Cloud-Based PIN Pad Gateway Sharing for Scalable Processing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional point of sale (POS) systems with stateless PIN pads require separate gateways for each device, limiting scalability and throughput, causing inconvenience and potential revenue loss for merchants.
Innovation Solution
A cloud-based device gateway system that dynamically generates and manages connections between client devices and gateways, using a message bus with filters to route messages efficiently, allowing multiple PIN pads to share gateways and enhancing scalability.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a separate gateway is required for each stateless PIN pad, then connection reliability is improved, but system scalability and throughput deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple gateway functions into a single shared gateway that can handle connections from multiple PIN pads simultaneously. The gateway is configured to maintain state information for multiple clients, allowing it to serve as a centralized connection point rather than requiring separate gateways for each PIN pad, thus improving throughput while maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The gateway is designed with universal functionality to serve multiple PIN pads and support various communication protocols. It can dynamically allocate resources to different clients and handle diverse message types, making it a multi-functional component that improves system scalability without sacrificing connection reliability.
2Stability of the object's composition
If a separate gateway is required for each stateless PIN pad, then connection stability is improved, but device complexity and resource allocation deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple gateway instances into a single unified gateway that manages all PIN pad connections. This consolidation reduces the overall number of gateway components in the system, simplifying deployment and maintenance while maintaining stable connections through centralized state management.
Solution Approach 2:
The gateway acts as an intermediary between the message bus and multiple PIN pads, abstracting the complexity of direct connections. It manages connection states, routes messages appropriately, and handles protocol conversions, thereby stabilizing connections while hiding the underlying system complexity from individual components.
3Reliability
If dedicated gateways are used for each PIN pad, then connection reliability is improved, but scalability and resource efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The gateway is designed as a universal component that can dynamically adapt to serve multiple PIN pads with different requirements. It implements flexible resource allocation and supports various communication protocols, enabling the system to scale by adding PIN pads without requiring proportional increases in gateway infrastructure.
Solution Approach 2:
The gateway implements dynamic resource allocation and configuration capabilities, allowing it to adapt its behavior based on current system conditions and client requirements. This dynamic nature enables the system to scale flexibly while maintaining reliable connections, as the gateway can optimize its resource usage in real-time.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of processing payment transactions includes receiving a connection request from a client device, determining whether a gateway is available for the client device, creating a connection between the client device and a gateway, the gateway being a previously existing gateway or a newly generated gateway, creating a message filter for the client device on a message bus, listening for messages on the message bus and transmitting the message to the client device by way of the gateway upon finding a message on the message bus matching the message filter.