M-commerce virtual cash system, method, and apparatus

• US 8,875,995 B2
• Filed: 06/14/2013
• Issued: 11/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Waltman, Joan T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Ahshik
• Application Number:
  US13/917,748
• Publication Number:
  US 20130282574A1
• Time in Patent Office: 508 Days
• Field of Search: 235/379, 235/380, 235/383, 705/39, 705/40, 705/42
• US Class Current: 235/379
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/065 using e-cash
• 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 20/105 involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3274 using a pictured code, e.g. barcode or QR-code, being displayed on the M-device
• 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 30/04 Billing or invoicing

Abstract

A virtual cash system, method, and apparatus has an account record containing a record of money amounts associated with a wireless device and a transmitter for wirelessly transmitting to the wireless device predetermined information from the account record. Cash amounts can be spent from the account record directly from the wireless device via information derived from the wireless device via a bar code on the display, a short range radio signal, a light beam, or the like. A different security code is generated for each account transaction for verification.

Claims

1. A computer operated method for operating a virtual cash system comprising:

storing at a processing center a first account record, the first account record associated with a first wireless device, the first account record comprising a first amount of virtual cash;

storing at the processing center a security code, wherein the security code includes data for verification of security information;

storing at the processing center a second account record, the second account record associated with a merchant;

receiving at the processing center a communication from a communications network, the communication from the communications network comprising;

an identifier for the second account record associated with a merchant;

an identifier for the first account record associated with the first wireless device;

security information; and

an instruction to transfer a second amount of virtual cash from the first account record to the second account record;

verifying the security information at the processing center by reference to the security code;

comparing the second amount of virtual cash to the first amount of virtual cash; and

transmitting the verification of the security information over the communications network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting of the verification of the security information over the communications network further includes notifying the merchant according to one or more predefined notification rules based on the comparison of the second amount of virtual cash to the first amount of virtual cash.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein notifying the merchant according to the one or more predefined notification rules further comprises notifying the merchant of a difference between the second amount of virtual cash and the first amount of virtual cash.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising transmitting a message to the first wireless device over the communications network according to the one or more predefined notification rules.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the security code is a static number.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the security code has a fixed portion and a rolling portion.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the security code is retrieved from information associated with the first wireless device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the security code is updated as a result of an interaction with the first wireless device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein verifying the security information at the processing center further comprises comparing the identifier for the first account record received from the communications network with the first account record stored at the processing center.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the identifier for the first account record comprises a wireless device identifier associated with the first wireless device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the wireless device identifier comprises a telephone number associated with the first wireless device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein verifying the security code information at the processing center further comprises comparing the communication received from the communications network with the first account record stored at the processing center.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving at the processing center a second communication from the communications network with instructions to change the security code after a transaction by the first wireless device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the security code includes a rolling portion.

15. A processing center for use in operating a virtual cash system, the processing center comprising:

a memory;

a communications input/output (I/O) device; and

a processor operable to;

store in the memory a first account record, the first account record associated with a first wireless device, the first account record comprising a first amount of virtual cash;

store in the memory a security code, wherein the security code includes data for verification of security information; and

store in the memory a second account record, the second account record associated with a merchant;

receive via the communications I/O device a communication from a communications network, the communication from the communications network comprising;

an identifier for the second account record associated with the merchant;

an identifier for the first account record associated with the first wireless device;

security code information; and

an instruction to transfer a second amount of virtual cash from the first account record to the second account record;

verify the security information at the processing center by reference to the security code;

compare the second amount of virtual cash to the first amount of virtual cash; and

transmit via the communications I/O device verification of the security information over the communications network.

16. The processing center of claim 15, wherein the communications I/O device comprises a wireless transceiver.

17. The processing center of claim 15, wherein the processor operable to transmit verification of the security information over the communications network further includes the processor operable to notify the merchant according to one or more predefined notification rules based on the comparison of the second amount of virtual cash to the first amount of virtual cash.

18. The processing center of claim 15, wherein the processor is further operable to verify the security information at the processing center by comparing the communication received from the communications network with the first account record stored in the memory.

19. The processing center of claim 15, wherein the communication received from the communications network comprises a bar code.

20. The processing center of claim 15, wherein the security code is a static number.

21. The processing center of claim 15, wherein the security code has a fixed portion and a rolling portion.

22. The processing center of claim 15, wherein the security code is retrieved from data associated with the first wireless device.

23. The processing center of claim 15, wherein the security code is updated as a result of an interaction with the wireless device.

24. The processing center of claim 15, wherein the processor is further operable to change the security code stored in the memory in response to an update instruction received from the communications network after a transaction by the first wireless device.

25. The processing center of claim 24, wherein the security code includes a rolling portion.

26. The processing center of claim 24, wherein the update instruction includes a change to a fixed portion of the security code.

27. The processing center of claim 15, wherein the identifier for the first account record associated with the first wireless device comprises a wireless device identifier associated with the first wireless device.

28. The processing center of claim 27, wherein the wireless device identifier comprises a personal identification number (PIN) associated with the first wireless device.

29. A processing center for use in operating a virtual cash system, the processing center comprising:

means for storing at the processing center a first account record, the first account record associated with a first wireless device, the first account record comprising a first amount of virtual cash;

means for storing at the processing center a security code, wherein the security code includes data for verification of security information;

means for storing at the processing center a second account record, the second account record associated with a merchant;

means for receiving a communication from a communications network, the communication from the communications network comprising;

an identifier for the second account record associated with the merchant;

an identifier for the first account record associated with the first wireless device;

security information; and

an instruction to transfer a second amount of virtual cash from the first account record to the second account record;

means for verifying at the processing center the security information by reference to the security code;

means for comparing at the processing center the second amount of virtual cash to the first amount of virtual cash; and

means for transmitting the verification of the security information over the communications network.

30. The processing center of claim 29, wherein the means for receiving a communication from the communications network further comprises means for receiving a wireless communication from the communications network.

31. The processing center of claim 30, wherein the means for transmitting the verification of the security information further includes means for notifying the merchant according to one or more predefined notification rules based on the comparison of the second amount of virtual cash to the first amount of virtual cash.

32. The processing center of claim 29, wherein first security code is a static number.

33. The processing center of claim 29, wherein the security code has a fixed portion and a rolling portion.

34. The processing center of claim 29, wherein the security code is retrieved from data associated with the wireless device.

35. The processing center of claim 29, wherein the security code is updates as a result of an interaction with the first wireless device.

36. The processing center of claim 29, wherein the communication received from the communications network comprises a bar code.

37. The processing center of claim 29, further comprising means to verify the security information at the processing center by comparing the security information received from the communications network with the first account record.

38. The processing center of claim 29, further comprising means to change the security code in response to an update instruction received from the communications network.

39. The processing center of claim 38, wherein the security code includes a rolling portion.

40. The processing center of claim 38, wherein the means to change the security code in response to an update instruction further comprises means to change a fixed portion of the security code.

41. The processing center of claim 29, wherein the means for verifying at the processing center the security information further comprises means to verify the identifier for the first account record received from the communications network.

42. The processing center of claim 41, wherein the identifier for the first account record associated with the first wireless device comprises a wireless device identifier associated with the first wireless device.

43. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readable program code executable to implement a method for operating a virtual cash system comprising:

storing at a processing center a first account record, the first account record associated with a first wireless device, the first account record comprising a first amount of virtual cash;

storing at the processing center a security code, wherein the security code includes data for verification of security information;

storing at the processing center a second account record, the second account record associated with a merchant;

receiving at the processing center a communication from a communications network, the communication from the communications network comprising;

an identifier for the second account record associated with the merchant;

an identifier for the first account record associated with the first wireless device;

security information; and

an instruction to transfer a second amount of virtual cash from the first account record to the second account record;

verifying the first security information at the processing center by reference to the security code;

comparing the second amount of virtual cash to the first amount of virtual cash; and

transmitting the verification of the security information over the communications network.

44. The computer program product of claim 43, wherein the program code implementing the method further includes notifying the merchant according to one or more predefined notification rules based on the comparison of the second amount of virtual cash to the first amount of virtual cash.

45. The computer program product of claim 44, wherein the program code implementing the method further comprises notifying the merchant of a difference between the second amount of virtual cash and the first amount of virtual cash.

46. The computer program product of claim 44, wherein the program code implementing the method further comprises transmitting a message to the first wireless device over the communications network according to the one or more predefined notification rules.

47. The computer program product of claim 43, wherein the security code is a static number.

48. The computer program product of claim 43, wherein the security code has a fixed portion and a rolling portion.

49. The computer program product of claim 43, wherein the security code is retrieved from information associated with the first wireless device.

50. The computer program product of claim 43, wherein the security code is updated as a result of an interaction with the wireless device.

51. The computer program product of claim 43, wherein verifying the security information at the processing center as executed by the program code implementing the method further comprises comparing the communication received from the communications network with the first account record stored at the processing center.

52. The computer program product of claim 51, wherein the identifier for the first account record comprises a wireless device identifier associated with the first wireless device.

53. The computer program product of claim 52, wherein the wireless device identifier comprises a Mobile Identification Number (MIN) associated with the first wireless device.

54. The computer program product of claim 43, wherein verifying the security information at the processing center as executed by the program code implementing the method further comprises comparing the communication received from the communications network with the first account record stored at the processing center.

55. The computer program product of claim 43, wherein the program code implementing the method further comprises receiving at the processing center a second communication with instructions to change the security code after a transaction by the first wireless device.

56. The computer program product of claim 55, wherein the security code further includes a rolling portion.