POS Device Synchronization for Offline Order Handoff
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing payment systems require sharing sensitive financial account information, which is time-consuming and risky, and may not be feasible in all locations, especially where traditional point-of-sale infrastructure is absent.
Innovation Solution
A payment proxy system that allows customers to process transactions using a merchant's financial account information via a payment beacon or device, enabling transactions through web-applications, messaging, or social networking, using Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, RFID, or NFC technologies, with intermediaries if the beacon is not nearby.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional payment systems share sensitive financial account information, then transactions can be processed, but time is consumed and security risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses payment proxies as copies or representations of actual financial account information. Instead of sharing sensitive account details, the system exchanges payment proxies that can be processed through a payment processing system to complete transactions, thereby reducing time and enhancing security
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a payment processing system as an intermediary between the payment beacon and the customer's financial institution. This intermediary processes transactions using payment proxies without requiring direct sharing of sensitive account information, resolving the contradiction between security and time efficiency
2Adaptability or versatility
If traditional point-of-sale infrastructure is used, then transactions can be processed, but adaptability to different locations is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential payment processing functionality from complex traditional point-of-sale infrastructure. By using payment beacons that can be deployed in various locations without requiring full POS systems, the invention achieves location flexibility while reducing device complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The payment beacon system can function in multiple environments (online, offline, near-field, far-field) and supports various communication protocols (Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, RFID, NFC), making it universally adaptable to different locations and scenarios without requiring location-specific infrastructure
3Ease of operation
If payment beacons are used for transactions, then convenience is improved, but synchronization between devices may be challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the payment beacon sends status information about its synchronization state to the customer's device. This allows the system to detect and resolve synchronization issues, maintaining convenience while preventing information loss during transactions
Data Source
AI summary
In some examples, a point-of-sale (POS) device may detect an offline mode that prevents the POS device or one or more other devices (which couple with the POS device via a short-range network) from communicating with a remote server via a long-range network. Responsive to detecting the offline mode, the POS device may authenticate the other devices to communicate over the short-range network and synchronize, between the POS and the other devices, information associated with an order over the short-range network. In response to detecting that the offline mode has concluded, the POS device may transmit the information from the POS device or at least one of the other devices to the remove server via the long-range network.