Importance

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Abstract

A wireless debit card communications system comprising a radio unit, a base station, and an end station. The radio unit, for example, a radio telephone, includes a first processor, a reader for reading a credit amount and a personal access number from a debit card, and a transceiver for communicating, using radio waves, a credit signal. The base station receives and relays the credit signal over a communications channel to the end station. The end station includes a switch to generate a first control signal to allocate the credit amount of the debit card to the radio unit, and to set a radio unit access number of the radio unit to the personal access number of the debit card with a communications path through the base station. The end station also generates a second control signal for changing the credit amount and the personal access number of the debit card. The base station may be connected to a debit meter. The radio unit and the debit meter respond to the second control signal to change the credit amount and the personal access number using magnetic writers or writer processors to store an updated credit amount and personal access number on a magnetic strip on a debit card or on a chip on the debit card as the debit card is used in the radio unit. The personal access number may be used as a telephone number of the radio unit.

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First Claim