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

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020201985-A1
Application number	US-201816230823-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 21, 2018
Priority date	Dec 21, 2018
Publication date	Jun 25, 2020
Grant date	—

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

1 . A point of sale (POS) system, comprising:
a payment reader comprising at least one memory and at least one processor, wherein the payment reader has a Layer 1 (L1) module for receiving payment information from a payment card, and a first Layer 2 (L2) kernel, and wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute instructions stored in the at least one memory to act as a payment application; and a mobile device, the mobile device being external to the payment reader, the mobile device having a second L2 kernel, wherein, in accordance with the receipt of payment information from the payment card, the payment application is configured to obtain condition data associated with a condition of the payment reader, and to dynamically select, based on the obtained condition data, one of the first L2 kernel of the payment reader or the second L2 kernel of the mobile device to process the payment information, wherein the payment application is configured to, in a case that the first L2 kernel is selected to process the payment information, send the unprocessed payment information to the first L2 kernel of the payment reader for processing, and wherein the payment application is configured to, in a case that the second L2 kernel is selected to process the payment information, send the unprocessed payment information to the second L2 kernel of the mobile device for processing.

2 . The POS system of claim 1 , wherein the payment application is further configured to, in a case that the first L2 kernel is selected to process the payment information, send the payment information processed by the first L2 kernel of the payment reader to the second L2 kernel of the mobile device.

3 . The POS system of claim 1 , wherein the condition of the payment reader is related to one of: (a) a detected power level of a battery of the payment reader, (b) a detected power level of a battery of the device external to the payment reader, and (c) a relative power level between the payment reader and the device external to the payment reader.

4 . The POS system of claim 3 , wherein the condition of the payment reader relates to the occurrence of a low-power event, and
wherein a low-power event is determined to occur when any of the following are true: (a) the detected power level for the battery of the payment reader falls below a predetermined threshold, (b) the difference between the detected power level for the battery of the payment reader and the detected power level of the battery of the mobile device external to the payment reader exceeds a predetermined difference, or (c) the detected power level for the battery of the payment reader falls below a predetermined threshold and the detected power level of the battery of the mobile device external to the payment reader exceeds a predetermined threshold.

5 . The POS system of claim 1 , wherein the condition of the payment reader relates to a version number of the first L2 kernel of the payment reader.

6 . The POS system of claim 1 , wherein the condition of the payment reader relates to detection of a potential tamper attempt on the payment reader.

7 . A payment reader comprising:
a Layer 1 (L1) module for receiving payment information from a payment device; a communications interface configured to transmit information from the payment reader to a networked device having a Layer 2 (L2) kernel; and a kernel director configured to, in accordance with the receipt of payment information from the payment device, (a) obtain condition data associated with the L1 module, (b) dynamically select, based on the obtained condition data, whether or not to transmit the payment information to the L2 kernel of the networked device for processing, and (c) instruct the transmission of the payment information to the L2 kernel in accordance with the selection made by the kernel director.

8 . The payment reader of claim 7 , wherein the L1 module is classified in the Open Systems Interconnection model (OSI) physical layer of the payment reader, and the L2 kernel is classified in the OSI application layer of the networked device.

9 . The payment reader of claim 7 , wherein the selection based on the obtained condition data associated with the L1 module comprises a determination that the payment information cannot be processed by a second L2 kernel of the payment reader.

10 . The payment reader of claim 7 , wherein the selection based on the obtained condition data associated with the L1 module comprises a determination that a processing capacity of the payment reader is insufficient to process the payment information.

11 . A system, comprising:
a payment device; and a payment reader comprising at least one memory, wherein the payment reader has a first Layer 2 (L2) kernel within a first processor, a second L2 kernel within a second processor, and a Layer 1 (L1) module within a third processor, the L1 module being for receiving payment information from the payment device, and wherein at least one processor is configured to execute instructions stored in the at least one memory to act as a payment application, wherein the second L2 kernel is within a trust zone of the second processor, wherein the payment application is configured to dynamically select, based on event data, one of the first L2 kernel and the second L2 kernel for processing the payment information and to provide the payment information to the selected L2 kernel, the event data indicating the occurrence of one of a first condition or a second condition, wherein the payment application is configured to select the first L2 kernel for processing the payment information when the event data indicates the occurrence of the first condition, and wherein the payment application is configured to select the second L2 kernel for processing the payment information when the event data indicates the occurrence of the second condition.

12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the event data indicates a second condition when a tamper event is suspected for the first L2 kernel.

13 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the first processor is within a secure payment enclave (SPE) of the payment reader.

Assignees

• Square Inc

Inventors

• Cat Murat
• Aydeniz Gokhan

Classifications

• G06Q20/206

  comprising security or operator identification provisions, e.g. password entry · CPC title

• G07F7/088

  the card reader being part of the point of sale [POS] terminal or electronic cash register [ECR] itself · CPC title

• G06Q20/204

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

• G06F21/53 Primary

  by executing in a restricted environment, e.g. sandbox or secure virtual machine · CPC title

• G06Q20/3227

  using secure elements embedded in M-devices · CPC title