In-App Payment Authorization via Preliminary Authentication

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing payment systems require additional authorization steps and deep linking, which increase processing power usage, complexity, and security risks, and disrupt the user experience during electronic payments on third-party merchant websites.

Innovation Solution

The system allows for automatic authorization of payments using an application-associated account within an in-app browser, eliminating the need for additional input from the user by determining if the payment request originated from within the application, thus reducing processing power and enhancing security through a custom, secure communication channel.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If additional authorization requests and deep linking are used, then payment security is improved, but processing power usage and system complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepayment securityVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary authentication when the user initially accesses the application, storing authentication tokens and payment information. This preliminary action eliminates the need for repeated authorization requests during subsequent payment operations within the same application session, reducing both processing power usage and system complexity while maintaining security.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements nested communication channels where the in-app browser communicates with the application through integrated APIs, which in turn communicate with the payment service. This nested architecture allows the system to maintain security boundaries while reducing the complexity of inter-system communication by providing standardized interfaces at each nesting level.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

2Reliability

If additional authorization requests are required, then payment security is improved, but user experience is disrupted

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepayment securityVSAvoiduser experience

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary authentication when the user initially accesses the application, storing authentication tokens and payment information. This preliminary action eliminates the need for repeated authorization requests during subsequent payment operations within the same application session, reducing both processing power usage and system complexity while maintaining security.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary integration layer between the in-app browser and the payment service that automatically handles authorization requests. This intermediary translates browser payment requests into application-native payment operations, eliminating the need for users to manually authorize each payment while maintaining security through the application's existing authentication framework.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If deep linking is used for payment authorization, then payment security is improved, but processing power usage increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepayment securityVSAvoidprocessing power usage

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary authentication when the user initially accesses the application, storing authentication tokens and payment information. This preliminary action eliminates the need for repeated authorization requests during subsequent payment operations within the same application session, reducing both processing power usage and system complexity while maintaining security.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The integration enables the payment system to serve itself by automatically retrieving authenticated user information and payment details from the application's existing session data. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for energy-intensive deep linking and re-authentication processes, as the system autonomously completes payments using previously authenticated credentials.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS11823191B1Integration for performing actions without additional authorization requests

Publication Date: 2023.11.21 BLOCK INC

AI summary

Techniques, devices, and systems for performing actions, within an application provided by a service provider, without additional authorization requests are described. An example process includes receiving an access request to access an application on a user device, and presenting an interactive element via a user interface of the application, wherein the interactive element, when selected, causes a website of a merchant to load to an in-app browser within the application. The example process further includes receiving, via the in-app browser, a payment request to initiate a payment to the merchant from an account associated with the application, determining, based at least in part on the payment request, that the payment request originated from within the application, and based at least in part on the determining, causing the payment to be authorized without additional input from a user associated with the user device.