ONE STEP NEAR FIELD COMMUNICATION TRANSACTIONS

• US 20090192935A1
• Filed: 09/30/2008
• Published: 07/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Griffin, Kent, Stone, Carl B.
• Application Number:
  US12/242,647
• Publication Number:
  US 20090192935A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/41
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/105 involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/108 Remote banking, e.g. home banking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/223 based on the use of peer-to-peer networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3278 RFID or NFC payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3821 Electronic credentials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3829 involving key management
• 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 20/4012 Verifying personal identification numbers [PIN]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/425 using two different networks, one for transaction and one for security confirmation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/00 Near-field transmission systems, e.g. inductive or capacitive transmission systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/06 for supporting key management in a packet data network cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management H04L9/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• 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

A one step method for transferring money from a sender to a recipient includes entering information relating to the transfer into a near field communication (NFC) enabled data communication device of the sender and then placing the sender'"'"'s device in close proximity to a NFC enabled data communication device of the recipient. The sender'"'"'s device is operable when placed in contact with or close proximity to the recipient'"'"'s device to 1) establish an NFC link between the two devices, 2) gather information relating to the recipient from the recipient'"'"'s device via the NFC link, and 3) transmit the information relating to the transfer and the recipient to a third party service provider via another network, such as the Internet, and thereby cause the service provider to transfer the money from a funding account of the sender to a receiving account of the recipient.

Claims

1. A method for transferring money from a sender to a recipient, the method comprising:

entering information relating to the transfer into a near field communication (NFC) enabled data communication device of the sender; and

,

placing the sender'"'"'s device in close proximity to a NFC enabled data communication device of the recipient,

wherein the sender'"'"'s device is operable in response to being placed in close proximity to the recipient'"'"'s device to;

establish an NFC link between the two devices;

receive information relating to the recipient from the recipient'"'"'s device via the NFC link; and

,

transmit the information relating to the transfer and the recipient to a third party service provider via a network and thereby cause the service provider to transfer the money from a funding account of the sender to a receiving account of the recipient.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the NFC enabled devices of the sender and the recipient comprises a cell phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a smart phone, a fob, a smartcard, a computer, a personal computer (PC) or a point of purchase (POP) terminal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the placing of the sender'"'"'s device in close proximity to the recipient'"'"'s device consists of tapping the recipient'"'"'s device with the sender'"'"'s device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the information relating to the transfer comprises at least one of the group consisting of the sender'"'"'s identity, funding account and amount of the transfer.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the information relating to the recipient comprises at least one of the group consisting of the recipient'"'"'s identity, cell phone number, email address and receiving account.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the network comprises the Internet, an intranet, a landline network or a wireless network.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the sender transferring other information to the service provider along with the information relating to the transfer and the recipient.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the other information comprises at least one of the group consisting of the identities of the sender and the recipient, an avatar and an icon.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the sender receiving a message from the service provider confirming the transfer of the money from the sender to the recipient.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the confirming message comprises at least one of the group consisting of a visible message, an audible message and a tactile message.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the sender'"'"'s and the recipient'"'"'s devices comprise software adapted to facilitate at least one of establishing the NFC link between the sender'"'"'s and the recipient'"'"'s NFC enabled devices and effecting the transfer of the money from the sender to the recipient.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

encrypting communications between the sender'"'"'s device and the recipient'"'"'s device via the NFC link; and

,

encrypting communications between the sender'"'"'s device and the service provider via the network.

13. Apparatus for transferring money from a sender to a recipient, the apparatus comprising:

a sender'"'"'s near field communication (NFC) enabled data communication device adapted to receive information relating to the transfer entered by the sender; and

,

a recipient'"'"'s NFC enabled data communication device adapted to transmit information relating to the recipient to the sender'"'"'s device via a NFC link established between the two devices,

wherein the sender'"'"'s device is operable in response to being placed in close proximity to the recipient'"'"'s device to;

establish an NFC link between the two devices;

gather the information relating to the recipient from the recipient'"'"'s device via the NFC link; and

,

transmit the information relating to the transfer and the recipient to a third party service provider via a network and thereby cause the service provider to transfer the money from a funding account of the sender to a receiving account of the recipient.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein at least one of the sender'"'"'s and the recipient'"'"'s NFC enabled devices comprises a cell phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a smart phone, a fob, a smartcard, a computer, a personal computer (PC) or a point of purchase (POP) terminal.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a service provider server device operable to receive the information relating to the transfer and the recipient from the sender'"'"'s device via the network and to verify, authorize and confirm the transfer of the money from the sender to the recipient.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the service provider server device is further operable to effect the transfer of the money from the sender'"'"'s funding account to the recipient'"'"'s receiving account.

17. A method for receiving money, the method comprising:

provisioning a near field communication (NFC) enabled data communication device of a recipient of the money with information relating to the recipient, the information including a designated acquiring account of the recipient;

establishing an NFC link between the recipient'"'"'s device and a NFC enabled data communication device of a sender of the money;

transmitting the information relating to the recipient from the recipient'"'"'s device to the sender'"'"'s device via the NFC link; and

,

receiving the money in the recipient'"'"'s designated acquiring account,

wherein the establishing of the NFC link and the transmitting of the information relating to the recipient comprises placing the recipient'"'"'s device and the sender'"'"'s device in close proximity to each other.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein at least one of the sender'"'"'s and the recipient'"'"'s NFC enabled devices comprises a cell phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a smart phone, a fob, a smartcard, a computer, a personal computer (PC) or a point of purchase (POP) terminal.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the placing of the sender'"'"'s device in close proximity to the recipient'"'"'s device comprises placing the sender'"'"'s and the recipient'"'"'s devices within a range of from about 0 to about 10 centimeters from each other.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the placing of the sender'"'"'s device in close proximity to the recipient'"'"'s device consists of touching the recipient'"'"'s device with the sender'"'"'s device.

21. A method for transferring money from a sender to a recipient, the method comprising:

providing a payment service provider having a sender'"'"'s account established thereat;

receiving information at the service provider relating to the transfer and the recipient from the sender via a network; and

,

transferring the money from a funding account of the sender to a receiving account of the recipient in response to the receipt of the information by the service provider,

wherein the information relating to the recipient is transmitted from the recipient to the service provider at least in part via a near field communication (NFC) link.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising sending a message confirming the transfer of the money to at least one of the sender and the recipient.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the confirming message comprises at least one of the group consisting of a visible message, an audible message and a tactile message.