Mobile Payment Interchange with Format Converters
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current systems for facilitating online transactions through mobile communications lack efficient and secure methods for managing payments and receipts, particularly in scenarios where direct communication with mobile phones is necessary for confirmation and payment processing.
Innovation Solution
A system that includes a data storage facility for associating purchase receipts with phone numbers and an interchange that uses converters to communicate with various mobile communication controllers in different formats, enabling secure payment confirmations and transactions by interacting with mobile phones to verify payments and store receipts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If mobile communication systems use standard protocols (SMS, SMTP, TCP/IP) for transaction communication, then compatibility and ease of operation are improved, but security and control over sensitive payment information are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a message processor as an intermediary component that sits between the mobile communication system and the transaction processing system. This message processor receives messages from mobile devices using standard protocols, translates them into internal format, processes them securely, and generates responses. This intermediary layer allows the system to maintain compatibility with standard communication protocols while implementing custom security controls and protecting sensitive payment information from direct exposure to external systems.
2Measurement precision
If the system stores detailed transaction information including account numbers, then measurement precision and record completeness are improved, but loss of information security and exposure of sensitive data are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating how transaction information is stored and handled in different parts of the system. Sensitive information such as account numbers is stored in encrypted form in the database, while the message processor maintains decrypted versions only temporarily during active transaction processing. This spatial and functional separation ensures that sensitive data is protected at rest while remaining accessible when needed for processing, thus maintaining both security and operational completeness.
3Productivity
If the system processes and stores all transaction details, then productivity and transaction processing capability are improved, but device complexity and security management burden are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the transaction processing system into distinct functional modules: a message processor for handling communication, a database for storing transaction data, and a processing engine for executing transactions. Each module has specific security responsibilities, allowing independent security management and reducing overall system complexity. The message processor handles authentication and message formatting, the database manages encrypted storage, and the processing engine executes validated transactions, thereby distributing security management across manageable components.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods are provided to facilitate online transactions via mobile communications. In one aspect, a system includes a data storage facility and an interchange coupled with the data storage facility that stores purchase receipts in association with phone numbers. The interchange includes a common format processor and a plurality of converters to interface with a plurality of different controllers of mobile communications. The converters are configured to communicate with the controllers in different formats and with the common format processor in a common format, to obtain a confirmation of a payment request that identifies a phone number, a merchant and a purchase from the merchant. After a confirmation is received, the interchange is to use funds associated with the phone number to pay the merchant for the purchase and to receive and store a receipt for the purchase from the merchant.