Transaction device, computer program and transaction method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11580509-B2
Application number	US-201916440060-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 13, 2019
Priority date	Jun 14, 2018
Publication date	Feb 14, 2023
Grant date	Feb 14, 2023

Abstract

A transaction device is described. The device comprises storage configured to store a first data record comprising first value data and a unique identifier associated with one other device; communications circuitry configured to receive an identifier and second value data from a device; and control circuitry configured to compare the received identifier with the unique identifier and in the event of a positive comparison, the control circuitry is further configured to update the stored first value data in accordance with the exchanged second value data.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A transaction device comprising:
communications circuitry configured to communicate with any merchant device of a plurality of merchant devices to:
initiate a transaction with a particular merchant device of the plurality of merchant devices, wherein the transaction is a debiting credit transaction where a credit facility is extended or a crediting credit transaction where outstanding debt is reduced; and
receive an identifier associated with the particular merchant device and transaction data comprising at least a transaction amount and a transaction currency;

control circuitry configured to:
determine a corresponding credit pocket record for the transaction by:
comparing the identifier received from the particular merchant device against a unique identifier stored in each credit pocket record associated with a value pocket record corresponding to the transaction currency; and
identifying a credit pocket record having a same unique identifier as the identifier received from the particular merchant device, wherein the credit pocket record having the same unique identifier as the identifier received from the particular merchant device is the corresponding credit pocket record for the transaction;

update stored value data of the corresponding credit pocket record indicating a total amount of credit facility extended from the particular merchant device in accordance with the received transaction data; and
in an event that the updated stored value data of the corresponding credit pocket record is zero, delete the corresponding credit pocket record; and

storage configured to store a plurality of data records comprising value pocket records and associated credit pocket records, each value pocket record being uniquely associated with one currency, each credit pocket record associated with that value pocket record being uniquely associated with one merchant device of the plurality of merchant devices and comprising at least value data and a unique identifier corresponding to the uniquely associated one merchant device, the value data including at least a total amount of credit facility extended from the uniquely associated one merchant device.

2. The transaction device of claim 1 , wherein each value pocket record comprises a memory pointer to a first credit pocket record, the first credit pocket record being associated with that currency.

3. The transaction device of claim 1 , wherein each value pocket record comprises a total credit received balance value, a total credit provided balance value, and a pointer to a first credit pocket record associated with the value pocket record, the total credit received balance value being a total amount of credit facility extended to all associated credit pocket records, the total credit provided balance value being a total amount of credit facility provided by all associated credit pocket records, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
update the total credit received balance value or the total credit provided balance value in accordance with the received transaction data.

4. The transaction device of claim 1 , wherein each credit pocket record further comprises a counterparty narrative having 12 bytes, a pointer to a next data record, the pointer having 2 bytes, and a checksum value having 4 bytes,
wherein the unique identifier is a counterparty identifier having 8 bytes, the counterparty identifier being a purse identifier of a purse of the uniquely associated one merchant device,
wherein the value data comprises a balance value having 6 bytes, the balance value being a positive value or negative value and being the total amount of credit facility extended from the uniquely associated one merchant device,
wherein the counterparty narrative is a purse narrative of the purse of the uniquely associated one merchant device,
wherein the pointer to next data record is a memory address value where the next credit pocket record is stored, the pointer to next data record being 0000 if a credit pocket record is a last data record, and
wherein the checksum value is a value to detect an error within a credit pocket record.

5. The transaction device of claim 1 , wherein the transaction is the debiting credit transaction, wherein the updating of the stored value data in accordance with the received transaction data comprises decreasing the total amount of credit facility extended from the particular merchant device by the transaction amount.

6. The transaction device of claim 1 , wherein the transaction is the crediting credit transaction, wherein the updating of the stored value data in accordance with the received transaction data comprises increasing the total amount of credit facility extended from the particular merchant device by the transaction amount.

7. A transaction method comprising:
managing a plurality of data records comprising value pocket records and associated credit pocket records, each value pocket record being uniquely associated with one currency, each credit pocket record associated with that value pocket record being uniquely associated with one merchant device of a plurality of merchant devices and comprising at least value data and a unique identifier corresponding to the uniquely associated one merchant device, the value data including at least a total amount of credit facility extended from the uniquely associated one merchant device;
communicating with any merchant device of the plurality of merchant devices to:
initiate a transaction with a particular merchant device of the plurality of merchant devices, wherein the transaction is a debiting credit transaction where a credit facility is extended or a crediting credit transaction where outstanding debt is reduced; and
receive an identifier associated with the particular merchant device and transaction data comprising at least a transaction amount and a transaction currency;
determine a corresponding credit pocket record for the transaction by:
comparing the identifier received from the particular merchant device against the unique identifier stored in each credit pocket record associated with the value pocket record corresponding to the transaction currency; and
identifying a credit pocket record having a same unique identifier as the identifier received from the particular merchant device,

wherein the credit pocket record having the same unique identifier as the identifier received from the particular merchant device is the corresponding credit pocket record for the transaction;

updating stored value data of the corresponding credit pocket record indicating a total amount of credit facility extended from the particular merchant device in accordance with the received transaction data; and
deleting the corresponding credit pocket record when the updated stored value data of the corresponding credit pocket record is zero.

8. The transaction method of claim 7 , wherein each value pocket record comprises a memory pointer to a first credit pocket record, the first credit pocket record being associated with that currency.

9. The transaction method of claim 7 , wherein each value pocket record comprises a total credit received balance value, a total credit provided balance value, and a pointer to a first credit pocket record associated with the value pocket record, the total credit received balance value being a total amount of credit facility extended to all associated credit pocket records, the total credit provided balance value being a total amount of credit facility provided by all associated credit pocket records, wherein the method further comprises:
updating the total credit received balance value or the total credit provided balance value in accordance with the received t

Assignees

• Mastercard International Inc

Inventors

• Sylvester Dave
• Beric John
• Sinton James David
• Garrett Duncan
• Roberts David Anthony
• Sjoberg Emil Johan

Classifications

• G06Q20/0658

  e-cash managed locally · CPC title

• G06Q20/105 Primary

  involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses" · CPC title

• G06Q20/3676

  Balancing accounts · CPC title

• G06Q20/00 Primary

  Payment architectures, schemes or protocols (apparatus for performing or posting payment transactions G07F7/08, G07F19/00; electronic cash registers G07G1/12) · CPC title

• G06Q20/3678

  e-cash details, e.g. blinded, divisible or detecting double spending · CPC title