Wireless Protocol Bridge for Mobile Payment Compatibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current transaction systems between mobile devices and access devices are limited by the availability of communication components and wireless capabilities, restricting mobile payments, as not all devices support contactless technology, and existing infrastructure is costly to change.
Innovation Solution
A bridge device that establishes a wireless connection with mobile devices and access devices, detects available communication components, and converts data to enable transactions using magnetic stripe, contact, or contactless components, allowing for flexible communication protocols and compatibility with existing terminals.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If access devices support multiple communication components (contactless, contact, magnetic stripe), then transaction compatibility improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a bridge device as an intermediary between the mobile device and access device. The bridge device includes a wireless communication module that communicates with the mobile device and a communication component that interfaces with the access device. This intermediary handles protocol conversion and component selection, allowing the access device to support multiple transaction types without requiring the mobile device to have corresponding multiple communication components, thus improving compatibility while keeping the mobile device simple.
2Adaptability or versatility
If mobile devices support contactless technology (NFC), then contactless transactions are enabled, but manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bridge device serves as a mediator that provides contactless communication capability to the transaction system without requiring the mobile device to have NFC hardware. The bridge device's wireless communication module handles the contactless protocol conversion, allowing mobile devices to conduct contactless transactions through the bridge device even without built-in NFC, thereby enabling contactless functionality while avoiding the manufacturing cost of NFC components in mobile devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The bridge device is designed with multi-functionality to handle different communication protocols and components. It can operate in contactless mode with mobile devices that have NFC, in wireless mode with mobile devices that lack NFC but have wireless capabilities, and can interface with various access device components. This universal design allows the system to support contactless transactions through a single bridge device platform rather than requiring every mobile device to have NFC hardware.
3Adaptability or versatility
If existing access devices are upgraded to support new wireless protocols, then mobile payment acceptance increases, but infrastructure cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bridge device acts as an intermediary attachment that connects to existing access devices. It includes a communication component that interfaces with the access device's existing components (magnetic stripe, contact, or contactless) and a wireless communication module that communicates with mobile devices. This allows existing access devices to support mobile payments without upgrading their core infrastructure, as the bridge device handles the protocol conversion and wireless communication functions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the payment system into distinct functional modules: the existing access device handles basic card reading functions, the bridge device handles wireless communication and protocol conversion, and the mobile device handles user interface and payment data. This segmentation allows existing access devices to remain unchanged while gaining mobile payment capability through the attached bridge device, avoiding costly infrastructure upgrades.
4Adaptability or versatility
If mobile devices without NFC attempt to transact with contactless access devices, then transaction flexibility improves, but communication reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The bridge device serves as a reliable intermediary that establishes a wireless connection with mobile devices lacking NFC and translates communications to the contactless protocol for the access device. The bridge device's wireless communication module maintains a stable connection with the mobile device and reliably transmits payment data, converting it to the appropriate contactless format for the access device, thus ensuring communication reliability while enabling transaction flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The bridge device changes communication parameters by translating between different protocols. It receives data from the mobile device using wireless protocols (Bluetooth, Wi-Fi), converts it to contactless protocol format (NFC), and transmits it to the access device. This parameter transformation allows mobile devices without NFC to communicate reliably with contactless access devices through the bridge device's protocol conversion capability.
Data Source
AI summary
A bridge device acts as a link between generic wireless protocols of mobile devices and available communication components of access devices. The bridge device can be an attachment to existing access devices and enables a transaction using any available communication components on an access device and a bridge device mobile application on a mobile device. The bridge device notifies the mobile device which communication components are available for the transaction. The mobile device then sends a selection of a communication component to the bridge device. To conduct the transaction, the bridge device converts data received from the mobile device and sends it to the access device using a protocol compatible with the selected communication component. The bridge device also converts data received from the access device and sends it to the mobile device using a generic wireless protocol supported by the mobile device.