SECURE POINT OF SALE PRESENTATION OF A BARCODE AT AN INFORMATION HANDLING SYSTEM DISPLAY

• US 20140263623A1
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dell Products LP (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Robison, Charles D., Schuckle, Richard W., Ancona, Rocco
• Granted Patent: US 8,893,964 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 7/1447 extracting optical codes from image or text carrying said optical code
• 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 20/3224 Transactions dependent on location of M-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 20/3276 using a pictured code, e.g. barcode or QR-code, being read by the M-device
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3829 involving key management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4015 using location information

Abstract

Unauthorized copying of a transaction barcode is prevented by including a sensed condition or other publicly-accessible data with the transaction barcode for use as a comparison with the publicly accessible data determined at a barcode reader. If the sensed condition included in the transaction barcode indicates that the transaction barcode was generated for a different transaction, then the barcode reader invalidates the transaction. For instance, if the barcode was generated too distant in time, position, or sequential transactions, then the barcode reader invalidates the transaction barcode as an unauthorized copy of a transaction barcode generated for a different transaction.

Claims

1. A method for performing a point-of-sale transaction, the method comprising:

determining a publicly accessible data at a point-of-sale location;

applying the publicly accessible data to encrypt an account identifier in a barcode;

presenting the bar code at a display;

reading barcode from the display with a barcode reader at the point-of-sale location;

decrypting the barcode with the publicly accessible data at the point-of-sale location; and

applying the account number from the barcode to perform the point-of-sale transaction.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein determining a publicly accessible data at a point of sale location further comprises:

determining a location with a GPS; and

selecting a predetermined portion of the location as an encryption key to encrypt the account identifier.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein determining a publicly accessible data at a point of sale location further comprises:

determining a time from a publicly accessible time source; and

selecting a predetermined portion of the time as an encryption key to encrypt the account identifier.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein determining a publicly accessible data at a point of sale location further comprises:

reading a key with a near field communication device associated with the barcode reader; and

applying the key as an encryption key to encrypt the account identifier.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein determining a publicly accessible data at a point of sale location further comprises:

reading a barcode placed proximate the barcode reader; and

applying information read from the barcode to encrypt the account identifier.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein applying information read from the barcode further comprises:

reading a key embedded in the barcode; and

applying the key to encrypt the account identifier.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein applying information read from the barcode further comprises:

reading a network address embedded in the barcode;

retrieving a key from the network address;

applying the key to encrypt the account identifier; and

retrieving the key from the network address to the barcode reader to decrypt the account identifier.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

embedding a time of generation of the barcode in the barcode; and

invalidating the barcode at the barcode reader if the embedded time of generation of the barcode is greater than a predetermined time from a current time.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

embedding transaction information in the barcode, the transaction information associated with previous transactions of the account identifier; and

invalidating the barcode with the barcode reader if the previous transactions do not match previous transactions stored at the barcode reader.

10. A point of sale transaction system comprising:

a portable information handling system having a processor operable to execute instructions to process information, memory interfaced with the processor and operable to store the information and a display interfaced with the processor and operable to present the information as visual images;

a barcode generator stored in the memory and operable to execute on the processor to apply the information to generate a barcode for presentation at the display;

a transaction engine stored in the memory and operable to execute on the processor to embed an account identifier and predetermined publicly accessible information in a barcode generated by the barcode generator, the barcode presented at the display; and

a barcode reader separate from the mobile information handling system and operable to read the barcode from the display, extract the account identifier and apply predetermined publicly accessible information to validate a point-of-sale transaction.

11. The point of sale transaction system of claim 10 wherein the predetermined publicly accessible information comprises a time at which the barcode generator generates the barcode, the barcode reader operable to invalidate use of the account identifier if the time at which the barcode generator generates the barcode is greater than a predetermined amount from a current time at the barcode reader.

12. The point of sale transaction system of claim 10 wherein the predetermined publicly accessible information comprises a time associated with generation of the barcode, the barcode generator operable to apply the time to encrypt the account identifier in the barcode, the barcode reader applying a time at which the barcode is read to decrypt the account identifier.

13. The point of sale transaction system of claim 10 wherein the predetermined publicly accessible information comprises a GPS position of the mobile information handling system at the generation of the barcode, the barcode reader operable to invalidate use of the account identifier if the position at which the barcode generator generates the barcode is greater than a predetermined distance from the position of the barcode reader.

14. The point of sale transaction system of claim 10 wherein the predetermined publicly accessible information comprises a GPS position associated with generation of the barcode, the barcode generator operable to apply the GPS position to encrypt the account identifier in the barcode, the barcode reader applying a GPS position at which the barcode is read to decrypt the account identifier.

15. The point of sale transaction system of claim 10 wherein the predetermined publicly accessible information comprises a most recent transaction associated with the account identifier at the generation of the barcode, the barcode reader operable to access the account identifier and to verify the most recent transaction to validate the point of sale transaction.

16. The point of sale transaction system of claim 10 wherein the mobile information handling system comprises a mobile telephone.

17. A method for restricting use of a transaction barcode, the method comprising:

sensing a condition at a mobile telephone;

generating a transaction barcode at the mobile telephone, the transaction barcode including an account identifier and the sensed condition;

presenting the transaction barcode at a display of the mobile telephone;

reading the transaction barcode from the display of the mobile telephone with a barcode reader;

sensing the condition at the barcode reader; and

invalidating the transaction if the sensed condition included in the bar code fails to match the sensed condition at the barcode reader.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the sensed condition comprises a GPS position.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the sensed condition comprises a time.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the generating a transaction barcode at the mobile telephone, the transaction barcode including an account identifier and the sensed condition further comprises using the sensed condition as an encryption key to encrypt the transaction barcode.