Patent Application
20110112968
The solution refers to a payment terminal located in a mobile communication device, such as a mobile phone. To realize payment processes the terminal can communicate even through its own communication element, mainly of the NFC type. The invention presented also describes a method of direct debit payment using a contactless transmission link and describes a configuration, in which a temporary payment terminal, with simplified structure that is intended above all for small business premises, can be created using a mobile communication device. The solution refers to increase in security and comfort in paying over the mobile communication device with removable memory card for example in the form of a microSD card.
The payment terminals, POS (Point of Sale) terminals that are located permanently in commercial premises are known. The POS terminal works in such a way, that the transfer of money from the purchaser's account to the shop's operator's account is secured within an agreed system. Up till now, the payment over POS terminal was characterized as a payment, in which the payment's recipient has a POS terminal and the paying customer uses a corresponding card, as a payment device. In the first phase, a check, verification of the card holder is run—this process should be highly secured and should be realized without unreasonable effort on the side of both, the merchant and the paying customer. Subsequently, a process, in which the paid amount is automatically credited to the shop's operator's account, is run. Originally, cards equipped only with a magnetic stripe were used for the run of payment-terminal application. However, with respect to the technical restrictions, the magnetic stripe with loaded data presented a security risk, since the magnetic stripe could be copied or changed with the use of simple technical devices. Reading of internal data from magnetic stripe is low-tech.
Therefore, an agreement on creation of EMV standard using microchip located on the payment card was made between the card issuers Europay International MasterCard and VISA in the second half of the nineties. EMV (Europay MasterCard Visa) standard describes interaction between the payment card chip and POS terminal for the purpose of ensuring worldwide interoperability. The usage of microchip enables to protect data located on it in such a way that it is not possible to access them from the outside without a PIN. The usage of chip on the card also enables the Cardholder Verification to be realized even without online connection to the processor headquarters. While magnetic stripe represented passive data carrier, the chip on the card is basically a small computer with its own computing capacity, with secured parts of the memory and with a data encryption unit. Despite the mentioned technical characteristics of the current POS terminals, it was discovered that in case of fraudulent adjustments and manipulations in the insides of the POS terminal or in case of inserting an intermediary link to the reading device, the data from the card and the PIN code can be disclosed. It usually happens without the knowledge of the owner of the shop with the POS terminal in case of insufficient control by the attending personnel or in case of other fraudulent way.
However until now, there are not known such technical tools, that would enable to convert the mobile phone into that kind of payment terminal, which would be owned by the paying customer and which would have the security required by the individual participants of the entire business relationship (payment card issuer, processing headquarters, bank, merchant).
The solution under the CN101351819 patent indicates the possibility of using a mobile phone as a POS terminal; however it does not deal with specific organization of individual essential elements of the system. Many solutions, such as the ones under the patents CN101339685, CN101329801, US2008270246 (A1), SI22595 (A), US2008059375 describe the mobile phone's involvement in direct debit payments, notwithstanding there are no independent POS terminal elements directly in the phone. Or, as it is in the US20077241180 (A1) file, there are solutions in which a mobile phone and a static POS terminal interact.
There is a request for such a technical solution which will have the high security of EMV payment application and which will produce final payment cryptograms exactly in the form of EMV standards and all that even in case of internet payments or other payments realized outside the normal stores, e.g. in case of paying for download of programs that are stored at the mobile operators. These kinds of solutions are either not known at the moment or they have security risks that reside in the fact there might come to disclosure or misuse of the communication during data transfer from the paying customer's payment card to the merchant's POS terminal or virtual POS terminal e.g. over internet or in case of NFC or GPRS communication. In case the original close contact between the POS terminal and the payment card in a normal store is lengthened to the communication over internet environment, then the security risks are increased.
The existing POS terminals are distinguished by stable structure, which besides other things includes a communication channel connected to the payment processing centre, printer, encryption key, card reader, mainly reader of different format cards and also a keyboard for PIN code entering. This kind of technical configuration requires certain space and is relatively expensive. Realizations of known POS terminal are intended for stable sale locations in stone shops, where high costs of purchase, installation and operation of POS terminals are equilibrated by reasonable turnovers of payments for purchases.
The solution according to the published patent WO2008063990 describes a system, in which the POS terminal does not have a communication channel with the payment processing center and uses a mediated connection over customer's mobile phone for it. This solution has lower security since the payment terminal application itself runs on a remote computer and the mobile phone is only a mediator of communication. Other published patents describe divided POS terminal in such a way in which directly on the payment location there is only its managing part that is connected to the remaining part located in some other part of the shop. The existing solutions and published patents do not offer simple instruction of how to create a cheap, non-complicated and eventually also portable POS payment terminal, which would create payment cryptograms according to current standards, above all the EMV standards.
All solutions currently existing require relatively complicated installation and encompass many input and output devices, which increase their price. Till now, there are known no such devices that would be characterized by both simplicity, high security and that would be portable and usable even in small shops such as in newspaper kiosks or in mobile counters selling fast food.
In time when the usage of the mobile communication devices, such as mobile phones for cashless payment applications is increasing, the request for increase in comfort and security of payment processes will rise. Mobile communication devices have the possibility of intentional but also unobserved connection with the mobile data network by which the risk of penetration of harmful programs into the mobile communication device's environment.
According to the patent file published as WO 2010/011670 A2 a purpose Pay-button is known. The NFC communication element necessary for the run of contactless payment application is started by it. This button simplifies launch of payment application, however its connection to NFC communication element does not offer increased security when compared to older solutions, when the payment application is started by a virtual button in the menu displayed on the mobile communication device's display. The analysis of possible attacks on the payment card stored within the mobile communication device pointed out a risk, when unsuitable program, e.g. in the form of troyan horse initializes the payment application without the user's knowledge. Since the payment card in the mobile communication device is inserted all the time into the payment card reader, this location itself encompasses even the possibility of constant trials to read data from the card. For this reason there is a danger that in the future it will come to the failure of the payment card's security level, e.g. even the EMV standard which was considered to be improbable up till now since the payment card was inserted for long term and practically without interruption in the reader, e.g. in the POS terminal, or in the ATM. For this reason such a solution is required, which will not only increase the comfort but also the security of the payment card. The existing purpose buttons as e.g. the photo button in the mobile phone had only the purpose of accelerating and simplifying the access to selected function of the phone and it was not necessary to solve the security question of conscious launch of the selected function.
The new, more secure solution should be comfortable enough so it would not lower the comfort of the attendant, which is an important presumption of the extension of the cashless payments over a mobile phone.
The deficiencies mentioned are to a great extent eliminated by a payment terminal using a mobile communication device, such as a mobile phone, in which the payment terminal contains a memory, an interface, and microcontroller. The microcontroller is linked to the memory and through an interface also to the mobile communication device's circuit. The payment terminal has one unit with a payment POS terminal application and also a payment terminal's configuration data unit, which is stored in the secured part of the memory. The quintessence of the invention is in the fact that the payment terminal, along with the relevant configuration data, can be stored on a removable memory card, which is adjusted in such a way, so it could be inserted into the mobile communication device's slot for additional hardware, which is used to add functionalities that are surpassing the basic functions of the mobile communication device.
The quintessence of the solution is the configuration in which the entire process kernel of the POS terminal can be located on a removable memory card which is inserted into the mobile communication device while the most probable usage resides in its insertion into the common memory slot of the mobile phone. The run of all internal payment POS terminal applications can be realized on the removable memory card inserted into the mobile communication device. The exception can be found in the communication processes with the payment processors headquarters, in which communication channels (SMS—short message service, GPRS general packet radio service) of the mobile communication device itself can be used. The mobile communication device's displaying tools can be used to display the run of the payment application.
The transfer of the POS terminal's processing kernel only into the supplementary memory card in the mobile phone brings along surprising technical advantages, but it would also cause complications with loading of data from the payment card, since mobile phones do not have chip card readers. The important characteristic of the solution presented is then even the fact that on the same hardware equipment, i.e. on the removable memory card, there can be placed a payment card or even several payment cards of the user. Technically it can be ensured in such a way that the removable memory card can contain, besides the secure part of the memory with the data for the payment terminal, also a separate secured part of the memory with the payment card data.
During the run of the payment application, the removable memory card is inserted into the mobile communication device's slot for additional hardware, which is used to add functionalities that are surpassing the basic functions of the mobile communication device. The slot will be mainly, however not exclusively, the commonly used slot that is accessible from the outside of the mobile communication device, such as a mobile phone. The relevant slot is designed for such technical equipment, without which the mobile communication device can meet its essential function. The slot in question therefore does not influence transmission of data and/or voice in the operator's network directly; the fact in which it is different from the interface for the SIM (subscriber identity module) card. The memory card, which is an important element of this invention, does not have the functionality of the SIM card. The removable memory card, described in the solution in question, is not dependant on the mobile phone's SIM card and can be removed or inserted into the mobile phone without interrupting any of the regular functions of the phone.
In case the communication between the payment card and the POS terminal is narrowed to data transmission within one hardware device, which is inserted into the mobile phone during the run of the application, then it is not possible to monitor and misuse this communication by common means. After the payment is realized, encrypted information about the realized payment, is sent from the removable memory card. This information is distinguished by sufficient security in the form of EMV standard. In common configuration the mobile communication device can be a mobile phone, which will ensure outside functions as the communication with the payment processing headquarters for the run of the payment application on the removable memory card. The mobile phone will also ensure powering of the removable memory card.
The removable memory card can encompass even a payment card unit with a payment application, mainly of the EMV type. This kind of payment card unit will encompass hardware and software tools for the assurance of similar functions as the chip has according to the EMV standard. The interfaces of this unit can be different since it is not designed to be read in normal type of readers, but it will be firmly, undetachably connected with the removable memory card carrier.
Placing the POS payment terminal and payment card into one, moreover indivisible hardware equipment, made no sense until now, since the terminals were physically placed at the merchant's while they were usually owned by the bank, payment processor etc. Through the solution presented, it can be achieved for the user to leasehold the payment terminal and that being the case, it is possible to place the payment terminal and the payment card into one hardware equipment. From the configuration identity point of view, the terminal will remain in the possession of a specific bank or processing institution as it was normal until now with the terminals that were placed at the merchant's. Since the communication between the payment card and POS terminal is going to run through the controller, the microcontroller in the removable memory card's hardware and given the miniature size of the payment device, then in essence, it will be technically unfeasible to read this communication illegally from the outside.
Delicate data of the POS payment terminal, just like the encryption keys and identification data, must be stored in the secured part of the memory, preferably in the so-called Secure Element. The Secure Element is characterized by specified hardware characteristics and is subject to corresponding certification thanks to which the participating members are willing to trust its delicate data into such a memory device. These POS payment terminal's data must be strictly separated from the access to the payment card data and vice versa. For this reason, at least two independent, separate secure memory domains can be on the removable memory card. These can be e.g. in the form of separate partitions of one secure element.
From the point of view of optimizing the processes in the payment terminal application, it is advantageous, but not necessary, if the removable memory card has two independent hardware Secure Elements. These can be in the form of two uniform chips, which can be placed independently on the printed circuit of the removable memory card. Then the first Secure Element can be intended for storage of POS terminal data or storage of different POS terminals' data respectively. The second Secure Element will be intended for the storage of either the payment card's data or data of various payment cards. So the solution presented enables to place POS terminals of several operators and also several payment cards of one user (so payment cards of various banks issued on the name of one person) to one hardware device. Since from the access point of view these configuration and payment data, belonging to different companies, must be located separately, the Secure Elements will be divided into several independent domains, partitions. In case two secure elements are used, then their mutual communication and the run of two applications will be enabled even in the case, when the Secure Element will not have multitasking. The usage of two, or several Secure Elements, increases the total memory capacity available in such a way that the payment POS terminal application can run directly on the Secure Elements. In configuration with one Secure Element it will be more suitable to use another, mostly cheap and unsecured memory to which the payment POS terminal application will be loaded and on which it will run during payment process.
Besides containing the common memory itself, the memory card can hold a secure element in the form of a chip with secure memory, in which a unit with the terminal's configuration data is stored. This unit is used for secure storage of data the terminal needs to assign its own identity. In principle these are mostly data determining to whom the terminal with the relevant data belongs.
The secure element is connected with the microcontroller. The term microcontroller can mean even controller or just some narrowed hardware in the form of a controller. The microcontroller can be located also in such a way, in which its functions are divided, e.g. the controller part is divided from the computing part in another chip. In order to be able to run the payment POS terminal application, the microcontroller can be also connected to the memory card's memory, in which the unit with payment POS terminal application is stored. This application can be particularly in the form of an EMV application. The microcontroller reads the payment POS terminal application from the respective unit by which it becomes a so called Generic POS Terminal. It is a general POS payment terminal, though at this moment still indifferent. In order for the POS payment terminal to become associated with some specific bank, specific institution, it has to download the terminal configuration data from the selected unit in the smart card chip.
This configuration enables to insert a configured and adapted memory card that can realize payment POS terminal operations, into a common mobile phone, which has a slot for memory extensions.
The payment card unit will be located in a secured part of the memory, separately from the unit with terminal configuration data, preferably on independent domains of the secure element in a specialized chip. As for the suitable structure of the memory card and with respect to high penetration of the mobile communication devices with the SD slot it is suitable for the card to be of SD type, or miniSD, or microSD card or perhaps even M2 (Memory Stick Micro). Then the memory card's interface towards the mobile communication device's circuit will be of the SD or M2 type of interface. The microcontroller can be connected to the card's interface as stated by the specification defined by the SD card association (Technical Committee SD Card Association).
In order to reach sufficient data permeability, it can be suitable, if the payment card had at least a two-conductor, or better a four-conductor data bus. It is preferable for the card to have the largest parameter smaller than 24 mm and the second largest parameter smaller than 14 mm.
The microcontroller can be equipped with undeletable internal memory, preferably of EEPROM type. In order to achieve a sufficient level of security, the microcontroller can also contain a boot-loader unit for control of unauthorized interventions in the loaded POS payment application. The boot-loader can be located in the read-only part of the microcontroller processor memory and it runs after each reset of the terminal. The boot-loader function is there to control whether the operating system or application programs were not changed by any unauthorized intervention. After each reset, the boot-loader calculates the Hash value (digital signature) from the contents of the program's external flash memory, where the operating system and the applications are stored. Then it compares the result with the value stored in the EEPROM internal memory. If the data are equal then the boot-loader leaves the management to the operating system. If not, than the boot-loader decrements the counter of unsuccessful attempts and then stops. In case the counter reaches 0, it is not possible anymore to start-up the microcontroller. In the memory, there can be an operating system stored (as a beginning and an end of the addressed area), while the Hash value of the memory's capacity (digital signature) is stored into the microcontroller during the first operating system and application save. Later on, it is not possible to change this data anymore.
In common version, the microcontroller can have the 32-bit microprocessor structure.
The utility of the terminal can be increased significantly by such a configuration in which the payment terminal can have its own communication channel i.e. it is in principle independent of the mobile device's communication paths. This configuration version will be characterized by the memory card containing a contactless communication element that is connected to secure elements and/or a microcontroller. It is preferable if there is an antenna located directly on the memory card and if the antenna is connected to contactless communication element. In this way the functional independence of the terminal will be achieved. The contactless communication element can be equipped with a detection of surrounding electromagnetic field due to which its circuits will be activated only at the time of required connection which will cause the terminal's energetic demand to lower. The terminal can be powered by the electromagnetic field and by the mobile phone's power supply through the relevant memory card's interface. The contactless communication device can be linked to all the units on the secure element, with exception of the encryption unit, which will be accessible only through microcontroller to lower the risk of unauthorized breach of the code. With respect to existing distribution of communication types it is preferable for the communication element to be of the NFC type according to ISO 14443 Standard.
The payment terminal can have more individual units with configuration data from different independent terminals in the secure element. These will be stored in separate domains of the secure element. This technical solution will enable the payment terminal to activate into a terminal belonging to different payment processors'. This ability will depend on the user's choice or on other commands. In this way one memory card can subsume and run sequence functions of several independent payment terminals. This configuration will be advantageous especially when the mobility of the payment terminal described and its independency of a particular merchant is considered or when it will be preferable to have the possibility of choosing and the payment terminal's identity and ownership.
The payment terminal can also contain several payment cards by having several independent units holding independent payment cards with their respective payment applications in the secure element. So the payment terminal can be not only a multipayment terminal but also a multiple card. With the increasing number of cards owned by one user, this solution will create space for comfortable and safe union of these payment means into one memory card that is inserted into a mobile phone.
The memory card's memory, preferably in the form of a flash memory, can have at least one part of its space protected. That being the case, a payment POS terminal application unit can be stored into this memory. This unit could be located even directly in the microprocessor or in the secure elements, but in some circuit board architectures this kind of solution could not be flexible sufficiently when the required size of the memory area is considered. Moreover, it will be required for the payment POS terminal application to be gradually updated, the activity that could be carried out by the download management unit that is stored in the memory. The memory card can be equipped with the memory controller processes unit used for data flow management. If there is any need for communication between a memory card and a mobile phone through web interface, a web server unit can be included into the memory card.
According to the description presented, the terminal's utility will be increased by extending it for functions of non-financial character. Existing elements of the memory card, independent secure element domain, contactless communication element and also encryption unit can be used to control external devices e.g. remote control, electronic key to the gate etc. In that case, a non-financial application unit that is initialized over the microcontroller can be in the secure element or in the governing smart card chip.
In configuration according to this solution the memory card with the payment terminal function can fulfill further even the function of extended memory of the mobile communication device. In unprotected part the memory can have area for freely accessible data of the user as are pictures, music files and similar. This part is directly visible when viewing the mobile communication device. In the memory for data that are hidden from the user there can be system data as records of the payment transaction results and similar.
The system can be supplemented for the payment POS terminal application initiator for the purposes of paying in the standard shop; the initiator can be in the form of a simple hardware element or it can be a part of the cash register. The initiator can have payment value generation unit. The merchant enters the amount of required payment over the initiator. This amount can be also generated as the final purchase amount output from the cash register. The initiator is attached to or is equipped downright with the communication element, which is compatible with the communication element on the removable memory card or with the short distance communication element of the mobile communication device.
According to this invention, the direct debit way of payment using a mobile communication device is based on the fact, that the payment POS terminal application can run on the removable memory card that is inserted into the mobile phone's slot for additional hardware and the payment card application also runs on the same hardware device. The run of the payment POS terminal application that was known up till now was characterized by the fact, that the payment card was connected to the POS terminal temporarily, during the realization of the payment. According to the solution presented, the payment card is firmly connected to the payment terminal and therefore the communication between the POS terminal and the payment card can run directly over the payment card's circuits. Various new payment application procedures possibilities surge from this technical solution and in principle the payment POS terminal application's result can be in the format used today—the EMV payment cryptogram.
In one of the possible procedure versions, the payment POS terminal application is loaded into the microcontroller in the memory card and subsequently the configuration data of the selected terminal's identity are loaded from the corresponding secure element. The important feature is also the possibility of loading the payment card data from secure element into the microcontroller, which operates as payment terminal, so the data are loaded from the same kind of hardware equipment used by the payment POS terminal application uses for its run. In case the security element has sufficient computing capacity, the payment POS terminal application can run directly in the secure element. This will happen e.g. in case two secure elements are used, one for payment terminal, another for payment cards. Even in this configuration the payment POS terminal application can be created as an indifferent, common one for all payment terminal's identities; and the identification data from the corresponding, independent domain of the secure element are loaded in the payment POS terminal application only after the payment terminal is selected. The version using independent payment POS terminal application with already inserted configuration data is also not eliminated.
To increase the level of security, it is preferable the boot-loader runs the changes control in the payment POS terminal application before running the payment POS terminal application itself. The payment POS terminal application will be managed through an input device of the mobile communication device, mainly keyboard.
It is possible to create even “light POS” of a structure simplifying requirements on the merchant's technical equipment on the same technical basis as in the case when payment cards, or at least one payment card is located on a removable memory card and when a payment terminal application runs on the same removable memory card. The subject matter of this version of configuration is in the fact that the POS payment terminal is created on the removable memory card during temporary connection of Sales Device with removable memory card. The Sales Device belongs to the merchant or it is held by him and contains secured unit with identification data, which above all encompass data necessary for matching the POS payment terminal to the corresponding merchant's bank account. Basically the sales device is formed by hardware, which ensures correct identity of the temporarily created POS payment terminal.
Important characteristic of this usage of common basic technical idea lies in the fact that the POS terminal with beforehand defined structures is created from temporary connection of two parts. The connection is labeled as temporary, since after the payment process is ended, the parts disconnect, the communication channel is interrupted and another new connection between Sales Device and another removable memory card can be created. Naturally, repeated connection with beforehand cooperating removable memory card and Sales Device is also not excluded. The temporality of the connection is understood as a time phase in reality limited by one payment process, while it can be supposed even some time of connection before beginning and after the end of payment process. The possibility to pair always new pair of elements on the side of the merchant and the paying customer is a solution, in which it is always possible to create POS terminal in the mobile communication device of a paying customer, with the POS terminal having the identity of the corresponding merchant.
The Sales Device collocation of words is not a commonly used term in the field of POS payment terminals and under this collocation it is necessary to imagine any type of hardware element equipped with corresponding software for the realization of functions according to this description. The Sales Device behaves as a POS payment terminal from the outside and the merchants will usually call it that way in practice, however from the structure and run of the application point of view, the Sales Device is only an important but not sufficient part of the entire POS payment terminal. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the term Sales Device in general meaning as a part of the terminal, which is basically connected to the merchant, or to the purchase location and ensures the correct routing of debit payments.
In the entire POS payment terminal the Sales Device can have two basic functions—to carry the identity of the POS terminal and to enter the value of payment. In principle, even a narrower hardware version is possible, in which the payment's value is entered over the keyboard of the mobile communication device. However this kind of version is uncomfortable for the merchant since he would have to control the customer's mobile communication device or he would have to trust the customer to enter the correct payment amount into the payment terminal application. The inserted value could be displayed also on the Sales Device display so the merchant could check it, however it would be much more comfortable if the paid amount was entered through the elements on the merchant's side. The version described in this section with entering the payment value over the mobile communication's device's keyboard would not have to fulfill some standards (e.g. EMV) on the merchant's behavior and operations during debit payment realization, however it is in principle realizable using the principle of the solution presented.
Sales Device is not able to perform payment terminal application independently and it does not have to have communication channels for the creation of the connection with the processing centre. The hardware set is capable of fulfilling all basic functions of a common POS payment terminal only by connection of Sales Device of the merchant with the removable memory card, inserted into the customer's mobile communication device. The temporary connection can be basically created for the realization of each individual payment, while it can always be a different communication device on the side of different customers. Exactly the mobile communication device is capable to create the necessary connection with the payment centre thanks to the existing GSM/GPRS (Global System for Mobile Communications/General packet radio service). However, this connection does not have to be created during each payment since the solution according to our description is capable of processing off-line and on-line payments.
The removable memory card structure for the connection with Sales Device is similar to the variants mentioned beforehand. It also contains hardware and software elements in order for the set made of Sales Device and mobile communication device to be capable to run and execute payment terminal application, which in the process view forms the kernel of the debit payment operation, directly on the removable memory card. Since the set made of Sales Device and the mobile communication device does not have to be equipped with the external payment card's reader, it will be suitable if even secured memory with the payment card unit will be directly on the removable memory card. Also a unit for the run of payment—terminal application and the communication element for the connection with Sales Device will be on the removable memory card. Besides the secured memory with identification data of the POS payment terminal, the Sales Device also contains a communication element for the connection with the removable memory card. Thanks to these elements the POS payment terminal is created with the help of a common mobile phone with the slot for the card which extends memory. So the removable memory card can encompass generic payment terminal which will become a specific payment terminal with unique identity only after it connects with Sales Device. The Sales Device will give a clear identification, for the benefit of whom should the payment be made, to this temporary connection. Since there is interest in this function even in the mobile phones without NFC (Near Field Communication) communication element, such NFC communication element can be included directly on the removable memory card. In principle, the connection between the mobile communication device and Sales Device can be in the form of contact interface, however that would require a complicated unification of the connectors and problems with compatibility. Therefore it will be suitable, if not only solution, for the connection between the Sales Device and removable memory card to be in the form of NFC communication channel, which is widely standardized.
Thanks to the described configuration it will be possible for the merchant to have only a very simple Sales Device, which will carry the information on identity, terminal's number and to that one an account number of the corresponding merchant can be assigned in the payment processor centre. This kind of Sales Device will be very small and simple. It can be in the form of a small box with a display and keyboard through which the merchant will enter the required payment amount. The identification data can be stored directly in the corresponding element on the printed circuit of Sales Device, or they can be stored on the ICC (integrated circuit card) card or on other carriers as e.g. up until now known SAM (Security Authentication Module) cards with cryptographic key. In this version a SAM card of the size of a common SIM card (Subscriber Identity Module) that is available after taking off the cover of the Sales Device. SAM card is inserted into Sales Device before the first activation.
The customer will tap his mobile communication device to the Sales Device. By tapping it a NFC communication channel will be created and information on the identity of this temporarily created POS payment terminal will be sent from the Sales Device into the removable memory card. Then the identification data can be encrypted by a Master Key that is stored within the Secure Element in the Sales Device. The input data from the Sales Device will become the basis for the run of the payment-terminal application after they are read on the removable memory card. The payment-terminal application can be loaded in indifferent form, without its own identity on the removable memory card. Basically, after the creation of the temporary connection between the Sales Device and the removable memory card, the general, generic, indifferent terminal will transform into a particular POS terminal, which is assigned to a corresponding merchant into the system. This phase forms some kind of preparation on the start of the new one-time POS terminal. Subsequently, a payment terminal application e.g. of the EMV type can run during the connection in a similar way as in standard POS terminals as it is up till now.
The encryption of the POS terminal's identification data is done with a Master Key, which in general can be and mostly even will be different from the encryption keys, which are used later on by the payment terminal application for the creation of the payment cryptogram. The Master Key can be e.g. from the supplier of the Sales Device hardware and encryption keys of the payment-terminal application can be issued by a bank or a payment processor. The difference of the encryption keys in practice will be conditional on different requests of individual entities operating in the payment clearing system.
From the increase of security point of view even the entry about the payment amount can be encrypted during the transfer from the Sales Device to the mobile communication device. By this the risk that the paying user could lower the payment value even before the payment terminal application kernel is run is lowered. This kind of change would show itself on the final confirmation of the payment on the side of the merchant in the form of displaying the paid amount, however in case of inobservance and routine approach the merchant would not have to notice the change in the amount.
The configuration in which the communication with the unit of the selected payment card is done directly on the removable memory card during the run of the payment terminal application is suitable. Several units of independent payment cards can be stored on the removable memory card and that either on the physical separate secure elements or on independent domains of one secure element. In this configuration the payment terminal application can run directly on the removable memory card and the data on the customer's payment card are not sent over external readers and neither into internet area, a fact that has positive impact on the security of the payment operation.
The Sales Device can be in different forms; besides a small box with the keyboard, which contains the Secure Element with identification data directly, it can be created even in such a way that within it is a created reader of external cards preferably of classical standard ICC (integrated circuit card) card format. Then the sensitive data can be loaded into the chip of this kind of card. The card's chip also contains a certain memory capacity which can be used suitably for the entry of data on realized payment transactions. After the day is over, the merchant can leave the basic part of the Sales Device in the shop, e.g. in the newspaper stand and take only the ICC card with him. In case he takes ICC card from the Sales Device, he can take it for processing into the bank or he can back up the data from it in his home computer by using a reader. In case the merchant has several mobile stands, there can be several Sales Devices combined with one ICC card with identification data of one terminal and one banking account and on the other hand one Sales Device can be used successively with several ICC cards belonging to different merchants within multiple shift business premises of one store.
It is suitable, if not necessary, if Sales Device has its own interface, e.g. of the USB format for the connection with extending accessories, which enables for the payment data to be printed directly from Sales Device, or respectively over this connector it is possible to connect the payment card reader, GPRS modem and similar.
After implementation of the systems here described into practice it can be supposed that the mobile communication device can become attack target with the goal of stealing the data of payment card, which is constantly prepared for the cooperation with the mobile communication device's circuits. At this moment it is not possible to indicate in which direction the strategy of these pertinent hackers will go, since the presented solution is new and was not widespread till now. However it can be supposed, that there will be tendencies to misuse the constant promptness, readiness and connectivity of the payment card, or respectively the payment terminal on the removable memory card. In ideal configuration it will be possible to lower this risk in case the removable card had two independent access modes. One access mode is designed and set for the common function of the removable memory card which rests in the extension of the memory capacity of the mobile communication device, such as a mobile phone. This access mode prevents access to the unit with the payment card and to the contactless communication element on the removable memory card. Basically in this access mode on the removable memory card's interface this card appears to be a common removable card without the secure element and without the communication element on the removable memory card.
The second access mode is designed and set for the payment function of the removable memory card, where the access to the unit with the payment card and also to the contactless communication element on the removable memory card is allowed from the mobile communication device's circuits over an interface. In case there is even the unit with the payment terminal located on the removable memory card, then this unit is also accessible just and only in the access mode for the payment function.
The two modes are alternatively selectable, it is important, that the access mode for the payment function of the removable memory card can be active only after physical press of the hardware payment button.
The removable memory card, on which at least one payment card unit is located, appears to be a removable memory card for the extension of the memory capacity of the mobile communication device on the interface and that up until the moment when the purpose payment button is physically pushed. Then the removable memory card is made accessible on the interface as a card with Secure Element and at least one payment card unit.
The removable memory card according to this version of suitable solution has an architecture which encompasses a commonly accessible flash memory and also has hardware and software elements of the payment card, or even of the payment terminal. During common usage of the mobile communication device, the removable memory card behaves as if it contained only a flash memory for the extension of the memory capacity with a corresponding microcontroller. In this state the reading and writing of files is enabled in the memory of the removable memory card, however other elements, e.g. the Secure Element, the NFC communication element are hidden and cannot be managed or run in this mode.
The existence of the purpose hardware payment button enables the change of the removable payment card's character on its interface level to be tied exclusively to the physical press of the payment button. The necessity of physical press of the button excludes the possibility to run the payment application by some undesirable software or script imitating the will of the user.
By this configuration we will exclude the risk that the removable memory card's interface will be misused for the trials to overcome the security elements without the user's knowledge. The connection between the physical press of the button and run of the corresponding Firmware can be stored in the memory in such a way that it is either never possible to rewrite it, change it or update it or it is not possible to do it without the corresponding password. The unauthorized program then cannot emulate the signal from the physical payment button in such a way so this signal could appear as a real physical press of the button to the other steps of the application's run. Since the intruder will not have the possibility to physically press the button described on the remote mobile communication device, it is excluded that he could gain uncontrollable access to the payment card's unit or to the unit of the payment terminal on the removable memory card. The removable memory card will behave as a standard memory card and only after physical press of the payment button will switch into the payment card mode. The end of payment application will automatically switch the card's mode into the common card extending the memory capacity mode.
The offset of the previously described run of the payment process in the mobile communication device is based on the same principle of two access modes. This procedure variant is based on the fact that the removable memory card is in the access mode for the common function extending memory capacity before the run of the payment process. Then the unit with the payment card, and pertinently even the contactless communication element and the unit with the payment terminal, in case they are located on the removable memory card, are inaccessible from the side of its interface. Only exclusively after the physical press of the hardware payment button, the removable memory card switches into access mode for the payment function of the removable memory card with allowed access to the unit with the payment card.
The solution is explained in detail on the
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In this example there is description of the solution with two independent Secure Elements 31, 32 according to the
The payment can run in two different varieties. E.g. as shown in the
After ending the payment POS terminal application, the connection between the POS payment terminal and the payment card is disconnected by the software and the resulting payment cryptogram is sent over GPRS channel to be processed in the internet store. After the internet store receives and decrypts the payment file, the payment is evaluated and in case of an affirmative result the item that was paid for, in this example the map, is sent to the mobile phone 4.
Payment terminal on the removable payment card 1 platform of the microSD type that is comparable in shape and parameters to a standard microSD card is described in this example. The payment card 1, as in
The flash memory 2 is divided into secured and unprotected part. In the unprotected part there is a space 15 for the freely accessible and visible data of the user and a space 20 for hidden system files, especially the records of the payment transactions that are processed by the payment terminal. In the secured part of the memory card there is a unit 8 holding operating system, in this example it is Linux, and above all the payment POS terminal application unit 5 where a payment POS terminal application is saved, in this case it is an application of EMV type. In this example, in the secured part of the memory 2 there is also download management unit 19 that is used for storing and software update management on the memory card 1. In case it is necessary to load/upgrade applications in the smart card chip 3, then the binary data of the application are loaded into the unprotected part of the flash memory 2, e.g. to the system data unit in the space 20 where data that are hidden to the user are stored. The download management unit 19 checks periodically, weather there is not any new file in the system data unit that should be loaded into the secure element 3. If yes, then a respective installation is run.
In the secured part of the memory 2 there is also the SCWS web server unit that is used to manage applications, except the EMV payment application, that are stored in the secure element 3. In the microcontroller 12 there is a memory space, where the operating system is stored (as a beginning and an end of the addressed area). The Hash value of the memory's capacity (digital signature) is stored into the microcontroller 12 during the first operating system and application save. Later on, it is not possible to change this data anymore, which ensures protection against prohibited software changes.
Several individual domains are created in the secure element of the smart card chip 3. In this document there are three of them used to hold three independent terminals' configuration data units 6 that belong to three different payment processors. Two parts of the secure element contain two independent payment cards 7 with respective payment applications of the EMV type. The example given here, therefore describes a solution, which enables the user to pay by two different payment cards at three terminals while each of them belongs to a different payment processor. For example one of these payment processors can be a mobile phone network operator who connects his telecommunication services to the direct debit payment transaction processing services. On the secure element, there is also RSA encryption unit 14.
The memory card 1 also has its own NFC contactless communication element 13 with the antenna 21 placed on, respectively within the memory card 1. This configuration enables creation of NFC communication connection between a common phone without the NFC chip and relevant reader meeting the ISO14443 standard.
In the secure element 3 there is also the non-financial application unit 16, that, in this example, is configured to operate as electronic contactless key for door opening.
The flash memory 2 controller 17 is in the secured part of the memory 2 and it manages data transfer between the mobile phone and the flash memory 2 on the memory card 1. The flash memory 2 controller 17 units the possibility of viewing the data or writing to the secured part of the memory 2 and also units the possibility to view the unprotected part of the memory 2 in which the system data unit (reading and writing is permitted) is located.
The payment POS terminal application runs on the removable memory card 1 that is inserted into the mobile communication device's slot 4 for additional hardware. The payment POS terminal application is loaded into the microcontroller 12 in the memory card 1 and subsequently the configuration data of the selected terminal's identity are loaded from the secure element 3. The selected payment card data are loaded from the secure element 3 into the microcontroller 12 that operates as a payment terminal. Which payment card data are loaded, depends on the user's choice.
The boot-loader 9 runs a change control of the payment POS terminal application before the payment POS terminal application itself is started. The payment POS terminal application is managed using keyboard and display of the mobile communication device 4. The mobile phone has a graphical GUI interface (Graphic User Interface) that enables communication between the user, memory card 1 and HOST processor. There is also push SMS technology in the phone. The payment POS terminal application is an SD microcontroller application 12 that enables on-line and off-line payments using the payment application on the microSD memory card 1. The payment is realized as “Card is present”, which highly increases the security—the transaction is signed with the cryptogram and during each transaction the ATC counter increases by one, which means that it is not possible to generate unlimited number of transactions in order to get some keys. The client manages the payment POS terminal application through a GUI application that is installed in his own phone. In this example the payment POS terminal application, along with the microcontroller 12 forms a Generic POS terminal. In a different configuration, the Generic POS terminal can be formed of payment POS terminal application along with a computing element that is directly in the chip with the secure element. Subsequently, along with configuration parameters, they form EMBEDDED POS TERMINAL: Terminal_type 1×=terminal that belongs to a financial institution, 2×=a terminal that belongs to a merchant, 3×=a terminal that belongs to the card holder—Card holder terminal. The terminal's configuration data unit 6 contains the ID number of the terminal, PDOL data (Processing Option Data Object List), Terminal Risk Management, off-line batch file format, SMS gate on the HOST, IP address on the HOST, code to sign off-line transactions. The Payments can be off-line or on-line. The communication with the payment processor can be realized through SMS messages or through GPRS.
A removable memory card 1, which contains only a minimal set necessary for the realization of payments is described in this example. Its structure is shown in the
In this example the system is supplemented for the payment POS terminal's application initiator 22. It can be in the form of a single-purpose device with the NFC communication element. In this example the initiator is connected to the output of the cash register, which will send information on the total required payment to the output. The initiator 22 creates a file which contains the payments value, information on the merchant's account and the request command. The initiator 22 sends this file to the mobile phone 4, which is applied to it, over the communication element 24. The reception of this file on the memory card 1 causes the launch of the payment POS terminal application. This solution enables to use the payment terminal in the mobile phone 4 of the user for direct debit payments in normal stores that do not have its own POS terminal.
In this example as shown in the
The merchant uses the Sales Device 28 in such a way that when selling he enters the amount he wants for his goods over the keyboard 36 to the display 37. After checking the amount on the display 37 the merchant presses the confirming button. After this act, the POS payment terminal's 27 identification data is encrypted using Master Key and this encryption data, along with the payment amount is sent into the NFC communication element 35 which sends the encrypted message over antenna 41 and expects the mobile communication device 4 to be placed to the Sales Device 28. In his mobile communication device 4 the customer activates the launch of the payment application a he does that through a special hardware keyboard or over a software button. After the creation of the NFC communication channel, the encrypted data from the Sales Device 28 are read and decrypted, the result of which is the POS terminal 27 identification data and the required payment amount.
This part of the transfer can be expressed also as
where 3DES means encryption over Triple Data Encryption Algorithm, where Mk is Master Key supplied by the payment processor, where Cfg means configuration data and NFC presents the transfer path between the Sales Device and the removable memory card.
The paid amount can be verified by the customer on the display of his mobile communication device 4. The identification data from the Sales Device 28 serve for the indifferent POS terminal 27 on the removable memory card 1 to become a specific POS payment terminal 27 for the benefit of a given merchant.
This process can be expressed as
Cfg+Generic POS=ACgPOS,
where Generic POS present the identification of the indifferent, generic POS and ACg POS is the POS of a corresponding merchant.
Subsequently the payment terminal application runs in the normal way, e.g. according to the EMV standard. According to preset risk management of the payment card 7 and with respect to the height of the amount being paid, it might be requested to enter the password, PIN code, which is entered by the customer on the keyboard of its mobile communication device 4. In this way high security is reached, since the payment terminal application runs directly on the removable memory card 1, where there are stored also the payment cards' 7 units and the sensitive data do not leave the hardware of the connection between the Sales Device 28 and the removable memory card 1. The result of the payment application is the creation of the payment cryptogram, which is sent into the Sales Device 28 and also in the case of online payment is sent over the interface 11 into the mobile communication device 4 and subsequently over the mobile network to the payment processor. The payment cryptogram can be also created and sent according to the relationship:
In this example according to the
The advantage of the configuration according to this example is also the possibility that one device with the reader, display 37 and keyboard 36 can be used by several merchants working in shifts in one business premises, while the payments are processed for the benefit of the corresponding merchant who has his ICC card 29 inserted in the reader at the moment.
Besides the elements mentioned in the previous examples, the Sales Device 28 according to the
Over the cable connection 38 the result from the cash registrar 26 is transferred into the Sales Device 28, where it appears on the display 37 and the merchant confirms it by a confirming button. Subsequently the process runs in the same way as if the paid amount was entered over the Sales Device's 28 keyboard 36. In this connection it would not even be necessary for the Sales Device 28 to contain keyboard 36 for the entry of the paid amount, however from the usability of the Sales Device 28 in various system, the keyboard 36 is part of the Sales Device 28 even in this example.
In this example according to the
The removable memory card 1 with a common flash memory 2 has the interface 11 of the common microSD standard and is inserted into the mobile communication device's 4 slot. It is a common slot designed for the insertion of the extension memories.
In this example the NFC communication element 13 with antenna is 21 is located on the removable memory card 1. The mobile communication device 4 has a payment button 44 located next to the keyboard 45. The payment button 44 is connected with microswitch on the mobile communication device's 4. The specific realization of the microswitch is not important and can be in different forms, e.g. as a membrane switch, capacity switch and similar.
The payment button 44 is connected to the Firmware in such a way that the only acceptable order for the change of access mode of the removable memory card 1 can be from the contact of the payment button 44 at least in case the mobile communication device 4 is equipped with this kind of payment button 44. In case, the same removable memory card 1 will be inserted into the slot of the mobile communication device 4 without the purpose hardware payment button 44, the change of access mode will be realized over menu on the display 46 of the mobile communication device 4. That being the case, the removable memory card 1 will be functional in both access modes, however the entire connection with the mobile communication device 4 will have lower security of the payment.
In the mobile phone, which is equipped with the payment button 44, it will not be possible to access Secure Element 3 on the removable memory card by any other way then over the predefined firmware connected with the payment button 44. In this example it will be the LGM application.
The two access modes can have the following characteristics:
In the access mode of the payment function, the caching of the files on the removable memory card 1 will be switched off, the access to the flash memory 2 and the access into the file system will be supported.
In case the mobile communication device 4 will be capable of supporting higher communication interface, e.g. the SDIO standard (Secure Digital Input Output), McEX, the corresponding interface can be accessible even in the access mode of the payment function.
The industrial applicability is obvious. With this invention, it is possible to industrially and repeatedly manufacture and use payment terminals implemented into the memory cards, with one or also more payment cards in one memory card. It is also possible to create and use the POS payment terminals, which are created temporarily for the purpose of a specific payment by a connection of Sales Device and the mobile communication device. The necessary structures of the merchant's POS terminal are then created only after the connection with the removable memory card in the mobile communication device of the paying user is realized.
According to this solution it is also possible to industrially and repeatedly manufacture introduction of the hardware payment button in the mobile communication device, where this button presents the selector of the current access mode of the removable memory card.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PP00032-2009 | May 2009 | SK | national |
| PP50009-2010 | Mar 2010 | SK | national |
| PP50012-2010 | Apr 2010 | SK | national |
| PP50016-2010 | Apr 2010 | SK | national |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | PCT/IB2010/051915 | May 2010 | US |
| Child | 12899378 | US |
