Shopping check-out with a payment card

• US 10,304,053 B1
• Filed: 08/08/2014
• Issued: 05/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Block, Inc. (f/k/a Square, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Block, Inc. (f/k/a Square, Inc.)
• Inventors: Templeton, Thomas, Omi, Keisuke, Post, Daniel Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): Liu, I Jung
• Application Number:
  US14/455,225
• Time in Patent Office: 1,754 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 2210/58 Wireless transmission of information between a sensor or probe and a control or evaluation unit
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 7/14 for measuring distance or clearance between spaced objects or spaced apertures G01B7/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/208 Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/352 Contactless payments by cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0045 with a code reader for reading of an identifying code of the article to be registered, e.g. barcode reader or radio-frequency identity [RFID] reader
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/009 the reader being an RFID reader

Abstract

A technique for providing a checkout experience using a payment card is disclosed. An electronic device at a store detects a movement of a product away from the store by using a first short-range wireless link. The electronic device then receives from the product information identifying the product. The electronic device also detects the presence of a payment card near the product around the same time that it detects the movement of the product, by using a second short-range wireless link. The electronic device then receives information from the payment card information identifying an account on a server system. Upon determining that the product is at least a certain distance away from the store for at least a certain amount of time, the electronic device processes a payment for the product by the owner of the account.

Claims

1. A method performed by an electronic sensing device, the method comprising:

detecting, by the electronic sensing device, in a store, a movement of a product away from the store, by using a first short-range wireless path;

detecting, by the electronic sensing device, a presence of a payment card within a first specified distance of the product and within a first specified amount of time of detecting the movement of the product, by using a second short-range wireless path;

sending, by the electronic sensing device, to the payment card, a request to transmit information identifying the product;

receiving, by the electronic sensing device, from the payment card, the information identifying the product and first information identifying an account on a server system,

wherein the server system offers a payment service and manages accounts that are each associated with a funding source;

detecting, by the electronic sensing device, a presence of a mobile device within the first specified amount of time of detecting the movement of the product, by using a third short-range wireless path;

receiving, by the electronic sensing device, from the mobile device, second information identifying an account on the server system;

determining, by the electronic sensing device, whether the product is at least a second specified distance away from the store for more than a second specified amount of time;

determining, by the electronic sensing device, whether the first information and the second information match; and

in response to a first determination result indicating that the product is at least the second specified distance away from the store for more than the second specified amount of time and a second determination result indicating that the first information and the second information match,

obtaining, by the electronic sensing device, information regarding the product, including a price, based on the information identifying the product;

sending, by the electronic sensing device, the first information, the information identifying the product, and the price to the server system; and

receiving, by the electronic sensing device, a response from the server system confirming that the product is purchased using the account,

wherein the mobile device includes a Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) scanner, a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) scanner, or a Near Field Communication (NFC) scanner, and

wherein the first, second, or third short-range wireless path is implemented using Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID), Near Field Communication (NFC), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE).

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising keeping track of a location of the product using the first short-range wireless path.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the electronic sensing device, from the server system, information regarding the account, wherein the information regarding the account comprises information of an associated funding source; and

requesting, by the electronic sensing device, an authorization of a payment of the price from the associated funding source.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is a phone, a camera, a watch, eyewear, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, or a personal digital assistant.