Abstract:
A method of performing commercial transactions, comprising: establishing a secure link over an air interface by a purchasing device (e.g. a wearable computing device, a smart phone, etc.), the secure link being between the purchasing device and a point of sale device; obtaining a biometric read on the purchasing device; authenticating the biometric read on the purchasing device; conducting a secure commercial transaction between the purchasing device and the point of sale device, wherein the commercial transaction is carried out via an electronic transmission between the air interface of the purchasing device and the point of sale, and wherein payment information stored securely on the purchasing device is transmitted to the point of sale device as part of the electronic transmission. In another possible embodiment, obtaining a biometric read on a purchasing device places the purchasing device in a “ready to transact” state for a timed period.

Description:
FIELD OF INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention generally relates to commercial transactions via electronic devices (e.g. smart phone, wearable computer, etc.) More particularly, the present invention relates to a system governing a commercial transaction between an electronic device and a point-of-sale via a biometric reader on the electronic device. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Smart phones (e.g. iPhone® models, Android®-based smart phones) and wearable computers (e.g. smart watches from Samsung®, Sony®, Pebble® etc, Google Glass™, etc.) are generally equipped with means of communicating with other devices via technologies such as Bluetooth/Bluetooth Low Energy (“BLE”), Near-Field Communication (“NFC”) technologies, etc. Communication between electronic devices is utilized in the prior art to conduct commercial transactions. For example, a smart phone utilizing a service such as Google Wallet® may come in close proximity with a point-of-sale (“POS”) device and utilize NFC communication to transmit payment information from the smart phone to the POS. In a similar example, an iPhone® or similar Apple® smart device may utilize iBeacon® to transmit payment information (e.g. over a Bluetooth 4.0/BLE protocol) to a POS to transmit a mobile payment without the use of physical money or credit cards. 
         [0003]    Mobile payment, also referred to as mobile money, mobile money transfer, and mobile wallet generally refer to payment services operated under financial regulation and performed from or via a mobile device. Instead of paying with cash or credit cards, a consumer can use a mobile phone to pay for a wide range of services and digital or hard goods. Some example of mobile payment providers/technologies are companies like Square, Inc. Square Register® allows individuals and businesses to accept debit and credit cards on their iOS® or Android® smartphone or tablet computer. The app supports manually entering the card details or swiping the card through the Square Reader, a small plastic device which plugs into the audio jack of a supported smartphone or tablet and reads the magnetic stripe. On the iPad® version of the Square Register app, the interface resembles a traditional cash register. Square Wallet® allows customers to set up a tab and pay for their order simply with their name (or a barcode) using a stored credit, debit, or gift card. 
         [0004]    Biometric readers, most notably fingerprint scanners, are integrated into a plurality of smart devices, e.g. the Touch ID fingerprint identity sensor built into the Apple® iPhone® 5S and Samsung Galaxy® 5S smart phones. Biometric readers are generally used to ensure the identity of the user of the device (e.g. a user scans in their fingerprint to unlock their electronic device.) or in some cases, to authorize electronic payments already in progress. For example, a user going through an on-line purchase-flow on iTunes® using an iPhone® may be required to scan their thumbprint as the final “authorization step” of the transaction. However, for in-person transactions (i.e not online) there is no mechanism in the prior art to govern an electronic commercial transaction, conducted via an air interface on the smart device against a point-of-sale, with use of a biometric reader on the smart device. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    In general, a method and system for facilitating commercial electronic transactions via portable electronic smart devices that are equipped with a biometric reader, wherein the biometric reader is utilized to place the electronic device in a timed “ready-to-transact” state. The commercial electronic transaction may take place via an air interface of the portable electronic smart device, allowing payment information stored securely on the smart device to be transmitted to a point-of-sale. In one possible embodiment, the “ready-to-transact” state may be timer-driven, and only electronic transactions conducted between the time the electronic device is placed in the “ready-to-transact” state, and the time before the “ready-to-transact” state expires, are valid. 
         [0006]    For example, a user of a smart phone equipped with a fingerprint identity sensor may use their phone to play music and for other activities, while strolling in a store equipped with mobile POS stations. Any electronic communication between the electronic device and the POS (e.g. via “always-on” technologies such as BLE and NFC) that may construe a purchase transaction, is rejected. When the user decides to commence an electronic purchase, the user may slide his/her fingers on the fingerprint sensor of their device. Once the device has authenticated the fingerprint as belonging to the user, the device may be placed in a “ready to transact” mode; i.e. communicating with the POS and ready to transmit and receive any transaction-related information. The “ready to transact” mode may be timed, such that after a pre-set duration, the “ready to transact” mode is automatically cancelled and any further BLE/NFC communications between the device and the POS may be considered invalid for transactions. 
     
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]    For a more complete understanding of the present invention and further advantages thereof, references are now made to the following Detailed Description, taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which: 
           [0008]      FIGS. 1   a  and  1   b  are generalized block diagrams illustrating a system which enables and electronic device to conduct an electronic transaction via an air interface following a biometric scan on the electronic device. 
           [0009]      FIGS. 2   a - 2   c  are generalized flow diagrams illustrating a system which enables an electronic device to conduct an electronic transaction via an air interface following a biometric scan on the electronic device. 
           [0010]      FIGS. 3   a - 3   d  are generalized block diagrams illustrating a system enabling a portable electronic device to conduct commercial transactions via an air interface following a biometric scan, in one possible embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0011]      FIGS. 1   a  and  1   b  are generalized block diagrams illustrating a system which enables and electronic device to conduct an electronic transaction via an air interface following a biometric scan on the electronic device. In one possible embodiment of the present invention, referring to  FIG. 1   a , a portable electronic device  100  may include a secure element (“SE”)  104  which may include digitally-stored payment information, e.g. credit card data  102 . The portable electronic device  100  may also include an application processor (“AP”)  108  that executes applications to conduct electronic transactions, such as purchase goods and services using the credit card information  102  from a point-of-sale (“POS”)  111  (please note that a POS in this invention may refer either to a conventional POS terminal at a store; or, to another portable electronic device acting as a POS in a peer-to-peer electronic transaction.) The portable electronic device  100  may also include at least one air interface  110  (e.g. a near-field communication (“NFC”) module). The air interface  110  may establish an electronic wireless transmission with the POS  111 , allowing for exchange of transaction-related information, such as the credit card data  102 . The POS  111  may be linked/part-of a backend system  112  (e.g. bank), configured to execute commercial transactions against the credit card data  102 . 
         [0012]    A biometric reader  106  (e.g. fingerprint scanner) may be associated with the portable electronic device  110  (e.g. be built-in as part of the device&#39;s  110  hardware) and may communicate with the AP  108 . The biometric reader  106  may be paired with a biometric verification module  107 , whose purpose is to validate the biometric input. Please note that the biometric verification module  107  is represented herein as a separate module for illustrative purpose only; it may be an algorithm that is run by a separate processor, by the OS of the device, by any other module, hardware or software, etc. (e.g. by AP  108 ). 
         [0013]    The biometric reader  106  may function as a “gate keeper”, allowing and disallowing communications between the air interface  110  and the POS  111 , over which information from the SE  104  is transmitted. In one possible embodiment, a communication link between the air interface  110  and the POS  110  may be established (e.g. a NFC link) prior to a successful biometric read; however, the payment/credit card data  102  stored in the secure element  104  may not be transmitted to the POS  110  via the air interface  110  until a positive biometric read has been received by the biometric reader  106 , and verified by the biometric verification module  107 . For example, a user of a portable electronic device, e.g. a smart watch, may tap the smart watch on a touchpad of a POS. A communication may be established, prompting the user to swipe his/her finger across the finger scanner of the smart watch in order to transmit a credit card number, stored on the smart watch, to the POS. 
         [0014]    In another possible embodiment, communication between the air interface  110  and the POS  111  may be contingent upon a successful biometric read on the portable electronic device  100 . In other words, the electronic device  100  and the POS  111  may engage in a transaction-related communication only once the user of the electronic device  100  has placed the electronic device  100  in a “transaction-ready mode” by providing a successful biometric read. For example, a user of a smart watch operating according to the principles of the present invention, may place the smart watch in close proximity to a POS and observe that no communication is taking place between the POS and the smart watch. The act of successfully providing a biometric read, e.g. swiping finger across the biometric reader of the smart watch, “wakes up” the air interface of the smart watch (e.g. NFC, BLE, etc.) and allows the air interface to form a paired connection with the POS and start engaging in an electronic commercial transaction in which payment information stored on the smart watch is transmitted to the POS. 
         [0015]    In another possible embodiment, referring now to  FIG. 1   b,  the portable electronic device  100  may be additionally equipped with a display  120  and a timer  122 . The display  120  may provide the user of the portable electronic device  100  with feedback relevant to the operation of the present invention. The timer  122  may provide means of automatically disabling an electronic transaction after an elapsed period of time. Please kindly note that the display  120  may be a general display of the portable electronic device  100 , e.g. the main screen displaying phone calls etc. and the timer may be a subset of functionality provided by the operating system of the portable electronic device  100 . 
         [0016]    Communication between the portable electronic device  100  and the POS  111 , facilitated via the air interface  110  and used to transmit the credit card/payment information  102 , may be generally governed by a combination of a biometric read, its verification, a display and a timing mechanism. A successful biometric read, via the biometric reader  106  and its verification via the biometric verification module  107 , may initialize the timer  122 , in conjunction with allowing a communication between the air interface  110  and the POS  111 , over which the credit card (or any other payment form) information  102 , stored in the SE  104 , may be transmitted to conduct an electronic commercial transaction. The timer  122  may be preset with a timeout interval at the end of which the transmission of the credit card data  102  to the POS  111  via the air interface  110  may be disallowed/aborted. The user may be notified via the display  120  of the status of the transaction allowance and/or time remaining until communication is shut off and transactions are disallowed. Please refer to  FIGS. 3   a - 3   c  for an example illustrating this embodiment. 
         [0017]      FIGS. 2   a - 2   c  are generalized flow diagrams illustrating a system which enables and electronic device to conduct an electronic transaction via an air interface following a biometric scan on the electronic device. In various possible embodiments described herein, a biometric scan may be used in various logical flows of a transactions process. For example, referring to  FIG. 2   a , a successful biometric scan may place an electronic device in a “ready state”, allowing the electronic device to use an air interface (e.g. NFC, BlueTooth etc.) to transmit payment information stored on the electronic device, to a POS. 
         [0018]    Generalized step  200 , encompassing steps  202 - 206 , illustrates a normal operation of a portable electronic device: user input is received at step  202 . At step  204  it is determined the user input is not a biometric scan and consequentially, at step  206  the user input is processed normally by the operating system of the electronic device. The assumed state of the electronic device in this example is generally turned on, with the user authenticated to the electronic device (i.e. past the initial security challenge which may itself require a biometric scan, which is outside the scope of the present invention.) 
         [0019]    If at step  204  it is determined that the user input at step  202  was a biometric scan (e.g. a fingerprint scan), at step  208  the biometric scan may be analyzed (e.g. compared with stored biometric scans on the electronic device). At step  209  it may be determined whether the biometric scan is valid; if it is determined the biometric scan is not valid, at step  206  ordinary process/operation of the electronic device may resume (outside the scope of the present invention.) If it is determined at step  209  that biometric scan is valid, the electronic device may enter a “ready for transaction” state at step  210 . 
         [0020]    The “ready for transaction” state may have varied connotations in different possible embodiments, including, for example: the user may be prompted to touch the electronic device against a POS to commence an electronic transaction; a pending air interface connection may be confirmed; a pending transmission of securely stored payment information on the electronic device may be transmitted to the POS, etc. 
         [0021]    Another possible embodiment is illustrated in  FIG. 2   b . The user&#39;s portable electronic device may detect an air interface communication (e.g. NFC) from a POS at step  220 . At step  222 , the device may display a prompt for the user to conduct a biometric scan on the electronic device in order to facilitate an electronic commercial transaction via the air interface. At step  224  the biometric scan may be received (e.g. user scans fingerprint on the device&#39;s fingerprint scanner), and at step  226  the received biometric scan may be analyzed. If it is determined at step  228  that the biometric scan is valid (validating biometric scans on electronic devices is well known in the prior art) at step  230  the portable electronic device may enter a “ready to transact” mode. As one of many possible embodiment of the “ready to transact” mode, at step  232  payment information stored securely on the portable electronic device may be transmitted to the POS over the air interface (i.e. allowing a commercial transaction to take place). 
         [0022]    Referring now to  FIG. 2   c , “ready to transact” mode involve a timing mechanism regulating its duration. At step  250 , the “ready to transact” mode may be instantiated. At step  252 , a system timer may be invoked to allow for a pre-determined time span to elapse (e.g. through code by an application utilizing the OS of the portable electronic device.) At step  254 , an air interface communication may be initialized/allowed to facilitate electronic transactions with a POS. At step  258  it may be determined whether an electronic transactions between the portable electronic device and the POS was successful; if it is determined the transaction was successful, at step  262  the logical flow described by the present invention may end. 
         [0023]    If at step  258  it is determined the electronic transaction between the portable electronic device and the POS, via the electronic device&#39;s air interface, was not successful, at step  260  the timer may be read to determine whether the time-span allotted for the electronic transaction at step  252  has elapsed. If it is determined at step  264  the allotted time-span has elapsed, at step  262  the logical flow of this embodiment ends; otherwise, step  256  may be repeated, re-trying the transaction with the POS. 
         [0024]      FIGS. 3   a - 3   d  are generalized block diagrams illustrating a system enabling a portable electronic device to conduct commercial transactions via an air interface following a biometric scan, in one possible embodiment of the present invention. Referring to  FIG. 3   a , a portable electronic device  300  (e.g. a smart watch) may include a display  306  and a biometric reader  302 . The biometric reader  302  may be capable of receiving a biometric read from a human  304 . The portable electronic device  300  may be capable of processing and validating the received biometric read. 
         [0025]    Upon validating the biometric read, referring now to  FIG. 3   b , the display  306  may display indicators of a successful biometric read: a fingerprint image  308  and a message such as “passed”  330 , as examples. Please kindly note that the displayed entities  308  and  330  are merely exemplary and are not germane to the present invention. 
         [0026]    Referring now to  FIG. 3   c , the display  306  of the portable electronic device  300  may display further indicators to the user that the portable electronic device  300  is ready to conduct electronic commercial transactions. For example, a message “Ready for Payment”  320  may be displayed, along with a timed message  322  indicating to the user the remaining amount of time to conclude the electronic transaction (this specific illustration refers to one possible embodiment of invoking time-restrictive transactions via a biometric scan.) Communication (e.g. NFC, BLE, etc.) with a POS  364  may be facilitated via an air interface  350  on the portable electronic device  300 . 
         [0027]    Referring now to  FIG. 3   d , the display  360  of the portable electronic device  300  may display information related to the electronic commercial transaction with the POS  364 , such as notifying a user of the value of the transaction (e.g. purchase price), requesting user approval, as the portable electronic device  300  communicates via link  350  with the POS  364 . 
         [0028]    While various embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail, it is apparent that further modifications and adaptations of the present invention will occur to those skilled in the art. However, it is to be expressly understood that such modifications and adaptations are within the spirit and scope of the present invention.