Bank issued contactless payment card used in transit fare collection

• US 8,688,554 B2
• Filed: 03/23/2009
• Issued: 04/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visa USA, Inc. (Visa, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Visa USA, Inc. (Visa, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hammad, Ayman, Dixon, Phil, Triplett, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James
• Assistant Examiner(s): Malhotra, Sanjeev
• Application Number:
  US12/409,380
• Publication Number:
  US 20090184163A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,835 Days
• Field of Search: 705/17, 705/22, 705/26, 705/40, 705/44, 705/74, 705/75, 707/1, 707/3, 707/501.1, 701/117, 703/6, 711/167, 713/182, 235/380, 235/382, 235/383, 235/384, 235/494, 340/10.41, 340/572.7, 360/48, 365/232, 369/53.21, 370/229, 379/93.12, 380/202, 380/270, 386/97, 455/456.3, 455/558
• US Class Current: 705/35
• 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 method of providing a consumer with data to enable the consumer to access a venue, comprising:

determining that a first interaction has occurred between a portable consumer device and a contactless reader, the portable consumer device including a data storage element, the data storage element containing a first region and a second region, the first region dedicated to data for use in conducting a payment transaction and including a payment account identifier, the second region being dynamically configurable;

accessing the first region of the data storage element contained in the portable consumer device;

initiating a payment authorization process using the payment account identifier, the payment authorization process for providing payment to enable the consumer to access the venue;

determining that an agent or agency responsible for controlling access to the venue is authorized to store access control data for the venue in the second region of the data storage element contained in the portable consumer device;

determining that a second interaction has occurred between the portable consumer device and the contactless reader;

accessing the second region of the data storage element contained in the portable consumer device;

programming data into the second region of the data storage element contained in the portable consumer device, the programmed data including data to enable the consumer to access the venue, wherein the programming is performed in accordance with a dynamic file management protocol and further comprises;

programming data identifying the agent or agency responsible for controlling access to the venue into a first file contained in the second region; and

programming data for use in accessing the venue or into a second file contained in the second region that is linked to the first file, whereby accessing the data identifying the agent or agency enables access to the data for accessing the venue programmed into the second file.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising erasing data for use by the consumer to access a previous venue prior to programming data into the second region.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising erasing a file structure used to contain data for use in accessing the previous venue prior to programming data into the second region.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the data for use in accessing the venue is stored in whole or in part in an area of the second region that was previously occupied by data for use in accessing the previous venue.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the portable consumer device is a contactless smart card.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the data storage element is configured such that the first region is not accessible by an application that accesses the second region.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the venue is a transit system.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the data identifying an agent or agency responsible for controlling access to the venue is data identifying an operator of a transit system.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the data for use in accessing the venue is data used to calculate a fare for use of a transit system.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the data for use in accessing the venue is data used to authenticate a user to the venue.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the portable consumer device is a contactless element contained in a mobile phone.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first region of the data storage element contains data that enables the portable consumer device to function as a debit card, credit card, or prepaid card.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the second region of the data storage element includes data identifying used or unused sections of the second region.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

programming data including instructions for controlling a feature of one or more applications stored within the data storage element into the data storage element.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the instructions include one or more instructions for controlling a feature of a first application stored within the first region of the data storage element and one or more instructions for controlling a feature of a second application stored within the second region of the data storage element.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the instructions include instructions that when executed operate to disable one or more features of the second application in the second region independently of the operation of the first application in the first region.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the one or more instructions operate to set control bits to disable use of at least one application in the data storage element.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the at least one application is a transit application.

19. The method of claim 10, wherein the data used to authenticate the user is an encryption key used to generate authentication data.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the first interaction between the portable consumer device and the contactless reader results from a communication using a short range communications technology.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the short range communications technology is a near field communications (NFC) technology.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the short range communications technology is one or more of RFID, Bluetooth, or infra-red communications technology.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the contactless reader is operated by an operator of a transit system.

24. The method claim 1, wherein the contactless reader is operated by an entity different from an entity which issued the portable consumer device to the consumer.