Disability-Assisted Payment System via Geolocation Linking
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Solution Overview
Problem
People with disabilities, such as those with hearing or visual impairments, face difficulties in conducting commercial transactions due to the lack of accessibility in existing payment systems and Point-of-Sale (POS) devices, which are not designed to facilitate their needs.
Innovation Solution
A digital wallet application on a cardholder's device with disability functionality that enables geolocation-based assistance, automatically linking with merchant devices via wireless communication, and providing disability-based communications to facilitate transactions, including chatbot interactions and audible instructions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If existing payment systems and POS devices are used, then standard transactions can be processed, but people with disabilities cannot adequately communicate or interact with the devices
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a payment assistance system that acts as an intermediary between the disabled cardholder and the POS device. The system includes a communication module that translates between the cardholder's input methods (such as audio commands or alternative interfaces) and the standard POS device protocols, enabling seamless interaction without modifying the existing POS infrastructure.
Solution Approach 2:
The payment application is designed with multiple communication modes and interface options to serve diverse disability needs. It can switch between audio-based communication, text-based communication, and standard visual interfaces, making it universally accessible to cardholders with different types of disabilities while maintaining compatibility with standard payment systems.
2Ease of operation
If payment systems are designed for standard users, then device complexity remains low, but disabled individuals face difficulties in communication and interaction
Solution Approach 1:
The payment system is segmented into distinct functional modules: a payment application on the cardholder's device, a payment assistance system with communication modules, and the existing POS device. This segmentation allows the complexity of accessibility features to be isolated in the assistance system while keeping the core payment processing simple and unchanged.
Solution Approach 2:
The payment application dynamically adapts its interface and communication methods based on the detected disability type and environment. It can switch between different communication protocols and assistive features in real-time, providing simplified interaction for disabled users while maintaining standard functionality when not needed, thus managing complexity adaptively.
3Ease of operation
If traditional POS devices are used, then infrastructure costs remain low, but disabled cardholders cannot independently complete transactions
Solution Approach 1:
The payment assistance system enables disabled cardholders to independently complete transactions without requiring assistance from store staff or companions. The system provides automated communication translation, interface adaptation, and transaction guidance, allowing cardholders to self-serve at standard POS devices just as able-bodied individuals do.
Solution Approach 2:
The payment application performs preliminary actions by pre-configuring accessibility settings, pre-establishing communication protocols, and pre-loading assistive features before the transaction begins. This preparation reduces the need for complex real-time processing during the actual transaction, lowering implementation costs while ensuring independent operation.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems for facilitating transactions by disabled cardholders are provided herein. In particular, a method is provided for performing a transaction using a disability-friendly geolocation payment system that includes a payment application with a disability functionality, which may be activated so as to provide auditory instructions and/or enlarged text instructions to a disabled cardholder.