U.S. patent application number 14/040208 was filed with the patent office on 2014-02-06 for virtual wallet card selection apparatuses, methods and systems.
This patent application is currently assigned to Visa International Service Association. The applicant listed for this patent is Visa International Service Association. Invention is credited to Saurav Chatterjee, Ayman Hammad, Julian Hua, Edward N. Katzin.
Application Number | 20140040127 14/040208 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 47260417 |
Filed Date | 2014-02-06 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140040127 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Chatterjee; Saurav ; et
al. |
February 6, 2014 |
Virtual Wallet Card Selection Apparatuses, Methods and Systems
Abstract
The VIRTUAL WALLET CARD SELECTION APPARATUSES, METHODS AND
SYSTEMS ("VWCS") transform virtual wallet card selections by users
utilizing mobile devices via VWCS components into virtual wallet
card-based transaction purchase notifications. In one
implementation, the VWCS obtains a user authentication request for
a purchase transaction, and extracts a universal card account
number from it. Upon querying a database, the VWCS determines that
the user has access to a virtual wallet and obtains virtual wallet
card selection options for the user from the database. The VWCS
provides the virtual wallet card selection options to a user mobile
device, and obtains a user selection of an account included among
the options. The VWCS initiates a purchase transaction using the
user selection. Also, upon completion of authorization of the
purchase transaction, the VWCS provides a purchase receipt to the
user mobile device.
Inventors: |
Chatterjee; Saurav; (Foster
City, CA) ; Hammad; Ayman; (Pleasanton, CA) ;
Katzin; Edward N.; (Hillsborough, CA) ; Hua;
Julian; (Moraga, CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Visa International Service Association |
San Francisco |
CA |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
Visa International Service
Association
San Francisco
CA
|
Family ID: |
47260417 |
Appl. No.: |
14/040208 |
Filed: |
September 27, 2013 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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13487148 |
Jun 1, 2012 |
8577803 |
|
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14040208 |
|
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|
61492854 |
Jun 3, 2011 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
705/41 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06Q 20/325 20130101;
G06Q 20/322 20130101; G06Q 20/351 20130101; G06Q 20/326 20200501;
G06Q 20/385 20130101; G06Q 20/12 20130101; G06Q 20/367 20130101;
G06Q 20/386 20200501; G06Q 20/36 20130101; G06Q 20/384
20200501 |
Class at
Publication: |
705/41 |
International
Class: |
G06Q 20/36 20060101
G06Q020/36 |
Claims
1. (canceled)
2. A virtual wallet card selection system, comprising: a processor;
and a memory disposed in communication with the processor and
storing processor-executable instructions to: obtain a user
authentication request for a purchase transaction; extract, via the
processor, a universal card account number based on parsing the
user authentication request; determine, based on querying a
database using the universal card account number, that the user is
authorized to access a virtual wallet; determine, based on querying
a database memory using the universal card account number, privacy
of user payment data to be maintained away from a merchant involved
in the purchase transaction by utilizing a secure network
communication with a user mobile device to provide payment data to
the payment network server to process the Purchase transaction;
provide a user virtual wallet card selection request including a
list of user payment cards for selection to a user device, upon
determining that the user is authorized to access the virtual
wallet; obtain user selection of a virtual wallet card account; and
provide a purchase transaction request message for transaction
processing, using the user selection of the virtual wallet card
account.
3. The system of claim 2, the memory further storing instructions
to: provide, to the user device, a purchase receipt upon completion
of authorization of a purchase transaction based on the purchase
transaction request message.
4. The system of claim 2, the memory further storing instructions
to: obtain virtual wallet card selection options for the user; and
provide the virtual wallet card selection options to the user
device.
5. The system of claim 4, wherein the virtual wallet card selection
options are based on the universal card account number extracted
from the user authentication request.
6. The system of claim 5, wherein the universal card account number
extracted from the user authentication request includes encoded
virtual wallet card selection option information and user
identification information.
7. The system of claim 6, wherein the virtual wallet card selection
option information is encoded as flags in the universal card
account number extracted from the user authentication request.
8. The system of claim 2, wherein the user selection of the virtual
wallet card account includes a selection of an anonymous card
account for processing the purchase transaction.
9. The system of claim 8, wherein the anonymous card account is a
one-time anonymous card account generated in response to receiving
the user selection of the virtual wallet card account.
10. The system of claim 2, the memory further storing instructions
to: obtain user selection of a plurality of virtual wallet card
accounts; and wherein the purchase transaction request message
includes an identification of the user selection of the plurality
of virtual wallet card accounts.
11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing
processor-executable virtual wallet card selection instructions,
said virtual wallet selection instructions executable by a
processor to: obtain a user authentication request for a purchase
transaction; extract, via the processor, a universal card account
number based on parsing the user authentication request; determine,
based on querying a database using the universal card account
number, that a user is authorized to access a virtual wallet;
determine, based on querying a database memory using the universal
card account number, privacy of user payment data to be maintained
away from a merchant involved in the purchase transaction by
utilizing a secure network communication with a user mobile device
to provide payment data to the payment network server to process
the purchase transaction; provide a user virtual wallet card
selection request including a list of user payment cards for
selection to a user device, upon determining that the user is
authorized to access the virtual wallet; obtain user selection of a
virtual wallet card account; and provide a purchase transaction
request message for transaction processing, using the user
selection of the virtual wallet card account.
12. The medium of claim 11, further storing instructions to:
provide, to the user device, a purchase receipt upon completion of
authorization of a purchase transaction based on the purchase
transaction request message.
13. The medium of claim 11, further storing instructions to: obtain
virtual wallet card selection options for the user; and provide the
virtual wallet card selection options to the user device.
14. The medium of claim 13, wherein the virtual wallet card
selection options are based on the universal card account number
extracted from the user authentication request.
15. The medium of claim 14, wherein the universal card account
number extracted from the user authentication request includes
encoded virtual wallet card selection option information and user
identification information.
16. The medium of claim 15, wherein the virtual wallet card
selection option information is encoded as flags in the universal
card account number extracted from the user authentication
request.
17. The medium of claim 11, wherein the user selection of the
virtual wallet card account includes a selection of an anonymous
card account for processing the purchase transaction.
18. The medium of claim 17, wherein the anonymous card account is a
one-time anonymous card account generated in response to receiving
the user selection of the virtual wallet card account.
19. The medium of claim 11, further storing instructions to: obtain
user selection of a plurality of virtual wallet card accounts; and
wherein the purchase transaction request message includes an
identification of the user selection of the plurality of virtual
wallet card accounts.
20. The medium of claim 11, wherein the user device is a user
mobile device executing a virtual wallet application.
21. A virtual wallet card selection processor-implemented method,
comprising: obtaining a user authentication request for a purchase
transaction; extracting, via a computing processor, a universal
card account number based on parsing the user authentication
request; determining, based on querying a database using the
universal card account number, that a user is authorized to access
a virtual wallet; determine, based on querying a database memory
using the universal card account number, privacy of user payment
data to be maintained away from a merchant involved in the purchase
transaction by utilizing a secure network communication with a user
mobile device to provide payment data to the payment network server
to process the purchase transaction; providing a user virtual
wallet card selection request including a list of user payment
cards for selection to a user device, upon determining that the
user is authorized to access the virtual wallet; obtaining user
selection of a virtual wallet card account; and providing a
purchase transaction request message for transaction processing,
using the user selection of the virtual wallet card account.
22. The method of claim 21, further comprising: providing, to the
user device, a purchase receipt upon completion of authorization of
a purchase transaction based on the purchase transaction request
message.
23. The method of claim 21, further comprising: obtaining virtual
wallet card selection options for the user; and providing the
virtual wallet card selection options to the user device.
24. The method of claim 23, wherein the virtual wallet card
selection options are based on the universal card account number
extracted from the user authentication request.
25. The method of claim 24, wherein the universal card account
number extracted from the user authentication request includes
encoded virtual wallet card selection option information and user
identification information.
26. The method of claim 25, wherein the encoded virtual wallet card
selection option information is encoded as flags in the universal
card account number extracted from the user authentication
request.
27. The method of claim 21, wherein the user selection of the
virtual wallet card account includes a selection of an anonymous
card account for processing the purchase transaction.
28. The method of claim 27, wherein the anonymous card account is a
one-time anonymous card account generated in response to receiving
the user selection of the virtual wallet card account.
29. The method of claim 21, further comprising: obtaining user
selection of a plurality of virtual wallet card accounts; and
wherein the purchase transaction request message includes an
identification of the user selection of the plurality of virtual
wallet card accounts.
30. The method of claim 21, wherein the user device is a user
mobile device executing a virtual wallet application.
Description
[0001] This application for letters patent discloses and describes
various novel innovations and inventive aspects of VIRTUAL WALLET
CARD SELECTION technology (hereinafter "disclosure") and contains
material that is subject to copyright, mask work, and/or other
intellectual property protection. The respective owners of such
intellectual property have no objection to the facsimile
reproduction of the disclosure by anyone as it appears in published
Patent Office file/records, but otherwise reserve all rights.
PRIORITY claim
[0002] This application claims priority under 35 USC .sctn.119 to
U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/492,854 filed Jun.
3, 2011, entitled "VIRTUAL WALLET CARD SELECTION APPARATUSES,
METHODS AND SYSTEMS," attorney docket no. P-42069PRV|20270-139PV.
The entire contents of the aforementioned applications are
expressly incorporated herein by reference.
FIELD
[0003] The present innovations generally address apparatuses,
methods, and systems for electronic purchase transactions, and more
particularly, include VIRTUAL WALLET CARD SELECTION APPARATUSES,
METHODS AND SYSTEMS ("VWCS").
BACKGROUND
[0004] Consumer transactions require a customer to select a product
from a store shelf, and then to check them out at a checkout
counter. Product information is entered into a point-of-sale
terminal device, or the information is entered automatically by
scanning an item barcode with an integrated barcode scanner, and
the customer is usually provided with a number of payment options,
such as cash, check, credit card or debit card. Once payment is
made and approved, the point-of-sale terminal memorializes the
transaction in the merchant's computer system, and a receipt is
generated indicating the satisfactory consummation of the
transaction.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0005] The accompanying appendices, drawings, figures, images, etc.
illustrate various example, non-limiting, inventive aspects,
embodiments, and features ("e.g.," or "example(s)") in accordance
with the present disclosure:
[0006] FIGS. 1A-C show block diagrams illustrating example aspects
of a virtual wallet card selection-based purchase transaction in
some embodiments of the VWCS;
[0007] FIG. 2 shows application user interface diagrams
illustrating example features of a virtual wallet card selection
mobile app for selecting from various payment options in some
embodiments of the VWCS;
[0008] FIGS. 3A-C show application user interface diagrams
illustrating example features of a virtual wallet card selection
mobile app for securing user data and preventing fraud in some
embodiments of the VWCS;
[0009] FIGS. 4A-C show data flow diagrams illustrating an example
procedure to execute a card-based transaction using virtual wallet
card selection in some embodiments of the VWCS;
[0010] FIGS. 5A-E show logic flow diagrams illustrating example
aspects of executing a card-based transaction using virtual wallet
card selection in some embodiments of the VWCS, e.g., a Virtual
Wallet-Based Card Transaction Execution ("VW-CTE") component
500;
[0011] FIG. 6 shows a user interface diagram illustrating an
overview of example features of virtual wallet applications in some
embodiments of the VWCS;
[0012] FIGS. 7A-G show user interface diagrams illustrating example
features of virtual wallet applications in a shopping mode, in some
embodiments of the VWCS;
[0013] FIGS. 8A-F show user interface diagrams illustrating example
features of virtual wallet applications in a payment mode, in some
embodiments of the VWCS;
[0014] FIG. 9 shows a user interface diagram illustrating example
features of virtual wallet applications, in a history mode, in some
embodiments of the VWCS;
[0015] FIGS. 10A-E show user interface diagrams illustrating
example features of virtual wallet applications in a snap mode, in
some embodiments of the VWCS;
[0016] FIG. 11 shows a user interface diagram illustrating example
features of virtual wallet applications, in an offers mode, in some
embodiments of the VWCS;
[0017] FIGS. 12A-B show user interface diagrams illustrating
example features of virtual wallet applications, in a security and
privacy mode, in some embodiments of the VWCS;
[0018] FIG. 13 shows a datagraph diagram illustrating example
aspects of transforming a user checkout request input via a User
Purchase Checkout ("UPC") component into a checkout data display
output;
[0019] FIG. 14 shows a logic flow diagram illustrating example
aspects of transforming a user checkout request input via a User
Purchase Checkout ("UPC") component into a checkout data
display;
[0020] FIGS. 15A-B show datagraph diagrams illustrating example
aspects of transforming a user virtual wallet access input via a
Purchase Transaction Authorization ("PTA") component into a
purchase transaction receipt notification;
[0021] FIGS. 16A-B show logic flow diagrams illustrating example
aspects of transforming a user virtual wallet access input via a
Purchase Transaction Authorization ("PTA") component into a
purchase transaction receipt notification;
[0022] FIGS. 17A-B show datagraph diagrams illustrating example
aspects of transforming a merchant transaction batch data query via
a Purchase Transaction Clearance ("PTC") component into an updated
payment ledger record;
[0023] FIGS. 18A-B show logic flow diagrams illustrating example
aspects of transforming a merchant transaction batch data query via
a Purchase Transaction Clearance ("PTC") component into an updated
payment ledger record; and
[0024] FIG. 19 shows a block diagram illustrating example aspects
of a VWCS controller.
[0025] The leading number of each reference number within the
drawings indicates the figure in which that reference number is
introduced and/or detailed. As such, a detailed discussion of
reference number 101 would be found and/or introduced in FIG. 1.
Reference number 201 is introduced in FIG. 2, etc.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Virtual Wallet Card Selection (VWCS)
[0026] The VIRTUAL WALLET CARD SELECTION APPARATUSES, METHODS AND
SYSTEMS (hereinafter "VWCS") transform virtual wallet card
selections by users utilizing mobile devices, via VWCS components,
into virtual wallet card-based transaction purchase notifications.
FIGS. 1A-C show block diagrams illustrating example aspects of a
virtual wallet card selection-based purchase transaction in some
embodiments of the VWCS. The VWCS has many features and
capabilities, of which the ones in FIG. 1A are examples. More
detail with regard to FIG. 1A may be found with regard to FIGS.
4A-5E. With reference to FIG. 4A, in some implementations, a user,
e.g., 101, may desire to purchase a product, service, offering,
and/or the like ("product"), from a merchant. The user may
communicate with a merchant server, e.g., 103, via a client such
as, but not limited to: a personal computer, mobile device,
television, point-of-sale terminal, kiosk, ATM, and/or the like
(e.g., 102a). For example, the user may provide user input, e.g.,
purchase input 411, into the client indicating the user's desire to
purchase the product. In various implementations, the user input
may include, but not be limited to: keyboard entry, card swipe,
activating a RFID/NFC enabled hardware device (e.g., electronic
card having multiple accounts, smartphone, tablet, etc.), mouse
clicks, depressing buttons on a joystick/game console, voice
commands, single/multi-touch gestures on a touch-sensitive
interface, touching user interface elements on a touch-sensitive
display, and/or the like. For example, the user may direct a
browser application executing on the client device to a website of
the merchant, and may select a product from the website via
clicking on a hyperlink presented to the user via the website. As
another example, the client may obtain track 1 data from the user's
card (e.g., credit card, debit card, prepaid card, charge card,
etc.), such as the example track 1 data provided below:
TABLE-US-00001 %B123456789012345{circumflex over ( )}PUBLIC/
J.Q.{circumflex over ( )}99011200000000000000**901******?* (wherein
`123456789012345` is the card number of `J.Q. Public` and has a CVV
number of 901. `990112` is a service code, and *** represents
decimal digits which change randomly each time the card is
used.)
[0027] In some implementations, the client may generate a purchase
order message, e.g., 112, and provide, e.g., 113, the generated
purchase order message to the merchant server. For example, a
browser application executing on the client may provide, on behalf
of the user, a (Secure) Hypertext Transfer Protocol ("HTTP(S)") GET
message including the product order details for the merchant server
in the form of data formatted according to the eXtensible Markup
Language ("XML"). Below is an example HTTP(S) GET message including
an XML-formatted purchase order message 413 for the merchant
server:
TABLE-US-00002 GET /purchase.php HTTP/1.1 Host: www.merchant.com
Content-Type: Application/XML Content-Length: 1306 <?XML version
= "1.0" encoding = "UTF-8"?> <purchase_order>
<order_ID>4NFU4RG94</order_ID>
<merchant_ID>FDFG23</merchant_ID>
<store_ID>1234</store_ID>
<location>129.94.56.456</location>
<timestamp>2011-02-22 15:22:43</timestamp>
<user_ID>john.q.public@gmail.com</user_ID>
<client_details>
<client_IP>192.168.23.126</client_IP>
<client_type>smartphone</client_type>
<client_model>HTC Hero</client_model> <OS>Android
2.2</OS>
<app_installed_flag>true</app_installed_flag>
</client_details> <purchase_details>
<num_products>1</num_products> <product>
<product_type>book</product_type>
<product_params> <product_title>XML for
dummies</product_title>
<ISBN>938-2-14-168710-0</ISBN> <edition>2nd
ed.</edition> <cover>hardbound</cover>
<seller>bestbuybooks</seller> </product_params>
<quantity>1</quantity> </product>
</purchase_details> <account_params>
<account_name>John Q. Public</account_name>
<account_type>credit</account_type>
<account_num>123456789012345</account_num>
<billing_address>123 Green St., Norman, OK 98765</
billing_address> <phone>123-456-7809</phone>
<sign>/jqp/</sign>
<confirm_type>email</confirm_type>
<contact_info>john.q.public@gmail.com</contact_info>
</account_params> <shipping_info>
<shipping_adress>same as billing</shipping_address>
<ship_type>expedited</ship_type>
<ship_carrier>FedEx</ship_carrier>
<ship_account>123-45-678</ship_account>
<tracking_flag>true</tracking_flag>
<sign_flag>false</sign_flag> </shipping_info>
</purchase_order>
[0028] In some implementations, the merchant server may obtain the
purchase order message from the client, and may parse the purchase
order message to extract details of the purchase order from the
user. The merchant server may generate a card query request, e.g.,
114, to determine whether the transaction can be processed. For
example, the merchant server may attempt to determine whether the
user has sufficient funds to pay for the purchase in a card account
provided with the purchase order. The merchant server may provide
the generated card query request, e.g., 115, to an acquirer server,
e.g., 104. For example, the acquirer server may be a server of an
acquirer financial institution ("acquirer") maintaining an account
of the merchant. For example, the proceeds of transactions
processed by the merchant may be deposited into an account
maintained by the acquirer. In some implementations, the card query
request may include details such as, but not limited to: the costs
to the user involved in the transaction, card account details of
the user, user billing and/or shipping information, and/or the
like. For example, the merchant server may provide a HTTP(S) POST
message including an XML-formatted card query request 115 similar
to the example listing provided below:
TABLE-US-00003 POST /cardquery.php HTTP/1.1 Host: www.acquirer.com
Content-Type: Application/XML Content-Length: 624 <?XML version
= "1.0" encoding = "UTF-8"?> <card_query_request>
<query_ID>VNEI39FK</query_ID>
<timestamp>2011-02-22 15:22:44</timestamp>
<purchase_summary> <num_products>1</num_products>
<product> <product_summary>Book - XML for
dummies</product_summary>
<product_quantity>1</product_quantity? </product>
</purchase_summary>
<transaction_cost>$34.78</transaction_cost>
<account_params> <account_name>John Q.
Public</account_name>
<account_type>credit</account_type>
<account_num>123456789012345</account_num>
<billing_address>123 Green St., Norman, OK
98765</billing_address>
<phone>123-456-7809</phone>
<sign>/jqp/</sign> </account_params>
<merchant_params>
<merchant_id>3FBCR4INC</merchant_id>
<merchant_name>Books & Things, Inc.</merchant_name>
<merchant_auth_key>1NNF484MCP59CHB27365-
</merchant_auth_key> </merchant_params>
</card_query_request>
[0029] In some implementations, the acquirer server may generate a
card authorization request, e.g., 116, using the obtained card
query request, and provide the card authorization request, e.g.,
117, to a pay network server, e.g., 105. For example, the acquirer
server may redirect the HTTP(S) POST message in the example above
from the merchant server to the pay network server.
[0030] In some implementations, the pay network server may obtain
the card authorization request from the acquirer server, and may
parse the card authorization request to extract details of the
request, e.g., the user ID and purchase card details. The pay
network server may attempt to determine whether the user has access
to a virtual wallet from which the user may select a card to use to
complete the purchase transaction. In some implementations, the pay
network server may query, e.g., 119, a pay network database, e.g.,
107, to obtain data on virtual card selection options for the user.
In some implementations, the database may store details of the
user, a flag indicating whether the user has access to a virtual
wallet, account numbers associated with the user's virtual wallet,
and/or the like. For example, the database may be a relational
database responsive to Structured Query Language ("SQL") commands.
The pay network server may execute a hypertext preprocessor ("PHP")
script including SQL commands to query the database for virtual
wallet card selection options available to the user. An example
PHP/SQL command listing, illustrating substantive aspects of a
virtual wallet card selection query 119 to a database, is provided
below:
TABLE-US-00004 <?PHP header(`Content-Type: text/plain`);
mysql_connect("254.93.179.112",$DBserver,$password); // access
database server mysql_select_db("WALLETS.SQL"); // select database
table to search //create query for virtual wallet card selection
options $query = "SELECT wallet_id wallet_auth_challenge
card_types_list card_numbers_list anon_cards_list
bank_accounts_list rewards_accounts_list external_accts_list FROM
VirtualWalletsTable WHERE universalcard_num LIKE `%`
$universalcardnum"; $result = mysql_query($query); // perform the
search query mysql_close("WALLETS.SQL"); // close database access
?>
[0031] In response to obtaining the virtual wallet card selection
query, e.g., 119, the pay network database may provide, e.g., 120,
the requested virtual wallet card selection options to the pay
network server. The pay network server may generate a request for a
selection of one of the payment options from the user's virtual
wallet, and provide, e.g., 122, the virtual wallet card selection
request to a user device, e.g., 102b, such as, but not limited to:
a personal computer, mobile device, (interactive) television,
personal digital assistant, tablet computer, e-book reader, gaming
console, netbook, laptop computer, and/or the like. For example,
the pay network server may provide a HTTP(S) POST message including
an XML-formatted virtual wallet card selection request 122 similar
to the example listing provided below:
TABLE-US-00005 POST /selectionrequest.php HTTP/1.1 Content-Type:
Application/XML Content-Length: 624 <?XML version = "1.0"
encoding = "UTF-8"?> <card_selection_options>
<order_ID>VNEI39FK</query_ID>
<timestamp>2011-02-22 15:22:44</timestamp>
<transaction_cost>$34.78</transaction_cost>
<merchant_id>3FBCR4INC</merchant_id>
<card_options> <grocery> <account_name>John Q.
Public</account_name>
<account_type>credit</account_type>
<account_num>123456789012345</account_num>
<billing_add>123 Green St., Norman, OK
98765</billing_add> <phone>123-456-7809</phone>
<ui_img>http://www.paycards.com/ui?img=
9083245</ui_img>
<img_scale>256.times.256</img_scale> </grocery>
<shopping> <account_name>John Q.
Public</account_name>
<account_type>paypal</account_type>
<account_num>123456789012345</account_num>
<billing_add>123 Green St., Norman, OK
98765</billing_add> <phone>123-456-7809</phone>
<ui_img>http://www.paycards.com/ui?img= 32456</ui_img>
<img_scale>256.times.256</img_scale> </shopping>
<general - default> <account_name>John Q.
Public</account_name>
<account_type>credit</account_type>
<account_num>123456789012345</account_num>
<billing_add>123 Green St., Norman, OK
98765</billing_add> <phone>123-456-7809</phone>
<ui_img>http://www.paycards.com/ui?img=
8976543</ui_img>
<img_scale>312.times.312</img_scale> </general -
default> </account_params>
</card_selection_options>
[0032] The user device may display the virtual wallet card
selection options for the user, e.g., 123. For example, the user
device may render a webpage, electronic message, text/SMS message,
buffer a voicemail, emit a ring tone, and/or play an audio message,
etc., and provide output including, but not limited to: sounds,
music, audio, video, images, tactile feedback, vibration alerts
(e.g., on vibration-capable client devices such as a smartphone
etc.), and/or the like.
[0033] In some implementations, the user may provide a card
selection input, e.g., 124, in response to the virtual wallet card
selection options presented by the user device to the user. For
example, the user may tap, swipe touchscreen of a mobile device,
press a key on a keyboard, perform a single mouse click, etc. to
provide a selection of a card from the user's virtual wallet with
which to complete the purchase transaction. The user device may
generate a virtual wallet card selection response based on the
user's card selection input, and provide, e.g., 125, the virtual
wallet card selection response to the pay network server. For
example, the user device may provide a HTTP(S) POST message
including an XML-formatted virtual wallet card selection response
125 similar to the example listing provided below:
TABLE-US-00006 POST /selectionrequest.php HTTP/1.1 Content-Type:
Application/XML Content-Length: 624 <?XML version = "1.0"
encoding = "UTF-8"?> <card_selection_options>
<order_ID>VNEI39FK</query_ID>
<timestamp>2011-02-22 15:22:44</timestamp>
<transaction_cost>$34.78</transaction_cost>
<merchant_id>3FBCR4INC</merchant_id>
<card_options> <grocery>
<split_percent>60%</split_percent>
<account_name>John Q. Public</account_name>
<account_type>credit</account_type>
<account_num>123456789012345</account_num>
<billing_add>123 Green St., Norman, OK
98765</billing_add> <phone>123-456-7809</phone>
<ui_img>http://www.paycards.com/ui?img=
9083245</ui_img>
<img_scale>256.times.256</img_scale> </grocery>
<general> <split_percent>40%</split_percent>
<account_name>John Q. Public</account_name>
<account_type>credit</account_type>
<account_num>123456789012345</account_num>
<billing_add>123 Green St., Norman, OK
98765</billing_add> <phone>123-456-7809</phone>
<ui_img>http://www.paycards.com/ui?img=
8976543</ui_img>
<img_scale>312.times.312</img_scale> </general>
</account_params> </card_selection_options>
[0034] In some implementations, the user may provide that the
purchase transaction is to be processed as a split tender, e.g., in
the example virtual wallet card selection response 125 above, 60%
of the cost is to be applied to one card, and 40% is to be applied
to the other. User interfaces describing providing split tender
options are further described below in the discussion with
reference to FIGS. 8A-B.
[0035] With reference to FIG. 1B, in some implementations, a user,
e.g., 101, may desire to purchase products, services and/or other
offerings ("products") in-person. The user may, e.g., enter, see
e.g., 102, into a store, warehouse, etc. to purchase a product. The
user may desire to procure purchase items available at the store in
person, see, e.g., 103. The user may, in some implementations,
attempt to check out the purchase items, see e.g., 104, at a
point-of-sale ("POS") terminal, e.g., 105. For example, the user
may swipe a charge card 106 (e.g., credit card, debit card, prepaid
card, etc., hereinafter "universal card"). The POS terminal may
provide the details of the user's universal card for processing the
purchase transaction. For example, the POS terminal may provide the
purchase transaction details to a pay network 107 (e.g., credit
card company, issuer bank, acquirer bank, etc.) for payment
processing. The pay network may identify, e.g., 108, based on the
universal card details, that the user associated with the universal
card has access to a virtual wallet of cards. The pay network may,
e.g., in real-time, query, e.g., 109, the user for a selection of
one of the cards from user's virtual wallet. For example, the pay
network may send to the user's device, e.g., 110 (e.g., smartphone,
tablet computer, netbook, laptop, personal digital assistant,
gaming console, etc.) a message (e.g., (Secure) HyperText Transfer
Protocol (HTTP(S)) POST/GET message, electronic mail message, Short
Messaging Service (SMS) message, HTTP/Real Time Streaming Protocol
(RTSP) video stream, text message, Twitter.TM. tweet, Facebook.RTM.
message/wall posting, etc.) requesting the user to select a payment
option from the user's virtual wallet. Based on the message, a user
interface rendered by the user's device may be populated with user
card selection options, see 110. In some examples, even though the
universal card is not a credit card, a most appropriate card may be
selected by the user using the user device. Alternatively, the
payment network server may select a pre-set card with which to
process the purchase transaction.
[0036] In some implementations, upon obtaining the message, the
device may provide the user with an interface to make a selection
of a card from the user's virtual wallet to utilize to complete the
purchase transaction. For example, the user's device may be
executing an application module ("app"), via which the user's
device may communicate with the pay network. The user's device may
display the virtual wallet card selection options obtained from the
pay network via the app to the user. In some implementations, the
app may provide the user an option to buy the purchase items 103 on
the spot by performing a single action (e.g., tap, swipe
touchscreen of a mobile device, press a key on a keyboard, perform
a single mouse click, etc.).
[0037] In some implementations, the app may provide various
alternate options for the user. For example, the app may provide
the user with alternate merchants where the user may obtain the
products and/or similar products, alternate products that may be
comparable to the purchase products, competitive pricing
information between merchants, discounts, coupons, and/or other
offers for the user, etc. In some implementations, the app may
indicate that the user may earn rewards points if the user
purchases the product at another merchant. In some implementations,
the app may indicate that the may be required to use fewer rewards
points to pay for the purchase transaction if the user purchases
the product at another merchant, because the other merchant may
have a better relationship with the rewards points provider. In
some implementations, the app may indicate that the user may earn
more rewards points if the uses a specific (or alternative) card to
pay for the purchase transaction. In some implementations, the app
may indicate that the user may obtain a greater amount of cash back
if the user purchases the card at an alternate merchant and/or
using an alternate card. In various implementations, offers to the
user including and similar to those described herein may originate
from various entities and/or components, including but not limited
to: merchants, pay networks, card issuers, acquirers, and/or the
like.
[0038] With reference to FIG. 1C, in some implementations, the user
may buy, see, e.g., in, the product on the spot from the current
merchant and/or other merchant(s) by performing the single action
on the user device (e.g., one tap of a touchscreen of the user
device). In such implementations, the VWCS server may initiate a
card-based purchase transaction using a "card" (e.g., checking
account, savings account, Paypal.TM. account, Google Checkout.TM.
account, credit card, debit card, prepaid card, etc.) selected from
the user's virtual wallet, see, e.g., 112a-b. In some
implementations, the VWCS may be able to arbitrage credit card
payment networks in that a merchant, card issuer, acquirer, pay
network, and/or the like entities and/or VWCS components may switch
how payments for the user are processed because of transaction cost
considerations.
[0039] In some implementations, the pay network (e.g., 113) may
initiate the card-based purchase transaction, e.g., 114, and may
generate a purchase confirmation receipt for the user. The VWCS
server may provide the purchase confirmation receipt to the client
device, e.g., 116a-b. In some implementations, the user may desire
to exit the store after purchasing items via the app. In such
implementations, the user may be required to provide proof of
purchase of the product at the exit of the store, e.g., 115. The
user may utilize the purchase confirmation receipt obtained from
the VWCS via the app on the client device to provide such proof of
product purchase, e.g., 116a. For example, the receipt may include
a purchase identifier, e.g., 116c. For example, the purchase
identifier may include a barcode, a QR code, an image of a receipt,
a video of a purchase action, etc. The user may utilize such
confirmations of the purchase as proof at the exit of the store.
Accordingly, in some implementations, the user may obtain greater
security in transactions because a purchase can only be completed
if the person has both the user's universal card, and access to the
user's device, as well as access to the app executing on the user's
device. Further, even at outdated POS terminals, a user may obtain
access to the user's virtual wallet via the user's device, thus
improving the user's efficiency and ease in the shopping
experience.
[0040] FIG. 2 shows application user interface diagrams
illustrating example features of a virtual wallet card selection
mobile app for selecting from various payment options in some
embodiments of the VWCS. In some implementations, the app executing
on the device of the user may include an app interface providing
various features for the user. In some implementations, the app may
include an indication of the location (e.g., name of the merchant
store, geographical location, information about the aisle within
the merchant store, etc.) of the user, e.g., 201. The app may
provide an indication of a pay amount due for the purchase of the
product, e.g., 202. In some implementations, the app may provide
various options for the user to pay the amount for purchasing the
product(s). For example, the app may utilize the GPS coordinates to
determine the merchant store within the user is present, and direct
the user to a website of the merchant. In some implementations, the
VWCS may provide an API for participating merchants directly to
facilitate transaction processing. In some implementations, a
merchant-branded VWCS application may be developed with the VWCS
functionality, which may directly connect the user into the
merchant's transaction processing system. For example, the user may
choose from a number of cards (e.g., credit cards, debit cards,
prepaid cards, etc.) from various card providers, e.g., 203. In
some implementations, the app may provide the user the option to
pay the purchase amount using funds included in a bank account of
the user, e.g., a checking, savings, money market, current account,
etc., e.g., 204. In some implementations, the user may have set
default options for which card, bank account, etc. to use for the
purchase transactions via the app. In some implementations, such
setting of default options may allow the user to initiate the
purchase transaction via a single click, tap, swipe, and/or other
remedial user input action, e.g., 205. In some implementations,
when the user utilizes such an option, the app may utilize the
default settings of the user to initiate the purchase transaction.
In some implementations, the app may allow the user to utilize
other accounts (e.g., Google.TM. Checkout, Paypal.TM. account,
etc.) to pay for the purchase transaction, e.g., 206. In some
implementations, the app may allow the user to utilize rewards
points, airline miles, hotel points, electronic coupons, printed
coupons (e.g., by capturing the printed coupons similar to the
product identifier) etc., to pay for the purchase transaction,
e.g., 207-208. In some implementations, the app may provide an
option to provide express authorization before initiating the
purchase transaction, e.g., 209. In some implementations, the app
may provide a progress indicator provide indication on the progress
of the transaction after the user has selected an option to
initiate the purchase transaction, e.g., 210. In some
implementations, the app may provide the user with historical
information on the user's prior purchases via the app, e.g., 211.
In some implementations, the app may provide the user with an
option to share information about the purchase (e.g., via email,
SMS, wall posting on Facebook.RTM., tweet on Twitter.TM., etc.)
with other users, e.g., 212. In some implementations the app may
provide the user an option to display the product identification
information captured by the client device (e.g., in order to show a
customer service representative at the exit of a store the product
information), e.g., 214. In some implementations, the user, app,
device and or VWCS may encounter an error in the processing. In
such scenarios, the user may be able to chat with a customer
service representative (e.g., VerifyChat 213) to resolve the
difficulties in the purchase transaction procedure.
[0041] In some implementations, the user may select to conduct the
transaction using a one-time anonymized credit card number, see
e.g., 205b. For example, the VWCS may utilize a pre-designated
anonymized set of card details (see, e.g., "AnonCard1,"
"AnonCard2"). As another example, the VWCS may generate, e.g., in
real-time, a one-time anonymous set of card details to securely
complete the purchase transaction (e.g., "Anon It 1X"). In such
implementations, the app may automatically set the user profile
settings such that the any personal identifying information of the
user will not be provided to the merchant and/or other entities. In
some implementations, the user may be required to enter a user name
and password to enable the anonymization features.
[0042] FIGS. 3A-C show application user interface diagrams
illustrating example features of a virtual wallet card selection
mobile app for securing user data and preventing fraud in some
embodiments of the VWCS. In some implementations, the app executing
on the user's device may provide a "VerifyChat" feature for fraud
prevention (e.g., by activating UI element 213 in FIG. 2). For
example, the VWCS may detect an unusual and/or suspicious
transaction. The VWCS may utilize the VerifyChat feature to
communicate with the user, and verify the authenticity of the
originator of the purchase transaction. In various implementations,
the VWCS may send electronic mail message, text (SMS) messages,
Facebook.RTM. messages, Twitter.TM. tweets, text chat, voice chat,
video chat (e.g., Apple FaceTime), and/or the like to communicate
with the user. For example, the VWCS may initiate a video challenge
for the user, e.g., 301. For example, the user may need to present
him/her-self via a video chat, e.g., 302. In some implementations,
a customer service representative, e.g., agent 304b, may manually
determine the authenticity of the user using the video of the user.
In some implementations, the VWCS may utilize face, biometric
and/or like recognition (e.g., using pattern classification
techniques) to determine the identity of the user, e.g., 304a. In
some implementations, the app may provide reference marker (e.g.,
cross-hairs, target box, etc.), e.g., 303, so that the user may the
video to facilitate the VWCS' automated recognition of the user. In
some implementations, the user may not have initiated the
transaction, e.g., the transaction is fraudulent. In such
implementations, the user may cancel, e.g., 305, the challenge. The
VWCS may then cancel the transaction, and/or initiate fraud
investigation procedures on behalf of the user.
[0043] In some implementations, the VWCS may utilize a text
challenge procedure to verify the authenticity of the user, e.g.,
306. For example, the VWCS may communicate with the user via text
chat, SMS messages, electronic mail, Facebook.RTM. messages,
Twitter.TM. tweets, and/or the like. The VWCS may pose a challenge
question, e.g., 308, for the user. The app may provide a user input
interface element(s) (e.g., virtual keyboard 309) to answer the
challenge question posed by the VWCS. In some implementations, the
challenge question may randomly selected by the VWCS automatically;
in some implementations, a customer service representative may
manually communicate with the user. In some implementations, the
user may not have initiated the transaction, e.g., the transaction
is fraudulent. In such implementations, the user may cancel, e.g.,
307, 310, the text challenge. The VWCS may then cancel the
transaction, and/or initiate fraud investigation procedures on
behalf of the user.
[0044] In some implementations, the app may be configured to
recognize product identifiers (e.g., barcodes, QR codes, etc.). For
example, for fraud prevention, the app may require the user to
utilize the user's device to obtain snapshot of the items being
purchased, thus ensuring that the person who swiped the card is
also in possession of the user's device as well as the purchase
items. In some implementations, the user may be required to sign in
to the app to enable its features. Once enabled, the camera may
provide in-person one tap purchasing features for the user. For
example, the client device may have a camera via which the app may
acquire images, video data, streaming live video, and/or the like,
e.g., 313. The app may be configured to analyze the incoming data,
and search, e.g., 311, for a product identifier, e.g., 314. In some
implementations, the app may overlay cross-hairs, target box,
and/or like alignment reference markers, e.g., 315, so that a user
may align the product identifier using the reference markers so
facilitate product identifier recognition and interpretation. In
some implementations, the app may include interface elements to
allow the user to switch back and forth between the product
identification mode and the product offer interface display screens
(see, e.g., 316), so that a user may accurately study the deals
available to the user before capturing a product identifier. In
some implementations, the app may provide the user with the ability
to view prior product identifier captures (see, e.g., 317) so that
the user may be able to better decide which product identifier the
user desires to capture. In some implementations, the user may
desire to cancel product purchasing; the app may provide the user
with a user interface element (e.g., 318) to cancel the product
identifier recognition procedure and return to the prior interface
screen the user was utilizing. In some implementations, the user
may be provided with information about products, user settings,
merchants, offers, etc. in list form (see, e.g., 319) so that the
user may better understand the user's purchasing options. Various
other features may be provided for in the app (see, e.g., 320).
[0045] In some implementations, the user may be able to view and/or
modify the user profile and/or settings of the user, e.g., by
activating user interface element 309 (see FIG. 3A). For example,
the user may be able to view/modify a user name (e.g., 321a-b),
account number (e.g., 322a-b), user security access code (e.g.,
323a-b), user pin (e.g., 324a-b), user address (e.g., 325a-b),
social security number associated with the user (e.g., 326a-b),
current device GPS location (e.g., 327a-b), user account of the
merchant in whose store the user currently is (e.g., 328a-b), the
user's rewards accounts (e.g., 329a-b), and/or the like. In some
implementations, the user may be able to select which of the data
fields and their associated values should be transmitted to
facilitate the purchase transaction, thus providing enhanced data
security for the user. For example, in the example illustration in
FIG. 3C, the user has selected the name 312a, account number 322a,
security code 323a, merchant account ID 328a and rewards account ID
329a as the fields to be sent as part of the notification to
process the purchase transaction. In some implementations, the user
may toggle the fields and/or data values that are sent as part of
the notification to process the purchase transactions. In some
implementations, the app may provide multiple screens of data
fields and/or associated values stored for the user to select as
part of the purchase order transmission. In some implementations,
the app may provide the VWCS with the GPS location of the user.
Based on the GPS location of the user, the VWCS may determine the
context of the user (e.g., whether the user is in a store, doctor's
office, hospital, postal service office, etc.). Based on the
context, the user app may present the appropriate fields to the
user, from which the user may select fields and/or field values to
send as part of the purchase order transmission.
[0046] For example, a user may go to doctor's office and desire to
pay the co-pay for doctor's appointment. In addition to basic
transactional information such as account number and name, the app
may provide the user the ability to select to transfer medical
records, health information, which may be provided to the medical
provider, insurance company, as well as the transaction processor
to reconcile payments between the parties. In some implementations,
the records may be sent in a Health Insurance Portability and
Accountability Act (HIPAA)-compliant data format and encrypted, and
only the recipients who are authorized to view such records may
have appropriate decryption keys to decrypt and view the private
user information.
[0047] Various additional advantageous example features of such
apps are further described in the discussion below with reference
to FIGS. 6-18B.
[0048] FIGS. 4A-C show data flow diagrams illustrating an example
procedure to execute a card-based transaction using virtual wallet
card selection in some embodiments of the VWCS. With reference to
FIG. 4A, in some implementations, a user, e.g., 401, may desire to
purchase a product, service, offering, and/or the like ("product"),
from a merchant. The user may communicate with a merchant server,
e.g., 403, via a client such as, but not limited to: a personal
computer, mobile device, television, point-of-sale terminal, kiosk,
ATM, and/or the like (e.g., 402a). For example, the user may
provide user input, e.g., purchase input 411, into the client
indicating the user's desire to purchase the product. In various
implementations, the user input may include, but not be limited to:
keyboard entry, card swipe, activating a RFID/NFC enabled hardware
device (e.g., electronic card having multiple accounts, smartphone,
tablet, etc.), mouse clicks, depressing buttons on a joystick/game
console, voice commands, single/multi-touch gestures on a
touch-sensitive interface, touching user interface elements on a
touch-sensitive display, and/or the like. For example, the user may
direct a browser application executing on the client device to a
website of the merchant, and may select a product from the website
via clicking on a hyperlink presented to the user via the website.
As another example, the client may obtain track 1 data from the
user's card (e.g., credit card, debit card, prepaid card, charge
card, etc.), such as the example track 1 data provided below:
TABLE-US-00007 %B123456789012345{circumflex over ( )}PUBLIC/
J.Q.{circumflex over ( )}99011200000000000000**901******?* (wherein
'123456789012345' is the card number of 'J.Q. Public' and has a CVV
number of 901. '990112' is a service code, and *** represents
decimal digits which change randomly each time the card is
used.)
[0049] In some implementations, the client may generate a purchase
order message, e.g., 412, and provide, e.g., 413, the generated
purchase order message to the merchant server. For example, a
browser application executing on the client may provide, on behalf
of the user, a (Secure) Hypertext Transfer Protocol ("HTTP(S)") GET
message including the product order details for the merchant server
in the form of data formatted according to the eXtensible Markup
Language ("XML"). Below is an example HTTP(S) GET message including
an XML-formatted purchase order message 413 for the merchant
server:
TABLE-US-00008 GET /purchase.php HTTP/1.1 Host: www.merchant.com
Content-Type: Application/XML Content-Length: 1306 <?XML version
= "1.0" encoding = "UTF-8"?> <purchase_order>
<order_ID>4NFU4RG94</order_ID>
<merchant_ID>FDFG23</merchant_ID>
<store_ID>1234</store_ID>
<location>129.94.56.456</location>
<timestamp>2011-02-22 15:22:43</timestamp>
<user_ID>john.q.public@gmail.com</user_ID>
<client_details>
<client_IP>192.168.23.126</client_IP>
<client_type>smartphone</client_type>
<client_model>HTC Hero</client_model> <OS>Android
2.2</OS>
<app_installed_flag>true</app_installed_flag>
</client_details> <purchase_details>
<num_products>1</num_products> <product>
<product_type>book</product_type>
<product_params> <product_title>XML for
dummies</product_title>
<ISBN>938-2-14-168710-0</ISBN> <edition>2nd
ed.</edition> <cover>hardbound</cover>
<seller>bestbuybooks</seller> </product_params>
<quantity>l</quantity> </product>
</purchase_details> <account_params>
<account_name>John Q. Public</account_name>
<account_type>credit</account_type>
<account_num>123456789012345</account_num>
<billing_address>123 Green St., Norman, OK
98765</billing_address>
<phone>123-456-7809</phone>
<sign>/jqp/</sign>
<confirm_type>email</confirm_type>
<contact_info>john.q.public@gmail.com</contact_info>
</account_params> <shipping_info>
<shipping_adress>same as billing</shipping_address>
<ship_type>expedited</ship_type>
<ship_carrier>FedEx</ship_carrier>
<ship_account>123-45-678</ship_account>
<tracking_flag>true</tracking_flag>
<sign_flag>false</sign_flag> </shipping_info>
</purchase_order>
[0050] In some implementations, the merchant server may obtain the
purchase order message from the client, and may parse the purchase
order message to extract details of the purchase order from the
user. The merchant server may generate a card query request, e.g.,
414, to determine whether the transaction can be processed. For
example, the merchant server may attempt to determine whether the
user has sufficient funds to pay for the purchase in a card account
provided with the purchase order. The merchant server may provide
the generated card query request, e.g., 415, to an acquirer server,
e.g., 404. For example, the acquirer server may be a server of an
acquirer financial institution ("acquirer") maintaining an account
of the merchant. For example, the proceeds of transactions
processed by the merchant may be deposited into an account
maintained by the acquirer. In some implementations, the card query
request may include details such as, but not limited to: the costs
to the user involved in the transaction, card account details of
the user, user billing and/or shipping information, and/or the
like. For example, the merchant server may provide a HTTP(S) POST
message including an XML-formatted card query request 415 similar
to the example listing provided below:
TABLE-US-00009 POST /cardquery.php HTTP/1.1 Host: www.acquirer.com
Content-Type: Application/XML Content-Length: 624 <?XML version
= "1.0" encoding = "UTF-8"?> <card_query_request>
<query_ID>VNEI39FK</query_ID>
<timestamp>2011-02-22 15:22:44</timestamp>
<purchase_summary> <num_products>1</num_products>
<product> <product_summary>Book - XML for
dummies</product_summary>
<product_quantity>1</product_quantity?>
</product> </purchase_summary>
<transaction_cost>$34.78</transaction_cost>
<account_params> <account_name>John Q.
Public</account_name>
<account_type>credit</account_type>
<account_num>123456789012345</account_num>
<billing_address>123 Green St., Norman, OK
98765</billing_address>
<phone>123-456-7809</phone>
<sign>/jqp/</sign> </account_params>
<merchant_params>
<merchant_id>3FBCR4INC</merchant_id>
<merchant_name>Books & Things, Inc.</merchant_name>
<merchant_auth_key>1NNF484MCP59CHB27365
</merchant_auth_key> </merchant_params>
</card_guery_reguest>
[0051] In some implementations, the acquirer server may generate a
card authorization request, e.g., 416, using the obtained card
query request, and provide the card authorization request, e.g.,
417, to a pay network server, e.g., 405. For example, the acquirer
server may redirect the HTTP(S) POST message in the example above
from the merchant server to the pay network server.
[0052] In some implementations, the pay network server may obtain
the card authorization request from the acquirer server, and may
parse the card authorization request to extract details of the
request, e.g., the user ID and purchase card details. The pay
network server may attempt to determine whether the user has access
to a virtual wallet from which the user may select a card to use to
complete the purchase transaction. In some implementations, the pay
network server may query, e.g., 419, a pay network database, e.g.,
407, to obtain data on virtual card selection options for the user.
In some implementations, the database may store details of the
user, a flag indicating whether the user has access to a virtual
wallet, account numbers associated with the user's virtual wallet,
and/or the like. For example, the database may be a relational
database responsive to Structured Query Language ("SQL") commands.
The pay network server may execute a hypertext preprocessor ("PHP")
script including SQL commands to query the database for virtual
wallet card selection options available to the user. An example
PHP/SQL command listing, illustrating substantive aspects of a
virtual wallet card selection query 419 to a database, is provided
below:
TABLE-US-00010 <?PHP header('Content-Type: text/plain');
mysql_connect("254.93.179.112",$DBserver,$password); // access
database server mysql_select_db("WALLETS.SQL"); // select database
table to search //create query for virtual wallet card selection
options $query = "SELECT wallet_id wallet_auth_challenge
card_types_list card_numbers_list anon_cards_list
bank_accounts_list rewards_accounts_list external_accts_list FROM
VirtualWalletsTable WHERE universalcard_num LIKE '%'
$universalcardnum"; $result = mysql_query($query); // perform the
search query mysql_close("WALLETS.SQL"); // close database access
?>
[0053] In response to obtaining the virtual wallet card selection
query, e.g., 419, the pay network database may provide, e.g., 420,
the requested virtual wallet card selection options to the pay
network server. The pay network server may generate a request for a
selection of one of the payment options from the user's virtual
wallet, and provide, e.g., 422, the virtual wallet card selection
request to a user device, e.g., 402b, such as, but not limited to:
a personal computer, mobile device, (interactive) television,
personal digital assistant, tablet computer, e-book reader, gaming
console, netbook, laptop computer, and/or the like. For example,
the pay network server may provide a HTTP(S) POST message including
an XML-formatted virtual wallet card selection request 422 similar
to the example listing provided below:
TABLE-US-00011 POST /selectionrequest.php HTTP/1.1 Content-Type:
Application/XML Content-Length: 624 <?XML version = "1.0"
encoding = "UTF-8"?> <card_selection_options>
<order_ID>VNEI39FK</query_ID>
<timestamp>2011-02-22 15:22:44</timestamp>
<transaction_cost>$34.78</transaction_cost>
<merchant_id>3FBCR4INC</merchant_id>
<card_options> <grocery> <account_name>John Q.
Public</account_name>
<account_type>credit</account_type>
<account_num>123456789012345</account_num>
<billing_add>123 Green St., Norman, OK
98765</billing_add> <phone>123-456-7809</phone>
<ui_img>http://www.paycards.com/ui?img=9083245</ui_img>
<img_scale>256.times.256</img_scale> </grocery>
<shopping> <account_name>John Q.
Public>/account_name>
<account_type>paypal</account_type>
<account_num>123456789012345</account_num>
<billing_add>123 Green St., Norman, OK
98765</billing_add> <phone>123-456-7809</phone>
<ui_img>http://www.paycards.com/ui?img=32456</ui_img>
<img_scale>256.times.256</img_scale> </shopping>
<general - default> <account_name>John Q.
Public</account_name>
<account_type>credit</account_type>
<account_num>123456789012345</account_num>
<billing_add>123 Green St., Norman, OK
98765</billing_add> <phone>123-456-7809</phone>
<ui_img>http://www.paycards.com/ui?img=8976543</ui_img>
<img_scale>312.times.312</img_scale> </general -
default> </account_params>
</card_selection_options>
[0054] The user device may display the virtual wallet card
selection options for the user, e.g., 423. For example, the user
device may render a webpage, electronic message, text/SMS message,
buffer a voicemail, emit a ring tone, and/or play an audio message,
etc., and provide output including, but not limited to: sounds,
music, audio, video, images, tactile feedback, vibration alerts
(e.g., on vibration-capable client devices such as a smartphone
etc.), and/or the like.
[0055] In some implementations, the user may provide a card
selection input, e.g., 424, in response to the virtual wallet card
selection options presented by the user device to the user. For
example, the user may tap, swipe touchscreen of a mobile device,
press a key on a keyboard, perform a single mouse click, etc. to
provide a selection of a card from the user's virtual wallet with
which to complete the purchase transaction. The user device may
generate a virtual wallet card selection response based on the
user's card selection input, and provide, e.g., 425, the virtual
wallet card selection response to the pay network server. For
example, the user device may provide a HTTP(S) POST message
including an XML-formatted virtual wallet card selection response
425 similar to the example listing provided below:
TABLE-US-00012 POST /selectionrequest.php HTTP/1.1 Content-Type:
Application/XML Content-Length: 624 <?XML version = "1.0"
encoding = "UTF-8"?> <card_selection_options>
<order_ID>VNEI39FK</query_ID>
<timestamp>2011-02-22 15:22:44</timestamp>
<transaction_cost>$34.78</transaction_cost>
<merchant_id>3FBCR4INC</merchant_id>
<card_options> <grocery>
<split_percent>60%</split_percent>
<account_name>John Q. Public</account_name>
<account_type>credit</account_type>
<account_num>123456789012345</account_num>
<billing_add>123 Green St., Norman, OK
98765</billing_add> <phone>123-456-7809</phone>
<ui_img>http://www.paycards.com/ui?img=9083245</ui_img>
<img_scale>256.times.256</img_scale> </grocery>
<general> <split_percent>40%</split_percent>
<account_name>John Q. Public</account_name>
<account_type>credit</account_type>
<account_num>123456789012345</account_num>
<billing_add>123 Green St., Norman, OK
98765</billing_add> <phone>123-456-7809</phone>
<ui_img>http://www.paycards.com/ui?img=8976543</ui_img>
<img_scale>312.times.312</img_scale> </general>
</account_params> </card_selection_options>
[0056] In some implementations, the user may provide that the
purchase transaction is to be processed as a split tender, e.g., in
the example virtual wallet card selection response 425 above, 60%
of the cost is to be applied to one card, and 40% is to be applied
to the other. User interfaces describing providing split tender
options are further described below in the discussion with
reference to FIGS. 8A-B.
[0057] With reference to FIG. 4B, in some implementations, the pay
network server may obtain the virtual wallet card selection
response from the user device, and may parse the virtual wallet
card selection response to extract details of the virtual wallet
card selection, 427. Using the extracted fields and field values,
the pay network server may generate a query, e.g., 428, for an
issuer server corresponding to the user's card account selected
from the user's virtual wallet. For example, the user's card
account may be linked to an issuer financial institution
("issuer"), such as a banking institution, which issued the card
account for the user. An issuer server, e.g., 406, of the issuer
may maintain details of the user's card account. In some
implementations, a database, e.g., pay network database 407, may
store details of the issuer servers and card account numbers
associated with the issuer servers. For example, the database may
be a relational database responsive to Structured Query Language
("SQL") commands. The pay network server may execute a hypertext
preprocessor ("PHP") script including SQL commands to query the
database for details of the issuer server. An example PHP/SQL
command listing, illustrating substantive aspects of querying the
database, is provided below:
TABLE-US-00013 <?PHP header('Content-Type: text/plain');
mysql_connect ("254.93.179.112",$DBserver,$password); // access
database server mysql_select_db("ISSUERS.SQL"); // select database
table to search //create query for issuer server data $query =
"SELECT issuer_name issuer_address issuer_id ip_address mac_address
auth_key port_num security_settings_list FROM IssuerTable WHERE
account_num LIKE '%' $accountnum"; $result = mysql_query($query);
// perform the search query mysql_close("ISSUERS.SQL"); // close
database access ?>
[0058] In response to obtaining the issuer server query, e.g., 428,
the pay network database may provide, e.g., 429, the requested
issuer server data to the pay network server. In some
implementations, the pay network server may utilize the issuer
server data to generate a card authorization request, e.g., 430, to
redirect the card authorization request from the acquirer server,
via the user's virtual wallet card selection, to the issuer server.
The pay network server may provide the card authorization request,
e.g., 431, to the issuer server. In some implementations, the
issuer server, e.g., 406, may parse the card authorization request,
and based on the request details may query a database, e.g., user
profile database 408, for data of the user's card account selected
from the user's virtual wallet, e.g., 432-433. For example, the
issuer server may issue PHP/SQL commands similar to the example
provided below:
TABLE-US-00014 <?PHP header('Content-Type: text/plain');
mysql_connect ("254.93.179.112",$DBserver,$password); // access
database server mysql_select_db ("USERS.SQL"); // select database
table to search //create query for user data $query = "SELECT
user_id user_name user_balance account_type FROM UserTable WHERE
account_num LIKE '%' $accountnum"; $result = mysql_query($query);
// perform the search query mysql_close ("USERS.SQL"); // close
database access ?>
[0059] In some implementations, on obtaining the user data, e.g.,
434, the issuer server may determine whether the user can pay for
the transaction using funds available in the account, e.g., 435.
For example, the issuer server may determine whether the user has a
sufficient balance remaining in the account, sufficient credit
associated with the account, and/or the like. If the issuer server
determines that the user can pay for the transaction using the
funds available in the account, the server may provide an
authorization message, e.g., 436, to the pay network server. For
example, the server may provide a HTTP(S) POST message similar to
the examples above. If the issuer server determines that the user
cannot pay for the transaction using the funds available in the
account, the pay network server may provide another virtual wallet
card selection request to the user device, unless the prior number
of such requests provided exceeds a threshold, in which case the
pay network server may indicate to the merchant server 403 that the
transaction has not been authorized.
[0060] In some implementations, the pay network server may obtain
the authorization message, and parse the message to extract
authorization details. Upon determining that the user possesses
sufficient funds for the transaction, the pay network server may
generate a transaction data record from the card authorization
request it received, and store the details of the transaction and
authorization relating to the transaction in a transactions
database. For example, the pay network server may issue PHP/SQL
commands similar to the example listing below to store the
transaction data in a database:
TABLE-US-00015 <?PHP header ('Content-Type: text/plain');
mysql_connect("254.92.185.103",$DBserver,$password); // access
database server mysql_select("TRANSACTIONS.SQL"); // select
database to append mysql_query("INSERT INTO PurchasesTable
(timestamp, purchase summary_list, num_products, product_summary,
product_quantity, transaction_cost, account_params_list,
account_name, account_type, account_num, billing_addres, zipcode,
phone, sign, merchant_params_list, merchant_id, merchant_name,
merchant_auth_key) VALUES (time( ), $purchase_summary_list,
$num_products, $product_summary, $product_quantity,
$transaction_cost, $account_params_list, $account_name,
$account_type, $account_num, $billing_addres, $zipcode, $phone,
$sign, $merchant_params_list, $merchant_id, $merchant_name,
$merchant_auth_key)"); // add data to table in database
mysql_close("TRANSACTIONS.SQL"); // close connection to database
?>
[0061] In some implementations, the pay network server may forward
the authorization message, e.g., 437, to the acquirer server, which
may in turn forward the authorization message, e.g., 438, to the
merchant server. The merchant may obtain the authorization message,
and determine from it that the user possesses sufficient funds in
the card account to conduct the transaction. The merchant server
may add a record of the transaction for the user to a batch of
transaction data relating to authorized transactions. For example,
the merchant may append the XML data pertaining to the user
transaction to an XML data file comprising XML data for
transactions that have been authorized for various users, e.g.,
439, and store the XML data file, e.g., 440, in a database, e.g.,
merchant database 409. For example, a batch XML data file may be
structured similar to the example XML data structure template
provided below:
TABLE-US-00016 <?XML version = "1.0" encoding = "UTF-8"?>
<merchant_data>
<merchant_id>3FBCR4INC</merchant_id>
<merchant_name>Books & Things, Inc.</merchant_name>
<merchant_auth_key>1NNF484MCF59CHB27365</merchant_auth_key>
<account_number>123456789</account_number>
</merchant_data> <transaction_data> <transaction
1> . . . </transaction 1> <transaction 2> . . .
</transaction 2> . . . <transaction n> . . .
</transaction n> </transaction_data>
[0062] In some implementations, the server may also generate a
purchase receipt, e.g., 439, and provide the purchase receipt to
the client, e.g., 441. The client may render and display, e.g.,
442, the purchase receipt for the user. For example, the client may
render a webpage, electronic message, text/SMS message, buffer a
voicemail, emit a ring tone, and/or play an audio message, etc.,
and provide output including, but not limited to: sounds, music,
audio, video, images, tactile feedback, vibration alerts (e.g., on
vibration-capable client devices such as a smartphone etc.), and/or
the like.
[0063] With reference to FIG. 4C, in some implementations, the
merchant server may initiate clearance of a batch of authorized
transactions. For example, the merchant server may generate a batch
data request, e.g., 443, and provide the request, e.g., 444, to a
database, e.g., merchant database 409. For example, the merchant
server may utilize PHP/SQL commands similar to the examples
provided above to query a relational database. In response to the
batch data request, the database may provide the requested batch
data, e.g., 445. The server may generate a batch clearance request,
e.g., 446, using the batch data obtained from the database, and
provide, e.g., 447, the batch clearance request to an acquirer
server, e.g., 404. For example, the merchant server may provide a
HTTP(S) POST message including XML-formatted batch data in the
message body for the acquirer server. The acquirer server may
generate, e.g., 448, a batch payment request using the obtained
batch clearance request, and provide the batch payment request to
the pay network server, e.g., 449. The pay network server may parse
the batch payment request, and extract the transaction data for
each transaction stored in the batch payment request, e.g., 450.
The pay network server may store the transaction data, e.g., 451,
for each transaction in a database, e.g., transactions database
410. For each extracted transaction, the pay network server may
query, e.g., 452-453, a database, e.g., pay network database 407,
for an address of an issuer server. For example, the pay network
server may utilize PHP/SQL commands similar to the examples
provided above. The pay network server may generate an individual
payment request, e.g., 454, for each transaction for which it has
extracted transaction data, and provide the individual payment
request, e.g., 455, to the issuer server, e.g., 406. For example,
the pay network server may provide a HTTP(S) POST request similar
to the example below:
TABLE-US-00017 POST /requestpay.php HTTP/1.1 Host: www.issuer.com
Content-Type: Application/XML Content-Length: 788 <?XML version
= "1.0" encoding = "UTF-8"?> <pay_request>
<reguest_ID>CNI4ICNW2</reguest_ID>
<timestamp>2011-02-22 17:00:01</timestamp>
<pay_amount>$34.78</pay_amount> <account_params>
<account_name>John Q. Public</account_name>
<account_type>credit</account_type>
<account_num>123456789012345</account_num>
<billing_address>123 Green St., Norman, OK
98765</billing_address>
<phone>123-456-7809</phone>
<sign>/jqp/</sign> </account_params>
<merchant_params>
<merchant_id>3FBCR4INC</merchant_id>
<merchant_name>Books & Things, Inc.</merchant_name>
<merchant_auth_key>1NNF484MCP59CHB27365
</merchant_auth_key> </merchant_params>
<purchase_summary> <num_products>1</num_products>
<product> <product_summary>Book - XML for
dummies</product_summary>
<product_quantity>1</product_quantity? </product>
</purchase_summary> </pay_reguest>
[0064] In some implementations, the issuer server may generate a
payment command, e.g., 456. For example, the issuer server may
issue a command to deduct funds from the user's account (or add a
charge to the user's credit card account). The issuer server may
issue a payment command, e.g., 457, to a database storing the
user's account information, e.g., user profile database 408. The
issuer server may provide a funds transfer message, e.g., 458, to
the pay network server, which may forward, e.g., 459, the funds
transfer message to the acquirer server. An example HTTP(S) POST
funds transfer message is provided below:
TABLE-US-00018 POST /clearance.php HTTP/1.1 Host: www.acquirer.com
Content-Type: Application/XML Content-Length: 206 <?XML version
= "1.0" encoding = "UTF-8"?> <deposit_ack>
<request_ID>CNI4ICNW2</request_ID>
<clear_flag>true</clear_flag>
<timestamp>2011-02-22 17:00:02</timestamp>
<deposit_amount>$34.78</deposit_amount>
</deposit_ack>
[0065] In some implementations, the acquirer server may parse the
funds transfer message, and correlate the transaction (e.g., using
the request ID field in the example above) to the merchant. The
acquirer server may then transfer the funds specified in the funds
transfer message to an account of the merchant, e.g., 460.
[0066] FIGS. 5A-E show logic flow diagrams illustrating example
aspects of executing a card-based transaction using virtual wallet
card selection in some embodiments of the VWCS, e.g., a Virtual
Wallet-Based Card Transaction Execution ("VW-CTE") component 500.
In some implementations, a user may provide user input, e.g., 501,
into a client indicating the user's desire to purchase a product
from a merchant. The client may generate a purchase order message,
e.g., 502, and provide the generated purchase order message to the
merchant server. In some implementations, the merchant server may
obtain, e.g., 503, the purchase order message from the client, and
may parse the purchase order message to extract details of the
purchase order from the user. Example parsers that the merchant
client may utilize are discussed further below with reference to
FIG. 6. The merchant server may generate a card query request,
e.g., 504, to determine whether the transaction can be processed.
For example, the merchant server may process the transaction only
if the user has sufficient funds to pay for the purchase in a card
account provided with the purchase order. The merchant server may
provide the generated card query request to an acquirer server. The
acquirer server may parse the card query request, e.g., 505. The
acquirer server may generate a card authorization request, e.g.,
506, using the obtained card query request, and provide the card
authorization request to a pay network server.
[0067] In some implementations, the pay network server may obtain
the card authorization request from the acquirer server, and may
parse the card authorization request to extract details of the
request, e.g., 507. For example, the pay network server may obtain
the user ID of the user, card account number of the card the user
swiped at the client, etc. The pay network server may attempt to
determine whether the user has access to a virtual wallet from
which the user may select a card to use to complete the purchase
transaction. In some implementations, the pay network server may
generate a query, e.g., 508, to a pay network database to obtain
virtual card selection options available to the user, as discussed
above in the description with reference to FIG. 4A. In response to
the virtual wallet card selection query, e.g., 508, the pay network
database may provide, e.g., 509, the requested virtual wallet card
selection options to the pay network server. The pay network server
may generate a request for a selection of one of the payment
options from the user's virtual wallet, e.g., 510, and provide the
virtual wallet card selection request to a user device. For
example, the query results mayt return a listing of several user
e-wallet accounts (e.g., credit, debit, prepaid, etc., from
numerous issuers, and merchants); this list of query results may be
wrapped into a dynamic user-interface object (e.g., an HTML, XML,
CSS, etc. wrapper; see FIG. 4A, 422), which may then be rendered by
the user device. In some implementations, the user device may
render, e.g., 511, the virtual wallet card selection options
provided by the pay network server, and display the virtual wallet
card selection options for the user, e.g., 512. For example, the
selection object may be rendered in a display portion of the
screen, e.g., in a web-rendering object view.
[0068] In some implementations, the user may provide a card
selection input, e.g., 513, in response to the virtual wallet card
selection options presented by the user device to the user. The
user device may generate a virtual wallet card selection response
based on the user's card selection input, e.g., 514, and provide
the virtual wallet card selection response to the pay network
server. In some implementations, the pay network server may wait
for at least a predetermined amount of time for a response from the
user to the virtual wallet card selection request. If the wait time
exceeds the predetermined amount of time, the pay network server
may determine that the user's time has run out, resulting in a
timeout. This may provide an element of security to the user's
virtual wallet. If the user has timed out, e.g., 515, option "Yes,"
the server may determine whether the user timed out more than a
pre-specified number of times in the processing of the current
transaction. If the user has not responded (or if the user's
selections all have failed to result in successful authorization)
more than a pre-specified threshold number of times, e.g., 516,
option "Yes," the pay network server may determine that the
transaction must be cancelled, and generate an "authorization fail"
message for the merchant server, e.g., 517. In some
implementations, if the pay network server determines that the user
has timed out (and/or that the number of timeouts for the current
transaction has exceed a predetermined threshold), the server may
utilize a default virtual wallet card selection previously set by
the user, and continue transaction processing using the default
selection. In some implementations, the pay network server may
always use the default virtual wallet card selection of the user,
and may not attempt to contact the user via the user device to
obtain a user selection. It is to be understood that varying
permutations and/or combinations of the features presented herein
may be utilize to balance the security interest in contacting the
user to obtain authorization and a custom selection of the card to
utilize from the virtual wallet, against minimizing the number of
times a user is contacted in order to effect a purchase
transaction.
[0069] In some implementations, if the pay network server
successfully captures a valid user selection of a card account from
the virtual wallet card selection options, the pay network server
may obtain the virtual wallet card selection response from the user
device, and may parse the virtual wallet card selection response to
extract details of the virtual wallet card selection. Using the
extracted fields and field values, the pay network server may
generate a query, e.g., 518, for an issuer server corresponding to
the user's card account. In response to obtaining the issuer server
query the pay network database may provide, e.g., 519, the
requested issuer server data to the pay network server. In some
implementations, the pay network server may utilize the issuer
server data to generate a forwarding card authorization request,
e.g., 520, to redirect the card authorization request from the
acquirer server to the issuer server. The pay network server may
provide the card authorization request to the issuer server. In
some implementations, the issuer server may parse, e.g., 521, the
card authorization request, and based on the request details may
query a database, e.g., 522, for data of the user's card account.
In response, the database may provide the requested user data,
e.g., 523. On obtaining the user data, the issuer server may
determine whether the user can pay for the transaction using funds
available in the account, e.g., 524. For example, the issuer server
may determine whether the user has a sufficient balance remaining
in the account, sufficient credit associated with the account,
and/or the like, but comparing the data from the database with the
transaction cost obtained from the card authorization request. If
the issuer server determines that the user can pay for the
transaction using the funds available in the account, the server
may provide an authorization message, e.g., 525, to the pay network
server.
[0070] In some implementations, the pay network server may obtain
the authorization message, and parse the message to extract
authorization details, e.g., 526. Upon determining that the user
possesses sufficient funds for the transaction (e.g., 527, option
"Yes"), the pay network server may extract the transaction card
from the authorization message and/or card authorization request,
e.g., 528, and generate a transaction data record, e.g., 529, using
the card transaction details. The pay network server may provide
the transaction data record for storage, e.g., 530, to a database.
In some implementations, the pay network server may forward the
authorization message, e.g., 531, to the acquirer server, which may
in turn forward the authorization message, e.g., 532, to the
merchant server. The merchant may obtain the authorization message,
and parse the authorization message to extract its contents, e.g.,
533. The merchant server may determine whether the user possesses
sufficient funds in the card account to conduct the transaction. If
the merchant server determines that the user possess sufficient
funds, e.g., 534, option "Yes," the merchant server may add the
record of the transaction for the user to a batch of transaction
data relating to authorized transactions, e.g., 535-536. The
merchant server may also generate a purchase receipt, e.g., 537,
for the user. If the merchant server determines that the user does
not possess sufficient funds, e.g., 534, option "No," the merchant
server may generate an "authorization fail" message, e.g., 538. The
merchant server may provide the purchase receipt or the
"authorization fail" message to the client. The client may render
and display, e.g., 538, the purchase receipt for the user.
[0071] In some implementations, the merchant server may initiate
clearance of a batch of authorized transactions by generating a
batch data request, e.g., 540, and providing the request to a
database. In response to the batch data request, the database may
provide the requested batch data, e.g., 541, to the merchant
server. The server may generate a batch clearance request, e.g.,
542, using the batch data obtained from the database, and provide
the batch clearance request to an acquirer server. The acquirer
server may generate, e.g., 544, a batch payment request using the
obtained batch clearance request, and provide the batch payment
request to a pay network server. The pay network server may parse,
e.g., 545, the batch payment request, select a transaction stored
within the batch data, e.g., 546, and extract the transaction data
for the transaction stored in the batch payment request, e.g., 547.
The pay network server may generate a transaction data record,
e.g., 548, and store the transaction data, e.g., 549, the
transaction in a database. For the extracted transaction, the pay
network server may generate an issuer server query, e.g., 550, for
an address of an issuer server maintaining the account of the user
requesting the transaction. The pay network server may provide the
query to a database. In response, the database may provide the
issuer server data requested by the pay network server, e.g., 551.
The pay network server may generate an individual payment request,
e.g., 552, for the transaction for which it has extracted
transaction data, and provide the individual payment request to the
issuer server using the issuer server data from the database.
[0072] In some implementations, the issuer server may obtain the
individual payment request, and parse, e.g., 553, the individual
payment request to extract details of the request. Based on the
extracted data, the issuer server may generate a payment command,
e.g., 554. For example, the issuer server may issue a command to
deduct funds from the user's account (or add a charge to the user's
credit card account). The issuer server may issue a payment
command, e.g., 555, to a database storing the user's account
information. In response, the database may update a data record
corresponding to the user's account to reflect the debit/charge
made to the user's account. The issuer server may provide a funds
transfer message, e.g., 556, to the pay network server after the
payment command has been executed by the database.
[0073] In some implementations, the pay network server may check
whether there are additional transactions in the batch that need to
be cleared and funded. If there are additional transactions, e.g.,
557, option "Yes," the pay network server may process each
transaction according to the procedure described above. The pay
network server may generate, e.g., 558, an aggregated funds
transfer message reflecting transfer of all transactions in the
batch, and provide, e.g., 559, the funds transfer message to the
acquirer server. The acquirer server may, in response, transfer the
funds specified in the funds transfer message to an account of the
merchant, e.g., 560.
[0074] FIG. 6 shows a user interface diagram illustrating an
overview of example features of virtual wallet applications in some
embodiments of the VWCS. FIG. 6 shows an illustration of various
exemplary features of a virtual wallet mobile application 600. Some
of the features displayed include a wallet 601, social integration
via TWITTER, FACEBOOK, etc., offers and loyalty 603, snap mobile
purchase 604, alerts 605 and security, setting and analytics 696.
These features are explored in further detail below.
[0075] FIGS. 7A-G show user interface diagrams illustrating example
features of virtual wallet applications in a shopping mode, in some
embodiments of the VWCS. With reference to FIG. 7A, some
embodiments of the virtual wallet mobile app facilitate and greatly
enhance the shopping experience of consumers. A variety of shopping
modes, as shown in FIG. 7A, may be available for a consumer to
peruse. In one implementation, for example, a user may launch the
shopping mode by selecting the shop icon 710 at the bottom of the
user interface. A user may type in an item in the search field 712
to search and/or add an item to a cart 711. A user may also use a
voice activated shopping mode by saying the name or description of
an item to be searched and/or added to the cart into a microphone
713. In a further implementation, a user may also select other
shopping options 714 such as current items 715, bills 716, address
book 717, merchants 718 and local proximity 719.
[0076] In one embodiment, for example, a user may select the option
current items 715, as shown in the left most user interface of FIG.
7A. When the current items 715 option is selected, the middle user
interface may be displayed. As shown, the middle user interface may
provide a current list of items 715a-h in a user's shopping cart
711. A user may select an item, for example item 715a, to view
product description 715j of the selected item and/or other items
from the same merchant. The price and total payable information may
also be displayed, along with a QR code 715k that captures the
information necessary to effect a snap mobile purchase
transaction.
[0077] With reference to FIG. 7B, in another embodiment, a user may
select the bills 716 option. Upon selecting the bills 716 option,
the user interface may display a list of bills and/or receipts
716a-h from one or more merchants. Next to each of the bills,
additional information such as date of visit, whether items from
multiple stores are present, last bill payment date, auto-payment,
number of items, and/or the like may be displayed. In one example,
the wallet shop bill 716a dated Jan. 20, 2011 may be selected. The
wallet shop bill selection may display a user interface that
provides a variety of information regarding the selected bill. For
example, the user interface may display a list of items 716k
purchased, a QR code encoding data regarding those items 716i, a
total number of items and the corresponding value, 716j. For
example, 7 items worth $102.54 were in the selected wallet shop
bill. A user may now select any of the items and select buy again
to add purchase the items. The user may also refresh offers 716j to
clear any invalid offers from last time and/or search for new
offers that may be applicable for the current purchase. As shown in
FIG. 7B, a user may select two items for repeat purchase. Upon
addition, a message 716l may be displayed to confirm the addition
of the two items, which makes the total number of items in the cart
14.
[0078] With reference to FIG. 7C, in yet another embodiment, a user
may select the address book option 717 to view the address book
717a which includes a list of contacts 717b and make any money
transfers or payments. In one embodiment, the address book may
identify each contact using their names and available and/or
preferred modes of payment. For example, a contact Amanda G. may be
paid via social pay (e.g., via FACEBOOK) as indicated by the icon
717c. In another example, money may be transferred to Brian S. via
QR code as indicated by the QR code icon 717d. In yet another
example, Charles B. may accept payment via near field communication
717e, Bluetooth 717f and email 717g. Payment may also be made via
USB 717h (e.g., by physically connecting two mobile devices) as
well as other social channels such as TWITTER.
[0079] In one implementation, a user may select Joe P. for payment.
Joe P., as shown in the user interface, has an email icon 717g next
to his name indicating that Joe P. accepts payment via email. When
his name is selected, the user interface may display his contact
information such as email, phone, etc. If a user wishes to make a
payment to Joe P. by a method other than email, the user may add
another transfer mode 717j to his contact information and make a
payment transfer. With reference to FIG. 7D, the user may be
provided with a screen 717k where the user can enter an amount to
send Joe, as well as add other text to provide Joe with context for
the payment transaction 717l. The user can choose modes (e.g., SMS,
email, social networking) via which Joe may be contacted via
graphical user interface elements, 717m. As the user types, the
text entered may be provided for review within a GUI element 717n.
When the user has completed entering in the necessary information,
the user can press the send button 717o to send the social message
to Joe. If Joe also has a virtual wallet application, Joe may be
able to review 717p social pay message within the app, or directly
at the website of the social network (e.g., for Twitter.TM.,
Facebook.RTM., etc.). Messages may be aggregated from the various
social networks and other sources (e.g., SMS, email). The method of
redemption appropriate for each messaging mode may be indicated
along with the social pay message. In the illustration in FIG. 7D,
the SMS 717q Joe received indicates that Joe can redeem the $5
obtained via SMS by replying to the SMS and entering the hash tag
value `#1234`. In the same illustration, Joe has also received a
message 717r via Facebook.RTM., which includes a URL link that Joe
can activate to initiate redemption of the $25 payment.
[0080] With reference to FIG. 7E, in some other embodiments, a user
may select merchants 718 from the list of options in the shopping
mode to view a select list of merchants 718a-e. In one
implementation, the merchants in the list may be affiliated to the
wallet, or have affinity relationship with the wallet. In another
implementation, the merchants may include a list of merchants
meeting a user-defined or other criteria. For example, the list may
be one that is curated by the user, merchants where the user most
frequently shops or spends more than an x amount of sum or shopped
for three consecutive months, and/or the like. In one
implementation, the user may further select one of the merchants,
Amazon 718a for example. The user may then navigate through the
merchant's listings to find items of interest such as 718f-j.
Directly through the wallet and without visiting the merchant site
from a separate page, the user may make a selection of an item 718j
from the catalog of Amazon 718a. As shown in the right most user
interface of FIG. 7D, the selected item may then be added to cart.
The message 718k indicates that the selected item has been added to
the cart, and updated number of items in the cart is now 13.
[0081] With reference to FIG. 7F, in one embodiment, there may be a
local proximity option 719 which may be selected by a user to view
a list of merchants that are geographically in close proximity to
the user. For example, the list of merchants 719a-e may be the
merchants that are located close to the user. In one
implementation, the mobile application may further identify when
the user in a store based on the user's location. For example,
position icon 719d may be displayed next to a store (e.g.,
Walgreens) when the user is in close proximity to the store. In one
implementation, the mobile application may refresh its location
periodically in case the user moved away from the store (e.g.,
Walgreens). In a further implementation, the user may navigate the
offerings of the selected Walgreens store through the mobile
application. For example, the user may navigate, using the mobile
application, to items 719f-j available on aisle 5 of Walgreens. In
one implementation, the user may select corn 719i from his or her
mobile application to add to cart 719k.
[0082] With reference to FIG. 7G, in another embodiment, the local
proximity option 719 may include a store map and a real time map
features among others. For example, upon selecting the Walgreens
store, the user may launch an aisle map 719l which displays a map
719m showing the organization of the store and the position of the
user (indicated by a yellow circle). In one implementation, the
user may easily configure the map to add one or more other users
(e.g., user's kids) to share each other's location within the
store. In another implementation, the user may have the option to
launch a "store view" similar to street views in maps. The store
view 719n may display images/video of the user's surrounding. For
example, if the user is about to enter aisle 5, the store view map
may show the view of aisle 5. Further the user may manipulate the
orientation of the map using the navigation tool 7190 to move the
store view forwards, backwards, right, left as well clockwise and
counterclockwise rotation
[0083] FIGS. 8A-F show user interface diagrams illustrating example
features of virtual wallet applications in a payment mode, in some
embodiments of the VWCS. With reference to FIG. 8A, in one
embodiment, the wallet mobile application may provide a user with a
number of options for paying for a transaction via the wallet mode
810. In one implementation, an example user interface 811 for
making a payment is shown. The user interface may clearly identify
the amount 812 and the currency 813 for the transaction. The amount
may be the amount payable and the currency may include real
currencies such as dollars and euros, as well as virtual currencies
such as reward points. The amount of the transaction 814 may also
be prominently displayed on the user interface. The user may select
the funds tab 816 to select one or more forms of payment 817, which
may include various credit, debit, gift, rewards and/or prepaid
cards. The user may also have the option of paying, wholly or in
part, with reward points. For example, the graphical indicator 818
on the user interface shows the number of points available, the
graphical indicator 819 shows the number of points to be used
towards the amount due 234.56 and the equivalent 820 of the number
of points in a selected currency (USD, for example).
[0084] In one implementation, the user may combine funds from
multiple sources to pay for the transaction. The amount 815
displayed on the user interface may provide an indication of the
amount of total funds covered so far by the selected forms of
payment (e.g., Discover card and rewards points). The user may
choose another form of payment or adjust the amount to be debited
from one or more forms of payment until the amount 815 matches the
amount payable 814. Once the amounts to be debited from one or more
forms of payment are finalized by the user, payment authorization
may begin.
[0085] In one implementation, the user may select a secure
authorization of the transaction by selecting the cloak button 822
to effectively cloak or anonymize some (e.g., pre-configured) or
all identifying information such that when the user selects pay
button 821, the transaction authorization is conducted in a secure
and anonymous manner. In another implementation, the user may
select the pay button 821 which may use standard authorization
techniques for transaction processing. In yet another
implementation, when the user selects the social button 823, a
message regarding the transaction may be communicated to one of
more social networks (set up by the user) which may post or
announce the purchase transaction in a social forum such as a wall
post or a tweet. In one implementation, the user may select a
social payment processing option 823. The indicator 824 may show
the authorizing and sending social share data in progress.
[0086] In another implementation, a restricted payment mode 825 may
be activated for certain purchase activities such as prescription
purchases. The mode may be activated in accordance with rules
defined by issuers, insurers, merchants, payment processor and/or
other entities to facilitate processing of specialized goods and
services. In this mode, the user may scroll down the list of forms
of payments 826 under the funds tab to select specialized accounts
such as a flexible spending account (FSA) 827, health savings
account (HAS), and/or the like and amounts to be debited to the
selected accounts. In one implementation, such restricted payment
mode 825 processing may disable social sharing of purchase
information.
[0087] In one embodiment, the wallet mobile application may
facilitate importing of funds via the import funds user interface
828. For example, a user who is unemployed may obtain unemployment
benefit fund 829 via the wallet mobile application. In one
implementation, the entity providing the funds may also configure
rules for using the fund as shown by the processing indicator
message 830. The wallet may read and apply the rules prior, and may
reject any purchases with the unemployment funds that fail to meet
the criteria set by the rules. Example criteria may include, for
example, merchant category code (MCC), time of transaction,
location of transaction, and/or the like. As an example, a
transaction with a grocery merchant having MCC 5411 may be
approved, while a transaction with a bar merchant having an MCC
5813 may be refused.
[0088] With reference to FIG. 8B, in one embodiment, the wallet
mobile application may facilitate dynamic payment optimization
based on factors such as user location, preferences and currency
value preferences among others. For example, when a user is in the
United States, the country indicator 831 may display a flag of the
United States and may set the currency 833 to the United States. In
a further implementation, the wallet mobile application may
automatically rearrange the order in which the forms of payments
835 are listed to reflect the popularity or acceptability of
various forms of payment. In one implementation, the arrangement
may reflect the user's preference, which may not be changed by the
wallet mobile application.
[0089] Similarly, when a German user operates a wallet in Germany,
the mobile wallet application user interface may be dynamically
updated to reflect the country of operation 832 and the currency
834. In a further implementation, the wallet application may
rearrange the order in which different forms of payment 836 are
listed based on their acceptance level in that country. Of course,
the order of these forms of payments may be modified by the user to
suit his or her own preferences.
[0090] With reference to FIG. 8C, in one embodiment, the payee tab
837 in the wallet mobile application user interface may facilitate
user selection of one or more payees receiving the funds selected
in the funds tab. In one implementation, the user interface may
show a list of all payees 838 with whom the user has previously
transacted or available to transact. The user may then select one
or more payees. The payees 838 may include larger merchants such as
Amazon.com Inc., and individuals such as Jane P. Doe. Next to each
payee name, a list of accepted payment modes for the payee may be
displayed. In one implementation, the user may select the payee
Jane P. Doe 839 for receiving payment. Upon selection, the user
interface may display additional identifying information relating
to the payee.
[0091] With reference to FIG. 8D, in one embodiment, the mode tab
840 may facilitate selection of a payment mode accepted by the
payee. A number of payment modes may be available for selection.
Example modes include, blue tooth 841, wireless 842, snap mobile by
user-obtained QR code 843, secure chip 844, TWITTER 845, near-field
communication (NFC) 846, cellular 847, snap mobile by user-provided
QR code 848, USB 849 and FACEBOOK 850, among others. In one
implementation, only the payment modes that are accepted by the
payee may be selectable by the user. Other non-accepted payment
modes may be disabled.
[0092] With reference to FIG. 8E, in one embodiment, the offers tab
851 may provide real-time offers that are relevant to items in a
user's cart for selection by the user. The user may select one or
more offers from the list of applicable offers 852 for redemption.
In one implementation, some offers may be combined, while others
may not. When the user selects an offer that may not be combined
with another offer, the unselected offers may be disabled. In a
further implementation, offers that are recommended by the wallet
application's recommendation engine may be identified by an
indicator, such as the one shown by 853. In a further
implementation, the user may read the details of the offer by
expanding the offer row as shown by 854 in the user interface.
[0093] With reference to FIG. 8F, in one embodiment, the social tab
855 may facilitate integration of the wallet application with
social channels 856. In one implementation, a user may select one
or more social channels 856 and may sign in to the selected social
channel from the wallet application by providing to the wallet
application the social channel user name and password 857 and
signing in 858. The user may then use the social button 859 to send
or receive money through the integrated social channels. In a
further implementation, the user may send social share data such as
purchase information or links through integrated social channels.
In another embodiment, the user supplied login credentials may
allow VWCS to engage in interception parsing.
[0094] FIG. 9 shows a user interface diagram illustrating example
features of virtual wallet applications, in a history mode, in some
embodiments of the VWCS. In one embodiment, a user may select the
history mode 910 to view a history of prior purchases and perform
various actions on those prior purchases. For example, a user may
enter a merchant identifying information such as name, product,
MCC, and/or the like in the search bar 911. In another
implementation, the user may use voice activated search feature by
clicking on the microphone icon 914. The wallet application may
query the storage areas in the mobile device or elsewhere (e.g.,
one or more databases and/or tables remote from the mobile device)
for transactions matching the search keywords. The user interface
may then display the results of the query such as transaction 915.
The user interface may also identify the date 912 of the
transaction, the merchants and items 913 relating to the
transaction, a barcode of the receipt confirming that a transaction
was made, the amount of the transaction and any other relevant
information.
[0095] In one implementation, the user may select a transaction,
for example transaction 915, to view the details of the
transaction. For example, the user may view the details of the
items associated with the transaction and the amounts 916 of each
item. In a further implementation, the user may select the show
option 917 to view actions 918 that the user may take in regards to
the transaction or the items in the transaction. For example, the
user may add a photo to the transaction (e.g., a picture of the
user and the iPad the user bought). In a further implementation, if
the user previously shared the purchase via social channels, a post
including the photo may be generated and sent to the social
channels for publishing. In one implementation, any sharing may be
optional, and the user, who did not share the purchase via social
channels, may still share the photo through one or more social
channels of his or her choice directly from the history mode of the
wallet application. In another implementation, the user may add the
transaction to a group such as company expense, home expense,
travel expense or other categories set up by the user. Such
grouping may facilitate year-end accounting of expenses, submission
of work expense reports, submission for value added tax (VAT)
refunds, personal expenses, and/or the like. In yet another
implementation, the user may buy one or more items purchased in the
transaction. The user may then execute a transaction without going
to the merchant catalog or site to find the items. In a further
implementation, the user may also cart one or more items in the
transaction for later purchase.
[0096] The history mode, in another embodiment, may offer
facilities for obtaining and displaying ratings 919 of the items in
the transaction. The source of the ratings may be the user, the
user's friends (e.g., from social channels, contacts, etc.),
reviews aggregated from the web, and/or the like. The user
interface in some implementations may also allow the user to post
messages to other users of social channels (e.g., TWITTER or
FACEBOOK). For example, the display area 920 shows FACEBOOK message
exchanges between two users. In one implementation, a user may
share a link via a message 921. Selection of such a message having
embedded link to a product may allow the user to view a description
of the product and/or purchase the product directly from the
history mode.
[0097] In one embodiment, the history mode may also include
facilities for exporting receipts. The export receipts pop up 922
may provide a number of options for exporting the receipts of
transactions in the history. For example, a user may use one or
more of the options 925, which include save (to local mobile
memory, to server, to a cloud account, and/or the like), print to a
printer, fax, email, and/or the like. The user may utilize his or
her address book 923 to look up email or fax number for exporting.
The user may also specify format options 924 for exporting
receipts. Example format options may include, without limitation,
text files (.doc, .txt, .rtf, iif, etc.), spreadsheet (.csv, .xls,
etc.), image files (.jpg, .tff, .png, etc.), portable document
format (.pdf), postscript (.ps), and/or the like. The user may then
click or tap the export button 927 to initiate export of
receipts.
[0098] FIGS. 10A-E show user interface diagrams illustrating
example features of virtual wallet applications in a snap mode, in
some embodiments of the VWCS. With reference to FIG. 10A, in one
embodiment, a user may select the snap mode 2110 to access its snap
features. The snap mode may handle any machine-readable
representation of data. Examples of such data may include linear
and 2D bar codes such as UPC code and QR codes. These codes may be
found on receipts, product packaging, and/or the like. The snap
mode may also process and handle pictures of receipts, products,
offers, credit cards or other payment devices, and/or the like. An
example user interface in snap mode is shown in FIG. 10A. A user
may use his or her mobile phone to take a picture of a QR code 1015
and/or a barcode 1014. In one implementation, the bar 1013 and snap
frame 1015 may assist the user in snapping codes properly. For
example, the snap frame 1015, as shown, does not capture the
entirety of the code 1016. As such, the code captured in this view
may not be resolvable as information in the code may be incomplete.
This is indicated by the message on the bar 1013 that indicates
that the snap mode is still seeking the code. When the code 1016 is
completely framed by the snap frame 1015, the bar message may be
updated to, for example, "snap found." Upon finding the code, in
one implementation, the user may initiate code capture using the
mobile device camera. In another implementation, the snap mode may
automatically snap the code using the mobile device camera.
[0099] With reference to FIG. 10B, in one embodiment, the snap mode
may facilitate payment reallocation post transaction. For example,
a user may buy grocery and prescription items from a retailer Acme
Supermarket. The user may, inadvertently or for ease of checkout
for example, use his or her Visa card to pay for both grocery and
prescription items. However, the user may have an FSA account that
could be used to pay for prescription items, and which would
provide the user tax benefits. In such a situation, the user may
use the snap mode to initiate transaction reallocation.
[0100] As shown, the user may enter a search term (e.g., bills) in
the search bar 2121. The user may then identify in the tab 1022 the
receipt 1023 the user wants to reallocate. Alternatively, the user
may directly snap a picture of a barcode on a receipt, and the snap
mode may generate and display a receipt 1023 using information from
the barcode. The user may now reallocate 1025. In some
implementations, the user may also dispute the transaction 1024 or
archive the receipt 1026.
[0101] In one implementation, when the reallocate button 1025 is
selected, the wallet application may perform optical character
recognition (OCR) of the receipt. Each of the items in the receipt
may then be examined to identify one or more items which could be
charged to which payment device or account for tax or other
benefits such as cash back, reward points, etc. In this example,
there is a tax benefit if the prescription medication charged to
the user's Visa card is charged to the user's FSA. The wallet
application may then perform the reallocation as the back end. The
reallocation process may include the wallet contacting the payment
processor to credit the amount of the prescription medication to
the Visa card and debit the same amount to the user's FSA account.
In an alternate implementation, the payment processor (e.g., Visa
or MasterCard) may obtain and OCR the receipt, identify items and
payment accounts for reallocation and perform the reallocation. In
one implementation, the wallet application may request the user to
confirm reallocation of charges for the selected items to another
payment account. The receipt 1027 may be generated after the
completion of the reallocation process. As discussed, the receipt
shows that some charges have been moved from the Visa account to
the FSA.
[0102] With reference to FIG. 10C, in one embodiment, the snap mode
may facilitate payment via pay code such as barcodes or QR codes.
For example, a user may snap a QR code of a transaction that is not
yet complete. The QR code may be displayed at a merchant POS
terminal, a web site, or a web application and may be encoded with
information identifying items for purchase, merchant details and
other relevant information. When the user snaps such as a QR code,
the snap mode may decode the information in the QR code and may use
the decoded information to generate a receipt 1032. Once the QR
code is identified, the navigation bar 1031 may indicate that the
pay code is identified. The user may now have an option to add to
cart 1033, pay with a default payment account 1034 or pay with
wallet 1035.
[0103] In one implementation, the user may decide to pay with
default 1034. The wallet application may then use the user's
default method of payment, in this example the wallet, to complete
the purchase transaction. Upon completion of the transaction, a
receipt may be automatically generated for proof of purchase. The
user interface may also be updated to provide other options for
handling a completed transaction. Example options include social
1037 to share purchase information with others, reallocate 1038 as
discussed with regard to FIG. 10B, and archive 1039 to store the
receipt.
[0104] With reference to FIG. 10D, in one embodiment, the snap mode
may also facilitate offer identification, application and storage
for future use. For example, in one implementation, a user may snap
an offer code 1041 (e.g., a bar code, a QR code, and/or the like).
The wallet application may then generate an offer text 1042 from
the information encoded in the offer code. The user may perform a
number of actions on the offer code. For example, the user use the
find button 1043 to find all merchants who accept the offer code,
merchants in the proximity who accept the offer code, products from
merchants that qualify for the offer code, and/or the like. The
user may also apply the offer code to items that are currently in
the cart using the add to cart button 1044. Furthermore, the user
may also save the offer for future use by selecting the save button
1045.
[0105] In one implementation, after the offer or coupon 1046 is
applied, the user may have the option to find qualifying merchants
and/or products using find, the user may go to the wallet using
1048, and the user may also save the offer or coupon 1046 for later
use.
[0106] With reference to FIG. 10E, in one embodiment, the snap mode
may also offer facilities for adding a funding source to the wallet
application. In one implementation, a pay card such as a credit
card, debit card, pre-paid card, smart card and other pay accounts
may have an associated code such as a bar code or QR code. Such a
code may have encoded therein pay card information including, but
not limited to, name, address, pay card type, pay card account
details, balance amount, spending limit, rewards balance, and/or
the like. In one implementation, the code may be found on a face of
the physical pay card. In another implementation, the code may be
obtained by accessing an associated online account or another
secure location. In yet another implementation, the code may be
printed on a letter accompanying the pay card. A user, in one
implementation, may snap a picture of the code. The wallet
application may identify the pay card 1051 and may display the
textual information 1052 encoded in the pay card. The user may then
perform verification of the information 1052 by selecting the
verify button 1053. In one implementation, the verification may
include contacting the issuer of the pay card for confirmation of
the decoded information 1052 and any other relevant information. In
one implementation, the user may add the pay card to the wallet by
selecting the `add to wallet` button 1054. The instruction to add
the pay card to the wallet may cause the pay card to appear as one
of the forms of payment under the funds tab 816 discussed in FIG.
8A. The user may also cancel importing of the pay card as a funding
source by selecting the cancel button 1055. When the pay card has
been added to the wallet, the user interface may be updated to
indicate that the importing is complete via the notification
display 1056. The user may then access the wallet 1057 to begin
using the added pay card as a funding source.
[0107] FIG. 11 shows a user interface diagram illustrating example
features of virtual wallet applications, in an offers mode, in some
embodiments of the VWCS. In some implementations, the VWCS may
allow a user to search for offers for products and/or services from
within the virtual wallet mobile application. For example, the user
may enter text into a graphical user interface ("GUI") element
1111, or issue voice commands by activating GUI element 1112 and
speaking commands into the device. In some implementations, the
VWCS may provide offers based on the user's prior behavior,
demographics, current location, current cart selection or purchase
items, and/or the like. For example, if a user is in a
brick-and-mortar store, or an online shopping website, and leaves
the (virtual) store, then the merchant associated with the store
may desire to provide a sweetener deal to entice the consumer back
into the (virtual) store. The merchant may provide such an offer
1113. For example, the offer may provide a discount, and may
include an expiry time. In some implementations, other users may
provide gifts (e.g., 1114) to the user, which the user may redeem.
In some implementations, the offers section may include alerts as
to payment of funds outstanding to other users (e.g., 1115). In
some implementations, the offers section may include alerts as to
requesting receipt of funds from other users (e.g., 1116). For
example, such a feature may identify funds receivable from other
applications (e.g., mail, calendar, tasks, notes, reminder
programs, alarm, etc.), or by a manual entry by the user into the
virtual wallet application. In some implementations, the offers
section may provide offers from participating merchants in the
VWCS, e.g., 1117-1119, 1120. These offers may sometimes be
assembled using a combination of participating merchants, e.g.,
1117. In some implementations, the VWCS itself may provide offers
for users contingent on the user utilizing particular payment forms
from within the virtual wallet application, e.g., 1120.
[0108] FIGS. 12A-B show user interface diagrams illustrating
example features of virtual wallet applications, in a security and
privacy mode, in some embodiments of the VWCS. With reference to
FIG. 12A, in some implementations, the user may be able to view
and/or modify the user profile and/or settings of the user, e.g.,
by activating a user interface element. For example, the user may
be able to view/modify a user name (e.g., 1211a-b), account number
(e.g., 1212a-b), user security access code (e.g., 1213-b), user pin
(e.g., 1214-b), user address (e.g., 1215-b), social security number
associated with the user (e.g., 1216-b), current device GPS
location (e.g., 1217-b), user account of the merchant in whose
store the user currently is (e.g., 1218-b), the user's rewards
accounts (e.g., 1219-b), and/or the like. In some implementations,
the user may be able to select which of the data fields and their
associated values should be transmitted to facilitate the purchase
transaction, thus providing enhanced data security for the user.
For example, in the example illustration in FIG. 12A, the user has
selected the name 1211a, account number 1212a, security code 1213a,
merchant account ID 1218a and rewards account ID 1219a as the
fields to be sent as part of the notification to process the
purchase transaction. In some implementations, the user may toggle
the fields and/or data values that are sent as part of the
notification to process the purchase transactions. In some
implementations, the app may provide multiple screens of data
fields and/or associated values stored for the user to select as
part of the purchase order transmission. In some implementations,
the app may provide the VWCS with the GPS location of the user.
Based on the GPS location of the user, the VWCS may determine the
context of the user (e.g., whether the user is in a store, doctor's
office, hospital, postal service office, etc.). Based on the
context, the user app may present the appropriate fields to the
user, from which the user may select fields and/or field values to
send as part of the purchase order transmission.
[0109] For example, a user may go to doctor's office and desire to
pay the co-pay for doctor's appointment. In addition to basic
transactional information such as account number and name, the app
may provide the user the ability to select to transfer medical
records, health information, which may be provided to the medical
provider, insurance company, as well as the transaction processor
to reconcile payments between the parties. In some implementations,
the records may be sent in a Health Insurance Portability and
Accountability Act (HIPAA)-compliant data format and encrypted, and
only the recipients who are authorized to view such records may
have appropriate decryption keys to decrypt and view the private
user information.
[0110] With reference to FIG. 12B, in some implementations, the app
executing on the user's device may provide a "VerifyChat" feature
for fraud prevention. For example, the VWCS may detect an unusual
and/or suspicious transaction. The VWCS may utilize the VerifyChat
feature to communicate with the user, and verify the authenticity
of the originator of the purchase transaction. In various
implementations, the VWCS may send electronic mail message, text
(SMS) messages, Facebook.RTM. messages, Twitter.TM. tweets, text
chat, voice chat, video chat (e.g., Apple FaceTime), and/or the
like to communicate with the user. For example, the VWCS may
initiate a video challenge for the user, e.g., 1221. For example,
the user may need to present him/her-self via a video chat, e.g.,
1222. In some implementations, a customer service representative,
e.g., agent 1224, may manually determine the authenticity of the
user using the video of the user. In some implementations, the VWCS
may utilize face, biometric and/or like recognition (e.g., using
pattern classification techniques) to determine the identity of the
user. In some implementations, the app may provide reference marker
(e.g., cross-hairs, target box, etc.), e.g., 1223, so that the user
may the video to facilitate the VWCS's automated recognition of the
user. In some implementations, the user may not have initiated the
transaction, e.g., the transaction is fraudulent. In such
implementations, the user may cancel the challenge. The VWCS may
then cancel the transaction, and/or initiate fraud investigation
procedures on behalf of the user.
[0111] In some implementations, the VWCS may utilize a text
challenge procedure to verify the authenticity of the user, e.g.,
1225. For example, the VWCS may communicate with the user via text
chat, SMS messages, electronic mail, Facebook.RTM. messages,
Twitter.TM. tweets, and/or the like. The VWCS may pose a challenge
question, e.g., 1226, for the user. The app may provide a user
input interface element(s) (e.g., virtual keyboard 1228) to answer
the challenge question posed by the VWCS. In some implementations,
the challenge question may be randomly selected by the VWCS
automatically; in some implementations, a customer service
representative may manually communicate with the user. In some
implementations, the user may not have initiated the transaction,
e.g., the transaction is fraudulent. In such implementations, the
user may cancel the text challenge. The VWCS may cancel the
transaction, and/or initiate fraud investigation on behalf of the
user.
[0112] FIG. 13 shows a datagraph diagram illustrating example
aspects of transforming a user checkout request input via a User
Purchase Checkout ("UPC") component into a checkout data display.
In some embodiments, a user, e.g., 1301a, may desire to purchase a
product, service, offering, and/or the like ("product"), from a
merchant via a merchant online site or in the merchant's store. The
user may communicate with a merchant/acquirer ("merchant") server,
e.g., 1303a, via a client such as, but not limited to: a personal
computer, mobile device, television, point-of-sale terminal, kiosk,
ATM, and/or the like (e.g., 1302). For example, the user may
provide user input, e.g., checkout input 1311, into the client
indicating the user's desire to purchase the product. In various
embodiments, the user input may include, but not be limited to: a
single tap (e.g., a one-tap mobile app purchasing embodiment) of a
touchscreen interface, keyboard entry, card swipe, activating a
RFID/NFC equipped hardware device (e.g., electronic card having
multiple accounts, smartphone, tablet, etc.) within the user
device, mouse clicks, depressing buttons on a joystick/game
console, voice commands, single/multi-touch gestures on a
touch-sensitive interface, touching user interface elements on a
touch-sensitive display, and/or the like. As an example, a user in
a merchant store may scan a product barcode of the product via a
barcode scanner at a point-of-sale terminal. As another example,
the user may select a product from a webpage catalog on the
merchant's website, and add the product to a virtual shopping cart
on the merchant's website. The user may then indicate the user's
desire to checkout the items in the (virtual) shopping cart. For
example, the user may activate a user interface element provided by
the client to indicate the user's desire to complete the user
purchase checkout. The client may generate a checkout request,
e.g., 1312, and provide the checkout request, e.g., 1313, to the
merchant server. For example, the client may provide a (Secure)
Hypertext Transfer Protocol ("HTTP(S)") POST message including the
product details for the merchant server in the form of data
formatted according to the eXtensible Markup Language ("XML"). An
example listing of a checkout request 1312, substantially in the
form of a HTTP(S) POST message including XML-formatted data, is
provided below:
TABLE-US-00019 POST /checkoutrequest.php HTTP/1.1 Host:
www.merchant.com Content-Type: Application/XML Content-Length: 667
<?XML version = "1.0" encoding = "UTF-8"?>
<checkout_request>
<session_ID>4NFU4RG94</session_ID> <!--optional
parameters--> <timestamp>2011-02-22
15:22:41</timestamp>
<user_ID>john.q.public@gmail.com</user_ID>
<device_fingerprint>
<device_IP>192.168.23.126</device_IP>
<device_MAC>0123.4567.89ab</device_MAC>
<device_serial>312456768798765432</device_serial>
<device_ECID>00000AEBCDF12345</device_ECID>
<device_identifier>jqp_air</device_identifier>
<device_UDID>21343e34-14f4-8jn4-7yfe-124578632134
</device_UDID> <device_browser>firefox
2.2</device_browser>
<device_type>smartphone</device_type>
<device_model>HTC Hero</device_model> <OS>Android
2.2</OS>
<wallet_app_installed_flag>true</wallet_app_installed_flag>
</device_fingerprint> </checkout_request>
[0113] In some embodiments, the merchant server may obtain the
checkout request from the client, and extract the checkout detail
(e.g., XML data) from the checkout request. For example, the
merchant server may utilize a parser such as the example parsers
described below in the discussion with reference to FIG. 19. Based
on parsing the checkout request 1312, the merchant server may
extract product data (e.g., product identifiers), as well as
available PoS client data, from the checkout request. In some
embodiments, using the product data, the merchant server may query,
e.g., 1314, a merchant/acquirer ("merchant") database, e.g., 1303b,
to obtain product data, e.g., 1315, such as product information,
product pricing, sales tax, offers, discounts, rewards, and/or
other information to process the purchase transaction and/or
provide value-added services for the user. For example, the
merchant database may be a relational database responsive to
Structured Query Language ("SQL") commands. The merchant server may
execute a hypertext preprocessor ("PHP") script including SQL
commands to query a database table (such as FIG. 19, Products
1919l) for product data. An example product data query 1314,
substantially in the form of PHP/SQL commands, is provided
below:
TABLE-US-00020 <?PHP header ('Content-Type: text/plain');
mysql_connect ("254.93.179.112",$DBserver,$password); // access
database server mysql_select_db ("VWCS_DB.SQL"); // select database
table to search //create query $query = "SELECT product_title
product_attributes_list product_price tax_info_list
related_products_list offers_list discounts_list rewards_list
merchants_list merchant_availability_list FROM ProductsTable WHERE
product_ID LIKE '%'$prodID"; $result = mysql_query($query); //
perform the search query mysql_close("VWCS_DB.SQL"); // close
database access ?>
[0114] In some embodiments, in response to obtaining the product
data, the merchant server may generate, e.g., 1316, checkout data
to provide for the PoS client. In some embodiments, such checkout
data, e.g., 1317, may be embodied, in part, in a HyperText Markup
Language ("HTML") page including data for display, such as product
detail, product pricing, total pricing, tax information, shipping
information, offers, discounts, rewards, value-added service
information, etc., and input fields to provide payment information
to process the purchase transaction, such as account holder name,
account number, billing address, shipping address, tip amount, etc.
In some embodiments, the checkout data may be embodied, in part, in
a Quick Response ("QR") code image that the PoS client can display,
so that the user may capture the QR code using a user's device to
obtain merchant and/or product data for generating a purchase
transaction processing request. In some embodiments, a user alert
mechanism may be built into the checkout data. For example, the
merchant server may embed a URL specific to the transaction into
the checkout data. In some embodiments, the alerts URL may further
be embedded into optional level 3 data in card authorization
requests, such as those discussed further below with reference to
FIGS. 15-16. The URL may point to a webpage, data file, executable
script, etc., stored on the merchant's server dedicated to the
transaction that is the subject of the card authorization request.
For example, the object pointed to by the URL may include details
on the purchase transaction, e.g., products being purchased,
purchase cost, time expiry, status of order processing, and/or the
like. Thus, the merchant server may provide to the payment network
the details of the transaction by passing the URL of the webpage to
the payment network. In some embodiments, the payment network may
provide notifications to the user, such as a payment receipt,
transaction authorization confirmation message, shipping
notification and/or the like. In such messages, the payment network
may provide the URL to the user device. The user may navigate to
the URL on the user's device to obtain alerts regarding the user's
purchase, as well as other information such as offers, coupons,
related products, rewards notifications, and/or the like. An
example listing of a checkout data 1317, substantially in the form
of XML-formatted data, is provided below:
TABLE-US-00021 <?XML version = "1.0" encoding = "UTF-8"?>
<checkout_data>
<session_ID>4NFU4RG94</session_ID> <!--optional
data--> <timestamp>2011-02-22 15:22:43</timestamp>
<expiry_lapse>00:00:30</expiry_lapse>
<total_cost>$121.49</total_cost>
<alerts_URL>www.merchant.com/shopcarts.php?sessionID=4NFU4RG94
</alerts_URL>
<user_ID>john.g.public@gmail.com</user_ID>
<user_device_fingerprint>
<device_IP>192.168.23.126</device_IP>
<device_MAC>0123.4567.89ab</device_MAC>
<device_serial>312456768798765432</device_serial>
<device_ECID>00000AEBCDF12345</device_ECID>
<device_identifier>jgp_air</device_identifier>
<device_UDID>21343e34-14f4-8jn4-7yfe-124578632134
</device_UDID> <device_browser>firefox
2.2</device_browser>
<device_type>smartphone</device_type>
<device_model>HTC Hero</device_model> <OS>Android
2.2</OS>
<wallet_app_installed_flag>true</wallet_app_installed_flag>
</user_device_fingerprint> <purchase_detail>
<cart> <product> <merchant_params>
<merchant_id>54TBRELF8</merchant_id>
<merchant_name>BARNES, Inc.</merchant_name>
<merchant_auth_key>TMN45GER98</merchant_auth_key>
</merchant_params>
<product_type>book</product_type>
<product_params> <product_title>XML for
dummies</product_title>
<ISBN>938-2-14-168710-0</ISBN> <edition>2nd
ed.</edition> <cover>hardbound</cover>
</product_params> <quantity>2</quantity>
<unit_cost>$14.46</unit_cost>
<coupon_id>AY34567</coupon_id>
<social_flag>ON</social_flag>
<social_message>Look what I bought
today!</social_message> <social_networks>facebook
twitter</social_networks> </product> <product>
<merchant_params>
<merchant_id>3FBCR4INC</merchant_id>
<merchant_name>Books, Inc.</merchant_name>
<merchant_auth_key>1N484MCP</merchant_auth_key>
</merchant_params>
<product_type>book</product_type>
<product_params> <product_title>Sophie's
World</product_title>
<ISBN>955-2-14-112310-0</ISBN>
<edition>NULL</edition>
<cover>hardbound</cover> </product_params>
<quantity>1</quantity>
<unit_cost>$34.78</unit_cost>
<coupon_id>null</coupon_id>
<social_flag>OFF</social_flag> </product>
</cart> <cart> <product> <merchant_params>
<merchant_id>RFH5IB4FT</merchant_id>
<merchant_name>Amzn, Inc.</merchant_name>
<merchant_authkey>44543DSJFG</merchant_auth_key>
</merchant_params>
<product_type>book</product_type>
<product_params> <product_title>XML - a
primer</product_title>
<ISBN>938-2-14-1436710-0</ISBN> <edition>2nd
ed.</edition> <cover>hardbound</cover>
</product_params> <quantity>1</quantity>
<unit_cost>$12.93</unit_cost>
<coupon_id>AY34567</coupon_id>
<social_flag>ON</social_flag>
<social_message>Look what I bought
today!</social_message> <social_networks>facebook
twitter</social_networks> </product> <product>
<merchant_params>
<merchant_id>3FBCR4INC</merchant_id>
<merchant_name>BestBooks, Inc.</merchant_name>
<merchant_auth_key>1N484MCP</merchant_auth_key>
</merchant_params>
<product_type>book</product_type>
<product_params> <product_title>Sophie's
Choice</product_title>
<ISBN>938-2-14-168710-0</ISBN> <edition>1st
ed.</edition> </product_params>
<quantity>1</quantity>
<unit_cost>$44.86</unit_cost>
<coupon_id>null</coupon_id>
<social_flag>OFF</social_flag> </product>
</cart> </purchase_detail> <checkout_data>
[0115] Upon obtaining the checkout data, e.g., 1317, the PoS client
may render and display, e.g., 1318, the checkout data for the
user.
[0116] FIG. 14 shows a logic flow diagram illustrating example
aspects of transforming a user checkout request input via a User
Purchase Checkout ("UPC") component into a checkout data display.
In some embodiments, a user may desire to purchase a product,
service, offering, and/or the like ("product"), from a merchant via
a merchant online site or in the merchant's store. The user may
communicate with a merchant/acquirer ("merchant") server via a PoS
client. For example, the user may provide user input, e.g., 1401,
into the client indicating the user's desire to purchase the
product. The client may generate a checkout request, e.g., 1402,
and provide the checkout request to the merchant server. In some
embodiments, the merchant server may obtain the checkout request
from the client, and extract the checkout detail (e.g., XML data)
from the checkout request. For example, the merchant server may
utilize a parser such as the example parsers described below in the
discussion with reference to FIG. 19. Based on parsing the checkout
request, the merchant server may extract product data (e.g.,
product identifiers), as well as available PoS client data, from
the checkout request. In some embodiments, using the product data,
the merchant server may query, e.g., 1403, a merchant/acquirer
("merchant") database to obtain product data, e.g., 1404, such as
product information, product pricing, sales tax, offers, discounts,
rewards, and/or other information to process the purchase
transaction and/or provide value-added services for the user. In
some embodiments, in response to obtaining the product data, the
merchant server may generate, e.g., 1405, checkout data to provide,
e.g., 1406, for the PoS client. Upon obtaining the checkout data,
the PoS client may render and display, e.g., 1407, the checkout
data for the user.
[0117] FIGS. 15A-B show datagraph diagrams illustrating example
aspects of transforming a user virtual wallet access input via a
Purchase Transaction Authorization ("PTA") component into a
purchase transaction receipt notification. With reference to FIG.
15A, in some embodiments, a user, e.g., 1501a, may wish to utilize
a virtual wallet account to purchase a product, service, offering,
and/or the like ("product"), from a merchant via a merchant online
site or in the merchant's store. The user may utilize a physical
card, or a user wallet device, e.g., 1501b, to access the user's
virtual wallet account. For example, the user wallet device may be
a personal/laptop computer, cellular telephone, smartphone, tablet,
eBook reader, netbook, gaming console, and/or the like. The user
may provide a wallet access input, e.g., 1511 into the user wallet
device. In various embodiments, the user input may include, but not
be limited to: a single tap (e.g., a one-tap mobile app purchasing
embodiment) of a touchscreen interface, keyboard entry, card swipe,
activating a RFID/NFC equipped hardware device (e.g., electronic
card having multiple accounts, smartphone, tablet, etc.) within the
user device, mouse clicks, depressing buttons on a joystick/game
console, voice commands, single/multi-touch gestures on a
touch-sensitive interface, touching user interface elements on a
touch-sensitive display, and/or the like. In some embodiments, the
user wallet device may authenticate the user based on the user's
wallet access input, and provide virtual wallet features for the
user.
[0118] In some embodiments, upon authenticating the user for access
to virtual wallet features, the user wallet device may provide a
transaction authorization input, e.g., 1514, to a point-of-sale
("PoS") client, e.g., 1502. For example, the user wallet device may
communicate with the PoS client via Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, cellular
communication, one- or two-way near-field communication ("NFC"),
and/or the like. In embodiments where the user utilizes a plastic
card instead of the user wallet device, the user may swipe the
plastic card at the PoS client to transfer information from the
plastic card into the PoS client. For example, the PoS client may
obtain, as transaction authorization input 1514, track 1 data from
the user's plastic card (e.g., credit card, debit card, prepaid
card, charge card, etc.), such as the example track 1 data provided
below:
TABLE-US-00022 %B123456789012345{circumflex over (
)}PUBLIC/J.Q.{circumflex over ( )}99011200000000000000**901
******?* (wherein `123456789012345` is the card number of `J.Q.
Public` and has a CVV number of 901. `990112` is a service code,
and *** represents decimal digits which change randomly each time
the card is used.)
[0119] In embodiments where the user utilizes a user wallet device,
the user wallet device may provide payment information to the PoS
client, formatted according to a data formatting protocol
appropriate to the communication mechanism employed in the
communication between the user wallet device and the PoS client. An
example listing of transaction authorization input 1514,
substantially in the form of XML-formatted data, is provided
below:
TABLE-US-00023 <?XML version = "1.0" encoding = "UTF-8"?>
<transaction_authorization_input> <payment_data>
<account> <charge_priority>1/</charge_priority>
<charge_ratio>40%</charge_ratio>
<account_type>debit</account_type>
<value_exchange_symbol>USD</value_exchange_symbol>
<account_number>123456789012345</account_number>
<account_name>John Q. Public</account_name>
<bill_add>987 Green St #456, Chicago, IL
94652</bill_add> <ship_add>987 Green St #456, Chicago,
IL 94652</ship_add> <CVV_type>dynamic<CVV_type>
<CVV>http://www.paynet.com/dcvv.php?sessionID=4NFU4RG94</
CVV> <cloak_flag>ON</cloak_flag>
<alert_rules>tar1 tar4 tar12</alert_rules>
<mode>NFC</mode> </account> <account>
<charge_priority>1</charge_priority>
<charge_ratio>60%</charge_ratio>
<account_type>rewards</account_type>
<value_exchange_symbol>VME</value_exchange_symbo1>
<account_number>234567890123456</account_number>
<account_name>John Q. Public</account_ name>
<bill_add>987 Green St #456, Chicago, IL
94652</bill_add> <ship_add>987 Green St #456, Chicago,
IL 94652</ship_add> <CVV_type>static<CVV_type>
<CVV>173</CVV> <cloak_flag>ON</cloak_flag>
<alert_rules>tar1 tar4 tar12</alert_rules>
<mode>Bluetooth</mode> </account> <account>
<charge_priority>2</charge_priority>
<charge_ratio>100%</charge_ratio>
<account_number>345678901234567</account_number>
<account_type>credit</account_type>
<value_exchange_symbol>USD</value_exchange_symbol>
<account_name>John Q. Public</account_name>
<bill_add>987 Green St #456, Chicago, IL
94652</bill_add> <ship_add>987 Green St #456, Chicago,
IL 94652</ship_add> <CVV_type>static<CVV_type>
<CVV>173</CVV> <cloak_flag>ON</cloak_flag>
<alert_rules>tar1 tar4 tar12</alert_rules>
<mode>NFC</mode> </account> </payment_data>
<!--optional data--> <timestamp>2011-02-22
15:22:43</timestamp>
<expiry_lapse>00:00:30</expiry_lapse>
<secure_key>0445329070598623487956543322</secure_key>
<alerts_track_flag>TRUE</alerts_track_flag>
<device_fingerprint>
<device_IP>192.168.23.126</device_IP>
<device_MAC>0123.4567.89ab</device_MAC>
<device_serial>312456768798765432</device_serial>
<device_ECID>00000AEBCDF12345</device_ECID>
<device_identifier>jqp_air</device_identifier>
<device_UDID>21343e34-14f4-8jn4-7yfe-124578632134</device_
UDID> <device_browser>firefox 2.2</device_browser>
<device_type>smartphone</device_type>
<device_model>HTC Hero</device_model> <OS>Android
2.2</OS>
<wallet_app_installed_flag>true</wallet_app_installed_flag>
</device_fingerprint>
</transaction_authorization_input>
[0120] In some embodiments, the PoS client may generate a card
authorization request, e.g., 1515, using the obtained transaction
authorization input from the user wallet device, and/or
product/checkout data (see, e.g., FIG. 13, 1315-1317). An example
listing of a card authorization request 1515-1516, substantially in
the form of a HTTP(S) POST message including XML-formatted data, is
provided below:
TABLE-US-00024 POST /authorizationrequests.php HTTP/1.1 Host:
www.acquirer.com Content-Type: Application/XML Content-Length: 1306
<?XML version = "1.0" encoding = "UTF-8"?>
<card_authorization_request>
<session_ID>4NFU4RG94</order_ID> <!--optional
data--> <timestamp>2011-02-22 15:22:43</timestamp>
<expiry>00:00:30</expiry>
<alerts_URL>www.merchant.com/shopcarts.php?sessionID=
AEBB4356</alerts_URL>
<user_ID>john.q.public@gmail.com</user_ID>
<device_fingerprint>
<device_IP>192.168.23.126</device_IP>
<device_MAC>0123.4567.89ab</device_MAC>
<device_serial>312456768798765432</device_serial>
<device_ECID>00000AEBCDF12345</device_ECID>
<device_identifier>jqp_air</device_identifier>
<device_UDID>21343e34-14f4-8jn4-7yfe-124578632134</device_
UDID> <device_browser>firefox 2.2</device_browser>
<device_type>smartphone</device_type>
<device_model>HTC Hero</device_model> <OS>Android
2.2</OS>
<wallet_app_installed_flag>true</wallet_app_installed_flag>
</device_fingerprint> <purchase_details>
<total_cost>$121.49</total_cost> <cart>
<product> <merchant_params>
<merchant_id>54TBRELF8</merchant_id>
<merchant_name>BARNES, Inc.</merchant_name>
<merchant_auth_key>TMN45GER98</merchant_auth_key>
</merchant_params>
<product_type>book</product_type>
<product_params> <product_title>XML for
dummies</product_title>
<ISBN>938-2-14-168710-0</ISBN> <edition>2nd
ed.</edition> <cover>hardbound</cover>
</product_params> <quantity>2</quantity>
<unit_cost>$14.46</unit_cost>
<coupon_id>AY34567</coupon_id>
<social_flag>ON</social_flag>
<social_message>Look what I bought
today!</social_message> <social_networks>facebook
twitter</social_networks> </product> <product>
<merchant_params>
<merchant_id>3FBCR4INC</merchant_id>
<merchant_name>Books, Inc.</merchant_name>
<merchant_auth_key>1N484MCP</merchant_auth_key>
</merchant_params>
<product_type>book</product_type>
<product_params> <product_title>Sophie's
World</product_title>
<ISBN>955-2-14-112310-0</ISBN>
<edition>NULL</edition>
<cover>hardbound</cover> </product_params>
<quantity>1</quantity>
<unit_cost>$34.78</unit_cost>
<coupon_id>null</coupon_id>
<social_flag>OFF</social_flag> </product>
</cart> <cart> <product> <merchant_params>
<merchant_id>RFH5IB4FT</merchant_id>
<merchant_name>Amzn, Inc.</merchant_name>
<merchant_auth_key>44543DSJFG</merchant_auth_key>
</merchant_params>
<product_type>book</product_type>
<product_params> <product_title>XML - a
primer</product_title>
<ISBN>938-2-14-1436710-0</ISBN> <edition>2nd
ed.</edition> <cover>hardbound</cover>
</product_params> <quantity>1</quantity>
<unit_cost>$12.93</unit_cost>
<coupon_id>AY34567</coupon_id>
<social_flag>ON</social_flag>
<social_message>Look what I bought
today!</social_message> <social_networks>facebook
twitter</social_networks> </product> <product>
<merchant_params>
<merchant_id>3FBCR4INC</merchant_id>
<merchant_name>BestBooks, Inc.</merchant_name>
<merchant_auth_key>1N484MCP</merchant_auth_key>
</merchant_params>
<product_type>book</product_type>
<product_params> <product_title>Sophie's
Choice</product_title>
<ISBN>938-2-14-168710-0</ISBN> <edition>1st
ed.</edition> </product_params>
<quantity>1</quantity>
<unit_cost>$44.86</unit_cost>
<coupon_id>null</coupon_id>
<social_flag>OFF</social_flag> </product>
</cart> </purchase_details> <account_params>
<account> <charge_priority>1</charge_priority>
<charge_ratio>40%</charge_ratio>
<account_type>debit</account_type>
<value_exchange_symbol>USD</value_exchange_symbol>
<account_number>123456789012345</account_number>
<account_name>John Q. Public</account_name>
<bill_add>987 Green St #456, Chicago, IL
94652</bill_add> <ship_add>987 Green St #456, Chicago,
IL 94652</ship_add> <CVV_type>dynamic<CVV_type>
<CVV>http://www.paynet.com/dcvv.php?sessionID=4NFU4RG94</
CVV> <cloak_flag>ON</cloak_flag>
<alert_rules>tar1 tar4 tar12</alert_rules>
<mode>NFC</mode> </account> <account>
<charge_priority>1</charge_priority>
<charge_ratio>60%</charge_ratio>
<account_type>rewards</account_type>
<value_exchange_symbol>VME</value_exchange_symbol>
<account_number>234567890123456</account_number>
<account_name>John Q. Public</account_name>
<bill_add>987 Green St #456, Chicago, IL
94652</bill_add> <ship_add>987 Green St #456, Chicago,
IL 94652</ship_add> <CVV_type>static<CVV_type>
<CVV>173</CVV> <cloak_flag>ON</cloak_flag>
<alert_rules>tar1 tar4 tar12</alert_rules>
<mode>Bluetooth</mode> </account> <account>
<charge_priority>2</charge_priority>
<charge_ratio>100%</charge_ratio>
<account_number>345678901234567</account_number>
<account_type>credit</account_type>
<value_exchange_symbol>USD</value_exchange_symbol>
<account_name>John Q. Public</account_name>
<bill_add>987 Green St #456, Chicago, IL
94652</bill_add> <ship_add>987 Green St #456, Chicago,
IL 94652</ship_add> <CVV_type>static<CVV_type>
<CVV>173</CVV> <cloak_flag>ON</cloak_flag>
<alert_rules>tar1 tar4 tar12</alert_rules>
<mode>NFC</mode> </account>
</account_params> <shipping_info>
<shipping_adress>#ref-ANON-123-45-678</shipping_address>
<ship_type>expedited</ship_type>
<ship_carrier>FedEx</ship_carrier>
<ship_account>ANON-123-45-678</ship_account>
<tracking_flag>true</tracking_flag>
<sign_flag>false</sign_flag> </shipping_info>
</card_authorization_request>
[0121] In some embodiments, the card authorization request
generated by the user device may include a minimum of information
required to process the purchase transaction. For example, this may
improve the efficiency of communicating the purchase transaction
request, and may also advantageously improve the privacy
protections provided to the user and/or merchant. For example, in
some embodiments, the card authorization request may include at
least a session ID for the user's shopping session with the
merchant. The session ID may be utilized by any component and/or
entity having the appropriate access authority to access a secure
site on the merchant server to obtain alerts, reminders, and/or
other data about the transaction(s) within that shopping session
between the user and the merchant. In some embodiments, the PoS
client may provide the generated card authorization request to the
merchant server, e.g., 1516. The merchant server may forward the
card authorization request to a pay gateway server, e.g., 1504a,
for routing the card authorization request to the appropriate
payment network for payment processing. For example, the pay
gateway server may be able to select from payment networks, such as
Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Paypal, etc., to process
various types of transactions including, but not limited to: credit
card, debit card, prepaid card, B2B and/or like transactions. In
some embodiments, the merchant server may query a database, e.g.,
merchant/acquirer database 1503b, for a network address of the
payment gateway server, for example by using a portion of a user
payment card number, or a user ID (such as an email address) as a
keyword for the database query. For example, the merchant server
may issue PHP/SQL commands to query a database table (such as FIG.
19, Pay Gateways 1919h) for a URL of the pay gateway server. An
example payment gateway address query 1517, substantially in the
form of PHP/SQL commands, is provided below:
TABLE-US-00025 <?PHP header(`Content-Type: text/plain`);
mysql_connect("254.93.179.112",$DBserver,$password); // access
database server mysql_select_db("VWCS_DB.SQL"); // select database
table to search //create query $query = "SELECT paygate_id
paygate_address paygate_URL paygate_ name FROM PayGatewayTable
WHERE card_num LIKE `%` $cardnum"; $result = mysql_query($query);
// perform the search query mysql_close("VWCS_DB.SQL"); // close
database access ?>
[0122] In response, the merchant/acquirer database may provide the
requested payment gateway address, e.g., 1518. The merchant server
may forward the card authorization request to the pay gateway
server using the provided address, e.g., 1519. In some embodiments,
upon receiving the card authorization request from the merchant
server, the pay gateway server may invoke a component to provide
one or more services associated with purchase transaction
authorization. For example, the pay gateway server may invoke
components for fraud prevention, loyalty and/or rewards, and/or
other services for which the user-merchant combination is
authorized. The pay gateway server may forward the card
authorization request to a pay network server, e.g., 1505a, for
payment processing. For example, the pay gateway server may be able
to select from payment networks, such as Visa, Mastercard, American
Express, Paypal, etc., to process various types of transactions
including, but not limited to: credit card, debit card, prepaid
card, B2B and/or like transactions. In some embodiments, the pay
gateway server may query a database, e.g., pay gateway database
1504b, for a network address of the payment network server, for
example by using a portion of a user payment card number, or a user
ID (such as an email address) as a keyword for the database query.
For example, the pay gateway server may issue PHP/SQL commands to
query a database table (such as FIG. 19, Pay Gateways 1919h) for a
URL of the pay network server. An example payment network address
query 1521, substantially in the form of PHP/SQL commands, is
provided below:
TABLE-US-00026 <?PHP header(`Content-Type: text/plain`);
mysql_connect("254.93.179.112",$DBserver,$password); // access
database server mysql_select_db("VWCS_DB.SQL"); // select database
table to search //create query $query = "SELECT payNET_id
payNET_address payNET_URL payNET_ name FROM PayGatewayTable WHERE
card_num LIKE `%` $cardnum"; $result = mysql_query($query); //
perform the search query mysql_close("VWCS_DB.SQL"); // close
database access ?>
[0123] In response, the payment gateway database may provide the
requested payment network address, e.g., 1522. The pay gateway
server may forward the card authorization request to the pay
network server using the provided address, e.g., 1523.
[0124] With reference to FIG. 15B, in some embodiments, the pay
network server may process the transaction so as to transfer funds
for the purchase into an account stored on an acquirer of the
merchant. For example, the acquirer may be a financial institution
maintaining an account of the merchant. For example, the proceeds
of transactions processed by the merchant may be deposited into an
account maintained by at a server of the acquirer.
[0125] In some embodiments, the pay network server may generate a
query, e.g., 1524, for issuer server(s) corresponding to the
user-selected payment options. For example, the user's account may
be linked to one or more issuer financial institutions ("issuers"),
such as banking institutions, which issued the account(s) for the
user. For example, such accounts may include, but not be limited
to: credit card, debit card, prepaid card, checking, savings, money
market, certificates of deposit, stored (cash) value accounts
and/or the like. Issuer server(s), e.g., 1506a, of the issuer(s)
may maintain details of the user's account(s). In some embodiments,
a database, e.g., pay network database 1505b, may store details of
the issuer server(s) associated with the issuer(s). In some
embodiments, the pay network server may query a database, e.g., pay
network database 1505b, for a network address of the issuer(s)
server(s), for example by using a portion of a user payment card
number, or a user ID (such as an email address) as a keyword for
the database query. For example, the merchant server may issue
PHP/SQL commands to query a database table (such as FIG. 19,
Issuers 1919f) for network address(es) of the issuer(s) server(s).
An example issuer server address(es) query 1524, substantially in
the form of PHP/SQL commands, is provided below:
TABLE-US-00027 <?PHP header(`Content-Type: text/plain`);
mysql_connect("254.93.179.112",$DBserver,$password); // access
database server mysql_select_db("VWCS_DB.SQL"); // select database
table to search //create query $query = "SELECT issuer_id
issuer_address issuer_URL issuer_name FROM IssuersTable WHERE
card_num LIKE `%` $cardnum"; $result = mysql_query($query); //
perform the search query mysql_close("VWCS_DB.SQL"); // close
database access ?>
[0126] In response to obtaining the issuer server query, e.g.,
1524, the pay network database may provide, e.g., 1525, the
requested issuer server data to the pay network server. In some
embodiments, the pay network server may utilize the issuer server
data to generate funds authorization request(s), e.g., 1526, for
each of the issuer server(s) selected based on the pre-defined
payment settings associated with the user's virtual wallet, and/or
the user's payment options input, and provide the funds
authorization request(s) to the issuer server(s). In some
embodiments, the funds authorization request(s) may include details
such as, but not limited to: the costs to the user involved in the
transaction, card account details of the user, user billing and/or
shipping information, and/or the like. An example listing of a
funds authorization request 1526, substantially in the form of a
HTTP(S) POST message including XML-formatted data, is provided
below:
TABLE-US-00028 POST /fundsauthorizationrequest.php HTTP/1.1 Host:
www.issuer.com Content-Type: Application/XML Content-Length: 624
<?XML version = "1.0" encoding = "UTF-8"?>
<funds_authorization_request>
<request_ID>VNEI39FK</requestID>
<timestamp>2011-02-22 15:22:44</timestamp>
<debit_amount>$72.89</debit_amount>
<account_params> <account>
<account_type>debit</account_type>
<value_exchange_symbol>USD</value_exchange_symbol>
<account_number>123456789012345</account_number>
<account_name>John Q. Public</account name>
<bill_add>987 Green St #456, Chicago, IL
94652</bill_add> <ship_add>987 Green St #456, Chicago,
IL 94652</ship_add> <CVV>1234</CVV>
</account> </account_params> <!--optional
parameters--> <user_device_fingerprint>
<device_IP>192.168.23.126</device_IP>
<device_MAC>0123.4567.89ab</device_MAC>
<device_serial>312456768798765432</device_serial>
<device_ECID>00000AEBCDF12345</device_ECID>
<device_identifier>jqp_air</device_identifier>
<device_UDID>21343e34-14f4-8jn4-7yfe-124578632134</device_
UDID> <device_browser>firefox 2.2</device_browser>
<device_type>smartphone</device_type>
<device_model>HTC Hero</device_model> <OS>Android
2.2</OS>
<wallet_app_installed_flag>true</wallet_app_installed_flag>
</user_device_fingerprint>
</funds_authorization_request>
[0127] In some embodiments, an issuer server may parse the
authorization request(s), and based on the request details may
query a database, e.g., user profile database 1506b, for data
associated with an account linked to the user. For example, the
merchant server may issue PHP/SQL commands to query a database
table (such as FIG. 19, Accounts 1919d) for user account(s) data.
An example user account(s) query 1527, substantially in the form of
PHP/SQL commands, is provided below:
TABLE-US-00029 <?PHP header(`Content-Type: text/plain`);
mysql_connect("254.93.179.112",$DBserver,$password); // access
database server mysql_select_db("VWCS_DB.SQL"); // select database
table to search //create query $query = "SELECT issuer user_id
user_name user_balance account_type FROM AccountsTable WHERE
account_num LIKE `%` $accountnum"; $result = mysql_query($query);
// perform the search query mysql_close("VWCS_DB.SQL"); // close
database access ?>
[0128] In some embodiments, on obtaining the user account(s) data,
e.g., 1528, the issuer server may determine whether the user can
pay for the transaction using funds available in the account, 1529.
For example, the issuer server may determine whether the user has a
sufficient balance remaining in the account, sufficient credit
associated with the account, and/or the like. Based on the
determination, the issuer server(s) may provide a funds
authorization response, e.g., 1530, to the pay network server. For
example, the issuer server(s) may provide a HTTP(S) POST message
similar to the examples above. In some embodiments, if at least one
issuer server determines that the user cannot pay for the
transaction using the funds available in the account, the pay
network server may request payment options again from the user
(e.g., by providing an authorization fail message to the user
device and requesting the user device to provide new payment
options), and re-attempt authorization for the purchase
transaction. In some embodiments, if the number of failed
authorization attempts exceeds a threshold, the pay network server
may abort the authorization process, and provide an "authorization
fail" message to the merchant server, user device and/or
client.
[0129] In some embodiments, the pay network server may obtain the
funds authorization response including a notification of successful
authorization, and parse the message to extract authorization
details. Upon determining that the user possesses sufficient funds
for the transaction, e.g., 1531, the pay network server may invoke
a component to provide value-add services for the user.
[0130] In some embodiments, the pay network server may generate a
transaction data record from the authorization request and/or
authorization response, and store the details of the transaction
and authorization relating to the transaction in a transactions
database. For example, the pay network server may issue PHP/SQL
commands to store the data to a database table (such as FIG. 19,
Transactions 1919i). An example transaction store command,
substantially in the form of PHP/SQL commands, is provided
below:
TABLE-US-00030 <?PHP header(`Content-Type: text/plain`);
mysql_connect("254.92.185.103",$DBserver,$password); // access
database server mysql_select("VWCS_DB.SQL"); // select database to
append mysql_query("INSERT INTO TransactionsTable (PurchasesTable
(time- stamp, purchase_summary_list, num_products, product_summary,
product_quantity, transaction_cost, account_params_list,
account_name, account_type, account_num, billing_addres, zipcode,
phone, sign, mer- chant_params_list, merchant_id, merchant_name,
merchant_auth_key) VALUES (time( ), $purchase_summary_list,
$num_products, $product_ summary, $product_quantity,
$transaction_cost, $account_params_list, $ account_name,
$account_type, $account_num, $billing_addres, $zipcode, $phone,
$sign, $merchant_params_list, $merchant_id, $merchant_name, $
merchant_auth_key)"); // add data to table in database
mysql_close("VWCS_DB.SQL"); // close connection to database
?>
[0131] In some embodiments, the pay network server may forward a
transaction authorization response, e.g., 1532, to the user wallet
device, PoS client, and/or merchant server. The merchant may obtain
the transaction authorization response, and determine from it that
the user possesses sufficient funds in the card account to conduct
the transaction. The merchant server may add a record of the
transaction for the user to a batch of transaction data relating to
authorized transactions. For example, the merchant may append the
XML data pertaining to the user transaction to an XML data file
comprising XML data for transactions that have been authorized for
various users, e.g., 1533, and store the XML data file, e.g., 1534,
in a database, e.g., merchant database 404. For example, a batch
XML data file may be structured similar to the example XML data
structure template provided below:
TABLE-US-00031 <?XML version = "1.0"encoding = "UTF-8"?>
<merchant_data>
<merchant_id>3FBCR4INC</merchant_id>
<merchant_name>Books & Things, Inc.</merchant_name>
<merchant_auth_key>1NNF484MCP59CHB27365</merchant_auth_key>
<account_number>123456789</account_number>
</merchant_data> <transaction_data> <transaction
1> . . . </transaction 1> <transaction 2> . . .
</transaction 2> . . . <transaction n> . . .
</transaction n> </transaction_data>
[0132] In some embodiments, the server may also generate a purchase
receipt, e.g., 1533, and provide the purchase receipt to the
client, e.g., 1535. The client may render and display, e.g., 1536,
the purchase receipt for the user. In some embodiments, the user's
wallet device may also provide a notification of successful
authorization to the user. For example, the PoS client/user device
may render a webpage, electronic message, text/SMS message, buffer
a voicemail, emit a ring tone, and/or play an audio message, etc.,
and provide output including, but not limited to: sounds, music,
audio, video, images, tactile feedback, vibration alerts (e.g., on
vibration-capable client devices such as a smartphone etc.), and/or
the like.
[0133] FIGS. 16A-B show logic flow diagrams illustrating example
aspects of transforming a user virtual wallet access input via a
Purchase Transaction Authorization ("PTA") component into a
purchase transaction receipt notification. With reference to FIG.
16A, in some embodiments, a user may wish to utilize a virtual
wallet account to purchase a product, service, offering, and/or the
like ("product"), from a merchant via a merchant online site or in
the merchant's store. The user may utilize a physical card, or a
user wallet device to access the user's virtual wallet account. For
example, the user wallet device may be a personal/laptop computer,
cellular telephone, smartphone, tablet, eBook reader, netbook,
gaming console, and/or the like. The user may provide a wallet
access input, e.g., 1601, into the user wallet device. In various
embodiments, the user input may include, but not be limited to: a
single tap (e.g., a one-tap mobile app purchasing embodiment) of a
touchscreen interface, keyboard entry, card swipe, activating a
RFID/NFC equipped hardware device (e.g., electronic card having
multiple accounts, smartphone, tablet, etc.) within the user
device, mouse clicks, depressing buttons on a joystick/game
console, voice commands, single/multi-touch gestures on a
touch-sensitive interface, touching user interface elements on a
touch-sensitive display, and/or the like. In some embodiments, the
user wallet device may authenticate the user based on the user's
wallet access input, and provide virtual wallet features for the
user, e.g., 1602-1603.
[0134] In some embodiments, upon authenticating the user for access
to virtual wallet features, the user wallet device may provide a
transaction authorization input, e.g., 1604, to a point-of-sale
("PoS") client. For example, the user wallet device may communicate
with the PoS client via Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, cellular communication,
one- or two-way near-field communication ("NFC"), and/or the like.
In embodiments where the user utilizes a plastic card instead of
the user wallet device, the user may swipe the plastic card at the
PoS client to transfer information from the plastic card into the
PoS client. In embodiments where the user utilizes a user wallet
device, the user wallet device may provide payment information to
the PoS client, formatted according to a data formatting protocol
appropriate to the communication mechanism employed in the
communication between the user wallet device and the PoS
client.
[0135] In some embodiments, the PoS client may obtain the
transaction authorization input, and parse the input to extract
payment information from the transaction authorization input, e.g.,
1605. For example, the PoS client may utilize a parser, such as the
example parsers provided below in the discussion with reference to
FIG. 19. The PoS client may generate a card authorization request,
e.g., 1606, using the obtained transaction authorization input from
the user wallet device, and/or product/checkout data (see, e.g.,
FIG. 13, 1315-1317).
[0136] In some embodiments, the PoS client may provide the
generated card authorization request to the merchant server. The
merchant server may forward the card authorization request to a pay
gateway server, for routing the card authorization request to the
appropriate payment network for payment processing. For example,
the pay gateway server may be able to select from payment networks,
such as Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Paypal, etc., to
process various types of transactions including, but not limited
to: credit card, debit card, prepaid card, B2B and/or like
transactions. In some embodiments, the merchant server may query a
database, e.g., 1608, for a network address of the payment gateway
server, for example by using a portion of a user payment card
number, or a user ID (such as an email address) as a keyword for
the database query. In response, the merchant/acquirer database may
provide the requested payment gateway address, e.g., 1610. The
merchant server may forward the card authorization request to the
pay gateway server using the provided address. In some embodiments,
upon receiving the card authorization request from the merchant
server, the pay gateway server may invoke a component to provide
one or more service associated with purchase transaction
authorization, e.g., 1611. For example, the pay gateway server may
invoke components for fraud prevention (see e.g., VerifyChat, FIG.
3E), loyalty and/or rewards, and/or other services for which the
user-merchant combination is authorized.
[0137] The pay gateway server may forward the card authorization
request to a pay network server for payment processing, e.g., 1614.
For example, the pay gateway server may be able to select from
payment networks, such as Visa, Mastercard, American Express,
Paypal, etc., to process various types of transactions including,
but not limited to: credit card, debit card, prepaid card, B2B
and/or like transactions. In some embodiments, the pay gateway
server may query a database, e.g., 1612, for a network address of
the payment network server, for example by using a portion of a
user payment card number, or a user ID (such as an email address)
as a keyword for the database query. In response, the payment
gateway database may provide the requested payment network address,
e.g., 1613. The pay gateway server may forward the card
authorization request to the pay network server using the provided
address, e.g., 1614.
[0138] With reference to FIG. 16B, in some embodiments, the pay
network server may process the transaction so as to transfer funds
for the purchase into an account stored on an acquirer of the
merchant. For example, the acquirer may be a financial institution
maintaining an account of the merchant. For example, the proceeds
of transactions processed by the merchant may be deposited into an
account maintained by at a server of the acquirer. In some
embodiments, the pay network server may generate a query, e.g.,
1615, for issuer server(s) corresponding to the user-selected
payment options. For example, the user's account may be linked to
one or more issuer financial institutions ("issuers"), such as
banking institutions, which issued the account(s) for the user. For
example, such accounts may include, but not be limited to: credit
card, debit card, prepaid card, checking, savings, money market,
certificates of deposit, stored (cash) value accounts and/or the
like. Issuer server(s) of the issuer(s) may maintain details of the
user's account(s). In some embodiments, a database, e.g., a pay
network database, may store details of the issuer server(s)
associated with the issuer(s). In some embodiments, the pay network
server may query a database, e.g., 1615, for a network address of
the issuer(s) server(s), for example by using a portion of a user
payment card number, or a user ID (such as an email address) as a
keyword for the database query.
[0139] In response to obtaining the issuer server query, the pay
network database may provide, e.g., 1616, the requested issuer
server data to the pay network server. In some embodiments, the pay
network server may utilize the issuer server data to generate funds
authorization request(s), e.g., 1617, for each of the issuer
server(s) selected based on the pre-defined payment settings
associated with the user's virtual wallet, and/or the user's
payment options input, and provide the funds authorization
request(s) to the issuer server(s). In some embodiments, the funds
authorization request(s) may include details such as, but not
limited to: the costs to the user involved in the transaction, card
account details of the user, user billing and/or shipping
information, and/or the like. In some embodiments, an issuer server
may parse the authorization request(s), e.g., 1618, and based on
the request details may query a database, e.g., 1619, for data
associated with an account linked to the user.
[0140] In some embodiments, on obtaining the user account(s) data,
e.g., 1620, the issuer server may determine whether the user can
pay for the transaction using funds available in the account, e.g.,
1621. For example, the issuer server may determine whether the user
has a sufficient balance remaining in the account, sufficient
credit associated with the account, and/or the like. Based on the
determination, the issuer server(s) may provide a funds
authorization response, e.g., 1622, to the pay network server. In
some embodiments, if at least one issuer server determines that the
user cannot pay for the transaction using the funds available in
the account, the pay network server may request payment options
again from the user (e.g., by providing an authorization fail
message to the user device and requesting the user device to
provide new payment options), and re-attempt authorization for the
purchase transaction. In some embodiments, if the number of failed
authorization attempts exceeds a threshold, the pay network server
may abort the authorization process, and provide an "authorization
fail" message to the merchant server, user device and/or
client.
[0141] In some embodiments, the pay network server may obtain the
funds authorization response including a notification of successful
authorization, and parse the message to extract authorization
details. Upon determining that the user possesses sufficient funds
for the transaction, e.g., 1623, the pay network server may invoke
a component to provide value-add services for the user, e.g.,
1623.
[0142] In some embodiments, the pay network server may forward a
transaction authorization response to the user wallet device, PoS
client, and/or merchant server. The merchant may parse, e.g., 1624,
the transaction authorization response, and determine from it that
the user possesses sufficient funds in the card account to conduct
the transaction, e.g., 1625, option"Yes." The merchant server may
add a record of the transaction for the user to a batch of
transaction data relating to authorized transactions. For example,
the merchant may append the XML data pertaining to the user
transaction to an XML data file comprising XML data for
transactions that have been authorized for various users, e.g.,
1626, and store the XML data file, e.g., 1627, in a database. In
some embodiments, the server may also generate a purchase receipt,
e.g., 1628, and provide the purchase receipt to the client. The
client may render and display, e.g., 1629, the purchase receipt for
the user. In some embodiments, the user's wallet device may also
provide a notification of successful authorization to the user. For
example, the PoS client/user device may render a webpage,
electronic message, text /SMS message, buffer a voicemail, emit a
ring tone, and/or play an audio message, etc., and provide output
including, but not limited to: sounds, music, audio, video, images,
tactile feedback, vibration alerts (e.g., on vibration-capable
client devices such as a smartphone etc.), and/or the like.
[0143] FIGS. 17A-B show data flow diagrams illustrating example
aspects of transforming a merchant transaction batch data query via
a Purchase Transaction Clearance ("PTC") component into an updated
payment ledger record. With reference to FIG. 17A, in some
embodiments, a merchant server, e.g., 1703a, may initiate clearance
of a batch of authorized transactions. For example, the merchant
server may generate a batch data request, e.g., 1711, and provide
the request, to a merchant database, e.g., 1703b. For example, the
merchant server may utilize PHP/SQL commands similar to the
examples provided above to query a relational database. In response
to the batch data request, the database may provide the requested
batch data, e.g., 1712. The server may generate a batch clearance
request, e.g., 1713, using the batch data obtained from the
database, and provide, e.g., 1714, the batch clearance request to
an acquirer server, e.g., 1707a. For example, the merchant server
may provide a HTTP(S) POST message including XML-formatted batch
data in the message body for the acquirer server. The acquirer
server may generate, e.g., 1715, a batch payment request using the
obtained batch clearance request, and provide, e.g., 1718, the
batch payment request to the pay network server, e.g., 1705a. The
pay network server may parse the batch payment request, and extract
the transaction data for each transaction stored in the batch
payment request, e.g., 1719. The pay network server may store the
transaction data, e.g., 1720, for each transaction in a database,
e.g., pay network database 1705b. In some embodiments, the pay
network server may invoke a component to provide value-add
analytics services based on analysis of the transactions of the
merchant for whom the VWCS is clearing purchase transactions. Thus,
in some embodiments, the pay network server may provide
analytics-based value-added services for the merchant and/or the
merchant's users.
[0144] With reference to FIG. 17B, in some embodiments, for each
extracted transaction, the pay network server may query, e.g.,
1723, a database, e.g., pay network database 1705b, for an address
of an issuer server. For example, the pay network server may
utilize PHP/SQL commands similar to the examples provided above.
The pay network server may generate an individual payment request,
e.g., 1725, for each transaction for which it has extracted
transaction data, and provide the individual payment request, e.g.,
1725, to the issuer server, e.g., 1706a. For example, the pay
network server may provide an individual payment request to the
issuer server(s) as a HTTP(S) POST message including XML-formatted
data. An example listing of an individual payment request 1725,
substantially in the form of a HTTP(S) POST message including
XML-formatted data, is provided below:
TABLE-US-00032 POST /paymentrequest.php HTTP/1.1 Host:
www.issuer.com Content-Type: Application/XML Content-Length: 788
<?XML version = "1.0" encoding = "UTF-8"?>
<pay_request> <request_ID>CNI4ICNW2</request_ID>
<timestamp>2011-02-22 17:00:01</timestamp>
<pay_amount>$72.89</pay_amount> <account_params>
<account> <account_type>debit</account_type>
<value_exchange_symbol>USD</value_exchange_symbol>
<account_number>123456789012345</account_number>
<account_name>John Q. Public</account_name>
<bill_add>987 Green St #456, Chicago, IL
94652</bill_add> <ship_add>987 Green St #456, Chicago,
IL 94652</ship_add> <CVV>1234</CVV>
</account> </account_params> </pay_request>
[0145] In some embodiments, the issuer server may generate a
payment command, e.g., 1727. For example, the issuer server may
issue a command to deduct funds from the user's account (or add a
charge to the user's credit card account). The issuer server may
issue a payment command, e.g., 1727, to a database storing the
user's account information, e.g., user profile database 1706b. The
issuer server may provide an individual payment confirmation, e.g.,
1728, to the pay network server, which may forward, e.g., 1729, the
funds transfer message to the acquirer server. An example listing
of an individual payment confirmation 1728, substantially in the
form of a HTTP(S) POST message including XML-formatted data, is
provided below:
TABLE-US-00033 POST /clearance.php HTTP/1.1 Host: www.acquirer.com
Content-Type: Application/XML Content-Length: 206 <?XML version
= "1.0" encoding = "UTF-8"?> <deposit_ack>
<request_ID>CNI4ICNW2</request_ID>
<clear_flag>true</clear_flag>
<timestamp>2011-02-22 17:00:02</timestamp>
<deposit_amount>$72.89</deposit_amount>
</deposit_ack>
[0146] In some embodiments, the acquirer server may parse the
individual payment confirmation, and correlate the transaction
(e.g., using the request ID field in the example above) to the
merchant. The acquirer server may then transfer the funds specified
in the funds transfer message to an account of the merchant. For
example, the acquirer server may query, e.g. 1730, an acquirer
database 1707b for payment ledger and/or merchant account data,
e.g., 1731. The acquirer server may utilize payment ledger and/or
merchant account data from the acquirer database, along with the
individual payment confirmation, to generate updated payment ledger
and/or merchant account data, e.g., 1732. The acquirer server may
then store, e.g., 1733, the updated payment ledger and/or merchant
account data to the acquire database.
[0147] FIGS. 18A-B show logic flow diagrams illustrating example
aspects of transforming a merchant transaction batch data query via
a Purchase Transaction Clearance ("PTC") component into an updated
payment ledger record. With reference to FIG. 18A, in some
embodiments, a merchant server may initiate clearance of a batch of
authorized transactions. For example, the merchant server may
generate a batch data request, e.g., 1801, and provide the request
to a merchant database. In response to the batch data request, the
database may provide the requested batch data, e.g., 1802. The
server may generate a batch clearance request, e.g., 1803, using
the batch data obtained from the database, and provide the batch
clearance request to an acquirer server. The acquirer server may
parse, e.g., 1804, the obtained batch clearance request, and
generate, e.g., 1807, a batch payment request using the obtained
batch clearance request to provide, the batch payment request to a
pay network server. For example, the acquirer server may query,
e.g., 1805, an acquirer database for an address of a payment
network server, and utilize the obtained address, e.g., 1806, to
forward the generated batch payment request to the pay network
server.
[0148] The pay network server may parse the batch payment request
obtained from the acquirer server, and extract the transaction data
for each transaction stored in the batch payment request, e.g.,
1808. The pay network server may store the transaction data, e.g.,
1809, for each transaction in a pay network database. In some
embodiments, the pay network server may invoke a component, e.g.,
1810, to provide analytics based on the transactions of the
merchant for whom purchase transaction are being cleared.
[0149] With reference to FIG. 18B, in some embodiments, for each
extracted transaction, the pay network server may query, e.g.,
1811, a pay network database for an address of an issuer server.
The pay network server may generate an individual payment request,
e.g., 1813, for each transaction for which it has extracted
transaction data, and provide the individual payment request to the
issuer server. In some embodiments, the issuer server may parse the
individual payment request, e.g., 1814, and generate a payment
command, e.g., 1815, based on the parsed individual payment
request. For example, the issuer server may issue a command to
deduct funds from the user's account (or add a charge to the user's
credit card account). The issuer server may issue a payment
command, e.g., 1815, to a database storing the user's account
information, e.g., a user profile database. The issuer server may
provide an individual payment confirmation, e.g., 1817, to the pay
network server, which may forward, e.g., 1818, the individual
payment confirmation to the acquirer server.
[0150] In some embodiments, the acquirer server may parse the
individual payment confirmation, and correlate the transaction
(e.g., using the request ID field in the example above) to the
merchant. The acquirer server may then transfer the funds specified
in the funds transfer message to an account of the merchant. For
example, the acquirer server may query, e.g. 1819, an acquirer
database for payment ledger and/or merchant account data, e.g.,
1820. The acquirer server may utilize payment ledger and/or
merchant account data from the acquirer database, along with the
individual payment confirmation, to generate updated payment ledger
and/or merchant account data, e.g., 1821. The acquirer server may
then store, e.g., 1822, the updated payment ledger and/or merchant
account data to the acquire database.
VWCS Controller
[0151] FIG. 19 shows a block diagram illustrating example aspects
of a VWCS controller 1901. In this embodiment, the VWCS controller
1901 may serve to aggregate, process, store, search, serve,
identify, instruct, generate, match, and/or facilitate interactions
with a computer through various technologies, and/or other related
data.
[0152] Users, e.g., 1933a, which may be people and/or other
systems, may engage information technology systems (e.g.,
computers) to facilitate information processing. In turn, computers
employ processors to process information; such processors 1903 may
be referred to as central processing units (CPU). One form of
processor is referred to as a microprocessor. CPUs use
communicative circuits to pass binary encoded signals acting as
instructions to enable various operations. These instructions may
be operational and/or data instructions containing and/or
referencing other instructions and data in various processor
accessible and operable areas of memory 1929 (e.g., registers,
cache memory, random access memory, etc.). Such communicative
instructions may be stored and/or transmitted in batches (e.g.,
batches of instructions) as programs and/or data components to
facilitate desired operations. These stored instruction codes,
e.g., programs, may engage the CPU circuit components and other
motherboard and/or system components to perform desired operations.
One type of program is a computer operating system, which, may be
executed by CPU on a computer; the operating system enables and
facilitates users to access and operate computer information
technology and resources. Some resources that may be employed in
information technology systems include: input and output mechanisms
through which data may pass into and out of a computer; memory
storage into which data may be saved; and processors by which
information may be processed. These information technology systems
may be used to collect data for later retrieval, analysis, and
manipulation, which may be facilitated through a database program.
These information technology systems provide interfaces that allow
users to access and operate various system components.
[0153] In one embodiment, the VWCS controller 1901 may be connected
to and/or communicate with entities such as, but not limited to:
one or more users from user input devices 1911; peripheral devices
1912; an optional cryptographic processor device 1928; and/or a
communications network 1913. For example, the VWCS controller may
be connected to and/or communicate with users, e.g., 1933a,
operating client device(s), e.g., 1933b, including, but not limited
to, personal computer(s), server(s) and/or various mobile device(s)
including, but not limited to, cellular telephone(s), smartphone(s)
(e.g., iPhone.RTM., Blackberry.RTM., Android OS-based phones etc.),
tablet computer(s) (e.g., Apple iPad.TM., HP Slate.TM., Motorola
Xoom.TM., etc.), eBook reader(s) (e.g., Amazon Kindle.TM., Barnes
and Noble's Nook.TM. eReader, etc.), laptop computer(s),
notebook(s), netbook(s), gaming console(s) (e.g., XBOX Live.TM.,
Nintendo.RTM. DS, Sony PlayStation.RTM. Portable, etc.), portable
scanner(s), and/or the like.
[0154] Networks are commonly thought to comprise the
interconnection and interoperation of clients, servers, and
intermediary nodes in a graph topology. It should be noted that the
term "server" as used throughout this application refers generally
to a computer, other device, program, or combination thereof that
processes and responds to the requests of remote users across a
communications network. Servers serve their information to
requesting "clients." The term "client" as used herein refers
generally to a computer, program, other device, user and/or
combination thereof that is capable of processing and making
requests and obtaining and processing any responses from servers
across a communications network. A computer, other device, program,
or combination thereof that facilitates, processes information and
requests, and/or furthers the passage of information from a source
user to a destination user is commonly referred to as a "node."
Networks are generally thought to facilitate the transfer of
information from source points to destinations. A node specifically
tasked with furthering the passage of information from a source to
a destination is commonly called a "router." There are many forms
of networks such as Local Area Networks (LANs), Pico networks, Wide
Area Networks (WANs), Wireless Networks (WLANs), etc. For example,
the Internet is generally accepted as being an interconnection of a
multitude of networks whereby remote clients and servers may access
and interoperate with one another.
[0155] The VWCS controller 1901 may be based on computer systems
that may comprise, but are not limited to, components such as: a
computer systemization 1902 connected to memory 1929.
Computer Systemization
[0156] A computer systemization 1902 may comprise a clock 1930,
central processing unit ("CPU(s)" and/or "processor(s)" (these
terms are used interchangeably throughout the disclosure unless
noted to the contrary)) 1903, a memory 1929 (e.g., a read only
memory (ROM) 1906, a random access memory (RAM) 1905, etc.), and/or
an interface bus 1907, and most frequently, although not
necessarily, are all interconnected and/or communicating through a
system bus 1904 on one or more (mother)board(s) 1902 having
conductive and/or otherwise transportive circuit pathways through
which instructions (e.g., binary encoded signals) may travel to
effectuate communications, operations, storage, etc. The computer
systemization may be connected to a power source 1986; e.g.,
optionally the power source may be internal. Optionally, a
cryptographic processor 1926 and/or transceivers (e.g., ICs) 1974
may be connected to the system bus. In another embodiment, the
cryptographic processor and/or transceivers may be connected as
either internal and/or external peripheral devices 1912 via the
interface bus I/O. In turn, the transceivers may be connected to
antenna(s) 1975, thereby effectuating wireless transmission and
reception of various communication and/or sensor protocols; for
example the antenna(s) may connect to: a Texas Instruments WiLink
WL1283 transceiver chip (e.g., providing 802.11n, Bluetooth 3.0,
FM, global positioning system (GPS) (thereby allowing VWCS
controller to determine its location)); Broadcom BCM4329FKUBG
transceiver chip (e.g., providing 802.11n, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, FM,
etc.), BCM28150 (HSPA+) and BCM2076 (Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, etc.); a
Broadcom BCM4750IUB8 receiver chip (e.g., GPS); an Infineon
Technologies X-Gold 618-PMB9800 (e.g., providing 2G/3G HSDPA/HSUPA
communications); Intel's XMM 7160 (LTE & DC-HSPA), Qualcom's
CDMA(2000), Mobile Data/Station Modem, Snapdragon; and/or the like.
The system clock may have a crystal oscillator and generates a base
signal through the computer systemization's circuit pathways. The
clock may be coupled to the system bus and various clock
multipliers that will increase or decrease the base operating
frequency for other components interconnected in the computer
systemization. The clock and various components in a computer
systemization drive signals embodying information throughout the
system. Such transmission and reception of instructions embodying
information throughout a computer systemization may be referred to
as communications. These communicative instructions may further be
transmitted, received, and the cause of return and/or reply
communications beyond the instant computer systemization to:
communications networks, input devices, other computer
systemizations, peripheral devices, and/or the like. It should be
understood that in alternative embodiments, any of the above
components may be connected directly to one another, connected to
the CPU, and/or organized in numerous variations employed as
exemplified by various computer systems.
[0157] The CPU comprises at least one high-speed data processor
adequate to execute program components for executing user and/or
system-generated requests. Often, the processors themselves will
incorporate various specialized processing units, such as, but not
limited to: floating point units, integer processing units,
integrated system (bus) controllers, logic operating units, memory
management control units, etc., and even specialized processing
sub-units like graphics processing units, digital signal processing
units, and/or the like. Additionally, processors may include
internal fast access addressable memory, and be capable of mapping
and addressing memory 1929 beyond the processor itself; internal
memory may include, but is not limited to: fast registers, various
levels of cache memory (e.g., level 1, 2, 3, etc.), RAM, etc. The
processor may access this memory through the use of a memory
address space that is accessible via instruction address, which the
processor can construct and decode allowing it to access a circuit
path to a specific memory address space having a memory
state/value. The CPU may be a microprocessor such as: AMD's Athlon,
Duron and/or Opteron; ARM's classic (e.g., ARM7/9/11), embedded
(Coretx-M/R), application (Cortex-A), embedded and secure
processors; IBM and/or Motorola's DragonBall and PowerPC; IBM's and
Sony's Cell processor; Intel's Atom, Celeron (Mobile), Core
(2/Duo/13/15/17), Itanium, Pentium, Xeon, and/or XScale; and/or the
like processor(s). The CPU interacts with memory through
instruction passing through conductive and/or transportive conduits
(e.g., (printed) electronic and/or optic circuits) to execute
stored instructions (i.e., program code). Such instruction passing
facilitates communication within the VWCS controller and beyond
through various interfaces. Should processing requirements dictate
a greater amount speed and/or capacity, distributed processors
(e.g., Distributed VWCS), mainframe, multi-core, parallel, and/or
super-computer architectures may similarly be employed.
Alternatively, should deployment requirements dictate greater
portability, smaller mobile devices (e.g., smartphones, Personal
Digital Assistants (PDAs), etc.) may be employed.
[0158] Depending on the particular implementation, features of the
VWCS may be achieved by implementing a microcontroller such as
CAST's R8051XC2 microcontroller; Intel's MCS 51 (i.e., 8051
microcontroller); and/or the like. Also, to implement certain
features of the VWCS, some feature implementations may rely on
embedded components, such as: Application-Specific Integrated
Circuit ("ASIC"), Digital Signal Processing ("DSP"), Field
Programmable Gate Array ("FPGA"), and/or the like embedded
technology. For example, any of the VWCS component collection
(distributed or otherwise) and/or features may be implemented via
the microprocessor and/or via embedded components; e.g., via ASIC,
coprocessor, DSP, FPGA, and/or the like. Alternately, some
implementations of the VWCS may be implemented with embedded
components that are configured and used to achieve a variety of
features or signal processing.
[0159] Depending on the particular implementation, the embedded
components may include software solutions, hardware solutions,
and/or some combination of both hardware/software solutions. For
example, VWCS features discussed herein may be achieved through
implementing FPGAs, which are a semiconductor devices containing
programmable logic components called "logic blocks", and
programmable interconnects, such as the high performance FPGA
Virtex series and/or the low cost Spartan series manufactured by
Xilinx. Logic blocks and interconnects can be programmed by the
customer or designer, after the FPGA is manufactured, to implement
any of the VWCS features. A hierarchy of programmable interconnects
allow logic blocks to be interconnected as needed by the VWCS
system designer/administrator, somewhat like a one-chip
programmable breadboard. An FPGA's logic blocks can be programmed
to perform the operation of basic logic gates such as AND, and XOR,
or more complex combinational operators such as decoders or simple
mathematical operations. In most FPGAs, the logic blocks also
include memory elements, which may be circuit flip-flops or more
complete blocks of memory. In some circumstances, the VWCS may be
developed on regular FPGAs and then migrated into a fixed version
that more resembles ASIC implementations. Alternate or coordinating
implementations may migrate VWCS controller features to a final
ASIC instead of or in addition to FPGAs. Depending on the
implementation all of the aforementioned embedded components and
microprocessors may be considered the "CPU" and/or "processor" for
the VWCS.
Power Source
[0160] The power source 1986 may be of any standard form for
powering small electronic circuit board devices such as the
following power cells: alkaline, lithium hydride, lithium ion,
lithium polymer, nickel cadmium, solar cells, and/or the like.
Other types of AC or DC power sources may be used as well. In the
case of solar cells, in one embodiment, the case provides an
aperture through which the solar cell may capture photonic energy.
The power cell 1986 is connected to at least one of the
interconnected subsequent components of the VWCS thereby providing
an electric current to all the interconnected components. In one
example, the power source 1986 is connected to the system bus
component 1904. In an alternative embodiment, an outside power
source 1986 is provided through a connection across the I/O 1908
interface. For example, a USB and/or IEEE 1394 connection carries
both data and power across the connection and is therefore a
suitable source of power.
Interface Adapters
[0161] Interface bus(ses) 1907 may accept, connect, and/or
communicate to a number of interface adapters, frequently, although
not necessarily in the form of adapter cards, such as but not
limited to: input output interfaces (I/O) 1908, storage interfaces
1909, network interfaces 1910, and/or the like. Optionally,
cryptographic processor interfaces 1927 similarly may be connected
to the interface bus. The interface bus provides for the
communications of interface adapters with one another as well as
with other components of the computer systemization. Interface
adapters are adapted for a compatible interface bus. Interface
adapters may connect to the interface bus via expansion and/or slot
architecture. Various expansion and/or slot architectures may be
employed, such as, but not limited to: Accelerated Graphics Port
(AGP), Card Bus, ExpressCard, (Extended) Industry Standard
Architecture ((E)ISA), Micro Channel Architecture (MCA), NuBus,
Peripheral Component Interconnect (Extended) (PCI(X)), PCI Express,
Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA),
Thunderbolt, and/or the like.
[0162] Storage interfaces 1909 may accept, communicate, and/or
connect to a number of storage devices such as, but not limited to:
storage devices 1914, removable disc devices, and/or the like.
Storage interfaces may employ connection protocols such as, but not
limited to: (Ultra) (Serial) Advanced Technology Attachment (Packet
Interface) ((Ultra) (Serial) ATA(PI)), (Enhanced) Integrated Drive
Electronics ((E)IDE), Institute of Electrical and Electronics
Engineers (IEEE) 1394, Ethernet, fiber channel, Small Computer
Systems Interface (SCSI), Thunderbolt, Universal Serial Bus (USB),
and/or the like.
[0163] Network interfaces 1910 may accept, communicate, and/or
connect to a communications network 1913. Through a communications
network 1913, the VWCS controller is accessible through remote
clients 1933b (e.g., computers with web browsers) by users 1933a.
Network interfaces may employ connection protocols such as, but not
limited to: direct connect, Ethernet (thick, thin, twisted pair
10/100/1000 Base T, and/or the like), Token Ring, wireless
connection such as IEEE 802.11a-x, and/or the like. Should
processing requirements dictate a greater amount speed and/or
capacity, distributed network controllers (e.g., Distributed VWCS),
architectures may similarly be employed to pool, load balance,
and/or otherwise increase the communicative bandwidth required by
the VWCS controller. A communications network may be any one and/or
the combination of the following: a direct interconnection; the
Internet; a Local Area Network (LAN); a Metropolitan Area Network
(MAN); an Operating Missions as Nodes on the Internet (OMNI); a
secured custom connection; a Wide Area Network (WAN); a wireless
network (e.g., employing protocols such as, but not limited to a
Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), I-mode, and/or the like);
and/or the like. A network interface may be regarded as a
specialized form of an input output interface. Further, multiple
network interfaces 1910 may be used to engage with various
communications network types 1913. For example, multiple network
interfaces may be employed to allow for the communication over
broadcast, multicast, and/or unicast networks.
[0164] Input Output interfaces (I/O) 1908 may accept, communicate,
and/or connect to user input devices 1911, peripheral devices 1912,
cryptographic processor devices 1928, and/or the like. I/O may
employ connection protocols such as, but not limited to: audio:
analog, digital, monaural, RCA, stereo, and/or the like; data:
Apple Desktop Bus (ADB), Bluetooth, IEEE 1394a-b, serial, universal
serial bus (USB); infrared; joystick; keyboard; midi; optical; PC
AT; PS/2; parallel; radio; video interface: Apple Desktop Connector
(ADC), BNC, coaxial, component, composite, digital, DisplayPort,
Digital Visual Interface (DVI), high-definition multimedia
interface (HDMI), RCA, RF antennae, S-Video, VGA, and/or the like;
wireless transceivers: 802.11a/b/g/n/x; Bluetooth; cellular (e.g.,
code division multiple access (CDMA), high speed packet access
(HSPA(+)), high-speed downlink packet access (HSDPA), global system
for mobile communications (GSM), long term evolution (LTE), WiMax,
etc.); and/or the like. One output device may be a video display,
which may take the form of a Cathode Ray Tube (CRT), Liquid Crystal
Display (LCD), Light Emitting Diode (LED), Organic Light Emitting
Diode (OLED), Plasma, and/or the like based monitor with an
interface (e.g., VGA, DVI circuitry and cable) that accepts signals
from a video interface. The video interface composites information
generated by a computer systemization and generates video signals
based on the composited information in a video memory frame.
Another output device is a television set, which accepts signals
from a video interface. Often, the video interface provides the
composited video information through a video connection interface
that accepts a video display interface (e.g., an RCA composite
video connector accepting an RCA composite video cable; a DVI
connector accepting a DVI display cable, HDMI, etc.).
[0165] User input devices 1911 often are a type of peripheral
device 1912 (see below) and may include: card readers, dongles,
finger print readers, gloves, graphics tablets, joysticks,
keyboards, microphones, mouse (mice), remote controls, retina
readers, touch screens (e.g., capacitive, resistive, etc.),
trackballs, trackpads, sensors (e.g., accelerometers, ambient
light, GPS, gyroscopes, proximity, etc.), styluses, and/or the
like.
[0166] Peripheral devices 1912 may be connected and/or communicate
to I/O and/or other facilities of the like such as network
interfaces, storage interfaces, directly to the interface bus,
system bus, the CPU, and/or the like. Peripheral devices may be
external, internal and/or part of the VWCS controller. Peripheral
devices may include: antenna, audio devices (e.g., line-in,
line-out, microphone input, speakers, etc.), cameras (e.g., still,
video, webcam, etc.), dongles (e.g., for copy protection, ensuring
secure transactions with a digital signature, and/or the like),
external processors (for added capabilities; e.g., crypto devices
1928), force-feedback devices (e.g., vibrating motors), near field
communication (NFC) devices, network interfaces, printers, radio
frequency identifiers (RFIDs), scanners, storage devices,
transceivers (e.g., cellular, GPS, etc.), video devices (e.g.,
goggles, monitors, etc.), video sources, visors, and/or the like.
Peripheral devices often include types of input devices (e.g.,
microphones, cameras, etc.).
[0167] It should be noted that although user input devices and
peripheral devices may be employed, the VWCS controller may be
embodied as an embedded, dedicated, and/or monitor-less (i.e.,
headless) device, wherein access would be provided over a network
interface connection.
[0168] Cryptographic units such as, but not limited to,
microcontrollers, processors 1926, interfaces 1927, and/or devices
1928 may be attached, and/or communicate with the VWCS controller.
A MC68HC16 microcontroller, manufactured by Motorola Inc., may be
used for and/or within cryptographic units. The MC68HC16
microcontroller utilizes a 16-bit multiply-and-accumulate
instruction in the 16 MHz configuration and requires less than one
second to perform a 512-bit RSA private key operation.
Cryptographic units support the authentication of communications
from interacting agents, as well as allowing for anonymous
transactions. Cryptographic units may also be configured as part of
the CPU. Equivalent microcontrollers and/or processors may also be
used. Other commercially available specialized cryptographic
processors include: the Broadcom's CryptoNetX and other Security
Processors; nCipher's nShield (e.g., Solo, Connect, etc.),
SafeNet's Luna PCI (e.g., 7100) series; Semaphore Communications'
40 MHz Roadrunner 184; sMIP's (e.g., 208956); Sun's Cryptographic
Accelerators (e.g., Accelerator 6000 PCIe Board, Accelerator 500
Daughtercard); Via Nano Processor (e.g., L2100, L2200, U2400) line,
which is capable of performing 500+ MB/s of cryptographic
instructions; VLSI Technology's 33 MHz 6868; and/or the like.
Memory
[0169] Generally, any mechanization and/or embodiment allowing a
processor to affect the storage and/or retrieval of information is
regarded as memory 1929. However, memory is a fungible technology
and resource, thus, any number of memory embodiments may be
employed in lieu of or in concert with one another. It is to be
understood that the VWCS controller and/or a computer systemization
may employ various forms of memory 1929. For example, a computer
systemization may be configured wherein the operation of on-chip
CPU memory (e.g., registers), RAM, ROM, and any other storage
devices are provided by a paper punch tape or paper punch card
mechanism; however, such an embodiment would result in an extremely
slow rate of operation. In one configuration, memory 1929 may
include ROM 1906, RAM 1905, and a storage device 1914. A storage
device 1914 may employ any number of computer storage
devices/systems. Storage devices may include a drum; a (fixed
and/or removable) magnetic disk drive; a magneto-optical drive; an
optical drive (i.e., Blueray, CD ROM/RAM/Recordable (R)/ReWritable
(RW), DVD R/RW, HD DVD R/RW etc.); an array of devices (e.g.,
Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID)); solid state memory
devices (USB memory, solid state drives (SSD), etc.); other
processor-readable storage mediums; and/or other devices of the
like. Thus, a computer systemization generally requires and makes
use of memory.
Component Collection
[0170] The memory 1929 may contain a collection of program and/or
database components and/or data such as, but not limited to:
operating system component(s) 1915 (operating system); information
server component(s) 1916 (information server); user interface
component(s) 1917 (user interface); Web browser component(s) 1918
(Web browser); database(s) 1919; mail server component(s) 1921;
mail client component(s) 1922; cryptographic server component(s)
1920 (cryptographic server); the VWCS component(s) 1935; and/or the
like (i.e., collectively a component collection). These components
may be stored and accessed from the storage devices and/or from
storage devices accessible through an interface bus. Although
non-conventional program components such as those in the component
collection may be stored in a local storage device 1914, they may
also be loaded and/or stored in memory such as: peripheral devices,
RAM, remote storage facilities through a communications network,
ROM, various forms of memory, and/or the like.
Operating System
[0171] The operating system component 1915 is an executable program
component facilitating the operation of the VWCS controller. The
operating system may facilitate access of I/O, network interfaces,
peripheral devices, storage devices, and/or the like. The operating
system may be a highly fault tolerant, scalable, and secure system
such as: Apple Macintosh OS X (Server); AT&T Nan 9; Be OS; Unix
and Unix-like system distributions (such as AT&T's UNIX;
Berkley Software Distribution (BSD) variations such as FreeBSD,
NetBSD, OpenBSD, and/or the like; Linux distributions such as Red
Hat, Ubuntu, and/or the like); and/or the like operating systems.
However, more limited and/or less secure operating systems also may
be employed such as Apple Macintosh OS, IBM OS/2, Microsoft DOS,
Microsoft Windows 2000/2003/3.1/95/98/CE/Millenium/NT/Vista/XP
(Server), Palm OS, and/or the like. In addition, emobile operating
systems such as Apple's iOS, Google's Android, Hewlett Packard's
WebOS, Microsofts Windows Mobile, and/or the like may be employed.
Any of these operating systems may be embedded within the hardware
of the NICK controller, and/or stored/loaded into memory/storage.
An operating system may communicate to and/or with other components
in a component collection, including itself, and/or the like. Most
frequently, the operating system communicates with other program
components, user interfaces, and/or the like. For example, the
operating system may contain, communicate, generate, obtain, and/or
provide program component, system, user, and/or data
communications, requests, and/or responses. The operating system,
once executed by the CPU, may enable the interaction with
communications networks, data, I/O, peripheral devices, program
components, memory, user input devices, and/or the like. The
operating system may provide communications protocols that allow
the VWCS controller to communicate with other entities through a
communications network 1913. Various communication protocols may be
used by the VWCS controller as a subcarrier transport mechanism for
interaction, such as, but not limited to: multicast, TCP/IP, UDP,
unicast, and/or the like.
Information Server
[0172] An information server component 1916 is a stored program
component that is executed by a CPU. The information server may be
an Internet information server such as, but not limited to Apache
Software Foundation's Apache, Microsoft's Internet Information
Server, and/or the like. The information server may allow for the
execution of program components through facilities such as Active
Server Page (ASP), ActiveX, (ANSI) (Objective-) C (++), C# and/or
.NET, Common Gateway Interface (CGI) scripts, dynamic (D) hypertext
markup language (HTML), FLASH, Java, JavaScript, Practical
Extraction Report Language (PERL), Hypertext Pre-Processor (PHP),
pipes, Python, wireless application protocol (WAP), WebObjects,
and/or the like. The information server may support secure
communications protocols such as, but not limited to, File Transfer
Protocol (FTP); HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP); Secure
Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTPS), Secure Socket Layer (SSL),
messaging protocols (e.g., America Online (AOL) Instant Messenger
(AIM), Apple's iMessage, Application Exchange (APEX), ICQ, Internet
Relay Chat (IRC), Microsoft Network (MSN) Messenger Service,
Presence and Instant Messaging Protocol (PRIM), Internet
Engineering Task Force's (IETF's) Session Initiation Protocol
(SIP), SIP for Instant Messaging and Presence Leveraging Extensions
(SIMPLE), open XML-based Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol
(XMPP) (i.e., Jabber or Open Mobile Alliance's (OMA's) Instant
Messaging and Presence Service (IMPS)), Yahoo! Instant Messenger
Service, and/or the like. The information server provides results
in the form of Web pages to Web browsers, and allows for the
manipulated generation of the Web pages through interaction with
other program components. After a Domain Name System (DNS)
resolution portion of an HTTP request is resolved to a particular
information server, the information server resolves requests for
information at specified locations on the VWCS controller based on
the remainder of the HTTP request. For example, a request such as
http://123.124.125.126/myInformation.html might have the IP portion
of the request "123.124.125.126" resolved by a DNS server to an
information server at that IP address; that information server
might in turn further parse the http request for the
"/myInformation.html" portion of the request and resolve it to a
location in memory containing the information "myInformation.html."
Additionally, other information serving protocols may be employed
across various ports, e.g., FTP communications across port 21,
and/or the like. An information server may communicate to and/or
with other components in a component collection, including itself,
and/or facilities of the like. Most frequently, the information
server communicates with the VWCS database 1919, operating systems,
other program components, user interfaces, Web browsers, and/or the
like.
[0173] Access to the VWCS database may be achieved through a number
of database bridge mechanisms such as through scripting languages
as enumerated below (e.g., CGI) and through inter-application
communication channels as enumerated below (e.g., CORBA,
WebObjects, etc.). Any data requests through a Web browser are
parsed through the bridge mechanism into appropriate grammars as
required by the VWCS. In one embodiment, the information server
would provide a Web form accessible by a Web browser. Entries made
into supplied fields in the Web form are tagged as having been
entered into the particular fields, and parsed as such. The entered
terms are then passed along with the field tags, which act to
instruct the parser to generate queries directed to appropriate
tables and/or fields. In one embodiment, the parser may generate
queries in standard SQL by instantiating a search string with the
proper join/select commands based on the tagged text entries,
wherein the resulting command is provided over the bridge mechanism
to the VWCS as a query. Upon generating query results from the
query, the results are passed over the bridge mechanism, and may be
parsed for formatting and generation of a new results Web page by
the bridge mechanism. Such a new results Web page is then provided
to the information server, which may supply it to the requesting
Web browser.
[0174] Also, an information server may contain, communicate,
generate, obtain, and/or provide program component, system, user,
and/or data communications, requests, and/or responses.
User Interface
[0175] Computer interfaces in some respects are similar to
automobile operation interfaces. Automobile operation interface
elements such as steering wheels, gearshifts, and speedometers
facilitate the access, operation, and display of automobile
resources, and status. Computer interaction interface elements such
as check boxes, cursors, menus, scrollers, and windows
(collectively and commonly referred to as widgets) similarly
facilitate the access, capabilities, operation, and display of data
and computer hardware and operating system resources, and status.
Operation interfaces are commonly called user interfaces. Graphical
user interfaces (GUIs) such as the Apple Macintosh Operating
System's Aqua and iOS's Cocoa Touch, IBM's OS/2, Google's Android
Mobile UI, Microsoft's Windows 2000/2003/3.1/95/98/CE/Millenium/12
Mobile/NT/XP/Vista/7/8 (i.e., Aero, Metro), Unix's X-Windows (e.g.,
which may include additional Unix graphic interface libraries and
layers such as K Desktop Environment (KDE), mythTV and GNU Network
Object Model Environment (GNOME)), web interface libraries (e.g.,
ActiveX, AJAX, (D)HTML, FLASH, Java, JavaScript, etc. interface
libraries such as, but not limited to, Dojo, jQuery(UI), MooTools,
Prototype, script.aculo.us, SWFObject, Yahoo! User Interface, any
of which may be used and) provide a baseline and means of accessing
and displaying information graphically to users.
[0176] A user interface component 1917 is a stored program
component that is executed by a CPU. The user interface may be a
graphic user interface as provided by, with, and/or atop operating
systems and/or operating environments such as already discussed.
The user interface may allow for the display, execution,
interaction, manipulation, and/or operation of program components
and/or system facilities through textual and/or graphical
facilities. The user interface provides a facility through which
users may affect, interact, and/or operate a computer system. A
user interface may communicate to and/or with other components in a
component collection, including itself, and/or facilities of the
like. Most frequently, the user interface communicates with
operating systems, other program components, and/or the like. The
user interface may contain, communicate, generate, obtain, and/or
provide program component, system, user, and/or data
communications, requests, and/or responses.
Web Browser
[0177] A Web browser component 1918 is a stored program component
that is executed by a CPU. The Web browser may be a hypertext
viewing application such as Google's (Mobile) Chrome, Microsoft
Internet Explorer, Netscape Navigator, Apple's (Mobile) Safari,
embedded web browser objects such as through Apple's Cocoa (Touch)
object class, and/or the like. Secure Web browsing may be supplied
with 128 bit (or greater) encryption by way of HTTPS, SSL, and/or
the like. Web browsers allowing for the execution of program
components through facilities such as ActiveX, AJAX, (D)HTML,
FLASH, Java, JavaScript, web browser plug-in APIs (e.g., Chrome,
FireFox, Internet Explorer, Safari Plug-in, and/or the like APIs),
and/or the like. Web browsers and like information access tools may
be integrated into PDAs, cellular telephones, smartphones, and/or
other mobile devices. A Web browser may communicate to and/or with
other components in a component collection, including itself,
and/or facilities of the like. Most frequently, the Web browser
communicates with information servers, operating systems,
integrated program components (e.g., plug-ins), and/or the like;
e.g., it may contain, communicate, generate, obtain, and/or provide
program component, system, user, and/or data communications,
requests, and/or responses. Also, in place of a Web browser and
information server, a combined application may be developed to
perform similar operations of both. The combined application would
similarly effect the obtaining and the provision of information to
users, user agents, and/or the like from the VWCS equipped nodes.
The combined application may be nugatory on systems employing
standard Web browsers.
Mail Server
[0178] A mail server component 1921 is a stored program component
that is executed by a CPU 1903. The mail server may be an Internet
mail server such as, but not limited to Apple's Mail Server (3),
dovect, sendmail, Microsoft Exchange, and/or the like. The mail
server may allow for the execution of program components through
facilities such as ASP, ActiveX, (ANSI) (Objective-) C (++), C#
and/or .NET, CGI scripts, Java, JavaScript, PERL, PHP, pipes,
Python, WebObjects, and/or the like. The mail server may support
communications protocols such as, but not limited to: Internet
message access protocol (IMAP), Messaging Application Programming
Interface (MAPI)/Microsoft Exchange, post office protocol (POP3),
simple mail transfer protocol (SMTP), and/or the like. The mail
server can route, forward, and process incoming and outgoing mail
messages that have been sent, relayed and/or otherwise traversing
through and/or to the VWCS.
[0179] Access to the VWCS mail may be achieved through a number of
APIs offered by the individual Web server components and/or the
operating system.
[0180] Also, a mail server may contain, communicate, generate,
obtain, and/or provide program component, system, user, and/or data
communications, requests, information, and/or responses.
Mail Client
[0181] A mail client component 1922 is a stored program component
that is executed by a CPU 1903. The mail client may be a mail
viewing application such as Apple (Mobile) Mail, Microsoft
Entourage, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Outlook Express, Mozilla,
Thunderbird, and/or the like. Mail clients may support a number of
transfer protocols, such as: IMAP, Microsoft Exchange, POP3, SMTP,
and/or the like. A mail client may communicate to and/or with other
components in a component collection, including itself, and/or
facilities of the like. Most frequently, the mail client
communicates with mail servers, operating systems, other mail
clients, and/or the like; e.g., it may contain, communicate,
generate, obtain, and/or provide program component, system, user,
and/or data communications, requests, information, and/or
responses. Generally, the mail client provides a facility to
compose and transmit electronic mail messages.
Cryptographic Server
[0182] A cryptographic server component 1920 is a stored program
component that is executed by a CPU 1903, cryptographic processor
1926, cryptographic processor interface 1927, cryptographic
processor device 1928, and/or the like. Cryptographic processor
interfaces will allow for expedition of encryption and/or
decryption requests by the cryptographic component; however, the
cryptographic component, alternatively, may run on a CPU. The
cryptographic component allows for the encryption and/or decryption
of provided data. The cryptographic component allows for both
symmetric and asymmetric (e.g., Pretty Good Protection (PGP))
encryption and/or decryption. The cryptographic component may
employ cryptographic techniques such as, but not limited to:
digital certificates (e.g., X.509 authentication framework),
digital signatures, dual signatures, enveloping, password access
protection, public key management, and/or the like. The
cryptographic component will facilitate numerous (encryption and/or
decryption) security protocols such as, but not limited to:
checksum, Data Encryption Standard (DES), Elliptical Curve
Encryption (ECC), International Data Encryption Algorithm (IDEA),
Message Digest 5 (MD5, which is a one way hash operation),
passwords, Rivest Cipher (RC5), Rijndael, RSA (which is an Internet
encryption and authentication system that uses an algorithm
developed in 1977 by Ron Rivest, Adi Shamir, and Leonard Adleman),
Secure Hash Algorithm (SHA), Secure Socket Layer (SSL), Secure
Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTPS), and/or the like. Employing
such encryption security protocols, the VWCS may encrypt all
incoming and/or outgoing communications and may serve as node
within a virtual private network (VPN) with a wider communications
network. The cryptographic component facilitates the process of
"security authorization" whereby access to a resource is inhibited
by a security protocol wherein the cryptographic component effects
authorized access to the secured resource. In addition, the
cryptographic component may provide unique identifiers of content,
e.g., employing and MD5 hash to obtain a unique signature for an
digital audio file. A cryptographic component may communicate to
and/or with other components in a component collection, including
itself, and/or facilities of the like. The cryptographic component
supports encryption schemes allowing for the secure transmission of
information across a communications network to enable the VWCS
component to engage in secure transactions if so desired. The
cryptographic component facilitates the secure accessing of
resources on the VWCS and facilitates the access of secured
resources on remote systems; i.e., it may act as a client and/or
server of secured resources. Most frequently, the cryptographic
component communicates with information servers, operating systems,
other program components, and/or the like. The cryptographic
component may contain, communicate, generate, obtain, and/or
provide program component, system, user, and/or data
communications, requests, and/or responses.
The VWCS Database
[0183] The VWCS database component 1919 may be embodied in a
database and its stored data. The database is a stored program
component, which is executed by the CPU; the stored program
component portion configuring the CPU to process the stored data.
The database may be any of a number of fault tolerant, relational,
scalable, secure databases, such as DB2, MySQL, Oracle, Sybase,
and/or the like. Relational databases are an extension of a flat
file. Relational databases consist of a series of related tables.
The tables are interconnected via a key field. Use of the key field
allows the combination of the tables by indexing against the key
field; i.e., the key fields act as dimensional pivot points for
combining information from various tables. Relationships generally
identify links maintained between tables by matching primary keys.
Primary keys represent fields that uniquely identify the rows of a
table in a relational database. More precisely, they uniquely
identify rows of a table on the "one" side of a one-to-many
relationship.
[0184] Alternatively, the VWCS database may be implemented using
various standard data-structures, such as an array, hash, (linked)
list, struct, structured text file (e.g., XML), table, and/or the
like. Such data-structures may be stored in memory and/or in
(structured) files. In another alternative, an object-oriented
database may be used, such as Frontier, ObjectStore, Poet, Zope,
and/or the like. Object databases can include a number of object
collections that are grouped and/or linked together by common
attributes; they may be related to other object collections by some
common attributes. Object-oriented databases perform similarly to
relational databases with the exception that objects are not just
pieces of data but may have other types of capabilities
encapsulated within a given object. If the VWCS database is
implemented as a data-structure, the use of the VWCS database 1919
may be integrated into another component such as the VWCS component
1935. Also, the database may be implemented as a mix of data
structures, objects, and relational structures. Databases may be
consolidated and/or distributed in countless variations through
standard data processing techniques. Portions of databases, e.g.,
tables, may be exported and/or imported and thus decentralized
and/or integrated.
[0185] In one embodiment, the database component 1919 includes
several tables 1919a-p. A Users table 1919a may include fields such
as, but not limited to: user_id, ssn, dob, first_name, last_name,
age, state, address_firstline, address_secondline, zipcode,
devices_list, contact_info, contact_type, alt_contact_info,
alt_contact_type, and/or the like. The Users table may support
and/or track multiple entity accounts on a VWCS. A Devices table
1919b may include fields such as, but not limited to: device_ID,
device_name, device_IP, device_GPS, device_MAC, device_serial,
device_ECID, device_UDID, device_browser, device_type,
device_model, device_version, device_OS, device_apps_list,
device_securekey, wallet_app_installed_flag, and/or the like. An
Apps table 1919c may include fields such as, but not limited to:
app_ID, app_name, app_type, app_dependencies, app_access_code,
user_pin, and/or the like. An Accounts table 1919d may include
fields such as, but not limited to: account_number,
account_security_code, account_name, issuer_acquirer_flag,
issuer_name, acquirer_name, account_address, routing_number,
access_API_call, linked_wallets_list, and/or the like. A Merchants
table 1919e may include fields such as, but not limited to:
merchant_id, merchant_name, merchant_address, store_id, ip_address,
mac_address, auth_key, port_num, security_settings_list, and/or the
like. An Issuers table 1919f may include fields such as, but not
limited to: issuer_id, issuer_name, issuer_address, ip_address,
mac_address, auth_key, port_num, security_settings_list, and/or the
like. An Acquirers table 1919g may include fields such as, but not
limited to: account_firstname, account_lastname, account_type,
account_num, account_balance_list, billingaddress_linea,
billingaddress_line2, billing_zipcode, billing_state,
shipping_preferences, shippingaddress_line1, shippingaddress_line2,
shipping_zipcode, shipping_state, and/or the like. A Pay Gateways
table 1919h may include fields such as, but not limited to:
gateway_ID, gateway_IP, gateway_MAC, gateway_secure_key,
gateway_access_list, gateway_API_call_list, gateway_services_list,
and/or the like. A Shop Sessions table 1919i may include fields
such as, but not limited to: user_id, session_id, alerts_URL,
timestamp, expiry_lapse, merchant_id, store_id, device_type,
device_ID, device_IP, device_MAC, device_browser, device_serial,
device_ECID, device_model, device_OS, wallet_app_installed,
total_cost, cart_ID_list, product_params_list, social_flag,
social_message, social_networks_list, coupon_lists, accounts_list,
CVV2_lists, charge_ratio_list, charge_priority_list,
value_exchange_symbols_list, bill_address, ship_address,
cloak_flag, pay_mode, alerts_rules_list, and/or the like. A
Transactions table 1919j may include fields such as, but not
limited to: order_id, user_id, timestamp, transaction_cost,
purchase_details_list, num_products, products_list, product_type,
product_params_list, product_title, product_summary, quantity,
user_id, client_id, client_ip, client_type, client_model,
operating_system, os_version, app_installed_flag, user_id,
account_firstname, account_lastname, account_type, account_num,
account_priority_account_ratio, billingaddress_line1,
billingaddress_line2, billing_zipcode, billing_state,
shipping_preferences, shippingaddress_line1, shippingaddress_line2,
shipping_zipcode, shipping_state, merchant_id, merchant_name,
merchant_auth_key, and/or the like. A Batches table 1919k may
include fields such as, but not limited to: batch_id,
transaction_id_list, timestamp_list, cleared_flag_list,
clearance_trigger_settings, and/or the like. A Ledgers table 1919l
may include fields such as, but not limited to: request_id,
timestamp, deposit_amount, batch_id, transaction_id, clear_flag,
deposit_account, transaction_summary, payor_name, payor_account,
and/or the like. A Products table 1919m may include fields such as,
but not limited to: product_ID, product_title,
product_attributes_list, product_price, tax_info_list,
related_products_list, offers_list, discounts_list, rewards_list,
merchants_list, merchant_availability_list, and/or the like. An
Offers table 1919n may include fields such as, but not limited to:
offer_ID, offer_title, offer_attributes_list, offer_price,
offer_expiry, related_products_list, discounts_list, rewards_list,
merchants_list, merchant_availability_list, and/or the like. A
Behavior Data table 1919o may include fields such as, but not
limited to: user_id, timestamp, activity_type, activity_location,
activity_attribute_list, activity_attribute_values_list, and/or the
like. An Analytics table 1919p may include fields such as, but not
limited to: report_id, user_id, report_type, report_algorithm_id,
report_destination_address, and/or the like.
[0186] In one embodiment, the VWCS database may interact with other
database systems. For example, employing a distributed database
system, queries and data access by search VWCS component may treat
the combination of the VWCS database, an integrated data security
layer database as a single database entity.
[0187] In one embodiment, user programs may contain various user
interface primitives, which may serve to update the VWCS. Also,
various accounts may require custom database tables depending upon
the environments and the types of clients the VWCS may need to
serve. It should be noted that any unique fields may be designated
as a key field throughout. In an alternative embodiment, these
tables have been decentralized into their own databases and their
respective database controllers (i.e., individual database
controllers for each of the above tables). Employing standard data
processing techniques, one may further distribute the databases
over several computer systemizations and/or storage devices.
Similarly, configurations of the decentralized database controllers
may be varied by consolidating and/or distributing the various
database components 1919a-p. The VWCS may be configured to keep
track of various settings, inputs, and parameters via database
controllers.
[0188] The VWCS database may communicate to and/or with other
components in a component collection, including itself, and/or
facilities of the like. Most frequently, the VWCS database
communicates with the VWCS component, other program components,
and/or the like. The database may contain, retain, and provide
information regarding other nodes and data.
The VWCSs
[0189] The VWCS component 1935 is a stored program component that
is executed by a CPU. In one embodiment, the VWCS component
incorporates any and/or all combinations of the aspects of the VWCS
discussed in the previous figures. As such, the VWCS affects
accessing, obtaining and the provision of information, services,
transactions, and/or the like across various communications
networks. The features and embodiments of the VWCS discussed herein
increase network efficiency by reducing data transfer requirements,
the use of more efficient data structures and mechanisms for their
transfer and storage. As a consequence, more data may be
transferred in less time, and latencies with regard to
transactions, are also reduced. In many cases, such reduction in
storage, transfer time, bandwidth requirements, latencies, etc.,
will reduce the capacity and structural infrastructure requirements
to support the VWCS's features and facilities, and in many cases
reduce the costs, energy consumption/requirements, and extend the
life of VWCS's underlying infrastructure; this has the added
benefit of making the VWCS more reliable. Similarly, many of the
features and mechanisms are designed to be easier for users to use
and access, thereby broadening the audience that may enjoy/employ
and exploit the feature sets of the VWCS; such ease of use also
helps to increase the reliability of the VWCS. In addition, the
feature sets include heightened security as noted via the
Cryptographic components 1920, 1926, 1928 and throughout, making
access to the features and data more reliable and secure.
[0190] The VWCS component may transform virtual wallet card
selections by users utilizing mobile devices via VWCS components
into virtual wallet card-based transaction purchase notifications,
and/or the like and use of the VWCS. In one embodiment, the VWCS
component 1935 takes inputs (e.g., purchase input 411, card
selection input 424; virtual wallet card selection options 421;
issuer server data 429; user data 434; checkout request 1311,
product data 1315; wallet access input 1511; transaction
authorization input 1514; payment gateway address 1518; payment
network address 1522; issuer server address(es) 1525; funds
authorization request(s) 1526; user(s) account(s) data 1528; batch
data 1712; payment network address 1716; issuer server address(es)
1724; individual payment request 1725; payment ledger, merchant
account data 1731; and/or the like) etc., and transforms the inputs
via various components (e.g., VW-CTE 1944; UPC 1941; PTA 1942; PTC
1943; and/or the like), into outputs (e.g., virtual wallet card
selection request 422; authorization message 436-438; batch append
data 440; purchase receipt 441; checkout request message 1313;
checkout data 1317; card authorization request 1516, 1523; funds
authorization response(s) 1530; transaction authorization response
1532; batch append data 1534; purchase receipt 1535; batch
clearance request 1714; batch payment request 1718; transaction
data 1720; individual payment confirmation 1728, 1729; updated
payment ledger, merchant account data 1733; and/or the like).
[0191] The VWCS component enabling access of information between
nodes may be developed by employing standard development tools and
languages such as, but not limited to: Apache components, Assembly,
ActiveX, binary executables, (ANSI) (Objective-) C (++), C# and/or
.NET, database adapters, CGI scripts, Java, JavaScript, mapping
tools, procedural and object oriented development tools, PERL, PHP,
Python, shell scripts, SQL commands, web application server
extensions, web development environments and libraries (e.g.,
Microsoft's ActiveX; Adobe AIR, FLEX & FLASH; AJAX; (D)HTML;
Dojo, Java; JavaScript; jQuery(UI); MooTools; Prototype;
script.aculo.us; Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP); SWFObject;
Yahoo! User Interface; and/or the like), WebObjects, and/or the
like. In one embodiment, the VWCS server employs a cryptographic
server to encrypt and decrypt communications. The VWCS component
may communicate to and/or with other components in a component
collection, including itself, and/or facilities of the like. Most
frequently, the VWCS component communicates with the VWCS database,
operating systems, other program components, and/or the like. The
VWCS may contain, communicate, generate, obtain, and/or provide
program component, system, user, and/or data communications,
requests, and/or responses.
Distributed VWCSs
[0192] The structure and/or operation of any of the VWCS node
controller components may be combined, consolidated, and/or
distributed in any number of ways to facilitate development and/or
deployment. Similarly, the component collection may be combined in
any number of ways to facilitate deployment and/or development. To
accomplish this, one may integrate the components into a common
code base or in a facility that can dynamically load the components
on demand in an integrated fashion.
[0193] The component collection may be consolidated and/or
distributed in countless variations through standard data
processing and/or development techniques. Multiple instances of any
one of the program components in the program component collection
may be instantiated on a single node, and/or across numerous nodes
to improve performance through load-balancing and/or
data-processing techniques. Furthermore, single instances may also
be distributed across multiple controllers and/or storage devices;
e.g., databases. All program component instances and controllers
working in concert may do so through standard data processing
communication techniques.
[0194] The configuration of the VWCS controller will depend on the
context of system deployment. Factors such as, but not limited to,
the budget, capacity, location, and/or use of the underlying
hardware resources may affect deployment requirements and
configuration. Regardless of if the configuration results in more
consolidated and/or integrated program components, results in a
more distributed series of program components, and/or results in
some combination between a consolidated and distributed
configuration, data may be communicated, obtained, and/or provided.
Instances of components consolidated into a common code base from
the program component collection may communicate, obtain, and/or
provide data. This may be accomplished through intra-application
data processing communication techniques such as, but not limited
to: data referencing (e.g., pointers), internal messaging, object
instance variable communication, shared memory space, variable
passing, and/or the like.
[0195] If component collection components are discrete, separate,
and/or external to one another, then communicating, obtaining,
and/or providing data with and/or to other components may be
accomplished through inter-application data processing
communication techniques such as, but not limited to: Application
Program Interfaces (API) information passage; (distributed)
Component Object Model ((D)COM), (Distributed) Object Linking and
Embedding ((D)OLE), and/or the like), Common Object Request Broker
Architecture (CORBA), Jini local and remote application program
interfaces, JavaScript Object Notation (JSON), Remote Method
Invocation (RMI), SOAP, process pipes, shared files, and/or the
like. Messages sent between discrete component components for
inter-application communication or within memory spaces of a
singular component for intra-application communication may be
facilitated through the creation and parsing of a grammar. A
grammar may be developed by using development tools such as lex,
yacc, XML, and/or the like, which allow for grammar generation and
parsing capabilities, which in turn may form the basis of
communication messages within and between components.
[0196] For example, a grammar may be arranged to recognize the
tokens of an HTTP post command, e.g.: [0197] w3c-post http:// . . .
Value1
[0198] where Value1 is discerned as being a parameter because
"http://" is part of the grammar syntax, and what follows is
considered part of the post value. Similarly, with such a grammar,
a variable "Value1" may be inserted into an "http://" post command
and then sent. The grammar syntax itself may be presented as
structured data that is interpreted and/or otherwise used to
generate the parsing mechanism (e.g., a syntax description text
file as processed by lex, yacc, etc.). Also, once the parsing
mechanism is generated and/or instantiated, it itself may process
and/or parse structured data such as, but not limited to: character
(e.g., tab) delineated text, HTML, structured text streams, XML,
and/or the like structured data. In another embodiment,
inter-application data processing protocols themselves may have
integrated and/or readily available parsers (e.g., JSON, SOAP,
and/or like parsers) that may be employed to parse (e.g.,
communications) data. Further, the parsing grammar may be used
beyond message parsing, but may also be used to parse: databases,
data collections, data stores, structured data, and/or the like.
Again, the desired configuration will depend upon the context,
environment, and requirements of system deployment.
[0199] For example, in some implementations, the VWCS controller
may be executing a PHP script implementing a Secure Sockets Layer
("SSL") socket server via the information server, which listens to
incoming communications on a server port to which a client may send
data, e.g., data encoded in JSON format. Upon identifying an
incoming communication, the PHP script may read the incoming
message from the client device, parse the received JSON-encoded
text data to extract information from the JSON-encoded text data
into PHP script variables, and store the data (e.g., client
identifying information, etc.) and/or extracted information in a
relational database accessible using the Structured Query Language
("SQL"). An exemplary listing, written substantially in the form of
PHP/SQL commands, to accept JSON-encoded input data from a client
device via a SSL connection, parse the data to extract variables,
and store the data to a database, is provided below:
TABLE-US-00034 <?PHP header(`Content-Type: text/plain`); // set
ip address and port to listen to for incoming data $address =
`192.168.0.100`; $port = 255; // create a server-side SSL socket,
listen for/accept incoming communication $sock =
socket_create(AF_INET, SOCK_STREAM, 0); socket_bind($sock,
$address, $port) or die(`Could not bind to address`);
socket_listen($sock); $client = socket_accept($sock); // read input
data from client device in 1024 byte blocks until end of message do
{ $input = ""; $input = socket_read($client, 1024); $data .=
$input; } while($input != ""); // parse data to extract variables
$obj = json_decode($data, true); // store input data in a database
mysql_connect("201.408.185.132",$DBserver,$password); // access
database server mysql_select("CLIENT_DB.SQL"); // select database
to append mysql_query("INSERT INTO UserTable (transmission) VALUES
($data)"); // add data to UserTable table in a CLIENT database
mysql_close("CLIENT_DB.SQL"); // close connection to database
?>
[0200] Also, the following resources may be used to provide example
embodiments regarding SOAP parser implementation:
TABLE-US-00035 http://www.xav.com/perl/site/lib/SOAP/Parser.html
http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/Infocenter/tivihelp/v2r1/Index.jsp?topic=
/com.ibm .IBMDI.doc/referenceguide295.htm
[0201] and other parser implementations:
TABLE-US-00036
http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/tivihelp/v2r1/index.jsp?topic=
/com.ibm .IBMDI.doc/referenceguide259.htm
[0202] all of which are hereby expressly incorporated by reference
herein. Non-limiting exemplary embodiments highlighting numerous
further advantageous aspects include:
[0203] 1. A virtual wallet card selection means embodiment,
comprising means for: [0204] obtaining a user authentication
request for a purchase transaction; [0205] extracting, via a
computing processor, a universal card account number based on
parsing the user authentication request; [0206] determining, based
on querying a database using the universal card account number,
that the user is authorized to access a virtual wallet; [0207]
providing a user virtual wallet card selection request to a user
device, upon determining that the user is authorized to access the
virtual wallet; [0208] obtaining user selection of a virtual wallet
card account; and [0209] providing a purchase transaction request
message for transaction processing, using the user selection of the
virtual wallet card account.
[0210] 2. The means of embodiment 1, further comprising means for:
[0211] providing, to the user device, a purchase receipt upon
completion of authorization of a purchase transaction based on the
purchase transaction request message.
[0212] 3. The means of embodiment 1, further comprising means for:
[0213] obtaining virtual wallet card selection options for the
user; and [0214] providing the virtual wallet card selection
options to the user device.
[0215] 4. The means of embodiment 3, wherein the virtual wallet
card selection options are based on the universal card account
number extracted from the user authentication request.
[0216] 5. The means of embodiment 4, wherein the universal card
account number extracted from the user authentication request
includes encoded virtual wallet card selection option information
and user identification information.
[0217] 6. The means of embodiment 5, wherein the encoded virtual
wallet card selection option information is encoded as flags in the
universal card account number extracted from the user
authentication request.
[0218] 7. The means of embodiment 1, wherein the user selection of
the virtual wallet card account includes a selection of an
anonymous card account for processing the purchase transaction.
[0219] 8. The means of embodiment 7, wherein the anonymous card
account is a one-time anonymous card account generated in response
to receiving the user selection of the virtual wallet card
account.
[0220] 9. The means of embodiment 1, further comprising means for:
[0221] obtaining user selection of a plurality of virtual wallet
card accounts; and [0222] wherein the purchase transaction request
message includes an identification of the user selection of the
plurality of virtual wallet card accounts.
[0223] 10. The means of embodiment 1, wherein the user device is a
user mobile device executing a virtual wallet application.
[0224] In order to address various issues and advance the art, the
entirety of this application for VIRTUAL WALLET CARD SELECTION
APPARATUSES, METHODS AND SYSTEMS (including the Cover Page, Title,
Headings, Field, Background, Summary, Brief Description of the
Drawings, Detailed Description, Claims, Abstract, Figures,
Appendices and/or otherwise) shows by way of illustration various
example embodiments in which the claimed innovations may be
practiced. The advantages and features of the application are of a
representative sample of embodiments only, and are not exhaustive
and/or exclusive. They are presented only to assist in
understanding and teach the claimed principles. It should be
understood that they are not representative of all claimed
innovations. As such, certain aspects of the disclosure have not
been discussed herein. That alternate embodiments may not have been
presented for a specific portion of the innovations or that further
undescribed alternate embodiments may be available for a portion is
not to be considered a disclaimer of those alternate embodiments.
It will be appreciated that many of those undescribed embodiments
incorporate the same principles of the innovations and others are
equivalent. Thus, it is to be understood that other embodiments may
be utilized and functional, logical, operational, organizational,
structural and/or topological modifications may be made without
departing from the scope and/or spirit of the disclosure. As such,
all examples and/or embodiments are deemed to be non-limiting
throughout this disclosure. Also, no inference should be drawn
regarding those embodiments discussed herein relative to those not
discussed herein other than it is as such for purposes of reducing
space and repetition. For instance, it is to be understood that the
logical and/or topological structure of any combination of any data
flow sequence(s), program components (a component collection),
other components and/or any present feature sets as described in
the figures and/or throughout are not limited to a fixed operating
order and/or arrangement, but rather, any disclosed order is
exemplary and all equivalents, regardless of order, are
contemplated by the disclosure. Furthermore, it is to be understood
that such features are not limited to serial execution, but rather,
any number of threads, processes, processors, services, servers,
and/or the like that may execute asynchronously, concurrently, in
parallel, simultaneously, synchronously, and/or the like are also
contemplated by the disclosure. As such, some of these features may
be mutually contradictory, in that they cannot be simultaneously
present in a single embodiment. Similarly, some features are
applicable to one aspect of the innovations, and inapplicable to
others. In addition, the disclosure includes other innovations not
presently claimed. Applicant reserves all rights in those presently
unclaimed innovations, including the right to claim such
innovations, file additional applications, continuations,
continuations-in-part, divisions, and/or the like thereof. As such,
it should be understood that advantages, embodiments, examples,
functional, features, logical, operational, organizational,
structural, topological, and/or other aspects of the disclosure are
not to be considered limitations on the disclosure as defined by
the claims or limitations on equivalents to the claims. It is to be
understood that, depending on the particular needs and/or
characteristics of a VWCS individual and/or enterprise user,
database configuration and/or relational model, data type, data
transmission and/or network framework, syntax structure, and/or the
like, various embodiments of the VWCS may be implemented that allow
a great deal of flexibility and customization. For example, aspects
of the VWCS may be adapted for fraud prevention, online/virtual
shopping, online financial management; and/or the like. While
various embodiments and discussions of the VWCS have been directed
to electronic purchase transactions, however, it is to be
understood that the embodiments described herein may be readily
configured and/or customized for a wide variety of other
applications and/or implementations.
* * * * *
References