System and method for managing wireless point-of-sale transactions

• US 7,364,071 B2
• Filed: 02/21/2006
• Issued: 04/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: David Benjamin Esplin, Jill Andrews Esplin
• Inventors: Esplin, David Benjamin, Esplin, Jill Andrews
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Thien M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Labaze, Edwyn
• Application Number:
  US11/358,353
• Publication Number:
  US 20070194110A1
• Time in Patent Office: 798 Days
• Field of Search: 235/383, 235/380, 235/472.01, 235/381, 235/379, 235/472.02, 235/487, 235/375, 705 64- 65, 705/16, 705/39, 705/41, 705/67
• US Class Current: 235/383
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3221 Access to banking information through M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3229 Use of the SIM of a M-device as secure element
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication

Abstract

A system that enables a wireless point-of-sale transaction. In one embodiment the system comprises an account module, an account selection module, a display, an input interface, and a wireless transmitter. The account module stores account information corresponding to a plurality of payment accounts. The account selection module selects a payment account from the plurality of payment accounts as a default payment account for a wireless point-of-sale transaction based on one or more predetermined criteria. The display displays the default payment account to a user. The input interface enables the user to accept the default payment account by the account selection module. The wireless transmitter that wirelessly transmits payment information to a point-of-sale device, wherein the payment information comprises account information associated with the default account when the default payment account is accepted via the input interface.

Claims

1. A system that enables a wireless point-of-sale transaction, the system comprising:

an account module that stores account information corresponding to a payment account, wherein the account information comprises balance information related to the payment account;

an input interface that enables a user to initiate a wireless point-of-sale transactions;

a transmitter that wirelessly transmits payment information to a point-of-sale device in response to the initiation of the wireless point-of-sale transactions, wherein the payment information comprises account information associated with the payment account stored by the account module;

a receiver that receives a wireless transmission of purchase information, wherein the purchase information comprises price information related to the wireless point-of-sale transaction, wherein the balance information stored by the account module is updated based on the price information related to the wireless point-of-sale transactions;

a user spending module that tracks the user'"'"'s spending based on the received purchase information, wherein the input interface enables the user to input one or more spending thresholds that are stored by the user spending module, and wherein the user spending module compares the user'"'"'s spending with the one or more spending thresholds.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising an alert module, wherein when the user'"'"'s spending exceeds one or more of the spending thresholds the alert module generates an alert.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the alert generated by the alert module is provided to the user.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the alert generated by the alert module is provided to a third-party.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein a spending threshold comprises a monetary amount and a threshold time period, and wherein the user spending module compares the user'"'"'s spending with the spending threshold by comparing the amount of money the user has spent during the threshold time period with the monetary amount.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the threshold time period is one of a sliding window of time or a fixed calendar period of time.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein a spending threshold comprises a monetary amount and a specified type of goods and/or services, and wherein the user spending module compares the user'"'"'s spending with the spending threshold by comparing the amount of money the user has spent on the specified type of goods and/or services with the monetary amount.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein a spending threshold comprises a monetary amount and a specified payment account, and wherein the user spending module compares the user'"'"'s spending with the spending threshold by comparing the amount of money the user has spent from the specified payment account with the monetary amount.

9. A system that enables a wireless point-of-sale transaction, the system comprising:

an account module that stores account information corresponding to a payment account, wherein the account information comprises balance information related to the payment account;

an input interface that enables a user to initiate a wireless point-of-sale transactions;

a transmitter that wirelessly transmits payment information to a point-of-sale device in response to the initiation of the wireless point-of-sale transactions, wherein the payment information comprises account information associated with the payment account stored by the account module;

a receiver that receives a wireless transmission of purchase information, wherein the purchase information comprises price information related to the wireless point-of-sale transaction, wherein the balance information stored by the account module is updated based on the price information related to the wireless point-of-sale transactions, wherein the price information received by the receiver includes an itemized price list of goods and/or services acquired by the user in the wireless point-of-sale transaction; and

a user spending module that tracks the user'"'"'s spending with a respect to a plurality of classifications of goods and/or services based on the received purchase information.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the input interface enables the user to individually assign a classification of good and/or service to the goods and/or services acquired by the user in the wireless point-of-sale transaction.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the input interface enables the user to manually input a classification of good and/or service for one or more of the goods and/or services acquired by the user in the wireless point-of-sale transaction.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the input interface enables the user to select a classification of good and/or service for one or more of the goods and/or services acquired by the user in the wireless point-of-sale transaction from a predetermined set of classifications.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the goods and/or services acquired by the user in the wireless point-of-sale transaction are automatically assigned to classifications of goods and/or services.

14. The system of 9, wherein the goods and/or services acquired by the user in the wireless point-of-sale transaction are automatically assigned to default classifications of goods and/or services, and wherein the input interface enables the user to reject the default classification of one or more of the goods and/or services acquired by the user in the wireless point-of-sale transaction.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the input interface enables the user to flag the one or more of the goods and/or services for which the default classification was rejected, and enables the user to select a classification for these one or more goods and/or services at a later time.