The present invention relates to a transaction recorder and, more particularly, to a transaction recorder for recording and verifying transactions conducted with an interactive voice response system (IVRS) or similar device at a remote location. BACKGROUND ART

Transactions conducted over a telephone where a customer responds to electronically generated queries from a remotely located source by operating the keypad of a telephone whilst it is off hook are known. A problem with such arrangements is that the user who communicates with the remote site has no means of verifying independently details of any transactions which take place in this manner.

In addition, at the IVRS end or remote location, the supplier can incur substantial costs in mailing out receipts or other forms of verification of a transaction. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one broad form of the invention there is provided a system for recording transactions conducted over a communications line; said system comprising a recording device interposed on said communications line, wherein the transactions are communicated by means of (DTMF) signals between an interactive voice response system (IVRS) or similar device at a remote location and a local telephone handset; and wherein the recording device is located with said telephone handset and includes a card reader/recorder adapted to replaceably receive a recording media comprising a memory card.

Preferably, the reader/recorder records said transactions on said card in a form whereby said transactions can be read from said card when said card is inserted in an authorised reading device at another location. It is also preferred that the recording device includes a user operable switch in communication with processing means; a card reader adapted to

receive removable recording media also in communication with said processing means; the operation of said recording device being controlled by the response of said processing means to either operation of said user operable switch or the insertion or removal of said removable media from said card reader or DTMF signals received from an IVRS or similar device at a remote location. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig 1 is a diagram of an interactive voice response system connected to a transaction recorder according to a first embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a block diagram of the circuit of the transaction recorder of Fig. 1 . BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

The system for recording transactions shown in Fig. 1 requires an interactive voice response system (IVRS) 10 at a remote site 1 1 connected by way of the public switched telephone network (PSTN) to a consumer's premises 13.

The connection to the consumer's premises 13 comprises a transaction recorder 14 interposed between the PSTN 12 and telephone handset 15.

As indicted in Fig. 2 the transaction recorded 14 comprises of a standard ISO memory card recorded reader 16 in communication with a micro-processor 17.

The micro-processor 17 is in communication with an LCD display 18, a "silicon serial number" 19, a user operable red control button 20, DTMF receiver 21 , DTMF transmitter 22, green LED 32 and red LED33.

The receiver 21 and transmitter 22 are buffered through a line interface unit 23 and coupling transformer 24 to a PSTN connection 25 connected with handset 15.

Power supply for the transaction recorder 14 is provided by a switched mode power supply 26 which derives power either from the PSTN 12 via rectifier 27 or else by way of battery 28. As shown, the power supply circuit further includes a current limit resistor 29 and rectifying diode 30.

The ISO memory cad recorded reader 16 is adapted to replaceably receive a replaceable memory card 31 on which transactions communicated by DTMF signals passing between handset 15 and IVRS 10 are recorded by ISO memory card recorder reader 16. On installation of the transaction recorder 14, the consumer will be required to initialise the memory card(s) 31 . This is done by inserting the card 31 into the transaction recorder 14 and pressing the red control button 20 before he card has been used and while the telephone is still on hook. At this stage the red "power on" LED 33 is illuminated. Once a card has been initialised, this same process will result in the transaction recorder 14 displaying its contents on the LCD 18 or similar display device.

If there is no memory card 31 in the transaction recorder 14 at the time the red control button 20 is depressed, a default message - "please insert card" - will be displayed on the LCD display 18 for 10 seconds and the red LED 33 will flash. The transaction recorded 14 automatically returns to a reset state if a period of 5 minutes has elapsed since the red control button 20 was last pressed or the memory card 31 is removed whichever is the sooner. The initialisation comprises obtaining the unique serial number available from silicon serial number 19 and storing the number (or at least a sufficient part of it) on the card.

The transaction recorder 14 will not initialise a card that has already been initialised with a different serial number. Nor will it recognise a card

initialised with a different serial number (i.e., the transaction recorder 14 compares the card number with its own silicon serial number).

A typical transaction using the transaction recorder 14 system (including possible error situations) has the following elements: STEP 1

Consumer: Dials vendor's IVRS 10.

IVRS: 'Welcome ....' (Consumer conducts a transaction using the keypad of the telephone - this is well established technology. A sample transaction might be ticket purchase in which the consumer uses DTMF signals to select an event, a date, the desired number of tickets, inputs a credit card number etc, in response to audio prompts). IVRS: (At the conclusion of the previous transaction. 'Please press the red button on your transaction recorder 14'.

STEP 2

Consumer: Presses the red control button on the transaction recorder 14. Error 1 (Transaction recorder not turned on)

Transaction Sends no DTMF signal to IVRS (but is Recorder: now in an active state). IVRS: (After waiting 5 seconds) 'Please press the red button again.' (Returns to Step 2 and then the transaction recorder proceeds to Step 3.)

STEP 3

Transaction

Recorder: Tries to read memory card.

Error 2 (no card inserted/card dislodged/card inserted incorrectly) Transaction

Recorder: Sends a 'O' to IVRS.

IVRS: 'No card detected or card inserted incorrectly, please re-insert your transaction Recorder card and press the red button again.' Error 3 (uninitialised, wrong serial number or damaged card)

Transaction Recorder: Sends a '1 ' to IVRS. IVRS: 'Card error. Your transaction Recorder card has not been initialised, or has been damaged. Please press '9' to cancel this transaction or press 'S' for further information.'

No error Transaction Recorder: Sends a '2' to IVRS. IVRS: 'Thank you for using transaction Recorder. Please press the red button on transaction Recorder again. Do not hang up at this stage. Please remain silent and do not use the key pad on our telephone while the transaction Recorder confirms the transaction. At the conclusion of the transaction the green light on the transaction Recorder will flash. Then, after hanging up, you can confirm the transaction by pressing the

red button again.'

STEP 4

Consumer: Presses red control button. Transaction Sends own serial number by DTMF to Recorder IVRS.

Error 4 (transmission error/failure checkaum calculation)

IVRS: 'There was an error in transmission. Please press the red control button again and remain silent while the transaction Recorder verifies the transaction.' No error

IVRS: Returns transaction details, last valid date and date/time code' to the transaction Recorder by DTMF>

Error 5 (reception error/failure of checkaum calculation) Transaction

Recorder: Sends a '3' to IVRS. IVRS: 'There was an error in reception. Please press the red control button again and remain silent while the transaction Recorder verifies the transaction.' (Once the control button has been pressed again, the transaction Recorder sends a '4' to IVRS. IVRS sends transaction details, last valid date and date/time code again.)

No error Transaction Receives complete DTMF message from Recorder: IVRS, Flashes green LED.

STEP 5

Consumer: Hangs up. Presses red control button.

Transaction displays transaction details on LCD or

Recorder: similar display. The memory card 31 can record more than one transaction. In display mode the transaction recorder 14 will display transactions in reverse order (most recent first). Display will continue only while the red control button is depressed. The transaction recorder 14 will not display the serial number, the last valid date/time code for a transaction (except to the extent that either of the two latter codes forms part of the message). If all records have been previously cancelled, a default 'no transactions recorded' message will be displayed. Once a transaction has been recorded on the transaction recorder card 31 , the card 31 can be taken to designated premises where the details are read and cancelled. In reading the card, the card reader will cross check both the transaction details, date/time code and the card's unique serial number with the details stored by the IVRS. further identification (such as PIN, account number or own telephone number) can also be implemented for additional security.

The transaction recorder 14 will not answer incoming calls and is incapable of holding the line open once the attached handset has been replaced.

The date/time coding is used for security and memory management purposes.

As to security, the date/time coding permits cross-checking to the telephone use records retained by the PSTN network carrier and the incoming call log held by the IVRS.

Memory management of records within the transaction recorder 14 is achieved in that all the transaction records returned to the transaction Recorder by the IVRS will be of a fixed size (in terms of bytes) and will include, in a pre-defined location a last valid date for the particular

transaction. At the time of each transaction the transaction recorder 14 will determine all records that have a last valid date earlier than the date/time code received with respect to the current transaction, when writing a new transaction to the memory card, the micro-processor will allocate the first available non-current location (and write over any non- current records). This mechanism is used to cancel records that refer to transactions that have not been cancelled by presentation of the card to an outlet reader (as described above). There is no facility in the transaction recorder for the consumer to cancel any or all records by the method described above.

The above describes only one embodiment of the present invention and modifications obvious to those skilled in the art can be made thereto without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The transactions recording system of the invention may be used, inter alia, to purchase tickets for an event at a particular time and place utilising a credit card.