System and method for providing contactless payment with a near field communications attachment

• US 9,378,496 B1
• Filed: 10/07/2015
• Issued: 06/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Capital One Services LLC (Capital One Financial Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Capital One Financial Corporation
• Inventors: Poole, Thomas S., Moreton, Paul Young
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsvey, Gennadiy
• Application Number:
  US14/876,966
• Time in Patent Office: 265 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0727 the arrangement being a circuit facilitating integration of the record carrier with a hand-held device such as a smart phone of PDA
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07769 the further communication means being a galvanic interface, e.g. hybrid or mixed smart cards having a contact and a non-contact interface
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 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 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/306 using TV related infrastructures external card used for payment with client device H04N21/4185
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/308 using the Internet of Things
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3226 Use of secure elements separate from M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3278 RFID or NFC payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/367 involving electronic purses or money safes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 2220/00 Business processing using cryptography postage metering system using cryptography G06Q2250/05
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/77 for interrogation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A system and method in accordance with exemplary embodiments may include an attachment with a near field communication antenna, a secure element, a plug capable of connecting the attachment to an audio jack on a mobile device. Further, a system and method in accordance with exemplary embodiments may include receiving a payment initiation instruction from a customer, using a near field communication antenna, sending payment information to a point of sale device, using one or more computer processors, encoding data related to the payment as audio data, and transmitting the data related to the payment through an audio jack.

Claims

1. A contactless payment attachment, comprising:

a tamperproof housing that protects components of the contactless payment attachment;

a proximity integrated circuit card within the tamperproof housing that securely stores an account number upon account provisioning which is used to identify a financial account and is transmitted from the contactless payment attachment when the contactless payment attachment is used during a mobile payment transaction involving the financial account;

a radio frequency interface connected to the proximity integrated circuit card within the tamperproof housing, wherein the radio frequency interface includes a near field communication antenna that establishes a communication link between the contactless payment attachment and a proximity coupling device and transmits the account number to the proximity coupling device via a radio frequency carrier frequency when conducting the mobile payment transaction involving the financial account;

an input/output interface within the tamperproof housing that enables an audio channel communication link between the contactless payment attachment and a mobile device, wherein the input/output interface includes an audio encoder/decoder that encodes data to be transmitted to the mobile device via the audio channel communication link as attachment audio data and decodes audio data transmitted from the mobile device via the audio channel communication link, and wherein the input/output interface receives an account provisioning signal that includes the account number;

an approximately 3.5 millimeter 4 pole standard audio plug that is operably connected to the input/output interface, protrudes from the tamperproof housing, connects the contactless payment attachment to an audio jack of the mobile device to enable establishment of the audio channel communication link, and is capable of providing power to the contactless payment attachment from the mobile device when the approximately 3.5 millimeter 4 pole standard audio plug is connected to the audio jack on the mobile device;

a host controller interface within the tamperproof housing that controls certain operations of the contactless payment attachment, including transmission of encoded data to the mobile device via the audio channel communication link and transmission of the account number to the proximity coupling device via the radio frequency carrier frequency;

a power source that supplies power to the proximity integrated circuit card, radio frequency interface, input/output interface, and host controller interface in a manner that enables the contactless payment attachment to be self-powered; and

a keychain that includes an audio plug receptacle that is capable of receiving the approximately 3.5 millimeter 4 pole standard audio plug in a manner that couples the tamperproof housing to the keychain and a keychain portion that enables attachment of the keychain to another object.

2. The contactless payment attachment of claim 1, wherein the radio frequency carrier frequency is approximately 13.56 MHz.

3. The contactless payment attachment of claim 1, wherein the tamperproof housing further includes a coupling mechanism that engages with the keychain to couple the tamperproof housing to the keychain.

4. The contactless payment attachment of claim 1, wherein the communication link between the contactless payment attachment and the proximity coupling device is ISO/IEC 14443 compliant.

5. The contactless payment attachment of claim 4, wherein the communication link between the contactless payment attachment and the proximity coupling device is MIFARE compliant.

6. The contactless payment attachment of claim 1, wherein the radio frequency interface is ISO/IEC 14443 compliant.

7. The contactless payment attachment of claim 6, wherein the radio frequency interface is MIFARE compliant.

8. The contactless payment attachment of claim 6, wherein the proximity integrated circuit card includes at least one computer processor and at least one secure storage module.

9. The contactless payment attachment of claim 1, wherein the financial account is a credit card account.

10. The contactless payment attachment of claim 9, wherein the mobile payment transaction is a credit card transaction.

11. The contactless payment attachment of claim 1, further comprising an audio jack that extends into the tamperproof housing to receive a standard audio plug, the audio jack being operably connected to the input/output interface within the tamperproof housing to create an audio transmission channel between the approximately 3.5 millimeter 4 pole standard audio plug and the audio jack.

12. The contactless payment attachment of claim 11, wherein the host controller interface suspends transmission of an audio signal during use of the near field communication antenna.

13. A method for initializing an attachment, comprising the steps of:

receiving, via a network and within a mobile application associated with a financial institution executing on a mobile device, a proximity integrated circuit card provisioning signal from a trusted service manager of the financial institution, the proximity integrated circuit card provisioning signal including an account number that is used to identify an account at the financial institution and is transmitted from the attachment when processing a payment transaction relating to the account, wherein the attachment includes the contactless payment attachment of claim 1.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the account is a credit card account.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the payment transaction is a credit card transaction.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the account is a debit card account.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the payment transaction is a debit card transaction.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising processing a transaction relating to the account.