초록 ▼

A mobile user apparatus and associated methods useful for conducting payment transactions wirelessly, such as at point-of-sale locations. In one embodiment, the mobile user apparatus is a cellular-enabled mobile device that includes a short-range passive radio frequency transceiver that when interro

A mobile user apparatus and associated methods useful for conducting payment transactions wirelessly, such as at point-of-sale locations. In one embodiment, the mobile user apparatus is a cellular-enabled mobile device that includes a short-range passive radio frequency transceiver that when interrogated by a reader at the point-of-sale, issues a reply including information relating to an account of the user of the mobile apparatus that is to be debited for the payment. In one variant, the information stored on the mobile device is encrypted for security, and the mobile user apparatus is further configured to receive transaction data wirelessly in return.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A mobile user device enabled for wireless payment, comprising: a cellular wireless interface;a global positioning system (GPS)-based wireless receiver; anda short range radio frequency device disposed on or in the mobile user device;wherein the mobile user device is configured to be encoded with

1. A mobile user device enabled for wireless payment, comprising: a cellular wireless interface;a global positioning system (GPS)-based wireless receiver; anda short range radio frequency device disposed on or in the mobile user device;wherein the mobile user device is configured to be encoded with payment source information specific to a user of the device, the payment source information allowing the user to use the mobile user device to wirelessly pay for at least one of goods or services by placing the mobile user device in proximity to an interrogation or reader apparatus at a point of sale of said goods or services;wherein the short range radio frequency device and payment source information obviates the user from having to carry at least one other currency or payment source on their person;wherein the radio frequency device comprises a passive radio frequency identification device configured to utilize radio frequency energy incident thereon and generated from the interrogation apparatus or reader to generate a reply, the reply including at least a portion of the payment source information; andwherein the short range radio frequency device is disposed on or in the mobile user device at time of manufacture of the mobile user device, the radio frequency device comprising an integrated circuit with data memory, and an antenna. 2. The device of claim 1, wherein the encoding with payment source information comprises encoding of the mobile user device by a third party after manufacture of the mobile user device. 3. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least a portion of the payment source information in the reply comprises information related to a credit card account, the device configured to store the information in a secure data repository that restricts access to only one or more authorized persons, the access subject to receiving user-specific authentication information from the user, the authentication information being useful to authorize the wireless payment for the at least one of the goods or services. 4. The device of claim 3, wherein the mobile user device comprises at least one commerce transaction related application computer program configured to run thereon. 5. The device of claim 3, wherein the mobile user device further comprises a Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) 2.0 client process. 6. The device of claim 1, wherein the mobile user device comprises a smart-phone, and the payment source information comprises a billing account associated with the smart-phone. 7. The device of claim 1, wherein the payment source information comprises a pre-existing financial account, the account which is accessible to the interrogation apparatus or reader via an internetwork. 8. The device of claim 1, wherein the payment source information comprises account information configured to enable access of a remote server with associated database with user credit card account-related information for verification and charging of the credit card account for the at least one goods or services. 9. The device of claim 1, wherein the payment source information comprises account information configured to enable use of at least one aspect of the services by one or more persons other than said user and which are one or more family members of the user. 10. The device of claim 1, further comprising at least one Java-based application computer program operative to run on the mobile user device, the at least one application computer program having a commerce transaction-based theme. 11. The device of claim 10, wherein the at least one application computer program has been downloaded via a network onto the mobile user device after the device's manufacture. 12. The device of claim 1, wherein the payment source information comprises information associated with a pre-paid account, the user having previously financially compensated an issuer of the pre-paid account before the payment using the short range radio frequency device. 13. The device of claim 1, further comprising both a Bluetooth wireless interface and a WiFi wireless interface. 14. The device of claim 1, further comprising a client application program configured for communication with a remotely disposed server program, communication between the client application and the server program being useful for communication of data to the mobile user device for storage thereon, the data for communication comprising data relating to the payment for the goods or services. 15. The device of claim 14, wherein the server program is configured to require authentication of the user before any of said communication of said data is allowed. 16. The device of claim 1, wherein said GPS receiver enables provision of location data associated with a particular location relating to the goods or services. 17. A mobile user device enabled for wireless payment, comprising: a cellular wireless interface;a global positioning system (GPS)-based wireless receiver; anda short range radio frequency device disposed on or in the mobile user device;wherein the mobile user device is configured to be encoded with payment source information specific to the user and allowing the user to use the mobile user device to wirelessly pay for at least one of goods or services by placing the mobile user device in proximity to an interrogation or reader apparatus at a point of sale of said goods or services;wherein the short range radio frequency device and payment source information obviates the user from having to carry at least one other currency or payment source on their person;wherein the radio frequency device comprises a passive radio frequency identification device configured to utilize radio frequency energy incident thereon and generated from the interrogation apparatus or reader to generate a reply, the reply including at least a portion of the payment source information; andwherein the encoding with information specific to a user of the device, the information including payment source information, comprises encoding of the mobile user device by a third party after its manufacture. 18. The device of claim 17, wherein the short range radio frequency device is disposed on or in the mobile user device by the user after time of manufacture of the mobile user device, the radio frequency device comprising an integrated circuit with data memory, and an antenna, the radio frequency device further configured in a substantially flat and flexible substrate with at least a portion of circuitry disposed thereon being printed onto said substrate. 19. The device of claim 17, wherein the at least a portion of the payment source information in the reply comprises information related to a credit card account, the device configured to store the information in a secure data repository that restricts access to only one or more authorized persons. 20. The device of claim 19, wherein the device is further configured to elicit a user-specific authentication information from the user, the authentication information being useful to authorize the wireless payment for the at least one of the goods or services. 21. The device of claim 20, wherein: the mobile user device comprises at least one commerce transaction related application computer program configured to run thereon; andthe payment source information comprises a pre-existing financial account, the account which is accessible to the interrogation apparatus or reader via an internetwork. 22. The device of claim 17, wherein the payment source information comprises account information configured to enable access of a remote server with associated database with user credit card account-related information for verification and charging of the credit card account for the at least one goods or services. 23. The device of claim 17, further comprising: at least one Java-based application computer program operative to run on the mobile user device, the at least one application computer program having a commerce transaction-based theme, the at least one application computer program downloaded via a network onto the mobile user device after the device's manufacture; anda Bluetooth wireless interface and a WiFi wireless interface. 24. The device of claim 17, wherein the payment source information comprises information associated with a pre-paid account, the user having previously financially compensated an issuer of the pre-paid account before the payment using the short range radio frequency device. 25. The device of claim 17, further comprising a client application program configured for communication with a remotely disposed server program, communication between the client application and the server program being useful for communication of data to the mobile user device for storage thereon, the data for communication comprises data relating to the payment for the goods or services, the server program configured to require authentication of the user before any of said communication of said data is allowed. 26. The device of claim 17, further comprising a commerce-related client application configured to run on the mobile device, wherein said GPS receiver and said application cooperate to enable provision and use of location data associated with a particular location relating to the goods or services. 27. A method of causing enabling of a cellular-enabled smart-phone for wireless payment for at least one of goods or services, the method comprising: providing a cellular-enabled smart-phone, the smart-phone comprising a short range passive radio frequency device disposed thereon or therein at time of manufacture of the smart-phone, the smart-phone configured to be encoded with information specific to a user of the device; andenabling encoding of the smart-phone by the user with said information specific to the user, the information including information relating to at least one of an existing credit or debit or prepaid account associated with the user;wherein the encoded smart-phone with radio frequency device is configured to, when placed in proximity to an interrogation or reader apparatus disposed at a point of sale of goods or services, allow: the user to use the smart-phone to conduct a wireless payment transaction for at least one of the goods or services from the at least one existing account by way of at least one data transmission from the radio frequency device, the transmission instigated at least in part by electromagnetic energy radiated by the interrogation or reader apparatus, the at least one data transmission comprising at least a portion of the information relating to the existing payment account associated with the user; andthe smart-phone to receive data related to the wireless payment transaction for storage thereon;wherein the conduct of the wireless payment transaction further causes data related to the transaction to be transmitted to a network entity for inclusion on a monthly account statement of the user. 28. The method of claim 27, wherein: the data related to the transaction includes at least one of (i) a date/time; (ii) at least one of a) a user identification and/or b) a location of the transaction, and/or (iii) a payment method; andtransfer of the data to the smart-phone is fully automated and requires no user action or intervention. 29. A method of causing enabling of a cellular-enabled smart-phone for wireless payment for at least one of goods or services, the method comprising: providing a cellular-enabled smart-phone, the smart-phone comprising a short range passive radio frequency device disposed thereon or therein at time of manufacture of the mobile device, the smart-phone configured to be encoded with information specific to a user of the device; andenabling encoding of the smart phone by the user with said information specific to the user, the information including information relating to at least one of an existing credit or debit or prepaid account associated with the user;wherein the encoded smart-phone with radio frequency device is configured to, when placed in proximity to an interrogation or reader apparatus disposed at a point of sale of goods or services, allow: the user to use the smart-phone to conduct a wireless payment transaction for at least one of the goods or services from the at least one existing account by way of at least one data transmission from the radio frequency device, the transmission instigated at least in part by electromagnetic energy radiated by the interrogation or reader apparatus, the at least one data transmission comprising at least a portion of the information relating to the existing payment source associated with the user; andthe smart-phone to receive data related to the wireless payment transaction for storage thereon, the data related to the transaction including at least one of (i) a date/time; (ii) at least one of a) a user identification and/or b) a location of the transaction, and/or (iii) a payment method, and transfer of the data to the smart-phone being fully automated and requiring no user action or intervention. 30. The method of claim 29, wherein the payment source information comprises information associated with a pre-paid account, the user having previously financially compensated an issuer of the pre-paid account before the payment using the short range radio frequency device.