System, method and article of manufacture for multiple-entry point virtual point of sale architecture

• US 6,178,409 B1
• Filed: 06/17/1996
• Issued: 01/23/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Verifone, Inc. (Verifone Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Arora, Atul, Weber, Jay C., Berger, David A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gregory, Bernarr E.
• Application Number:
  US08/672,346
• Time in Patent Office: 1,681 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27, 705/1, 705/35, 705/39, 705/40, 705/44, 705/50, 705/64, 705/76, 705/77, 705/79, 380/9, 380/23, 380/24, 380/25, 380/30, 380/49, 380/50, 380/59, 380/255, 380/256, 380/257, 380/259, 380/277, 380/287, 713/150, 713/151, 713/153, 713/168-181, 713/200, 713/201, 713/202, 713/155-159
• US Class Current: 705/79
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/00 Payment architectures, schemes or protocols apparatus for performing or posting payment transactions G07F7/08, G07F19/00; electronic cash registers G07G1/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/027 involving a payment switch or gateway
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/085 involving remote charge determination or related payment systems
• 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 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3821 Electronic credentials
• 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 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

A server communicates bidirectionally with a gateway over a first communication link, over which service requests flow to the server for one or more merchants and/or consumers. Service requests are associated with a particular merchant based on storefront visited by a consumer or credentials presented by a merchant. Service requests result in merchant specific transactions that are transmitted to the gateway for further processing on existing host applications.

Claims

1. A method for communicating between a server and a payment gateway, comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving data into the server, the server processing data for two or more storefronts, each storefront corresponding to a particular merchant;

(b) parsing the data and determining which of the two or more merchants is associated with the data;

(c) generating a formatted transaction in accordance with a predefined syntax;

(d) encrypting the formatted transaction using digital credentials associated with the merchant associated with the data;

(e) establishing a communication link between the server and the payment gateway; and

(f) transmitting the encrypted transaction across the communication link from the server to the payment gateway.

2. The method of claim 1, including the step of formatting the transaction in accordance with a secure electronic protocol.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication link operates under the HTTP protocol.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the transaction is formatted as a MIME-encapsulated PKCS-7 message.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital credentials are public key certificates.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital credentials are passwords sent over a secure communication link.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein digital credentials are selected dynamically based on a transaction type.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein digital credentials are selected dynamically based on a payment instrument associated with the data.

9. An apparatus for communicating between a server and a payment gateway, comprising:

(a) means for receiving data into the server, the server processing data for two or more storefronts, each storefront corresponding to a particular merchant;

(b) means for parsing the data and determining which of the two or more merchants is associated with the data;

(c) means for generating a formatted transaction in accordance with a predefined syntax;

(d) means for encrypting the formatted transaction using digital credentials associated with the merchant associated with the data;

(e) means for establishing a communication link between the server and the payment gateway; and

(f) means for transmitting the encrypted transaction across the communication link from the server to the payment gateway.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, including means for formatting the transaction in accordance with a secure electronic protocol.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the communication link operates under the HTTP protocol.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the transaction is formatted as a MIME-encapsulated PKCS-7 message.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the digital credentials are public key certificates.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the digital credentials are passwords sent over a secure communication link.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein digital credentials are selected dynamically based on a transaction type.

16. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein digital credentials are selected dynamically based on a payment instrument associated with the data.

17. A computer program embodied on a computer-readable medium for communicating between a server and a payment gateway, comprising:

(a) a code segment for receiving data into the server, the server processing data for two or more storefronts, each storefront corresponding to a particular merchant;

(b) a code segment for parsing the data and determining which of the two or more merchants is associated with the data;

(c) a code segment for generating a formatted transaction in accordance with a predefined syntax;

(d) a code segment for encrypting the formatted transaction using digital credentials associated with the merchant associated with the data;

(e) a code segment for establishing a communication link between the server and the payment gateway; and

(f) a code segment for transmitting the encrypted transaction across the communication link from the server to the payment gateway.

18. The computer program of claim 17, including a code segment for formatting the transaction in accordance with a secure electronic protocol.

19. The computer program of claim 17, wherein the communication link operates under the HTTP protocol.

20. The computer program of claim 17, wherein the transaction is formatted as a MIME-encapsulated PKCS-7 message.

21. The computer program of claim 17, wherein the digital credentials are public key certificates.

22. The computer program of claim 17, wherein the digital credentials are passwords sent over a secure communication link.

23. The computer program of claim 17, wherein digital credentials are selected dynamically based on a transaction type.

24. The computer program of claim 17, wherein digital credentials are selected dynamically based on a payment instrument associated with the data.