System and method for mobile payment at point of sale

• US 8,756,153 B1
• Filed: 08/05/2013
• Issued: 06/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: GoFigure Payments, LLC
• Original Assignee: GoFigure Payments, LLC
• Inventors: Rolf, Devon A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pats, Justin M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fields, Benjamin S
• Application Number:
  US13/959,364
• Time in Patent Office: 316 Days
• Field of Search: 705 711- 742, 705/38, 705/35, 705/40
• US Class Current: 705/38
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/108 Remote banking, e.g. home banking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/405 Establishing or using transaction specific rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

A method for making an electronic payment system available to a plurality of users includes storing payment account information for a first user and biometric information of the first user. Before allowing the first user to make a payment with the first user'"'"'s payment account, biometric information identifying the first user is received and compared to the stored biometric information of the first user. Biometric information of a second user, who is a family member of the first user, is stored to enable confirmation of the identity of the family member as a security measure in said electronic payment system.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing a mobile communications device having a biometric input;

making an electronic payment system available to a plurality of users, wherein said making said electronic payment system available to a plurality of users comprises making said electronic payment system available to a first user using said mobile communications device in making a purchase transaction at a point of sale terminal;

storing information indicative of a payment account of the first user, wherein said information indicative of said payment account of the first user comprises an identifier corresponding to said payment account;

storing biometric information of said first user;

receiving information indicative of the identity of the first user based upon a biometric entry by the first user into said biometric input of the mobile communications device of the first user;

before said purchase transaction at said point of sale terminal is completed, comparing, using an electronic processor, the received information indicative of the identity of the first user, that is based upon the biometric input by the first user into the first user'"'"'s mobile communications device, with the stored biometric information of the first user to confirm the identity of the first user;

further storing biometric information of a second user of the mobile communications device,

wherein said second user is a family member of said first user, and

wherein said storing said biometric information of the second user who is a family member of the first user is to enable confirmation of the identity of the family member to enable the family member to use the mobile communications device;

receiving information indicative of the identity of the family member of the first user based upon a biometric entry by the family member of the first user into said biometric input of the mobile communications device of the first user;

before allowing use of the mobile communications device by the family member of the first user, comparing, using an electronic processor, the received information indicative of the identity of the family member of the first user with the stored biometric information of the family member of the first user to confirm the identity of the family member of the first user.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said storing said biometric information of the second user who is a family member of the first user is to enable confirmation of the identity of the family member as a security measure in said electronic payment system.

3. The method as set forth in claim 1, said method further comprising:

establishing a first communications interface between said mobile communications device and said point of sale terminal at which said purchase transaction is being made; and

establishing a second communications interface between said mobile communications device and an electronic processor in said electronic payment system.

4. The method as set forth in claim 3, wherein said first communications interface is at a first frequency.

5. The method as set forth in claim 4, wherein said second communications interface is at a second frequency.

6. The method as set forth in claim 5, wherein said providing a mobile communications device further comprises providing a mobile communications device having a transponder, wherein said establishing a first communications interface comprises establishing said first communications interface wirelessly using said transponder in said mobile communications device.

7. The method as set forth in claim 6, wherein said establishing a second communications interface comprises establishing a second communications interface wirelessly via a local area wireless network.

8. The method as set forth in claim 6, wherein said establishing a second communications interface comprises establishing a second communications interface that utilizes a specification for a short range wireless communications link.

9. The method as set forth in claim 3, further comprising terminating said first communications interface before establishing said second communications interface.

10. The method as set forth in claim 3, said method comprising receiving in said electronic payment system via said second communications interface an authorization signal based upon an authorization entry made by the first user of the mobile communications device to authorize said purchase transaction.

11. The method as set forth in claim 10, said method comprising receiving in said mobile communications device from said electronic payment system via said second communications interface a confirmation signal to indicate that a payment for said purchase transaction has been made.

12. A system comprising:

a mobile communications device having a biometric input;

a memory, wherein said memory stores biometric information of a user of the mobile communications device,

an electronic payments facility, wherein said electronic payments facility comprises an electronic processor, and wherein said electronic payments facility stores information indicative of a payment account of the user of said mobile communications device;

wherein, before processing a payment with said payment account for a purchase transaction made using said mobile communications device at a point of sale terminal, said system receives information indicative of the identity of the user of the mobile communications device based upon a biometric entry by the user into said biometric input of the mobile communications device of the user and compares said received information indicative of the identity of the user with said stored biometric information of the user to confirm the identity of the user,

wherein a first communications interface is established between said mobile communications device and said point of sale terminal,

wherein a second communications interface is established between said mobile communications device and said electronic processor; and

wherein said system uses said first communications interface and said second communications interface in completing said purchase transaction.

13. The system as set forth in claim 12, wherein said user comprises a first user, wherein said system further stores biometric information of a second user of the mobile communications device, wherein said second user is a family member of said first user, wherein said system receives information indicative of the identity of the family member of the first user based upon a biometric entry by the family member of the first user into said biometric input of the mobile communications device, and wherein said system compares the received information indicative of the identity of the family member of the first user with the stored biometric information of the family member of the first user to confirm the identity of the family member before enabling the family member to use said mobile communications device.

14. The system as set forth in claim 12, wherein said first communications interface comprises a wireless interface at a first frequency and said second communications interface comprises a wireless interface at a second frequency.

15. The system as set forth in claim 12, wherein said mobile communications device further comprises a transponder, wherein said first communications interface comprises a first wireless communications interface using said transponder in said mobile communications device, and wherein said second communications interface comprises a second wireless communications interface using a local area wireless network.

16. The system as set forth in claim 12, wherein said mobile communications device further comprises a transponder, wherein said first communications interface comprises a first wireless communications interface using a local area wireless network, and wherein said second communications interface comprises a second wireless communications interface using said transponder in said mobile communications device.

17. The system as set forth in claim 12, wherein said second communications interface comprises a second wireless communications interface that utilizes a specification for a short range wireless communications link.

18. The system as set forth in claim 12, wherein said first communications interface is terminated before said second communications interface is established.

19. The system as set forth in claim 12, wherein said processor receives, via said second communications interface, an authorization signal based upon an authorization entry made by the first user of the mobile communications device to authorize said purchase transaction.

20. The system as set forth in claim 12, wherein said mobile communications device receives, from said processor via said second communications interface, a confirmation signal to indicate that said payment for said purchase transaction has been made.

21. The system as set forth in claim 12, wherein said mobile communications device further comprises a transponder for use in said first communications interface, wherein said system further comprises said point of sale terminal, wherein said point of sale terminal comprises a memory and an antenna and wherein said point of sale terminal generates a signal for exciting said transponder in said mobile communications device.