Dual-Chip Payment Card Expense Sharing Pool Session

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing methods for sharing expenses among groups of individuals are inconvenient, requiring multiple payment cards and manual calculations or reliance on a single member to manage payments.

Innovation Solution

A computer-implemented method using a dual-chip payment card to create a temporary pool session for proportional credit sharing among users, allowing for easy transaction processing through a secondary chip associated with the session.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If multiple payment cards are used during payment to share expenses proportionally, then the payment can be distributed among group members, but the operation becomes complicated and inconvenient for the merchant

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of payment processingVSAvoidcomplexity of payment process

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The payment card is divided into two separate chips: a primary chip for individual transactions and a secondary chip for pool session transactions. This segmentation allows the system to handle both individual payments and group expense sharing through separate, dedicated interfaces, simplifying the overall operation for merchants while enabling complex expense sharing functionality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

A temporary pool session is introduced as an intermediary mechanism between the secondary chip and the payment terminal. This pool session acts as a mediator that holds proportional credit amounts for multiple users, allowing the merchant to process a single payment transaction that automatically distributes expenses among group members according to pre-calculated proportions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If a single member makes the payment on behalf of the group and waits for reimbursement, then the payment process is simplified, but it causes inconvenience and delays for other group members

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespeed of expense sharingVSAvoidconvenience of payment process

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by pre-calculating and storing proportional credit amounts for each group member in the temporary pool session before the actual payment is made. This advance preparation eliminates the need for post-payment calculations and reimbursements, allowing all group members to have their shares automatically processed in real-time during the transaction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The secondary chip and pool session system enables self-service expense sharing by automatically distributing payment amounts among group members based on pre-configured proportions. The system handles the entire expense sharing process autonomously without requiring manual intervention from the paying member or the merchant, thereby improving both speed and convenience.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Measurement precision

If manual calculation and distribution of expenses is performed, then flexibility in handling different payment scenarios is achieved, but the process becomes time-consuming and error-prone

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccuracy of expense calculationVSAvoidtime required for expense sharing

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The manual mechanical process of calculating and distributing expenses is replaced with an automated electronic system. The secondary chip communicates with the payment terminal to automatically calculate, store, and distribute proportional credit amounts through the temporary pool session, eliminating manual calculations and reducing both time requirements and potential for errors.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS11238436B2System and computer implemented method for sharing expenses using a dual-chip payment card

Publication Date: 2022.02.01 VISA INTERNATIONAL SERVICE ASSOCIATION

AI summary

The present disclosure relates to a transaction processing system and a method for sharing expenses among multiple peers using a dual-chip payment card. The method includes receiving a request for creating a temporary pool session for a plurality of users from one of the plurality of users having a dual-chip payment card. In response to the request, the method includes creating the temporary pool session, holding a proportional credit amount of each of the plurality of users. Subsequently, the method includes associating the temporary pool session with a secondary chip of the dual-chip payment card of at least one of the plurality of users. Finally, the method includes processing one or more transaction requests received through the secondary chip of the dual-chip payment card of at least one of the plurality of users, using the temporary pool session.