Embodiments consistent with the present invention provide wireless devices capable of storing a financial account card and methods for storing card data in a wireless device. In particular, embodiments consistent with the present invention provide a wireless device capable of reading card data from a financial account card that is inserted into the wireless device. The wireless device may store the card data and transmit the card data by radio frequency.
In a conventional credit card transaction, a credit card holder presents a financial account card, such as a credit card, to a merchant. The merchant typically swipes a magnetic stripe on the credit card through a card reader that is built into or attached to a point-of-sale (POS) terminal. The magnetic stripe generally includes account information, such as an account number of the card, an identity of the card holder, and an expiration date of the card. Once the merchant has swiped the card through the card reader, the account information is transmitted to the POS terminal. Alternatively, instead of the merchant swiping the card, the credit card holder may personally swipe the card at a self service check out station or may insert the card into a card reader built into, for example, a gasoline pump. Once the card reader has read the card data, the card data is transmitted over a secure network, authenticated, and ultimately used to authorize a transaction. In any of these kinds of transactions, however, the credit card must be physically read by a magnetic stripe reader in order to obtain the card data that is stored on the magnetic stripe.
As the prevalence of wireless devices continues to increase, new methods of storing and transmitting credit card data have begun to emerge. One such example is to use RFID (radio frequency identification) tags for transmitting payment information. RFID tags are microchips, some versions of which may store and encrypt data. Others may receive and transmit data from a processor. An RFID tag acts as a transponder and is capable of transmitting a radio frequency signal when the RFID tag receives a query radio signal from another device. Typically, the other device is an RFID reader that sends a query signal requesting a nearby RFID tag to transmit data to the RFID reader. When the RFID tag receives the query signal, the RFID tag may be powered into an “on” state. Alternatively, the RFID tag may have its own independent power supply. In either case, when an RFID tag receives a query radio signal, the RFID tag may respond by transmitting data to the reader up to a distance of a several inches or feet away, depending upon the power capabilities of the RFID tag.
In recent years, RFID tags have been incorporated in wireless devices, such as cellular phones. In addition to cellular phones, other wireless devices, such as PDAs, for example, are also being equipped with RFID tags. There are many possibilities regarding the kinds of information that an RFID tag may store and transmit. One type of information that an RFID tag may transmit is card data that provides payment information for a transaction. For example, a transaction may involve providing information for an account, such as a credit card account. In the example of a cellular phone, the card data may be securely transmitted using encryption techniques to an RFID reader when the cellular phone is placed in close proximity to the RFID reader. Accordingly, a cellular phone storing credit card data in an RFID tag or in a memory accessible by an RFID tag may be used as a payment device without requiring the actual credit card to be swiped by a magnetic card reader.
A problem often arises, however, when existing technologies must be updated or replaced to take full advantage of new technological advancements. While the transition between new and old may take a substantial amount of time due to costs associated with upgrading the existing systems, savings may result over the long term by upgrading those systems. However, companies may decide to delay a technological upgrade because it may take time to build consumer support for the upgraded system. As a result, the company may decide to delay an upgrade until more consumers have embraced the new technology. The slow acceptance of wireless devices equipped with RFID tags, along with the need for merchants to upgrade their card readers to handle payments from wireless devices, has slowed the implementation of RFID technology at POS terminals.
Consequentially, a compatibility issue has arisen because many merchants have not yet invested in RFID readers, which are needed to receive the radio signal sent by the RFID tag included in a wireless device. Instead, many merchants continue to accept payment by swiping a credit card through a magnetic card reader. Furthermore, many consumers have not yet purchased or begun using wireless devices that are equipped with RFID technology. Still further, those consumers that do have wireless devices that are equipped with RFID technology may be slow to adopt RFID features due to inexperience or security concerns. Since few consumers have adopted the technology, merchants are also unwilling to invest financially in RFID readers that are needed to receive card data providing payment information since few customers will actually make use of the technology. Transitioning more merchants will take time. While consumers continue to adopt devices using RFID technology for making card transactions and merchants invest in RFID readers, merchants will need to continue to use traditional magnetic stripe readers for processing credit card transitions. Accordingly, a transition from magnetic stripe readers to RFID readers for reading card data for a substantial number of transactions will likely occur over an extended time period due to both the costs involved and the slow adoption by consumers of wireless devices equipped with RFID tags. Furthermore, since consumers may continue to present credit cards to merchants, merchants will need to retain traditional magnetic stripe readers.
During this transitional period, there is a need for a device that bridges traditional credit card transactions and transactions that are made using wireless devices. Such a device would allow the consumer to conveniently select which type of transaction to make depending upon the merchant's technical capabilities. As a result, a consumer will be able to take advantage of the convenience of RFID technology where available but, at the same time, retain the flexibility of a traditional card. Furthermore, consumers will demand a sense of security when making transactions using RFID technology before the technology will be accepted on a large scale.
Consistent with an embodiment of the present invention, a method is provided for enabling a wireless device to use card data during a purchase transaction. The method comprises receiving a financial account card into a slot of the wireless device, wherein the financial account card is stored inside of the wireless device; scanning, by a scanner included in the wireless device, a magnetic stripe on the financial account card when the financial account card is inserted into the slot; reading, from the magnetic stripe, card data; and enabling the wireless device to use the card data during the purchase transaction.
Consistent with another embodiment of the present invention a wireless device is provided. The wireless device comprises a processor; an RFID chip; and a slot for receiving a financial account card, wherein the financial account card may be stored inside of the wireless device, wherein the processor communicates card data from the financial account card to the RFID chip.
Consistent with another embodiment of the present invention, a method is provided for storing card data in a wireless device. The method comprises scanning, when a financial account card is inserted into a slot of the wireless device, card data with a magnetic stripe reader included in the wireless device; storing, in a memory include in the wireless device, a name that identifies the financial account card; and storing the card data in the memory of the wireless device, wherein the scanned card data is associated with the stored name.
Consistent with another embodiment of the present invention, a method is provided for authorizing use of a financial account card for making a purchase with a wireless device. The method comprises reading card data from a financial account card inserted into a slot of the wireless device; storing the card data in a memory included in the wireless device; receiving a security code to authorize use of the card data; and transmitting, when the security code has been authenticated, the card data from the wireless device to an RFID reader via radio frequency.
Consistent with yet another embodiment of the present invention, a method is provided for authorizing use of a financial account card for making a purchase with a wireless device. The method comprises reading card data from a financial account card inserted into a slot of the wireless device; storing the card data in a memory included in the wireless device; receiving an authorization authorizing use of the card data; and transmitting the card data from the wireless device to an RFID reader via radio frequency.
Consistent with yet another embodiment of the present invention, a method is provided for authorizing use of a financial account card for making a purchase with a wireless device. The method comprises receiving a selection of a financial account card from a display of the wireless device; determining, by a processor including in the wireless device, whether the selected financial account card is stored inside the wireless device; and when the selected financial account card is determined to be stored inside the wireless device, authorizing use of the selected financial account card.
Consistent with still yet another embodiment of the present invention, a method is provided for authorizing use of a financial account card to make a purchase using a wireless device. The method comprises receiving a selection of a financial account card from a display of the wireless device; determining, by a processor included in the wireless device, whether the selected financial account card has been used to make a prior purchase using the wireless device; and when the selected financial account card has not been used to make a prior purchase using the wireless device, authorizing the selected financial account card.
Consistent with another embodiment of the present invention, a method is provided for selecting a financial account card to provide a payment for a purchase made using a wireless device. The method comprises receiving, via radio frequency, data reflecting a purchase transaction; automatically selecting a financial account card to provide the payment for the purchase based on the received purchase transaction data; and transmitting via radio frequency card data for the selected financial account card.
Consistent with another embodiment of the present invention, a method is provided for assigning a financial account card to provide a payment for a purchase transaction made using a wireless device. The method comprises receiving a selection of a financial account card from a display of the wireless device; assigning the selected financial account card to a type of purchase; receiving, via radio frequency, data reflecting the purchase transaction; determining, by a processor including in the wireless device, whether the received purchase transaction data corresponds to the purchase type assigned to the selected financial account card; and when the purchase transaction data is determined to correspond to the purchase type assigned to the selected financial account card, transmitting card data for the selected financial account card.
Consistent with yet another embodiment of the present invention, a method is provided for authorizing use of a financial account card to make a payment for a purchase transaction using a wireless device. The method comprises receiving, from a display of the wireless device, a selection of a financial account card belonging to the user of the wireless device; determining, by a processor included in the wireless device, whether any financial account card belonging to the user, including the selected financial account card, is stored inside the wireless device; and when any financial account card belonging to the user is determined to be stored inside the wireless device, authorizing the use of the selected financial account card for the purchase transaction.
Consistent with yet another embodiment of the present invention, a method is provided for a security feature for card data of a financial account card for storage in a wireless device. The method comprises receiving the financial account card into a slot of the wireless device, wherein the financial account card is stored inside of the wireless device; reading card data from the financial account card; storing the card data in a memory included in the wireless device; and when the financial account card is removed from the slot of the wireless device, erasing the stored card data.
Consistent with still yet another embodiment of the present invention, a method is provided for authorizing a financial account card to make a purchase using a wireless device. The method comprises receiving a selection of a financial account card from a display of the wireless device; determining, by a processor included in the wireless device, an identity of the owner of the selected financial account card; determining, by the processor, an identify of an owner of a financial account card stored in the wireless device; and when the identify of the owner of the selected financial account card and the identify of the owner of the financial account card stored in the wireless device are the same, authorizing the selected financial account card to make a purchase.
Consistent with still yet another embodiment of the present invention, a method is provided for authorizing a second party to use a financial account card to make a purchase using a wireless device. The method comprises receiving a selection of a financial account card from a display of the wireless device; assigning, to the selected financial account card, an identity of a second party that is authorized to use the selected financial account card; determining, by a processor included in the wireless device, an identity of a user of the wireless device; and when the identify of the user of the wireless device is determined to be the authorized second party, authorizing the selected financial account card to make a purchase.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments consistent with the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings:
Embodiments consistent with the present invention provide a wireless device capable of receiving a financial account card, such as a credit card, into a card slot of the wireless device. Card data, such as account information, may be read from the card by a magnetic stripe reader as it is inserted into the card slot of the wireless device. Inserting a financial account card into the wireless device may enable and program an RFID (radio frequency identification) tag in the wireless device. For example, the wireless device may include a processor that instructs a magnetic card reader to read the magnetic stripe of the card and transmit card data to the RFID tag in the wireless device. Card data may be transformed into microcode that may be written by an RFID writer to the RFID tag in a secure format. Alternatively, card data read from the card may be stored in a memory of the wireless device and subsequently written to the RFID tag or transmitted by the RFID tag during a transaction. Furthermore, in the case of a smart card, a smart card reader may instead read card data from an inserted card, as opposed to a magnetic stripe reader.
During a transaction, a user may make a secured payment with the wireless device. In such a transaction, the card data may be transmitted by an RFID chip included in the wireless device to a nearby RFID reader. For example, a card is provided to a customer by a card issuer and the customer enables a wireless device with the card. Thereafter, the customer may either use the wireless device when providing payment or may remove the card for traditional use. When a user wishes to remove the card from the wireless device, the user may press an eject button to remove the card. Further, since the wireless device may be capable of storing a card, the wireless device can also act as a wallet. When the card is removed from the card slot of the wireless device, the user retains the option of swiping the magnetic stripe of the card through a magnetic stripe reader. The user may therefore store the card in the wireless device and, when an RFID reader is unavailable, remove the card for traditional use. Other embodiments consistent with the present invention expand upon the above exemplary wallet concept and allow a user to store multiple cards in the wireless device.
A user of the wireless device may also store data for multiple cards by inserting a first card so that the device may store card data that read from the first card. The user may then remove the first card from the wireless device, and insert a second card. As the second card is inserted into the wireless device, card data may be read from the second card and made available for storage in the wireless device. After a user has stored card data for more than one card in the wireless device, the user may select a card from a menu screen shown on a display of the wireless device.
Wireless devices consistent with embodiments of the present invention may also include security features that authorize a transaction. For example, a security validation may be required every time a transaction is made with an RFID enabled wireless device, when the selected card is not stored in the device, or for repeat transactions that use a card that was inserted into the device but subsequently removed after an initial transaction. Further, card data may be encrypted using encryption techniques so that transmitted card data cannot be intercepted in an accessible form. In other exemplary embodiments, the memory of the wireless device may be erased when a card is removed from the card slot. Furthermore, a user of the wireless device may authorize different individuals to use card data stored in the memory of the wireless device for certain accounts.
Reference will now be made to exemplary embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.
Card 120 may be a financial account card, such as a credit card, a debit card, a smart card, an ATM card, or any other card associated with a financial account and that may be used to make purchase transactions. Card 120 includes, for example, account information such as information identifying the card holder, an account number, and expiration date. Preferably, due to the small size of most wireless devices, the card is a mini card. A typical mini card is nearly half the size of a standard credit card. Further, as shown in
Once card 120 is inserted into wireless device 105, a mechanism (not shown) may hold card 120 in place such that it does not fall out of wireless device 105. Furthermore, wireless device 105 may include eject button 108 for removing card 120 from wireless device 105. For example, when a user desires to remove card 120 from wireless device 105, the user may press eject button 108, which ejects card 120 through card slot 110.
Processor 310 may instruct magnetic stripe reader 320 to read card data from a card as it is inserted into wireless device 105. Alternatively, a smart card reader included in wireless device 105 may read data from the card. Further, card data that has been read from a card may be stored in memory 340 or may be written by RFID writer 360 to RFID chip 350. Transmitter 330 may be used in addition to RFID chip 350 to transmit card data and/or other data from wireless device 105. For example, transmitter 330 may be used to boost the signal strength of radio frequency signals sent from wireless device 105.
Once POS terminal 430 has received payment information, such as account information for a credit card, POS terminal 430 may transmit the payment information in a secure format over a network (not shown) in a process that is consistent with a typical purchase transaction, such as that involving a credit card. In such a credit card transaction, for example, once an external server (not shown) verifies and approves the credit card transaction, authorization for the transaction may be sent over the network to POS terminal 430.
As shown in
For example, a user may access menu 610 on wireless device 105. As shown in
For example, card data may be transmitted from wireless device 105 to a nearby RFID reader. The RFID reader may be included in and/or connected to a POS terminal, as shown in
Accordingly, in systems consistent with the invention, a wireless device may be enabled to receive a card that is inserted into a card slot of the wireless device. The wireless device may read card data from the card and transmit the card data via radio frequency to a nearby RFID reader. The card may also be ejected from the wireless device and swiped by a magnetic stripe reader. Furthermore, in embodiments consistent with the present invention, security features may prevent unauthorized use of card data stored in a wireless device.
The foregoing descriptions have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not exhaustive and do not limit the invention to the precise form disclosed. Modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings or may be acquired from practicing of the invention. For example, the described implementation includes software but the present invention may be implemented as a combination of hardware and software or in hardware alone.
Additionally, although aspects of the present invention are described as being stored in memory, one skilled in the art will appreciate that these aspects can also be stored on other types of computer-readable media, such as secondary storage devices, like hard disks, floppy disks, or CD-ROM; a carrier wave from the Internet or other propagation medium; or other forms of RAM or ROM. The scope of the invention is defined by the claims and their equivalents.
Other embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. The specification and examples should be considered as exemplary only, with a true scope and spirit of the invention being indicated by the following claims.
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/975,947, filed May 10, 2018, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/866,595, filed Jan. 10, 2018, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/393,140, filed Dec. 28, 2016, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/239,761, filed Aug. 17, 2016, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/640,901, filed Nov. 13, 2015, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/327,294, filed Jul. 9, 2014, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/965,769, filed Aug. 13, 2013, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/188,178, filed Jul. 21, 2011, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/226,219, filed Sep. 15, 2005. The content of the foregoing applications is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. This application is further related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/230,833, filed Dec. 21, 2018, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/975,947, filed May 10, 2018. The content of the foregoing applications is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 15975947 | May 2018 | US |
Child | 18045507 | US | |
Parent | 15866595 | Jan 2018 | US |
Child | 15975947 | US | |
Parent | 15393140 | Dec 2016 | US |
Child | 15866595 | US | |
Parent | 15239761 | Aug 2016 | US |
Child | 15393140 | US | |
Parent | 14940901 | Nov 2015 | US |
Child | 15239761 | US | |
Parent | 14327294 | Jul 2014 | US |
Child | 14940901 | US | |
Parent | 13965769 | Aug 2013 | US |
Child | 14327294 | US | |
Parent | 13188178 | Jul 2011 | US |
Child | 13965769 | US | |
Parent | 11226219 | Sep 2005 | US |
Child | 13188178 | US |