FACILITATING MOBILE DEVICE PAYMENTS USING PRODUCT CODE SCANNING

• US 20120006891A1
• Filed: 07/18/2011
• Published: 01/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Banker of MOBI Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Andrew H.B. Zhou, Dylan T.X. Zhou, Tiger T.G. Zhou
• Inventors: Zhou, Tiger T G, Zhou, Dylan T X, Zhou, Andrew H B
• Granted Patent: US 9,367,841 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/380
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06112 the marking being simulated using a light source, e.g. a barcode shown on a display or a laser beam with time-varying intensity profile
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1095 the scanner comprising adaptations for scanning a record carrier that is displayed on a display-screen or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/326 Payment applications installed on the mobile devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3274 using a pictured code, e.g. barcode or QR-code, being displayed on the M-device
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

Provided are computer implemented methods and systems for facilitating mobile device payments using barcodes displayed on mobile devices and scanned by merchants at checkout counters. When a customer is ready to tender a payment to a merchant, instead of using a credit card, cash, or check, the customer activates an application on his mobile device. The mobile device includes or obtains information about the payment system of this merchant. Furthermore, the mobile device includes or obtains information about the customer/mobile device user and then uses these two pieces of information to generate and display a barcode that encodes customer payment information specific to this merchant. The barcode is scanned at the checkout counter and processed to retrieve customer records from a database of the payment processing system. These records are then used to transfer funds between the merchant and customer, obtain discounts, and/or perform other retail transactions.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for facilitating mobile device payments using barcodes, the computer implemented method comprising:

providing merchant identification information on a user interface of a mobile device, the merchant identification information corresponding to a payment processing system;

retrieving customer payment information based on the merchant identification information, the customer payment information corresponding to a customer payment account maintained at the payment processing system; and

displaying a barcode on a screen of the mobile device, wherein the displayed barcode is scannable by a barcode scanner of the payment processing system and wherein the displayed barcode encodes the customer payment information.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein providing the merchant identification information comprises transmitting user identification information to the payment processing system.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the customer payment information is stored in a memory of the mobile device.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the customer payment information comprises one or more data selected from the group consisting of:

a customer name, a customer account number, and an amount of available funds.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the displayed barcode is a linear barcode or a two-dimensional barcode.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device comprises one or more devices selected from the group consisting of:

a mobile phone and a PDA.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising displaying an alphanumeric string on the screen of the mobile device, the alphanumeric string corresponds to the customer payment information.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device comprises a user interface for entering an alphanumeric entry corresponding to the merchant identification information.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising, prior to retrieving customer payment information, requesting secure access information on the interface of the mobile device.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the customer payment information is retrieved from the payment processing system.

11. A payment processing method using a payment processing system, the payment processing method comprising:

scanning, at a checkout counter, a barcode displayed on a screen of a mobile device, wherein the displayed barcode encodes customer payment information;

retrieving the customer payment information from the scanned barcode;

retrieving one or more customer records from a database of the payment processing system, the one or more customer records correspond to the customer payment information; and

displaying the one or more customer records at the checkout counter.

12. The payment processing method of claim 11, further comprising determining availability of funds based on the customer payment information.

13. The payment processing method of claim 12, wherein determining availability of funds is performed based on the customer payment information.

14. The payment processing method of claim 12, wherein determining availability of funds is performed based on the one or more customer records.

15. The payment processing method of claim 11, wherein the displayed barcode is a linear barcode or a two-dimensional barcode.

16. The payment processing method of claim 11, wherein the customer payment information comprises one or more data selected from the group consisting of:

a customer name, a customer account number, and an amount of available funds.

17. The payment processing method of claim 11, further comprising receiving user identification information from the mobile device and, based on the user identification information, transmitting the customer payment information to the mobile device.

18. The payment processing method of claim 11, further comprising transferring a payment amount from a customer account to a merchant account and updating the one or more customer records based on the transferred payment amount.

19. A payment processing system for facilitating mobile device payment, the system comprising:

a barcode scanner for scanning at barcode displayed on a screen of a mobile device, wherein the displayed barcode encodes customer payment information, the barcode scanner provided at a checkout counter;

a processing module for retrieving the customer payment information from the scanned barcode;

a database for storing one or more customer records; and

a display for displaying the one or more customer records, the display provided at the checkout counter.

20. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions, which when executed by one or more processors, perform the following operations:

scan, at a checkout counter, a barcode displayed on a screen of a mobile device, wherein the displayed barcode encodes customer payment information;

retrieve the customer payment information from the scanned barcode;

retrieve one or more customer records from a database of the payment processing system, the one or more customer records correspond to the customer payment information; and

display the one or more customer records at the checkout counter.

21. A computer system for facilitating mobile device payment, the system comprising:

an input module for communicating via network with one or more mobile devices and for receiving product information from the one or more mobile devices;

a product database for storing product related data corresponding to each individual product items based on the product information; and

a payment module for receiving payment authorization from the one or more mobile devices and transferring funds between one or more accounts.