Methods and systems for making a pre-payment

• US 10,475,028 B1
• Filed: 02/23/2017
• Issued: 11/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Original Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Inventors: Luera, III, Leopoldo, Bear, Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Trandai, Cindy
• Application Number:
  US15/441,071
• Time in Patent Office: 992 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3223 Realising banking transactions through M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/327 Short range or proximity payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/36 using electronic wallets or electronic money safes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/367 involving electronic purses or money safes
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for making a pre-payment. In some embodiments, a user is provided with a mobile wallet; information populating at least one payment instrument to the mobile wallet is received; information that the mobile wallet is usable with respect to the vehicle is received; information that the mobile wallet has been presented by the vehicle to a payment location is received; an authorized pre-payment corresponding to items or an amount associated with the payment location is received; a token is received from the user at the payment location; and the pre-payment is settled using the payment instrument.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a mobile wallet, information populating at least one payment instrument to the mobile wallet;

sending, via the mobile wallet, a pre-payment corresponding to one or more items available for purchase to a payment location using at least one payment instrument from the mobile wallet for settlement of the pre-payment,

wherein the pre-payment identifies the at least one payment instrument to the payment location via the mobile wallet; and

receiving, at the mobile wallet in response to the pre-payment being received by the payment location, a token,

wherein the token identifies a user, the pre-payment, and the one or more items to the payment location, wherein the token includes an identifier used to identify the user, wherein the token is presented by the user via the mobile wallet upon exit from the payment location to verify that the prepayment corresponds to the one or more items.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the token changes on a transaction-per-transaction basis.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier is a membership number associated with the user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

identifying possible payment locations for presentment, wherein the possible payment locations are payment locations within a proximity of a vehicle;

presenting the possible payment locations to the user on a user interface; and

receiving a selection of the payment location.

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

determining the one or more items available for purchase at the payment location;

providing the user with a selectable list of the one or more items available for purchase at the payment location;

receiving a selection of at least one of the one or more items available for purchase at the payment location; and

providing a total cost associated with the selection of the at least one of the one or more items available for purchase at the payment location.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile wallet is integral with a vehicle.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile wallet is docked with a vehicle.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile wallet is linked to a vehicle from a mobile device via near-field communication.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile wallet is usable with respect to a vehicle, wherein the mobile wallet is hosted remotely from the vehicle.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile wallet contains personal information related to the user, wherein the personal information is usable by the user for identifying the user to the payment location, wherein a provider of the mobile wallet is a membership organization, wherein the user is a member of the membership organization.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile wallet is usable with respect to a vehicle, wherein the vehicle is linked to the payment location using dedicated short-range communications.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the payment location is a fixed payment location.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile wallet is usable with respect to a vehicle, wherein the method further comprises using personal identification from a mobile device hosting the mobile wallet to access a secure area using the vehicle, wherein the personal identification is presented to an access control device of the secure area by the vehicle.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing a set of instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause a machine to:

receive, at a mobile wallet, information populating at least one payment instrument to the mobile wallet;

send, via the mobile wallet, a pre-payment corresponding to one or more items available for purchase to a payment location using at least one payment instrument from the mobile wallet for settlement of the pre-payment,

wherein the pre-payment identifies the at least one payment instrument to the payment location via the mobile wallet; and

receive, at the mobile wallet in response to the pre-payment being received by the payment location, a token,

wherein the token identifies a user, the pre-payment, and the one or more items to the payment location, wherein the token includes an identifier used to identify the user, wherein the token is presented by the user via the mobile wallet upon exit from the payment location to verify that the prepayment corresponds to the one or more items.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the token changes on a transaction-per-transaction basis, and wherein the identifier is a membership number associated with the user.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the mobile wallet is usable with respect to a vehicle, wherein the mobile wallet is hosted remotely from the vehicle.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the mobile wallet contains personal information relating to the user, wherein the personal information is usable by the user for identifying the user to the payment location, wherein a provider of the mobile wallet is a membership organization, wherein the user is a member of the membership organization.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the payment location is a fixed payment location.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14, wherein the mobile wallet is usable with respect to a vehicle, wherein the set of instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further causes the machine to use personal identification from a mobile device hosting the mobile wallet to access a secure area using the vehicle, wherein the personal identification is presented to an access control device of the secure area by the vehicle.

20. A system for making a pre-payment, the system comprising:

a memory; and

a processor in connection with the memory, the processor operable to execute software modules, the software modules comprising;

a mobile wallet application module operable to;

receive information populating at least one payment instrument to the mobile wallet,

send a pre-payment corresponding to one or more items available for purchase to a payment location using at least one payment instrument from the mobile wallet for settlement of the pre-payment,

wherein the pre-payment identifies the at least one payment instrument to the payment location via the mobile wallet,

receive, in response to the pre-payment being received by the payment location, a token,

wherein the token identifies a user, the pre-payment, and the one or more items to the payment location, wherein the token includes an identifier used to identify the user, wherein the token is presented by the user via the mobile wallet upon exit from the payment location to verify that the prepayment corresponds to the one or more items; and

a payment settlement module operable to settle the pre-payment using the one of the at least one payment instrument.