System and method for implementing a context based payment system

• US 8,688,525 B2
• Filed: 12/22/2011
• Issued: 04/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Minde, Tor Bjrn
• Primary Examiner(s): Frenel, Vanel
• Application Number:
  US13/334,503
• Publication Number:
  US 20130166398A1
• Time in Patent Office: 831 Days
• Field of Search: 705/16, 705/26.41, 705/41, 705/39, 705/43
• US Class Current: 705/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/381 Currency conversion
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a context based payment system. Electronic currency or coupons can be made dependent on context, and the context can be one of location or geography, time, date, distance, sound, or other devices. The value of the currency exists only if a pre-condition is fulfilled. For example, if the currency is location dependent, the value only exists in a defined area (currency value area). The goods or the service in the value-system are also context dependent, that is, they can only be sold or offered in a defined area (product value area). Accordingly, if the product value area and the currency value area overlap, a purchase and payment can be made.

Claims

1. A method for enabling location dependent exchanges of goods and services using a location dependent currency, comprising:

verifying, at a currency server, that a product being offered for sale is within a predetermined product value area associated with the product;

receiving, at the currency server, an offer of location dependent currency in exchange for the product, wherein the location dependent currency is only valid within a predetermined currency value area; and

completing, at the currency server, the sale of the product in the predetermined product value area by exchanging location dependent currency for the product when the location of the product being offered for sale is within both the predetermined product area and the predetermined currency value area.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of verifying that a product being offered for sale is within a predetermined product value area comprises:

determining a location of a product offered for sale by use of a location determination system application in a mobile communications device;

determining a product identification number of the product being offered for sale;

communicating the location of the product and the product identification number to a product issuer server, wherein the product issuer server includes a database that contains a list of products and valid product value areas searchable by product identification numbers; and

determining that the product is being offered for sale in a valid predetermined product value area.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the location determination system is one of global positioning systems, Wi-Fi ID, cell-ID look-up, location information on a product tag, and network based positioning.

4. The method according to claim 2, further comprising:

determining by the currency server that the product is being purchased within a valid currency value area.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of completing the sale of the product comprises:

notifying a payment system server that a valid sale of the product can occur; and

receiving, at the currency server, an authorization transmitted by the payment system server that a predetermined amount of location dependent currency can be transferred from a first location dependent account of a purchaser held at the currency server to a second location dependent currency account of the retailer held at the currency server.

6. The method according to claim 5, further comprising:

exchanging location dependent currency held in the location dependent currency account of the retailer for regular currency.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the step of exchanging location dependent currency for regular currency comprises:

forwarding a request from either a producer or retailer for the exchange of location dependent currency to a bank, wherein an appropriate amount of regular currency is transferred to an account of the producer or retailer.

8. A method for enabling purchases within a location based payment system, comprising:

receiving, at a point of sale terminal disposed at a geographical location, information from a tag associated with a product for sale, the information including a product value area associated with the product;

verifying, by the point of sale terminal, that the product is being sold within the product value area by comparing the geographical location of the point of sale terminal with the product value area;

receiving, by the point of sale terminal, location dependent currency in proposed exchange for the product, wherein the location dependent currency has value only within a currency value area;

verifying, by the point of sale terminal, that the geographical location of the point of sale terminal is within the currency value area; and

completing a transaction of the product in exchange for the location dependent currency based upon results of the verifying steps.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

determining, by the point of sale terminal, a product value area cost associated with the product based, at least in part, on the geographical location.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the step of verifying that the geographical location of the point of sale terminal is within the currency value area comprises:

transmitting a request for a currency value area of the point of sale terminal to a currency server; and

receiving the currency value area from the currency server, and comparing it to the geographical location of the point of sale terminal.

11. The method according to claim 8, wherein the determination of the geographical location of the point of sale terminal comprises:

using a location determination system application in the point of sale terminal to obtain the geographical information.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the location determination system is one of global positioning systems, Wi-Fi ID, cell-ID look-up, location information on a product tag, and network based positioning.

13. The method according to claim 8, wherein the step of completing the transaction of the product comprises:

notifying a payment system server that a valid sale of the product can occur; and

receiving, at a currency server, an authorization transmitted by the payment system server that a predetermined amount of location dependent currency can be transferred from a first location dependent account of a purchaser held at the currency server to a second location dependent currency account of the retailer held at the currency server.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising:

exchanging location dependent currency held in the location dependent currency account of the retailer for regular currency.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the step of exchanging location dependent currency for regular currency comprises:

forwarding a request from either a producer or retailer for the exchange of location dependent currency to a bank, wherein an appropriate amount of regular currency is transferred to an account of the producer or retailer.

16. A method for enabling purchasing of location dependent products using location dependent currency, comprising:

verifying, by an electronic wallet, that a product is within a valid product value area; and

verifying, by the electronic wallet, that both sufficient location dependent currency is available for purchase of the product and that the electronic wallet is within a valid currency value area.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the step of verifying that a product is within a valid product value area comprises:

determining a geographical location of a product offered for sale by use of a location determination system application in the electronic wallet;

determining a product identification number of the product being offered for sale;

communicating the location of the product and the product identification number to a product issuer server, wherein the product issuer server includes a database that contains a list of products and valid product value areas searchable by product identification numbers;

identifying the valid product value area of the product in the database, and comparing the geographical location of the product to the product value area; and

determining that the product is being offered for sale in a valid predetermined product value area.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the location determination system is one of global positioning systems, Wi-Fi ID, cell-ID look-up, location information on a product tag, and network based positioning.

19. The method according to claim 17, wherein the step of verifying that the electronic wallet is in a valid currency area comprises:

transmitting request to a currency server to provide the valid currency area for the electronic wallet and comparing the geographical position of the electronic wallet to the valid currency area; and

determining by the currency server that the product being purchased is within the valid currency value area.

20. The method according to claim 16, further comprising:

notifying a payment system server that a valid sale of the product can occur; and

receiving, at the electronic wallet, an authorization transmitted by the payment system server that a predetermined amount of location dependent currency can be transferred from a first location dependent account of an owner of the electronic wallet held at a currency server to a second location dependent currency account of the retailer held at the currency server.

21. The method according to claim 20, further comprising:

displaying, in the form of a first graphical user interface on the electronic wallet, information pertaining to the transfer of location dependent currency from the location dependent currency account of the owner of the electronic wallet.

22. The method according to claim 20, further comprising:

exchanging location dependent currency held in the location dependent currency account of the retailer for regular currency.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein the step of exchanging location dependent currency for regular currency comprises:

forwarding a request from either a producer or retailer for the exchange of location dependent currency to a bank, wherein an appropriate amount of regular currency is transferred to an account of the producer or retailer.

24. The method according to claim 16, wherein the step of verifying by the electronic wallet that sufficient location dependent currency is available for purchase of the product comprises:

storing a first amount of location dependent currency that is held in a location dependent currency account of an owner of the electronic wallet; and

verifying by at least one of inspecting and electronically determining that the amount of the purchase of the product is no more or equal to the stored first amount of location dependent currency in the electronic wallet.

25. The method according to claim 16, wherein the step of verifying that the electronic wallet is within a valid currency value area comprises:

displaying, in the form of a second graphical user interface on the electronic wallet, information indicating that the electronic wallet is within a valid currency value area.

26. The method according to claim 16, further comprising:

initiating purchase of the product.

27. A system for enabling location dependent exchanges of goods and services using a location dependent currency, comprising:

a currency server configured to verify that a product being offered for sale is within a predetermined product value area associated with the product, and wherein

the currency server is further configured to receive an offer of location dependent currency in exchange for the product, wherein the location dependent currency is only valid within a predetermined currency value area, and further wherein

the currency server is still further configured to complete the sale of the product in the predetermined product value area by exchanging location dependent currency for the product when the location of the product being offered for sale is within both the predetermined product area and the predetermined currency value area.

28. The system according to claim 27, further comprising:

a product issuer server; and

a mobile communications device configured to determine a location of a product offered for sale by use of a location determination system application in the mobile communications device, determine a product identification number of the product being offered for sale, and communicate the location of the product and the product identification number to the product issuer server, wherein the product issuer server is configured to include a database that contains a list of products and valid product value areas searchable by product identification numbers.

29. The system according to claim 28, wherein the location determination system is one of global positioning systems, Wi-Fi ID, cell-ID look-up, location information on a product tag, and network based positioning.

30. The system according to claim 28, wherein,

the currency server is further configured to determine that the product is being purchased within a valid product value area and a valid currency value area according to information received from the product issue server contained in the database in regard to the product and product value area.

31. The system according to claim 27, further comprising:

a payment system server configured to receive notification from the currency server that a valid sale of the product can occur, and wherein

the currency server is configured to receive a purchase authorization transmitted by the payment system server such that a predetermined amount of location dependent currency can be transferred from a first location dependent account of a purchaser held at the currency server to a second location dependent currency account of the retailer held at the currency server.

32. The system according to claim 31, further comprising:

a producer and/or retailer; and

a bank, wherein a regular currency account is maintained at the bank for the producer and/or retailer, and wherein the bank is configured to receive a request from the producer and/or retailer to exchange the location dependent currency for regular currency, and to deposit the regular currency in the regular currency account.