System and method for controlling financial transactions over a wireless network

• US 7,167,711 B1
• Filed: 12/23/1997
• Issued: 01/23/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Unwired Planet LLC (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Original Assignee: Openwave Systems Incorporated (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Inventors: Dennis, Charles L.
• Primary Examiner(s): RUDY, ANDREW J
• Application Number:
  US08/997,489
• Time in Patent Office: 3,318 Days
• Field of Search: 705/21, 705/16, 705/17, 705/18, 705/26, 705/39, 705/41, 705/44, 902/10, 455/22, 455/403, 455/406, 455/456.1, 235/379, 235/382, 235/383, 235/462.46, 235/472.02, 340/7.27
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3224 Transactions dependent on location of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3226 Use of secure elements separate from M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/326 Payment applications installed on the mobile devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/42 Confirmation, e.g. check or permission by the legal debtor of payment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/68 Payment of value-added services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/00 Metering arrangements; Time controlling arrangements; Time indicating arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0176 Billing arrangements using internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0196 Payment of value-added services, mainly when their charges are added on the telephone bill, e.g. payment of non-telecom services, e-commerce, on-line banking
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 : using location based information parameters

Abstract

A system and method for controlling financial transactions is disclosed. A customer, using a wireless device, identifies a point of sale and the amount of a transaction at that point of sale is first communicated to a central service and then transmitted to the wireless device for display at the wireless device. The customer can either accept the transaction amount to complete the transaction or reject the amount to cancel the transaction. The customer may have to enter a password or personal identification number to verify the authorization to use the wireless financial system. The customer is billed for the transaction via credit, debit, ATM or other methods, such as the wireless carrier or an internet provider.

Claims

1. A method comprising the steps:

receiving, by a wireless device in communication with a wireless network, financial data from a plurality of point of sale locations, wherein said financial data relates to customer transactions at said plurality of point of sale locations;

identifying a geographic area to a customer who has initiated a transaction using said wireless device, said identifying step accomplished by determining a specific wireless cell that is in communication with said customer'"'"'s wireless device; and

determining which of said plurality of point of sale locations are within said geographic area;

if only one of said point of sale locations is within said geographic area, then communicating financial data for said point of sale location to said customer'"'"'s wireless device over said wireless network; and

if more than one of said point of sale locations are within said geographic area, then prompting said customer to select a point of sale location from a list of said point of sale locations within said geographic area, and communicating financial data for a selected point of sale location to said customer'"'"'s wireless device over said wireless network.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

determining whether said customer has verified said financial data that was communicated to said customer'"'"'s wireless device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said prompting step further comprises:

causing said customer'"'"'s wireless device to display a list of said point of sale locations within said geographic area; and

receiving information from said customer'"'"'s wireless device identifying said selected point of sale location.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said prompting step further comprises:

playing a voice message to said customers via said wireless device, wherein said voice message comprises a list of said point of sale locations; and

receiving information from said customer'"'"'s wireless device identifying said selected point of sale location.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said identifying step further comprises the step of:

identifying a specific antenna that is communicating with said customer'"'"'s wireless device.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said financial data comprises:

product information detected using a bar code scanner coupled to a customer'"'"'s wireless device.