System and method of managing contactless payment transactions using a mobile communication device as a stored value device

• US 8,045,956 B2
• Filed: 05/24/2007
• Issued: 10/25/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Macronix International Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Macronix International Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Lo, Ying-Che, Sun, Albert, Lee, Chee-Horng, An, Pao-Chieh
• Primary Examiner(s): Afshar; Kamran
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, MONG-THUY THI
• Application Number:
  US11/753,436
• Publication Number:
  US 20080166996A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,615 Days
• Field of Search: 455/558, 455/557, 455/556.2, 455/556.1, 455/405, 455/406, 455/410, 455/414.1, 705/26, 705/39, 705/40, 705/41, 705/44
• US Class Current: 455/406
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/085 involving remote charge determination or related payment systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/105 involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/16 Payments settled via telecommunication systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/26 Debit schemes, e.g. "pay now"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3229 Use of the SIM of a M-device as secure element
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3278 RFID or NFC payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of 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 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/68 Payment of value-added services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0196 Payment of value-added services, mainly when their charges are added on the telephone bill, e.g. payment of non-telecom services, e-commerce, on-line banking

Abstract

A method handling payment transactions in a system using mobile communication devices as stored value devices is disclosed. A transaction operations server receives multiple records of the transaction from the stored value device—one via a communication channel through the telecommunication provider network, and another via an independent communication channel. The records are reconciled at the transaction server for transaction verification.

Claims

1. A method of a transaction server to handle transaction records for a particular transaction initiated by at least partly wireless communication between 1) a mobile communication device having a stored value represented by data on the mobile communication device and 2) a transaction terminal, comprising:

in response to the particular transaction that

     1) changes the stored value represented by data on the mobile communication device according to the particular transaction and

     2) is initiated by at least partly wireless communication between the mobile communication device and the transaction terminal;

receiving, at the transaction server, a first record of the particular transaction from the mobile communication device via a first communication channel through the telephone service provider network;

receiving, at the transaction server, a second record of the particular transaction from the transaction terminal via a second communications channel through a communication network coupled to the transaction terminal; and

reconciling the first and second records at the transaction server to verify the particular transaction,

wherein said particular transaction includes an exchange between a first business issued currency honored by a first group of one or more businesses and a second business issued currency honored by a second group of one or more businesses, the first group of one or more businesses honor the first business issued currency according to a first contractual agreement among the first group of one or more businesses such that nonparties to the first contractual agreement are not required to accept the first business issued currency, and the second group of one or more businesses honor the second business issued currency according to a second contractual agreement among the second group of one or more businesses such that nonparties to the second contractual agreement are not required to accept the second business issued currency,

wherein the transaction server has both a user account of the mobile communication device in the first business issued currency, and a merchant account of the transaction terminal in the second business issued currency, and

wherein the transaction server handles the exchange between the user account in the first business issued currency and the merchant account in the second business issued currency.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular transaction increases the stored value represented by the data stored on the mobile communication device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the particular transaction decreases the stored value represented by the data stored on the mobile communication device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first communication channel comprises communications according to a protocol compliant with an industry standard Short Message Service protocol.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the second communication channel comprises communications according to a protocol compliant with an industry standard TCP/IP protocol.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second communication channel comprises communications a public switched telephone network.

7. The method of claim 1, including, further in response to the particular transaction:

executing a process to authorize increasing the amount of money represented by data stored on the mobile communication device, including receiving a request to increase the amount at the transaction server for authorization, and upon authorization, increasing the amount.

8. The method of claim 1, including, further in response to the particular transaction:

executing a process to authorize increasing the stored value represented by data stored on the mobile communication device, and upon receipt of verification from a credit or debit card provider to verify credit or debit availability, increasing the stored value.

9. The method of claim 1, including maintaining a registration database to keep records of user accounts accessible by the transaction server for authorization of particular transactions.

10. The method of claim 1, including maintaining an accounting database to keep records of a plurality data types, each of the plurality of data types representing currency issued by a group of one or more businesses.

11. The method of claim 1, including:

maintaining an accounting database to keep records of a plurality data types, each of the plurality of data types representing currency issued by a group of one or more businesses; and

exchanging, at the transaction server, at least part of the money represented by data on the mobile communication device between at least two data types of the plurality of data types.

12. A data processing system supporting mobile payment, comprising:

a transaction server with a data processor, including program storage storing programs including instructions executable by the data processor, and having data communication resources supporting a plurality of communication protocols;

said programs being adapted to maintain accounts of stored value in memory accessible by the data processor, and to authenticate and communicate with a mobile communication device via more than one communication protocol;

said programs including a program adapted to control a particular transaction initiated by at least partly wireless communication between

     1) a mobile communication device having a stored value represented by data on the mobile communication device and

     2) a transaction terminal, said program including instructions performing;

in response to the particular transaction that

     1) changes the stored value represented by data on the mobile communication device according to the particular transaction and

     2) is initiated by at least partly wireless communication between the mobile communication device and the transaction terminal;

receiving, at the transaction server, a first record of the particular transaction from the mobile communication device via a first communication channel through the telephone service provider network;

receiving, at the transaction server, a second record of the particular transaction from the transaction terminal via a second communications channel through a communication network coupled to the transaction terminal; and

reconciling the first and second records at the transaction server to verify the particular transaction,

wherein said particular transaction includes an exchange between a first business issued currency honored by a first group of one or more businesses and a second business issued currency honored by a second group of one or more businesses, the first group of one or more businesses honor the first business issued currency according to a first contractual agreement among the first group of one or more businesses such that nonparties to the first contractual agreement are not required to accept the first business issued currency, and the second group of one or more businesses honor the second business issued currency according to a second contractual agreement among the second group of one or more businesses such that nonparties to the second contractual agreement are not required to accept the second business issued currency,

wherein the transaction server has both a user account of the mobile communication device in the first business issued currency, and a merchant account of the transaction terminal in the second business issued currency, and

wherein the transaction server handles the exchange between the user account in the first business issued currency and the merchant account in the second business issued currency.

13. The data processing system of claim 12, wherein the particular transaction increases the stored value represented by the data stored on the mobile communication device.

14. The data processing system of claim 12, wherein the particular transaction decreases the stored value represented by the data stored on the mobile communication device.

15. The data processing system of claim 12, wherein the first communication channel comprises communications according to a protocol compliant with an industry standard Short Message Service protocol.

16. The data processing system of claim 12, wherein the second communication channel comprises communications according to a protocol compliant with an industry standard TCP/IP protocol.

17. The data processing system of claim 12, wherein the second communication channel comprises communications a public switched telephone network.

18. The data processing system of claim 12, wherein said program includes instructions performing, further in response to the particular transaction:

executing a process to authorize increasing the amount of money represented by data stored on the mobile communication device, including receiving a request to increase the amount at the transaction server for authorization, and upon authorization, increasing the amount.

19. The data processing system of claim 12, wherein said program includes instructions performing, further in response to the particular transaction:

executing a process to authorize increasing the stored value represented by data stored on the mobile communication device, and upon receipt of verification from a credit or debit card provider to verify credit or debit availability, increasing the stored value.

20. The data processing system of claim 12, wherein said programs include a program including instructions to maintain a registration database to keep records of user accounts accessible by the transaction server for authorization of particular transactions.

21. The data processing system of claim 12, wherein said programs include a program including instructions to maintain an accounting database to keep records of a plurality data types, each of the plurality of data types representing currency issued by a group of one or more businesses.

22. The data processing system of claim 12, wherein said programs include a program including instructions to perform:

maintaining an accounting database to keep records of a plurality data types, each of the plurality of data types representing currency issued by a group of one or more businesses; and

exchanging, at the transaction server, at least part of the money represented by data on the mobile communication device between at least two data types of the plurality of data types.

23. A data processing system supporting mobile payment, comprising:

a data processor, including program storage storing programs including instructions executable by the data processor, and having data communication resources supporting a plurality of communication protocols;

said programs being adapted to maintain accounts of stored value in memory accessible by the data processor, and to authenticate and communicate with a mobile communication device via more than one communication protocol;

said programs including a program adapted to control a transaction involving changing stored value on the mobile communication device, including;

sending data representing a stored value to the mobile communication device;

receiving a first record of a particular transaction from the mobile communication device via a first communication channel through a telephone service provider network;

receiving a second record of the particular transaction from the mobile communication device via a transaction terminal via a second communications channel through a communication network coupled to the transaction terminal; and

reconciling the first and second records to verify the particular transaction; and

updating an account associated with the particular transaction,

wherein said particular transaction includes an exchange between a first business issued currency honored by a first group of one or more businesses and a second business issued currency honored by a second group of one or more businesses, the first group of one or more businesses honor the first business issued currency according to a first contractual agreement among the first group of one or more businesses such that nonparties to the first contractual agreement are not required to accept the first business issued currency, and the second group of one or more businesses honor the second business issued currency according to a second contractual agreement among the second group of one or more businesses such that nonparties to the second contractual agreement are not required to accept the second business issued currency,

wherein a transaction server has both a user account of the mobile communication device in the first business issued currency, and a merchant account of the transaction terminal in the second business issued currency, and

wherein the transaction server handles the exchange between the user account in the first business issued currency and the merchant account in the second business issued currency.

24. The data processing system of claim 23, said programs including a program adapted to receive stored value audit records from mobile communication devices via a communication channel through the telecommunication provider network, and to reconcile the stored value audit records with records of account activity to detect tampering or fraud.