Server Mediator for Mobile Payment Link Compatibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Mobile applications face compatibility issues with merchant in-store systems for digital payments and value-added services, as each application may use a unique standard incompatible with others, hindering seamless transactions.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a unique identifier is generated and stored on both the mobile terminal and server, creating a storage slot to facilitate communication links for transaction data transmission between mobile and receiving terminals, enabling compatibility across different merchant systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If mobile applications use unique standards for communication, then each application can be optimized for specific merchant systems, but compatibility with other merchant systems deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a server as an intermediary component that mediates communication between mobile terminals and receiving terminals. The server stores unique identifiers and creates storage slots that enable different mobile applications and merchant systems to communicate through a common intermediary, resolving the compatibility issue while maintaining reliable communication channels.
Solution Approach 2:
The server is designed with universal functionality to handle multiple types of mobile applications and merchant systems simultaneously. By implementing a standardized interface that works across different applications (digital wallet, loyalty programs, coupons) and merchant systems, the server enables one system to serve multiple purposes and accommodate diverse communication needs.
2Adaptability or versatility
If an open-loop modularized architecture is implemented, then compatibility across merchant systems improves, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the communication system into distinct modular components: mobile terminals, receiving terminals, and a central server. Each component has a specific function and can operate independently, yet they work together through standardized interfaces. This segmentation allows for easier maintenance, updates, and adaptation without affecting the entire system.
Solution Approach 2:
The server acts as a simplified intermediary that handles the complexity of coordinating between multiple mobile terminals and receiving terminals. By centralizing the management of unique identifiers and storage slots in a single intermediary component, the overall system complexity is managed more efficiently than if each terminal had to directly coordinate with every other terminal.
Data Source
AI summary
According to a first aspect, there is provided a method for enabling a communication link over which transaction data is transmitted between a mobile terminal and a receiving terminal, the method comprising: storing in a memory at the mobile terminal, the receiving terminal and a server administering the communication link, a generated unique identifier, the unique identifier used to facilitate the enablement of the communication link; creating a storage slot at the server administering the communication link, the storage slot being assigned the unique identifier and the storage slot used to store the transaction data; and enabling the communication link in response to the creation of the storage slot, wherein the communication link is utilised by both the mobile terminal and the receiving terminal by referencing the unique identifier to the server.