Telephone modem to satellite data converter for mobile financial transactions

• US 6,581,825 B1
• Filed: 04/04/2001
• Issued: 06/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Donald Rickerson Jr
• Original Assignee: Donald Rickerson Jr
• Inventors: Rickerson, Donald Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Thien M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HESS, DANIEL A
• Application Number:
  US09/825,625
• Time in Patent Office: 811 Days
• Field of Search: 235/379, 709/201
• US Class Current: 235/379
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/00 Payment architectures, schemes or protocols apparatus for performing or posting payment transactions G07F7/08, G07F19/00; electronic cash registers G07G1/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/32 using wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]

Abstract

The Telephone Moderm to Satellite Data Converter (TM/SD converter) allows for the replacement of a telephone line or cell phones for sending and receiving financial transaction data with a mobile satellite data system. The important feature offered by the TM/SD Converter is the ability to use common transaction equipment that is equipped with a telephone modem by interfacing them with a satellite transceiver. It replacements the telephone line in the data path of the transaction. This is important in rural and hard-to-get-to places where a telephone line is both expensive to run and unreliable. Using a worldwide satellite system like Iridium™, it allows secure and reliable transactions to geographical areas that previously could not access the necessary host data system because of none existent or high-cost telephone circuits. Being able to insert the TM/SD Converter into an existing situation where telephone circuits are presently used is important to it be a modular solution. It allows a merchant is a credit card machine with telephone modem to simply plug in the TM/SD Converter into an existing situation where a telephone line is not cost effective (i.e., at a remote site) or available (i.e., a new mobile unit) without having to convert any other equipment. The TM/SD also addresses the high cost of narrowband satellite data by using intelligent compression based on the type of data fields in the transaction. Security is added to the transaction standard synchronous encryption program (like DES) after the compression of the data and before its transmission. For some applications this may be unnecessary, for example, gathering whether data but other situations, for example, credit card transactions, it is desirable because we are now in a broadcast mode of sensitive data. It is important to note than telephone modem applications; even one using cellular do not bother to encrypt. Other types of transactions that could be sent are; security checks, vending information, or other short burst transaction sent over telephone circuits.

Claims

1. A method of executing mobile financial transactions using standard telephone devices for ATM, credit or debit cards, using a mobile satellite transceiver to communicate with a central financial host computer that authorizes the transactions, comprising:

(a) providing a mobile communications processor with which to convert telephone signaling from the mobile financial transaction device to and from the host financial computer which will;

(1) provide a process to convert analog telephone signals from the said mobile device to digital messaging through a digital satellite system,

(2) provide a process to signal the said mobile device that will make it believe that it is connected to a host financial computer on a analog two-wire telephone circuit,

(b) provide a process to receive transaction data from the satellite transceiver and present it to the host financial computer,

(1) provide a process to convert the approval/disapproval of the said transaction from the host computer to the mobile device with

(b) provide a process to receive transaction data from the satellite transceiver and present it to the host financial computer,

(c) provide a process to convert the approval/disapproval of the said transaction from the host computer to the mobile device

whereby the transaction can be performed without direct communication between the mobile transaction device and any terrestrial station, and

whereby the transaction can be performed while the mobile unit is in motion on land, sea, or air, and

whereby the transaction allows the use of common telephone modem equipped financial transaction devices with out any modification,

whereby the said method can also be used in other situations where telephone modems are used to collect remote data to be sent to a central host processor.