Remote rechargeable prepaid cellular service peripheral device

Abstract

An integrated prepaid cellular service and telephone unit including a cellular transceiver, a storage unit, a processor; and a credit/debit card interface. In a further aspect, the invention includes code for contacting a cellular provider, transmitting user debit/credit information, receiving a quantity of pre-paid cellular service units, storing the units, and allowing use of the cellular transceiver as long as said units does not equal zero.

1 . A wireless consumer device, comprising:
 a) internal data storage memory for storing data representing electronic money and credit/debit card information to enable a user to perform financial transactions within the device;   b) a transceiver for transferring the data from and into the consumer device;   c) executable program instructions stored in the consumer device; and   d) a processor, responsive to said executable program instructions, for accessing said internal data storage memory to transfer electronic money into and out of the device via said transceiver.   
     
     
         2 . A wireless consumer device according to  claim 1 , wherein said processor is responsive to said executable program instructions to enable the device to access an external server to transfer electronic money from the device to the server, to receive electronic money from the server into the device, and to cause the server to transfer electronic money to other wireless devices. 
     
     
         3 . A wireless consumer device according to  claim 2 , wherein said processor is responsive to said executable program instructions to enable the device to receive via said transceiver, and to store in said internal data storage memory, a unique electronic ID of an external retail financial transaction device, and to transmit the stored electronic ID via said transceiver to the server. 
     
     
         4 . A wireless consumer device according to  claim 3 , wherein said processor is responsive to said executable program instructions to enable the device to transmit via said transceiver information instructing the server to transfer electronic money to the financial transaction device corresponding to said unique electronic ID. 
     
     
         5 . A wireless consumer device according to  claim 1 , wherein said executable program instructions enable a user to purchase and pay for goods and services using said credit/debit card information or the electronic money. 
     
     
         6 . A wireless consumer device according to  claim 1 , further comprising an attachment device storing customer and account information enabling the consumer device to read said information. 
     
     
         7 . A wireless consumer device according to  claim 6 , further including executable program instructions to require a user ID to be entered to authenticate the user. 
     
     
         8 . A storage medium which stores computer instructions for execution by a processor and for access to an internal memory by the processor in a consumer hand-held wireless device, that when executed by the processor enable the hand-held wireless device to:
 receive and store user information in the internal memory;   receive a request for electronic funds;   communicate with a server external to the wireless device to transmit the user information and the request after receiving the user financial information and the request;   automatically transmit the user financial information and the request to the server; and   receive the requested electronic funds from the server.   
     
     
         9 . A storage medium according to the  claim 8  wherein the instructions further enable the processor to store electronic funds on a smart card.