Biometric payment technology

• US 9,519,901 B1
• Filed: 12/30/2015
• Issued: 12/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/16/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Block, Inc. (f/k/a Square, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Square Inc (Block, Inc. (f/k/a Square, Inc.))
• Inventors: Dorogusker, Jesse
• Primary Examiner(s): Qayyum, Zeshan
• Application Number:
  US14/985,130
• Time in Patent Office: 349 Days
• Field of Search: 705/75
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3226 Use of secure elements separate from M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40145 Biometric identity checks

Abstract

In some examples, methods and systems may process one or more payment transactions between a merchant and a customer by registering, by a biometric sensor of a payment object reader or a mobile device, a biometric characteristic as a biometric payment instrument, for example by obtaining data corresponding to a biometric characteristic of the customer. The data is converted into a digital signature of the biometric characteristic and compared with a registered biometric instrument at the time of transaction. If a match is obtained, the customer effects payments through the registered biometric instrument.

Claims

1. A method for processing a payment transaction between a merchant and a customer, the method comprising:

obtaining, by a biometric sensor associated with a point-of-sale (POS) terminal, a biometric characteristic of the customer;

generating, by a signature component of the biometric sensor, a digital signature of the biometric characteristic;

generating, by the POS terminal, a payment request including the digital signature and a money transfer amount corresponding to the payment transaction;

detecting, by a sensor associated with the POS terminal, a proximate computing device associated with the customer in proximity to a current geographical location of the POS terminal based at least in part on an identifier associated with the proximate computing device;

establishing, by the POS terminal, a communication link with the proximate computing device;

sending, by the POS terminal, the payment request to the proximate computing device communicatively coupled to the POS terminal;

determining, by a comparator of the proximate computing device, a match between the digital signature and a registered biometric instrument stored in a database;

determining, by the proximate computing device and from the registered biometric instrument, an identity of the customer associated with the registered biometric instrument in response to determining the match;

identifying, by the proximate computing device, a customer financial account associated with the identified customer, based on a stored association between the customer financial account and the identified customer; and

generating, by the proximate computing device, a payment transfer request based on the customer financial account, the payment transfer request including the money transfer amount; and

sending, by the proximate computing device, the payment transfer request to a payment processing system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the biometric characteristic is selected from a group of characteristics including a thumbprint, a fingerprint, a retinal iris scan, a speech pattern, a voice print, a facial geometry, a facial image, and a genetic signature.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising accessing a database associated with the proximate computing device, wherein the database includes a plurality of biometric instruments registered by the customer, wherein each of the biometric instruments corresponds to a tokenized representation of a unique biometric characteristic of the customer.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

causing display of information regarding the payment transaction on the proximate computing device associated with the customer, wherein the information includes one of a request for authorization of the payment transaction or details of the payment transaction,

wherein the biometric characteristic of the customer is received as a payment object for the payment transaction.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the financial account further comprises:

evaluating, by the payment processing system, whether the payment transaction complies with stored condition data, wherein the stored condition data includes at least one of;

a time period within which the money transfer amount is accessible to the merchant;

a particular merchant requesting the money transfer amount;

a particular category of the merchant requesting the money transfer amount;

a particular location from where the customer is requesting the money transfer amount;

a predefined limit of the money transfer amount;

the identity of the customer making the purchase; and

a particular type of goods or services corresponding to the money transfer amount;

deciding to authorize payment for the transaction and to fund the payment transaction from the customer financial account if said evaluating results in a determination that the payment transaction complies with the stored condition data, and otherwise, deciding to deny the payment transaction; and

transmitting an electronic message indicative of an outcome of the evaluation, from the payment processing system to the POS terminal.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a registration of the biometric instrument includes the user associating a condition with the biometric instrument, the condition comprising at least one of:

a time period within which the money transfer amount is accessible to the merchant;

a particular merchant requesting the money transfer amount;

a particular category of the merchant requesting the money transfer amount;

a particular location from where the customer is requesting the money transfer amount;

a predefined limit of the money transfer amount;

the identity of the user making the purchase;

or

a particular type of goods or services corresponding to the money transfer amount.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the proximate computing device further comprises:

activating a geo-fence around the current geographical location of the POS terminal; and

determining that the proximate computing device has entered the geo-fence.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing the digital signature in the POS terminal; and

accessing the digital signature to validate a subsequent payment transaction between the merchant and the customer.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising deleting the biometric characteristic from the POS terminal when the digital signature is generated.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the biometric characteristic of the customer is received as a payment object for the payment transaction.

11. A system comprising:

a point-of-sale (POS) terminal comprising;

a biometric sensor;

one or more POS terminal processors; and

one or more POS terminal non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions when executed by the one or more POS terminal processors causes the one or more POS terminal processors to perform acts comprising;

obtaining, by the biometric sensor, a biometric characteristic of the customer;

generating, by a signature component of the biometric sensor, a digital signature of the biometric characteristic;

generating a payment request including the digital signature and a money transfer amount corresponding to the payment transaction;

detecting a proximate computing device associated with the customer in proximity to a current geographical location of the POS terminal based at least in part on an identifier associated with the proximate computing device;

establishing a communication link with the proximate computing device;

sending the payment request to the proximate computing device communicatively coupled to the POS terminal; and

the proximate computing device comprising;

one or more proximate computing device processors; and

one or more proximate computing device non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions when executed by the one or more proximate computing device processors cause the one or more proximate computing device processors to perform acts comprising;

receiving the payment request from the POS terminal;

determining a match between the digital signature a registered biometric instrument stored in a database;

determining, from the registered biometric instrument, an identity of the customer associated with the registered biometric instrument in response to determining the match;

identifying a customer financial account associated with the identified customer, based on a stored association between the customer financial account and the identified customer;

generating a payment transfer request based on the customer financial account, the payment transfer request including the money transfer amount; and

sending the payment transfer request to a payment processing system.

12. The system of claim 11, the acts performed by the one or more proximate computing device processors further comprising accessing a database associated with the proximate computing device, wherein the database includes a biometric instrument registered by the customer, the biometric instruments corresponding to a tokenized representation of a unique biometric characteristic of the customer.

13. The system of claim 11, the acts performed by the one or more POS terminal processors further comprising:

storing the digital signature in a data store of the POS terminal; and

accessing the digital signature to validate a subsequent payment transaction between the merchant and the customer.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the digital signature further includes at least one of:

transaction information;

a random number;

or

an authentication key.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the biometric sensor is configured to delete the biometric characteristic of the customer when the digital signature is generated.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein detecting the proximate computing device further comprises:

activating a geo-fence around the current geographical location of the POS terminal; and

determining that the proximate computing device has entered the geo-fence.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the biometric characteristic comprises at least one of:

a fingerprint;

a hand characteristic;

a facial characteristic;

or

a voice characteristic.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the database storing the registered biometric instrument is stored in a database is located within a secure enclave of the proximate computing device.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein a registration of the biometric instrument includes the user associating a condition with the biometric instrument, the condition comprising at least one of:

a time period within which the money transfer amount is accessible to the merchant;

a particular merchant requesting the money transfer amount;

a particular category of the merchant requesting the money transfer amount;

a particular location from where the customer is requesting the money transfer amount;

a predefined limit of the money transfer amount;

the identity of the user making the purchase;

or

a particular type of goods or services corresponding to the money transfer amount.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the biometric characteristic is selected from a group of characteristics including a thumbprint, a fingerprint, a retinal iris scan, a speech pattern, a voice print, a facial geometry, a facial image, and a genetic signature.