Micropayment financial transaction process utilizing wireless network processing

• US 7,127,236 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2002
• Issued: 10/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mastercard International Incorporated (MasterCard Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: ViVOtech Incorporated
• Inventors: Khan, Mohammad A., Brown, Kerry D., Fernandes, Jorge M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trinh, Sonny
• Application Number:
  US10/323,593
• Publication Number:
  US 20040029569A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,406 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.1, 455/414.2, 455/456.3, 455/456.6, 455/39, 455/41.2, 455/410, 455/405, 705/26, 705/39, 705/42, 705/44, 705/400, 705/418, 340/5.9
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/29 characterised by micropayments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/326 Payment applications installed on the mobile devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/327 Short range or proximity payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/341 Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3572 Multiple accounts on card
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/363 with the personal data of a user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/388 using mutual authentication without cards, e.g. challenge-response
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4014 Identity check for transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4037 Remote solvency checks
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/08 by coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means without personal verification means G07F7/02
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0866 by active credit-cards adapted therefor G07F7/1008 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/088 the card reader being part of the point of sale [POS] terminal or electronic cash register [ECR] itself
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0886 the card reader being portable for interacting with a POS or ECR in realizing a payment transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0893 the card reader reading the card in a contactless manner
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system

Abstract

A MicroAdapter device enables payment transactions to be effected through a purchaser'"'"'s personal trusted device (PTD) without relying upon tokens or prepayment cards. In one embodiment, the MicroAdapter includes a transceiver configured to receive a purchase signal from the PTD including order and payment information. In response, the MicroAdapter communicates via wireless telephony with a transaction authorizer to receive authorization for effectuating the purchase transaction. The MicroAdapter may be particularly suited to effectuate micropayment transactions authorized by a Billing On Behalf of Others (BOBO) program administered through a wireless carrier/ISP or third party.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a first transceiver configured to receive from a personal trusted device a purchase signal including order information and payment information;

a processor in electronic communication with the first transceiver; and

a second transceiver in electronic communication with the processor, the processor configured to receive the purchase signal from the first transceiver and in response to cause the second transceiver to communicate a purchase request by wireless telephony to a remote transaction authorizer, the processor also configured to authorize a purchase based upon receipt of an acceptance signal returned from the remote transaction authorizer to the second transceiver, the apparatus further comprising a simulacrum in communication with the processor and configured to fit within a slot of a magnetic stripe card reader and to at least one of emulate and read magnetic stripe card signals.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first transceiver is short range transceiver.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the first transceiver is selected from the group consisting of an infrared transceiver, an IEEE 802.11(a) transceiver, and IEEE 802.11(b) transceiver, an IEEE 802.11(g) transceiver, an ISO 14443 type A or B transceiver, and an ISO 15693 transceiver.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the second transceiver is a cellular transceiver.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a wired communication port in electronic communication with the processor.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the wired communication port is configured to communicate with a control logic of an unmanned vending machine.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the wired communication port is configured to communicate with the remote transaction authorizer.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein based upon the payment information, the processor is configured to select between the communications port and the second transceiver for communicating the purchase request to the remote transaction authorizer.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a magnetic stripe card reader in communication with the processor.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a manual input device in communication with the processor.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to emit an offer signal from the first transceiver.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a cryptoprocessor in electronic communication with the processor, the cryptoprocessor configured to encrypt the purchase request prior to transmission.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the processor is configured to cause the simulacrum to emit an intense magnetic field to disable a magnetic stripe card positioned within the slot upon receipt of an appropriate signal by the second transceiver.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to cause the first transceiver to transmit an offer signal upon which the order information is based.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the processor is further configured to cause the first transceiver to transmit a programming signal to the PTD upon receipt of an appropriate signal by the second transceiver, the programming signal causing inactivation of at least one of a financial account number stored on the PTD, and a software code of a softWare application stored on the PTD.

16. A method of programming a personal trusted device comprising:

providing a MicroAdapter device having a wireless transceiver and configured to communicate with a merchant;

communicating an identity signal from a user'"'"'s personal trusted device to the MicroAdapter device;

communicating the identity signal from the MicroAdapter device to a remote location;

communicating data from the remote location to the MicroAdapter upon authenticating the identity signal; and

communicating the data from the MicroAdapter to the wireless transceiver of the personal trusted device.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the remote location comprises a server hosting a financial management application, and communication of the data comprises communicating at least one of a user preference and an updated user financial account status.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the remote location comprises a server in communication with a purchase incentive program, and communication of the data comprises communicating a purchase incentive.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein the remote location comprises an account validity monitor, and communication of the data causes inactivation of at least one of a financial account number stored on the PTD, and a software code of a software application stored on the PTD.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein the remote location comprises a token issuer, and communication of the data comprises communicating a token to the PTD.