Method and System for a Purchase Transaction at a Remote Merchant Machine

• US 20080077527A1
• Filed: 05/11/2007
• Published: 03/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Mobilekash Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Mobilekash Incorporated
• Inventors: Choe, Howon, Park, Min
• Application Number:
  US11/747,690
• Publication Number:
  US 20080077527A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/44
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/32 using wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/325 using wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/327 Short range or proximity payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists

Abstract

A method comprises receiving, at a payment media interface associated with a remote merchant machine, a signal from a mobile customer premise device. The mobile customer premise device includes a set of device identification data. In response to receiving the signal, the remote merchant machine communicates a remote merchant machine identification code to the mobile customer premise device. The method further comprises receiving, through a network interface of the remote merchant machine, a purchase authorization and customer account data from a payment processing system. The customer account data is accessed by the payment processing system based upon receiving at least a portion of the remote merchant machine identification code from the mobile customer premise device and at least a portion of the device identification data from the mobile customer premise device The method further comprises receiving a selection input corresponding to a selected item, dispensing the selected item and creating a transaction record. At least a portion of the transaction record is communicated to the payment processing system.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a payment media interface associated with a remote merchant machine, a signal from a mobile customer premise device, the mobile customer premise device including a set of device identification data;

in response to receiving the signal, communicating a remote merchant machine identification code to the mobile customer premise device;

receiving, through a network interface of the remote merchant machine, a purchase authorization and customer account data from a payment processing system, wherein the customer account data is accessed by the payment processing system based upon receiving at least a portion of the remote merchant machine identification code from the mobile customer premise device and at least a portion of the device identification data from the mobile customer premise device;

receiving a selection input corresponding to a selected item;

dispensing the selected item;

creating a transaction record; and

communicating at least a portion of the transaction record to the payment processing system.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the signal is a short-range wireless signal for detecting a short-range wireless connectivity device associated with the payment media interface.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the connectivity device is an RFID device.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the connectivity device is an IrDA transceiver.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the connectivity device is an NFC device.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein the connectivity device is a barcode.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of communicating the remote merchant machine identification code to the mobile customer premise device comprises sending remote merchant machine identification data via a short-range wireless connectivity device to a reader associated with the mobile customer premise device.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of receiving, through a network interface of a remote merchant machine, a purchase authorization and a customer account data from a payment processing system comprises receiving an SMS message from the payment processing system.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the network interface is connected to a private network.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the network interface is connected to a public network.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the remote merchant machine is a vending machine.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the selected item is a quantity of currency.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the selected item is at least one photocopy.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the selected item is a parking privilege.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the selected item is a car wash.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of communicating at least a portion of the transaction record to the payment processing system comprises transmitting an SMS message to the payment processing system.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising establishing a link between the payment media interface associated with a remote merchant machine and the mobile customer premise device and alerting the mobile customer premise device that the link is established.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein alerting the customer premise device comprises causing the customer premise device to emit an audible notification.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein alerting the customer premise device comprises causing the customer premise device to emit a visible notification.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of communicating the remote merchant machine identification code to the mobile customer premise device comprises causing the mobile customer premise device to launch an invocation application.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein the mobile customer premise device is internally equipped with a reader adapted to receive the remote merchant machine identification code.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the reader is a barcode reader.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein the reader is an LCD barcode reader.

24. The method of claim 21 wherein the reader is a smartcard reader.

25. The method of claim 21 wherein the reader is an RFID reader.

26. The method of claim 21 wherein the reader is an NFC reader.

27. A method comprising:

receiving a remote merchant machine identification code associated with a remote merchant machine from a mobile customer premise device over a first network, wherein the remote merchant machine identification data was obtained by the mobile customer premise device in response to sending a signal from the mobile customer premise device to a payment media interface associated with the remote merchant machine;

receiving device identification data associated with the mobile customer premise device from the mobile customer premise device;

authenticating the device identification data;

communicating at least a portion of the device identification data to a customer account database;

receiving access to customer account data associated with the device identification data;

generating a purchase authorization;

communicating at least a portion of the customer account data to the remote merchant machine over a second network;

communicating the purchase authorization to the remote merchant machine over the second network; and

receiving from the remote merchant machine a record of sale generated by the remote merchant machine.

28. The method of claim 27 further comprising:

requesting user verification data from the mobile customer premise device via the first network; and

receiving the user verification data from the mobile customer premise device via the first network,

wherein the step of authenticating comprises comparing the user verification data to a stored value associated with the mobile customer premise device.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein the verification data is a personal identification number.

30. The method of claim 27 wherein the step of communicating at least a portion of the customer account data to the remote merchant machine over the second network comprises transmitting an SMS message.

31. The method of claim 27 wherein the step of communicating the purchase authorization to the remote merchant machine over the second network comprises transmitting an SMS message.

32. The method of claim 27 wherein the step of receiving from the remote merchant machine a record of sale generated by the remote merchant machine comprises receiving an SMS message.

33. The method of claim 27 wherein the second network is a private network.

34. The method of claim 27 wherein the first network is a public network.

35. The method of claim 27 wherein the step of receiving a record of sale generated by the remote merchant machine comprises receiving a plurality of records of sale sent in batch by the remote merchant machine.

36. The method of claim 27 wherein the step of communicating at least a portion of the device identification data to a customer account database comprises transmitting the at least a portion of the device identification data to a customer account database over a network.

37. The method of claim 27 further comprising:

receiving a purchase amount value corresponding to a selected item associated with the remote merchant machine from the mobile customer premise device.

38. A payment processing system comprising:

a payment processing server;

an interface adapted to connect the payment processing server to a communications network;

an inbound communications module

adapted to receive remote merchant machine identification data associated with a remote merchant machine from a mobile customer premise device, wherein the remote merchant machine identification data was obtained by the mobile customer premise device in response to sending a signal from the mobile customer premise device to a payment media interface associated with the remote merchant machine and

adapted to receive device identification data associated with the mobile customer premise device from the mobile customer premise device;

an authentication module adapted to authenticate the device identification data;

a data retrieval module adapted to access a customer account database to receive access to customer account data associated with the device identification data;

an authorization generator adapted to generate a purchase authorization;

a merchant communications module adapted to communicate at least a portion of the customer account data to the remote merchant machine, to communicate the purchase authorization to the remote merchant machine, and to receive from the remote merchant machine a record of sale generated by the remote merchant machine.

39. The system of claim 38 wherein the authentication module further comprises a submodule adapted to:

request user verification data from the mobile customer premise device; and

receive the user verification data from the mobile customer premise device,

wherein the authentication module compares the user verification data to a stored value associated with the mobile customer premise device.

40. The system of claim 39 wherein the verification data is a personal identification number.

41. The system of claim 38 wherein the merchant communications module transmits the at least a portion of the customer account data to the remote merchant machine via an SMS message.

42. The method of claim 38 wherein the merchant communications module transmits the purchase authorization to the remote merchant machine via an SMS message.

43. The method of claim 41, wherein the at least a portion of the customer account data is an account balance.

44. The method of claim 38 wherein the merchant communications module is configured to receive an SMS message from the remote merchant machine including the generated record of sale.