METHODS, APPARATUS, COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCTS AND ARTICLES FOR USE IN PROVIDING HUMAN UNDERSTANDABLE INDICATION OF ACCOUNT BALANCE

• US 20100181376A1
• Filed: 01/20/2009
• Published: 07/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mastercard International Incorporated (MasterCard Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Mastercard International Incorporated (MasterCard Incorporated)
• Inventors: Burdett, Richard, Leech, Chris, Tanner, Colin
• Granted Patent: US 8,684,261 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/379
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/26 Debit schemes, e.g. "pay now"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/321 using wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3223 Realising banking transactions through M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/34 using cards, e.g. integrated circuit [IC] cards or magnetic cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/42 Confirmation, e.g. check or permission by the legal debtor of payment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03

Abstract

In accordance with some embodiments, a method includes receiving, in a proximity coupling system, holder consent to provide a human understandable indication of an account balance associated with a payment account; and providing a human understandable indication of the account balance associated with the payment account via an output device, in response at least in part to the consent; wherein receiving holder consent comprises receiving holder consent provided via a proximity payment device associated with the payment account. In accordance with some embodiments, a method includes storing account data and preference data in a proximity payment device, the preference data indicative of a preferred method to provide a human understandable indication of an account balance. In accordance with some embodiments, apparatus includes a proximity payment device, the proximity payment device including preference data, the preference data indicative of a preferred method to provide a human understandable indication of an account balance. In accordance with some embodiments, apparatus includes a proximity payment device wherein the proximity payment device generates data indicative of whether there is consent to provide a human understandable indication of an account balance based at least in part on whether a holder has actuated a switch.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, in a proximity coupling system, holder consent to provide a human understandable indication of an account balance associated with a payment account; and

providing a human understandable indication of the account balance via an output device, in response at least in part to the consent;

wherein receiving holder consent comprises receiving holder consent provided via a proximity payment device associated with the payment account.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, in the proximity coupling system, account data from the proximity payment device; and

initiating the payment transaction in response at least in part to receiving the account data

3. The method of claim 1, where the proximity coupling system comprises a point of sale system.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the account balance comprises a monetary balance.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving holder consent comprises determining whether the proximity payment device has been positioned within range of the proximity coupling system for at least a predetermined amount of time after a reference and wherein the reference comprises an indication to the holder after the account data is received.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving holder consent comprises receiving holder consent based at least in part on whether a holder has actuated a switch supported by the proximity payment device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein providing a human understandable indication of the account balance comprises printing the account balance.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein providing a human understandable indication of the account balance comprises displaying the account balance on an electronic display device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein providing a human understandable indication of the account balance comprises displaying the account balance to an operator of the proximity coupling system who thereafter verbally informs the holder of the account balance.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein providing a human understandable indication of the account balance comprises indicating the account balance using machine generated speech.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, in the proximity coupling system, preference data from the proximity payment device, the preference data indicative of a preferred method to provide a human understandable indication of the account balance.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein providing a human understandable indication of the account balance comprises providing a human understandable indication of the account balance in accordance with the preferred method.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, in the proximity coupling system, preference data from the proximity payment device, the preference data indicative of a preferred order of methods to provide a human understandable indication of the account balance.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the data indicative of a preferred order of methods includes data indicating that a first method is a preferred method and wherein providing a human understandable indication of the account balance comprises providing a human understandable indication of the account balance using the first method if the first method is available.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the data indicative of a preferred order of methods includes data indicating that a second method is a preferred method if the first method is unavailable and wherein providing a human understandable indication of the account balance comprises providing a human understandable indication of the account balance using the second method if the second method is available and the first method is unavailable.

16. A proximity coupling system comprising;

a wireless interface to communicate with a proximity payment device associated with a payment account;

a processor coupled to the wireless interface, the processor to receive holder consent to provide a human understandable indication of an account balance associated with the payment account; and

an output device to provide a human understandable indication of the account balance;

wherein the holder consent comprises holder consent provided via the proximity payment device.

17. The proximity coupling system of claim 16, wherein the processor comprises a processor to receive account data from the proximity payment device via the wireless interface and initiate the payment transaction in response at least in part to receiving the account data.

18. The proximity coupling system of claim 16, wherein the account balance comprises a monetary account balance.

19. The proximity coupling system of claim 16 wherein the proximity payment device comprises a radio frequency identification circuit.

20. The proximity coupling system of claim 16 wherein the processor comprises a processor to receive holder consent by determining whether the proximity payment device has been positioned within range of the proximity coupling system for at least a predetermined amount of time after a reference and wherein the reference comprises an indication to the holder after the account data is received.

21. The proximity coupling system of claim 16, wherein the holder consent comprises holder consent based at least in part on whether a holder has actuated a switch.

22. The proximity coupling system of claim 16, wherein the processor comprises a processor to receive preference data from the proximity payment device, the preference data indicative of a preferred method to provide a human understandable indication of the account balance.

23. The proximity coupling system of claim 16, wherein the processor comprises a processor to receive preference data from the proximity payment device, the preference data indicative of a preferred order of methods to provide a human understandable indication of the account balance.

24. A method comprising:

storing account data; and

storing preference data in a proximity payment device, the preference data indicative of a preferred method to provide a human understandable indication of an account balance.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the account balance comprises a monetary balance.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the preference data comprises preference data indicative of a preferred order of methods to provide a human understandable indication of the account balance.

27. The method of claim 24 wherein the proximity payment device comprises a radio frequency identification circuit.

28. A computer program product comprising:

receiving, in a proximity coupling system, holder consent to provide a human understandable indication of an account balance associated with a payment account; and

providing a human understandable indication of the account balance via an output device, in response at least in part to the consent;

wherein receiving holder consent comprises receiving holder consent provided via a proximity payment device associated with the payment account.

29. An article comprising a machine readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that if executed by a proximity coupling system result in the following:

receiving, in a proximity coupling system, holder consent to provide a human understandable indication of an account balance associated with a payment account; and

providing a human understandable indication of the account balance via an output device, in response at least in part to the consent;

wherein receiving holder consent comprises receiving holder consent provided via a proximity payment device associated with the payment account.

30. Apparatus comprising;

a proximity payment device comprising;

a wireless communication interface;

account data; and

preference data, the preference data indicative of a preferred method to provide a human understandable indication of an account balance.

31. Apparatus comprising;

a proximity payment device comprising;

a wireless communication interface;

account data; and

data indicative of whether there is consent to provide a human understandable indication of an account balance; and

a switch;

wherein the proximity payment device generates the data indicative of whether there is consent to provide a human understandable indication of an account balance based at least in part on whether a holder has actuated the switch.