Payment Card Missing Entity Alert via POS Terminal

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current safety techniques for locating lost individuals or pets, such as identification bracelets and implantable chips, require specialized readers or written contact information, making them inefficient for immediate retrieval.

Innovation Solution

A system utilizing any point-of-sale terminal, including NFC-supported devices, to initiate a missing entity alert process, where a payment network with a missing entity platform identifies account information and communicates a service request to notify the contact through a messaging application.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If identification bracelets, tags, or implantable chips are used to locate lost entities, then contact information can be provided to finders, but specialized readers or written information are required which reduces ease of operation and immediate retrieval

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveability to locate lost entityVSAvoidease of retrieval by finder

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The identification device is integrated with a payment card that can be processed by any standard POS terminal. The payment card serves dual functions: conventional payment transactions and missing entity identification. This allows any finder with a common POS terminal to initiate the alert process without needing specialized readers or equipment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system automatically notifies the missing entity contact when a POS terminal processes the identification card. The alert is triggered autonomously through the payment network without requiring the finder to manually input information or contact authorities, enabling immediate retrieval.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Measurement precision

If specialized readers are used to read contact information from identification devices, then accurate information can be obtained, but the device complexity and loss of time increase due to requiring specific equipment

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccuracy of contact information retrievalVSAvoidcomplexity of reading system

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The identification card is designed to work with standard POS terminals that already exist in merchants' locations. The payment network infrastructure handles the complex communication and data retrieval, while the terminal itself remains simple and unchanged. This eliminates the need for specialized readers while maintaining information accuracy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The payment network acts as an intermediary between the POS terminal and the identification card system. It receives transaction information from the terminal, extracts account information, determines if it is missing entity account information, and communicates the alert request to the missing entity system, simplifying the terminal's role.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Adaptability or versatility

If conventional payment cards are modified to include missing entity capabilities, then existing POS terminals can be used, but the card complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecompatibility with existing POS terminalsVSAvoidcomplexity of identification card

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The missing entity identification functionality is merged with a conventional payment card. The card contains both payment account information and missing entity account information, allowing it to function as both a payment instrument and an identification device without requiring separate components or systems.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses the existing payment card format and infrastructure, copying the familiar card design and interface. The additional missing entity capabilities are integrated into the existing card structure, maintaining simplicity from the user's perspective while adding functionality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentUS11900381B2Missing entity alert and retrieval

Publication Date: 2024.02.13 MASTERCARD INT INC

AI summary

Through a missing entity process any point of sale (POS) terminal can be used to help a missing entity contact find a missing entity. A missing entity system can receive a request that includes at least missing entity account information and merchant information as transmitted from the POS terminal. The request may be a missing entity service request (an API call) requesting a missing entity alert or a conventional transaction request, such as an authorization request or a preauthorization request. Upon receipt of the request, the missing entity system can obtain contact information for a missing entity contact associated with the missing entity account information and communicate, via a messaging application, the missing entity alert to the missing entity contact using the obtained contact information. The missing entity alert notifies the missing entity contact of the location of the missing entity as indicated by the merchant information.