Programmable Card

• US 20120023024A1
• Filed: 07/18/2011
• Published: 01/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.)
• Inventors: Evans, Graham
• Granted Patent: US 10,552,809 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/66
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/105 involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"
• 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 20/352 Contactless payments by cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3552 Downloading or loading of personalisation data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/357 Cards having a plurality of specified features
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3672 initialising or reloading thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4018 using the card verification value [CVV] associated with the card
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention are directed to programming a payment device that can be in the same form factor as a typical credit or debit card and which can be programmed and reprogrammed with various payment profiles. The payment device is interfaced with a mobile device, such as through insertion into a module capable of holding the payment device within proximity to a main housing of the mobile device. The payment device can include both a magnetic stripe and an IC chip which is capable of near field communication. In embodiments of the invention, the mobile device, such as a cellular phone, includes a memory element. The memory element securely stores payment profiles of financial accounts which are commonly found on credit, debit, gift, transit and loyalty cards. When a payment profile stored in the memory element of the mobile phone is selected, the mobile phone writes the profile onto the payment device. The payment device can then be utilized to communicate payment profile information to a payment device reader during contact or contactless transaction.

Claims

1. A mobile device capable of programming a payment device associated with the mobile device, the mobile device comprising:

a processor;

a memory element configured to store a payment profile;

a display configured to display a payment profile identifier of the payment profile to a user of the mobile device;

an input element configured to select the payment profile through selection of the identifier;

a communication interface configured to communicate with the payment device; and

an output element configured to write the selected payment profile onto the payment device,

wherein payment profile information is inaccessible to a user of the mobile device, and

wherein the memory element, the display, the input element, the communication interface, and the output element are each operatively coupled to the processor.

2. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the payment profile is encrypted in the memory element.

3. The mobile device of claim 2, wherein the memory element comprises code for causing the processor to perform a method comprising:

encrypting the payment profile before the payment profile is stored in the memory element.

4. The mobile device of claim 1, further comprising a module is coupled to a main housing of the mobile device, wherein the module is configured to receive the payment device.

5. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the communication interface includes an antenna configured to wirelessly communicate the payment profile to the payment device.

6. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the memory element comprises a MicroSD chip.

7. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the payment profile information comprises at least two different payment formats.

8. The mobile device of claim 7, wherein the at least two different payment formats include a chip type format and a magnetic stripe type format.

9. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the payment profile includes customer loyalty information.

10. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the memory element stores a control application, wherein the control application controls the transmission of the payment profile to the output element.

11. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the payment profile is one of a plurality of payment profiles stored in the memory element, each payment profile in the plurality of payment profiles having a unique identifier.

12. A method comprising:

displaying a plurality of payment profile identifiers for a plurality of payment profiles on a display of the mobile device;

receiving a selection of a payment profile in the plurality of payment profiles through selection of a payment profile identifier in the plurality of payment profile identifiers; and

writing the selected payment profile to a payment device that is coupled to the mobile device,

wherein the plurality of payment profiles are securely stored in a memory element of the mobile device, and

wherein information included in the payment profile is not accessible to a user of the mobile device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the payment device includes a plurality of memory structures, including a memory chip and a magnetic stripe.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the payment device operates in the selected payment profile.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

verifying the payment device is associated with the mobile device each time that the payment device is interfaced with the mobile device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the verifying includes passing a cryptogram stored on the payment device to the mobile device.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the payment profile stored on the payment device decays over a predetermined time period.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the time period is 2-10 minutes.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the plurality of payment profiles is encrypted in the memory element.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

decrypting the selected payment profile with a key stored on the payment device prior to writing the selected payment profile to the payment device.