Payment Network Server for Leased Service Device Access Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
In scenarios where service devices such as washing machines and vending machines are leased, direct payment to merchants is not feasible, leading to challenges in revenue generation for landlords or hotels that provide these services to their guests or tenants.
Innovation Solution
An electronic system and computerized method that includes a payment network server connected to an application server and device servers, allowing users to request operation of service devices, process payments, and manage access through a payment token, enabling consolidated payments to merchant aggregators.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If service devices are leased to hotels or landlords for use by guests or tenants, then the service devices become accessible to more users, but the merchants cannot receive direct payments from end users
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a payment network server as an intermediary between the user, merchant aggregator, and merchant. The payment network server receives payment requests from users, processes payments to merchant aggregators (hotels/landlords), and handles settlement with merchants. This intermediary resolves the contradiction by enabling indirect payment flow that maintains device accessibility while ensuring merchants receive payments.
Solution Approach 2:
The payment system is segmented into multiple independent components: user device, application server, payment network server, device server, and merchant systems. Each component handles specific functions independently, allowing the payment flow to be routed through appropriate intermediaries without disrupting device accessibility or user experience.
2Device complexity
If direct payment to merchants is implemented, then payment processing is simple and direct, but merchant aggregators cannot earn revenue from leasing service devices
Solution Approach 1:
The payment network server acts as a mediator that routes payments through merchant aggregators. When users pay for service device usage, the payment network server processes the payment to the merchant aggregator first, then handles settlement to the merchant. This maintains relatively simple payment processing for users while enabling merchant aggregators to earn leasing revenue.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the payment processing function with the service device control function by integrating the payment network server with the device server and application server. This combination allows consolidated payment handling that supports both direct user payments and aggregator revenue models without requiring separate complex systems.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple payment routes are established for leased devices, then both direct merchant payments and aggregator revenue are supported, but the payment system becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The payment network server is designed with universal functionality to handle multiple payment scenarios: direct payments to merchants, payments through merchant aggregators, and settlements across different parties. This multi-functional design provides payment route flexibility without requiring separate specialized systems for each payment type, thus managing complexity while maintaining versatility.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure generally relates to controlling operation of service devices. A payment network server receives, from a merchant aggregator, an operation request from a user for operation of one or more service of the devices associated with the merchant aggregator, the operation request comprising identification data of each service device, an operation mode selected by the user for each service device, and a payment token of the user; identifies, based on the identification data of each service device, a device server communicatively connected with the service device; communicates, to the respective device servers, operation instructions for controlling access to the service devices, the instructions comprising activating the service devices, thereby permitting the user to access the service devices; determining a payment amount for operation of the service devices requested in the operation request based at least on the selected operation modes; and processing a payment transaction for paying the payment amount to the merchant aggregator using the payment token.