Button Payment Card for POS-Linked Rewards and Game Selection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing payment systems lack the ability to seamlessly integrate additional services or features beyond traditional payment transactions, such as games of skill and chance, sweepstakes entries, and value credits, without requiring complex modifications to existing infrastructure.
Innovation Solution
A payment card or device equipped with buttons that allow users to associate additional services, which communicate user selections to a point-of-sale system, enabling remote facilities to authorize transactions and engage third-party service providers for features like sweepstakes entries or piggyback purchases, with dynamic descriptors and value credits.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If existing payment systems are used for traditional transactions only, then system simplicity is maintained, but service versatility is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The payment card is designed to perform multiple functions beyond traditional payments. It includes buttons that can trigger various services such as games of skill, games of chance, sweepstakes entries, value credits, and piggyback purchases. The card communicates both payment information and service selection information to the point-of-sale system, enabling a single device to handle both transactional and entertainment services.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary communication layer between the payment card and the point-of-sale system. The card communicates multiple types of information (payment data, button selection data, service identifiers) through a unified interface. This intermediary mechanism allows existing infrastructure to support new services without requiring separate dedicated systems for each function.
2Ease of operation
If multiple services are integrated into the payment card, then user convenience is improved, but operation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The card interface is segmented into distinct buttons, with each button associated with a specific service or category of services. This segmentation allows users to interact with the card through simple, discrete button presses rather than complex input methods. The point-of-sale system receives segmented information about which button was pressed and processes the corresponding service accordingly.
Solution Approach 2:
The system automatically associates services with button presses without requiring user configuration at the point-of-sale. The card stores service association data that is automatically retrieved and processed by the point-of-sale system when a button is pressed. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for users to manually select or configure services during transactions.
3Adaptability or versatility
If third-party services are integrated via remote facilities, then service variety is increased, but processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs remote facilities as intermediaries between the payment card and third-party service providers. The card communicates service selection information to the point-of-sale system, which then forwards this information to appropriate remote facilities. These remote facilities handle the complex interactions with third-party services, isolating the complexity from the card and point-of-sale infrastructure.
Solution Approach 2:
Service association data is pre-configured on the payment card before use. When a user presses a button, the card automatically retrieves and transmits the pre-associated service information to the point-of-sale system. This preliminary setup eliminates the need for real-time service configuration or complex decision-making during transactions.
4Ease of operation
If real-time reward delivery is implemented, then user experience is improved, but transaction processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
Service information and reward eligibility data are pre-loaded onto the payment card during manufacturing or initial setup. When a transaction occurs and a button is pressed, the card immediately transmits the pre-associated service information to the point-of-sale system, enabling rapid processing. The preliminary preparation of data eliminates the need for real-time data retrieval or complex calculations during the transaction.
Data Source
AI summary
A user is provided with a GUI that may allow the user to change functionality associated with a non-battery-powered card, a battery-powered card, a payment sticker, or another device (e.g., a mobile telephonic device). The GUI may be provided by a website so that a user views the GUI from a web-browser. At any time, for example, a user may change additional functionality performed at a point-of-sale purchase. A user may change the additional functionality for a card or a button of a card. A user may switch to associate a game of chance or skill to the purchase.