System and method for automatic transaction

Abstract

An automatic transaction system is provided with a card reader which reads the data from a card with information identifying a user recorded thereon, when said card is inserted, an operating unit which is provided with transaction selection keys operated to input the kind of transaction a user wants, and an amount key employed to input an amount of money to be transacted and others, and a display unit which displays the instructions for said operating unit for the user. Whether or not a plurality of transactions are to be performed repeatedly is input to said operating unit by a repeated transaction key. A plurality of transactions are performed repeatedly by a control unit, based on the data read from said card reader and the operation of said repeated transaction key.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an automatic transaction system which handles paper money automatically in financial institutions such as banks by reading cards, and in particular it relates to the system which is suited to a plurality of transactions on one occasion.

General automatic transaction systems have a construction in which a single transaction or a variety of transactions are set so that a user (customer) can perform a transaction by inserting his card once.

A system disclosed in the Official Gazzette on Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 32596/1973, for instance, is constructed so that it enables the selection of payment of cash and transfer to another account, while enabling the release of cash or the automatic transfer of a paid amount on data to said account without releasing cash according to the selection of payment or transfer. Meanwhile, a system disclosed in the Official Gazette on Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 37342/1978 is designed so that it can operate to transfer an amount equivalent to the amount of money received from a user to an account of a specified transferee read from a card on which information on the deposit of the user and the account number of said account are recorded, thus enabling simple transfer operations to the apecifiedplanor line control deposit with in is displayed (306), and the name of a transferee's bank, the kind of a deposit and a transfer account, etc. are input (307) according to the instruction. Then, "Input an amount to be transferred from an initial card" is displayed (308) to instruct the user (309). With this processing a transfer input with regard to the magnetic card A initially inserted is complete.

A message "Put in a card for a subsequent transfer" is then displayed (310), and when the second magnetic card B is inserted by the same user (311), steps 303 and 304 are repeated, applied to said card B (312 and 313). Then an instruction to input an amount to be transferred from the second magnetic card B is displayed (314), and the amount for the second magnetic card B is input in response to said instruction (315).

After an instruction to confirm the amounts to be transferred from the two magnetic cards A and B is displayed (316) thereafter, the confirmation is input (317), and then communication is conducted in sequence with respect to the information on the first and second magnetic cards A and B. Next, a slip is printed in response to an instruction directing the transaction, and the magnetic cards A and B and a detailed slip are dispensed (321, 322), whereby the transaction is ended

With this embodiment, therefore, simultaneous transfers can be performed from a plurality of accounts if these transfers are made to one account.

If any of the above-described embodiments, the kind of transaction is selected after the magnetic card A is inserted. It is a matter of course, in this connection, that a program can be altered so that the transaction can be selected before the magnetic card A is inserted. Moreover, an on-line system in which the control unit 40 is connected to the central processing unit 90 is shown as an example in these embodiments. These embodiments can also be adapted for an off-line system by using a construction in which information required for transactions is stored in the memory circuit 42 of the control unit 40 and this unit performs the same processing as the central processing unit 90 based on said information. Also, the magnetic cards are employed as examples in these embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited to these cards; it can be applied also to a system in which IC cards or optical stripe cards, for instance, are employed.

As described above, the present invention is so constructed that not only transactions of different kinds, but also transactions of the same kind, can be performed as needed by pressing the repeated transaction keys; hence, one user can perform transactions repeatedly without re-inserting the card. With the present invention, therefore, it is unnecessary for one user to repeat such operations as putting the card in and taking it out and entering a personal code number, which produces remarkable effects of saving time and shortening the time required for transactions.

Claims

1. A system for automatic transactions, comprising:

a medium reader for receiving an inserted medium from a customer and for reading data from said medium in which information identifying said customer is recorded;

a operation unit provided with transaction selection keys comprising single transaction and combination keys to input transactions of different kinds in combination, and a numerical key to input numerical values and personal code number of said customer;

a display unit for displaying instructions for operation to said customer; and

a control unit for performing a single transaction based on data read by said medium reader and of said selection keys, and for performing a plurality of different transactions based on data read from said medium and said combination keys, in repsonse to one insertion of said medium to said medium reader and one input of the personal code number of said customer.

2. A system as claimed in claim 1, in which said transactions include an inquiry requesting the value of a balance, and in response to said inquiry, said display unit displays the value of the balance to be confirmed by said customer relative to another transaction performed simultaneously subsequently by said control unit.

3. A system for automatic transactions, comprising:

a medium reader for receiving an inserted medium from a customer, and for reading data from said medium in which information identifying said customer is recorded;

a operation unit provided with transaction selection keys comprising a repeated transaction key to input signals specifying whether a next transaction is to be performed successively, and a numerical key to input numerical values and personal code number of said customer;

a display unit for displaying instructions for selection or whether different transactions are to be performed successively for said customer; and

a control unit for performing first and second transactions successively based on data from said medium and the signal input by said repeated transaction key, in response to one insertion of said medium to said medium reader and one input of the personal code number by said customer.

4. A system as claimed in claim 3, in which said control unit performs said second transaction when said repeated transaction key is operated by said customer in response to instructions of said display unit after the completion of said first transaction.

5. A system as claimed in claim 3, in which one of said first and second transaction is an inquiry requesting the value of a balance, and in response to said inquiry, said display unit displays value of the balance to be confirmed by said customer in relation to the other of said first and second

transaction performed successively. 6. A system for automatic transactions, comprising:

a medium reader for receiving inserted a plurality of media from a customer and for reading data from said media in which information identifying said customer is recorded;

a operating unit provided with transaction selection keys comprising single keys to input a single transaction and combination keys to input a plurality of transactions, and a numerical key to input numerical values and the personal code number of said customer;

a display unit for displaying instructions for operation to said customer; and

a control unit for performing a single transaction based on data read from said medium and the operations of said single keys, and for performing a plurality of transactions with a plurality of accounts, based on the read data from said media and the operation of said combination keys, with one insertion of each media and one input of personal code number

corresponding to said each medium by said customer. 7. A system as claimed in claim 6 in which said media is inserted into said medium reader in response to the instructions of said display unit by said customer, said transactions to be performed are transfer transactions from a plurality of accounts, and said control unit performs transfers from a plurality of

accounts corresponding to said media to an account of a transferee. 8. A method for automatic transactions, comprising:

inserting a medium of a customer;

reading data from said medium including information identifying said customer;

inputting a personal code number to identify said customer;

displaying instructions to select a transaction including a single transaction or a combined transaction;

inputting a transaction based upon said instructions; and

performing a single transaction on the basis of the data of the medium read and in accordance with the single transaction input, and performing a plurality of transactions simultaneously subsequently on the basis of the same data from said medium when said transaction is a combined transaction, in response to one insertion of said medium and one input of said personal code number by said customer.

9. A method for automatic transactions, comprising:

inserting a medium of a customer;

reading data from said medium including information identifying said customer;

inputting a personal code number to identify said customer;

displaying instructions to select a kind of transaction including a single transaction or a repeated transaction;

inputting a signal specifying the kind of transaction based on said instruction; and

performing a prescribed transaction on the basis of the data of the medium read and in accordance with the kind of transaction input, and performing first and second transactions successively on the basis of the same data from said medium when said kind of transaction is a repeated transaction, in response to one insertion of said medium and one input of said personal

code number by said customer.

10. A method for automatic transactions, comprising:

inserting a medium of a customer;

reading data from said medium including information identifying said customer;

inputting a personal code number to identify said customer;

displaying instructions to select a kind of transaction;

inputting a signal specifying the kind of transaction based on said instructions;

performing a prescribed first transaction on the basis of the data of the medium read and in response to the kind of transaction input;

displaying instructions to select repeated transactions which are to be performed successively on the basis of said data;

selecting the repeated transaction in response to said display; and

performing a second transaction successively after completion of said first transaction, in response to one insertion of said medium to said medium reader and one input of the personal code number by said customer.

11. A system for automatic banking transactions, comprising:

medium reader means for receiving a medium from a customer and for reading data from said medium in which information identifying said customer is recorded;

an operation unit provided with at least one combination transaction selection key to input the selection of the combination transaction, and at least one number key to input numerical values by the customer;

display means for displaying instructions and data for operation to the customer;

control means for identifying the customer in response to the information identifying said customer and providing customer banking information;

said control means further performing a first banking transaction based upon said customer banking information and one selection of said combination transaction selection key and thereafter performing a second banking transaction based upon the customer banking information and said selection of the combination transaction selection key with automatic flow from the first banking transaction to the second banking transaction in response to only one reading data from said medium and only one selection of said combination transaction selection key. 12. The system according to claim 11, wherein said operation unit further includes at least one single transaction selection key; said control unit further being responsive to said single transaction key and the customer banking information for performing only a single transaction with only one reading data from said medium and only one selection of a single transaction selection key. 13. The system according to claim 11, wherein said control means automatically repeats said first transaction as said second transaction. 14. The control system according to claim 11, wherein said control means, in response to said customer banking information provides a fixed number of times for counting transaction repetitions;

said control means automatically repeats said first transaction successively for the fixed number of times. 15. The system according to claim 11, wherein said medium reader receives an encoded card and reads the encoded card; and further including means for receiving customer identification information and being in addition to said medium reader means and the customer identification card. 16. The system according to claim 15, wherein said medium reader includes said numerical key for the entry of a personal identification number of the customer. 17. The system according to claim 11, wherein said control means stops processing and requests, through said display means, information from said customer for use in the remainder of said

transaction. 18. The system according to claim 11, wherein said first transaction and said second transaction are transactions of different kinds. 19. The system according to claim 18, wherein said control means provides said first transaction as an inquiry requesting the value of a balance, and in response to said inquiry said display means displays the value of the balance to be confirmed by the customer relative to the second transaction. 20. The system according to claim 19, wherein said control means performs said second transaction in response to said balance being a limit of said second transaction. 21. The system according to claim 20, wherein said control means, as a part of said second transaction, requests input of a numerical amount from said numerical key, halts operation waiting for said input, and after said input compares the input amount with the balance. 22. The system according to claim 12, wherein said control means provides said first and second transactions as transactions of a different kind. 23. The system according to claim 14, wherein said control means provides a comparison of the number of repetitions of said second transaction with said fixed number; and

said control means in response to said comparison indicating that the number of repetitions is less than the fixed number, said control means further repeating said second transaction automatically for a fixed number of times without customer choice or selection of the repetition. 24. The system according to claim 11, wherein one of the said first and second transactions is a payment inquiry and the other is a deposit with dispensing of an envelope. 25. The system according to claim 11, wherein said first transaction is balance inquiry and said second transaction is a transfer of funds. 26. The system according to claim 11, wherein said first transaction is balance inquiry and said second transaction is a payout of funds. 27. The system according to claim 26, including a second combination transaction selection. 28. The system according to claim 27, wherein, in response to said second combination transaction key, said control means performs two transactions, one of which is the same as one of said first and second transactions and the other of which is different. 29. The system according to claim 11, including a second combination transaction selection. 30. The system according to claim 29, wherein, in response to said second combination transaction key, said control means performs two transactions, one of which is the same as one of said first and second transactions and the other of which is different.

31. The system according to claim 21, wherein said control means, in response to said customer banking information provides a fixed number of times for counting transaction repetitions;

said control means automatically repeats said first transaction successively for the fixed number of times. 32. The system according to claim 31, wherein said control means provides a comparison of the number of repetitions of said second transaction with said fixed number; and

said control means in response to said comparison indicating that the number of repetitions is less than the fixed number, said control means further repeating said second transaction automatically for a fixed number of times without customer choice or selection of the repetition. 33. The system according to claim 32, wherein said operation unit further includes at least one single transaction selection key; said control unit further being responsive to said single transaction key and the customer banking information for performing only a single transaction with only one reading data from said medium and only one selection of a single transaction selection key;

said medium reader receives an encoded card and reads the encoded card; and further including means for receiving customer identification information and being in addition to said medium reader means and the customer identification card; and

said medium reader includes said numerical key for the entry of a personal identification number of the customer. 34. A system for automatic transactions, comprising:

a medium reader for receiving a medium from a customer and for reading data from said medium in which information identifying said customer is recorded;

an operation unit provided with transaction selection keys comprising at least one combination key to provide a single input specifying a plurality of transactions in combination, and a numerical key to input numerical values;

a display unit for displaying instructions for operation to said customer;

a control unit for performing a plurality of transactions in combinations based on data read from said medium and input by said combination key, in response to one insertion of said medium to said medium reader. 35. A system according to claim 34, wherein said operation unit, with said numerical key, inputs a personal code number of the customer; and said control unit performs said plurality of transactions in combination in response to one input of the personal code number by the customer. 36. A system according to claim 35, wherein said control unit is responsive to only one medium from the customer. 37. A system according to claim 34, wherein said control unit is responsive to only one medium from the customer. 38. A system for automatic transactions, comprising:

a medium reader for receiving an inserted medium from a customer, and for reading data from said medium to which information identifying said customer is recorded;

an operation unit provided with transaction selection keys comprising at least one transaction key to input signals for repeatedly performing the same transaction, and at least one numerical key to input numerical values;

a display unit for displaying instructions for operation to the customer; and

a control unit for performing only said transaction successively and automatically based on data from said medium and only one signal input by said transaction key, in response to one insertion of said medium to said medium reader and one input signal from said transaction key. 39. A system according to claim 38, wherein said operation unit numerical key is further to input a personal code number of the customer; and said control unit performs said transaction repeatedly in response to one input of the personal code number of the customer. 40. A system for automatic transactions, comprising:

a medium reader for receiving a medium from a customer, and for reading data from said medium in which information identifying said customer is recorded;

an operation unit provided with transaction selection keys comprising single transaction keys and at least one combination key to input a signal specifying first and second transactions to be performed automatically in succession, and a numerical key to input numerical values and personal code number of said customer;

a display unit for displaying instructions for operation to said customer; and

a control unit for performing a single transaction based upon signal input by a single transaction key; and

said control unit for performing, based upon a signal input from said combination transaction key, a first transaction, for displaying a result of the performance of said first transaction, and for performing a second transaction, automatically in order, based upon data read from said medium and a signal input by said combination key, in response to one insertion of said medium to said medium reader, one input of the personal code number by said customer, and one actuation of said combination key. 41. A system according to claim 40, wherein said control unit repeats said first and second transactions automatically without customer selection. 42. A system for automatic transactions, comprising:

a medium reader for receiving a medium from a customer and for reading data from said medium in which information identifying said customer is recorded;

an operation unit provided with transaction selection keys comprising at least one combination key to provide a single input specifying a plurality of transactions in combination, and a numerical key to input numerical values;

a display unit for displaying instructions for operation to said customer; and

a control unit for performing a plurality of transactions based on the read data from said media and the operation of said combination keys with one

receipt of each media by said customer. 43. A system for automatic transactions, comprising:

a medium reader for receiving a medium from a customer and for reading data from said medium in which information identifying said customer is recorded;

an operation unit provided with transaction selection keys comprising at least one combination key to provide a single input specifying a plurality of transactions in combination, and a numerical key to input numerical values;

a display unit for displaying instructions for operation to said customer;

a control unit for performing a plurality of transactions in combination and for thereafter performing another plurality of transactions in combination, in response to one insertion of said medium to said medium reader. 44. A method for automatic banking transactions, comprising:

receiving a medium from a customer, reading data from said medium and recording information identifying said customer;

from an operation unit provided with at least one combination transaction selection key to input the selection of the combination transaction, and at least one number key to input numerical values by the customer selecting said combination transaction key only once;

displaying instructions and data for operation to the customer;

identifying the customer in response to the information identifying said customer and providing customer banking information;

performing a first banking transaction based upon said customer banking information and one selection of said combination transaction selection key and thereafter performing a second banking transaction based upon the customer banking information and said selection of the combination transaction selection key with automatic flow from the first banking transaction to the second banking transaction in response to only one reading data from said medium and only one selection of said combination

transaction selection key. 45. The method according to claim 44, wherein said operation unit further includes at least one single transaction selection key; in response to said single transaction key and the customer banking information, performing only a single transaction with only one reading data from said medium and only one selection of a

single transaction selection key. 46. The method according to claim 44, including automatically repeating said first transaction as said second transaction. 47. The method according to claim 44, including receiving an encoded card and reading the encoded card; and further including means for receiving customer identification information and being in addition to said medium reader means and the customer identification card; and

numerical key entering a personal identification number of the customer. 48. The method according to claim 44, including stopping processing and requesting, through said display means, information from said customer for use in the remainder of said transaction.