SYSTEM AND ARCHITECTURE FOR MERCHANT INTEGRATION OF A BIOMETRIC PAYMENT SYSTEM

• US 20070288320A1
• Filed: 05/31/2006
• Published: 12/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Open Invention Network LLC
• Original Assignee: Open Invention Network LLC
• Inventors: Cooper, Brian, Hilmes, Ron
• Granted Patent: US 8,589,238 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/067 Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/206 comprising security or operator identification provisions, e.g. password entry
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4014 Identity check for transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/37 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voice recognition

Abstract

A system and method for performing authentication are disclosed. The system may include a shared central processing server, a plurality of software components each residing in a corresponding point-of-sale (POS) workstation and an identity provider service. The server may reside at a merchant location and communicate with muitiple POS workstations at the merchant location. The server may be configured to receive biometric information from each POS workstation. Each software component may communicate with a biometric sensor in communication with the corresponding POS workstation to receive biometric information. The identity provider service may be configured to communicate with the server, store registered biometric information and compare biometric information received from the server with one or more of the stored registered biometric information. One of the biometric sensor, a POS workstation and the server may convert a biometric image into a biometric template for comparison with the stored registered biometric information.

Claims

1. A system for performing authentication, the system comprising:

a shared central processing server residing at a merchant location, the shared central processing server configured to communicate with a plurality of point-of-sale (POS) workstations residing at the merchant location, wherein the shared central processing server is configured to receive first biometric information from each POS workstation;

a plurality of software components, each such software component residing in a corresponding POS workstation, wherein each such software component includes code for communicating with a biometric sensor to receive second biometric information and wherein each corresponding POS workstation is in communication with such a biometric sensor; and

an identity provider service configured to communicate with the shared central processing server, wherein the identity provider service stores registered biometric information and compares third biometric information received from the shared central processing server with one or more of the stored registered biometric information.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the shared central processing server is configured to receive electronic wallets from the identity provider service.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein each software component is configured to receive a representation of at least a portion of an electronic wallet from the shared central processing server.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein each software component of each POS workstation is configured to receive an input from a payment terminal coupled to the POS workstation, wherein the input received from the payment terminal relates to initiating a biometrically authenticated payment transaction.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the payment terminal comprises a personal identification number (PIN) pad.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the first biometric information received by the shared central processing server from each POS workstation comprises a fingerprint image.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the shared central processing server is configured to convert the fingerprint image into a biometric template.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the first biometric information received by the shared central processing server from each POS workstation comprises a biometric template.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the first biometric information and the second biometric information comprise the same biometric image.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the first biometric information and the second biometric information comprise the same biometric template.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the second biometric information received by a POS workstation comprises a fingerprint image.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the POS workstation is configured to convert the fingerprint image into a biometric template.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the second biometric information received by a POS workstation comprises a biometric template.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein each POS workstation comprises an electronic cash register.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein the second biometric information comprises a biometric image, the first biometric information comprises the biometric image, and the third biometric information comprises a biometric template corresponding to the biometric image.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein the second biometric information comprises a biometric image, the first biometric information comprises a biometric template corresponding to the biometric image, and the third biometric information comprises the biometric template.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein the second biometric information comprises a biometric template, the first biometric information comprises the biometric template, and the third biometric information comprises the biometric template.

18. A method for performing electronic wallet presentation, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of biometric information from a plurality of checkout areas, wherein each checkout area is located at a merchant location, wherein each biometric information is associated with a transaction performed at a corresponding checkout area;

receiving an electronic wallet corresponding to a consumer for a transaction;

determining a checkout area performing the transaction associated with the electronic wallet; and

transmitting a representation of at least a portion of the electronic wallet to the checkout area.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

converting each biometric information into a biometric template; and

transmitting the biometric template to an identity provider service.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising transmitting each biometric information to an identity provider service.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

receiving from the checkout area, a request for additional information contained within the electronic wallet; and

transmitting the additional information from the electronic wallet to the checkout area.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the additional information comprises one or more account numbers, wherein each account number is associated with a corresponding payment modality in the electronic wallet.

23. The method of claim 18 wherein determining a checkout area performing the transaction associated with the electronic wallet comprises identifying a POS workstation identification number associated with the transaction.

24. The method of claim 18 wherein transmitting a representation of at least a portion of the electronic wallet to the checkout area comprises transmitting the representation to a POS workstation associated with the checkout area.

25. The method of claim 18 wherein the portion of the electronic wallet comprises a consumer'"'"'s payment modalities.

26. The method of claim 18 wherein the representation of the portion of the electronic wallet comprises payment options symbols for payment modalities for a consumer that are displayed to the consumer at the checkout area for selection.

27. A computer-readable storage medium containing one or more programming instructions for performing a method for performing electronic wallet presentation, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of biometric information from a plurality of checkout areas, wherein each checkout area is located at a merchant location, wherein each biometric information is associated with a transaction performed at a corresponding checkout area;

receiving an electronic wallet corresponding to a consumer for a transaction;

determining a checkout area performing the transaction associated with the electronic wallet; and

transmitting a representation of at least a portion of the electronic wallet to the checkout area.

28. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 27 further containing one or more programming instructions for performing the following:

converting each biometric information into a biometric template; and

transmitting the biometric template to an identity provider service.

29. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 27 further containing one or more programming instructions for transmitting each biometric information to an identity provider service.

30. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 27 further containing one or more programming instructions for performing the following:

receiving from the checkout area, a request for additional information contained within the electronic wallet; and

transmitting the additional information from the electronic wallet to the checkout area.

31. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 30 wherein the additional information comprises one or more account numbers, wherein each account number is associated with a corresponding payment modality in the electronic wallet.

32. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 27 wherein determining a checkout area performing the transaction associated with the electronic wallet comprises identifying a POS workstation identification number associated with the transaction.

33. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 27 wherein transmitting a representation of at least a portion of the electronic wallet to the checkout area comprises transmitting the representation to a POS workstation associated with the checkout area.

34. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 27 wherein the portion of the electronic wallet comprises a consumer'"'"'s payment modalities.

35. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 27 wherein the representation of the portion of the electronic wallet comprises payment options symbols for payment modalities for a consumer that are displayed to the consumer at the checkout area for selection.