Offline Mobile Payment Routing for Secure Merchant Notifications
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Mobile devices often cannot proceed with transactions when they are unable to access the Internet, as mobile wallet applications typically require online communication with providers.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that enables secure offline transactions by using a first financial institution to authorize payments from a first account to a second account, with information routed through a separate system that notifies the merchant, allowing offline processing and real-time notifications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If mobile wallet applications require online communication with providers during transactions, then transaction security and authorization can be ensured, but transactions cannot proceed when the mobile device is unable to access the Internet
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the transaction system into multiple independent components: a mobile device with wallet application, a financial institution system, and a notification system. The mobile device can store transaction information locally and operate independently without requiring continuous online communication, while the financial institution handles authorization separately. This segmentation allows the mobile device to function offline while maintaining security through distributed system architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a notification system as an intermediary that bridges the mobile device and the financial institution. When a transaction is initiated offline on the mobile device, the notification system receives the transaction information and relays it to the financial institution for authorization. This intermediary enables offline transactions to proceed while still maintaining the security framework of online authorization, resolving the contradiction between offline capability and security requirements.
2Productivity
If mobile devices can process transactions offline without internet access, then transaction continuity is maintained, but real-time authorization and merchant notification become challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by having the mobile device prepare and store transaction information locally before offline processing. The wallet application pre-configures the transaction data structure, including merchant information, amount, and device identifiers, so that when a transaction is needed offline, the information is already ready for immediate processing and notification. This eliminates preparation delays during offline transactions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent establishes a feedback mechanism where the notification system receives offline transaction information from the mobile device, processes it through the financial institution, and sends authorization results back to the merchant in real-time. This feedback loop ensures that even though the mobile device is offline, the merchant receives immediate notification of transaction authorization, maintaining real-time processing capability without requiring the mobile device to be online.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a separate notification system is introduced to handle offline transactions, then offline transaction capability is enabled, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The notification system is designed with multi-functionality to handle both online and offline transaction scenarios. It can receive transaction information from mobile devices regardless of their online status, route appropriate transactions to the financial institution, and manage notification delivery to merchants. This universal design allows a single system component to serve multiple purposes, reducing the need for separate dedicated systems for online and offline transactions and thereby limiting the increase in overall system complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A computer-implemented method including receiving, at a system and from a mobile device being used by a consumer to pay for one or more items to be purchased from a merchant by the consumer for a payment amount, a request comprising a merchant identifier associated with the merchant. The method also can include determining, at the system and using the merchant account database, first information comprising a merchant account identifier for a merchant account of the merchant maintained by the merchant financial institution. The method also can include sending the first information from the system to the consumer financial institution. The method also can include receiving in real-time over a network, at the system and from the consumer financial institution, payment information regarding a payment to the merchant account from a consumer account of the consumer at the consumer financial institution to pay the merchant the payment amount for the one or more items. The method also can include sending in real-time over the network, from the system to the merchant, a notification of the payment from the consumer to the merchant. The merchant does not receive an account number of the consumer account of the consumer. The consumer does not receive an account number of the merchant account of the merchant.