Micropayment financial transaction process utilizing wireless network processing

• US 20040029569A1
• Filed: 12/18/2002
• Published: 02/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mastercard International Incorporated (MasterCard Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: ViVOtech Incorporated
• Inventors: Khan, Mohammad A., Brown, Kerry D., Fernandes, Jorge M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,127,236 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/29 characterised by micropayments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/326 Payment applications installed on the mobile devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/327 Short range or proximity payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/341 Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3572 Multiple accounts on card
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/363 with the personal data of a user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/388 using mutual authentication without cards, e.g. challenge-response
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4014 Identity check for transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4037 Remote solvency checks
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/08 by coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means without personal verification means G07F7/02
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0866 by active credit-cards adapted therefor G07F7/1008 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/088 the card reader being part of the point of sale [POS] terminal or electronic cash register [ECR] itself
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0886 the card reader being portable for interacting with a POS or ECR in realizing a payment transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0893 the card reader reading the card in a contactless manner
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system

Abstract

A MicroAdapter device enables payment transactions to be effected through a purchaser'"'"'s personal trusted device (PTD) without relying upon tokens or prepayment cards. In one embodiment, the MicroAdapter includes a transceiver configured to receive a purchase signal from the PTD including order and payment information. In response, the MicroAdapter communicates via wireless telephony with a transaction authorizer to receive authorization for effectuating the purchase transaction. The MicroAdapter may be particularly suited to effectuate micropayment transactions authorized by a Billing On Behalf of Others (BOBO) program administered through a wireless carrier/ISP or third party.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a first transceiver configured to receive from a personal trusted device a purchase signal including order information and payment information;

a processor in electronic communication with the first transceiver; and

a second transceiver in electronic communication with the processor, the processor configured to receive the purchase signal from the first transceiver and in response to cause the second transceiver to communicate a purchase request by wireless telephony to a remote transaction authorizer, the processor also configured to authorize a purchase based upon receipt of an acceptance signal returned from the remote transaction authorizer to the second transceiver.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first transceiver is short range transceiver.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the first transceiver is selected from the group consisting of an infrared transceiver, an IEEE 802.11(a) transceiver, and IEEE 802.11(b) transceiver, an IEEE 802.11(g) transceiver, an ISO 14443 type A or B transceiver, and an ISO 15693 transceiver.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the second transceiver is a cellular transceiver.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a wired communication port in electronic communication with the processor.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the wired communication port is configured to communicate with a control logic of an unmanned vending machine.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the wired communication port is configured to communicate with the remote transaction authorizer.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein based upon the payment information, the processor is configured to select between the communications port and the second transceiver for communicating the purchase request to the remote transaction authorizer.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a magnetic stripe card reader in communication with the processor.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a manual input device in communication with the processor.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to emit an offer signal from the first transceiver.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a cryptoprocessor in electronic communication with the processor, the cryptoprocessor configured to encrypt the purchase request prior to transmission.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a simulacrum in communication with the processor and configured to fit within a slot of a magnetic stripe card reader and to at least one of emulate and read magnetic stripe card signals.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the processor is configured to cause the simulacrum to emit an intense magnetic field to disable a magnetic stripe card positioned within the slot upon receipt of an appropriate signal by the second transceiver.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to cause the first transceiver to transmit an offer signal upon which the order information is based.

16. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to cause the first transceiver to transmit a programming signal to the PTD upon receipt of an appropriate signal by the second transceiver, the programming signal causing inactivation of at least one of a financial account number stored on the PTD, and a software code of a software application stored on the PTD.

17. A purchasing system comprising:

a MicroAdapter coupled with a merchant selling a product or service, the MicroAdapter comprising a first transceiver configured to receive a purchase signal from a PTD of a buyer, and a wireless transceiver configured to communicate a purchase request to a wireless carrier, the wireless transceiver receiving approval for the purchase transaction from a remote transaction authorizer.

18. The purchasing system of claim 17 wherein the merchant comprises an individual configured to manually dispense the product or service to the buyer.

19. The purchasing system of claim 17 wherein the merchant comprises an unmanned station configured to automatically dispense the product or service to the buyer.

20. The purchasing system of claim 17 wherein the remote transaction authorizer comprises the wireless carrier itself, an internet service provider in communication with the wireless carrier, or a third party in communication with the wireless carrier, the remote transaction authorizer responsible for administrating an accounting program in which the buyer is enrolled.

21. The purchasing system of claim 17 wherein the purchase signal relates to purchase of a good or a service having a value of $30 or less.

22. A method of selling an item or service to a buyer, the method comprising:

transmitting a purchase option to a potential buyer'"'"'s personal trusted device (PTD) using a wireless protocol;

receiving a purchase request generated by the buyer'"'"'s (PTD) using the wireless protocol; and

generating an approval request from the purchase request;

transmitting the approval request to a transaction authorizer; and

receiving an approval signal from the transaction authorizer.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the approval request is communicated to the transaction authorizer utilizing a wireless telephony format.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein the purchase request is communicated according to a wireless protocol selected from the group consisting of IRDA version 2.1 or later, IEEE 802.11 including standards (a)(b) or (g) or later, and a wired or wireless telephony protocol utilizing IP or caller-ID addressing.

25. The method of claim 22 wherein communicating the approval request to the remote transaction authorizer comprises communicating the purchase request to a Billing On Behalf of Others (BOBO) program in which the buyer is enrolled.

26. The method of claim 22 wherein the purchase request comprises an order component and a payment component.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the purchase request comprises an order component having a value of $30 or less.

28. The method of claim 26 wherein for each type of item or service ordered, the order component comprises a product identifier identifying the purchased product or service and a quantity identifier identifying the quantity of the purchased product or service.

29. The method of claim 26 wherein the payment component comprises an account number associated with the buyer and an expiration date associated with the account number.

30. The method of claim 26 wherein the payment component includes information designating a mode of transmission of the approval request.

31. The method of claim 22 further comprising mutually authenticating identities of the buyer and the transaction authorizer during communication of the approval request.

32. The method of claim 22 further comprising providing the product or service to the buyer based upon receipt of the approval signal.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein the product or service is manually dispensed by an individual merchant upon receipt of the approval.

34. The method of claim 32 wherein the product or service is automatically dispensed by an automated merchant upon receipt of the approval.

35. The method of claim 22 further comprising communicating the purchase request to other than a transaction authorizer.

36. A method of programming a personal trusted device comprising:

providing a MicroAdapter device having a wireless transceiver and configured to communicate with a merchant;

communicating an identity signal from a user'"'"'s personal trusted device to the MicroAdapter device;

communicating the identity signal from the MicroAdapter device to a remote location;

communicating data from the remote location to the MicroAdapter upon authenticating the identity signal; and

communicating the data from the MicroAdapter to the wireless transceiver of the personal trusted device.

37. The method of claim 36 wherein the remote location comprises a server hosting a financial management application, and communication of the data comprises communicating at least one of a user preference and an updated user financial account status.

38. The method of claim 36 wherein the remote location comprises a server in communication with a purchase incentive program, and communication of the data comprises communicating a purchase incentive.

39. The method of claim 36 wherein the remote location comprises an account validity monitor, and communication of the data causes inactivation of at least one of a financial account number stored on the PTD, and a software code of a software application stored on the PTD.

40. The method of claim 36 wherein the remote location comprises a token issuer, and communication of the data comprises communicating a token to the PTD.