Electronic ticket vending system and method thereof

Claim 2

An electronic ticket vending system according to Claim 1, wherein said electronic ticket vending means comprising: ticket production means for producing a ticket; ticket transmission and reception means for transmitting or receiving an electronic ticket; money transmission and reception means for transmitting or receiving electronic money; money storage means for storing electronic money; transaction history storage means for storing a history (hereinafter referred to as transaction history) transmitting or receiving electronic money and an electronic ticket; and encryption key storage means for storing an encryption key.

Claim 3

An electronic ticket vending system according to Claim 2, wherein said ticket production means comprising: a microcomputer which is set so as to produce an electronic ticket from at least data indicating a ticket publication source and data indicating the price of a ticket.

Claim 4

An electronic ticket vending system according to Claim 2, wherein said electronic ticket vending means further comprising: means for storing a secret key of asymmetric encryption algorithm which varies with each ticket publisher and a public key which forms a counterpart to said secret key.

Claim 5

An electronic ticket vending system according to Claim 1, wherein said electronic ticket storage means comprising: electronic ticket storage means for storing at least an electronic ticket; electronic money storage means for storing at least electronic money; transaction history storage means; an I/O interface with the outside; and a microprocessor which is set so as to control transmission and reception of an electronic ticket and electronic money and storage the history thereof.

Claim 6

An electronic ticket vending system according to Claim 5, wherein said electronic ticket storage means further comprising: means for storing unencrypted ticket data; and means for storing an electronic signature which is produced by encrypting the whole or a part of said ticket data by said secret key of the asymmetric algorithm; wherein said microprocessor is set so as to return said unencrypted ticket information to a first command obtained via said I/O interface with the outside for reading said unencrypted ticket data as a response to said first command, check the validity of a second command for reading data having said electronic signature for said second command, and return said ticket information and said electronic signature as a response to said second command when said microprocessor judges that said second command is valid.

Claim 7

An electronic ticket vending system according to Claim 5, wherein said electronic ticket storage means comprising: means for storing ticket information which is encrypted by said secret key of the asymmetric encryption algorithm; and means for storing a public key which forms a counterpart to said secret key which encrypts said ticket information, wherein said microprocessor is set so as to return the result which is obtained by decrypting said encrypted ticket information by said public key to a first command obtained via said I/O interface with the outside for reading said unencrypted ticket data as a response to said first command, check the validity of a second command for reading data having said electronic signature for said second command, and return said encrypted ticket information as a response to said second command when said microprocessor judges that said second command is valid.

Claim 8

An electronic ticket vending system according to Claim 6, wherein said microprocessor is set so as to return a response to the electronic signature which is sent together with said second command obtained via said physical interface with the outside on whether there exists an electronic signature conforming to said electronic signature in said electronic ticket storage means.

Claim 9

An electronic ticket vending system according to Claim 5, wherein said microprocessor is set so that an item relating to said electronic ticket cannot be deleted from said transaction history storage means until said electronic ticket stored in said electronic ticket storage means is deleted.

Claim 10

An electronic ticket vending system according to Claim 5, wherein said microprocessor is set so as to store electronic money in said electronic money storage means for refunding of the ticket and then delete the electronic ticket to be refunded which is stored in said electronic ticket storage area of said electronic ticket storage means.

Claim 11

An electronic ticket vending system according to Claim 5, wherein said electronic ticket storage means further has an area for storing an invalid flag and said microprocessor comprising: mean for making said invalid flag corresponding to said electronic ticket to be refunded valid for refunding of the ticket and then transferring said electronic ticket to said electronic ticket vending means; and means for deleting said electronic ticket stored in said electronic ticket storage area of said electronic ticket storage means after completion of transfer.

Claim 12

An electronic ticket vending method in a system comprising electronic ticket transmission and reception means, at least one terminal means, and a communication line connecting said electronic ticket transmission and reception means and said at least one terminal means comprising: a step of storing electronic money and an electronic ticket and sending the purchase desire electronic ticket to said electronic ticket transmission and reception means from at least one of the terminals connected to the electronic ticket storage means which can be electronically connected to said terminal means via said communication line; a step of sending a sending request for the purchase cost to said purchase desire terminal side when said electronic ticket can be vended from said electronic ticket transmission and reception means; a step of sending the electronic money of said purchase cost to said electronic ticket transmission and reception means from said purchase desire terminal side via said communication line; a step of sending said purchase desire electronic ticket to said purchase desire terminal side from said electronic ticket transmission and reception means after said electronic money is received; and a step of receiving said sent electronic ticket on said terminal side and storing it in said electronic ticket storage means connected to said terminal side.

Claim 13

An electronic ticket vending method according to Claim 12, wherein when said purchased electronic ticket is to be refunded, said method further comprising: a step of sending a refunding request to said electronic ticket transmission and reception means from said terminal side via said communication line and requesting sending of said electronic ticket which is requested to refund to the electronic ticket storage means connected to said terminal side; a step of receiving said electronic ticket from said electronic ticket storage means via said communication line and then confirming the validity of said electronic ticket; a step of sending electronic money of said ticket refund to said terminal side via said communication line when said electronic ticket transmission and reception means judges that said electronic ticket is valid as a result of said confirmation; and a step of transferring said electronic money to said electronic ticket storage device from said terminal means receiving said electronic money.

Claim 14

An electronic ticket refunding method in a system comprising electronic ticket transmission and reception means, at least one terminal means, and a communication line connecting said electronic ticket transmission and reception means and said at least one terminal means comprising: a step of storing electronic money and an electronic ticket and sending an electronic ticket refunding request to said electronic ticket transmission and reception means from at least one of the terminals connected to the electronic ticket storage means which can be electronically connected to said terminal means via said communication line; a step for requesting sending of said electronic ticket which is requested to refund to the electronic ticket storage means connected to said terminal side from said electronic ticket transmission and reception means; a step of receiving said electronic ticket from said electronic ticket storage means via said communication line and then confirming the validity of said received electronic ticket by said electronic ticket transmission and reception means; a step of sending electronic money of said ticket refund to said terminal side via said communication line when said electronic ticket transmission and reception means judges that said electronic ticket is valid as a result of said confirmation; and a step of transferring said electronic money to said electronic ticket storage device from said terminal means receiving said electronic money.

Claim 15

An electronic ticket vending method according to Claim 12, further comprising: a step of receiving said electronic money from said electronic ticket storage means by said electronic ticket transmission and reception means; a step of storing that said electronic money is received from said electronic ticket storage means; a step of sending said electronic ticket to said electronic ticket storage means; and a step of storing that said electronic ticket is sent to said electronic ticket storage means.

Claim 16

An electronic ticket vending method according to Claim 13, further comprising: a step of receiving said electronic ticket from said electronic ticket storage means by said electronic ticket transmission and reception means; a step of storing that said electronic ticket is received from said electronic ticket storage means; a step of sending said electronic money to said electronic ticket storage means; and a step of storing that said electronic money is sent to said electronic ticket storage means.

Claim 17

An electronic ticket vending method according to Claim 12, further comprising: a step of sending said electronic money to said electronic ticket transmission and reception means from said terminal side; a step of storing that said electronic money is sent to said electronic ticket transmission and reception means; a step of receiving said electronic ticket by said terminal side; and a step of storing that said terminal side receives said electronic ticket.

Claim 18

An electronic ticket vending method according to Claim 13, further comprising: a step of sending said electronic ticket to said electronic ticket transmission and reception means from said electronic ticket storage means; a step of storing that said electronic ticket is sent; a step of receiving said electronic money from said electronic ticket transmission and reception means by said electronic ticket storage means; and a step of storing that said electronic ticket storage means receives said electronic money.