Audio-equipped transaction card systems and approaches

• US 8,447,668 B2
• Filed: 01/14/2005
• Issued: 05/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Keith Jentoft
• Original Assignee: Keith Jentoft
• Inventors: Jentoft, Keith
• Primary Examiner(s): Shrestha, Bijendra K
• Application Number:
  US11/036,591
• Publication Number:
  US 20050177484A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,049 Days
• Field of Search: 705/35, 705/44, 705/21, 705/24
• US Class Current: 705/35
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/346 Cards serving only as information carrier of service
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4012 Verifying personal identification numbers [PIN]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• 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 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system

Abstract

Approaches for using and implementing transactions involving audio-equipped transaction cards reduce both data-management efforts and costs. In addition, certain applications further facilitate loyalty to the business entity that issues the audio-equipped transaction cards by, e.g., facilitating transactions with the card-issuing entity and/or selected business partners. One example embodiment is directed to audio-equipped personal cards and an approach to purchase agreement that involve activating an audio transmission from a transaction card to establish a point-of-sale purchase agreement. Data relating to the purchase agreement is communicated to an account/payment institution to confirm the purchase agreement, optionally in response to the customer'"'"'s PIN being received. In another embodiment, a two apparatus (or “card”) approach involves retailers entering data via a retailer card that is useable by selected users (e.g., the retailer'"'"'s representatives or employees). For such retailer and/or customer cards, various implementations are directed to different approaches for entering user information and/or security information such as customer PIN, a retailer-employee ID or PIN number.

Claims

1. A method for conducting a business transaction involving personal transaction cards and a financial transaction between a seller and a buyer, the method comprising:

programming, on a first transaction card, authentication data and account information for the buyer;

programming, on a second transaction card, authentication data and account information for the seller;

in connection with the business transaction, communicating the authentication data and account information from both the first transaction card and the second transaction card using sound waves in the form of encoded tones;

converting the sound waves from both the first and second transaction cards to an electronic form of the audio information representing the authentication data;

authorizing the business transaction as a function of the authentication data in the electronic form and the financial transaction; and

sending a receipt for the authorized business transaction to a mobile device associated with the account information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein communicating the audio information with the transaction cards further includes communicating, as encoded DTMF tones, at least one of:

encoded authorization information;

encoded security information; and

encoded encrypted information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication of the audio information is implemented for providing transaction card information, in an encrypted form, from which to facilitate the business transaction;

and wherein the sending of receipt includes sending the receipt as a text message and to a mobile telephone associated with the account information.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein communicating the information on the cards includes communicating the audio information as inaudible sound waves and to a hand-held audio device configured and arranged for communicating the audio information to a banking institution.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the audio information includes an authorization code and wherein authorizing the business transaction as a function of the communicated audio information includes authorizing the business transaction as a function of the authorization code.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein authorizing the business transaction as a function of the communicated audio information includes authorizing the business transaction when the communicated seller information matches merchant information for a merchant involved in the transaction.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein programming information with the first transaction card includes programming unique identification information, and wherein the method further includes:

at a remote server, associating customer information with the unique identification information; and

wherein authorizing the business transaction as a function of the communicated audio information includes using the unique identification information for retrieving the associated customer information and authorizing the business transaction as a function of the associated customer information.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

entering transaction pricing information into the second card; and

in connection with the business transaction, communicating transaction pricing information from the second transaction card using sound waves in the form of encoded tones; and

converting the sound waves from both the first and the second transaction cards to an electronic form of the audio information representing the transaction pricing information.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein authorizing the business transaction as a function of the communicated information includes:

communicating at least a portion of the information to a financial institution; and

in response to the financial institution providing authorization information, authorizing the business transaction.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

entering customer identification information into the first transaction card;

comparing the customer identification information with stored identification information on the first transaction card;

providing, to the seller, a digital image of a customer associated with the customer identification; and

wherein authorizing the business transaction as a function of the communicated audio information includes authorizing the business transaction as a function of the communicated information and the entered customer identification information.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein programming audio information includes storing audio information in a wireless telephony device configured and arranged for communicating the audio information for use in the business transaction.

11. A system for processing business transactions and financial transactions between sellers and buyers, the system comprising:

a seller transaction card programmed with information representing digital data, the digital data including account information for a seller associated with the seller transaction card;

a retailer transaction card programmed with information representing digital data, the digital data including account information for a retailer associated with the retailer transaction card;

means for communicating, in connection with a particular business transaction and a particular financial transaction, the information from the seller and retailer transaction cards using sound waves having tones encoded to convey the digital data; and

means for authorizing the business transaction as a function of the communicated audio information, the digital data and the financial transaction.

12. A system for processing business transactions and financial transactions between two parties, the system comprising:

a first transaction card programmed with audio information that is frequency encoded and that represents account information for an account held by one of the two parties;

a second transaction card programmed with audio information that is frequency encoded and that represents account information for another account held by the other of the two parties;

a transaction card reader for communicating, in connection with a particular business transaction and a particular financial transaction using the accounts held by the two parties, the audio information from the transaction cards; and

a transaction processing arrangement for authorizing the business transaction as a function of the communicated audio information and the financial transaction and for providing a transaction receipt to a mobile device associated with the account of at least one of the two parties.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the first transaction card is configured and arranged for storing audio information in response to an access code.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the first transaction card is configured and arranged for facilitating the communication of the audio information in response to an access code.

15. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

a user terminal including the transaction card reader and adapted to audibly communicate the audio information; and

a retailer terminal including the transaction processing arrangement and configured and arranged for receiving the audibly communicated audio information and for displaying an authorization of the business transaction in response to authorization information received from the transaction processing arrangement.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the retailer terminal is adapted to communicate the audio information to a financial institution and, in response to the financial institution providing an authorization for the communicated audio information, authorizing the business transaction.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the transaction card reader includes a wireless telephony device.