EP0545549A1 - Vorbezahlungssysteme - Google Patents

Vorbezahlungssysteme Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0545549A1
EP0545549A1 EP92310024A EP92310024A EP0545549A1 EP 0545549 A1 EP0545549 A1 EP 0545549A1 EP 92310024 A EP92310024 A EP 92310024A EP 92310024 A EP92310024 A EP 92310024A EP 0545549 A1 EP0545549 A1 EP 0545549A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
commodity
supply
prepayment
credit
key
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP92310024A
Other languages
English (en)
French (fr)
Inventor
Neville Pattinson
Richard Koszykowski
Stephen Bark
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Gemalto Terminals Ltd
Original Assignee
Schlumberger Industries Ltd
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Priority claimed from GB919125568A external-priority patent/GB9125568D0/en
Application filed by Schlumberger Industries Ltd filed Critical Schlumberger Industries Ltd
Publication of EP0545549A1 publication Critical patent/EP0545549A1/de
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07F—COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS
    • G07F7/00—Mechanisms actuated by objects other than coins to free or to actuate vending, hiring, coin or paper currency dispensing or refunding apparatus
    • G07F7/08—Mechanisms actuated by objects other than coins to free or to actuate vending, hiring, coin or paper currency dispensing or refunding apparatus by coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means
    • G07F7/0866—Mechanisms actuated by objects other than coins to free or to actuate vending, hiring, coin or paper currency dispensing or refunding apparatus by coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means by active credit-cards adapted therefor
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07F—COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS
    • G07F15/00—Coin-freed apparatus with meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas or electricity
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07F—COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS
    • G07F17/00—Coin-freed apparatus for hiring articles; Coin-freed facilities or services
    • G07F17/0014—Coin-freed apparatus for hiring articles; Coin-freed facilities or services for vending, access and use of specific services not covered anywhere else in G07F17/00
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07F—COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS
    • G07F7/00—Mechanisms actuated by objects other than coins to free or to actuate vending, hiring, coin or paper currency dispensing or refunding apparatus
    • G07F7/08—Mechanisms actuated by objects other than coins to free or to actuate vending, hiring, coin or paper currency dispensing or refunding apparatus by coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means
    • G07F7/0873—Details of the card reader

Definitions

  • This invention relates to prepayment systems permitting access to a commodity, typically electricity, gas or water, and is more particularly but not exclusively concerned with prepayment systems of the kind disclosed in our United Kingdom Patents Nos. 2 153 573 and 2 191 622.
  • the prepayment systems described in our United Kingdom Patent Nos 2 153 573 and 2 191 622 comprise a prepayment token in the form of key having a memory, a receptacle for the key (the receptacle typically forming part of a meter arranged to meter the commodity), and a circuit (also typically forming part of the meter) for allowing access to the commodity only when authorised by predetermined data read from the key memory.
  • the data in the key memory is typically entered into the memory by inserting the key into a receptacle in a vending machine, normally located at the commodity supplier's premises, the machine then entering the data in return for payment, eg via a coin or bank note accepting unit forming part of the machine.
  • the data typically includes credit data representative of the monetary amount paid, and data representative of tariff information and one or more unique identification codes.
  • the circuit in the meter reads the data in the key memory, and permits supply of the commodity to continue until the credit represented by the credit data is exhausted, at which point it discontinues the supply, eg by means of a contactor in the case of an electricity supply or by means of a solenoid-operated valve in the case of a gas or water supply.
  • the systems manufactured by the Applicant under the aforementioned patents also include an emergency credit facility, which, when operated, effectively enters a fixed further amount of credit into the meter circuit and so restores the supply. This is to cater for the situation where the supply is discontinued at an inconvenient time, eg during the night, and a token with fresh credit data has not already been obtained. However, when the further (or emergency) credit is exhausted, the supply is again discontinued, and remains discontinued until a token with fresh credit data is obtained.
  • a prepayment commodity supply system comprising a prepayment token having a memory, a metering unit for metering the commodity, a receptacle for receiving the token and a circuit coupled to the receptacle and to the metering unit and responsive to credit data read from the token memory to discontinue supply of the commodity when an amount of the commodity determined by said credit data has been supplied, further comprising selectively operable emergency supply control means operative to permit the supply of the commodity for a predetermined time after said amount of the commodity has been supplied.
  • a prepayment commodity supply system comprising a prepayment token having a memory, a timing unit, a receptacle for receiving the token and a circuit coupled to the receptacle and to the timing unit and responsive to credit data read from the token memory to discontinue the supply of the commodity when a time period determined by said credit data has elapsed, further comprising selectively operable emergency supply control means operative to permit the supply of the commodity for a predetermined time after said time period has elapsed.
  • the emergency supply control means includes programmable means, for example a programmable read only memory (PROM), for determining said predetermined time.
  • PROM programmable read only memory
  • the programmable means is advantageously programmable to define times from zero to of the order of 99 days, and is conveniently preprogrammed by the commodity supplier to a time of four to five days.
  • the prepayment electricity metering system shown in the drawing is intended for installation in an electricity consumer's premises, and is closely based on the system described in our United Kingdom Patent No. 2 191 622 (which was in turn a development of the system described in our United Kingdom Patent No. 2 153 573).
  • the system comprises a key 10, known as a customer key, containing a non-volatile memory such as an EEPROM, and a multi-rate electricity meter 12 having a receptacle 14 for receiving the key 10.
  • a key 10 known as a customer key
  • a non-volatile memory such as an EEPROM
  • a multi-rate electricity meter 12 having a receptacle 14 for receiving the key 10.
  • the physical form of the key 10 and the receptacle 14 can be as described in our United Kingdom Patent No. 2 191 883.
  • a key interface circuit 16 Associated with the receptacle 14, within the meter 12, is a key interface circuit 16 coupled to a microprocessor 18.
  • the microprocessor 18 is coupled in turn to another non-volatile memory 20 in the form of an EEPROM, to a clock 22, to an LCD display 23, to a power measuring circuit 24 connected in the consumer's electrical power distribution circuit 26 and to a switch unit or contactor 28 also connected in the distribution circuit 26.
  • the system operates substantially as described in our United Kingdom Patents Nos. 2 153 574 and 2 191 622.
  • the consumer takes the key 10 to a vending machine, typically located in or near the electricity supplier's premises, and inserts the key 10 into a receptacle, similar to the receptacle 14, in the machine.
  • the consumer then inserts coins or bank notes into the machine, which, having read the key memory, responds by writing credit data representative of the amount of credit purchased into the key memory, along with tariff data representative of the current electricity supply tariffs and pass number data indicative of how many times the key has been used.
  • the key memory typically already contains identification data uniquely identifying the key, the meter in which it is to be used and the consumer, all of which identification data was entered when the key 10 was first issued to the consumer.
  • the consumer Having charged the key 10 with credit, the consumer returns home and inserts the key into the receptacle 14.
  • the microprocessor 18 also writes the current readings of the meter 12, which are stored in the memory 20, along with the time and date to which the readings relate, into the key memory, substantially as described in United Kingdom Patent No 2 191 622.
  • the contactor 28 closes to permit the supply of electricity. Supply is allowed to continue until an amount of electricity equal in value to the monetary amount represented by the credit data received from the key 10 has been supplied, whereupon credit is exhausted, and the contactor 28 re-opens to discontinue the supply.
  • an emergency supply of electricity is obtained by operating a push-button 30, which instead of permitting the emergency supply of a fixed amount of electricity (or providing a fixed amount of credit, which would have a basically similar effect), closes the contactor 28 for a predetermined time period, typically four to five days. This is a sufficient length of time to cover most bank holiday periods of the kind where a bank holiday immediately precedes or follows a weekend, and therefore maintains the supply until the consumer is able at the end of the holiday period to re-charge the key 10 with credit.
  • the push-button 30 becomes operable just before the credit represented by the credit data read from the key 10 is exhausted.
  • an audible alarm (not shown) sounds for about one minute.
  • a low credit warning symbol eg a warning triangle, starts flashing in the display 23, and continues to flash until credit is exhausted (whereupon the supply cuts off and the warning symbol is displayed continuously).
  • the consumer can operate the push-button 30 at any time while the low credit warning symbol is flashing.
  • an "emergency credit selected" symbol also starts to flash in the display 23, and emergency supply commences automatically (ie without interruption) as soon as the remaining credit is exhausted, and the emergency credit selected symbol is displayed continuously.
  • the microprocessor 18 is programmed to respond to subsequent operations of the push-button 30 while the meter 12 is already in the emergency supply condition to cause the display 23 to display the minimum amount of credit that must be purchased to pay for the electricity supplied by use of the emergency supply facility.
  • the duration of the predetermined period is determined by a programmable timing circuit 32, which in practice can be constituted by the microprocessor 18 and the clock 22 working in conjunction with part of the EEPROM 20.
  • the electricity supplier typically pre-programs the circuit 32 (or the relevant part of the EEPROM 20) with the aforementioned time of four to five days, and the microprocessor 18 operates in conjunction with the clock 22 to re-open the contactor 28 once the pre-programmed time has elapsed.
  • the circuit 32 or its equivalent is re-programmable, for example by means of the key 10 or a special key, to any time between zero and at least 99 days.
  • the former time effectively serves to cancel the emergency supply facility altogether, while the latter can be used to convert the system into a credit metering system, where the consumer receives a key when he pays his quarterly bill, and this key enables the next quarter's supply to be obtained simply by use of the push-button 30.
  • the key 10 need not have the physical form of a key, but can instead be constituted for example by a so-called "smart card” or by a magnetic card. Also, although all the elements of the drawing (except the key 10) are described as being contained within a single housing, they can if desired be contained in two separate housings, one containing the power measuring circuit 24 and the contactor 28, and the other containing the other elements (except the key 10).
  • the invention has been described in relation to an electricity metering system, it is equally applicable to other commodity metering systems, for example gas or water metering systems.
  • the power measuring circuit 24 and the contactor 28 are simply replaced by a flow measuring device and a solenoid-operated valve respectively, which are connected in flow series in a pipe through which the gas or water flows, and the electrical/electronic circuitry of the systems can if necessary be battery-powered.
  • the commodity supply can be pre-paid for on a timed basis, rather than on a metered basis (ie a given amount of credit permits supply for say a week or a month).
  • the metering function can still be retained, with the clock 22 and the microprocessor 18 serving additionally to provide the necessary timing function, and with the meter readings still being entered in the key 10 along with time and date information.
  • the metering function can be omitted altogether, eg by omitting the power measuring circuit 24 or the flow measuring device.

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  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Control Of Vending Devices And Auxiliary Devices For Vending Devices (AREA)
EP92310024A 1991-11-30 1992-11-02 Vorbezahlungssysteme Withdrawn EP0545549A1 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (4)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB9125568 1991-11-30
GB919125568A GB9125568D0 (en) 1991-11-30 1991-11-30 Prepayment systems
GB929203946A GB9203946D0 (en) 1991-11-30 1992-02-25 Prepayment systems
GB9203946 1992-02-25

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0545549A1 true EP0545549A1 (de) 1993-06-09

Family

ID=26299942

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP92310024A Withdrawn EP0545549A1 (de) 1991-11-30 1992-11-02 Vorbezahlungssysteme

Country Status (2)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0545549A1 (de)
GB (1) GB2261979B (de)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP1400933A1 (de) * 2002-09-18 2004-03-24 Landis+Gyr Limited Verbesserungen für und in Bezug auf Verbrauchszählgeräte
EP1708147A1 (de) * 2005-04-01 2006-10-04 Conserve Italia Soc. Coop. A.R.L. Verbessertes Zahlungssystem mit elektronischem Schlüssel für Ausgabevorrichtungen für Nahrungsmittel und/oder Getränke

Families Citing this family (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2285705B (en) * 1993-11-30 1998-04-15 Schlumberger Ind Ltd Prepayment systems
GB2287118B (en) * 1994-03-02 1997-10-01 Christopher Robins Improvements in and relating to apparatus comprising a taxi meter and a timer connected thereto
TR199600586A3 (tr) 1996-06-05 1997-12-21 Landis & Gyr Technology Innovation Ag Ürün ve hizmetlerin karsiliginin ödenmesi için proses.
GB9820686D0 (en) * 1998-09-23 1998-11-18 Siemens Measurements Ltd Gas meter module interface facility and prepayment valve control

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0131331A2 (de) * 1983-07-11 1985-01-16 Mainmet Limited Vorrichtung zur Abgabe von Verbrauchsmitteln wie Strom, Wasser usw.
US4731575A (en) * 1986-12-08 1988-03-15 Sloan Joseph W Prepayment metering system using encoded purchase cards
GB2208955A (en) * 1987-08-19 1989-04-19 Gen Electric Plc Prepayment systems for supply of a commodity

Family Cites Families (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB2153573B (en) * 1984-01-25 1987-04-01 Schlumberger Electronics A prepayment system
GB8614620D0 (en) * 1986-06-16 1986-07-23 Schlumberger Electronics Uk Commodity metering systems

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP0131331A2 (de) * 1983-07-11 1985-01-16 Mainmet Limited Vorrichtung zur Abgabe von Verbrauchsmitteln wie Strom, Wasser usw.
US4731575A (en) * 1986-12-08 1988-03-15 Sloan Joseph W Prepayment metering system using encoded purchase cards
GB2208955A (en) * 1987-08-19 1989-04-19 Gen Electric Plc Prepayment systems for supply of a commodity

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP1400933A1 (de) * 2002-09-18 2004-03-24 Landis+Gyr Limited Verbesserungen für und in Bezug auf Verbrauchszählgeräte
EP1708147A1 (de) * 2005-04-01 2006-10-04 Conserve Italia Soc. Coop. A.R.L. Verbessertes Zahlungssystem mit elektronischem Schlüssel für Ausgabevorrichtungen für Nahrungsmittel und/oder Getränke

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
GB2261979A (en) 1993-06-02
GB2261979B (en) 1995-08-30
GB9224195D0 (en) 1993-01-06

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