Bank issued contactless payment card used in transit fare collection

• US 7,527,208 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2006
• Issued: 05/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visa USA, Inc. (Visa, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Visa USA, Inc. (Visa, Inc.)
• Inventors: Dixon, Phil, Hammad, Ayman, Triplett, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Hess; Daniel A
• Application Number:
  US11/566,614
• Publication Number:
  US 20080128513A1
• Time in Patent Office: 883 Days
• Field of Search: 235/492, 235/382, 235/382.5, 713/172
• US Class Current: 235/492
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/16 Payments settled via telecommunication systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/227 characterised in that multiple accounts are available, e.g. to the payer
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/325 using wireless networks
• 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 20/352 Contactless payments by cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3576 Multiple memory zones on card
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/367 involving electronic purses or money safes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system

Abstract

An architecture for a contactless smart card or payment device, where the smart card is intended for use in both commerce transaction payment and transit fare payment (or other venue access) environments. The payment device may function as both an electronic wallet for commerce transactions and as a transit system card, for access to and fare payment of transit services. Implementation of both functions may be achieved by use of a dynamic memory management system that permits data for both the payment and transit applications to be stored on the card, with the transit data and storage locations isolated from those used to store data intended for use in paying for commerce transactions. The transit application specific data may include access control data (keys, passwords, identification data) or data required for fare calculations (rates, historical data on system use), for example.

Claims

1. A portable consumer device for use in conducting a transaction, comprising:

an interface configured to communicate and exchange data with an element of a transaction processing system;

a data storage element, the data storage element partitioned into at least two regions, wherein the at least two regions comprise

a first region dedicated to data for a commerce transaction; and

a second region dedicated to data for a different type of transaction than the commerce transaction; and

a control module coupled to the interface and data storage element and configured to control the transfer of data between the interface and data storage element,

wherein the second region is divided into a plurality of regions, with each region containing data for a different transaction, and

further comprising a data file containing a plurality of sub-files, wherein each sub-file contains data identifying an agent for one of the different transactions.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the second region contains data for a transit fare payment transaction.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the second region is dynamically configurable.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of regions is dynamically configurable.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of regions contains data for a transit fare payment transaction.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of regions further comprises a file structure and data configured in accordance with a requirement of an agent for the transaction associated with the region.

7. A contactless smart card device, comprising:

a first data storage region dedicated to data for a payment transaction and including data for authenticating the payment transaction, the first data storage region protected to prevent access by other than the payment transaction; and

a second data storage region dedicated to data for a different type of transaction than the payment transaction and not containing the data for authenticating the payment transaction, wherein the second data storage region is dynamically configurable,

wherein the second data storage region is divided into a plurality of regions, with each region containing data for a different transaction, and

wherein the contactless smart card device further comprises a data file containing a plurality of sub-files, wherein each sub-file contains data identifying an agent for one of the different transactions.

8. The smart card device of claims 7, wherein the second data storage region contains data for a transit fare payment transaction.

9. The smart card device of claim 7, wherein at least one of the plurality of regions is dynamically configurable.

10. The smart card device of claim 7, wherein at least one of the plurality of regions contains data for a transit fare payment transaction.

11. The smart card device of claim 7, wherein each of the plurality of regions further comprises a file structure and data configured in accordance with a requirement of an agent for the transaction associated with the region.