Linking a Context Environment to a Context Service

• US 20190311405A1
• Filed: 06/20/2019
• Published: 10/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. (American Express Company)
• Original Assignee: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. (American Express Company)
• Inventors: Bruno, John, Basheerahammed, Sibish Neelikattil, Manivannan, Premkumar, Chirravuri, Nageshwara R., Muthukrishnan, Sathish
• Granted Patent: US 11,282,112 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• 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 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/325 using wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/326 Payment applications installed on the mobile devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3263 characterised by activation or deactivation of payment capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/384 using social networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40145 Biometric identity checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0222 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0253 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0261 based on user location
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0268 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A contextual services delivery system may comprise a services repository containing services instructions and a contextual services delivery module. The contextual services delivery module may deliver different contextual services to a smartphone and/or a POS terminal in response to a context environment, in order to provide a user with a customized contextual services experience.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

identifying, by a computer based system, that a context environment includes a linkage to a context service from a services repository;

delivering, by the computer based system, customized content applicable to a user in response to the linkage of the context environment;

providing, by the computer based system, the customized content to a point of sale device for display on the point of sale device;

providing, by the computer based system, a promotion to the point of sale device for display on the point of sale device;

applying, by the computer based system, and in response to the context environment linking to a merchant service of a merchant, the promotion to a transaction; and

determining, by the computer based system and based on the promotion, a payment amount for a product.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising evaluating, by the computer based system, the context environment, in response to the user at least one of initiating the transaction between the user and the merchant or the user in range of the point of sale device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the context environment includes at least one of whether the user is located at the point of sale device, whether the user entered a store of the merchant, whether the user is located within the store of the merchant, whether the user swiped a payment card, whether the user authorized a payment on a mobile device, whether the user opened an application on the mobile device, or whether the user scanned a SKU for the product.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a merchant linkage database indicates that the merchant desires the user to receive the context service in response to the context environment being identified.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the customized content applicable to the user is determined based on at least one of information about the point of sale device, information about software, characteristics of the user, characteristics of the transaction, physical locations of the user, merchant services, date of the transaction, time of the transaction, risk analysis of the user, merchants visited by the user, transaction history of the user, the payment amount for the transaction, frequency of the transaction, number of transactions, categorization of the transaction, activities by the user in a social media channel, activities by the user in an entertainment channel, activities by the user in a reservation channel or activities by the user in a review channel.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

distributing, by the computer based system, the payment amount for display to the user;

receiving, by the computer based system, a transaction authentication comprising a fingerprint of the user;

processing, by the computer based system, the transaction in response to the receiving of the transaction authentication; and

transmitting, by the computer based system, a transaction confirmation.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing, by the computer based system, inventory data to the point of sale device for display on the point of sale device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the context service comprises at least one of transactional services, display services or authentication services.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the context service includes transactional services that comprise at least one of a delivery of inventory data, an offer of sale, a sale of an item or a proposed discount.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the context service includes display services that comprise at least one of a textual information presentation, a graphical information presentation or an invitation to complete the transaction via at least one of a mobile device or the point of sale device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the context service includes authentication services that comprise mechanisms for confirming an identity of the user comprising at least one of biometric authentication comprising fingerprinting, a payment card swipe, a pin number, an identification photograph or a user location.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the context environment comprises:

information provided by third parties comprising at least one of merchants, social media, credit reporting agencies, or payment processors; and

internal data comprising at least one of a risk analysis of a user, stores visited by the user, a transaction history of the user, a date and a time of the transaction, an amount spend for the transaction, a frequency of transactions, number of transactions or a categorization of transactions.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the context environment comprises triggers comprising a user location and a user payment status.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, by the computer based system, an acceptance of the promotion.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

distributing, by the computer based system, an upsell opportunity to at least one of a mobile device or the point of sale device;

receiving, by the computer based system, an acceptance of the upsell opportunity; and

modifying, by the computer based system, the payment amount in response to the upsell opportunity.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing, by the computer based system and based on the context environment, at least one of:

user interface flows tailored to a desired experience relative to capabilities of devices involved in the transaction;

uplifting of the point of sale device allowing participation in an advanced payment experience;

brokering of the transaction between a mobile device located in range of the point of sale device located in a location of the merchant and the point of sale device, wherein a transaction card is not required;

a simultaneous brokering of the transaction between the mobile device and the point of sale device such that the mobile device and the point of sale device receive a customized presentment, and at least one of the mobile device or the point of sale device is used to pay for the transaction;

biometric authentication at at least one of the mobile device or the point of sale device;

a capability to pay for the transaction using rebates and different forms of payment on the mobile device and the point of sale device;

a capability for the user to navigate in-store inventory;

a capability to conduct purchases from the mobile device without interaction of the merchant at the point of sale device located in the location of the merchant;

or

a capability for the merchant to dynamically customize an experience of the user with promotions, instructions and other information.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the context environment includes spend patterns, risk profile and analytics.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the transaction includes characteristics of at least one of legacy point of sale device, green field, mobile payment at the merchant, card swipe at the point of sale device at the merchant, or mobile interaction with the point of sale device.

19. A contextual services delivery system comprising:

a services repository comprising a database of context services; and

a processor including a contextual services delivery module comprising;

a merchant linkage database comprising directives indicating which of the context services to provide in response to a context environment;

a context database comprising context characteristics representing the context environment; and

a contextual services delivery processor configured to identify the context environment in response to the context characteristics, and configured to execute contextual services from the services repository in response to the directives,

wherein the services repository communicates with the contextual services delivery module,

wherein the contextual services delivery module provides a user with a contextual services experience based on the context environment, and

wherein the processor performs operations of;

identifying, by the processor, that the context environment includes a linkage to the context services from the services repository;

delivering, by the processor, customized content applicable to the user in response to the linkage of the context environment;

providing, by the processor, the customized content to a point of sale device for display on the point of sale device;

providing, by the processor, a promotion to the point of sale device for display on the point of sale device;

applying, by the processor and in response to the context environment linking to a merchant service of a merchant, the promotion to the transaction; and

determining, by the processor and based on the promotion, a payment amount for a product.

20. The contextual services delivery system of claim 19, further comprising, based on the context environment, providing at least one of:

user interface flows tailored to a desired experience relative to capabilities of devices involved in the transaction;

uplifting of the point of sale device allowing participation in an advanced payment experience;

brokering of the transaction between a mobile device located in range of the point of sale device located in a location of the merchant and the point of sale device, wherein a transaction card is not required;

a simultaneous brokering of the transaction between the mobile device and the point of sale device such that the mobile device and the point of sale device receive a customized presentment, and at least one of the mobile device or the point of sale device is used to pay for the transaction;

biometric authentication at at least one of the mobile device or the point of sale device;

a capability to pay for the transaction using rebates and different forms of payment on the mobile device and the point of sale device;

a capability for the user to navigate in-store inventory;

a capability to conduct purchases from the mobile device without interaction of the merchant at the point of sale device located in the location of the merchant;

or

a capability for the merchant to dynamically customize an experience of the user with promotions, instructions and other information.