Telecommunications – Radiotelephone system – Usage measurement
Reexamination Certificate
1998-07-31
2001-02-27
Le, Thanh Cong (Department: 2749)
Telecommunications
Radiotelephone system
Usage measurement
C705S026640
Reexamination Certificate
active
06195542
ABSTRACT:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
G. L. Griffith, “A Wireless Telephone As A Transaction Device”; and
G. L. Griffith, “Interaction Of A Wireless Telephone With A Transaction Unit”.
These applications are being filed concurrently with this application and are assigned to the same assignee.
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to secure transaction and more particularly, to an arrangement for utilizing a central computer to verify a wireless telephone to function as a transaction device.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Within the prior art, various transaction devices have been utilized to allow individuals to perform transactions. These transactions may be to purchase merchandise or services or may be to gain access to a secure area. Among the commonly used transaction devices is a credit card with a magnetic strip that identifies the credit card account of the individual. The standard credit card has no capability of receiving information from the transaction unit utilized to read the credit card. In addition, the validity of the credit card can only be indirectly verified. However, various types of smart cards do have the ability to store transactional information and to later reproduce this transaction information. For example, it is possible to have a smart card that is utilized as a standard credit card but receives information from the transactional unit defining what was purchased. In addition, the smart card can organize this information for later transmission to a personal computer via a physical link.
Similarly, other types of transactions involve such things as entering secure areas. Because of the need to preserve proprietary information, or restrict access to dangerous physical locations, many building facilities have secure areas which can only be accessed by designated people. Access to these secure areas is controlled by identification of personal features of an individual, keyed or unkeyed locks, and identification badges such as cards with magnetic strips. The cards with magnetic strips are similar to credit cards or smart cards.
The problems that exists with the prior art transaction devices fall into four major categories. First, these transaction devices are not capable of directly and independently establishing their validity with an independent center. Second, these devices require that the transaction unit have a special interface for reading information from the device. The special reading facility may take the form of physical contact such as in a credit card application or may allow limited wireless reading of the transaction device by the transaction unit using, for example, electromagnetic transmission. However, even in the situation where the transaction device communicates information via electromagnetic transmission, the transaction unit must be specifically equipped for the particular type of electromagnetic transmission. The third problem is the proliferation of credit cards, checkbooks, debit cards, and security cards that the average individual must carry. Fourth, is the amount of time required to complete the transaction. For example, when a credit card is used to purchase groceries at a supermarket. First, the groceries must be rung up; and then, the credit card entered and verified before the transaction can be completed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The foregoing problems are solved and a technical advance is achieved by the utilization of a wireless telephone to function as a transaction device in conjunction with central computer that establishes the validity of the wireless telephone to make transactions. In a first embodiment, a wireless telephone places a call to a central computer which provides a central verification of the wireless terminal's authorization to make transactions. The central computer requests from the wireless telephone personal information of the user that can be used to verify a transaction. The personal identification information may be a simple personal identification number (PIN) or advantageously voice identification. Once the wireless telephone is verified, the wireless telephone transmits to the central computer account information. The central computer then contacts a site computer that is controlling a transaction unit with which the wireless telephone wishes to complete a transaction. The site computer then transmits to the transaction unit, and the central computer a transaction number. The central computer relays this transaction number to the wireless terminal which displays it to the user. The site computer relays the transaction number to the transaction unit and the transaction unit also displays the transaction number. The user of the wireless terminal then confirms the transaction when the correct transaction number is displayed on the transaction unit by transmitting an acceptance message to the central computer which relays this message to the site computer. After the transaction is complete, the site computer transmits transaction data to the central computer. Advantageously, the central computer determines whether the transaction data is to be transmitted to the wireless telephone or communicated to a personal computer (PC) owned by the user of the wireless telephone. Advantageously, within a large facility such a supermarket, only the site computer needs to have a communication link over which calls can be received from the central computer. One skilled in the art could readily envision that there could be more that one central computer serving various accounts.
In a second embodiment, the transaction number is not visually displayed but rather is transmitted over a second transmission medium to the wireless telephone confirming that the correct transaction is taking place.
Advantageously, by utilizing the transaction number, the wireless telephone can transmit the account information to the site computer well in advance of the actual financial transaction taking place. For example, within a supermarket, the user could request that the wireless telephone transmit the account information while the user is standing in line for the cash register.
Advantageously, where the wireless telephone receives the transaction data, the wireless telephone can place a call to the personal computer of the user and transfer the transaction information to the personal computer. This alleviates the need of the user physically attaching the wireless telephone to the personal computer. It is assumed that the personal computer performs the necessary financial and database functions on transaction information as required by the user.
These and other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of illustrative embodiments of the invention considered together with the drawing.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5719918 (1998-02-01), Serbetciouglu
patent: 5893094 (1999-04-01), Horowitz
patent: 5903830 (1999-05-01), Joao
patent: 5983093 (1999-11-01), Haimi-Cohen
patent: 5983094 (1999-11-01), Altschul
Avaya Technology Corp.
Cong Le Thanh
Corsaro Nick
Moran John C.
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