Methods for processing a payment authorization request utilizing a network of point of sale devices

• US 8,814,039 B2
• Filed: 01/13/2009
• Issued: 08/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Liberty Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Lead Core Fund LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Saunders, Peter D., Bishop, Fred A.
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, THIEN MINH
• Application Number:
  US12/353,081
• Publication Number:
  US 20090164327A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,051 Days
• Field of Search: 235/479, 235/380, 235/383, 235/382, 235/492, 235/379, 705/40, 705/18, 705/26
• US Class Current: 235/379
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/207 Tax processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/403 Solvency checks

Abstract

A point of sale (POS) device may be configured to locate a payment system and transmit a payment authorization request from a remote location to a payment system, either directly, or via a payment system directory and/or a SSL Gateway. The invention also includes inserting third party account information into an encrypted portion of the payment request, so the payment request appears as a normal request to the issuing bank, but the third party account information may be used by the third party to bill the customer. The payment system directory is further configured to determine one or more payment processors to direct a payment authorization request, such that a single transaction may me allocated among multiple payment processors for authorization. Moreover, the payment system directory is able to format alternative payment methods into a format that is able to be processed over existing payment networks.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating a transaction at a first point of sale (POS) device, said method including:

sending a query from a computer based system to a payment system directory, wherein the query includes a request to locate a candidate payment system that is configured to process at least a portion of said transaction, wherein said candidate payment system is configured to receive payment information related to said transaction at said first POS device;

causing, by said computer based system, a payment authorization request related to said transaction to be transmitted from said first POS device to said candidate payment system;

receiving, by said computer based system, payment authorization from said candidate payment system; and

sending, by said computer based system, said payment authorization to said first POS device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising acquiring an allocation rule associated with said payment information and locating said payment system directory based on said allocation rule.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a tax rate relating to said transaction, wherein the tax rate is determined based on location information for the transaction.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said payment information includes a proxy account number.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a proxy account number is associated with more than one transaction account, wherein said proxy account number is authorized to be used for multiple transactions, and wherein said payment information includes said proxy account number.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said candidate payment system is an Automated Clearing House (ACH).

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said first POS device is configured to periodically broadcast a message comprising identification information for the first POS device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein a signed token is used to identify and/or authenticate said payment information.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said computer based system is a second POS device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said first POS device is configured to communicate directly with said second POS device through at least one of a wireless connection and a wireline connection.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said first POS device is configured to communicate with said second POS device via one or more other POS devices.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising said computer based system receiving, from said first POS device, an identity of at least one of said payment system directory or an SSL gateway, and said computer based system routing said payment authorization request to said at least one of said payment system directory or an SSL gateway.

13. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that are executable to cause a computer system to perform operations comprising:

sending a query to a payment system directory, wherein the query includes a request to locate a candidate payment system configured to process at least a portion of a transaction associated with a first POS device, wherein the candidate payment system is configured to receive payment information related to the transaction associated with the first POS device;

causing a payment authorization request related to the transaction to be transmitted to the candidate payment system;

receiving payment authorization from the candidate payment system; and

sending the payment authorization to the first POS device.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the computer system is an intermediate system configured to route encrypted communications between the first POS device and the candidate payment system, and wherein the operations further comprise encrypting one or more of the query, the payment authorization request, and the payment authorization.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise locating two or more payment systems for the transaction.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise causing the first POS device to receive two or more respective payment authorizations for the transaction from the two or more payment systems.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise receiving device authentication information from the first POS device.

18. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

a storage device having instructions stored thereon that are executable by the processor to cause the system to perform operations comprising;

sending a query to a payment system directory, wherein the query includes a request to locate a candidate payment system configured to process at least a portion of a transaction associated with a first POS device, wherein the candidate payment system is configured to receive payment information related to the transaction associated with the first POS device;

causing a payment authorization request related to the transaction to be transmitted from the first POS device to the candidate payment system;

receiving payment authorization from the candidate payment system; and

sending the payment authorization to the first POS device.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the system is an SSL gateway configured to facilitate secure communication between the first POS device and at least one of the candidate payment system and the payment system directory.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the operations further comprise receiving a transmission from the first POS device and sending routing information to the first POS device in response.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the system is a second POS device, and wherein the first and second POS devices each correspond to a common owner.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the system is configured to facilitate communication between the first POS device and at least one of the candidate payment system and the payment system directory based, at least in part, on a determination that the first and second POS devices correspond to the common owner.