System and method to enable payment using mark generation and mobile device

• US 10,410,196 B1
• Filed: 11/29/2013
• Issued: 09/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Inventors: Ran, Alexander, Osmon, Cynthia J., Laaser, William T., Bhatia, Komal, Mahadevan, Mithun
• Primary Examiner(s): Zeender, Florian M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Racic, Milena
• Application Number:
  US14/093,296
• Time in Patent Office: 2,111 Days
• Field of Search: 705 21, 235375
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• 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 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service

Abstract

A non-transitory computer readable medium including instructions that, when executed by a processor, perform a method involving: receiving, by a point of sale (POS) system, purchase data for a customer; generating bidirectional connection data for the customer, where the bidirectional connection data describes a bidirectional connection; encoding a symbol with the purchase data and the bidirectional connection data; presenting the symbol to the customer; enabling the bidirectional connection in response to a connection request from the customer; receiving payment data from the customer over the bidirectional connection; comparing the payment data to the purchase data; and sending a payment confirmation to the customer over the bidirectional connection in response to a determination that the payment data satisfies the purchase data.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, perform a method, the method comprising:

receiving, by a point of sale (POS) system, purchase data for a customer;

generating bidirectional connection data for the customer, wherein the bidirectional connection data comprises a connection type identifying a network used to establish a bidirectional connection, a connection credential for authenticating access to the network, and a connection target for locating the POS system on the network;

prompting the POS system to choose the bidirectional connection data supported by a mobile device of the customer;

encoding, by the POS system, a combination of the purchase data and the bidirectional connection data into a symbol;

presenting, on the POS system, the symbol to the customer for scanning by the mobile device;

enabling the bidirectional connection in response to a connection request from the customer, wherein enabling the bidirectional connection comprises enabling the mobile device of the customer to;

access, based on the connection type, the network using the connection credential;

locate, subsequent to accessing the network and based on the connection target, the POS system on the network; and

establish, in response to locating the POS system on the network, the bidirectional connection with the POS system over the network;

receiving payment data from the customer over the bidirectional connection; and

sending a payment confirmation to the customer over the bidirectional connection in response to a determination that the payment data satisfies the purchase data.

2. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein enabling the bidirectional connection comprises determining that the connection request is based on the connection credential encoded in the symbol.

3. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the bidirectional connection connects the POS system to the mobile device of the customer via a connection point device of the network, wherein the connection point device is separate from the mobile device and the POS system.

4. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein connection target comprises a network location of the POS system.

5. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the purchase data comprises instructions for transferring funds from a customer account to a merchant account.

6. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein the payment data comprises a proof of payment indicating a transfer of funds from a customer account to a merchant account.

7. A method comprising:

prompting a point of sale (POS) system to choose bidirectional connection data supported by a mobile device;

encoding, by the POS system, a combination of purchase data and the bidirectional connection data into a symbol, wherein the symbol is presented on the POS system;

scanning, by the mobile device, the symbol presented on the POS system comprising a POS processor;

decoding, by the mobile device, the symbol to obtain the purchase data and the bidirectional connection data, wherein the bidirectional connection data comprises a connection type identifying a network used to establish a bidirectional connection, a connection credential for authenticating access to the network, and a connection target for locating the POS system on the network;

generating payment data using the purchase data;

accessing, by the mobile device and based on the connection type, the network using the connection credential;

locating, subsequent to accessing the network and based on the connection target, the POS system on the network;

establishing, by the mobile device and in response to locating the POS system on the network, the bidirectional connection with the POS system over the network;

sending the payment data to the POS system over the bidirectional connection; and

receiving payment confirmation from the POS system over the bidirectional connection in response to sending the payment data.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the bidirectional connection connects the POS system to the mobile device of a customer via a connection point device of the network, wherein the connection point device is separate from the mobile device and the POS system.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein scanning the symbol comprises using a camera attached to the mobile device to generate an image of the symbol.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein generating the payment data comprises receiving authorization from a customer to transfer funds from a customer account to a merchant account.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the connection target comprises a network location of the POS system.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein establishing the bidirectional connection comprises submitting the connection credential to the POS system.

13. A system comprising:

a point of sale (POS) system comprising;

a POS processor;

a display; and

a POS application, executing on the POS processor, configured to receive purchase data for a customer;

generate bidirectional connection data for the customer, wherein the bidirectional connection data comprises a connection type identifying a network used to establish a bidirectional connection, a connection credential for authenticating access to the network, and a connection target for locating the POS system on the network;

prompt the POS system to choose the bidirectional connection data supported by a mobile device of the customer;

encode a combination of the purchase data and the bidirectional connection data into a symbol;

present, on the display, the symbol to the customer for scanning by the mobile device;

enable the bidirectional connection in response to a connection request from the customer, wherein enabling the bidirectional connection comprises enabling the mobile device of the customer to;

access, based on the connection type, the network using the connection credential;

locate, subsequent to accessing the network and based on the connection target, the POS system on the network; and

establish, in response to locating the POS system on the network, the bidirectional connection with the POS system over the network;

receive payment data from the customer over the bidirectional connection; and

send a payment confirmation to the customer over the bidirectional connection in response to a determination that the payment data satisfies the purchase data.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the mobile device comprises:

a mobile device processor;

a symbol reader configured to read the symbol; and

a payment application, executing on the mobile device processor, configured to;

receive the symbol from the symbol reader;

decode the symbol to obtain the purchase data and the bidirectional connection data;

generate the payment data using the purchase data;

establish the bidirectional connection with the POS system;

send the payment data to the POS system over the bidirectional connection; and

receive the payment confirmation from the POS system over the bidirectional connection in response to sending the payment data.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

a connection point device configured to;

receive, from the mobile device, a request to establish the bidirectional connection with the POS system; and

send the request to the POS system.

16. The system of claim 15,

wherein establishing the bidirectional connection comprises submitting the connection credential to the connection point device.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the bidirectional connection connects the POS system to the mobile device via the connection point device.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the connection target comprises a network location of the POS system.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the symbol reader is a camera, and wherein receiving the symbol from the symbol reader comprises generating, by the camera, an image of the symbol.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the purchase data comprises instructions for transferring funds from a customer account to a merchant account.