Method and apparatus for an integrated identity security and payment system

• US 20020073044A1
• Filed: 12/10/2001
• Published: 06/13/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sales Transaction Systems LLC (Internet Promise Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Tara C. Singhal
• Inventors: Singhal, Tara C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,254,560 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/64
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/023 the neutral party being a clearing house
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/14 specially adapted for billing 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 20/24 Credit schemes, i.e. "pay after"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3224 Transactions dependent on location of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3276 using a pictured code, e.g. barcode or QR-code, being read by the M-device
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3415 Cards acting autonomously as pay-media
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/383 Anonymous user system
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/385 using an alias or single-use codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4012 Verifying personal identification numbers [PIN]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4014 Identity check for transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/403 Solvency checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/203 : Dispensing operations within ATMs dispensing in general G07D11/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 : Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system

Abstract

An identity security system (10) that reduces the likelihood of identity theft and fraud includes a central system (12) and a portable wireless device (15). The central system (12) stores personal data of a party including information regarding one or more payment cards of the party, one or more bank accounts of the party, driver license data of the party, and/or other identification data of the party. The wireless device (15) electronically connects to the central system (12). With the present system, using the wireless device (15), the party can pay for a transaction using the one or more of the payment cards, cause funds to be transferred to or from the bank accounts and/or provide identifying data if necessary.

Claims

1. A method of payment from a customer to a merchant for a transaction, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a central system that contains data of the customer;

transmitting a payment request to the central system, the payment request including a merchant identification and a transaction amount;

assembling a payment data record regarding the transaction with the central system;

transmitting the payment data record from the central system to a payment approval system; and

transferring a payment authorization from the payment approval system to the merchant.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of transmitting a payment request includes the step of using a wireless device to transmit the payment request to the central system.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of providing a central system includes the step of storing data regarding a payment card of the customer.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the step of storing data includes the step of storing a card number and an expiration date of the payment card.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of providing a central system includes the step of storing a card number and an expiration date for at least two alternate payment cards of the customer.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of assembling a payment data record includes assembling a card number of a payment card of the customer, the merchant identification of the merchant, a transaction reference for the transaction, and the transaction amount for the transaction.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the step of transferring a payment authorization includes the step of transferring the transaction reference, an authorization number, and an authorized amount.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the step of transferring the transaction reference includes transmitting the merchant identification number, a store identification and a cash register identification.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of transferring a payment authorization from the payment approval system to the merchant includes the step of transmitting the payment authorization from the payment approval system to the central system and the step of transmitting the payment authorization from the central system to the merchant.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the step of transmitting the payment authorization from the central system to the merchant includes the steps of the central system utilizing a mapping table A of merchant identification number and merchant bank account and mapping table B of transaction reference number to a Uniform Resource locator identification, enabling redirecting of payment authorization data record to the merchant and authorized payment amount to a merchant bank account.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of displaying on a merchant terminal of the merchant a plurality of payment authorization data records.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of highlighting the last received payment authorization data record on the merchant terminal.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of transferring a notification of the transferring of the funds from the clearance house to the wireless device.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of transmitting a payment request includes the step of transferring the identification of the second party and the payment amount to the central system.

16. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of transferring a notification of the transferring of the funds to a second wireless device that is accessed by the second party.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein the step of providing a central system includes the steps of storing bank account data and email address of the first party and storing bank account data and email address of the second party.

18. The method of claim 13 further comprising the step of the first party opening a payment account in the central system.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising the step of the second party opening a payment account in the central system.

13. A method of payment from a first party to a second party, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a central system that contains bank account data of first party and the second party;

transmitting a payment request to the central system using a wireless device;

assembling a payment data record regarding the transaction with the central system;

transmitting the payment data record from the central system to a clearance house; and

transferring funds from a bank account of the first party to a bank account of the second party using the clearance house.

20. A method of facilitating a payment transaction to a merchant, the method comprising the steps of:

securing a merchant identification sign in the vicinity of a cash register of the merchant, the sign containing information regarding the merchant identification;

providing a portable wireless device; and

entering the merchant identification from the sign into the portable wireless device.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the step of providing a portable wireless device includes providing a device interface that allows for entry of the merchant identification.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the step of providing a device interface includes the step of providing a keypad that allows for entry of the merchant identifier.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein the step of providing a device interface includes the step of providing an optical reading element that allows for entry of the merchant identifier.

24. The method of claim 21 wherein the step of providing a device interface includes the step of providing a magnetic reading element that allows for entry of the merchant identifier.

25. The method of claim 21 wherein the step of providing a device interface includes the step of providing a bar code reading element that allows for entry of the merchant identifier.

26. The method of claim 20, wherein the merchant identification includes information that identifies the merchant, a particular store of the merchant and a particular cash register of the merchant.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising the step of storing the merchant identification in a central system, the merchant identification being referenced to a uniform resource locator that identifies the cash register of the merchant on a global computer system.

28. The method of claim 20 wherein the step of providing a portable wireless device includes the step of providing a cellular telephone.

29. The method of claim 20 wherein the step of providing a portable wireless device includes the step of providing a personal digital assistant having a wireless modem.

30. The method of claim 20 further comprising the steps of entering a payment amount for the transaction into the wireless device, and transferring the payment amount from the wireless device to a central system.

31. The method of claim 30 further comprising the steps of assembling a payment approval record with the central system and forwarding the payment approval record from the central system to a payment approval system.

32. The method of claim 31 further comprising the step of transferring a payment authorization data record from the payment approval system to the merchant.

33. A system for providing personal identification information of a person, the device comprising;

a central system that has access to the personal identification information of the person; and

a portable wireless device that can access the personal identification information from the central system and display the personal identification information.

34. The system of claim 33 wherein the wireless device includes a display for displaying the personal identification information retrieved from the central system.

35. The system of claim 33 wherein the central system receives at least a portion of the personal identification information from a governmental system.

36. The system of claim 33, wherein the personal identification information includes a social security number and a driver license number.

37. The system of claim 33, wherein the personal identification information includes a picture of the person.

38. The system of claim 33, wherein the personal identification information includes a physical description of the person.

39. The system of claim 33 wherein the personal identification information includes a thumb print of the person.

40. The system of claim 33, wherein the personal identification information includes a signature sample of the person.

41. The system of claim 33 wherein the personal identification information is displayed with a reliability indicia indicating to an inspector, that the personal identification data being retrieved from a Government system is genuine.

42. A wireless device that can be used with a central system to facilitate a payment transaction between a first party and a second party, the central system containing of the bank data of the first party and the second party.

43. A wireless device that can be used with a central system to provide personal identification information of a person, the central system having access to the personal identification information of the person.

44. A wireless, mobile device having a reading element for reading a merchant identification data for facilitating a payment transaction to a merchant.