Controlled emulation of payment cards

• US 10,614,450 B1
• Filed: 08/08/2014
• Issued: 04/07/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Block, Inc. (f/k/a Square, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Squre Incorporated
• Inventors: Templeton, Thomas, Kalinichenko, Alexey, Borovsky, Andrew, Aaron, Paul, Dorogusker, Jesse L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Iwarere, Oluseye
• Application Number:
  US14/455,287
• Time in Patent Office: 2,069 Days
• Field of Search: 705 16, 705 41, 235492
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/105 involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"
• 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 20/34 using cards, e.g. integrated circuit [IC] cards or magnetic cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/351 Virtual cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/354 Card activation or deactivation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3572 Multiple accounts on card
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/367 involving electronic purses or money safes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/405 Establishing or using transaction specific rules

Abstract

A technique for a proxy card to emulate each of a plurality of payment cards according to emulation rules associated with the payment card. The proxy card initially selects one of the plurality of payment cards for emulation based on one or more selection rules or a user instruction. Next, the proxy card emulates the selected payment card according to one or more emulation rule associated with the selected payment card, each relating to how emulation is performed with respect to time, location, business, or other factors.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by an electronic system, a request regarding an emulation rule of a plurality of emulation rules for one of a plurality of payment cards to be emulated by a card that is external to the electronic system;

creating or modifying, by the electronic system, the emulation rule in response to the request; and

transmitting, to the card, the created or modified emulation rule when an update has been made to the plurality of emulation rules,

wherein the created or modified emulation rule is applied to the card in response to a trigger event,

wherein application of different emulation rules, corresponding to the plurality of payment cards, to the card facilitates a user of the card with benefits from use of the plurality of payment cards with a single card, and

wherein the card has an appearance of a payment card and contains a processing element and memory.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second request regarding the plurality of emulation rules for one of the plurality of payment cards; and

combining the plurality of emulation rules by Boolean operators in response to the second request.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second request regarding the plurality of emulation rules for one of the plurality of payment cards; and

prioritizing the plurality of emulation rules in response to the second request.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a second request regarding a selection rule for selecting one of the plurality of payment cards for emulation.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the selection rule involves a time, a location, or a business.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising creating, modifying, or deleting the selection rule in response to the second request.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving a third request regarding a plurality of selection rules for one of the plurality of payment cards; and

combining the plurality of selection rules or prioritizing the plurality of selection rules in response to the third request.