Mobile-phone adapter for electronic transactions

• US 9,794,392 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2014
• Issued: 10/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hand Held Products Incorporated (Honeywell International Inc.)
• Inventors: Hejl, Benjamin
• Primary Examiner(s): Masud, Rokib
• Application Number:
  US14/327,827
• Publication Number:
  US 20160014251A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,195 Days
• Field of Search: 705 1436, 705 261, 705 44, 705 75
• 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: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces

Abstract

A mobile-device adapter to facilitate the exchange of visual information between a mobile device and a point-of-sale terminal is disclosed. The mobile-device adapter may be connected to a point-of-sale terminal at a retail checkout and configured to allow a customer to temporarily position their mobile device so that the mobile-device adapter may (i) image the mobile-device display and (ii) present images to the mobile-device camera. In this way, the mobile-device adapter may facilitate electronic transactions using visual images.

Claims

1. A mobile-device adapter to facilitate electronic communication between a mobile device and a host device, the mobile-device adapter comprising:

an adapter camera configured to acquire images of a mobile-device display;

an adapter display configured to present images to a mobile-device camera;

an adapter frame configured to temporarily position the mobile device in a guide area and to permanently support the adapter camera and the adapter display, the adapter frame permitting (i) the adapter camera to acquire images of the mobile-device display and (ii) the adapter display to present images to the mobile-device camera when the mobile device is positioned in the guide area; and

an adapter communication module configured to facilitate a digital data link between the mobile-device adapter and a host device, the adapter communication module being electrically connected to the adapter camera and the adapter display.

2. The mobile-device adapter according to claim 1, wherein the electronic communication between the mobile device and the host device comprises payment information.

3. The mobile-device adapter according to claim 1, wherein, the host device is a point-of-sale terminal.

4. The mobile-device adapter according to claim 1, wherein the adapter display comprises a video display configured to display a sequence of image frames comprising image frames for customer viewing and image frames for electronic communication.

5. The mobile-device adapter according to claim 4, wherein the image frames for customer viewing comprise customer instructions.

6. The mobile-device adapter according to claim 1, wherein the digital data link is a wireless communication link.

7. The mobile-device adapter according to claim 1, wherein images displayed by the adapter display comprise encrypted data.

8. The mobile-device adapter according to claim 1, wherein the images displayed by the adapter display comprise point-of-sale terminal identification information.

9. The mobile-device adapter according to claim 1, wherein the adapter display comprises a fixed mark.

10. The mobile-device adapter according to claim 1, wherein the mobile-device adapter comprises a processor configured to interpret images from the adapter camera, the processor being electrically connected to the adapter camera.

11. A checkout system, comprising:

a mobile device having a mobile-device camera for capturing visual information and a mobile-device display for displaying visual information;

a mobile-device adapter configured to temporarily position the mobile device in a guide area and to exchange visual information with the mobile device, the mobile-device adapter comprising (i) an adapter camera for receiving visual information from the mobile-device display and (ii) an adapter display for transmitting visual information to the mobile-device camera when the mobile device is positioned in the guide area; and

a point-of-sale terminal for processing and recording the visual information from the mobile-device adapter, the point-of-sale terminal connected to the mobile-device adapter via a communication link.

12. The checkout system according to claim 11, wherein the visual information received by the adapter camera comprises coded symbols and the mobile-device adapter comprises a processor configured to decode the coded symbols.

13. The checkout system according to claim 11, wherein the adapter display is a printed mark.

14. The checkout system according to claim 11, wherein the adapter display is an electronic display.

15. The checkout system according to claim 14, wherein the mobile-device adapter comprises a communication module electrically connected to both the adapter camera and the adapter display, the communication module facilitating a digital data link between the mobile-device adapter and the point-of-sale terminal.

16. The checkout system according to claim 11, wherein the visual information includes payment information.

17. The checkout system according to claim 11, wherein the visual information comprises point-of-sale terminal identification.

18. The checkout system according to claim 11, wherein the visual information comprises encrypted information.

19. The checkout system according to claim 11, wherein the visual information comprises multiple images sequentially displayed.

20. The checkout system according to claim 11, wherein the point-of-sale terminal is connected to the mobile-device adapter via a wireless communication link.