Real-Time Balance on a Mobile Phone

• US 20120184243A1
• Filed: 03/23/2012
• Published: 07/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ayman Hammad, Carrie Elaine Vriheas, Nicole Janine Granucci
• Original Assignee: Ayman Hammad, Carrie Elaine Vriheas, Nicole Janine Granucci
• Inventors: Granucci, Nicole Janine, Vriheas, Carrie Elaine, Hammad, Ayman A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,452,257 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/407
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/28 Pre-payment schemes, e.g. "pay before"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3221 Access to banking information through M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1421 Indication of expected costs
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1467 involving prepayment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

A system, method and prepaid payment mobile phone configured to display a current prepaid balance. The prepaid payment mobile phone receives a debit balance request from input on the mobile phone. After retrieving an encoded current balance, the mobile phone displays the amount. The current balance may be calculated by the phone after a transaction, or the phone may receive a debit balance via a short message service notification.

Claims

1. A mobile phone comprising:

a processor;

a non-volatile programmable memory coupled to the processor and configured to store a current balance;

an input device coupled to the processor and configured to receive a request for the current balance of the mobile phone;

a display coupled to the processor and configured to show the current balance; and

a wireless transceiver coupled to the processor and configured to transmit transaction data and receive current balance information.

2. The mobile phone of claim 21, wherein the current balance is associated with an account identifier for a payment account.

3. The mobile phone of claim 22, wherein the account identifier is stored on the non-volatile programmable memory.

4. The mobile phone of claim 22, wherein the payment account is a prepaid account.

5. The mobile phone of claim 24, wherein the current balance is a debit balance of the mobile phone, indicating an amount of currency remaining on the mobile phone for payment transactions.

6. The mobile phone of claim 25, wherein the current balance can be determined at any time without requiring a consumer to look up the current balance information online.

7. The mobile phone of claim 21, wherein the display is further configured to prompt a consumer for input of a personal identification number (PIN) and the processor is configured to determine whether the PIN is valid and display the current balance if the PIN is determined to be valid.

8. The mobile phone of claim 27, wherein the PIN is stored in the non-volatile programmable memory on the mobile phone.

9. The mobile phone of claim 21, wherein current balance is determined by querying a payment network.

10. The mobile phone of claim 21, wherein the current balance information is received using a contactless transmission.

11. A method of encoding a current balance on a mobile phone comprising:

storing an account identifier on a non-volatile programmable memory;

transmitting, with a wireless transceiver, transaction data associated with a transaction to a point of sale device, the transaction data comprising the account identifier;

receiving, with the wireless transceiver, real-time balance information regarding a current balance of an account associated with the account identifier; and

encoding, with a processor, the current balance in the non-volatile programmable memory on the mobile phone.

12. The method of claim 31, wherein the receiving of the real-time balance information regarding the current balance comprises receiving a contactless transmission.

13. The method of claim 31,

wherein the real-time balance information comprises a transaction amount representing an amount of a last transaction completed using the mobile phone;

wherein the last transaction amount is subtracted from a previous balance using the processor; and

wherein the result of the subtraction comprises the current balance.

14. The method of claim 31, wherein the transaction is a reload transaction initiated at the point of sale device and the mobile phone is loaded with additional funds.

15. The method of claim 31, wherein the real-time balance information is saved to the mobile phone as data for a payment program.