Camera as a vehicle to identify a merchant access device

• US 8,364,552 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2011
• Issued: 01/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ciurea, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Garg, Yogesh C
• Application Number:
  US13/051,837
• Publication Number:
  US 20110258075A1
• Time in Patent Office: 683 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26.1, 705/26.41, 705/44, 705/75
• US Class Current: 705/26.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3224 Transactions dependent on location of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3276 using a pictured code, e.g. barcode or QR-code, being read by the M-device
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted

Abstract

Systems and methods of conducting a payment transaction using a mobile phone having a camera. The systems and methods receive an image of a merchant access device and optionally location data from a mobile device of a user engaged in the transaction. The systems and methods also receive transaction information associated with the transaction and account information associated with an account of the user. The systems and methods use the information to authorize or decline the transaction.

Claims

1. A server computer comprising a processor, a computer readable storage medium, and software stored on the computer readable storage medium, the software, when executed by the processor, causes the server computer to perform functions including:

receiving, during a transaction between a consumer and a merchant via a merchant access device associated with the merchant, an image of the merchant access device, the image including characteristics of the merchant access device located outside of an electronic display of the merchant access device;

receiving, during the transaction between the consumer and the merchant, location data indicating a location of the mobile communication device;

identifying the merchant access device from a plurality of merchant access devices associated with the merchant participating in the transaction using the characteristics of the merchant access device located outside of an electronic display of the merchant access device included in the received image;

wherein identifying the merchant access device includes;

comparing the received image with images stored in a database to determine a matching image; and

comparing the received location data with location data stored in the database to determine a matching location, the database having images and location data associated with merchant access device identifiers; and

sending an authorization response message to the merchant access device, wherein the authorization response message indicates whether or not the transaction is approved.

2. The server computer of claim 1, wherein the server computer performs further functions including:

receiving transaction information from at least one of the merchant access device and the mobile communication device;

receiving, from the mobile communication device, account information indicating an account associated with the consumer; and

generating an authorization request message based on the received transaction information and account information.

3. The server computer of claim 2, wherein the computer readable storage medium includes a database having phone numbers associated with consumer account identifiers and receiving account information includes receiving a phone number of the mobile communication device, and the server computer performs further functions including:

comparing the received phone number with the phone numbers stored in the database to determine a matching phone number; and

locating a consumer account identifier associated with the matching phone number;

wherein the authorization request message is generated based on the received transaction information and the consumer account identifier.

4. The server computer of claim 1, wherein the received image includes information sufficient to identify the merchant participating in the transaction from among the plurality of different merchants, and the acquired image includes information sufficient to identify the merchant access device used for the transaction from among the plurality of merchant access devices associated with the merchant participating in the transaction.

5. The server computer of claim 1, wherein the received image includes only a portion of the merchant access device used for the transaction, the portion being sufficient to identify the merchant access device used for the transaction from among the plurality of merchant access devices associated with the merchant participating in the transaction.

6. The server computer of claim 1, wherein the server computer performs additional functions including:

identifying, using the received location data, the merchant participating in the transaction from a plurality of different merchants.

7. A server computer comprising a processor, a computer readable storage medium, and software stored on the computer readable storage medium, the software, when executed by the processor, causes the server computer to perform functions including:

receiving, during a transaction between a consumer and a merchant via a merchant access device associated with the merchant, an image of the merchant access device, the image including characteristics of the merchant access device;

receiving, during the transaction between the consumer and the merchant, location data indicating a location of the mobile communication device;

identifying the merchant access device from a plurality of merchant access devices using both the received location data and the characteristics of the merchant access device included in the received image; and

sending an authorization response message to the merchant access device, wherein the authorization response message indicates whether or not the transaction is approved,

wherein the computer readable storage medium includes a database having images and GPS locations associated with merchant access device identifiers, and wherein identifying the merchant access device includes;

comparing the received image with the images stored in the database to determine a matching image;

comparing the received location data with the GPS locations stored in the database to determine a matching GPS location; and

locating a merchant access device identifier associated with at least one of the matching image and the matching GPS location.

8. A method for facilitating a transaction between a consumer and a merchant, comprising:

receiving, during a transaction between a consumer and a merchant via a merchant access device associated with the merchant, an image of the merchant access device, the image including characteristics of the merchant access device located outside of an electronic display of the merchant access device;

receiving, during the transaction between the consumer and the merchant, location data indicating a location of the mobile communication device;

identifying the merchant access device from a plurality of merchant access devices associated with the merchant participating in the transaction using the characteristics of the merchant access device located outside of an electronic display of the merchant access device included in the received image, wherein identifying the merchant access device includes;

comparing the received image with images stored in a database to determine a matching image; and

comparing the received location data with location data stored in the database to determine a matching location, the database having images and location data associated with merchant access device identifiers; and

sending an authorization response message to the merchant access device, wherein the authorization response message indicates whether or not the transaction is approved.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving transaction information from at least one of the merchant access device and the mobile communication device;

receiving, from the mobile communication device, account information indicating an account associated with the consumer; and

generating an authorization request message based on the received transaction information and account information.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein receiving account information includes receiving a phone number of the mobile communication device and the method further comprises:

comparing the received phone number with phone numbers stored in a database to determine a matching phone number; and

locating a consumer account identifier associated with the matching phone number;

wherein the authorization request message is generated based on the received transaction information and the consumer account identifier.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein acquiring receiving location data includes receiving a consumer input indicating a location of the mobile communication device.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the location data and the image are received in a short message service (SMS) message.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein receiving an image includes receiving information indicating a shape of the merchant access device, and identifying the merchant access device includes identifying the merchant access device using the received information indicating the shape of the merchant access device.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein receiving an image includes receiving information indicating a color or arrangement of colors on the merchant access device, and identifying the merchant access device includes identifying the merchant access device using the received information indicating a color or arrangement of colors on the merchant access device.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein receiving an image includes receiving information indicating an arrangement of elements provided on the merchant access device, and identifying the merchant access device includes identifying the merchant access device using the received information indicating an arrangement of elements provided on the merchant access device.

16. The method of claim 8, wherein receiving an image includes receiving a unique identifier associated with the merchant access device located outside a display of the merchant access device, and identifying the merchant access device includes identifying the merchant access device using the received unique identifier associated with the merchant access device located outside a display of the merchant access device.

17. A method for facilitating a transaction between a consumer and a merchant, comprising:

receiving, during a transaction between a consumer and a merchant via a merchant access device associated with the merchant, an image of the merchant access device, the image including characteristics of the merchant access device;

receiving, during the transaction between the consumer and the merchant, location data indicating a location of the mobile communication device;

identifying the merchant access device from a plurality of merchant access devices using both the received location data and the characteristics of the merchant access device included in the received image; and

sending an authorization response message to the merchant access device, wherein the authorization response message indicates whether or not the transaction is approved, and wherein identifying the merchant access device includes;

comparing the received image with images stored in a database to determine a matching image;

comparing the received location data with GPS locations stored in the database to determine a matching GPS location; and

locating a merchant access device identifier associated with at least one of the matching image and the matching GPS location.