Programmable multiple company credit card system

Abstract

A universal financial data card for compiling and storing financial transaction records pertaining to a plurality of financial accounts. The financial transaction records are compiled from financial transaction data communicated between the universal financial data card and a card reader. The universal financial data card includes a memory circuit for storing holder data pertaining to a holder of the universal financial data card. The memory circuit further stores account data pertaining to the plurality of financial accounts and the financial transaction records pertaining to the plurality of financial accounts. Further, the universal financial data card includes a processor coupled to the memory circuit. There is also provided a data exchange circuit coupled to the processor. The data exchange circuit permits the universal financial data card to receive first selected data from the card reader and to send second selected data to the card reader during a financial transaction pertaining a selected one of the plurality of financial accounts, wherein the processor, responsive to the first selected data, compiles a transaction record related to the financial transaction pertaining the selected one of the plurality of financial accounts for storage in the memory circuit.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A multiple account electronic credit card comprising: 
       a processor for controlling operation of the card;  
       a memory circuit for storing financial transaction records of multiple accounts;  
       a wireless or non-wireless  interface for communication with a card reader;  
       a frequency select circuit for communicating with said card reader using any one of a number of preselected frequencies;  
       said memory circuit also storing holder information and secondary account information;  
       wherein said holder information comprises name, address, telephone number and personal identification number and wherein said secondary account information comprises institution name, account number, and account password;  
       wherein said memory circuit is of sufficient size to store financial transaction records related to a predetermined time period of use of use  and wherein the data in the memory circuit may be transferred to a new multiple account electronic credit card at the end of said predetermined time period.  
     
     
       2. The multiple account electronic credit card of  claim 1  wherein said predetermined time period is  has a duration of at least one calendar year or greater . 
     
     
       3. A credit card system comprising: 
       a multiple account electronic credit card;  
       said card comprising:  
       a processor for controlling operation of the card;  
       a memory circuit for storing financial transaction records of a plurality of financial accounts;  
       a wireless or non-wireless  interface for communication with a card reader;  
       a frequency select circuit for communicating with said card reader using any one of a number of preselected frequencies;  
       said memory circuit also storing holder information and secondary account information;  
       wherein said holder information comprises name, address, telephone number and personal identification number and wherein said secondary account information comprises institution name, account number, and account password;  
       wherein said memory circuit is of sufficient size to store financial transaction records related to a predetermined time period of use and wherein the data in the memory circuit may be transferred to a new multiple account electronic credit card at the end of said predetermined time period;  
       storage means for storing financial transaction records of a plurality of financial accounts remote from said card;  
       transfer means for transferring said financial transaction records from said storage means to a new blank multiple account electronic card at a specified time;  
       wherein said specified time comprises the time of the loss or destruction of said multiple account electronic card.  
     
     
       4. The credit card system of  claim 3  further comprising means for retrieving said financial transaction records through a telephone set, wherein said financial transaction records are transmitted in the form of voice data, printer data, or video data . 
     
     
       5. The credit card system of  claim 3  further comprising means for managing and storing said financial transaction records using a serial decoding scheme. 
     
     
       6. The credit card system of  claim 3  further comprising means for managing and storing said financial transaction records using a parallel decoding scheme. 
     
     
       7. The credit card system of  claim 3  wherein said predetermined time period is  has a duration of at least one calendar year or greater . 
     
     
       8. The credit card system of  claim 4  in which said financial transaction records are transmitted in the form of printed data. 
     
     
       9. The credit card system of  claim 4  in which said financial transaction records are transmitted in the form video data. 
     
     
       10. A multiple account electronic credit card for handling multiple accounts, the credit card comprising: 
       
         a common processor for controlling operation of the credit card relative to all of the multiple accounts;  
       
       
         a memory for storing financial transaction records relative to the multiple accounts, and for storing holder information and secondary account information;  
       
       
         an interface for communication with a card reader;  
       
       
         wherein said holder information comprises personal information identifying an authorized person for the electronic credit card and wherein the secondary account information comprises electronic credit card issuer information identifying a respective issuer of each of the multiple accounts so that the issuer of each of the multiple accounts is identified on the credit card;  
       
       
         wherein said memory is of sufficient size to store financial transaction records related to a predetermined time period of use and including a software facility associated with the processor and the memory that enables transfer of data stored in the memory to a new multiple account electronic credit card; and  
       
       
         wherein said common processor is effective for handling the financial transaction records relative to all of the multiple accounts while being able to identify and retrieve information relating to specific accounts upon responsive to operator commands. 
       
     
     
       11. The electronic credit card of  claim 10 , in which the interface is a wireless interface. 
     
     
       12. The electronic credit card of  claim 10 , in which the interface is a non- wireless interface.   
     
     
       13. The electronic credit card of  claim 12 , further including a frequency select circuit for communicating wirelessly with said card reader using any one of a number of pre- selected frequencies.   
     
     
       14. The electronic credit card of  claim 10 , in which the holder information comprises name, address, and personal identification number of the authorized person and wherein said secondary account information comprises at least institution names, account numbers, and account passwords associated with the multiple accounts. 
     
     
       15. The electronic credit card of  claim 10 , wherein said predetermined time period is at least one calendar year. 
     
     
       16. The electronic credit card of  claim 10 , including in combination, the system comprising the electronic credit card and the card reader, and including the interface for communicating financial transaction records through a telephone communication system. 
     
     
       17. The electronic credit card of  claim 10 , including the card reader, and the card reader in turn including a facility that encrypts data that is transmitted wirelessly between the card reader and the electronic credit card. 
     
     
       18. The electronic credit card of  claim 10 , including the card reader, and the card has an optical communication interface. 
     
     
       19. The electronic credit card of  claim 10 , in which the multiple accounts comprise multiple credit card accounts. 
     
     
       20. The electronic credit card of  claim 10 , further including a software facility which prevents an unauthorized user from altering financial transaction records stored on the credit card independent of actual transactions via the card reader. 
     
     
       21. The electronic credit card of  claim 10 , further including a facility that enables an authorized user to read financial data stored in the electronic card to obtain historical transaction records to assist in financial planning. 
     
     
       22. The electronic credit card of  claim 10 , further including a facility that enables an authorized user to obtain a monthly financial account records from the credit card. 
     
     
       23. The electronic credit card of  claim 10 , including a facility that allows the information obtainable by an authorized user to be searched and segregated in accordance with categories of transactions. 
     
     
       24. The electronic credit card of  claim 10 , further comprising a facility associated with the common processor for authenticating an authorized user for obtaining goods or services via the electronic credit card. 
     
     
       25. The electronic credit card of  claim 10 , in which the electronic card is physically implemented in a credit card- sized package for mobility purposes.   
     
     
       26. The electronic credit card of  claim 10 , in which the memory is sized to hold records for at least one thousand transactions. 
     
     
       27. The electronic credit card of  claim 10 , in which data is stored in the memory in the form of a plurality of data fields. 
     
     
       28. The electronic credit card of  claim 27 , in which the data fields include at least three data fields selected from a group consisting of: transaction type; card codes; type of goods; business/personal; data; time; transaction amount; payee; and balance. 
     
     
       29. The electronic credit card of  claim 10 , in which data is organized in the memory in the form of a plurality of pages. 
     
     
       30. In combination, an electronic credit card in accordance with  claim 10 , further including a computer coupled to the card reader such that the computer is enabled to issue commands and to communicate with the electronic credit card via the card reader. 
     
     
       31. In combination, an electronic credit card in accordance with  claim 1 , further including a computer coupled to the card reader such that the computer is enabled to issue commands and to communicate with the electronic credit card via the card reader. 
     
     
       32. The electronic circuit card of  claim 16 , further including a telephone set coupled to the card reader and for controlling the card reader by an operator. 
     
     
       33. A multiple account electronic credit card for handling multiple accounts, the credit card comprising: 
       
         a processor for controlling operation of the credit card relative to all of the multiple accounts;  
       
       
         a memory for storing records relative to the multiple accounts, including holder information and secondary account information;  
       
       
         an interface for communication with a card reader;  
       
       
         wherein said holder information comprises personal information identifying an authorized person for the electronic credit card and wherein the secondary account information comprises electronic credit card issuer information identifying a respective issuer of each of the multiple accounts so that the issuer of each of the multiple accounts is identified on the credit card; and  
       
       
         wherein said processor is effective for handling the records relative to all of the multiple accounts while being able to identify and retrieve information relating to specific accounts responsive to operator commands. 
       
     
     
       34. The electronic credit card of  claim 33 , in which the interface is a wireless interface. 
     
     
       35. The electronic credit card of  claim 33 , in which the interface is a non- wireless interface.