Point of sale (POS) systems and methods with dynamic kernel selection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11049095-B2
Application number	US-201816231030-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 21, 2018
Priority date	Dec 21, 2018
Publication date	Jun 29, 2021
Grant date	Jun 29, 2021

Abstract

A payment reader can have one or more kernels capable of performing certain payment processing functions but not capable of performing certain, more processing-intensive payment processing functions. The payment reader may be designed to selectively assign processing tasks to application layer kernels located on a mobile device and/or a cloud-based device external to the payment reader, the mobile device having more or different processing resources than the payment reader. The selective assignment may be made dynamically based on the measurement of a condition of the reader or an occurrence of an event, such as a determination that the payment reader cannot process a transaction, that the payment reader does not have sufficient battery strength to process the transaction, or that there has been a tempering attempt at the payment reader. The payment reader also has a physical layer module, which module maintains its processing on the payment reader. By these means, the processing related to a payment transaction is conducted on a hybrid system, using resources both local to and remote from the payment reader.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A point of sale (POS) system comprising:
a payment reader having:
(a) one or more processors configured to identify a first plurality of data processing functions and a second plurality of data processing functions that does not overlap with the first plurality of data processing functions,
(b) a physical layer module and corresponding circuitry for receiving payment information from a payment device either by physically interfacing with the payment device or by communicating with the payment device via a near field communication (NFC) interface, wherein the physical layer module is dedicated to controlling interactions between a payment object and one or more components of the payment reader configured to receive information from the payment device,
(c) a payment application, and
(d) a first module of an application layer kernel, the first module being configured, based on instructions received from the one or more processors, so as to be dedicated to processing payment information via any of the first plurality of data processing functions; and

an apparatus external to the payment reader, the apparatus having a second module of the application layer kernel, the second module being configured so as to be dedicated to processing payment information via any of the second plurality of data processing functions,
wherein the payment application is configured to, in a case it is determined that the received payment information should be processed via any of the first plurality of data processing functions, transmit the payment information to the first module of the application layer kernel of the payment reader for processing, and in a case it is determined that the received payment information should be processed via any of the second plurality of data processing functions, transmit the payment information to the second module of the application layer kernel on the apparatus for processing.

2. The POS system of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is configured to transmit the payment information to one or more payment servers after the payment information has been processed by the second module of the application layer kernel.

3. The POS system of claim 1 , wherein the processing by the second module of the application layer kernel is related to authentication of a payment transaction.

4. The POS system of claim 1 , wherein the payment information comprises first payment information and second payment information,
wherein the first module of the application layer kernel of the payment reader is configured to process the first payment information and the second module of the application layer kernel is configured to process the second payment information.

5. A point of sale (POS) system comprising:
a payment device having a payment application, an application layer kernel, and a first submodule of a physical layer module, wherein the physical layer module is dedicated to controlling interactions with components of the POS system configured to receive information from a payment object, wherein the first submodule of the physical layer module is configured to receive payment information from the payment object, wherein the payment application is configured to provide the payment information from the first submodule of the physical layer module to the application layer kernel for processing of the payment information by the application layer kernel, and wherein the application layer kernel is dedicated to processing payment information via any of a first plurality of payment processing functions; and
a payment reader coupled to the payment device and having a second submodule of the physical layer module comprising a physical interface configured to read payment information from the payment object,
wherein the payment reader is configured to transmit the payment information read from the payment object to the first submodule of the physical layer module.

6. The POS system of claim 5 , wherein the payment device is a mobile phone external to the payment reader, and
wherein the payment reader is communicatively coupled to the mobile phone.

7. The POS system of claim 5 , wherein the second submodule of the physical layer module relates to an electromechanical function of the payment reader.

8. The POS system of claim 7 , wherein the electromechanical function of the payment reader relates to one or more of: adjustment of voltage levels of the payment reader and implementing contact with the payment object.

9. The POS system of claim 5 , wherein the first submodule of the physical layer module relates to control of a software function of the payment reader.

10. The POS system of claim 5 , wherein the first submodule of the physical layer module relates to control of an electrical function of the payment reader.

11. The POS system of claim 10 , wherein the electrical function of the payment reader relates to driving an electrical connection between a wire and a payment interface of the payment reader, and
wherein the payment interface is one or more of: an EMV contact pad or an NFC coil.

12. A payment device comprising:
an interface configured to receive payment information from a payment object, the interface being part of a physical layer module dedicated to controlling interactions with components of the payment device configured to receive information from the payment object;
a payment application;
a first application layer module of a kernel dedicated to processing payment information via any of a first plurality of payment processing functions; and
a wireless communication interface capable of communication with an apparatus other than the payment device, the apparatus comprising a second application layer module of the kernel dedicated to processing payment information via any of a second plurality of payment processing functions that does not overlap with the first plurality of payment processing functions,
wherein the payment application is configured to provide the received payment information to the apparatus, via the wireless communication interface, for processing by the second application layer module.

13. The payment device of claim 12 , wherein the payment application is further configured to:
receive, via the wireless communication interface, processed payment information from the apparatus, the processed payment information having been processed by the second application layer module, and
transmit the processed payment information to one or more payment servers.

14. The payment device of claim 13 , wherein the payment application is further configured to transmit the processed payment information to the first application layer module of the kernel to be processed, prior to transmitting the processed payment information to the one or more payment servers.

15. The payment device of claim 12 , wherein the first application layer module processes first payment information of the received payment information and the second application layer module processes second payment information of the received payment information, and
wherein the processing of the first payment information by the first application layer module and the processing of the second payment information by the second application layer module is done in parallel.

16. A method comprising:
receiving, by a payment device, payment information from a payment object;
transmitting, by the payment device, the payment information to a first application layer module of a first kernel for processing of the payment information by the first application layer module, the first application layer module being

Assignees

• Square Inc

Inventors

• Cat Murat
• Aydeniz Gokhan
• Terra David

Classifications

• G06Q20/409

  Device specific authentication in transaction processing · CPC title

• G06Q20/3278 Primary

  RFID or NFC payments by means of M-devices · CPC title

• G06Q20/352

  Contactless payments by cards · CPC title

• G06Q20/204

  comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit · CPC title

• G06Q20/20 Primary

  Point-of-sale [POS] network systems · CPC title