Patent
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`Nov. 20, 2001
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`Sheet 2 of 5
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`US 6,321,213 B1
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`

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`U.S. Patent
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`Nov. 20, 2001
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`Sheet 3 of 5
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`US 6,321,213 B1
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`U.S. Patent
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`Nov. 20, 2001
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`Sheet 4 of 5
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`US 6,321,213 B1
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`

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`U.S. Patent
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`Nov. 20, 2001
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`Sheet 5 of 5
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`US 6,321,213 B1
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`

`
`US 6,321,213 B1
`
`1
`ELECTRONIC MONEY PROCESSING
`METHOD HAVING A TRANSACTION FEE
`COLLECTING FUNCTION AND AN
`ELECTRONIC MONEY STORAGE
`APPARATUS FOR THE SAME
`
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
`The present invention relates to processing of electronic
`money using a dedicated media such as an IC card or a smart
`card, and in particular, to an electronic money processing
`method and an electronic money storage apparatus which
`makes it possible to automatically collect, in a remittance or
`transfer of money from a remitter to a remittee or a receiver,
`a commission or a transaction fee without any third person
`other than the remitter and the receiver.
`Heretofore, there has been actually implemented the pro
`cessing of electronic money using a dedicated media such as
`an IC card, for example, a balance managing type described
`in JP-A-5-504643 and a token type described in JP-A-9
`128465.
`First, description will be given of the electronic money of
`the balance managing type of JP-A-5-504643.
`The remitter is assigned with an electronic money storage
`apparatus which keeps a shared public key Kpg, a private
`key KS1 unique to the electronic money storage apparatus,
`and an encrypted code Kp1*Ksg obtained by encrypting a
`public key Kp1 unique to the storage apparatus in accor
`dance with a shared private key Ksg.
`Similarly, the remittee is assigned with an electronic
`money storage apparatus which keeps a shared public key
`Kpg, a private key KS2 unique to the electronic money
`storage apparatus, and an encrypted code Kp2*Ksg obtained
`by encrypting a public key Kp2 unique to the storage
`apparatus in accordance with the shared private key Ksg. In
`addition, an amount of electronic money is stored as amount
`information (numeric value) in each electronic storage appa
`ratus.
`Electronic money is moved or transferred between the
`electronic money storage apparatuses as follows.
`The electronic money storage apparatus of the remitter
`transmits Kp1*Ksg, storage information encrypted by KS1,
`and the like to the electronic money storage apparatus of the
`receiver.
`The electronic money storage apparatus of the receiver
`defrosts or decomposes the received Kp1*Ksg by the shared
`public key Kpg to resultantly attain the public key Kp1
`unique to the remitter’s electronic money storage apparatus.
`Using the public key Kp1, the electronic money storage
`apparatus of the receiver obtains information such as storage
`information of the remitter’s electronic money storage appa
`ratus to thereby authenticate the remitter’s electronic money
`storage apparatus.
`Similarly, the remitter’s electronic money storage appa
`ratus authenticates the receiver’s electronic money storage
`apparatus. Both electronic money storage apparatuses mutu
`ally authenticate each other in this way to share the respec
`tive public keys therebetween.
`Thereafter, the remitter’s electronic money storage appa
`ratus subtracts an amount of remittance from an amount in
`an electronic money storage and then notifies an encrypted
`message of the reduction to the receiver’s electronic money
`storage apparatus. On receiving the notification, the receiv
`ers storage apparatus adds the amount of remittance to its
`balance to thereby receive electronic money.
`Subsequently, description will be given of electronic
`money of the token type.
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`For the token-type electronic money, data with an elec
`tronic signature of an electronic money issuer is treated as
`data representing a value.
`Electronic money is issued in the following procedure.
`A person who desires to issue electronic money sends a
`kind of random numbers obtained by conducting a type of
`transform on original random numbers, an amount to be
`issued, account information, and the like to an electronic
`money issuer.
`The electronic money issuer confirms the amount
`requested and account information, writes its signature rep
`resenting the requested amount for the received data of
`random numbers, and then returns the resultant data to the
`electronic money requester.
`The electronic money requester conducts a certain kind of
`transform on the received data and then stores the data thus
`transformed in an electronic money storage. The stored data
`is called “token”. As an example of the sequence of trans
`form procedure, there exists “blind signature”.
`When electronic money is to be used, a token is moved
`from a remitter’s electronic money storage apparatus to a
`receiver’s electronic money storage apparatus. A method of
`subdivision of value and a method of checking duplicated
`usage have been described in detailed in the Article above
`and hence will not be described in this application.
`The processing above can be summarized as shown in
`FIG. 3, which will be next described.
`First, a remitter’s electronic money storage apparatus
`1100 and a receiver’s electronic money storage apparatus
`1200 communicate via a data transfer apparatus, not shown,
`information of respective storage apparatuses and a remit
`tance amount therebetween (steps 3101 and 3201).
`Next, the remittance amount p is attained from an elec
`tronic money storage area 1131 (step 3103).
`Thereafter, the remitter’s storage apparatus 1100 remits
`electronic money of an amount of p via a data transfer unit
`to the receiver's storage apparatus 1200 (step 3106).
`The receiver’s storage apparatus 1200 then receives the
`electronic money (step 3203) and then stores the amount of
`money p in an electronic money storage area 1231 (step
`3205).
`As the electronic money storage apparatus, there can be
`considered, for example, an IC card having an arithmetic
`processing function. As the data transfer unit, there exist, for
`example, a portable electronic money processing apparatus
`called “electronic wallet” and two computers connected to
`an IC card reader-writer via a communication line such as
`the Internet.
`In addition to the electronic money of the IC card type,
`there exists, for example, electronic money of a network
`type described in pages 96 to 101 of “Scientific American”,
`August 1992.
`In the processing of the network-type electronic money,
`tokens are stored in a general storage such as a hard disk
`unit.
`The processing ranging from the issuance of electronic
`money by an electronic money issuing institute or organi
`zation for the remitter to the transmission of the token from
`the remitter to the receiver, is the same as the token
`processing of the IC-card-type electronic money.
`The receiver transmits the received token via a network to
`the electronic money issuing institute as a third person. The
`institute makes a check for validity of the token and presence
`or absence of an illegal use thereof.
`
`PayPal Ex.1020, p.7
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`

`
`3
`However, in the processing of the conventional IC-card
`type electronic money, the money remitting operation is
`carried out without any intervention of a third person and
`hence it is difficult for the electronic money issuer or the like
`to collect a transaction fee of electronic money.
`Furthermore, in a processing system of, for example, the
`network-type electronic money in which an intervention of
`a third person takes place via a communication network or
`the like, it is always required to notify remittance informa
`tion to a third person. Namely, this processing is possible
`only with a communication line, which disadvantageously
`leads to a problem of deterioration in usability of the
`processing system.
`In the conventional methods described above, when the
`usability is emphasized for the persons related to remittance
`of money, the transaction fee cannot be collected; moreover,
`when the transaction fee is collected through
`communication, the usability is sacrificed.
`
`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
`It is therefore an object of the present invention to collect
`the transaction fee while retaining the usability and ano
`nymity between the remitter and the receiver.
`To achieve the object above, there is provided an elec
`tronic money processing method having a transaction fee
`collecting function in accordance with the present invention
`in which a first electronic storage apparatus of an electronic
`money remitting person (to be called a remitter herebelow)
`including communicating means, arithmetic means, and
`storage means for storing therein electronic money is con
`nected via a data transfer unit to a second electronic storage
`apparatus of an electronic money receiving person (to be
`called a receiver herebelow) including communicating
`means, arithmetic means, and storage means for storing
`therein electronic money so as to transfer money therebe
`tWeen.
`The first electronic storage apparatus calculates an
`amount x of remitter’s transaction fee and a transaction fee
`y to be stored in the first electronic storage apparatus,
`obtains an amount of p-x (p indicating an amount to be
`remitted) from the electronic money storage means of the
`first electronic money storage apparatus, divides the elec
`tronic money thus obtained into the amount of y calculated
`and an amount of p--x–y, stores y in the storage means, and
`transmits p-x-y via the data transfer unit to the second
`electronic money storage apparatus.
`The second electronic storage apparatus calculates a
`transaction fee u to be stored in the second electronic money
`storage apparatus, receives the electronic money having the
`value of p+x–y, divides the electronic money thus received
`into the amount of u calculated and an amount of p--x-y—u,
`stores u in the storage means of the second electronic storage
`apparatus, and transmits p--x-y—u in the electronic money
`storage means of the second electronic money storage
`apparatus.
`
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`The objects and features of the present invention will
`become more apparent from the consideration of the fol
`lowing detailed description taken in conjunction with the
`accompanying drawings in which:
`FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of
`a system in which electronic money is transferred between
`electronic money storage apparatuses in accordance with the
`present invention;
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`US 6,321,213 B1
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`4
`FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure in
`the system of FIG. 1;
`FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure in
`a conventional system in which electronic money is trans
`ferred between electronic money storage apparatuses;
`FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure in
`a system in which electronic money is transferred between
`remitter’s and receiver’s electronic money storage
`apparatuses, the remitter’s electronic money storage appa
`ratus not having a transaction charge collecting function;
`and
`FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure in
`a system in which electronic money is transferred between
`remitter’s and receiver’s electronic money storage
`apparatuses, the receiver’s electronic money storage appa
`ratus not having a transaction charge collecting function.
`
`DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED
`EMBODIMENTS
`Description will now be given in detail of an embodiment
`in accordance with the present invention.
`FIG. 1 shows in a schematic diagram a configuration
`including electronic money storage apparatuses and a data
`transfer unit in accordance with the present invention. FIG.
`2 shows in a flowchart processing executed in an embodi
`ment of the present invention.
`In FIG. 1, an electronic money storage apparatus 1100 of
`a person who transfers money (to be called a remitter
`herebelow) includes an arithmetic processing unit 1120
`which conducts operations such as calculation of a transac
`tion fee and encryption and a storage 1130 to store therein
`electronic money, encrypted keys, and the transaction fee.
`The arithmetic processing unit 1120 includes a transaction
`fee calculating unit 1121, an electronic money delivering
`unit 1122, a transaction fee storage unit 1123, an electronic
`money dividing unit 1124, and an electronic money remit
`ting unit 1125.
`The storage 1130 includes an electronic money storage
`area 1131 to store therein electronic money and a transaction
`fee storage area 1132 to store therein a transaction fee.
`The electronic money storage apparatus 1100 is connected
`via a communicating apparatus 1110 to a data transfer unit
`1300. Electronic money is transmitted via the transfer unit
`1300 to an electronic storage apparatus as a communication
`partner.
`In addition, an electronic money storage apparatus 1200
`of a person who receives money (to be called a receiver
`herebelow) includes, like the electronic money storage appa
`ratus 1100, an arithmetic processing unit 1220 and a storage
`1230 and is connected via a communication unit 1210 to the
`data transfer unit 1300.
`The arithmetic processing unit 1220 includes a transaction
`fee calculating unit 1221, an electronic money storage unit
`1222, a transaction fee storage unit 1223, an electronic
`money dividing unit 1224, and an electronic money receiv
`ing unit 1225.
`Subsequently, operation of each section of FIG. 1 will be
`described by referring to the flowchart of FIG. 2.
`First, the remitter’s apparatus 1100 and the receiver’s
`apparatus 1200 exchange via the data transfer unit 1300
`apparatus information of each apparatus and a remittance
`amount of money p (steps 2101 and 2201).
`Next, in accordance with the apparatus information, the
`remittance amount and time, and the like, the remitter’s
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`PayPal Ex.1020, p.8
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`US 6,321,213 B1
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`5
`apparatus 1100 calculates, by the transaction fee calculating
`unit 1121, a transaction fee x for the remitter and an amount
`of money y to be stored in the transaction fee storage area
`1132 of the remitter’s apparatus 1100.
`The amount of money y is a portion of the total of the
`transaction fee x for the remitter and a transaction fee Z for
`the receiver, the portion being stored in the transaction fee
`storage area 1132 on the remitter side. Therefore, y may
`exceed x depending in some cases.
`Each of the amounts x and y may be, for example, a fixed
`portion of the remittance amount or a fixed value for each
`remittance. These amounts x and y may be determined in
`various ways depending on cases. For example, when a
`person buys articles at a retailer, the retailer may be charged
`with these amounts. Alternatively, when money is trans
`ferred between private persons, these persons may be
`charged with an equal amount.
`Thereafter, the electronic money delivering unit 1122
`obtains, from the electronic money storage area 1131, a sum
`of remittance amount p and remitter’s charge amount x, i.e.,
`p+x (step 2103). The electronic money dividing unit 1124
`divides the amount p-HX into an amounty to be stored in the
`remitter’s electronic money storage apparatus and an
`amount p-x–y to be sent to the receiver (step 2104). The
`transaction fee storage unit 1123 stores the amounty in the
`transaction fee storage area 1132 (step 2105).
`In the storing step, the data to be stored may be appro
`priately modified only if the transaction fee can be restored
`therefrom. For example, if the transaction fee is of a fixed
`value, there may be stored the number of remitting opera
`tions.
`Thereafter, in the remitter’s electronic money storage
`apparatus 1100, the electronic money delivering unit 1125
`transfers electronic money having a value of p-ºx–y to the
`receiver’s apparatus 1200 via the communicating apparatus
`1110 and the data transfer unit 1300, where p indicates the
`remittance amount and x represents the remitter’s charge
`amount (step 2106).
`In the operation above, steps 2105 and 2106 may be
`executed in a reversed sequence or at the same time.
`Moreover, the remittance of electronic money is completed
`through one communication in this example. However, in
`general, a plurality of messages are communicated between
`the remitter’s and receiver’s apparatuses 1100 and 1200 for
`encryption, authentication, confirmation of data reception,
`and the like.
`In accordance with such information exchanged in step
`2201 as apparatus information of the remitter’s electronic
`money storage apparatus 1100, the remittance amount, and
`the remittance time, the receiver’s apparatus 1200
`calculates, by the transaction fee calculating unit 1221, the
`receiver’s transaction fee Z and an amount u to be stored in
`the transaction fee storage area 1232 of the receiver’s
`apparatus 1200 (step 2202).
`Since x-y is equal to u-z, it is not necessarily required to
`calculate the value of Z.
`Next, the receiver’s apparatus 1200 receives, by the
`electronic money receiving unit 1225, electronic money via
`the communication apparatus 1210 (step 2203).
`The reception of electronic money and calculations of z
`and u are carried out in an arbitrary order, namely, may be
`concurrently conducted. Alternatively, the transaction fee
`may be calculated after the reception of electronic money.
`Subsequently, the electronic money dividing unit 1224
`divides the received money into the amount u of transaction
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`fee to be stored on the receiver side and an amount of
`p+x-y—u to be re-used as electronic money (step 2204) and
`then the transaction fee storage unit 1223 stores the amount
`u in the transaction fee storage area 1232 (step 2106).
`In the storing operation, like the operation on the remitter
`side, the data to be stored may be appropriately stored only
`if the amount stored can be restored thereafter. For example,
`when the transaction fee is fixed, only the number of
`transfers may be stored as described above.
`After the operation above, in the receiver’s apparatus
`1200, the electronic money storage unit 1222 stores an
`amount of p--x-y—u in the electronic money storage area
`1231, where p+x–y indicates the received money and u is the
`receiver's transaction fee (step 2105).
`In this connection, steps 2205 and 2206 may be executed
`in a reverse order or at the same time.
`In the embodiment above, each of the remitter’s and
`receiver’s electronic money storage apparatuses includes a
`transaction fee collecting function. However, it may also be
`possible that an electronic money storage apparatus of a
`general consumer as a remitter does not include such a
`transaction fee collecting function and only an electronic
`money storage apparatus of a retailer as a receiver includes
`a transaction fee collecting function.
`Referring now to the flowchart of FIG. 4, description will
`be given of processing when the electronic money storage
`apparatus of a general consumer as a remitter does not
`include the transaction fee collecting function.
`First, the remitter’s electronic money storage apparatus
`1100 and the receiver’s electronic money storage apparatus
`1200, exchange respective apparatus information and a
`remittance amount p via the data transfer unit 1300 (steps
`4101 and 4201).
`In the remitter’s apparatus 1100, the electronic money
`delivering unit 1122 obtains a remittance amount p from the
`electronic money storage area 1131 and then the electronic
`money remitting unit 1125 transfers electronic money hav
`ing the remittance amount p via the communication appa
`ratus 1110 and the data transfer unit 1300 to the receiver’s
`apparatus 1200 (step 4106).
`In the receiver’s apparatus 1200, the transaction fee
`calculating unit 1221 calculates a receiver’s transaction fee
`u in accordance with such information exchanged as the
`apparatus information of the remitter’s apparatus 1100 and
`the remittance amount and time (step 4202).
`In the remitter’s apparatus 1100 not having the transaction
`fee collecting function, the arithmetic processing unit 1120
`may not include the transaction calculating unit 1121, the
`transaction fee storage unit 1123, and the electronic money
`dividing unit 1124, and the storage (1130) may not include
`the transaction fee storage area 1132.
`Next, the receiver’s apparatus 1200 receives, by the
`electronic money receiving unit 1225, electronic money via
`the communication unit 1210 (step 4203).
`The reception of electronic money and the calculation of
`u may be carried out in any order. Namely, these operations
`may be concurrently accomplished, or the transaction fee
`may be calculated after the electronic money is received.
`Subsequently, the electronic money dividing unit 1224
`divides the received money into the amount u of transaction
`fee to be stored and an amount of p-u to be re-used as
`electronic money (step 4204) and then the transaction fee
`storage unit 1223 stores the amount u in the transaction fee
`storage area 1232 (step 4206).
`After the operation above, in the receiver’s apparatus
`1200, the electronic money storage unit 1222 stores an
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`PayPal Ex.1020, p.9
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`US 6,321,213 B1
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`7
`amount of p—u in the electronic money storage area 1231,
`where p indicates the received money and n denotes the
`receiver’s transaction fee (step 4205).
`In this regard, steps 4205 and 4206 may be conducted in
`a reverse sequence or at the same time.
`Through the procedure above, the transaction fee can be
`collected even when the electronic money storage apparatus
`1100 on the remitter side does not include the transaction fee
`
`collecting function. In the example above, only the receiver
`is charged with the transaction fee. However, by substituting
`the remittance amount p for an amount of p+x including the
`receiver’s transaction fee, the receiver is also charged with
`the transaction fee without any modification in the remitter’s
`electronic money storage apparatus.
`Moreover, in a case reverse to the case above, namely,
`even when the receiver’s electronic money storage apparatus
`1200 does not
`include the transaction fee collecting
`function, it is possible to collect the transaction fee.
`Description will be given of processing of this case by
`mainly referring to FIG. 5.
`First, the remitter’s electronic money storage apparatus
`1100 and the receiver’s electronic money storage apparatus
`1200 exchange apparatus information of the respective
`apparatuses and a remittance amount p via the data transfer
`unit 1300 (steps 5101 and 5201).
`Next, in the remitter’s apparatus 1100, the transaction fee
`calculating unit 1121 calculates the remitter’s transaction fee
`x and the amount y to be stored in the transaction fee storage
`area 1132 of the remitter’s apparatus 1100 in accordance
`with the apparatus information and the remittance amount
`and time.
`
`The electronic money delivering unit 1122 thereafter
`obtains an amount of p+x from the electronic money storage
`area 1131, where p indicates the remittance amount and x
`represents the remitter’s charge amount (step 5103). The
`electronic money dividing unit 1124 divides the received
`money into the amount y to be stored in the remitter’s
`apparatus 1100 and an amount of p+x—y to be sent to the
`receiver (step 5104) and then the transaction fee storage unit
`1123 stores the amount y in the transaction fee storage area
`1132 (step 5105).
`'lhereafter, in the remitter’s apparatus 1100, the electronic
`money delivering unit 1125 sends electronic money having
`a value of p+x—y via the communication apparatus 1110 and
`the data transfer unit 1300 to the receiver’s apparatus 1200,
`where p indicates the amount to be remitted to the receiver’s
`apparatus 1200, x denotes the re1nitter’s charge amount, and
`y indicates the amount to be stored on the remitter aside
`(step 5106).
`After the operation above, the receiver’s apparatus 1200
`receives, by the electronic money receiving unit 1225, the
`electronic money via the communication unit 1210 (step
`5203) and then stores, by the electronic money storage unit
`1222, the received amount p+x—y in the electronic money
`storage area 1231 (step 5205).
`In the receiver’s electronic money storage apparatus
`1200, the arithmetic processing unit 1220 does not include
`the transaction fee collecting unit 1221, the transaction fee
`storage unit 1223 , and the electronic money dividing unit
`1224 and the storage 1230 does not include the transaction
`fee storage area 1232.
`As above, even when only one of the communicating
`electronic money storage apparatuses includes the transac-
`tion fee collecting function, it is possible to appropriately
`collect the transaction fee.
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`8
`Description will now be given of a method of collecting
`or gathering the transaction fee stored.
`There may be considered various methods of collecting
`the transaction fee.
`
`First, by rising a function of an IC card, the electronic
`money stored as the transaction fee is written, for example,
`in a read inhibition area such that the electronic money
`cannot be used again. At an expiration date of the validity
`time of the IC card, the electronic money issuer collects the
`IC card to check the transaction fee.
`
`Furthermore, in accordance with a method of controlling
`transfer of electronic money described in PP. 124-127 of
`“Illustrated Guide To ‘Electronic Money” of Financial
`System Promoting Division of Hitachi, Nikkan Kogyo
`Shimbun (June 1996), there may be used another method of
`collecting the transaction fee. Namely, the electronic money
`of the transaction fee can be transferred only to an electronic
`money issuer authorized for the collection of the transaction.
`As described above,
`in accordance with the present
`invention, the transaction fee can be collected while retain-
`ing anonymity of the remitter and the receiver as well as
`while keeping usability, i.e., it is not required to connect the
`system via a communication unit to a third person for each
`remittance of electronic money.
`While the present
`invention has been described with
`reference to the particular illustrative embodiments, it is not
`to be restricted by those embodiments but only by the
`appended claims. It is to be appreciated that those skilled in
`the art can change or modify the embodiments without
`departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.
`What is claimed is:
`
`1. Asystem for transferring electronic money, comprising:
`a first electronic money storage apparatus on an electronic
`money remitting side including communicating means,
`arithmetic means, and memory means for storing
`therein electronic money;
`a second electronic money storage apparatus on an elec-
`tronic money receiving side including communicating
`means, arithmetic means, and memory means for stor-
`ing therein electronic money; and
`a data transfer 11nit for connecting the first electronic
`storage apparatus to the second electronic storage
`apparatus, wherein:
`the first electronic money storage apparatus calculates an
`amount x of remitter’s transaction fee and a transaction
`
`fee y to be stored in the first electronic money storage
`apparatus, obtains an amount of p+x (p indicating an
`amount to be remitted) from the memory means of the
`first electronic money storage apparatus, divides the
`electronic money th