Electronic payment using a proxy account number stored in a secure element

• US 8,566,168 B1
• Filed: 01/05/2012
• Issued: 10/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Bierbaum, Christopher J., Cope, Warren B., Katzer, Robin D., Paczkowski, Lyle W.
• Primary Examiner(s): SHEIKH, ASFAND M
• Application Number:
  US13/344,096
• Time in Patent Office: 656 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/17
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3227 using secure elements embedded in M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/385 using an alias or single-use codes

Abstract

A near field communication payment method using a proxy account number. The method comprises transmitting a proxy account number from a secure element of a mobile phone to a point-of-sale terminal using a near field communication radio link; transmitting the proxy account number from the point-of-sale terminal to a payment mediation server; transmitting the proxy account number from the payment mediation server to a proxy account manager; determining a selected payment account number by the proxy account manager based in part on retrieving a plurality of payment account numbers from a proxy account number data store using the proxy account number; transmitting the selected payment account number to the payment mediation server by the proxy account manager; and the payment mediation server completing a payment completion transaction with the point-of-sale terminal using the selected payment account number.

Claims

1. A near field communication payment method using a proxy account number, comprising:

transmitting the proxy account number from a secure element of a mobile phone to a point-of-sale terminal using a near field communication radio link, wherein the proxy account number is associated with a plurality of payment account numbers;

transmitting via a network, the proxy account number from the point-of-sale terminal to a payment mediation server;

transmitting via the network, the proxy account number from the payment mediation server to a proxy account manager;

determining, by the proxy account manager, a selected payment account number based in part on retrieving the plurality of payment account numbers from a proxy account number data store using the proxy account number and based on at least one of a message from the mobile phone specifying the selected payment account number and one or more rules of a plurality of pre-defined rules;

transmitting via the network, by the proxy account manager, the selected payment account number to the payment mediation server;

requesting, by the payment mediation server, an approval and subsequently receiving the approval of the payment transaction from a financial institution associated with the selected payment account number; and

completing, by the payment mediation server, a payment transaction with the point-of-sale terminal using the selected payment account number in response to receiving the approval.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of payment account numbers comprise a credit card number or a debit card number.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, by the proxy account manager from the mobile phone, a message designating the selected payment account number as a preferred payment vehicle, wherein the proxy payment account number manager determines the selected payment account number based on the preferred payment vehicle designation.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the proxy account manager determines the selected payment account number based on information about the purchase transaction provided to the proxy account manager along with the proxy account number.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the proxy account manager determines the selected payment account number by analyzing the information about the purchase transaction using rules transmitted to the proxy account manager by the mobile phone.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein each rule of the plurality of predefined rules is one of a default rule and a user-defined rule, and wherein the user-defined rule is set using an interface of the electronic device, a web interface, or a customer care representative.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising provisioning the proxy account number, wherein provisioning the proxy account number comprises:

receiving, by the proxy account manager, a first message requesting provisioning of the proxy account number, the first provisioning request message identifying a first payment account number of the plurality of payment account numbers;

in response to the first provisioning request message identifying the first payment account number, generating, by the proxy account manager, the proxy account number;

creating, by the proxy account manager, an association of the proxy account number with the secure element in the proxy account number data store; and

creating, by the proxy account manager, an association of the first payment account number with the proxy account number in the proxy account number data store.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving, by the proxy account manager, a second message requesting to provision a second payment account number of the plurality of payment account numbers to the secure element of the mobile device, the second provisioning request message identifying the second payment account number;

creating, by the proxy account manager, an association of the second payment account number with the proxy account number in the proxy account number data store.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving, by the proxy account manager, a third message requesting provisioning of a second proxy account number for a second secure element of the portable electronic device, the third provisioning request message identifying a third payment account number;

generating, by the proxy account manager, the second proxy account number in response to the third provisioning request message identifying the third payment account number;

creating, by the proxy account manager, an association of the second proxy account number with the second secure element in the proxy account number data store; and

creating, by the proxy account manager, an association of the third payment account number with the second proxy account number in the proxy account number data store.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

transmitting, by the proxy account manager, the proxy account number to a trusted service manager that installs the proxy account number on the secure element of the mobile phone; and

transmitting, by the proxy account manager, the second proxy account number to the trusted service manager that installs the second proxy account number on the second secure element of the mobile phone.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising

transmitting the proxy account number to a service integrator server;

and transmitting the second proxy account number to the service integrator server.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

creating a record comprising information about the payment transaction, wherein the record identifies both the proxy account number and the selected payment account number;

storing the record in a transaction data store;

accessing a plurality of records associated with a plurality of different payment account numbers stored in the transaction data store based on the proxy account number, wherein each of the plurality of records is associated with the proxy account number; and

generating an aggregated report of electronic payment transactions associated with the proxy account number based on accessing the plurality of records.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising receiving a message indicating completion of the payment transaction based on a reply message containing the selected payment account number, wherein the payment transaction completion message indicates a payment amount and a receiver of the payment amount, and wherein the information about the payment transaction in the record further comprises the payment amount and the receiver of the payment amount.