HK1179730A - Point of sale system for transaction payment delegation - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a point of sale system for transaction payment delegation. Methods and systems are disclosed herein to provide payment delegation for transactions. A payment request may be transmitted to a point of sale system from a mobile device. The mobile device owner may request that payment details for the transaction be obtained from a third-party device, such as a parent's computer. The point of sale system may transmit an approval request to the third-party device, or the mobile device may transmit an approval request to the third-party device. Upon receipt of payment details, the payment details may be communicated, and the transaction may be completed.

Description

Point-of-sale system for transaction payment authorization

Technical Field

Embodiments of the present application relate to payment systems.

Background

Near Field Communication (NFC) devices are being incorporated into mobile devices, such as smartphones, to facilitate their use in conducting daily transactions. For example, credit information provided by a credit card may be stored on the NFC device, thereby eliminating the need to carry a large number of credit cards. There have been various systems that use mobile devices or NFC to pay for transactions. Typically, these systems include a payment object and a payment initiator. The payment initiator's NFC device may simply connect with the payment target to communicate credit information to complete the transaction.

Generally, NFC requires that NFC devices exist within a relatively small distance from each other so that their respective magnetic fields can exchange information. Typically, the first NFC device transmits or generates a magnetic field that is modulated with information, such as credit information. The magnetic field inductively couples to a second NFC device that is in proximity to the first NFC device. The second NFC device may respond to the first NFC device by transmitting or generating its own magnetic field and inductively coupling that magnetic field to the first NFC device.

Disclosure of Invention

Disclosed herein are systems and methods for transaction payment authorization. In one embodiment, a point-of-sale system comprises: a communication module configured to receive a transaction payment request; a processor configured to identify the payment request as an authorized payment request, the authorized payment request may include an identifier of a third party device; and a transceiver configured to send a permission request to a third party device, receive a permission decision, and complete a transaction based on the permission decision.

In the above embodiments, the communication module is a near field communication module.

In the above embodiment, the communication module is a bluetooth communication module.

In the above embodiment, the communication module is a 60GHz communication module.

In the above embodiments, the communication module is a wireless communication module.

In the above embodiment, the identifier is a telephone number.

In the above embodiment, the identifier is an email address.

In the above embodiment, the identifier is a URL address.

In the above embodiment, the identifier is an IP address.

In the above embodiment, the transceiver is further configured to receive a permission decision from the third party device.

In the above embodiment, the transceiver is further configured to receive the permission decision from the settlement.

In the above embodiment, the permission request includes at least one of a merchant ID, a merchant name, a merchant location, a sales price, a sales category, a universal product code, an inventory unit, a warranty information element, or a return policy.

In the above embodiments, the approval decision comprises at least one of an amount of the approved transaction, a credit card number, a credit card type, a credit card validity period, an authorization code, a debit card number, or a bank account number.

In the above embodiment, the communication module is configured to receive a transaction payment request from a customer.

In another embodiment, a method of completing a transaction is provided, comprising: receiving a transaction payment request; identifying a payment request as an authorized payment request, wherein the authorized payment request includes an identifier of a third party device; sending a transaction approval request to the third party device; receiving a transaction approval decision, wherein the approval decision includes payment authorization information; and completing a transaction based on the received approval decision.

In the above embodiment, further comprising receiving the transaction payment request via near field communication.

In the above embodiment, the identifier is a telephone number.

In the above embodiment, the identifier is an email address.

In the above embodiment, the identifier is a URL address.

In the above embodiment, the identifier is an IP address.

In the above embodiment, the permission request includes at least one of a merchant ID, a merchant name, a merchant location, a sales price, a sales category, a universal product code, an inventory unit, a warranty information element, or a return policy.

In the above embodiments, the payment authorisation information comprises at least one of a permitted transaction amount, a credit card number, a credit card type, a credit card expiry date, an authorisation code, a debit card number or a bank account number.

In the above embodiment, the permission decision is received from the third party device.

Further embodiments, features, and advantages of the present inventions, as well as the structure and operation of the various embodiments of the present invention, are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Drawings

Embodiments of the present invention are described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, like reference numbers may indicate identical or functionally similar elements. The drawing in which an element first appears is generally indicated by the leftmost digit(s) in the corresponding reference number.

Fig. 1 is a block diagram of an NFC environment.

Fig. 2 is a block diagram of a first NFC device.

Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary mobile device.

Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary point of sale system.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary method of authorizing payment for a transaction.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of another exemplary method of authorizing payment for a transaction.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of another exemplary method of authorizing payment for a transaction.

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of another exemplary method of authorizing payment for a transaction.

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of another exemplary method of authorizing payment for a transaction.

Detailed Description

While the present invention is described herein with reference to exemplary embodiments for particular applications, it should be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. Those skilled in the art, having the benefit of the teachings provided herein, will recognize additional variations, applications, and embodiments within the scope thereof and additional fields in which the invention would be of significant utility.

In the following detailed description of the embodiments, references to "one embodiment," "an example embodiment," etc., indicate that the embodiment described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but every embodiment may not necessarily include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Moreover, such phrases are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment. Further, when a particular feature, structure, or characteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, it is submitted that it is within the knowledge of one skilled in the art to effect such feature, structure, or characteristic in connection with other embodiments whether or not explicitly described.

Merchants employing point-of-sale systems and manufacturers of such point-of-sale systems may extend the functionality of these systems to include communication modules, including wired communication modules and wireless communication modules such as near-field communication modules, for example. The near field communication module may allow for a wider variety of payment methods that may be used for a transaction. For example, instead of a standard credit card with a magnetic stripe, a credit card with a near field communication tag may be used to pay for transactions in a contactless manner. That is, a buyer having a credit card with an NFC tag can swipe their credit card on a point-of-sale system having an NFC reader to transfer payment information without passing their credit card to a merchant.

Near field communication technology may be implemented in many common devices. For example, NFC modules capable of transmitting data may be implemented in computing systems, kiosks, door sensors, point of sale systems, and other devices. NFC modules may also be implemented in small computing devices such as mobile phones, tablets, or other portable devices. Such a computing device may store payment details for a credit card or other payment method, and the NFC module may transmit payment details associated with the credit card as the computing device swipes through the point-of-sale system.

Storing payment details on a computing device for subsequent use in payment may allow authorization of the actual payment to a third party. The user of the computing device may not have the ability to pay for the transaction. Instead, the third party may have the ability to allow the user of the computing device to use the payment details of the third party. Embodiments relate to methods and systems for authorizing payment for a transaction.

Exemplary NFC Environment

Fig. 1 shows a block diagram of an NFC environment according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The NFC environment 100 provides for wireless communication of information between a first device 102 and a second device 104 that are sufficiently close to each other. The information may include one or more instructions executed by the first NFC device 102 and/or the second NFC device 104, data from one or more data storage devices to be transferred to the first NFC device 102 and/or the second NFC device 104, or any combination thereof. The data storage device may include one or more contactless transponders, one or more contactless tags, one or more contactless smart cards, or any other machine-readable medium, or any combination thereof, that will be apparent to those skilled in the relevant art(s) without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Other machine-readable media may include, but are not limited to, Read Only Memory (ROM), Random Access Memory (RAM), magnetic disk storage media, optical storage media, flash memory devices, electrical, optical, acoustical or other form of propagated signals, such as carrier waves, infrared signals, or digital signals, to provide some examples.

The first NFC device 102 and/or the second NFC device 104 may be provided as separate or discrete devices, or may be incorporated into or connected to a larger electronic device or host device, such as a mobile telephone, portable computing device, other computing device (such as a personal computer, laptop or desktop computer) to provide some examples, a computer peripheral (such as a printer), a portable audio and/or video player, a payment system, a point of sale system, a ticket writing system (such as a park ticketing system, a bus ticketing system, a train ticketing system or an entrance ticketing system), or in a ticket reading system, a toy, a game, a poster, packaging, advertising material, a product inventory checking system, and/or any other suitable electronic device that will be apparent to those skilled in the relevant art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Typically, an operator may operate and/or control the first NFC device 102 and/or the second NFC device 104 with a user interface, such as a touch screen for example. The user interface may be configured to allow an operator to provide information (such as to provide some instances of data and/or one or more instructions to be executed) to the first NFC device 102 and/or the second NFC device 104. The user interface may be configured to provide information (such as data to provide an instance) to the operator from the first NFC device 102 and/or the second NFC device 104 by providing images of the information to the operator. The user interface may include a touch screen display, alphanumeric keypad, microphone, mouse, speaker, any other suitable user interface as will be apparent to those of skill in the relevant art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, or any combination thereof.

The first NFC device 102 and/or the second NFC device 104 interact with each other to exchange information such as data to provide some examples and/or one or more instructions executed by the first NFC device 102 and/or the second NFC device 104. Generally, the first NFC device 102 and the second NFC device 104 may operate according to an active communication mode and/or a passive communication mode. In the active communication mode, the first NFC device 102 modulates its respective information to be transmitted to the second NFC device 104 onto its respective carrier and generates a first magnetic field by applying the modulated carrier to the first antenna to provide a first modulated data communication 152. In the active communication mode, the first NFC device 102 stops generating the first magnetic field after providing the first modulated data communication 152. The first NFC device 102 is in sufficient proximity to the second NFC device 104 such that the first magnetic field inductively couples to the second antenna of the second NFC device 104. The second NFC device 104 demodulates the first modulated data communication 152 to recover the information embedded within the first modulated data communication 152. In the active communication mode, the second NFC device 104 may modulate its respective information to be transmitted to the first NFC device 102 onto its respective carrier in response to the information and generate a second magnetic field by applying the modulated carrier to the second antenna to provide a second modulated data communication 154.

In the passive communication mode, the first NFC device 102 modulates its respective information to be communicated to the second NFC device 104 onto its respective carrier and generates a first magnetic field by applying the modulated carrier to the first antenna to provide a first modulated data communication 152. In the passive communication mode, the first NFC device 102 continues to generate the first magnetic field after providing the first modulated data communication 152. The first NFC device 102 is in sufficient proximity to the second NFC device 104 such that the first magnetic field inductively couples to the second antenna of the second NFC device 104. The second NFC device 104 demodulates the first modulated data communication 152 to recover the information embedded within the first modulated data communication 152. In the passive communication mode, the second NFC device 104 may, in response to the information, modulate the first magnetic field with corresponding information that it is to transmit to the first NFC device 102 to provide the second modulated data communication 154.

The first NFC device 102 and/or the second NFC device 104 may draw power from their respective built-in batteries to interact with each other and perform other functions specific to the first NFC device 102 and/or the second NFC device 104. Typically, the power drawn from their respective built-in batteries is sufficient to operate a user interface that allows an operator to operate and/or control the first NFC device 102 and/or the second NFC device 104. However, operation of the first NFC device 102 and/or the second NFC device 104 in the manner described above may discharge their respective built-in batteries. Under certain conditions, the first NFC device 102 and/or the second NFC device 104 may have to obtain or obtain power from the first modulated data communication 152 and/or the second modulated data communication 154 when their respective built-in batteries are over-consumed. However, the power source obtained from the first modulated data communication 152 and/or the second modulated data communication 154 may not be able to provide sufficient power for its user interface. In this case, the operator may operate and/or control the first NFC device 102 and/or the second NFC device 104 by contacting or sufficiently proximate to the antenna lobe of the first antenna of the first NFC device 102 and/or the antenna lobe of the second antenna of the second NFC device 104 as described below. However, this example is not limiting, and one skilled in the relevant art will recognize that an operator may operate and/or control the first NFC device 102 and/or the second NFC device 104 by contacting or being sufficiently close to the respective antenna lobe of their respective antenna when their respective built-in battery is capable of providing sufficient power for their user interface.

The description of the first NFC device 102 and/or the second NFC device 104 can refer to international standard ISO/IE18092:2004(E) "Information Technology-intersystem Telecommunications and Information Exchange-Near Field Communication-Interface and Protocol (NFCIP-1)" published on 4/1 2004 and international standard ISO/IE21481:2005(E) "Information Technology-intersystem Telecommunications and Information Exchange-Near Field Communication-Interface and Protocol-2 (Information Technology-telecommunication-Near Field Communication-Information Exchange-Between Systems-Near Field Communication-Interface and Protocol-2)" (NFCIP-2) ", published on 1/15 2005.

Although the first NFC device 102 and/or the second NFC device 104 are described as operating in a point-to-point (P2P) communication mode, i.e., exchanging information between devices, one skilled in the relevant art will recognize that one of the first NFC device 102 and/or the second NFC device 104 may be configured to operate in a read/write (R/W) communication mode and/or a Card Emulation (CE) communication mode without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, the second NFC device 104 may represent a passive NFC tag configured to transfer information from memory to the first NFC device 102 in an R/W communication mode. The passive NFC tag may also be configured to transfer information from the first NFC device 102 to the memory in the R/W communication mode. As another example, the second NFC device 104 may represent a passive NFC card configured to transfer information from memory to the first NFC device 102 in a CE mode of operation. The passive NFC card may also be configured to transfer information from the first NFC device 102 to the memory in the CE mode of operation. Passive NFC tags operate in a substantially similar manner to passive NFC cards; however, passive NFC cards include other technologies to store secure information.

Exemplary NFC device

Fig. 2 shows a block diagram of a first NFC device implemented as part of an NFC environment according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention. NFC device 200 interacts with other NFC devices to exchange information such as data to provide some examples and/or one or more instructions to be executed. The NFC device 200 may operate in an active communication mode and/or a passive communication mode as described above. An operator may operate and/or control the NFC device 200 using a user interface that uses power drawn from its built-in battery as described above. The NFC device 200 includes a controller module 202, a modulator module 204, an antenna module 206, a demodulator module 208, an antenna analysis module 210, and a power harvesting module 212. The NFC device 200 may represent an exemplary embodiment of the NFC device 102 and/or the NFC device 104.

The controller module 202 controls the overall operation and/or configuration of the NFC device 200, as well as other NFC devices. The controller module 202 may be a special or general purpose processor, a state machine, an application specific integrated circuit, or any other suitable digital circuitry that will be apparent to those skilled in the relevant art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

The controller module 202 receives the information 250 from a data store, such as a transponder, a tag, a smart card, a Read Only Memory (ROM), a Random Access Memory (RAM), a magnetic disk storage medium, an optical storage medium, a flash memory device, and/or any other suitable machine-readable medium that will be apparent to one skilled in the relevant art(s), communicatively connected to the controller module 202. The controller module 202 can also receive information 250 from a user interface and/or other electronic devices or host devices connected to the NFC device 200.

The information 250 may include one or more instructions executed by the controller module 202, data to be transmitted to other NFC devices, or any combination thereof. The controller module 202 may issue and/or execute one or more instructions to control the overall operation and/or configuration of the NFC device 200. For example, the controller module 202 may issue and/or execute instructions to control the operation of the NFC device 200 and other NFC devices, such as transmission power, transmission data rate, transmission frequency, modulation scheme, bit and/or byte encoding scheme of the other NFC devices, and/or any other suitable operating parameters that will be apparent to one skilled in the relevant art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Alternatively, the controller module 202 can format the information 250 as a data frame for transmission to other NFC devices and, optionally, perform error coding on the data frame, such as to provide an example Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC), to provide the transmission data 252. The data frames may include frame delimiters, including the beginning and/or end of each data frame.

The controller module 202 works in conjunction with other NFC devices, to detect whether other actual magnetic fields (substential magnetic fields) from other NFC devices are inductively coupled to the antenna module 206, reference may be made to international standard ISO/IE18092:2004(E) "Information Technology-intersystem Telecommunications and Information Exchange-Near Field Communication-Interface and Protocol (NFCIP-1)" published on 4/1 and international standard ISO/IE21481:2005(E) "Information Technology-intersystem Telecommunications and Information Exchange-Near Field Communication-Interface and Protocol-2 (Information Technology-Telecommunications and Information Exchange-Near Field Communication Systems-new Field Communication-Interface and Protocol-2)", published on 1/15.2005.

The controller module 202 may perform further functions, which may be referred to international standard ISO/IE18092:2004(E) "Information Technology-inter-system Telecommunications and Information exchange-Near Field Communication-Interface and Protocol (NFCIP-1)" published on 4/1 2004 and international standard ISO/IE21481:2005(E) "Information Technology-inter-system Telecommunications and Information exchange-Near Field Communication-Interface and Protocol-2" (NFCIP-2) ", published on 1/15..

Modulator module 204 generates a Radio Frequency (RF) carrier when no other actual magnetic field from other NFC devices is inductively coupled to antenna module 206 and modulates transmit data 252 onto the RF carrier using any suitable analog or digital modulation technique to provide modulated data 254. In an exemplary embodiment, modulated data 254 may represent a differential communication signal that includes modulated data 254.1 and modulated data 254.2. Suitable analog or digital modulation techniques may include Amplitude Modulation (AM), Frequency Modulation (FM), Phase Modulation (PM), Phase Shift Keying (PSK), Frequency Shift Keying (FSK), Amplitude Shift Keying (ASK), Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM), and/or any other suitable modulation technique that will be apparent to one skilled in the relevant art.

After modulating the transmission data 252 onto the RF carrier, the modulator 204 continues to provide the RF carrier as modulated data 254 after modulating the transmission data 252 onto the RF carrier in the passive communication mode while no other actual magnetic field from other NFC devices is inductively coupled onto the antenna module 206. However, the modulator module 204 may provide the transmission data 252 as modulated data 254 when other actual magnetic fields from other NFC devices are inductively coupled to the antenna module 206. In this case, the transmission data 252 may be used to modulate other actual magnetic fields from other NFC devices. Conversely, when operating in the active communication mode, the modulator module 204 stops providing the modulated data 254 after modulating the transmission data 252 onto the RF carrier in the active communication mode when no other actual magnetic field from other NFC devices is inductively coupled to the antenna module 206.

When no other actual magnetic field from other NFC devices is inductively coupled to the inductive coupling element (such as the resonant tuning circuit to provide an example), the antenna module 206 applies the modulated data 254 to the inductive coupling element to generate a magnetic field to provide the transmitted data communication 256. However, when other actual magnetic fields are inductively coupled to the inductive coupling element, the antenna module 206 may modulate these other actual magnetic fields in accordance with the modulation data 254 to provide the transmission data communication 256. In general, the antenna module 206 load modulates these other actual magnetic fields in accordance with the modulation data 254 to provide the transmission data communication 256.

Other NFC devices may inductively couple the receive communication signal 258 onto the inductive coupling element of the antenna module 206 to provide a recovered communication signal 260. In an exemplary embodiment, recovered communication signal 260 may represent a differential communication signal including recovered communication signal 260.1 and recovered communication signal 260.2. For example, when the other NFC device is operating in an active communication mode, the other NFC device may apply its respective information to its respective magnetic field inductively coupled to the antenna module 206 as the received communication signal 258. Alternatively, other NFC devices may modulate their respective information onto the transmit data communication 256 to provide the receive communication signal 258 when they are operating in the passive communication mode.

Exemplary Mobile device

Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of a mobile device 300 according to an embodiment. The mobile device 300 may be a mobile phone, tablet computer, or other device.

The mobile device 300 includes a transceiver module 310. Transceiver module 310 may be a cellular transceiver configured to communicate in compliance with GSM or CDMA standards. Further, the transceiver module 310 may operate in compliance with the 802.11 wireless standard. Additionally, transceiver module 310 may be any other type of wireless communication module that operates in accordance with the functionality described herein. Additionally, in alternative embodiments, the transceiver module 310 may be a wired connection such as a wired ethernet or USB connection.

The mobile device 100 also includes a communication module 320 such as the near field communicator 102 described above. The communication module 320 may provide an interface between a customer or user of the mobile device 300 and a vendor or store. When implemented as a near field communication module, the communication module 320 may operate in a passive communication mode or an active communication mode. The communication module 320 may be a general NFC controller. The communication module 320 may also be a bluetooth communication module, a communication module operating in the 60GHz band, or a ZigBee (ZigBee) communication module, or any other type of wireless communication module that operates according to the functionality described herein.

The mobile device 300 also includes a processor 330. The processor 330 may be a general purpose processor or a special purpose processor. In an embodiment, the processor 330 may be configured to encrypt or decrypt information or data transmitted or received by the transceiver 310 or the communication module 320.

The mobile device 300 also includes memory 340. The memory 340 may be a random access memory, flash memory, or other memory commonly used in mobile devices.

The mobile device 300 also includes a positioning module 350. The positioning module 350 may work in conjunction with global positioning system satellites to determine the position of the mobile device 300. Further, the location module 350 may use assisted GPS or other techniques to determine the location of the mobile device 300.

Exemplary Point of sale System

Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of a point-of-sale system 400, according to an embodiment. The point-of-sale system 400 may be a laptop computer, desktop computer, cash register, payment terminal, kiosk, or other device including a portable device. The point-of-sale system 400 may also be a mobile device such as a tablet or mobile phone. The components of the point-of-sale system 400 may also be implemented in a variety of devices.

The point-of-sale system 400 may include a transceiver 410. In an embodiment, the transceiver 410 may be a wired ethernet connection or a wireless transceiver configured to communicate in compliance with various standards.

The point-of-sale system 400 includes a communication module 420, such as the near field communicator 104 described above. The communication module 420 may provide an interface between a seller or store having the point-of-sale system 400 and a user or customer. The communication module 420, when implemented as a near field communication module 420, may be configured to communicate with another NFC-enabled device, such as the mobile device 300. The communication module 420 may also be a bluetooth communication module, a communication module operating in the 60GHz band, a zigbee communication module, or other wireless communication module that operates according to the functionality described herein.

The point-of-sale system 400 may also include a processor 430 and a memory 440. Processor 430 may be a general purpose or special purpose processor. In an embodiment, the processor 430 may be configured to encrypt or decrypt information or data transmitted or received by the transceiver 410 or the communication module 420. Memory 440 may include Random Access Memory (RAM), a hard disk storage drive, a solid state storage drive, or other types of computer memory. For example, if the point-of-sale system 400 is implemented in a mobile device, the point-of-sale system 400 may also include a location module (not shown), such as a GPS.

Transaction payment authorization may be useful in many situations. For example, a student may rely on their parents to pay for daily consumption such as food or clothing. Currently, parents of students may provide them with credit cards linked to their accounts to pay for such transactions, or parents may transfer an amount of money to a student's bank account on a regular basis. Similarly, a company may distribute a company credit card to its employees who travel by public. As another example, a government agency may provide grain tickets to poor populations.

As mobile devices continue to proliferate, these mobile devices may be increasingly used for payment transactions. Embodiments described herein allow mobile devices and point-of-sale systems to request payment approval from third parties, thereby eliminating the need for physical distribution of credit cards, grain tickets, or other payment methods. For example, a parent of a student need not provide a credit card to the student to purchase food, and the student and his father may use the embodiments described herein to pay for a transaction. Similarly, a company may use the embodiments described herein to pay for travel related transactions by employees, or a government agency may use the embodiments to distribute relief to poor populations.

In operation, the mobile device 300 and the point of sale system 400 operate in association to conduct various transactions and allow payment or payment details for such transactions to be authorized to third party devices. The third party device may also be referred to as an approval device because it approves payment for a given transaction. The third party device may include other mobile devices, laptops, desktops, servers, or other devices. The third party device may provide payment details such as credit card numbers and expiration dates to the mobile device 300 or point of sale system 400 requesting such payment details.

Exemplary Environment

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary environment 500 in which embodiments may be implemented. The environment 500 includes the mobile device 300 and the point-of-sale system 400 described herein. The environment 500 may also include third party devices 510 a-510 c. The environment 500 may also include a clearinghouse 520 and a payment processor 530. Clearing house 520 may be, for example, but not limited to, a computer used by a bank. Payment processor 530 may be, for example, but not limited to, a system used by a credit card processor. The devices included in environment 500 may be connected by a network 540, which may be a local area network or a wide area network such as the internet.

Exemplary authorization method

In one embodiment, a user (such as a student) may wish to conduct a transaction. Students may not have their own payment method but may rely on their parents to pay for the transaction. To complete the transaction, the student's mobile device may authorize the transaction payment to a third party device, such as the parent's phone or computer. Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram of a method 600 for authorizing payment for a transaction.

At block 610, a transaction approval request is sent to a third party device. Thus, for example, when desiring to complete a transaction, a user of a device, such as mobile device 300, may use an application or other functionality of a cellular telephone to send a message including a license request to purchase one or more items to a third party device via transceiver 310. The message may include data about the transaction, such as an estimated cost, items included in the purchase, or other data.

The third party device, upon receiving the permission request, may grant or deny the request. At block 620, a permission decision with payment details is received. In an embodiment, the transceiver 310 may receive a permission decision from a third party device. The payment details included with the approval decision may include a credit card number, an amount of the approval, or other details. In an embodiment, the information may be encrypted or protected using an encoding or password.

At block 630, the received transaction payment details are sent to a point of sale system. In an embodiment, the received payment details may be transmitted using near field communication. Thus, for example, based on the approval decision, the communication module 320 may transmit the payment to the point-of-sale system implementing the components of the point-of-sale system 400. Accordingly, the communication module 420 of the point-of-sale system 400 may receive the payment to complete the transaction. Completion of the transaction may include, for example, but is not limited to, transmitting payment details and/or printing a receipt from the point-of-sale system 400 to the credit card processor.

In an embodiment, the approval decision received at block 620 may be received from a settlement bureau such as a credit card processor. Thus, the third party device may contact the clearing house, which may then send the permission decision to the mobile device 300. Further, the approval decision received at block 620 may also be received via the point of sale system 400. That is, the third party device or clearinghouse may communicate with the point-of-sale system, for example, to confirm the transaction details. The point-of-sale system may then send the permission decision to the mobile device.

In an embodiment, the transaction details may be provided by the point of sale system prior to sending the approval request. This operation may be performed, for example, to ensure that the transaction to be approved includes exactly all items to be purchased. Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary method 700 of authorizing payment for a transaction. As above, a user with a cellular telephone, such as mobile device 300, may wish to purchase a number of items from a store.

The mobile device 300 may store authorization information specifying, for example, that a parent's device will permit payment of a transaction initiated by a child. The mobile device may store the parent's email address or the parent's phone number.

At block 710, a payment request is sent when a payment transaction is attempted. In an embodiment, the payment request may be sent via NFC. For example, a child may swipe their mobile device across or near a device such as point-of-sale system 400. Subsequently, the communication module 320 and the communication module 420 may initiate communication. As part of the communication, the communication module 320 may send a transaction payment request to the point-of-sale system 400. In the response process, the point of sale system 400 may identify the payment request as an authorized payment request.

At block 720, the mobile device 300 receives transaction details from the point-of-sale system. The transaction details may include the total cost of the transaction, the item of the transaction, or other information. The point-of-sale system 400 can communicate transaction details to the mobile device 300 via NFC. Once the mobile device 300 has acquired the transaction details, the mobile device 300 may send this information to a third party licensing device via the transceiver 310 using a communication network, such as network 401 (including, for example, a cellular network).

Thus, at block 730, the mobile device 300 sends a permission request to a third party device. The approval request may include transaction details provided by the point-of-sale system 400, as well as may include other information. The user of the third party device may take action and determine whether to approve or reject the transaction.

At block 740, the mobile device may receive a transaction approval. For example, the license may be received via the transceiver 310. The permission may be received directly from the third party device. Alternatively, the third party device may communicate with a clearing house, such as a bank or credit card processor, which may then communicate with the transceiver 310 of the mobile device 300 to send the license. The clearing house or third party device may also send an approval to the point of sale system, which in turn sends the approval to the mobile device.

After receiving the transaction approval, the mobile device 300 may utilize the communication module 320 to transmit payment details to the point-of-sale system 400 at block 750. The payment details may include a credit card number, a debit card number, an authorization code, or other payment details as described herein. Once the payment details are transmitted to the point-of-sale system 300, the transaction may be completed.

In use, the mobile device 300 may not receive a transaction approval from a third party device for various reasons. For example, the third party device may be a laptop computer that is under the parental control of the mobile device user. At block 730, the notebook computer may not receive the permission request when the mobile device 300 sends it. Thus, in an embodiment, the user of the mobile device 300 may select a second transaction approver and send a second approval request at block 730. Additionally, in embodiments, if the third party device cannot grant the transaction, the transceiver 310 may send a permission request directly to the clearing house to receive the transaction permission.

In another embodiment, the communication with the third party licensing device may be operated by a point of sale system. Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary method 800 for authorizing payment for a transaction.

At block 810, a payment request is received. In an embodiment, a payment request may be received via NFC. As above, the payment request may be as a result of the user swiping their mobile device 300 through or near a device implementing the components of the point of sale system 400. Thus, the communication module 320 and the communication module 420 may initiate communication. As part of the communication, the communication module 320 may send a transaction payment request to the point-of-sale system 400.

At block 820, the point of sale system may identify the payment request as an authorized payment request. For example, the point-of-sale system may identify that the received payment request includes an identifier of a third-party device that permitted the transaction.

Thus, at block 830, the point of sale system transmits a permission request to the third party device identified at block 820. The point-of-sale system may utilize, for example, the communication module 420 to transmit the approval request, as well as transmit the approval request using a phone number, email address, or other identifier. The approval request may also be transmitted directly to the clearing house. The approval request may include various details regarding the transaction.

After receiving the approval request, the user of the third party device may decide whether to approve or reject the transaction. At block 840, the approval decision is received by the point of sale system. For example, the communication module 420 may receive the permission decision. The approval decision may be received from a third party approval device or from a settlement such as a credit card processor.

The transaction is then completed at block 850. Completion of the transaction may include printing a receipt or other action typically used for such transactions.

In an embodiment, the permission decision may not be received directly from the third party licensing device or settlement at block 840. For example, if a third party licensing device is not available for some reason, the licensing decision may be received by the mobile device 300 at a later time. Upon receiving the approval decision, the user of the mobile device 300 may return to the point-of-sale system 400, which may then receive the approval decision and complete the transaction according to block 850.

A mobile device according to an embodiment may store more than one pre-approved transaction and related data in memory 340. In addition, a mobile device according to embodiments may retrieve more than one pre-approved transaction from a third party device on a continuous, real-time basis. Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary method 900 in the case of a mobile device implementing a pre-approval transaction.

At block 910, transaction details are received from a point-of-sale system. In an embodiment, the transaction details may be received via NFC. As above, when a user is attempting to pay for a transaction, she may bring the mobile device 300 close to the point-of-sale system 400 having the communication module 420. The point-of-sale system 400 can send details about the transaction to the mobile device 300.

At decision block 920, all aspects of the transaction are analyzed to determine if the transaction is a pre-approved transaction. For example, the processor 330 of the mobile device 300 may determine whether the transaction qualifies for a pre-approved transaction stored in the memory 340. If the transaction amount or the transaction merchant meets the criteria stored in memory 340, processor 330 may determine that the transaction is pre-approved. The pre-approval may also be based on the type of item (e.g., food, education, medicine) sought to be purchased, regardless of the particular merchant or the transaction amount up to a predetermined threshold.

If at decision block 920, it is determined that the transaction is not a pre-approved transaction, the method 900 may continue with the steps of the method 600 described above to obtain payment for the transaction. Alternatively, method 900 may end at this point. In another embodiment, if it is determined that the transaction is not a pre-approved transaction, the mobile device 300 may communicate with a third party approval device to update the pre-approved transaction stored in the memory 340 so that the transaction becomes a pre-approved transaction. For example, if the transaction below $50 is a pre-approved transaction and the user of mobile device 300 wishes to purchase an item at a total price of $51, mobile device 300 may send a message to a third party device to update the pre-approved transaction amount to $ 51.

If at decision block 920, it is determined that the transaction is a pre-approved transaction, the method 900 continues to block 930. At block 930, in response to the determination, the communication module 310 transmits the transaction payment to the point-of-sale system 400. The transaction may then be completed.

As described above, in embodiments, a third party device, such as a laptop computer or a mobile device, may provide temporary purchase rights to the mobile device 300. The user of the third party device may register (enter) his or her credit card information using the third party device and specify other details of the approval transaction. As described herein, the user of the third party device may also provide other payment details. The third party device may encode this information with other details and send this information to the appropriate mobile device 300. Once the mobile device 300 receives this information, the information may be used to complete the transaction according to the method 900 of fig. 9.

Other authorization related details

Mobile device

According to embodiments, each mobile device requesting transaction approval may store various information. For example, each mobile device may store identifiers of more than one device to which permission is to be requested. Such identifiers may include phone numbers, email addresses, Uniform Resource Locators (URLs), IP addresses, or other unique identifiers. The mobile device may also specify a preferred licensor or order of requesting permission from the permission device.

According to embodiments, the mobile device may store various data regarding the pre-approval transaction. In one embodiment, the pre-approval transaction may specify a category or amount of the item. For example, a given mobile device may be permitted to spend up to $200 on clothing or food. In another embodiment, the pre-approved transaction may specify a merchant and an amount. For example, a given mobile device may be permitted to spend up to $10 at a coffee shop. In yet another embodiment, the pre-approved transaction may specify a POS location and an amount. For example, a given mobile device may be permitted to spend up to $200 at ten POS locations specified by longitude and latitude or other coordinates. According to embodiments, pre-approved transactions may be received from third party devices and updated and enhanced on a regular basis. The pre-approved transaction may be revoked by the third party device and deleted from the mobile device. Further, the pre-license transaction may be stored on a third party device and retrieved as appropriate.

The mobile device may also store payment method details. For example, the mobile device may store a credit card number or debit card number for the third party licensed device. To pay using the credit card number, the third party device may send an authorization code to the mobile device upon granting the payment request according to the method described above.

Each mobile device that sends a payment request or an authorization request may include metadata or more than one element of data in the appropriate request. The metadata may include, for example, but is not limited to, the name of the user of the mobile device. The metadata may also include the phone number or IMEI or other unique identifier of the mobile device.

The transmitted metadata may also include a security code specific to the user or licensor. For example, when an authorizer, such as a parent or company, initially sets up the authorization process, a security code, such as a four-digit code or PIN, may be specified so that the mobile device can only be used by the intended user.

The transmitted metadata may also include the location of the mobile device. The location may be specified by a Global Positioning System (GPS), a cellular tower, or assisted GPS. In embodiments, the location information may be used by a permitted party to ensure that the mobile device is not used by an unauthorized party or in an unauthorized manner, or for other reasons. For example, if the metadata sent for a given transaction specifies that the mobile device is located in an unfamiliar area, the permitting party may wish to contact the user of the mobile device.

The transmitted data may also include photo data. For example, the licensing means may require the user of the mobile device to send a user photo for each transaction to ensure that the prospective party is requesting transaction licensing. Further, instead of or in addition to other information about the transaction to be licensed, the user may be required to take a picture of the item she wishes to purchase to grant the licensing decision. The transmitted metadata may also include a Universal Product Code (UPC) for the item to be purchased. Such metadata, when received by a third party device, may cause the third party device to display details (such as a photograph or general price) about the particular item.

Each permission request sent by the mobile device 300 or caused to be sent by the mobile device 300 may include a text message, voice call, email message, or other communication to the third party device to alert the user of the third party device that permission for the transaction is required. This may allow third party devices to approve transactions in a timely manner.

Point-of-sale system

Each point-of-sale system may also store and transmit metadata. Such metadata may include the identity of the merchant or the name of the merchant. The location of the merchant may also be sent. Additionally, such metadata may include a sale price or transaction category for the transaction. The metadata transmitted by the point-of-sale system may also include a Universal Product Code (UPC) or Stock Keeping Unit (SKU) of the item or items in the transaction. For a particular transaction, warranty information regarding more than one item included in the transaction may be sent to the licensing device. Further, return policy information for the merchant may be sent to the licensing device.

Third party device

According to an embodiment, the third party licensing device may store more than one payment method. For example, the licensing device may store more than one credit card number and associated data. The payment method may also include debit card number, gift certificate number, checking account information, savings account information, or internet-based payment method information. Additionally, in embodiments, a unique authorization code based on any of the above payment methods may be generated for each transaction permitted by the third party device. The unique authorization code may be sent to the mobile device, point of sale system, payment processor, or bank. In an embodiment, the unique authorization code may be encrypted.

The third party licensing device may also store various data regarding the pre-licensed transaction. For example, the licensing device may store a phone number or other identifier for each mobile device that the third party licensing device grants the transaction. Further, the licensing means may specify the licensed merchant and an inventory of the licensed amount, category restrictions, or other data. The licensing device may require a security code for a particular phone or phones. The third party licensing device may also revoke the pre-licensed transaction for a particular mobile device or enhance and update the pre-licensed transaction for the mobile device. Enhancing the pre-license transaction may involve increasing the pre-license amount of the transaction or allowing other types of items to be purchased through the pre-license transaction.

The third party licensing device may also have security features that only allow the licensing device to send licenses when in a specified location. For example, if a company laptop is stolen, this security feature may prevent unauthorized parties from approving the transaction.

Each third party device may permit transactions for multiple mobile devices 300. For example, a third party device, such as a desktop computer, may be controlled by the accounting department of a company, which may allow employees of the company to shop while business travels. Thus, the desktop computer may receive a payment authorization request or send a payment approval for each employee's mobile device 300.

In addition, each third party licensing device may be both the third party licensing device itself and the mobile device 300. That is, the third party device may possess the rights to permit the transaction of the mobile device 300, but also request permission for the particular transaction. This may be an example of the case where the third party device is a cellular telephone that the company issues to its staff, for example. The staff may use the cell phone to approve transactions for their children and also request permission for transactions performed during business trips.

The third party device may also send its own message to the mobile device 300 to grant or revoke authorization. The third party device may also send time limits, location listings, or other pre-approved information.

Each third party device that approves the transaction may also transmit various elements of the metadata to the mobile device or point of sale system that requested the approval. For example, the licensing device may send a security code that may be the same as the security code on the mobile device or may be a separate security code. Further, the GPS location or other location of the licensing device may be sent to the point of sale system.

In an embodiment, a charge may be authorized for the transaction. For example, any party involved in a particular transaction may add a small convenience fee or other fee that must be paid along with the transaction amount. As an example, a network operator may levy a fee for all authorization or license requests sent over their network. Similarly, the point-of-sale system may increase the rate of fees based on the amount of the transaction when payment is made by authorization.

In an embodiment, data exchanged between the third party device, the point of sale system, and the mobile device may be encrypted. Encryption may depend on the data being exchanged and the device that exchanged the data. For example, when sending a credit card number, communications between the third party device and the point of sale system may be encrypted using an AES cipher. Other known encryption methods may also be used. If the sent data only includes the pre-approved transaction and does not include any payment details, the communication between the third party device and the mobile device may not be encrypted. In an embodiment, communications between the mobile device and the point of sale system may always be encrypted to prevent the possibility of man-in-the-middle attacks and securing the crisis payment information or payment approval information.

Various methods may be used to grant or revoke authorization. For example, a user of a third party device may manually register payment data for licensing authorization. As another example, payment data may be downloaded from a bank website or a credit card issuer website. NFC technology may be employed to permit a particular credit card. If the third party licensed device is equipped with NFC technology, NFC may be utilized to forward data.

Further, for licensing authorization, the mobile device 300 may send a request to a third party licensing device to be added to or removed from the device inventory for which the transaction is licensed. The mobile device may also send a request to add or remove pre-approval transactions.

One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that communication between the mobile device and the point-of-sale system may be accomplished using near field communication, bluetooth, 60GHz transmission, zigbee, or any other type of short-range wireless communication.

Embodiments described herein may be specified as a computer product including software stored on any computer usable medium. Such software, when executed in one or more data processing devices, causes the data processing devices to operate as described herein.

Implementations may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof. Embodiments may be implemented via a set of programs running in parallel on multiple machines.

This summary and abstract sections may describe one or more, but not all exemplary embodiments of the invention considered by the inventor and are, therefore, not intended to limit the invention or the claims which follow in any way.

The invention has been described above with the aid of functional blocks illustrating the implementation of specific functions and relationships thereof. Boundaries of these functional blocks have been arbitrarily defined herein for the convenience of the description. Alternate boundaries can be defined so long as the specified functions and relationships thereof are appropriately performed.

The foregoing description of the specific embodiments will so fully reveal the general nature of the invention that others can, by applying knowledge within the skill of the art, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments, without undue experimentation, without departing from the general concept of the present invention. Therefore, such changes or modifications are intended to be within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments, based on the teaching and guidance presented herein. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation, such that the terminology or phraseology of the present specification is to be interpreted by the skilled artisan in light of the teachings and guidance.

The breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments.

Claims (11)

1. A point-of-sale system comprising:

a communication module configured to receive a transaction payment request;

a processor configured to identify the payment request as an authorized payment request, wherein the authorized payment request includes an identifier of a third party device; and

a transceiver, wherein the transceiver is configured to:

sending a permission request to the third party device;

receiving a permission decision;

wherein the communication module is configured to complete a transaction based on the approval decision.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication module is one of a near field communication module, a bluetooth communication module, a 60GHz communication module, and a wireless communication module.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the identifier is one of a telephone number, an email address, a URL address, and an IP address.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the transceiver is further configured to receive a permission decision from the third party device or a clearing house.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the permission request includes at least one of a merchant ID, a merchant name, a merchant location, a sales price, a sales category, a universal product code, an inventory unit, a warranty information element, or a return policy.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the approval decision comprises at least one of an approval transaction amount, a credit card number, a credit card type, a credit card validity period, an authorization code, a debit card number, or a bank account number.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication module is configured to receive a transaction payment request from a customer.

8. A method of completing a transaction, comprising:

receiving a transaction payment request;

identifying a payment request as an authorized payment request, wherein the authorized payment request includes an identifier of a third party device;

sending a transaction approval request to the third party device;

receiving a transaction approval decision, wherein the approval decision includes payment authorization information; and

completing a transaction based on the received approval decision.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising receiving a transaction payment request via near field communication.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the identifier is one of a telephone number, an email address, a URL address, and an IP address.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the permission decision is received from the third party device.