Automatic activation of mobile payment mechanisms based on identified mobile payment types accepted by a merchant

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9026460-B2
Application number	US-201213536783-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 28, 2012
Priority date	Jun 28, 2012
Publication date	May 5, 2015
Grant date	May 5, 2015

Abstract

Systems, methods, and computer program products are provided for automatic activation of mobile payment mechanisms (e.g., software applications, devices/hardware and the like) on a mobile communication device in response to automated determination of the mobile payment types accepted by a merchant at which the user/consumer is located. As such, the present invention serves to automatically make the user/consumer aware of an option for mobile payment. In addition, the mobile payment transaction is made more efficient, in that, the user/consumer does not have to manually configure and/or activate the software or hardware associated with the mobile payment type.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A mobile communication device configured for automated activation of mobile payment mechanisms, the mobile communication device comprising:
a computing platform including a memory and at least one processor in communication with the memory; and
a mobile payment activation module, executable by the processor and configured to:
determine a geographic location at which the mobile communication device is currently located;
identify a merchant associated with the geographic location of the mobile communication device;
determine one or more mobile payment types accepted by an identified merchant by accessing a mobile payment type database that indicates the one or more mobile payments types accepted by the identified merchant, wherein a mobile payment type provides for a transaction to be facilitated using the mobile communication device as a payment vehicle, and wherein the mobile payment type is one of (1) a short-range wireless communication mobile payment type, or (2) an image-capturing mobile payment type; and
in response to determination of the one or more mobile payment types, automatically, without user input, activate, on the mobile communication device, one or more mobile payment mechanisms associated with one of the determined one or more mobile payment types, wherein the mobile payment mechanism includes one of (1) a short-range wireless communication mechanism capable of broadcasting associated short-range wireless communication, or (2) an image capture mechanism capable of capturing computer-readable indicia displayed at a Point-of-Sale (POS) terminal.

2. The mobile communication device of claim 1 , wherein the mobile payment activation module is further configured to determine that the merchant accepts two or more mobile payment types.

3. The mobile payment device of claim 2 , wherein the mobile payment activation module is further configured to activate, on the mobile communication device, the one or more mobile payment mechanisms associated with a preferred mobile payment type, wherein the preferred mobile payment type is based on mobile communication device user configuration.

4. The mobile payment device of claim 2 , wherein the mobile payment activation module is further configured to activate, on the mobile communication device, the one or more mobile payment mechanisms associated with a preferred mobile payment type, wherein the preferred mobile payment type is based on merchant preference.

5. The mobile payment device of claim 2 , wherein the mobile payment activation module is further configured to display a prompt for a user to select one of the two or more mobile payment types accepted by the merchant, wherein user selection of one of the mobile payment types automatically activates at least one mobile payment mechanisms associated with the selected mobile payment type.

6. A system for automated activation of mobile payment mechanisms, the system comprising:
a network-based mobile payment type database configured to store a listing of merchants and the one or more mobile payment types accepted by each merchant, wherein the mobile payment type is one of (1) a short-range wireless communication mobile payment type, or (2) an image-capturing mobile payment type; and
a mobile communication device comprising a computing platform having a memory and at least one processor in communication with the memory, the mobile communication device including:
a location-determining device configured to determine a current geographic location of the mobile communication device;
a mobile payment activation module stored in the memory, executable by the processor and configured to:
(1) identify a merchant associated with the current geographic location,
(2) access the mobile payment type database to identify one or more mobile payment types accepted by the merchant, wherein a mobile payment type provides for a transaction to be facilitated using the mobile communication device as a payment vehicle, and wherein the mobile payment type is one of (1) a short-range wireless communication mobile payment type, or (2) an image-capturing mobile payment type, and
in response to identifying the one or more mobile payment types, (3) automatically, without user input, activate one or more mobile payment mechanisms associated with one of the identified one or more mobile payment types, wherein the mobile payment mechanism includes one of (1) a short-range wireless communication mechanism capable of broadcasting associated short-range wireless communication, or (2) an image capture mechanism capable of capturing computer-readable indicia displayed at a Point-of-Sale (POS) terminal.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the mobile payment type database is further configured to learn a mobile payment type associated with a merchant by one of merchant contact information, customer transactions or crowd sourcing.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein the mobile payment activation module is further configured to determine that the merchant accepts two or more mobile payment types.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the mobile payment activation module is further configured to activate, on the mobile communication device, the one or more mobile payment mechanisms associated with a preferred mobile payment type, wherein the preferred mobile payment type is based on mobile communication device user configuration.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the mobile payment activation module is further configured to activate, on the mobile communication device, the one or more mobile payment mechanisms associated with a preferred mobile payment type, wherein the preferred mobile payment type is based on merchant preference.

11. The system of claim 6 , wherein the mobile payment activation module is further configured to display a prompt for a user to select one of the two or more mobile payment types accepted by the merchant, wherein user selection of one of the mobile payment types automatically activates at least one mobile payment mechanisms associated with the selected mobile payment type.

12. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising:
a first of codes for causing a mobile communication device to determine a geographic location at which the mobile communication device is currently located and based on the determined geographic location identify a merchant associated with the geographic location;
a second set of codes for causing the mobile communication device to determine one or more mobile payment types accepted by an identified merchant by accessing a mobile payment type database that indicates the one or more mobile payments types accepted by the identified merchant, wherein a mobile payment type provides for a transaction to be facilitated using the mobile communication device as a payment vehicle, and wherein the mobile payment type is one of (1) a short-range wireless communication mobile payment type, or (2) an image-capturing mobile payment type; and
a third set of codes for causing the mobile communication device, in response to determination of the one or more mobile payment types, to automatically, without user input, activate, on the mobile communication device, one or more mobile payment mechanisms associated with one of the determined one or more mobile payment types, wherein the mobile payment mechanism includes one of (1) a short-range wireless communication mechanism capable of broadcasting associated short-range wireless communication, or (2) an image capture mechanism capable of capturing computer-readable indicia displayed at a Point-of-Sale (POS) terminal.

13. The computer program product of

Assignees

• Grigg David M
• Jones Alicia C
• Calman Matthew A
• Thomas Susan Smith
• Bank Of America

Inventors

• Grigg David M
• Jones Alicia C
• Calman Matthew A
• Thomas Susan Smith

Classifications

• G06Q40/02

  Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance (credit or loans G06Q40/03) · CPC title

• G06Q20/3224

  Transactions dependent on location of M-devices · CPC title

• G06Q20/3278

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

• G06Q20/322

  Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices] · CPC title

• G06Q20/20 Primary

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