Method and apparatus for performing benefit transactions using a portable intergrated circuit device

Abstract

A portable electronic data storage/processing device, e.g., smart card maintains an account including benefit packages. Each benefit package includes multiple items with associated quantity information. A smart card includes an account benefits interface and a retailer interface, each interface using different security measures. New benefit packages are added to the smart card through the account benefit interface by a benefit provider. Benefits debit request lists including multiple items and associated quantities are submitted to the smart card through the retailer interface. The smart card is the trusted member and checks if all requested items in quantities requested can be debited. If all requests can be fulfilled, the smart card executes the debiting from the currently valid benefit package and returns a transaction success indication to the retailer. If any of the requests of the list cannot be met, the entire request list is rejected and no debiting occurs. Benefit quantity addition is not possible through the retailer interface. Transactions are performed as block transactions.

1 . An apparatus for performing at least some non-financial transactions, the apparatus comprising: 
 a portable information storage device including: 
 a processor for executing routines used to control operation of said device;  
 a memory coupled to said processor, said memory including 
 at least one set of benefit package information, each set of benefit package information including quantity information including a plurality of non-monetary quantity values;  
 
 a retailer interface, said retailer interface prohibiting a retailer from storing information on a new benefit to be provided or incrementing a stored non-momentary quantity value indicating the amount of a benefit to be provided but allowing the retailer to obtain benefit account information from said portable electronic device and to cause decrementing of non-monetary quantity values stored in said memory;  
   wherein said processor checks that non-monetary values to be decremented during a transaction with a retail terminal do not exceed corresponding non-monetary quantity values included in a set of benefit package information that is to be modified; and    wherein said processor rejects the transaction when a check indicates that any one of the corresponding benefit value amounts is exceeded.    
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said retail interface comprises computer instructions stored in said memory.  
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , 
 wherein said at least one set of benefit package information further includes benefit selection criteria data;    wherein said portable information storage device corresponds to a beneficiary account holder; and    wherein said benefit package selection criteria data criteria includes at least some date information used to indicate a period of time in which said at least one set of benefit package information is to be used.    
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said non-monetary quantity values correspond to different units of measurement for at least two different benefit items, one unit of measurement being a fluid measurement and another unit of measurement being a weight measurement.  
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further including: 
 an account owner interface that allows an account owner to access and modify benefit package information included in said memory, said account owner interface allowing the account owner to read benefit package information from said memory and to perform at least one of: increasing one of the non-monetary quantity values included in one of the sets of benefit package information and storing a new set of benefit package information in said memory;    wherein said account owner interface provides a first level of security which must be satisfied prior to said account owner interface allowing an account owner to alter benefit information; and    wherein said retailer interface provides a second level of security which must be satisfied prior to said retailer interface allowing a retail terminal to alter stored benefit information, the second level of security being lower than said first level of security.    
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein said owner interface comprises computer instructions stored in said memory.  
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein said device includes: 
 means for disabling said account owner interface for at least one predetermined period of time.    
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein said retailer interface includes means for approving and rejecting retail transactions on a per transaction basis.  
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , 
 wherein said means for approving and rejecting retail transactions includes:    means for checking that multiple non-monetary values to be decremented during a transaction with a retail terminal do not exceed corresponding non-monetary quantity values included in a set of benefit package information that is to be modified; and    means for rejecting the transaction when a check indicates that any one of the corresponding benefit value amounts is exceeded.    
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein said retailer interface further includes: 
 means for identifying a benefit package which is valid at the time of a request for benefit package information is received from a retail terminal; and    means for transmitting valid benefit package information to a retail terminal.    
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein said memory includes authentication data that comprises biometric information that can be used by a retail terminal to verify the identity of the account holder to whom benefits may be provided.  
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , 
 wherein at least one set of said benefit package information includes a number of food items that may be obtained as a granted benefit from a retailer that can access said portable storage device via a retail terminal interacting with said portable storage device via said retailer interface; and    wherein said at least one set of said benefit package information includes at least two different benefit item identifiers corresponding to different food benefits and benefit quantity information for each of the at least two different food groups.    
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein said apparatus is part of a system, the system further comprising: 
 additional portable information storage devices, each one of said additional portable information storage devices corresponding to a different benefit program beneficiary;    a plurality of account owner terminals for loading benefit information onto one or more of said portable information storage device and said additional portable information storage devices by interacting with said devices through the account owner interface included in each of said portable information storage devices with which the account owner terminal interacts; and    a plurality of retailer terminals for retrieving benefit information from one or more of said portable information storage devices and requesting debiting of benefit information through the retail terminal interface included in each of said portable information storage devices with which the retailer terminal interacts; and    wherein the number of retailer terminals in said system is at least 20 times the number of account owner terminals in said system.    
     
     
         14 . A portable apparatus for performing at least some non-financial transactions, the apparatus comprising: 
 means for storing on said apparatus data indicating at least one non-monetary benefit to be provided to the particular beneficiary;    means for operating the apparatus to provide said benefit information to a retail terminal through which benefits can be provided; and    means for operating the apparatus to approve or disapprove a benefit grant transaction on a per transaction basis, each benefit transaction grant requested by a retail terminal that involves modifying at least one benefit amount being disapproved if the amount requested exceeds the corresponding benefit amount available.    
     
     
         15 . The portable apparatus of  claim 14 , further comprising: 
 means for restricting retail terminals from incrementing any benefit amounts stored on said portable information storage devices.    
     
     
         16 . The portable apparatus of  claim 15 , further comprising: 
 means for restricting incrementing of benefit amounts or adding of new benefits to the information stored on the portable information storage device to terminals owned by a beneficiary program owner.    
     
     
         17 . A portable apparatus for performing at least some non-financial transactions comprising: 
 a microprocessor;    means for storing in said portable electronic storage device at least two benefit data sets related to a benefit account owner, wherein each benefit data set comprises benefit value data;    means for accessing said portable electronic storage device during a single non-financial transaction at a retail location, wherein said access is controlled by said microprocessor;    means for modifying the value of said at least two benefits value data during said single non-financial transaction; and    wherein said microprocessor approves and disapproves transactions on a per transaction basis, said modifying being performed only after approval of said transaction by said microprocessor, said microprocessor checking the amounts of benefits being provided against the authorized benefit amount indicated by said benefit value data prior to approving a transaction.    
     
     
         18 . The portable apparatus of  claim 17 , 
 wherein said means for storing further includes stored selection criteria relating to said benefit data sets, where said selection criteria comprises permitted transaction date information; and    wherein means for modifying allows modification only performed if the requested modification can be satisfied by a benefit data set meeting the stored selection criteria.    
     
     
         19 . The portable apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein said means for modifying, during said single non-financial transaction, limits modifications to reducing values indicating the amount of benefits to be provided.  
     
     
         20 . The portable apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein said means for storing further includes a plurality of additional benefit package information sets, wherein each of said benefit package information sets includes information indicating different non-monetary amounts of items to be provided as a benefit.