SMS Payment Gateway for Universal Mobile Device Compatibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current mobile payment systems are limited by their requirement for specific smartphone brands, excluding half of potential users and failing to support older legacy cell phones, which hinders widespread acceptance.
Innovation Solution
A mobile payment system utilizing SMS text messaging to verify and authorize payments, allowing operation with all types of mobile phones, including smartphones and legacy devices, by sending and receiving SMS messages to communicate with the user and linking to bank or credit card authorization networks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If mobile payment systems use smartphone-specific software (Android/Apple), then payment functionality is improved, but device compatibility deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary component - the SMS payment gateway - that mediates between the POS system and the user's mobile device. Instead of requiring direct integration with smartphone-specific software, the system uses universal SMS messaging as an intermediary communication channel that works across all mobile devices, thereby maintaining payment functionality while achieving universal device compatibility
Solution Approach 2:
The system achieves universality by using SMS messaging, a universal communication protocol supported by all mobile phones regardless of brand or operating system. This allows the payment system to function across Android, Apple, Windows smartphones, and legacy cell phones, eliminating the need for device-specific software implementations
2Reliability
If mobile payment systems require sophisticated smartphones, then payment security is improved, but user accessibility deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs a simplified authentication approach using SMS messages rather than requiring sophisticated smartphone software. The system uses basic SMS capability - a feature present in even the most basic mobile phones - to deliver verification codes, thereby maintaining payment security while making the system accessible to users with any mobile device, including legacy cell phones
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service payment verification where the user receives SMS messages with verification codes on their own mobile device and independently completes the authentication process. This eliminates the need for complex smartphone applications or third-party software, allowing users to securely make payments using any mobile phone through a simple, self-contained process
3Adaptability or versatility
If mobile payment systems support multiple device types, then market acceptance is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the device-specific complexity from the payment system by separating the communication protocol (SMS) from the payment processing logic. The SMS gateway serves as a standardized interface that handles all device-specific variations, allowing the core payment system to remain simple while supporting multiple device types through a unified, device-agnostic communication channel
Data Source
AI summary
A mobile payment system authorizes payment by sending a Short Message Service (SMS) text message or secure hypertext transfer protocol (HTTPS) request to a customer's mobile phone or mobile device requiring customer to respond by SMS or HTTPS. A SMS payment software-plugin is installed on a Point-Of-Sale (POS) terminal. When a customer requests to pay by SMS, the plugin is activated and the customer's mobile phone number and zip code or POS PIN are entered on the POS terminal. The POS terminal sends a request to a SMS payment system, which sends the SMS text message to the customer's mobile device. When the customer replies to the SMS message with an approval code, the SMS payment system uses payment information for the customer to create a transaction request to a bank authorization network. When the SMS payment system receives authorization, it notifies the POS terminal to complete the purchase transaction.