Wireless Charge Authorization Notification System

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current credit and debit transaction systems face issues with unauthorized or fraudulent charges due to inadequate authorization security, leading to significant losses and inconvenience, while existing security measures can be too intrusive or cumbersome.

Innovation Solution

A non-intrusive, user-selectable notification and authorization system for credit card transactions that sends a notification via SMS or text to a customer's wireless device after the charge request is processed, allowing for immediate confirmation or refusal without requiring a response, and optionally requiring a personal identifier for authorization.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If traditional signature-based authorization is used at point of sale, then transaction speed is maintained, but authorization security is insufficient leading to fraudulent charges

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveauthorization securityVSAvoidtransaction process simplicity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system sends authorization requests and notifications to the customer's wireless device in advance or concurrently with the point-of-sale transaction, allowing the customer to review and confirm charges before finalizing the transaction. This preliminary notification approach enhances security by giving customers a chance to verify charges while maintaining transaction speed through automated electronic confirmation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If no notification system is implemented, then transaction processing is fast, but unauthorized transactions cannot be detected timely

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetransaction authorization accuracyVSAvoidtime for mistake detection and correction

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system implements a feedback mechanism where the customer's wireless device receives real-time notifications about charges and can send confirmations or corrections back to the processing system. This feedback loop ensures accurate authorization by allowing customers to verify charges immediately and report errors or fraud, preventing loss of time for later detection and correction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Reliability

If extraneous authorization security measures are added, then fraud prevention improves, but transaction intrusiveness increases negatively impacting user experience

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecharge authorization securityVSAvoidtransaction convenience

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system allows customers to self-manage their authorization preferences and security settings through their wireless devices. Customers can configure notification preferences, authorization thresholds, and contact information without requiring intrusive manual verification at each transaction. This self-service approach maintains security while preserving convenience by empowering customers to control their own authorization experience.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS9406069B2Mobile phone charge card notification and authorization method

Publication Date: 2016.08.02 CALABRESE STEMER

AI summary

An added level of security is provided for charge card transactions. Upon presenting a charge card number for a purchase, for example, the cardholder receives a message (e.g., SMS) on his cell phone or PDA that a charge authorization request has been received. The message may include the merchant, a charge amount, and a time and date.