Using harvested power for NFC transactions

• US 9,626,672 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2013
• Issued: 04/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blaze Mobile, Inc. (iWin, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Michelle Fisher
• Inventors: Fisher, Michelle
• Primary Examiner(s): Champagne, Luna
• Application Number:
  US14/022,474
• Publication Number:
  US 20140180851A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,316 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/325 using wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/326 Payment applications installed on the mobile devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/327 Short range or proximity payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3278 RFID or NFC payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/425 using two different networks, one for transaction and one for security confirmation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• 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

In some embodiments, a system includes a mobile communication device and a secure element physically coupled to the mobile communication device. The mobile communication device includes a first wireless transceiver, first processor, and first memory. The secure element includes a second wireless transceiver, second processor, and second memory. The mobile communication device is configured to transmit data via the first wireless transceiver to the secure element in packets, using a packet protocol. The secure element is configured to transmit data via the second wireless transceiver to the mobile communication device in messages, using a messaging protocol distinct from the packet protocol.

Claims

1. A method for conducting a Near Field Communication (NFC) transaction between a secure element and a point-of-sale terminal, the method comprising:

maintaining an NFC application and identification code in a memory of the secure element, the secure element physically coupled to a mobile device but electrically decoupled from electrical interior components of the mobile device, wherein execution of the NFC application facilitates the transfer of the identification code to a the point-of-sale terminal, wherein the mobile device includes a mobile application stored in the memory of the mobile device, a mobile device processor, and a mobile device transceiver that supports a first communication channel using at least one of Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) or Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) CDMA OR GSM;

executing, in response to a near field communication inductive trigger between the secure element and the point of sale terminal, the NFC application stored in the memory of the secure element by using a processor in the secure element;

transmitting, in response to the near field communication inductive trigger between the secure element and the point of sale terminal, the identification code by using the NFC application and a wireless transceiver configured for near field communications in the secure element during the NFC interaction, wherein the identification code is sent through a first second communication channel to the point-of-sale terminal and further wherein the point-of-sale terminal transfers the identification code to a management server which transfers the identification code to a transaction server for processing the NFC transaction using a payment method corresponding to the identification code, wherein the second communication channel is different from the first communication channel;

receiving response information from the management server via the point of sale terminal; and

transmitting the response information to the mobile device using power harvested from ambient RF signals, wherein the response information is sent to the mobile device through a second communication channel, wherein the second communication channel is different from the first communication channel.

2. The method of claim 1, further wherein the secure element receives the response information from the point-of-sale terminal during the NFC transaction interaction.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second communication channel implements a Near Field Communications (NFC) communication protocol.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the second communication channel implements a Bluetooth communication protocol.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the second communication channel implements a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) communication protocol.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the identification code uniquely identifies a user of the mobile device.

7. The method of claim 1, further wherein a coupon is processed during the NFC transaction.

8. A secure element for conducting a Near Field Communication (NFC) transaction with a point-of-sale terminal, the secure element comprising:

a secure element wireless transceiver configured for near field communication that;

sends an the identification code using an the NFC application in response to the a near field communication inductive trigger between the secure element and the point of sale terminal through a first second communication channel to the point-of-sale terminal during the NFC interaction and further wherein the point of sale terminal transfers the identification code to a management server which transfers the identification code to a transaction server for processing the NFC transaction using a payment method corresponding to the identification code, wherein the second communication channel is different from the first communication channel;

receives response information from the management server via the point of sale terminal; and

transmits the response information to the mobile device using power harvested from ambient RF signals, wherein the response information is sent to the mobile device through a second communication channel, wherein the second communication channel is different from the first communication channel;

a secure element memory configured to maintain store an NFC application and an identification code; and

a secure element processor that executes the NFC application stored in the memory of the secure element in response to a detection of a near field communication inductive trigger by the point-of-sale terminal;

wherein a the secure element is physically coupled to a mobile device but electrically decoupled from the electrical interior components of the mobile device, the mobile device including a mobile application stored in the memory of the mobile device, a mobile device processor, and a mobile device transceiver that supports a first communication channel using at least one of Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) or Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) CDMA OR GSM.

9. The secure element of claim 8, further wherein the secure element receives the response information from the point-of-sale terminal during the NFC transaction interaction.

10. The secure element of claim 8, wherein the second communication channel implements a Near Field Communications (NFC) communication protocol.

11. The secure element of claim 8, wherein the second communication channel implements a Bluetooth communication protocol.

12. The secure element of claim 8, wherein the second communication channel implements a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) communication protocol.

13. The secure element of claim 8, wherein the identification code uniquely identifies a user of the mobile device.

14. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium for conducting a Near Field Communication (NFC) transaction between a secure element and a point-of-sale terminal comprising:

computer code for maintaining an NFC application and an identification code in a memory of a the secure element, the secure element physically coupled to a mobile device but electrically decoupled from electrical interior components of the mobile device, wherein the mobile device includes a mobile application stored in the memory of the mobile device, a mobile device processor, and a mobile device transceiver that supports a first communication channel using at least one of Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) or Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) CDMA OR GSM;

computer code for executing the NFC application stored in memory of the secure element by using a processor in the secure element, wherein the NFC application is executed in response to a detection of a near field communication inductive trigger by a the point-of-sale terminal;

computer code for transmitting the identification code in response to the near field communication inductive trigger between the secure element and the point-of-sale terminal by using the NFC application and a wireless transceiver is configured for near field communications in the secure element during the NFC interaction, wherein the identification code is sent through a first second communication channel to the point-of-sale terminal and further wherein the point of sale terminal transfers the identification code to a management server which transfers the identification code to a transaction server for processing the NFC transaction using a payment method corresponding to the identification code, wherein the second communication channel is different from the first communication channel;

computer code for receiving response information from the management server via the point of sale terminal; and

computer code for transmitting the response information to the mobile device using power harvested from ambient RF signals, wherein the response information is sent to the mobile device through a second communication channel, wherein the second communication channel is different from the first communication channel.