Method, medium, and system for associating a payment amount with a physical object

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11042869-B1
Application number	US-201414503324-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Sep 30, 2014
Priority date	Sep 30, 2014
Publication date	Jun 22, 2021
Grant date	Jun 22, 2021

Abstract

A payment object service receives a request from a giver to associate a payment amount to an object. The request includes one or more images of the object and recipient information, which the payment object service uses to determine whether the association between these images and the information is unique. If the association is unique, the payment object service updates a database to associate the payment amount to the object and enable redemption of the payment amount. When the payment object service receives a request to redeem at least a portion of the payment amount, the payment object service may use one or more images and recipient information obtained from the request to verify that the images and information together correspond to the object. Once the redemption is complete, the payment object service may update the database to specify the current remaining payment amount.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
receiving a request to associate a payment amount with unique physical three-dimensional contours of a unique physical external structure of an existing physical object, the request specifying recipient information and one or more images taken of the unique physical three-dimensional contours of the unique physical external structure of the existing physical object;
determining, by a computer processor, that the one or more images taken of the unique physical three-dimensional contours of the unique physical external structure of the existing physical object are unique based on a decomposition of the one or more images taken of the unique physical three-dimensional contours of the existing physical object into one or more data vectors;
identifying an association between the recipient information and the unique physical three-dimensional contours of the unique physical external structure of the existing physical object is unique in a database that associates instances of recipient information with corresponding objects;
associating the payment amount with the unique physical three-dimensional contours of the unique physical external structure of the existing physical object and the recipient information in the database;
receiving a request to redeem at least a portion of the payment amount;
in response to the request to redeem the at least the portion of the payment amount, a user device comprising a camera presenting instructions for capturing one or more images of the existing physical object;
obtaining information specifying the one or more images of the existing physical object captured by the camera of the user device and the recipient information;
verifying, based at least in part on the one or more images of the existing physical object and the recipient information, that the one or more images of the existing physical object and the recipient information correspond to the association between the recipient information and the unique physical three-dimensional contours of the unique physical external structure of the existing physical object; and
updating the database in accordance with redemption of the at least the portion of the payment amount.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising providing the existing physical object to enable redemption of the at least the portion of the payment amount.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the recipient information includes recipient biometric information, one or more recipient account identifiers, one or more recipient e-mail addresses, and one or more recipient usernames for one or more services.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the request is received through an interface, the interface specifying one or more objects from which the existing physical object is selected to generate the request.

5. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon executable instructions that, as a result of being executed by one or more processors of a computer system, cause the computer system to at least:
receive a request to redeem at least a portion of a payment amount associated with unique physical three-dimensional contours of a physical external structure of an existing physical object;
determine that one or more images taken of the unique physical three-dimensional contours of the physical external structure of the existing physical object are unique based on a decomposition of the one or more images taken of the unique physical three-dimensional contours of the physical external structure of the existing physical object into one or more data vectors;
in response to the request to redeem the at least the portion of the payment amount, a user device comprising a camera presenting instructions for capturing one or more images of the existing physical object;
obtain information, specifying the one or more images of the existing physical object captured by the camera of the user device and other information associated with the existing physical object;
verify, based at least in part on the one or more images of the existing physical object and the other information, that the one or more images of the existing physical object and the other information correspond to an association between the other information and the unique physical three-dimensional contours of the physical external structure of the existing physical object; and
update the payment amount associated with the unique physical three-dimensional contours of the physical external structure of the existing physical object in accordance with redemption of the at least the portion of the payment amount.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 5 , wherein the instructions further comprise instructions that, as a result of being executed by the one or more processors, cause the computer system to:
in order to at least partially fulfill a request to associate a payment amount to the existing physical object, the request specifying the other information to be associated with the existing physical object and the one or more images of the existing physical object, determine, based at least in part on the other information and the one or more images of the existing physical object, whether an association of the other information and the one or more images of the existing physical object is unique;
associate the payment amount to the existing physical object; and
redeem the associated payment amount using the existing physical object.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 6 , wherein the request is received through an interface, the interface specifying one or more objects from which the existing physical object is selected to generate the request.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 5 , wherein the instructions further comprise instructions that, as a result of being executed by the one or more processors, cause the computer system to determine the associated payment amount based at least in part on the one or more images of the existing physical object.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 5 , wherein:
the other information is based at least in part on one or more representations of features of a recipient; and
the instructions further comprise instructions that, as a result of being executed by the one or more processors, cause the computer system to utilize the other information and reference information based at least in part on the one or more images of the existing physical object to verify that the one or more images of the existing physical object and the one or more representations of features of the recipient correspond to an association between the one or more images of the existing physical object and the existing physical object.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the instructions further comprise instructions that, as a result of being executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to utilize one or more facial recognition algorithms to verify, based at least in part on the one or more representations of features of the recipient, that the recipient is authorized to redeem the payment amount using the existing physical object.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 5 , wherein the other information comprises recipient information that specifies a recipient of the existing physical object.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 5 , wherein the existing physical object is one of multiple, three-dimensional c

Assignees

• Amazon Tech Inc

Inventors

• Jezorek Matthew Ryan
• Bishop Scott Kenneth
• Campbell Brenda Renee'
• Canavor Darren Ernest
• Gregory Scott Donald
• Johansson Jesper Mikael
• Kane-Parry David James
• Laird Eric Michael
• Lee Brian Young
• Mittelman Ido
• Roth Gregory Branchek
• Wilson James Arthur

Classifications

• G06Q20/401

  Transaction verification · CPC title

• G06Q20/351

  Virtual cards · CPC title

• G06Q20/342 Primary

  Cards defining paid or billed services or quantities · CPC title

• G06Q20/3226

  Use of secure elements separate from M-devices · CPC title

• G06Q20/3223

  Realising banking transactions through M-devices · CPC title