Portable Computing Device Token Recognition via Camera and OCR
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Solution Overview
Problem
Consumers face challenges with managing multiple accounts as they need to carry and remember numerous physical tokens such as credit cards and gift cards, which consume space and are burdensome to manage, especially when conducting transactions that require both machine-readable and human-readable codes.
Innovation Solution
A portable computing device (PCD) equipped with a token recognizer that uses a camera and optical character recognition (OCR) to capture and process images of physical tokens, allowing for digital storage and management of account information, enabling transactions without the need for physical tokens.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If consumers carry multiple physical tokens for different accounts, then they can conduct transactions at various merchants, but the physical tokens consume space and are burdensome to manage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a digital copy of the physical token using the camera to capture an image, and the token recognizer to extract account information. This digital copy is stored in the PCD's memory, allowing consumers to reference and use the account information electronically without carrying the physical token, thus reducing physical burden while maintaining transaction capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/physical token system with an electronic/digital system. Instead of physically carrying and presenting plastic cards or tokens, the system uses a PCD with camera capture and digital storage to hold account information, substituting the physical manipulation and carrying of tokens with electronic processes
2Adaptability or versatility
If consumers carry multiple physical tokens, then they can access multiple accounts, but they need to remember to carry all tokens and manage them physically
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple separate physical tokens into a single digital repository within the PCD. The camera captures images of tokens, the token recognizer extracts and processes account information from each, and all this information is consolidated and stored in the device's memory, allowing management of multiple accounts through one device rather than multiple separate physical tokens
Solution Approach 2:
The PCD serves multiple functions: it acts as a camera to capture token images, a processor to recognize and extract account information, a database to store the extracted information, and a display device to present the stored account information to the user. This multi-functional device replaces the need to carry and manage multiple specialized physical tokens
3Productivity
If physical tokens are used for transactions, then machine-readable codes can be read by POS terminals, but machine readers may not be available and human-readable codes are needed as backup
Solution Approach 1:
The camera captures a complete visual copy of the token including both machine-readable codes and human-readable codes. The token recognizer then extracts and processes this information, creating a digital representation that contains all the data from the physical token, making the system adaptable to different reading methods while maintaining transaction capability
Solution Approach 2:
The token recognizer acts as an intermediary that processes the captured image and extracts account information. It can interpret both machine-readable codes and human-readable text, translating various formats into usable account data that can be presented to the merchant, thus bridging the gap between different reading methods
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system simplifies account management and transaction processes by allowing users to capture and store token data on a PCD, reducing the need for physical tokens and enhancing ease of use for multiple accounts, thereby streamlining financial and retail transactions.
Implementation Method 1
The camera of the PCD may capture images of one or more physical tokens
Implementation Method 2
The camera of the PCD may capture images of one or more physical tokens
Implementation Method 3
an optical character recognition ('OCR') module
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for collecting and managing information taken from tokens, like credit cards and gift cards, includes a portable computing device (PCD). The PCD may support a token recognizer that may comprise hardware and/or software that may reside in memory of the PCD. The token recognizer may work in combination with a camera. The token recognizer may comprise a broad recognizer module and an optical character recognition (“OCR”) module. The camera of the PCD may capture images of one or more physical tokens. These captured images of the physical tokens may be processed by the token recognizer so that digital images as well as data provided by the physical tokens may be maintained in memory of the PCD for later presentation to the user. These later presentations on the PCD may be used for account management and for conducting transactions, such as making payment at a point-of-sale (POS) terminal.