Mobile device containing contactless payment card used in transit fare collection

• US 9,495,672 B2
• Filed: 04/01/2014
• Issued: 11/15/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visa USA, Inc. (Visa, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Visa USA, Inc. (Visa, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hammad, Ayman, Dixon, Phillip, Triplett, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): HESS, DANIEL A
• Application Number:
  US14/242,754
• Publication Number:
  US 20140214658A1
• Time in Patent Office: 959 Days
• Field of Search: 235/492, 235/382, 235/382.5
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/16 Payments settled via telecommunication systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/227 characterised in that multiple accounts are available, e.g. to the payer
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/325 using wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/341 Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/352 Contactless payments by cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3576 Multiple memory zones on card
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/367 involving electronic purses or money safes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system

Abstract

An apparatus such as a mobile phone includes a contactless smart card or payment device, where the smart card is intended for use in both commerce transaction payment and transit fare payment (or other venue access) environments. The payment device may function as both an electronic wallet for commerce transactions and as a transit system card, for access to and fare payment of transit services. Implementation of both functions may be achieved by use of a dynamic memory management system that permits data for both the payment and transit applications to be stored on the card, with the transit data and storage locations isolated from those used to store data intended for use in paying for commerce transactions. The transit application specific data may include access control data (keys, passwords, identification data) or data required for fare calculations (rates, historical data on system use), for example.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving data for a payment transaction and data for a plurality of venue or system access transactions via an interface coupled to a wireless communications network, the interface contained in the mobile device;

storing data for the payment transaction in a first data storage region of a data storage element; and

storing data for the plurality of venue or system access transactions in a second data storage region of the data storage element, wherein storing the data for the plurality of venue or system access transactions further comprises;

creating an index file in the second data storage region containing data identifying a file corresponding to each of the venue or system access transactions, the index file including data identifying an agent or agency responsible for controlling access to each of the venue or system transactions; and

creating a plurality of data files in the second data storage region containing access control data, wherein each of the plurality of data files is one of the files corresponding to each of the venue or system transactions and the file corresponding to each one of the venue or system transactions includes access control data for that venue or system.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

dynamically configuring the second data storage region.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is a mobile phone.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the venue or system access transactions is a transit system access transaction.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an instruction for altering a configuration of the data storage element.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein altering the configuration of the data storage element comprises erasing data previously stored in the data storage element.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein altering the configuration of the data storage element comprises creating a partition in the data storage element.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is configured to:

transfer the access control data to a contactless reader in an access device for the venue or system using short range communications technology; and

control the transfer of data between the interface and the data storage element to provide access control data to the data storage element or to provide access control data to the interface.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the data for the payment transaction is stored in the first data storage region in a first file structure, wherein the data for the plurality of venue or system access transactions is stored in the second data storage region in a second file structure different than the first file structure.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

creating a bit-map file in the second data storage region identifying unused memory space in the data storage element available for storage of access control data for an additional venue or system.