System and method for transaction payments using a mobile device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9741028-B2
Application number	US-201113046525-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 11, 2011
Priority date	Mar 11, 2010
Publication date	Aug 22, 2017
Grant date	Aug 22, 2017

Abstract

A system and method for performing a financial transaction may include processing a purchase transaction for products for purchase by a customer to determine a transaction amount. A communication with a mobile device of the customer may include communicating a store identifier, POS identifier, and the transaction amount. In response to receiving an approval number for the purchase transaction from a financial institution of the customer, completing the purchase transaction for the purchase of the products by the customer.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A point-of-sale (POS) system for performing financial transactions using a mobile device, the POS system comprising:
a processing unit at the POS system configured to enable processing of a purchase transaction for at least one product for purchase by a customer; and
a wireless interface in communication with the processing unit, and configured to:
enable the processing unit to enter into one-to-one communications with the mobile device being utilized by the customer, and
prevent the POS system from receiving communications from the mobile device other than an acceptance message to allow for the processing unit to communicate via the mobile device to route a store identifier, a POS identifier, and a transaction amount to a financial institution of the customer for approval of the transaction amount for the customer;

wherein the processing unit is further configured to:
wirelessly transmit the store identifier, the POS identifier, and the transaction amount to the mobile device via the wireless interface, and complete the purchase transaction in response to receiving an approval number based on the store identifier, the POS identifier, and the transaction amount from a financial institution server associated with the financial institution of the customer.

2. The POS system according to claim 1 , wherein receiving the approval number includes receiving the approval number via a different communications path than the wireless interface.

3. The POS system according to claim 1 , wherein the processing unit is further configured to communicate a request via the wireless interface to the mobile device to enable the customer to accept communications from the processing unit.

4. The POS system according to claim 3 , wherein, in response to receiving an acceptance from the mobile device, the processing unit is further configured to communicate the store identifier, the POS identifier, and the transaction amount to the mobile device.

5. The POS system according to claim 1 , wherein the mobile device, in response to receiving the store identifier, POS identifier, and transaction amount, is configured to communicate to the financial institution server.

6. The POS system according to claim 1 , wherein the processing unit, in communicating the store identifier, the POS identifier, and the transaction amount to the financial institution server, causes the mobile device to communicate the store identifier, the POS identifier, and the transaction amount to the financial institution server to determine and communicate the approval number to the POS system for completing the purchase transaction.

7. A method for controlling wireless communications between a mobile device and a point-of-sale system in a commerce environment to facilitate a financial transaction, the method comprising:
processing a purchase transaction at a point-of-sale (POS) system for at least one product for purchase by a customer;
entering into one-to-one communications with the mobile device;
wirelessly transmitting, via a communication network, to the mobile device of the customer a store identifier, a POS identifier, and a transaction amount, the communication network configured to prevent the POS system from receiving communications from the mobile device;
preventing the mobile device from communicating information other than an acceptance message to allow for communicating to the mobile device to route the store identifier, the POS identifier, and the transaction amount to the financial institution of the customer for approval of the transaction amount for the customer; and
in response to receiving an approval number based on the store identifier, the POS identifier, and the transaction amount for the purchase transaction from a financial institution server associated with a financial institution of the customer, completing the purchase transaction at the POS system.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein receiving the approval number is via a different communications path from a communications path with the mobile device.

9. The method according to claim 7 , further comprising communicating a request to the mobile device to enable the customer to accept communications.

10. The method according to claim 9 , further comprising, in response to receiving an acceptance to the request from the mobile device, communicating the store identifier, the POS identifier, and the transaction amount to the mobile device.

11. A method for controlling wireless communications between a mobile device and a point-of-sale system in a commerce environment to facilitate a financial transaction, the method comprising:
determining at a point-of-sale (POS) system a transaction amount for a purchase of at least one product by a customer;
wirelessly receiving an acceptance message at the POS system from a mobile device to permit the POS system to selectively engage in communications with the mobile device;
in response to receiving the acceptance message, entering into one-to-one communications with the mobile device and wirelessly transmitting a store identifier, a POS identifier, and a transaction amount from the POS system to the mobile device of the customer; and
completing the transaction for the at least one product in response to receiving an approval number from a financial institution server associated with the customer, wherein the approval number is based on the store identifier, the POS identifier, and the transaction amount transmitted to the mobile, and wherein the transaction is completed without the mobile device transmitting any account information associated with the customer to the POS system.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein wirelessly transmitting to the mobile device includes transmitting the store identifier, the POS identifier, and the transaction amount to the mobile device.

13. The method according to claim 12 , further comprising:
the mobile device communicating the store identifier, the POS identifier, and the transaction amount to the financial institution server; and
in response to receiving the store identifier, the POS identifier, and the transaction amount, the financial institution server wirelessly transmitting the approval number to the POS system associated with the store identifier and the POS identifier.

14. A system for approving a financial transaction using a mobile device comprising:
a point-of-sale (POS) system selectively engaged in one-to-one communication with the mobile device of a customer, the POS system configured to prevent communications from the mobile device other than an acceptance message;
a processing unit at a telecommunications service provider server, the processing unit configured to:
receive a set of data including a mobile device identifier, a store identifier, a point-of-sale (POS) system identifier, and a transaction amount from the mobile device of a customer of a telecommunications service provider, and
after verification, replace at least the mobile device identifier and the transaction amount in the set of data with an approval token in the set of data and wirelessly transmit the set of data including the approval token to the POS system associated with the POS identifier and the store identifier, wherein the approval token is generated based on the mobile device identifier, the store identifier, the POS identifier, and the transaction amount and serves to approve payment of the transaction amount at the POS system.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the POS system is configured to provide the store identifier, the POS identifier, and the transaction amount to the

Assignees

• Webb Tim
• Todd Jason
• Wal Mart Stores Inc

Inventors

• Webb Tim
• Todd Jason

Classifications

• G06Q40/02

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

• G06Q20/32 Primary

  using wireless devices · CPC title

• G06Q20/327

  Short range or proximity payments by means of M-devices · CPC title

• G06Q20/40

  Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists · CPC title

• G06Q30/06

  Buying, selling or leasing transactions · CPC title