Proxy Account Number System for Multi-Vehicle NFC Payments
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing NFC payment systems are limited by the number of secure elements in electronic devices, constraining users to fewer payment vehicles and requiring updates to point-of-sale terminals and financial institution systems to accommodate multiple payment methods.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a proxy account number system, where a single secure element is provisioned with a proxy account number that can be associated with multiple payment accounts, allowing the proxy account manager to select the appropriate account for transactions, thereby increasing the number of payment vehicles and generating aggregated transaction reports without requiring system changes to point-of-sale terminals or financial institutions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple secure elements are used to store multiple payment accounts, then the number of payment vehicles increases, but the device complexity and system integration difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a proxy account number as an intermediary that mediates between the secure element and multiple payment accounts. The proxy account number is stored in the secure element and maps to multiple actual payment accounts through a mapping relationship maintained by the terminal device, allowing one secure element to support multiple payment vehicles without increasing hardware complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the payment system into three distinct components: the secure element storing only the proxy account number, the terminal device maintaining the mapping relationship between proxy and actual account numbers, and the payment processing system. This segmentation allows the secure element to remain simple while the terminal device handles the complexity of multiple account mappings
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple secure elements are provisioned with different payment account numbers, then multiple payment methods are supported, but updates to point-of-sale terminals and financial institution systems are required
Solution Approach 1:
The proxy account number serves as an intermediary that enables multiple payment methods to be accessed through a single secure element without requiring changes to point-of-sale terminals or financial institution systems. The terminal device acts as an intermediary that resolves the proxy account number to the appropriate actual payment account number, maintaining backward compatibility with existing systems
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a virtual copy of the payment account number in the form of a proxy account number that is stored in the secure element. This proxy account number is a simplified representation that maps to the actual payment account number, allowing the system to support multiple payment methods without requiring the secure element to store multiple actual account numbers or requiring updates to external systems
3Device complexity
If a single secure element stores a single payment account number, then system simplicity is maintained, but users are constrained to fewer payment vehicles
Solution Approach 1:
The proxy account number is designed to be universal, allowing a single secure element to perform multiple payment functions by mapping to different actual payment account numbers. The same proxy account number can be used for different payment accounts depending on the transaction context, making the secure element multi-functional without increasing its complexity
Data Source
AI summary
A near field communication payment method using a proxy account number. The method comprises transmitting a proxy account number from a secure element of a mobile phone to a point-of-sale terminal using a near field communication radio link; transmitting the proxy account number from the point-of-sale terminal to a payment mediation server; transmitting the proxy account number from the payment mediation server to a proxy account manager; determining a selected payment account number by the proxy account manager based in part on retrieving a plurality of payment account numbers from a proxy account number data store using the proxy account number; transmitting the selected payment account number to the payment mediation server by the proxy account manager; and the payment mediation server completing a payment completion transaction with the point-of-sale terminal using the selected payment account number.