Using visual images transferred from wireless computing device display screens

• US 7,493,284 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2002
• Issued: 02/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions Holdings Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Creamer, Thomas E., Moore, Victor S., Celi, Joseph Jr., Katz, Neil A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zeender; F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHAAWAT, MUSSA A
• Application Number:
  US10/324,522
• Publication Number:
  US 20040122737A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,252 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 455/406
• US Class Current: 705/39
• 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 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3274 using a pictured code, e.g. barcode or QR-code, being displayed on the M-device
• 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 20/401 Transaction verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0609 Buyer or seller confidence or verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting

Abstract

Within a wireless computing device, a method of conducting commerce can include receiving a user input in the wireless computing device specifying an account to which a proposed transaction is to be billed and identifying contact information for a billing entity according to the user specified account. The billing entity can manage the account. An authorization can be requested from the billing entity via a wireless communications link established using the contact information. The method also can include receiving the authorization from the billing entity via the wireless communications link, generating a visual image which identifies the billing entity and represents the authorization received from the billing entity, and presenting the visual image upon the display screen of the wireless computing device. Accordingly, a visual image reader can read the displayed visual image.

Claims

1. Within a wireless computing device, a method of conducting commerce comprising:

receiving a user input in the wireless computing device specifying an account to which a proposed transaction is to be billed and an amount for which authorization is being sought in connection with the account and proposed transaction;

identifying contact information for a billing entity according to the user specified account, wherein the billing entity manages the account;

sending an authorization request from the wireless computing device to the billing entity via a wireless communications link established between the wireless computing device and the billing entity using the contact information, wherein the authorization request identifies the requesting user, the amount to be approved for the transaction, as well as the account to be billed;

receiving by the wireless computing device an authorization from the billing entity via the wireless communications link, wherein the authorization specifies information including an identity of the requesting user, the account to be charged, the billing entity, and/or contact information for the billing entity;

dynamically encoding by the wireless computing device the billing entity and the authorization received from the billing entity into a pattern using a protocol compatible with a visual image reader of a point of sale (POS) system associated with a merchant processing system;

generating a bar code upon a display screen of the wireless computing device from the pattern;

presenting the display screen of the wireless computing device to the visual image reader at the POS system;

scanning the bar code using the visual image reader;

detecting the pattern in the bar code and retrieving the billing entity and the authorization encoded in the pattern;

verifying the retrieved authorization with the billing entity retrieved from the pattern;

the verification step further comprising the merchant processing system determining contact information of the billing entity retrieved from the bar code, the merchant processing system sending the retrieved authorization to the retrieved billing entity, and the merchant processing system receiving a response from the retrieved billing entity indicating whether the proposed transaction was authorized; and

completing the transaction if the retrieved authorization is verified by the retrieved billing entity.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless communications link is a data communications link.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication link is a voice communications link, said requesting step comprising:

calling the billing entity; and

requesting the authorization over the voice communications link.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the bar code comprises at least one of numbers, characters, and symbols.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

identifying contact information for the retrieved billing entity.

6. Within a wireless computing device, a method of conducting commerce comprising:

receiving a user input in the wireless computing device specifying an account to which a proposed transaction is to be billed and an amount for which authorization is being sought in connection with the account and proposed transaction;

identifying contact information for a billing entity according to the user specified account, wherein the billing entity manages the account;

sending an authorization request from the wireless computing device to the billing entity via a first wireless communications link established between the wireless computing device and the billing entity using the contact information wherein the authorization request identifies the requesting user, the amount to be approved for the transaction, as well as the account to be billed;

receiving by the wireless computing device an the authorization from the billing entity via the first wireless communications link, wherein the authorization specifies information including an identity of the requesting user, the account to be charged, the billing entity, and/or contact information for the billing entity;

dynamically encoding by the wireless computing device the billing entity and the authorization received from the billing entity into a barcode pattern

transmitting the barcode pattern through a second wireless communications link to a point of sale (POS) associated with a merchant processing system, wherein the second communications link is a short range wireless communication link established between said wireless computing device and said POS system;

detecting the pattern in the transmitted pattern and retrieving the billing entity and the authorization encoded in the transmitted pattern by the POS system;

verifying the retrieved authorization with the billing entity retrieved from the transmitted pattern, the verification step further comprising the merchant processing system determining contact information of the billing entity retrieved from the barcode pattern, the merchant processing system sending the retrieved authorization to the retrieved billing entity, and the merchant processing system receiving a response from the retrieved billing entity indicating whether the proposed transaction was authorized; and

completing the transaction if the retrieved authorization is verified by the retrieved billing entity.