JPH0740317B2 - Electronic payment processing terminal device - Google Patents

Description

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an electronic payment processing terminal device, and more particularly to an electronic payment processing terminal device that performs electronic payment processing by exchanging data with a host computer via a line. The present invention relates to a payment processing terminal device.

2. Description of the Related Art Recently, credit card member stores are equipped with electronic payment processing terminal devices called CAT (credit authorization terminal) for automating credit card authentication and sales processing. .

The above-mentioned CAT is a keyboard for inputting amount data, a display for displaying the input data,
Equipped with a card reader for reading card data from a credit card, a printer for issuing transaction slips, and a report for totaling transaction amounts by credit company, and connecting to a host computer via a communication line It is supposed to be done. Then, based on the amount data input from the keyboard and the card data read by the card reader, a credit card authentication request message, sales processing request message, etc. are created and transmitted to the host computer. Receives the sales process result message.

By the way, in a conventional electronic payment processing terminal device such as CAT, dialing is performed to call the host computer in order to exchange data with the host computer, but the receiving line on the host computer side is not connected to other electronic devices. It is used for exchanging data with the payment processing device, and when it is not idle, it is necessary to wait until the line is idle. As described above, when the receiving line is used and it takes a long time for the host computer to answer the call, it means that the number of lines is not appropriate and the load of the line is large.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention Since the conventional electronic payment processing terminal device does not have a function of calculating the time until the host computer answers the call, the degree of load on the line on the host computer side can be controlled. I couldn't know.

Therefore, the present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object thereof is to provide an electronic settlement processing terminal device capable of knowing the load state of a line on the host computer side. .

Means for Solving Problems The electronic settlement processing terminal device of the present invention is a calling means for calling a host computer, a first measuring means for measuring a calling duration time from the start of calling by the calling means, and a first measurement. Adding means for adding the call duration measured by the means, first storage means for storing the call duration data added by the adding means, and call duration data stored in at least the first storage means And output means for outputting.

In the present invention, the calling means calls the host computer, the first measuring means measures the call duration time from the start of the call, and the measured call duration time is added,
Since the added call duration is stored in the first storage means and the stored call duration is output by the output means, the load status of the line on the host computer side is determined based on the addition data of the call duration. I can know.

Embodiment FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram showing the electrical configuration of an electronic payment processing terminal device according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, the electronic payment processing terminal device is provided with a CPU 1. A keyboard 2, a display 3, a card reader 4, a printer 5, a ROM 6, a RAM 7, and an NCU / MODEM 8 are connected to the CPU 1.

The CPU1 controls the above-mentioned components connected to the CPU1 and performs arithmetic processing. Keyboard 2
Is for inputting transaction amount data and the like. The display 3 displays guidance characters for operation and data input from the keyboard 2, and RA described later.
It displays the call duration data and data communication time stored in M7. The card reader 4 reads card data from a credit card (not shown).
The printer 5 issues a transaction slip, a transaction amount total report for each credit company, and the like, and also a communication time total report 10 that sums call duration data and communication time data as shown in FIG. 4 described later. Is issued. The ROM 6 stores the operation program of the CPU 1 based on the flowchart shown in FIG. 3 described later.
RAM 7 includes a storage area described later. NCU / MODEM8 is
It mediates communication between the CPU 1 and a host computer (not shown), and sends out a signal for calling the host computer. The electronic payment processing terminal device of this embodiment can exchange data for electronic payment with any of a plurality of host computers via the NCU / MODEM 8.

Next, the storage area of the RAM 7 will be described.

The RAM 7 includes a first timer 71, a second timer 72, a call charge calculation area 73, a data addition area 74 and a total area 75. The first timer 71 is an area for measuring the time during which the calling of the host computer is continued. Second
The timer 72 is an area for measuring the time (communication time) during which data is exchanged with the host computer. Here, the CPU 1 measures time in the areas of the first and second timers based on a clock signal provided from a clock signal generating circuit (not shown).

The call charge calculation area 73 is an area for calculating the call charge based on the communication time measured by the second timer 72 and the charge per unit time. The charge per unit time is stored in advance in an area (not shown) of the RAM 7 for each distance, for example.

The data addition area 74 is composed of a call duration addition area 741, a communication time addition area 742, a call count counting area 743, a communication count counting area 744, and a call charge addition area 745. The call duration addition area 741 is the first timer 71.
This is an area where the call duration measured by is added to making a call to the host computer. The communication time addition area 742 is an area for adding the communication time measured by the second timer 72 for each communication with the host computer. The call number counting area 743 is an area for counting the number of times the host computer is called, that is, the number of times the first timer 71 operates. The communication count counting area 744 is an area for counting the number of times of communication with the host computer, that is, the number of times the second timer 72 operates. The call charge addition area 745 is an area for adding the call charge calculated in the call charge calculation area 73 for each data communication. Although FIG. 1 shows one data addition area corresponding to the host computer A, for example, different data addition areas are provided for each host computer.

The total area 75 is an area for totaling the respective data for each of the areas 741 to 745 of the data addition area provided corresponding to each host computer, and is the total call duration area 751 and the total communication time. Area 752, total call count area 753, total communication count area 75
Consists of 4 and total call charge area 755. That is, the total call duration area 751 stores the data of the respective call duration addition areas provided corresponding to the respective host computers, and the total communication duration area 752 stores the data in each host computer. The data of the respective communication time addition areas provided correspondingly are stored in total, and in the total number of calling times area 753,
The data of the call number counting areas provided corresponding to the respective host computers are totaled and stored, and the communication number total area 754 is provided for the respective communication number counting areas provided corresponding to the respective host computers. The data of the areas is totaled and stored, and the total of the call charges area 755 stores the data of the respective call charge addition areas provided corresponding to the respective host computers.

FIG. 2 is a view showing the external appearance of the electronic payment processing terminal device shown in FIG. In FIG. 2, the electronic settlement processing terminal device is provided with the above-described keyboard 2, display device 3 and card reader 4. The keyboard 2 includes an ON / OFF switch 21, function keys 22 and ten keys 23. The function key 22 may include a dialing key for the operator to instruct the calling of the host computer, and a plurality of such dialing keys may be provided corresponding to each host computer. The host computer may be called by inputting the telephone number from the ten keys 23.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart for explaining the operation of the embodiment of the present invention. Next, the operation of the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

The operator selects a contact host (credit company) for the type of credit card handed by the customer, and operates the corresponding dialing key among the dialing keys provided on the function key 22, for example. In response, the CPU 1 has the first timer 71 and the second timer 71
72 and reset. Subsequently, the CPU 1 starts the calling of the host by the NCU / MODEM 8 and starts the operation of the first timer 71. The first timer 71 measures the time until a predetermined time, for example, 20 seconds, has elapsed, and if the line with the host is not connected during that time, the measurement of the call duration is ended. Then, the CPU 1 adds the first timer 7 to the data recorded so far in the call duration adding area 741 of the data adding area 74 corresponding to the selected host.
Data indicating the measured call duration time of 1 is added, and the data in the call duration addition area 741 is updated. Subsequently, the CPU 1 adds the count data in the call count area 743 to +
Only 1 is updated, and the calling operation of the host is completed.

On the other hand, when the line with the host is connected before the above-described predetermined time has elapsed, the operation of the first timer 71 is terminated and similarly stored in the call duration adding area 741 by then. Data indicating the call duration measured by the first timer 71 is added to the existing data, and the call duration adding area is added.
The data of 741 is updated. Then, in the same way as above,
The count data in the call number counting area 743 is updated by +1 and the operation of the second timer 72 is started.

The second timer 72 measures time while, for example, data relating to electronic payment is exchanged between the electronic payment processing terminal device and the host computer. The CPU 1 completes the communication and disconnects the connected communication line in response to the ON HOOK on the host side. Then, CPU1
Calculates the call charge in the call charge calculation area 73. Here, as described above, the RAM 7 stores a call charge table for each distance and time, and the CPU 1 also calculates the call charge using this table.

Subsequently, the CPU 1 updates the data in the call charge addition area 745 by adding the call charge data obtained in the call charge calculation area 73 to the data stored so far in the call charge addition area 745. Subsequently, the CPU 1 adds the second timer 7 to the data stored so far in the communication time addition area 742.
The communication time data measured in 2 is added, and the data in the communication time addition area 742 is updated. Subsequently, the CPU 1 updates the count data in the communication count counting area 744 by +1 and
The operation ends.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a communication time tabulation report issued by the printer 5 shown in FIG. In FIG.
The communication time summary report 10 shows data indicating the number of calls for each host computer, data indicating the call duration, data indicating the number of times of communication, data indicating the time of communication, data indicating the number of times calls cannot be made, and call charges. And the data indicating are printed. The average values of the call duration and the communication time are also printed. Further, the communication time total report 10 is printed with the above-mentioned respective data and the total data thereof for all the selectable host computers. This total data is printed based on the respective data stored in the total area 75 of the RAM 7 shown in FIG.

The total processing in the total area 75 is performed by an instruction of a total instruction key (not shown) included in the function key 22 shown in FIG.

In this embodiment, it is possible to accurately grasp the call charge with the host computer, which indicates most of the maintenance cost of the electronic payment processing terminal device, and collect the communication time data of the electronic payment processing terminal device using the host computer. By doing so, the operating condition of the host computer, that is, the load condition of the host computer can be calculated.

As described above, according to the present invention, the calling means calls the host computer, the first measuring means measures the call duration from the start of the call, and the measured call durations are added and added. Since the stored call duration is stored in the first storage means and the stored added call duration is output by the output means, the load status of the line on the host computer side is based on the call duration data. You can know.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram showing the electrical configuration of an electronic payment processing terminal device according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 shows the first
It is a figure which shows the external appearance of the electronic payment processing terminal device shown in the figure.
FIG. 3 is a flow chart for explaining the operation of the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 shows a communication time totaling report issued by the printer shown in FIG. In the figure, 1 is a CPU, 2 is a keyboard, 3 is a display,
4 is a card reader, 5 is a printer, 6 is ROM, 7 is RAM,
8 is NCU / MODEM, 71 is a first timer, 72 is a second timer, 73 is a call charge calculation area, 74 is a data addition area,
75 indicates the total area.

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. An electronic payment processing terminal device for exchanging data with a host computer via a line, comprising: a calling means for calling the host computer; and a call duration time from the start of calling by the calling means. Measuring means for performing the addition, adding means for adding the call duration measured by the first measuring means, first storage means for storing the call duration data added by the adding means, and at least the first An electronic payment processing terminal device comprising an output means for outputting the call duration data stored in the first storage means. 2. The electronic settlement processing terminal according to claim 1, wherein the first measuring means measures a call duration time from the start of calling by the calling means until the host computer responds to the call. apparatus. 3. The first measuring means measures the call duration from the start of calling by the calling means until the host computer responds to the call until a predetermined time elapses. The electronic payment processing terminal device according to the item. 4. A second measuring means for measuring the data communication time from the start of the data communication to the end of the data communication, and a second measuring means for storing the data communication time measured by the second measuring means. The electronic payment processing according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising: two storage means, wherein the output means outputs the data communication time stored in the second storage means. Terminal device.