Wallet consolidator to facilitate a transaction

• US 8,261,978 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2011
• Issued: 09/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Stripe, Inc.
• Original Assignee: E-Micro Corporation
• Inventors: Gangi, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): Colbert, Ella
• Application Number:
  US13/219,395
• Publication Number:
  US 20120041815A1
• Time in Patent Office: 382 Days
• Field of Search: 235379-382, 235/492, 235/493, 235/441, 705/14, 705/14.01, 705/26, 705/26.1, 705 70- 75, 705/35, 705 38- 41
• US Class Current: 235/380
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/0004 Hybrid readers
• 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 20/105 involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/108 Remote banking, e.g. home banking
• 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 20/202 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 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/208 Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3224 Transactions dependent on location of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/341 Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3574 Multiple applications on card
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/36 using electronic wallets or electronic money safes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3829 involving key management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/383 Anonymous user system
• 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 20/4012 Verifying personal identification numbers [PIN]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0253 : During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 : Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/08 : by coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means without personal verification means G07F7/02
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0886 : the card reader being portable for interacting with a POS or ECR in realizing a payment transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0893 : the card reader reading the card in a contactless manner
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 : Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/12 : Card verification

Abstract

A wallet consolidator to warehouse information pertaining to at least one card and to retrieve the warehoused information to facilitate a transaction is provided. An embodiment of a Wallet consolidator can include a housing, one or more input devices positioned to receive information, and a memory device positioned to store at least a portion of the information received by the one or more input devices. The wallet consolidator can also include a radio frequency wireless communication interface associated with the housing and adapted to communicate with a point-of-sale terminal thereby to provide at least a portion of the Information stored in the memory device to the point-of-sale terminal, a display screen, and a controller positioned within the housing in communication with and to control each of the one or more input devices, the memory device, the radio frequency wireless communication interface, and the display screen.

Claims

1. A method of conducting a point-of-sale transaction using a coupon comprising:

storing in a hand held device identification information for a consumer;

storing in the hand held device electronic commerce information relating to at least one of a credit card, a debit card, and an identification card;

storing in the hand held device information relating to the coupon;

transmitting from the hand held device to a point-of-sale terminal the electronic commerce information for making payment on the transaction; and

transmitting from the hand held device to the point-of-sale terminal the coupon information for completing the transaction.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting from the hand held device to the point-of-sale terminal the identification information to authorize the transaction.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of transmitting the coupon information comprises displaying a bar code to a bar code scanner for the point-of-sale transaction.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of transmitting the electronic commerce information comprises transmitting the electronic commerce information wirelessly to the point-of-sale terminal.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving at least one of the coupon information, the identification information, and the electronic commerce information from a remote database over a wireless telecommunications network.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving at least one of the coupon information, the identification information, and the electronic commerce information using a scanner.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the identification information includes an electronic signature.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the electronic signature is a digitized image.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting from the hand held device to a remote database information relating to the transaction.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the information relating to the transaction is transmitted over a wireless telecommunication network.