Obfuscated Payment Card with Key Mapping for Fraud Prevention

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Payment card transactions face vulnerabilities due to the risk of fraud, particularly in card-not-present transactions, where human-readable information on the card can be copied and used maliciously, despite advancements like EMV technology.

Innovation Solution

Obfuscating the account number on payment cards by replacing it with a key that can be mapped to the actual account number using an account number mapping system, accessible through a mobile application, preventing direct access to the account information.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If human readable information is printed on the payment card for card-not-present transactions, then ease of operation is improved, but security is worsened due to risk of fraud

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of operationVSAvoidsecurity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

A mobile device application serves as an intermediary between the payment card and the payment terminal. The application captures an image of the card, extracts the account number through OCR, and transmits it to the payment terminal, eliminating the need to print sensitive information on the card while maintaining operational convenience

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of using the physical card itself for card-not-present transactions, the system creates a digital copy of the card information through image capture and OCR extraction. This digital copy is then transmitted electronically, replacing the need for printed information on the physical card

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

2Ease of operation

If account number is printed on the payment card, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability is worsened due to potential for unauthorized copying

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of operationVSAvoidreliability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The mobile device application acts as an intermediary that captures the account number dynamically through image recognition rather than relying on printed information. This intermediary layer prevents direct copying of printed data while maintaining ease of use

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system replaces the mechanical printing of account numbers on the card with an electronic/optical system using camera-based image capture and OCR technology. This substitution eliminates the vulnerability of printed information while preserving operational simplicity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS11823200B2Smart physical payment cards

Publication Date: 2023.11.21 ORACLE INT CORP

AI summary

One or more embodiments include obtaining information from a physical payment card. Based on the information from the physical payment card, an output is obtained that includes a valid account number corresponding to the physical payment card. The valid account number is displayed to the cardholder. The physical payment card does not contain a visual indication of the valid account number and thus cannot be used by a malicious entity. One or more embodiments may include a physical payment card. The physical payment card includes a fake account number that cannot be used for executing a transaction based on funds associated with the physical payment card. They physical payment card may also include a key that can be mapped to a valid account number that can be used for executing a transaction based on funds associated with the physical payment card.