Mobile Commerce Payment System with Proximity Verification
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mobile commerce solutions face bottlenecks and user annoyance when multiple customers attempt to place orders and make payments simultaneously at multiple points of sale or pick-up counters, leading to delays and issues with order retrieval due to incorrect counter selection or stock availability.
Innovation Solution
A computerized method involving a customer mobile device, server, and payment processor, which performs a digital handshake to verify spatial proximity and reserves funds for purchases, allowing for efficient payment processing and order acceptance, with a digital handshake procedure using short-range wireless communication to verify proximity and ensure accurate order fulfillment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Extent of automation
If multiple customers use mobile devices to place orders simultaneously at the same point of sale, then digital ordering capability is improved, but bottlenecks and waiting lines occur at the point of sale
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by having customers place orders digitally through mobile devices before arriving at the point of sale. The order is generated and transmitted to the server in advance, allowing the point of sale to be prepared and reducing waiting time when customers arrive.
Solution Approach 2:
The payment process is segmented into two independent parts: a first part executed when the order is placed (fund reservation) and a second part executed at the point of sale (fund capture). This segmentation allows order processing to occur separately from payment finalization, eliminating bottlenecks at the point of sale.
2Speed
If payment is processed in advance when placing the order, then payment speed is improved, but user annoyance occurs if order items are not received
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs a preliminary fund reservation when the order is placed, but delays the actual fund capture until the customer arrives at the point of sale and successfully retrieves the order items. This ensures payment speed is maintained while protecting against user annoyance if orders are not fulfilled.
Solution Approach 2:
The server acts as an intermediary between the customer and the payment processor, managing the two-stage payment process. The server coordinates the fund reservation, monitors order fulfillment status, and triggers the fund capture only when appropriate, ensuring both speed and reliability.
3Adaptability or versatility
If customers go to wrong points of sale or counters run out of stock, then order placement flexibility is improved, but payment errors and user frustration occur
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where the server communicates with the merchant computing device to verify order item availability before confirming the order. The digital handshake procedure provides feedback on whether the customer is at the correct point of sale, preventing payment errors and user frustration.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary verification of order item availability and customer location before finalizing the payment. The digital handshake procedure verifies the customer is at the correct point of sale in advance, and the server checks stock availability before committing to the transaction.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method reduces bottlenecks and user frustration by preprocessing payments, ensuring efficient order processing and minimizing errors, even in high-demand situations, by allowing customers to complete transactions without physical bottlenecks and ensuring funds are only captured when orders are correctly retrieved.
Implementation Method 1
the merchant computing device performing a digital handshake procedure with the customer mobile computing device, the digital handshake procedure involving short-range wireless data communication to verify spatial proximity between the customer mobile computing device and the merchant computing device
Data Source
AI summary
A computerized method (200) of performing a purchase and an associated communication system are disclosed. A customer mobile computing device (CMCD) communicates (210) with a server computing device (SCD) to generate an order for the purchase. The server computing device (SCD) communicates (220) with a payment processor computing device (PPCD) to perform a first part of a payment transaction for the purchase, wherein the first part of the payment transaction involves reserving funds for the purchase. A merchant computing device (MCD) performs (230) a digital handshake procedure with the customer mobile computing device (CMCD). The digital handshake procedure involves short-range wireless data communication to verify spatial proximity between the customer mobile computing device (CMCD) and the merchant computing device (MCD). When spatial proximity has been verified, the merchant computing device (MCD) communicates (240) with the server computing device (SCD) to accept the order. The server computing device (SCD) communicates (250) with the payment processor computing device (PPCD) to perform a second part of the payment transaction, wherein the second part of the payment transaction involves capturing funds for the purchase.