Wireless power supply to enable payment transaction

A method for completing a transaction at a terminal between a terminal and a mobile device including: initiating a transaction at the terminal; initiating communication with the mobile device; determining that the mobile device is without power; transmitting a wireless power signal to power the mobile device; sending a transaction authentication request message to the mobile device after transmitting the wireless power signal; receiving an authentication message from the mobile device; and completing the transaction after receiving the authentication message from the mobile device.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Various exemplary embodiments disclosed herein relate generally to powering devices for transactions.

BACKGROUND

Today mobile devices are widely used for various tasks include conducting various transactions, for example, paying for goods or services from a merchant. These mobile devices may interact with terminal devices in order to carry out these transactions.

SUMMARY

Various exemplary embodiments relate to a method for completing a transaction at a terminal between a terminal and a mobile device including: initiating a transaction at the terminal; initiating communication with the mobile device; determining that the mobile device is without power; transmitting a wireless power signal to power the mobile device; sending a transaction authentication request message to the mobile device after transmitting the wireless power signal; receiving an authentication message from the mobile device; and completing the transaction after receiving the authentication message from the mobile device.

Further, various exemplary embodiments relate to a method for completing a transaction at a terminal between a terminal and a mobile device, wherein the transaction is initiated by the mobile device, including: transmitting a wireless power signal to power the mobile device; initiating communication with the mobile device; determining that the mobile device would like to perform a transaction; receiving an authentication message from the mobile device; and completing the transaction after receiving the authentication message from the mobile device.

Further, various exemplary embodiments relate to a transaction terminal system for completing transactions by interacting with a mobile device, including: a user communication interface configured to communicate with a mobile device; a wireless power supply configured to provide wireless power to a mobile device; and terminal controller configured to control the user communication interface and the wireless power supply and configured to determine when the mobile device is without power and then to control supplying wireless power to the mobile device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Businesses and other entities may implement transaction terminals that interact with mobile devices to conduct various transactions. Typically such transactions will require some sort of authentication such as when paying for purchased items or exchanging sensitive information such as personal identifying information or login information. Such mobile devices may include mobile phones, tables, laptops, MP3 players, etc. The communication between the transaction terminal and the mobile device may occur directly using various known protocols including near field communications (NFC), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, etc. Alternatively, the communication between the transaction terminal and the mobile device may communicate via a third party network such as the internet.

A transaction may be initiated by either the transaction terminal or the mobile device. For example, if a user purchases items at a store and desires to pay using their mobile device, the user may indicate to the transaction terminal such desire. The transaction terminal may then initiate communication with the mobile device using any of the methods described above. The mobile device may provide necessary authentication information to the transaction terminal in order to complete the transaction. Further, the mobile device may require some sort of user input before authenticating the purchase transaction using various authentication techniques such as entry of a personal identification number (PIN), password, fingerprint scan or other biometric authentication, etc., or a combination of these authentication techniques.

In other alternative embodiments, the mobile device may be used to initiate and complete transactions. For example, an application on the mobile device may be used to conduct the transaction. A user may select an item for purchase. This may be accomplished by scanning a bar code on the item or by selecting the item for sale in the application. The user may then initiate payment using the application. The application may require that one or more authentication technique be used as described above.

Financial transactions may involve payment institutions such as the user's bank, credit card company, other financial institution, account with the store where the purchase is being made, or another payment system such as those used on the internet. Such financial transactions may require specific authentication techniques and procedures based upon the payment institution.

Such systems may also involve other sorts of transactions. For example, borrowing items from a library, accessing a transit system, accessing a secure facility or home, accessing subscription information data bases, or any other sort of transaction requiring authentication. The use of mobile devices has expanded rapidly to provide a method of quickly and securely providing authentication in many of these types of transactions, especially payment transactions.

A problem may arise when a user of a mobile device depends upon the mobile device to complete a transaction as described above, but their mobile device has run out of battery power. This problem may be overcome by the transaction terminal providing wireless power to the user's mobile device. Once the user's mobile device is powered on using the wireless power source, the user may complete the transaction with the transaction terminal. Below various embodiments of systems and methods are described to accomplish this.

FIG. 1illustrates an embodiment of a transaction system. The transaction system100may include a transaction terminal110and a mobile device120. The transaction terminal110may include a user communication interface112, a terminal controller114, a wireless power supply116, and a wireless power supply antenna118.

The user communication interface112interfaces with the user mobile120. The user communication interface may use various wireless communication protocols as described above or communicate via a third party network such as the internet. The terminal controller114controls the overall operation of the transaction terminal110. The terminal controller114may include a processor and software or may be an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The terminal controller114communicates with the user communication interface112and the wireless power supply116. Also, the terminal controller114may have a communication interface to communicate with the backend systems of the owner of the transaction terminal. For example the terminal controller114may communicate with a cash register, computer system, or other database or inventory systems of the owner of the transaction terminal. The wireless power supply116and the wireless power supply antenna118may produce radio wave radiation that may be received by the mobile device120to power the mobile device120. Such wireless power supply116may include any known wireless power supply system or protocol. The wireless power supply116may be selected to provide sufficient power to power the mobile device120. In alternate embodiments, the wireless power supply116and wireless power antenna118may be external to the transaction terminal or may even be a distributed system with multiple wireless power supplies116and wireless power antennas118that provide a wireless power capability over a desired area, for example, in a certain area around a cash register.

As described above the mobile device120may be any mobile device capable of communicating with the transaction terminal110that provides user authentication for the transaction between the transaction terminal and the mobile device. The mobile device120may communicate wirelessly either directly with the transaction terminal110or via a third party network such as a wireless service provider connected to the internet. Further, the mobile device120may include circuitry to power the mobile device120from radio wave radiation received from the transaction terminal110. Also, the mobile device120may include a NFC chip. Such NFC chip may be read by the transaction terminal110. The NFC chip may include information indicating the presence of the mobile device120, identification information for the mobile device and its user, or information indicating that the mobile device has not battery power. When the transaction terminal detects the NFC chip in the mobile device120and determines that the mobile device110does not have power, the transaction terminal110may turn on its wireless power supply116in order to turn on the mobile device to complete a transaction.

A few embodiments demonstrating the operation of a transaction system will be described below. The following embodiments will be described in the context of a user purchasing items from a merchant and using a mobile device with a transaction terminal to pay for the items. It is to be understood that the embodiments described below could be used with other types of transactions as well as described above.

FIG. 2illustrates a method for completing a transaction at a transaction terminal between the transaction terminal and the mobile device. The transaction terminal110may first initiate a transaction210. This may occur when a user seeks to purchase items from a merchant using their mobile device to pay for the items. Once the total amount due is determined by the merchant, such information may be passed to the transaction terminal in order to receive payment for the items from the user via their mobile device. Next, the transaction terminal110may initiate communication215with the mobile device120. As described above this may be done using various methods of communication. Next, if the mobile device is without power, the transaction terminal110may determine that the mobile device120is without power220. If the mobile device120is without power, then the transaction terminal110may transmit a wireless power signal225to power the mobile device120. Such power will allow the mobile device110to become active. Next, the transaction terminal110may send a transaction authentication request message to the mobile device120after transmitting the wireless power signal230. The transaction authentication request message may any message that indicates to the mobile device120that the transaction terminal110would like authentication to perform a transaction that requires authentication. It may include various identifying information for the transaction and the parties in the transaction. At this point the user may enter the necessary authentication information such as described above to authorize the transaction. The mobile device120may then send an authentication message in response the user entering the proper authentication information. The authentication message may include the information required by the transaction terminal in order to authenticate the transaction. Then the transaction terminal110may receive the authentication message from the mobile device120to authorize the transaction235. Finally, the transaction terminal110may complete the transaction240in response to the authentication message.

FIG. 3illustrates another method for completing a transaction at a transaction terminal between the transaction terminal and the mobile device. In this embodiment, the mobile device120initiates the transaction. The transaction terminal110may transmit a wireless power signal310to power the mobile device120. Such power will allow the mobile device120to become active if the device is without power. Next, the transaction terminal110may initiate communication315with the mobile device120. As described above this may be done using various methods of communication. Then the transaction terminal110may determine that the mobile device would like to perform a payment transaction320. This may be done when the mobile device120has an application or capability to initiate payment to the transaction terminal110. Next, the transaction terminal110may receive an authentication message from the mobile device120to authorize the transaction325. Finally, the transaction terminal240may complete the transaction335. Also, the transaction terminal110may determine that the mobile device120is not performing a payment transaction when initiating communication with the mobile device120. In such a situation, the transaction terminal110may turn off the wireless power signal.

FIG. 4illustrates another method for completing a transaction at a transaction terminal between the transaction terminal and the mobile device. The transaction terminal110may first initiate a transaction410. This may occur when a user seeks to purchase items from a merchant using their mobile device to pay for the items. Once the total amount due is determined by the merchant, such information may be passed to the transaction terminal in order to receive payment for the items from the user via their mobile device. Next, the transaction terminal110may read an NFC tag in the mobile device120. The When the mobile device120is about to run out of power, it may write information to this affect into the NFC tag. When the mobile device receives power again this data may be erased. Next, if the mobile device is without power as indicated by information read from the NFC tag, the transaction terminal110may determine that the mobile device120is without power420. If the mobile device120is without power, then the transaction terminal110may transmit a wireless power signal425to power the mobile device120. Such power will allow the mobile device110to become active. Next, the transaction terminal110may send a transaction authentication request message to the mobile device120after transmitting the wireless power signal430. At this point the user may enter the necessary authentication information such as described above to authorize the transaction. The mobile device120may then send an authentication message in response the user entering the proper authentication information. Then the transaction terminal110may receive an authentication message from the mobile device120to authorize the transaction435. Finally, the transaction terminal110may complete the transaction440in response to the authentication message.

It should be noted that various aspects of the above embodiments may be combined resulting in other embodiments. Also, various steps in the methods may be performed in a different order or simultaneously. Also various aspects of the embodiments above may be implemented using processors and computer instructions to result in a specific machine implementing the embodiment. Also, portions of the embodiments above may be implemented using ASICs or other specific hardware elements.

As used herein, the term “processor” will be understood to encompass a variety of devices such as microprocessors, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), and other similar processing and computing devices.

Other embodiments that use wireless power capabilities between a transaction terminal and mobile device powered by the wireless power in order to complete a transaction are envisioned.