VR Payment Authentication via Mobile Biometric Pairing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current VR payment systems require users to set up accounts and log in, disrupting the immersive experience, and lack secure platform-agnostic payment options for public VR environments where users may not have preexisting payment accounts or authorization.

Innovation Solution

A system that pairs a virtual reality headset with a user's personal device to securely store and authenticate payment credentials using biometric data, allowing seamless payments within the VR environment without interrupting the experience, using methods like Bluetooth pairing, QR codes, and encrypted sessions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If users set up accounts with payment credentials and log in to authenticate in VR platform, then payment security is improved, but immersive VR experience is disrupted

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepayment securityVSAvoidimmersive experience continuity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by detecting the VR device and establishing payment authentication mechanisms before the user actually makes a purchase. The mobile application proactively monitors for VR device presence and prepares authentication interfaces, so when a purchase is needed, the user is already authenticated or can be quickly authenticated without breaking immersion.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The mobile application serves as an intermediary between the VR environment and the payment processing system. It receives VR device detection data, manages payment credential authentication separately on the mobile device, and communicates authentication results back to the VR platform, allowing secure payments without requiring users to log in directly within the VR environment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Ease of manufacture

If VR payment systems use platform-dependent digital gaming wallets, then in-app purchase functionality is improved, but adaptability to public VR environments is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvein-app purchase functionalityVSAvoidplatform agnosticism

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The mobile application is designed to detect and work with multiple types of VR devices from different platforms and manufacturers. It implements a universal detection mechanism that identifies various VR headsets and establishes payment authentication workflows that are platform-agnostic, allowing the same mobile app to facilitate payments across different VR ecosystems without requiring platform-specific integration.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Reliability

If users are required to have preexisting payment accounts in public VR environments, then payment authorization is improved, but accessibility for casual users is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepayment authorizationVSAvoiduser accessibility

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS20230153810A1Systems and methods for authenticating electronic transactions at virtual reality devices using mobile app payment account(s)

Publication Date: 2023.05.18 WORLDPAY LLC

AI summary

A method of authenticating payment transactions in virtual reality environments using user data includes receiving user registration with a payment application, the registration including stored user data; detecting a virtual reality device; linking the payment application to the virtual reality device; detecting an item selection for purchase in a virtual reality environment provided by the virtual reality device; and prompting payment authentication of the selected item in the virtual reality environment using the stored user data of the payment application.