Payment acceptance device, reading device, payment processing method and program

Abstract

To reduce the occurrence of miscalculation failures when a reading device or a payment reception device used for electronic payment fails.SOLUTION: A payment reception device is provided with: a connection unit connected to a reading device that reads information from at least a card-type recording medium or a communication terminal; an electronic payment unit that generates electronic payment information based on the information and transmits it to a payment center; and a failure reception unit that receives an impact of failure having occurred in the reading device. The electronic payment unit herein acquires a use statement including at least part of the information from the reading device and performs adjustment processing when the reading device fails.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a payment acceptance device, a reading device, a payment processing method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Today, various types of electronic money are used for payments, including, for example, payments using credit card-based electronic money, payments using transportation-related electronic money, payments using distribution-related electronic money, payments using prepaid electronic money, payments using postpaid electronic money, payments using QR codes (registered trademark) or barcodes, and payments using debit-based electronic money. Payments using electronic money are made through the cooperation of a payment terminal that reads the electronic money information and a POS (Point of Sales) terminal that has the function of accepting payments, and the settlement process is confirmed after communication with a server corresponding to each electronic money. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-154541 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Since both payment terminals and POS terminals are machines, they can break down. A broken terminal will need to be repaired or replaced. Unsettled statements and other information may remain on the broken terminal, and if the initial response is correct, it may be possible to salvage the problem. However, if repair or replacement is prioritized, unsettled statements and other information may be lost. In addition, the location where usage statements and other information are stored varies depending on the electronic money, making it easy to make mistakes in initial responses.

[0005] The present invention aims to reduce the occurrence of miscalculation problems when a reading device or payment acceptance device used in electronic payment breaks down. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The invention described in claim 1 is based on at least a card-type recording medium or a communication terminal. Electronic money a connection part connected to a reading device for reading information; Electronic money information of transactions using The electronic payment system includes an electronic payment unit that generates electronic payment information and transmits it to a payment center, and a failure reception unit that receives a notification of a failure in the reading device, and when the reading device fails, the electronic payment unit: Just before the failure The aforementioned Electronic money transactions information of A usage statement including the above-mentioned information is obtained from the reading device. The acquired statement of use is sent to the settlement center. This is a payment acceptance device that executes payment processing. The invention described in claim 2 further comprises a storage unit for storing a reading log relating to a specific electronic payment type, and the electronic payment unit stores the reading log. from the storage unit to generate a statement of use, and transmit the generated statement of use to the settlement center. 2. The payment acceptance device according to claim 1, which executes settlement processing for the specific electronic payment type. Claim 3 The invention described in the above is based on at least a card-type recording medium or a communication terminal. Electronic money A reading unit that reads information, or at least a card-type recording medium or a communication terminal Electronic money a connection part connected to a reading device that reads information; Electronic money information of transactions using an electronic payment unit that generates electronic payment information and transmits it to a payment center; Read at the time of transaction The aforementioned Electronic money information of a failure reception unit that receives the occurrence of a failure in the device itself, and when the device itself fails, the electronic payment unit obtains the reading log from the storage unit and Generate a usage statement up to the time immediately before the failure, and send the generated usage statement to the settlement center. This is a payment acceptance device that executes the settlement process. Claim 4The invention described in the item (1) further comprises a data saving unit that saves the usage statement generated from the reading log to an external device when the device itself breaks down, and the electronic payment unit acquires the usage statement from the external device when the device itself is a new device that has replaced the broken device. The acquired statement of use is sent to the settlement center. and executes the settlement process by 3 2. The payment acceptance device according to claim 1 . Claim 5 The invention described in the item (1) is a reading device used as part of or connected to a payment acceptance device that transmits electronic payment information to a payment center, and is configured to read electronic payment information from at least a card-type recording medium or a communication terminal. Electronic money a reading unit for reading information; Electronic money transactions Information include A storage unit for storing usage statements; in breakdown The occurrence of the payment is received from the payment acceptance device. When the Just before the failure a transmitting unit that transmits the statement of use to the payment acceptance device. Claim 6 The invention described in the above is based on at least a card-type recording medium or a communication terminal. Electronic money A payment processing method executed in a payment acceptance device connected to a reading device that reads information, Electronic money A process of acquiring information from the reading device, and Electronic money information of transactions using A process of generating electronic payment information, a process of transmitting the generated electronic payment information to a payment center, a process of receiving a notification of a malfunction in the reading device, and when the occurrence of the malfunction is received, Just before the failure The aforementioned Electronic money transactions information of A usage statement including the above-mentioned information is obtained from the reading device. and transmits the acquired statement of use to the settlement center. and executing a settlement process by using the payment information. Claim 7 The invention described in the above is based on at least a card-type recording medium or a communication terminal. Electronic money It includes a reading unit that reads information, or at least a card-type recording medium or a communication terminal. Electronic money A payment processing method executed in a payment acceptance device connected to a reading device that reads information, Electronic money information of transactions using generating and transmitting electronic payment information to a payment center; Read at the time of transaction The aforementioned Electronic money information of a process of storing a read log including the read log in a storage unit, a process of accepting occurrence of a failure in the device itself, and a process of storing the read log from the storage unit when the device itself fails. Just before the failure Obtain the reading log Generate a statement of charges and transmit the generated statement of charges to the settlement center. and executing a settlement process. Claim 8 In the invention described in the above, when the payment acceptance device breaks down, the payment acceptance device saves the usage statement generated from the reading log to an external device, and when the payment acceptance device is a new device that has replaced the broken device, the payment acceptance device acquires the usage statement from the external device. The acquired statement of use is sent to the settlement center. and executing the settlement process by 7 This is a payment processing method described in Claim 9 The invention described in the above is based on at least a card-type recording medium or a communication terminal. Electronic money A computer that operates on a payment acceptance device that is connected to a reading device that reads information, Electronic money a function of acquiring information from the reading device; Electronic money information of transactions using a function for generating electronic payment information, a function for transmitting the generated electronic payment information to a payment center, a function for receiving notification of a malfunction in the reading device, and when the malfunction is received, Just before the failure The aforementioned Electronic money transactions information of A usage statement including the above-mentioned information is obtained from the reading device. The acquired statement of use is sent to the settlement center. It is a program that realizes the function of executing the settlement process. Claim 10 The invention described in the above is based on at least a card-type recording medium or a communication terminal. Electronic money It includes a reading unit that reads information, or at least a card-type recording medium or a communication terminal. Electronic money A computer operating on a payment acceptance device connected to a reading device that reads information Electronic money information of transactions usinggenerating and transmitting electronic payment information to a payment center; Read at the time of transaction The aforementioned Electronic money information of a function of storing a read log including the read log in a storage unit, a function of accepting occurrence of a failure in the device itself, and a function of storing the read log from the storage unit when the device itself fails. Just before the failure Obtain the reading log Generate a statement of charges and transmit the generated statement of charges to the settlement center. It is a function to execute the settlement process and a program to realize this. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the occurrence of miscalculation problems when a reading device or a payment acceptance device used for electronic payment breaks down. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a conceptual configuration of an electronic money payment system used in the first embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a POS terminal used in embodiment 1. (A) shows the hardware configuration and functional configuration of the POS terminal, and (B) shows the sub-functions of the electronic payment unit. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a payment terminal used in the first embodiment. [Figure 4] 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of processing operations when a failure occurs in a payment terminal in the electronic money payment system shown in the first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating another example of the processing operation when a failure occurs in the payment terminal in the electronic money payment system shown in the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating another example of the processing operation when a failure occurs in the payment terminal in the electronic money payment system shown in the first embodiment. [Figure 7] 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a POS terminal used in embodiment 2. (A) shows the hardware configuration and functional configuration of the POS terminal, and (B) shows the sub-functions of the electronic payment unit. [Figure 8]FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of a payment terminal used in the second embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of processing operations when a failure occurs in a POS terminal in the electronic money payment system shown in the second embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating another example of the processing operation when a failure occurs in a POS terminal in the electronic money payment system shown in the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In each embodiment, a payment system using electronic money will be described. There are various types of electronic money, including credit cards issued by card companies, electronic money issued by transportation companies, electronic money issued by distribution companies, prepaid electronic money, postpaid electronic money, and electronic money that uses a QR code or barcode for payment.

[0010] The electronic money information is read from a card-type recording medium or a communication terminal, and includes a management number used to identify the transaction. An example of a card-type recording medium is an IC card, and an example of a communication terminal is a smartphone used for electronic money services. The electronic money information read from the communication terminal includes not only information read in the form of wireless communication but also QR codes and barcodes displayed on the display of the communication terminal.

[0011] <First Embodiment> <System configuration> FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a conceptual configuration of an electronic money payment system 1 used in the first embodiment. The electronic money payment system 1 shown in Figure 1 includes a POS terminal 10 installed at an affiliated store, a payment terminal 20 connected to the POS terminal 10, a relay center 30 that relays payment information between the affiliated store and the payment service provider, and a payment center 40 operated by the payment service provider.

[0012] The POS terminal 10, the relay center 30, and the settlement center 40 are connected to one another via a settlement network 50. Although FIG. 1 shows only one merchant system, in reality, multiple merchant systems are connected to the payment network 50. In addition, in FIG. 1, one POS terminal 10 is provided in one affiliated store, but there are cases where a plurality of POS terminals 10 are provided.

[0013] In the case of Fig. 1, there are multiple payment service providers. Therefore, multiple payment centers 40 are shown. However, there may be only one payment center 40. The payment service provider is an issuer of electronic money, etc. The relay center 30 is an information processing center that relays communication between the POS terminal 10 installed at the affiliated store and the settlement center 40. Incidentally, it is also possible for the electronic money payment system 1 to not use the relay center 30. In this case, the POS terminal 10 is directly connected to the payment center 40 corresponding to the electronic money used for payment.

[0014] The POS terminal 10 is a terminal used to register products and services that are the subject of payment. If payment for products can also be made with banknotes or coins (i.e., "money"), the POS terminal 10 is also connected to a change dispenser (not shown). The POS terminal 10 transmits electronic payment information to the relay center 30 each time an electronic payment is made or at the timing of the closing process. In this embodiment, electronic payment information is generated for each type of electronic money. The electronic payment information includes, for example, transaction information, such as the transaction date and time, a number identifying the transaction, the transaction amount, the merchant code, and the details of the goods or services involved in the transaction. The POS terminal 10 is an example of a payment acceptance device in the claims.

[0015] The payment terminal 20 is a device that reads the information of electronic money from a card-type medium, a smartphone, etc. and transmits it to the POS terminal 10. The payment terminal 20 used in this embodiment supports multiple types of electronic money. Therefore, it is possible to make payments with multiple types of electronic money using one payment terminal 20. The payment terminal 20 is an example of a reading device in the claims. Note that the electronic money payment system 1 described in this embodiment assumes transportation electronic money and some prepaid-type electronic money. The usage specifications 22A (see FIG. 3) of these electronic monies are stored in the payment terminal 20. Although it is possible to store the usage specifications 22A in both the payment terminal 20 and the POS terminal 10, it is not stored only in the POS terminal 10.

[0016] <Configuration of Each Device> <Configuration of POS Terminal 10> FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a configuration example of the POS terminal 10 used in Embodiment 1. (A) shows the hardware configuration and functional configuration of the POS terminal 10, and (B) shows the sub-functions of the electronic payment unit 112C. The POS terminal 10 shown in FIG. 2 includes a control unit 11 that controls the operation of the entire terminal, a storage unit 12 used for storing data, etc., an operation display unit 13 used for receiving operations and presenting information, a receipt output unit 14 that outputs a receipt which is the details of the payment, and a communication unit 15 used for communication with the payment terminal 20 and the relay center 30.

[0017] The control unit 11 is composed of a CPU (= Central Processing Unit), a ROM (= Read Only Memory), and a RAM (= Random Access Memory). That is, the control unit 11 constitutes a computer. The ROM stores the BIOS (Basic Input Output System) and various settings. The CPU uses the RAM as a working area to execute programs. In this embodiment, the control unit 11 functions as a POS application unit 111 that executes, for example, payment-related processing through program execution, and an OCX (=OLE Control Extension) unit 112 that realizes collaboration with the payment terminal 20 (see Figure 1).

[0018] The POS application unit 111 transmits electronic payment information to the relay center 30 via the communication unit 15 when the POS terminal 10 is operating normally (hereinafter also referred to as "normal operation"). Electronic payment information corresponding to transportation electronic money and some prepaid electronic money is transmitted to the relay center 30 at the time of settlement, not at the time of each transaction. Settlement (hereinafter also referred to as "closing processing") is carried out, for example, when closing sales for one or more business days (for example, at closing time).

[0019] The OCX unit 112 is provided for each payment terminal 20 connected to the POS terminal 10. In this embodiment, the OCX unit 112 includes a fault reception unit 112A that receives a fault in the payment terminal 20, a fault notification unit 112B that notifies the POS application unit 111 of a fault in the payment terminal 20, and an electronic payment unit 112C that processes payments using electronic money.

[0020] The fault reception unit 112A is a functional unit that automatically detects a fault in the payment terminal 20 through communication with the payment terminal 20, or detects a fault input from the operator who operates the POS terminal 10. To input a fault, the operation display unit 13, as well as a dedicated button, dedicated switch, etc. are used. Malfunctions of the payment terminal 20 include, for example, failure to read electronic money from a card-type recording medium or a communication terminal, structural damage due to a fall or impact, and communication problems with the POS terminal 10.

[0021] The fault notification unit 112B is a functional unit that notifies the POS application unit 111 of the occurrence of a fault in the fault reception unit 112A. The electronic settlement unit 112C is a functional unit that executes electronic settlement with the settlement center 40. Data constituting the electronic settlement information is determined for each type of electronic money to be transmitted. The electronic payment unit 112C has multiple sub-functions. In this embodiment, the sub-functions are a transaction details acquisition unit 112C1, a transaction details generation unit 112C2, a closing processing unit 112C3, and a list file generation unit 112C4.

[0022] The statement of use acquisition unit 112C1 is a sub-function that acquires the statement of use 22A (see FIG. 3) stored in the payment terminal 20 when communication with the payment terminal 20 is possible. The statement of use 22A is a history of electronic money read by the payment terminal 20, and its contents are updated each time a transaction using electronic money is made. The statement of use 22A includes, for example, the type of electronic money, the identification code of the POS terminal, the identification code of the payment terminal 20, and transaction information. Since the payment terminal 20 in this embodiment supports a plurality of types of electronic money, the statement 22A includes information on a plurality of types of electronic money.

[0023] The usage statement generation unit 112C2 is a sub-function that generates a usage statement 22A from the reading log 12A stored in the memory unit 12 when the usage statement 22A cannot be obtained from the payment terminal 20. The reading log 12A is a record of information that the POS terminal 10 reads from an external device. Therefore, the reading log 12A also includes information that is read from the payment terminal 20 for each transaction. Note that the information read from the payment terminal 20 includes information that constitutes the usage statement 22A. The closing processing unit 112C3 is a sub-function that transmits the statement of use 22A acquired from the payment terminal 20 or the like, or the statement of use 22A generated from the reading log 12A, to the relay center 30 (see FIG. 1).

[0024] The list file generation unit 112C4 has a function of generating a list file from all or part of the usage statement 22A stored in the storage unit 12 when an instruction to write to an external storage medium is given by the operator of the POS terminal 10. The instruction to write to an external storage medium is given to the list file generation unit 112C4 from the POS application unit 111 as a request to acquire the usage statement 22A. Examples of external storage media include USB memory, other semiconductor memory, HDD (Hard Disk Drive), and SSD (Solid State Drive). The list file generating unit 112C4 is an optional function that is used when the usage statement 22A is stored in the storage unit 12 as a backup.

[0025] The storage unit 12 is configured by a semiconductor memory or a hard disk drive. Every time a transaction using electronic money is performed, information about the electronic money used in the transaction is stored in the storage unit 12 as a reading log 12A. The operation display unit 13 is configured, for example, by a touch panel. The touch panel is configured by a display that displays the operation screen and a highly transparent film sensor. For example, a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (=Electro Luminescence) display is used as the display. For the film sensor, a capacitance type or a resistive film type sensor is used. The receipt output unit 14 is used to output a receipt detailing the payment. The communication unit 15 is a communication module used for communication with external devices, such as the payment terminal 20 and the relay center 30. The communication unit 15 is an example of a connection unit in the claims.

[0026] <Configuration of payment terminal 20> FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of payment terminal 20 used in the first embodiment. The payment terminal 20 shown in Figure 3 comprises a control unit 21 that controls the operation of the terminal, a memory unit 22 used to store data etc., an operation display unit 23 used to accept operations and present information, an information reading unit 24 that reads electronic money information from a card-type recording medium or a communication terminal, a PIN acceptance unit 25 used to input an authentication code when the card-type recording medium is a credit card, and a communication unit 26 used to communicate with external devices.

[0027] The control unit 21 is composed of a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM. The ROM stores the BIOS, various settings, etc. The CPU uses the RAM as a work area and executes programs read from the ROM and the storage unit 22. The control unit 21 functions as, for example, an information transmission unit 211 through the execution of a program. The information transmitting unit 211 is a functional unit that transmits information read from the electronic money and the usage statement 22A to the POS terminal 10. The information transmitting unit 211 is an example of a transmitting unit in the claims.

[0028] The memory unit 22 is configured by, for example, a semiconductor memory. In this embodiment, information read from transportation electronic money and some prepaid electronic money is stored in the memory unit 22 as a usage statement 22A. The memory unit 22 is an example of a storage unit in the claims. The operation display unit 23 is configured by, for example, a touch panel. The information reading unit 24 is a device that reads electronic money information from a card-type recording medium or a communication terminal, and uses short-range wireless communication technology with a communication distance of, for example, about 10 cm to read the information. When reading a QR code or a barcode from a communication terminal, for example, an image captured by a camera or scanner (not shown) is input to the information reading unit 24. The information reading unit 24 is an example of a reading unit in the claims.

[0029] PIN acceptance unit 25 is a device used to accept a PIN (=Personal Identification Number) code. A PIN code is required when using a credit card. However, in the case of this embodiment, the use of a credit card is not assumed. The communication unit 26 is a communication module used for communication with external devices. Examples of external devices include the POS terminal 10 (see FIG. 1) and the relay center 30 (see FIG. 1). However, cameras and scanners used to capture QR codes and barcodes are also included in the external devices. The communication unit 26 is an example of a transmission unit in the claims.

[0030] <Processing operations when a terminal failure occurs> <Processing operation 1> 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of the processing operation when a failure occurs in payment terminal 20 in electronic money payment system 1 shown in embodiment 1. Note that the symbol S in the diagram denotes a step. As described above, in this embodiment, payment terminal 20 stores usage statements 22A (see FIG. 3) relating to transportation electronic money and some prepaid electronic money.

[0031] When payment terminal 20 breaks down, OCX unit 112 of POS terminal 10 accepts the failure of payment terminal 20 (Step 1). The processing of Step 1 may start when OCX unit 112 automatically detects the failure, or when an operator who notices the failure of payment terminal 20 issues an operation to OCX unit 112. Upon receiving the notification of the failure of payment terminal 20, OCX unit 112 notifies POS application unit 111 of the failure of payment terminal 20 (step 2).

[0032] The POS application unit 111 that has received the notification requests the OCX unit 112 to execute settlement (step 3). The request to execute settlement is executed, for example, when an operator issues an instruction through an operation on the operation display unit 13 (see FIG. 2) or when it is set as an automatic process in the event of a malfunction. Upon receiving the execution of the settlement, the OCX unit 112 requests the payment terminal 20 for the usage statement 22A (see FIG. 3) (step 4).

[0033] In the case of Figure 4, OCX 112 and payment terminal 20 are able to communicate with each other, and are also able to read out usage statement 22A stored in payment terminal 20. Therefore, payment terminal 20 reads out usage statement 22A from memory unit 22 (see Figure 3) and responds to OCX unit 112 (step 5). Usage statement 22A contains information on electronic money transactions up until just before the failure. When the usage statement 22A is acquired, the OCX unit 112 transmits the acquired usage statement 22A to the relay center 30. That is, the OCX unit 112 executes a closing process (step 6).

[0034] After the closing process, the replacement work of the payment terminal 20 is started, and when the new payment terminal 20 is connected to the existing POS terminal 10, processing to start operation using the replaced payment terminal 20 is executed between the existing POS terminal 10 and the new payment terminal 20. Once the process is complete, normal operation resumes. In this processing operation example, when the payment terminal 20 storing the usage statement 22A breaks down, prior to its replacement, the usage statement 22A up to the time of the breakdown is sent to the payment center 40 (see Figure 1) via the relay center 30, thereby reducing the number of problems that prevent affiliated stores from settling their accounts (i.e., miscalculation problems).

[0035] <Processing operation 2> Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating another example of the processing operation when a failure occurs in payment terminal 20 in electronic money payment system 1 shown in embodiment 1. In Figure 5, parts corresponding to those in Figure 4 are assigned the same reference numerals. In the case of processing operation 1, it was possible to obtain a usage statement from a broken payment terminal 20, but if, for example, a part of the communication system with the POS terminal 10 breaks down, the POS terminal 10 may not be able to obtain the usage statement 22A (see FIG. 3) from the payment terminal 20. The processing operation shown in FIG. 5 assumes such a case.

[0036] 5, there is no response from the payment terminal 20 in response to a request for the statement of use 22A from the OCX unit 112 to the payment terminal 20. In other words, acquisition of the statement of use 22A fails. 5 generates a usage statement 22A from the reading log 12A (see FIG. 2) stored in the memory unit 12 (see FIG. 2) of the terminal (step 5A). The reading log 12A is log data, and therefore includes information that constitutes the usage statement 22A. Therefore, the OCX unit 112 can generate the usage statement 22A from the reading log.

[0037] The processing operations from step 5A onwards are the same as processing operation 1 shown in FIG. 4, and therefore the explanation will be omitted. In this processing operation example, when the payment terminal 20 that stores the usage statement breaks down, the usage statement up to the time immediately prior to the breakdown is sent to the payment center 40 (see Figure 1) via the relay center 30 prior to its replacement, thereby reducing the number of problems that prevent affiliated stores from settling their accounts (i.e., miscalculation problems).

[0038] <Processing operation 3> Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating another example of the processing operation when a failure occurs in payment terminal 20 in electronic money payment system 1 shown in embodiment 1. In Figure 6, parts corresponding to those in Figure 4 are assigned the same reference numerals. This processing operation can be executed when the usage statement 22A (see FIG. 3) is backed up in the memory unit 12 (see FIG. 2) of the POS terminal 10. The usage statement 22A stored in the memory unit 12 may be data copied from the payment terminal 20 or data generated from the reading log 12A.

[0039] In this processing operation, when the POS application unit 111 receives a notification of a malfunction of the payment terminal 20 from the OCX unit 112, it requests the OCX unit 112 to acquire the usage statement 22A stored in the terminal (Step 3A). The request to acquire the usage statement 22A is executed, for example, when an operator issues an instruction through an operation, or when it is set as an automatic process in response to a malfunction notification. The OCX unit 112, which has received the request to acquire the usage statement 22A stored in its own terminal, requests the usage statement 22A from the POS application unit 111 (step 4A). The POS application unit 111, which has accepted the request, reads out the usage statement 22A from the memory unit 12 and responds to the OCX unit 112 (step 5B). The usage statement 22A stored in the memory unit 12 includes information on transactions made up until the time of the failure.

[0040] The OCX unit 112, which has acquired the statement of use 22A from its own terminal, generates a list file from the acquired statement of use 22A and outputs it to an external storage medium (step 6A). The list file is composed of a data file in which the statement of use 22A is organized by type of electronic money, for example. In this processing operation, after the list file is output to the external storage medium, the replacement work of the settlement terminal 20 is started. Then, when the new payment terminal 20 is connected to the existing POS terminal 10 (see Figure 1), processing to start operation using the replaced payment terminal 20 is executed between the existing POS terminal 10 and the new payment terminal 20. Once the process is complete, normal operation resumes.

[0041] In this processing operation example, even if it is not possible to obtain a usage statement 22A from a broken payment terminal 20, a list file generated from the usage statement 22A stored in the terminal up to the time immediately before the failure is output to an external storage medium prior to replacing the payment terminal 20, so that the information necessary for settlement is not lost. Furthermore, the member store can settle the account by sending the external storage medium on which the list file is written to the electronic money settlement company, thereby reducing the occurrence of miscalculation problems.

[0042] <Processing operation 4> Incidentally, it is also possible that the payment terminal 20 is normal, but the POS terminal 10 breaks down. In this case, the POS terminal 10 is subject to replacement, and the existing payment terminal 20 is attached to the new POS terminal 10. However, the usage statement 22A is stored in the existing payment terminal 20. Therefore, even after replacing it with the new POS terminal 10, it is possible to settle accounts using the usage statement 22A stored in the existing payment terminal 20.

[0043] <Embodiment 2> In this embodiment, unlike Embodiment 1, the case where the usage statement 12B (see FIG. 7) stored in the POS terminal 10 (see FIG. 1) handles electronic money will be described. Specifically, credit card-based electronic money, distribution-based electronic money, some prepaid-type electronic money, postpaid-type electronic money, and debit-type electronic money are assumed. Note that the configuration of the electronic money settlement system 1 (see FIG. 1) assumed in this embodiment is the same as that in Embodiment 1. Hereinafter, the configurations of the POS terminal 10 and the payment terminal 20 used in this embodiment will be described.

[0044] <Configuration of Each Device> <Configuration of POS Terminal 10> FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining a configuration example of the POS terminal 10 used in Embodiment 2. (A) shows the hardware configuration and functional configuration of the POS terminal 10, and (B) shows the sub-functions of the electronic settlement unit. In FIG. 7, reference numerals corresponding to the corresponding parts in FIG. 2 are attached. The hardware configuration of the POS terminal 10 used in this embodiment is the same as that in Embodiment 1. That is, the POS terminal 10 includes a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, an operation display unit 13, a receipt output unit 14, and a communication unit 15.

[0045] The differences are the sub-functions of the POS app unit 111 and the sub-functions of the OCX unit 112. The POS app unit 111 shown in FIG. 7 is provided with a failure reception unit 111A that notifies the OCX unit 112 of the occurrence of a failure in its own terminal, and a transfer request unit 111B that requests the transfer or evacuation of the usage statement stored in its own terminal to the relay center 30 (see FIG. 1). The failure reception unit 111A is a functional unit that automatically detects a failure in its own terminal (that is, the POS terminal 10) or detects an input of a failure from an operator who operates the own terminal. To input a fault, the operation display unit 13, as well as dedicated buttons and switches (not shown) are used.

[0046] Failures of the terminal itself (that is, the POS terminal 10) include, for example, failures of the operation display unit 13 or receipt output unit 14, failures related to communication with the settlement terminal 20 or other external devices, and data corruption. However, the functions described in this embodiment are based on the assumption that the POS application unit 111 and the OCX unit 112 operate normally and communication with the relay center 30 is possible even when the POS terminal 10 breaks down. For this reason, in this embodiment, a failure of the POS terminal 10 is assumed to be, for example, a failure of the receipt output unit 14 or a failure related to communication with the payment terminal 20.

[0047] The transfer request unit 111B is a functional unit that requests the OCX unit 112 to transfer or save the usage statement 12B stored in the terminal to the relay center 30 (see FIG. 1) when a failure occurs in the terminal. In addition, when the transfer request unit 111B is a successor terminal that replaces a broken POS terminal 10, the transfer request unit 111B also has a function of requesting the OCX unit 112 to acquire the usage statement 12B that has been transferred or saved to the relay center 30, and a function of writing the usage statement 12B acquired through the OCX unit 112 to the memory unit 12. The transfer request unit 111B here is an example of a data saving unit in the claims.

[0048] The OCX unit 112 is provided for each payment terminal 20 connected to the POS terminal 10. The OCX unit 112 shown in FIG. 7 is provided with an electronic payment unit 112C that executes various processes related to payment processing related to electronic money. The electronic payment unit 112C is a functional unit that transmits electronic payment information to the relay center 30. The data constituting the electronic payment information is determined for each type of electronic money to be transmitted. The electronic payment unit 112C has a number of sub-functions, which in this embodiment include a transaction details acquisition unit 112C1, a closing processing unit 112C3, and a transaction details transfer unit 112C5.

[0049] The usage statement acquisition unit 112C1 is a sub-function that acquires the usage statement 12B stored in the storage unit 12 of the terminal through communication with the POS application unit 111. Since the payment terminal 20 in this embodiment also supports a plurality of types of electronic money, the statement 12B includes information on a plurality of types of electronic money. The closing processing unit 112C3 is a sub-function that transmits the usage statement 12B acquired from the storage unit 12 of the terminal to the relay center 30 (see FIG. 1). The usage details transfer unit 112C5 is a functional unit that temporarily transfers or saves the usage details stored in the terminal to the relay center 30 in order to replace the broken POS terminal 10.

[0050] <Configuration of payment terminal 20> Fig. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of payment terminal 20 used in embodiment 2. In Fig. 8, parts corresponding to those in Fig. 3 are assigned the same reference numerals. The hardware configuration of payment terminal 20 used in this embodiment is the same as that in embodiment 1. That is, payment terminal 20 includes control unit 21, storage unit 22, operation display unit 23, information reading unit 24, PIN acceptance unit 25, and communication unit 26. The difference is that the usage statement 22A (see FIG. 3) is not stored in the memory unit 22. This is because the electronic money usage statement 12B (see FIG. 7) assumed in this embodiment is stored in the memory unit 12 (see FIG. 7) of the POS terminal 10.

[0051] <Processing operations when a terminal failure occurs> <Processing operation 1> FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of the processing operation when a failure occurs in the POS terminal 10 in the electronic money payment system 1 shown in the second embodiment. The POS terminal 10 in this embodiment stores usage statements 12B relating to credit card electronic money, circulation electronic money, some prepaid electronic money, postpay electronic money, and debit electronic money.

[0052] In this embodiment, the POS application unit 111 receives a failure of its own terminal (i.e., the POS terminal 10) (step 11). The processing of step 11 may start when the POS application unit 111 automatically detects a failure of its own terminal, or when the POS application unit 111 receives an operation by an operator who notices a failure of the own terminal. When the POS application unit 111 receives a report of the failure of its own terminal, it requests the OCX unit 112 to acquire the usage statement 12B (see FIG. 7) stored in its own terminal (step 12). Upon receiving the request, the OCX unit 112 requests the usage statement 12B stored in the storage unit 12 (see FIG. 7) from the POS application unit 111 (step 13).

[0053] Upon receiving the request, the POS application unit 111 reads the statement of use 12B from the storage unit 12 and responds to the OCX unit 112 (step 14). The statement of use 12B includes information on electronic money transactions that occurred immediately before the failure. The read statement of use 12B is stored, for example, in the storage unit 22 (see FIG. 8) of the payment terminal 20. Next, the POS application unit 111 requests the OCX unit 112 to execute settlement (step 15). The request to execute settlement is executed, for example, when an operator instructs it through an operation, or when it is set as a process to be performed in the event of a malfunction. Next, the OCX unit 112 transmits the statement of use 12B stored in the settlement terminal 20 to the relay center 30. That is, the OCX unit 112 executes the closing process (step 16).

[0054] After the closing process, the replacement work of the POS terminal 10 is started, and when the new POS terminal 10 is connected to the payment terminal 20, processing to start operation using the replaced POS terminal 10 is executed between the new POS terminal 10 and the existing payment terminal 20. Once the process is complete, normal operation resumes. In this processing operation example, when the POS terminal 10 storing the usage statement 12B breaks down, prior to its replacement, the usage statement 12B up to the time immediately prior to the breakdown is sent to the settlement center 40 (see Figure 1) via the relay center 30, thereby reducing the number of problems that prevent affiliated stores from settling their accounts (i.e., miscalculation problems).

[0055] <Processing operation 2> Fig. 10 is a diagram illustrating another example of the processing operation when a failure occurs in the POS terminal 10 in the electronic money payment system 1 shown in embodiment 2. In Fig. 10, parts corresponding to those in Fig. 9 are assigned the same reference numerals. In processing operation 1, settlement (i.e., closing processing) is performed before replacing the faulty POS terminal 10, whereas in the processing operation shown in Figure 10, settlement (i.e., closing processing) is performed after replacing the faulty POS terminal 10 with a new POS terminal 10.

[0056] 10 receives the usage statement 12B (see FIG. 7) as a response from the POS application unit 111, and then transfers the usage statement 12B to the relay center 30 (step 17). The relay center 30 here is an example of an external device within the scope of the claims. Unlike when settling a bill, the relay center 30 to which the statement of use 12B has been transferred stores the received statement of use 12B without forwarding it to the settlement center 40 (see FIG. 1). Hereinafter, the statement of use 12B stored by the relay center 30 will be referred to as the "transferred statement." The statement of use 12B may also be saved to the settlement terminal 20.

[0057] After the usage statement 12B has been saved, the replacement work for the POS terminal 10 is started, and when the new POS terminal 10 is connected to the existing payment terminal 20, processing to start operation using the replaced POS terminal 10 is executed between the new POS terminal 10 and the existing payment terminal 20. When the POS application unit 111 detects the completion of the process for starting operation, it requests the OCX unit 112 to obtain a transfer statement (step 18). The detection of the completion of the process for starting operation also includes the detection that the own device is a new device that has replaced the broken device. The fact that the own device is a new device that has replaced the broken device is input by, for example, a worker engaged in the replacement work when the process for starting operation is being executed. Upon receiving the request, the OCX unit 112 requests a transfer statement from the relay center 30, which is the destination of the transfer (step 19).

[0058] When the relay center 30 receives the request for the transfer details, it transmits (i.e., responds to) the transfer details that it is storing to the OCX unit 112 (step 20). The OCX unit 112, which has received the transfer statement from the relay center 30, notifies the POS application unit 111 of the transfer statement (step 21). Upon receiving the transfer statement, the POS application unit 111 writes the received transfer statement into the memory unit 12 (see FIG. 7) as the usage statement 12B, and executes the closing process using the written usage statement 12B (step 22). Once the closing process is complete, normal operations will resume.

[0059] In this processing operation example, when the POS terminal 10 storing the usage statement 12B breaks down, the usage statement 12B up to the time immediately before the breakdown is transferred to the relay center 30 prior to its replacement, so that the usage statement 12B that has not yet been settled is not lost when the broken POS terminal 10 is replaced. In addition, in this processing operation example, after replacing the POS terminal 10, the transfer statement is written as the usage statement 12B to the new POS terminal 10, and the closing process is completed before restarting operation. This reduces the number of problems that prevent member stores from settling their accounts (i.e., miscalculation problems).

[0060] <Processing operation 3> Incidentally, it is also possible that the POS terminal 10 is normal, but the payment terminal 20 breaks down. In this case, the payment terminal 20 is subject to replacement, and a new payment terminal 20 is attached to the existing POS terminal 10. However, the usage statement 12B remains stored in the existing POS terminal 10. Therefore, even after the payment terminal 20 is replaced, it is possible to settle transactions using electronic money without any problems.

[0061] <Other embodiments> Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope of the above-described embodiments. It is clear from the claims that various modifications and improvements to the above-described embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

[0062] In the above-described embodiments, in order to explain the differences in processing operations due to differences in the storage location of electronic money usage statements, the types of electronic money handled by the electronic money payment system 1 are limited in the cases of embodiment 1 and embodiment 2. However, both electronic money whose usage statement is stored in the POS terminal 10 and electronic money whose usage statement is stored in the payment terminal 20 may be handled. Even in this case, by executing the processing operation of either the first or second embodiment, it is possible to reduce miscalculation problems even if any of the terminals breaks down.

[0063] In the above-described embodiment, it is assumed that the payment terminal 20 is connected to the POS terminal 10 operated by a staff member at the affiliated store, as shown in Fig. 1, but the payment terminal 20 that reads electronic money information from a card-type recording medium or a communication terminal and the electronic payment unit 112C that transmits electronic payment information to the payment center 40 (including via the relay center 30) may be integrated into a device configuration such as that found in vending machines, automatic ticket vending machines, medical fee payment machines, self-checkout registers, and terminal lockers. A device that integrates the two functions is an example of a payment acceptance device, and the information reading unit 24 (see Fig. 3, etc.) used as part of this device is an example of a reading unit in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0064] 1...electronic money payment system, 10...POS terminal, 12A...reading log, 12B, 22A...usage statement, 20...payment terminal, 30...relay center, 40...payment center, 50...payment network, 111...POS application unit, 111A, 112A...fault reception unit, 111B...transfer request unit, 112...OCX unit, 112B...fault notification unit, 112C...electronic payment unit, 112C1...usage statement acquisition unit, 112C2...usage statement generation unit, 112C3...closing processing unit, 112C4...list file generation unit, 112C5...usage statement transfer unit

Claims

1. a connection unit connected to a reading device that reads electronic money information from at least a card-type recording medium or a communication terminal; an electronic payment unit that generates electronic payment information for a transaction using the electronic money information for payment and transmits the information to a payment center; a failure reception unit that receives notification of a failure occurring in the reading device; and When the reading device breaks down, the electronic payment unit acquires from the reading device a statement of use including information on transactions using the electronic money up until the time of the breakdown, and transmits the acquired statement of use to the payment center to execute a settlement process. Payment acceptance device.

2. a storage unit for storing a reading log relating to a specific electronic payment type; the electronic payment unit acquires the reading log from the storage unit, generates a statement of use, and transmits the generated statement of use to the payment center to execute a settlement process for the specific electronic payment type; The payment acceptance device according to claim 1 .

3. a reading unit that reads electronic money information from at least a card-type recording medium or a communication terminal, or a connection unit that is connected to a reading device that reads electronic money information from at least a card-type recording medium or a communication terminal; an electronic payment unit that generates electronic payment information for a transaction using the electronic money information for payment and transmits the information to a payment center; a storage unit that stores a read log including information on the electronic money read for each transaction; a failure reception unit that receives the occurrence of a failure in the device itself; and When the electronic payment unit breaks down, the electronic payment unit retrieves the reading log from the storage unit, generates a statement of usage up to the time immediately before the breakdown, and transmits the generated statement of usage to the payment center to execute settlement processing. Payment acceptance device.

4. a data saving unit that saves the usage statement generated from the reading log to an external device when the device itself breaks down; and When the electronic payment unit is a new device that replaces a broken device, the electronic payment unit acquires the usage statement from the external device, transmits the acquired usage statement to the payment center, and executes the settlement process. The payment acceptance device according to claim 3.

5. A reader used as part of or in connection with a payment acceptance device that transmits electronic payment information to a payment center, a reading unit that reads electronic money information from at least a card-type recording medium or a communication terminal; a storage unit for storing a statement of transactions including information on the electronic money transactions; a transmitting unit that, when receiving notification of a failure in the device from the payment acceptance device, transmits the usage statement up to the time immediately before the failure, which is stored in the storage unit, to the payment acceptance device; A reading device having the above.

6. A payment processing method executed in a payment acceptance device connected to a reading device that reads electronic money information from at least a card-type recording medium or a communication terminal, A process of acquiring information on the electronic money from the reader; A process of generating electronic payment information for a transaction using the acquired electronic money information for payment; a process of transmitting the generated electronic payment information to a payment center; A process of receiving the occurrence of a failure in the reading device; When the occurrence of the failure is received, a process of obtaining a statement of use from the reading device, which includes information on transactions using the electronic money up until the time of the failure, and transmitting the obtained statement of use to the settlement center to execute a settlement process; A payment processing method comprising:

7. A payment processing method executed in a payment acceptance device that includes a reading unit that reads electronic money information from at least a card-type recording medium or a communication terminal, or that is connected to a reading unit that reads electronic money information from at least a card-type recording medium or a communication terminal, generating electronic payment information for a transaction using the electronic money information for payment and transmitting the information to a payment center; a process of storing a read log including information on the electronic money read for each transaction in a storage unit; A process of accepting the occurrence of a failure in the device itself; When the device itself breaks down, a process of acquiring the reading log from the storage unit up to the time immediately before the breakdown, generating a usage statement, and transmitting the generated usage statement to the settlement center to execute a settlement process; A payment processing method comprising:

8. The payment acceptance device When the device itself breaks down, a process of saving the usage statement generated from the reading log to an external device; If the device itself is a new device that has replaced a broken device, a process of acquiring the usage statement from the external device, transmitting the acquired usage statement to the settlement center, and executing the settlement process; The payment processing method of claim 7 further comprising:

9. A computer operating on a payment acceptance device connected to a reader that reads electronic money information from at least a card-type recording medium or a communication terminal, a function of acquiring information about the electronic money from the reader; a function of generating electronic payment information for a transaction using the acquired electronic money information for payment; a function of transmitting the generated electronic payment information to a payment center; a function of receiving the occurrence of a failure in the reading device; a function of, when receiving notification of the occurrence of the failure, acquiring from the reading device a statement of use including information on transactions using the electronic money up until the time of the failure, transmitting the acquired statement of use to the settlement center, and executing settlement processing; A program to achieve this.

10. A computer that operates on a payment acceptance device that includes a reading unit that reads electronic money information from at least a card-type recording medium or a communication terminal, or that is connected to a reading unit that reads electronic money information from at least a card-type recording medium or a communication terminal, a function of generating electronic payment information for a transaction using the electronic money information for payment and transmitting the information to a payment center; a function of storing a read log including information on the electronic money read for each transaction in a storage unit; a function of receiving a notification that a failure has occurred in the device itself; a function of, when the device itself breaks down, acquiring the reading log from the storage unit up to the time immediately before the breakdown, generating a statement of use, and transmitting the generated statement of use to the settlement center to execute settlement processing; A program to achieve this.

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