User device enabling access to payment information in response to mechanical input detection

• US 10,489,769 B2
• Filed: 06/15/2017
• Issued: 11/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Brown, Jeremy T., Rosen, Zachary A., Grainger, Morgan J.
• Primary Examiner(s): St Cyr, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US15/624,322
• Publication Number:
  US 20170286938A1
• Time in Patent Office: 894 Days
• Field of Search: 235380, 235379, 235383
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10831 Arrangement of optical elements, e.g. lenses, mirrors, prisms optical elements per se G02B
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• 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 20/321 using wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3227 using secure elements embedded in M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/327 Short range or proximity payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3278 RFID or NFC payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/352 Contactless payments by cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3572 Multiple accounts on card
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/36 using electronic wallets or electronic money safes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/401 Transaction verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40145 Biometric identity checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 2220/00 Business processing using cryptography
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0806 Details of the card record carriers per se G06K
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0833 Card having specific functional components
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/50 using hash chains, e.g. blockchains or hash trees

Abstract

In certain embodiments, an electronic device can include a secure element that detects a mechanical input. The mechanical input can correspond to an instruction to transmit securely stored payment information to another device and/or to release such information to an application on the device (e.g., for use in an in-app commerce transaction). This feature can inhibit or prevent unauthorized transmission of payment information. When the mechanical input is detected, payment information can be transmitted to a point of sale (POS) terminal (e.g., via near-field communication) or released to an app on the device. Further, a user can either use default payment information or interact with the device (before or after providing the mechanical input) to select appropriate payment information for a transaction. For example, the user can select between credit cards, debit cards and/or stored-value cards (e.g., transit card).

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

securely storing, at an electronic device, payment information associated with a payment account;

detecting, at the electronic device, a payment operation associated with a commerce application program;

in response to the detected payment operation, determining that a mechanical input corresponding to an authorization of a payment transaction has not been locally received at the electronic device within a time period;

presenting, in response to the determination, a stimulus indicating that the mechanical input corresponding to an authorization of a payment transaction has not been locally received;

detecting subsequent to the stimulus presentation a mechanical authorization input, the mechanical authorization input corresponding to an authorization of a payment transaction;

enabling, in response to detecting the mechanical authorization input, the payment information to be retrieved; and

releasing the payment information to the commerce application program.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a transaction application program executing at the electronic device performs one or more of:

the detecting the payment operation;

the determining that the mechanical input has not been locally received;

the detecting the mechanical authorization input;

or

the retrieval of the payment information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

securely storing the payment information includes storing the payment information at a secure element of the electronic device; and

enabling the payment information to be retrieved includes retrieving the payment information from the secure element.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the payment operation further comprises detecting an input or sensor reading corresponding to a payment initiation.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the mechanical authorization input comprises detecting that a physical button on the electronic device has been pressed.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the securely storing the payment information includes storing an encrypted version of the payment information, and wherein enabling the payment information to be accessed includes decrypting the encrypted version of the payment information.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to detecting that the mechanical authorization input has been locally received at the electronic device:

presenting a representation of a default payment account;

determining that an account-modification input has been received that corresponds to an identification of another payment account;

selecting the payment account from amongst a plurality of payment accounts, wherein the payment information corresponds to the selected payment account, wherein the payment account includes the default payment account when account-modification input has not been received, and wherein the payment account includes the other payment account when account-modification input has been received.

8. An electronic device comprising:

a user interface component configured to output stimuli and receive inputs;

one or more processors coupled to the user interface component; and

a computer-readable storage medium containing instructions, that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform actions including;

securely storing, at the electronic device, payment information associated with a payment account;

detecting that a commerce application program is executing at the electronic device and that a payment operation has occurred in association with the execution of the commerce application program;

in response to the detection, determining that a non-virtual input of one or more particular input types and corresponding to an authorization of a payment transaction has not been locally received at the electronic device within a time period;

presenting, in response to the determination, a stimulus via the user interface component;

detecting, subsequent to the stimulus presentation, a non-virtual authorization input, the non-virtual authorization input corresponding to an authorization of a payment transaction, and the non-virtual authorization input being of a type of the one or more particular input types;

retrieving, in response to detecting the non-virtual authorization input, the payment information; and

releasing the payment information to the commerce application program.

9. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein a transaction application program executing at the electronic device performs one or more of:

the detecting the payment operation;

the determining that the non-virtual input has not been locally received;

the detecting the non-virtual authorization input;

or

the retrieval of the payment information.

10. The electronic device of claim 8, further comprising:

a secure element, wherein;

securely storing the payment information includes storing the payment information at the secure element of the electronic device; and

retrieving the payment information includes retrieving the payment information from the secure element.

11. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein detecting the payment operation further comprises detecting an input or sensor reading corresponding to a payment initiation.

12. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein detecting the non-virtual authorization input comprises detecting that a button on the electronic device has been pressed.

13. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein:

the user interface component includes a mechanical switch; and

detecting the non-virtual authorization input comprises detecting that a state of mechanical switch changed.

14. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein:

the securely storing the payment information includes storing an encrypted version of the payment information; and

the actions further include, in response to detecting the non-virtual authorization input, decrypting the encrypted version of the payment information.

15. The electronic device of claim 8, further comprising:

selecting the payment account from amongst a plurality of payment accounts, wherein the payment information corresponds to the selected payment account.

16. A computer-program product tangibly embodied in a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, including instructions configured to cause one or more data processors to perform actions including:

securely storing, at an electronic device, payment information associated with a payment account;

detecting, at the electronic device, a payment operation associated with a commerce application program;

in response to the detected payment operation;

determining whether a mechanical input corresponding to an authorization of a payment transaction has been locally received at the electronic device within a predefined time period;

when the mechanical input corresponding to an authorization of a payment transaction has not been locally received at the electronic device within the predefined time period;

presenting a stimulus indicating that the mechanical input corresponding to an authorization of a payment transaction has not been locally received; and

when the mechanical input corresponding to an authorization of a payment transaction has been locally received at the electronic device within the predefined time period;

enabling the payment information to be retrieved; and

releasing the payment information to the commerce application program.

17. The computer-program product of claim 16, wherein a transaction application program executing at the electronic device performs one or more of:

the detecting the payment operation;

or

the determining whether the mechanical input has been locally received.

18. The computer-program product of claim 16, wherein:

securely storing the payment information includes storing the payment information at a secure element of the electronic device; and

enabling the payment information to be retrieved includes retrieving the payment information from the secure element.

19. The computer-program product of claim 16, wherein detecting whether a mechanical input corresponding to an authorization of a payment transaction has been locally received at the electronic device within a predefined time period comprises detecting whether a button on the electronic device has been pressed within the predefined time period.

20. The computer-program product of claim 16, wherein:

the commerce application program comprises a web browser configured to support an electronic commerce transaction.