Apparatus and method for optimizing wireless financial transactions
First Claim
1. An adapter which optimizes a financial transaction processed via a wireless transmission system by reducing the number of transmitted data packets, the transaction being generated by a financial transaction processing terminal that sends a data block indicative of a requested financial transaction, said adapter comprising:
- a receiver that receives the data block indicative of a requested financial transaction from the terminal;
an identification circuit that identifies the data block received by said receiver as one of a set of types of financial transactions;
a conversion circuit that performs a conversion of the data block into a common transmission data block, the conversion being based on the set of types of financial transactions identified by said identification circuit, wherein all of the types of financial transactions use a common transmission data block format;
a compression circuit that compresses the common transmission data block into a compressed data block; and
a transmitter that transmits the compressed data block via a connectionless protocol, via the wireless transmission system.
9 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed are methods for optimizing financial transaction processing when a conventional financial transaction processing terminal is used with a wireless transmission system. An adapter is used between the terminal and a wireless modem, such as a CDPD wireless modem. The adapter receives from the terminal a data block from which the adapter recovers the requested type of transaction and relevant information about the transaction, such as a credit card number, transaction amount, etc., and formats all transactions into a common format for transaction processing. The common format includes a check code which may be used to detect changes made to the original data block as received from the terminal. The adapter then compresses the common format for wireless transmission. The goal of the use of the common format and the data compression is to fit the transaction request into a single data packet. A host computer receives the data packet, recovers the compressed common format and de-compresses the compressed common format to recover the common format. The common format may then be converted back to the original data block, as it was received from the terminal. The check code may be used to detect errors in compression, transmission and de-compression of the data block. The host computer processes the requested financial transaction and transmits a reply to the terminal, via the wireless modem and the adapter.
167 Citations
18 Claims
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1. An adapter which optimizes a financial transaction processed via a wireless transmission system by reducing the number of transmitted data packets, the transaction being generated by a financial transaction processing terminal that sends a data block indicative of a requested financial transaction, said adapter comprising:
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a receiver that receives the data block indicative of a requested financial transaction from the terminal; an identification circuit that identifies the data block received by said receiver as one of a set of types of financial transactions; a conversion circuit that performs a conversion of the data block into a common transmission data block, the conversion being based on the set of types of financial transactions identified by said identification circuit, wherein all of the types of financial transactions use a common transmission data block format; a compression circuit that compresses the common transmission data block into a compressed data block; and a transmitter that transmits the compressed data block via a connectionless protocol, via the wireless transmission system. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A method for optimizing a financial transaction processed via a wireless transmission system by reducing the number of transmitted data packets, the transaction being generated by a financial transaction processing terminal that sends a data block indicative of a requested financial transaction, said method comprising the steps of:
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receiving a data block indicative of a particular financial transaction from the conventional financial transaction processing terminal; identifying the data block indicative of the particular financial transaction as one of a set of types of financial transactions; converting the data block into a common transmission data block, said converting of the data block being based on the identified type of financial transaction, such that all of the types of financial transactions use the common transmission data block format; compressing the common transmission data block into a compressed transmission data block, such as to use a minimum of data transmission packets; and transmitting the compressed transmission data block using a connectionless protocol, via the wireless transmission system. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9)
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10. A method of error detection in a conversion and wireless transmission of a data block indicative of a particular financial transaction, said method comprising the steps of:
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receiving the data block indicative of a particular financial transaction; identifying the data block indicative of a particular financial transaction as one of a set of types of financial transactions; computing a check code on the received data block indicative of a particular financial transaction; converting the data block of the identified type of financial transaction into a common transmission data block, such that all of the types of financial transactions use a common transmission data block format; including in a field of the common transmission data block the computed check code for the received data block indicative of a particular financial transaction; transmitting the common transmission data block via a wireless transmission system; receiving the common transmission data block via a wireless transmission system; re-converting the common transmission data block into a recovered copy of the received data block indicative of the particular financial transaction; calculating a check code on the recovered copy of the received data block indicative of a particular financial transaction; and comparing the check code calculated on the received data block against the check code included in the field of the common transmission data block and thereby detecting an error if the check code calculated on the received data block does not match the check code included in the field. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification