Secure mobile payment authorization

• US 8,577,810 B1
• Filed: 09/29/2011
• Issued: 11/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Inventors: Roper, Colin J., Dalit, Christian Gregory
• Primary Examiner(s): Zeender, Ryan
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHEIN, ALLEN C
• Application Number:
  US13/248,984
• Time in Patent Office: 768 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/67
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/35 communicating wirelessly
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/22 Payment schemes or models
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3221 Access to banking information through M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40145 Biometric identity checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4016 involving fraud or risk level assessment in transaction processing

Abstract

A method to authorize a mobile payment for a transaction. The method includes receiving a facial image of a consumer who requests the mobile payment for the transaction using account information stored in a mobile device of the consumer, wherein the facial image is provided by a point-of-sale (POS) device while initiating the transaction on behalf of the consumer, receiving a verified facial image of an account holder, comparing the facial image of the consumer and the verified facial image of the account holder based on a pre-determined criterion to verify the consumer as the account holder, generating, in response to verifying the consumer as the account holder, an authorization of the mobile payment based on the account information, and sending the authorization to the POS device to complete the transaction.

Claims

1. A method to authorize a mobile payment for a transaction, comprising:

receiving, from a financial institution, a facial image of a consumer and account information of an account at the financial institution,

wherein the facial image and the account information are first sent to the financial institution by a POS device while initiating the transaction on behalf of the consumer, and

wherein the consumer requests, via the POS device, the mobile payment for the transaction using the account information stored in a mobile device of the consumer;

requesting, in response to receiving the account information and based on the account information, a verified facial image from the financial institution;

receiving the verified facial image of an account holder of the account from the financial institution, wherein the account is identified at the financial institution based on the account information;

comparing the facial image of the consumer and the verified facial image of the account holder based on a pre-determined criterion to verify the consumer as the account holder;

generating, in response to verifying the consumer as the account holder, an authorization of the mobile payment based on the account information; and

sending the authorization to the POS device, wherein the POS device completes the transaction based on the authorization.

2. The method of claim 1,

wherein the POS device comprises near-field-communication functionality,

wherein the facial image is captured and sent to the POS device by the mobile device in response to receiving a facial image request from the POS device, and

wherein the facial image request is sent by the POS device in response to receiving a signal from the mobile device while initiating the transaction on behalf of the consumer, wherein the signal indicates that the mobile device is configured to support the mobile payment.

3. The method of claim 1,

wherein the account is at least one selected from a group consisting of a credit card account and a debit card account, and

wherein completing the transaction comprises debiting, at the financial institution, at least one selected from a group consisting of the credit card account and the debit card account.

4. The method of claim 1,

wherein the account is associated with an electronic wallet stored in the mobile device,

wherein completing the transaction comprises debiting the electronic wallet, and

wherein the electronic wallet is refilled from the financial institution.

5. A method to authorize a mobile payment for a transaction, comprising:

receiving, by a mobile device of a consumer, a facial image request from a point-of-sale (POS) device, wherein the facial image request is sent by the POS device in response to receiving a signal from the mobile device while initiating the transaction on behalf of the consumer;

capturing, by the mobile device in response to receiving the facial image request, a facial image of the consumer using a camera of the mobile device; and

sending account information of an account at a financial institution and the facial image to a verification server, wherein the account information is stored in the mobile device,

wherein the facial image and the account information are first sent to the financial institution by the POS device,

wherein the facial image and the account information are subsequently received by the verification server from the financial institution,

wherein the verification server generates an authorization of the mobile payment based on the account information by;

requesting, in response to receiving the account information and based on the account information, a verified facial image from the financial institution;

receiving, based on the account information, the verified facial image of an account holder from a server of the financial institution;

comparing the facial image of the consumer and the verified facial image of the account holder based on a pre-determined criterion to verify the consumer as the account holder; and

sending the authorization to the POS device, and

wherein the POS device completes the transaction based on the authorization.

6. The method of claim 5,

wherein the POS device comprises near-field-communication functionality,

wherein the facial image is captured and sent to the POS device by the mobile device in response to receiving a facial image request from the POS device, and

wherein the facial image request is sent by the POS device in response to receiving a signal from the mobile device while initiating the transaction on behalf of the consumer, wherein the signal indicates that the mobile device is configured to support the mobile payment.

7. The method of claim 5,

wherein the account is at least one selected from a group consisting of a credit card account and a debit card account, and

wherein completing the transaction comprises debiting, at the financial institution, at least one selected from a group consisting of the credit card account and the debit card account.

8. The method of claim 5,

wherein the account is associated with an electronic wallet stored in the mobile device,

wherein completing the transaction comprises debiting the electronic wallet, and

wherein the electronic wallet is refilled from the financial institution.

9. A system to authorize a mobile payment for a transaction, comprising:

a mobile device of a consumer requesting the mobile payment, the mobile device configured to;

send a signal to a point-of-sale (POS) device indicating that the mobile device supports the mobile payment;

capture, in response to receiving a facial image request from the POS device, a facial image of the consumer; and

send the facial image and account information of an account at a financial institution to the POS device, wherein the account information is stored in the mobile device;

a verification server configured to;

receive, from the financial institution, the facial image and the account information linked with the facial image;

request, in response to receiving the account information and based on the account information, a verified facial image from the financial institution;

receive the verified facial image of an account holder of the account from a server of the financial institution;

compare the facial image of the consumer and the verified facial image of the account holder based on a pre-determined criterion to verify the consumer as the account holder;

generate, in response to verifying the consumer as the account holder, an authorization of the mobile payment based on the account information; and

send the authorization to the POS device; and

the POS device configured to;

send the facial image and the account information to the financial institution; and

complete the transaction based on the authorization.

10. The system of claim 9,

wherein the account is at least one selected from a group consisting of a credit card account and a debit card account, and

wherein completing the transaction comprises debiting, at the financial institution, at least one selected from a group consisting of the credit card account and the debit card account.

11. The system of claim 9,

wherein the mobile device is further configured to store an electronic wallet associated with the account and refill the electronic wallet from the financial institution, and

wherein completing the transaction comprises debiting the electronic wallet.

12. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions to authorize a mobile payment for a transaction, the instructions when executed by a computer comprising functionality to:

receive, from a financial institution, a facial image of a consumer and account information of an account at the financial institution,

wherein the facial image and the account information are first sent to the financial institution by a POS device while initiating the transaction on behalf of the consumer, and

wherein the consumer requests, via the POS device, the mobile payment for the transaction using the account information stored in a mobile device of the consumer;

request, in response to receiving the account information and based on the account information, a verified facial image from the financial institution;

receive the verified facial image of an account holder of the account from the financial institution, wherein the account is identified at the financial institution based on the account information;

compare the facial image of the consumer and the verified facial image of the account holder based on a pre-determined criterion to verify the consumer as the account holder;

generate, in response to verifying the consumer as the account holder, an authorization of the mobile payment based on the account information; and

send the authorization to the POS device, wherein the POS device completes the transaction based on the authorization.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12,

wherein the POS device comprises near-field-communication functionality,

wherein the facial image is captured and sent to the POS device by the mobile device in response to receiving a facial image request from the POS device, and

wherein the facial image request is sent by the POS device in response to receiving a signal from the mobile device while initiating the transaction on behalf of the consumer, wherein the signal indicates that the mobile device is configured to support the mobile payment.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12,

wherein the account is at least one selected from a group consisting of a credit card account and a debit card account, and

wherein completing the transaction comprises debiting, at the financial institution, at least one selected from a group consisting of the credit card account and the debit card account.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12,

wherein the account is associated with an electronic wallet stored in the mobile device,

wherein completing the transaction comprises debiting the electronic wallet, and

wherein the electronic wallet is refilled from the financial institution.