System and apparatus for credit transaction data transmission

• US 7,233,920 B1
• Filed: 09/07/2000
• Issued: 06/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Paymentech LLC (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Original Assignee: Paymentech LLC (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Inventors: Meckenstock, David T., Rodriguez, Alan F. Jr., Shields, Dorwin Jr., Cross, Christopher W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Colbert; Ella
• Application Number:
  US09/656,815
• Time in Patent Office: 2,476 Days
• Field of Search: 705 37- 39, 705/35, 705/1, 705/64, 709/217, 709/223
• US Class Current: 705/35
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3823 combining multiple encryption tools for a transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof

Abstract

A system for transmitting credit transaction data, such as an authorization request, is provided. The system includes a remote hub system that is connected to a communications medium, such as the Internet. The remote hub system receives credit transaction data, such as an authorization request, a credit card number, and a transaction amount, from one or more point of sale systems, such as credit card authorization terminals. The remote hub system then encrypts the credit transaction data, and transmits the encrypted credit transaction data over the Internet to a gateway system. The gateway system decrypts the encrypted credit transaction data and transmits the credit transaction data to an authorization system.

Claims

1. An apparatus for transmitting credit transaction data over a communications medium comprising:

protocol translator means for receiving the credit transaction data from two or more point of sale systems according to two or more different transmission protocols, each transmission protocol associated with a different credit authorization system, and forming a credit transaction data message; and

encryption means for receiving the credit transaction data message from a protocol translator and encrypting the credit transaction data message.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising device router means for transmitting authorization data received in response to the credit transaction data message to the one or more point of sale systems.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising management system interface means for storing a protocol module to the protocol translator.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising management system interface means for storing an encryption module to an encryption system.

5. A method for transmitting credit transaction data over a communications medium comprising:

receiving credit transaction data from two or more point of sale devices, each reading credit card data from a magnetic stripe of a credit card;

determining a point-of-sale device data transmission protocol to use to assemble the credit transaction data into an authorization request;

encrypting the authorization request;

transmitting the encrypted authorization request over the communications medium;

decrypting the encrypted authorization request;

determining which of two or more authorization systems is the appropriate authorization system to provide the authorization request to; and

transmitting the authorization request to the appropriate authorization system.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein receiving the credit transaction data from the point of sale device comprises receiving the credit transaction data in accordance with one or more of an ISO 8583 protocol or a Visa-K protocol.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein encrypting the authorization request comprises encrypting the credit transaction data using an encryption module received from a hub manager.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein transmitting the encrypted authorization request over the communications medium comprises transmitting the encrypted data in an HTTP format.