MOBILE COMMERCE SYSTEM

• US 20120284131A1
• Filed: 03/29/2012
• Published: 11/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verifone, Inc. (Verifone Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verifone, Inc. (Verifone Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: SOFFER, Dan, ELGRICHI, Yoav, NG, Kay Hong, KHOW, Siang-Thye, CHUA, Benjamin, SALOMON, Rolf, MAAYAN-VILIAN, Itiel-Meir
• Granted Patent: US 9,053,478 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/17
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/203 Inventory monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3278 RFID or NFC payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/36 using electronic wallets or electronic money safes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking

Abstract

A mobile commerce system including a multiplicity of Mobile Device—Point of Sale Communication (MPC)-equipped mobile devices, a plurality of MPC-enabled Point-of-Sale (POS) devices, at least one POS configuration server for configuring the plurality of MPC-enabled POS devices, at least one MPC-equipped mobile device configuration server for configuring the plurality of MPC-equipped mobile devices and at least one mobile marketing platform server operative to introduce Transaction Value Certificate (TVC)-related functions and to communicate both with the at least one POS configuration server and the at least one MPC-equipped mobile device configuration server to coordinate operation thereof so that the MPC-enabled POS devices will be “tap-ready” for carrying out the TVC-related functions.

Claims

1. A mobile commerce system comprising:

a multiplicity of Mobile Device—

Point of Sale Communication (MPC)-equipped mobile devices;

a plurality of MPC-enabled Point-of-Sale (POS) devices;

at least one POS configuration server for configuring said plurality of MPC-enabled POS devices;

at least one MPC-equipped mobile device configuration server for configuring said plurality of MPC-equipped mobile devices; and

at least one mobile marketing platform server operative to introduce Transaction Value Certificate (TVC)-related functions and to communicate both with said at least one POS configuration server and said at least one MPC-equipped mobile device configuration server to coordinate operation thereof so that the MPC-enabled POS devices will be “

tap-ready”

for carrying out said TVC-related functions.

2. A mobile commerce system according to claim 1 and also comprising a performance monitor server operative to receive TVC data from at least one of said plurality of MPC-enabled POS devices and said at least one POS configuration server and to provide an output indicating parameters of use of TVCs.

3. A mobile commerce system according to claim 1 and wherein at least some of said multiplicity of MPC-equipped mobile devices are MPC wallet-equipped mobile devices.

4. A mobile commerce system according to claim 1 and wherein said TVC-related functions include at least two of:

receiving TVC data and customer profiles from at least one of an operator interface computer and a merchant ERP system;

communicating TVC-related instructions to at least one POS configuration server regarding TVC parameters to be downloaded to the MPC-enabled POS devices;

communicating TVC-related instructions to at least one MPC-equipped mobile device configuration server regarding TVC parameters, inventory data and promotion data to be downloaded to selected ones of the multiplicity of MPC wallet-equipped mobile devices;

conducting operator initiated TVC database searches;

generating TVCs; and

modifying TVCs.

5. A mobile commerce system according to claim 4 and wherein said TVC-related instructions include TVC-specific POS set up instructions which are communicated to said at least one POS configuration server and TVC-specific mobile set up instructions which are communicated to said at least one MPC-equipped mobile device configuration server.

6. A mobile marketing platform server operative to provide selectable TVC-related instructions and configured to communicate said TVC-related instructions to both at least one POS configuration server and at least one MPC-equipped mobile device configuration server, thereby to coordinate operation thereof so that the MPC-enabled POS devices will be “

tap-ready”

for carrying out said selected TVC-related functions.

7. A mobile marketing platform server according to claim 6 and wherein said TVC-related instructions include:

instructions to be communicated to at least one POS configuration server regarding TVC parameters to be downloaded to the MPC-enabled POS devices; and

instructions to be communicated to at least one MPC-equipped mobile device configuration server regarding TVC parameters, inventory data and promotion data to be downloaded to selected ones of the multiplicity of MPC wallet-equipped mobile devices.

8. A mobile marketing platform server according to claim 7 and wherein said TVC-related instructions include TVC-specific POS set up instructions to be communicated to said at least one POS configuration server and TVC-specific mobile set up instructions to be communicated to said at least one MPC-equipped mobile device configuration server.

9. A mobile marketing platform server according to claim 6 and wherein said mobile marketing platform server is configured for communication with a performance monitor server.

10. An MPC-equipped mobile device configuration server configured to receive TVC-related instructions from a mobile marketing platform server and to configure a plurality of MPC-equipped mobile devices to carry out at least some of said TVC-related functions.

11. An MPC-equipped mobile device configuration server according to claim 10 and wherein said TVC-related instructions include instructions indicating TVC parameters, inventory data and promotion data to be downloaded to selected ones of the multiplicity of MPC wallet-equipped mobile devices.

12. An MPC-equipped mobile device configuration server according to claim 10 and wherein said TVC-related instructions include TVC-specific mobile set up instructions.

13. A POS configuration server configured to receive TVC-related instructions from a mobile marketing platform server and to configure a plurality of MPC-enabled POS devices to carry out at least some of said TVC-related functions.

14. A POS configuration server according to claim 13 and wherein said TVC-related instructions include instructions indicating TVC parameters to be downloaded to MPC-enabled POS devices.

15. A POS configuration server according to claim 13 and wherein said MPC-equipped POS configuration server is configured for communication with a performance monitor server.

16. A POS configuration server according to claim 13 and wherein said TVC-related instructions include TVC-specific POS set up instructions.

17. An MPC-enabled POS device comprising:

a payment card acceptor;

a TVC instruction receiving port;

a TVC data receiving port;

a TVC data transmitting port; and

TVC instruction responsive functionality operative to select at least one TVC data source.

18. An MPC-enabled POS device according to claim 17 and wherein said TVC instruction responsive functionality includes TVC data validation functionality.