Cash alternative transaction system

Claim 1

A method for processing transactions comprising the steps of: interfacing a smart card with a smart car reader/writer, said smart card having electronically recorded in smart card memory means primary card data which, according to a protocol and at least until said interfacing, represents a monetary equivalent of an alpha card value, said reader/writer having card data reading means for, upon said interfacing, reading said primary card data, said reader/writer further having card data writing means for replacing said primary card data with secondary card data representing a beta card value, less in monetary equivalence than said alpha card value by a transaction amount difference; inputting said transaction amount into a purchase transaction register, said purchase transaction register being interfaced with said reader/writer whereby, following said inputting, said card data writing means records said secondary card data into said smart card memory means, said transaction register having register memory means for cumulatively recording purchase point cumulative data representative of a monetary equivalence of the sum of the total of all transaction amounts entered into said transaction register during a recording period, said transaction register further having clearing center interfacing and cumulative data dumping means for interfacing said transaction register with a clearing center processor having clearing center processor memory means for storing said purchase point cumulative data, communicating said purchase point cumulative data to said clearing center processor memory means as clearing center data and thereafter modifying said purchase point cumulative data in said transaction register memory to represent a monetary equivalent of zero monetary units; at the end of said recording period, actuating said clearing center interfacing and cumulative data dumping means.

Claim 2

A method for processing transactions comprising the steps of: interfacing a smart card with a smart car reader/writer, said smart card having electronically recorded in smart card memory means primary card data which, according to a protocol and at least until said interfacing, represents a monetary equivalent of an alpha card value, said reader/writer having card data reading means for, upon said interfacing, reading said primary card data, said reader/writer further having card data writing means for replacing said primary card data with secondary card data representing a beta card value, less in monetary equivalence than said alpha card value by a transaction amount difference; inputting said transaction amount into a purchase transaction register, said purchase transaction register being interfaced with said reader/writer whereby, following said inputting, said card data writing means records said secondary card data into said smart card memory means, said transaction register having register memory means for cumulatively recording purchase point cumulative data representative of a monetary equivalence of the sum of the total of all transaction amounts entered into said transaction register during a recording period, said transaction register further having clearing center interfacing and cumulative data dumping means for interfacing said transaction register with a clearing center processor having clearing center processor memory means for storing said purchase point cumulative data, communicating said purchase point cumulative data to said clearing center processor memory means as clearing center data and thereafter modifying said purchase point cumulative data in said transaction register memory to represent a monetary equivalent of zero monetary units; at the end of said recording period, actuating said clearing center interfacing and cumulative data dumping means.

Claim 4

A method for processing transactions comprising the steps of: selecting a smart card having recorded into said smart card's electronic memory primary card data which, according to a protocol represents a monetary equivalent of an alpha card value; identifying goods/services to be purchased by a consumer and ascertaining a total purchase price of such goods/services using goods/services identification and valuation means; interfacing said smart card with a smart card reader/writer, said reader/writer having card data reading means for, upon said interfacing, reading said primary card data, said reader/writer further having card data writing means for replacing said primary card data with secondary card data representing a beta card value, less in monetary equivalence than said alpha card value by a transaction amount difference; inputting said total purchase price into a purchase transaction register; inputting a cash amount equal to a sum of cash, if any, to be applied by the customer to the purchase of said goods/services and, using calculating means, calculating said transaction amount which transaction amount represents the difference between said total purchase price and said cash amount; inputting said transaction amount into said purchase transaction register, said purchase transaction register being interfaced with said reader/writer whereby, following said inputting, said card data writing means records said secondary card data into said smart card memory means, said transaction register having register memory means for cumulatively recording purchase point cumulative data representative of a monetary equivalence of the sum of the total of all transaction amounts entered into said transaction register during a recording period, said transaction register further having clearing center interfacing and cumulative data dumping means for interfacing said transaction register with a clearing center processor having clearing center processor memory means for storing said purchase point cumulative data, communicating said purchase point cumulative data to said clearing center processor memory means as clearing center data and thereafter modifying said purchase point cumulative data in said transaction register memory to represent a monetary equivalent of zero monetary units; at the end of said recording period, actuating said clearing center interfacing and cumulative data dumping means; and converting said clearing center data in said clearing center processor memory means to payment means equal in value to said monetary sum of said total of all transaction amounts entered into said transaction register during said recording period.

Claim 5

A method for processing transactions comprising the steps of: selecting a smart card having recorded into said smart card's electronic memory primary card data which, according to a protocol represents a monetary equivalent of an alpha card value; identifying goods/services to be purchased by a consumer and ascertaining a total purchase price of such goods/services using goods/services identification and valuation means; interfacing said smart card with a smart card reader/writer, said reader/writer having card data reading means for, upon said interfacing, reading said primary card data, said reader/writer further having card data writing means for replacing said primary card data with secondary card data representing a beta card value, less in monetary equivalence than said alpha card value by a transaction amount difference; inputting said total purchase price into a purchase transaction register; inputting a cash amount equal to a sum of cash, if any, to be applied by the customer to the purchase of said goods/services and, using calculating means, calculating said transaction amount which transaction amount represents the difference between said total purchase price and said cash amount; inputting said transaction amount into said purchase transaction register, said purchase transaction register being interfaced with said reader/writer whereby, following said inputting, said card data writing means records said secondary card data into said smart card memory means, said transaction register having register memory means for cumulatively recording purchase point cumulative data representative of a monetary equivalence of the sum of the total of all transaction amounts entered into said transaction register during a recording period, said transaction register further having clearing center interfacing and cumulative data dumping means for interfacing said transaction register with a clearing center processor having clearing center processor memory means for storing said purchase point cumulative data, communicating said purchase point cumulative data to said clearing center processor memory means as clearing center data and thereafter modifying said purchase point cumulative data in said transaction register memory to represent a monetary equivalent of zero monetary units; at the end of said recording period, actuating said clearing center interfacing and cumulative data dumping means; and converting said clearing center data in said clearing center processor memory means to payment means equal in value to said monetary sum of said total of all transaction amounts entered into said transaction register during said recording period.

Claim 6

A system for processing transactions comprising: a smart card having electronically recorded in smart card memory means primary card data which, according to a protocol represents a monetary equivalent of an alpha value; a smart card reader/writer having card data reading means for, upon interfacing with said smart card, reading said primary card data, said reader/writer further having card data writing means for replacing said primary card data with secondary card data representing a beta card value, less in monetary equivalence than said alpha card value; a clearing center processor having telephonic interfacing means; a purchase transaction register interfaced with said reader/writer, said purchase transaction register having purchase amount input means for input of a purchase amount, said purchase transaction register being interfaced with said reader/writer whereby, after said input of said purchase amount, said card data writing means replaces said primary card data with said secondary card data representing said beta card value, less in monetary equivalence than said alpha card value, by said purchase amount, said purchase transaction register further having register memory means for cumulatively recording purchase point cumulative data representative of a monetary equivalent of the sum of the total of all transaction amounts entered into said transaction register during a recording period.

Claim 7

A system for processing transactions comprising: a smart card having electronically recorded in smart card memory means primary card data which, according to a protocol represents a monetary equivalent of an alpha value; a smart card reader/writer having card data reading means for, upon interfacing with said smart card, reading said primary card data, said reader/writer further having card data writing means for replacing said primary card data with secondary card data representing a beta card value, less in monetary equivalence than said alpha card value; a clearing center processor having telephonic interfacing means; a purchase transaction register interfaced with said reader/writer, said purchase transaction register having purchase amount input means for input of a purchase amount, said purchase transaction register being interfaced with said reader/writer whereby, after said input of said purchase amount, said card data writing means replaces said primary card data with said secondary card data representing said beta card value, less in monetary equivalence than said alpha card value, by said purchase amount, said purchase transaction register further having register memory means for cumulatively recording purchase point cumulative data representative of a monetary equivalent of the sum of the total of all transaction amounts entered into said transaction register during a recording period.