RU2649762C1 - Method for payment for goods or services by buyer using their personal device at retail outlet that has cash register - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: data processing.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to a method for automation of payment of goods or services by a buyer using their personal device at a point of sale. In the method: a database of customer identification parameters is formed on the seller's server, including images of buyers' faces and payment information, automatic identification of the buyer is performed on their personal device when the buyer is at the outlet, images of faces of all buyers that are at this outlet at this point in time are displayed on the display of the cash register, identification of the buyer, as they are paying for goods or services at the cash register, is performed by matching this buyer with one of the images of faces of all buyers who are at the outlet at this point in time that is displayed on the display of the cash register, payment for goods or services is performed by automatically forming a request for debiting funds from the buyer's payment means bound to his personal device.

EFFECT: ensuring the possibility of automatic identification of buyers using their personal devices when they are at the point of sale.

9 cl, 2 dwg

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to methods intended for commercial, financial, purposes, and more specifically to methods of paying for goods or services by a buyer using his personal device at a point of sale having a cash register, in which a database of customer identification parameters is preliminarily formed on the seller’s server, and also the buyer’s payment data corresponding to them, connect the seller’s cash register via an integrated network with the seller’s server, pay for the goods or services selected at the point of sale by the buyer, by automatically generating a request for debiting funds from the buyer’s means of payment tied to his personal device.

The following terms are used in this description.

Server (eng. Server) - an electronic device that performs service functions at the request of the client, giving him access to certain resources. For the purposes of this description, a server is considered having a permanent connection to a federated network that can transmit data to the server from client devices. The server can process this data and transfer the processing result back to the client device.

The combined network, as well as all connections between all modules and blocks, include various topologies, configurations, and layouts of the components of the interconnect, configured to interconnect corporate, global, and local area networks, and includes, without limitation, traditional wired, Wireless, satellite, optical and equivalent network technologies. Advantageously, the Internet is typically used as an integrated network.

A computing unit is a server unit that is a microprocessor specially adapted for signal processing.

A database or a database storage unit is a server unit that stores data corresponding to this data module, which can be executed as a hard disk drive or as flash memory, which refers to semiconductors of electrically reprogrammable memory . However, some modules can be combined in separate implementations. For example, different databases can be stored in one memory module.

A customer’s personal device is any form of computing platform that connects to a network, such as an integrated network, and allows interaction with application programs. Typical examples of individual client devices include, but are not limited to, stationary and portable personal computers, “smart” cell phones, (in English, a smartphone), laptop computers, including tablet, lightweight clients, workstations, and “non-smart” terminals connected with the application server, as well as their various layouts and configurations, that is, both physical devices for interacting in communication interaction systems, and virtual devices oystva implemented on programmable computing devices, and having a software interface for communication functions. Mostly, this is a smartphone (smart phone, that is, a cell phone that includes the functions of a computer device) that has a touch screen or tablet computer, and similar devices - smart watches, glasses, etc.

The seller’s cash register is a stationary device having the functions of a fiscal cash register and a computer, connected to a network, such as an integrated network, and allowing interaction with application programs. turning on the display or connected to the display.

Near field communication, NFC (“near field communication”, “near contactless communication”) is a short-range wireless high-frequency communication technology that enables the exchange of data between devices located at a distance of about 10 centimeters.

A QR code (from English “quick response” means “quick response”) or a barcode, a matrix code (two-dimensional barcode) that encodes any information, whether it be plain text or a link to a site.

Bluetooth low energy wireless technology (Bluetooth LE energy, also known as Bluetooth Smart) - a version of the Bluetooth wireless technology core specification released in December 2009, the most significant advantage of which is ultra low peak power consumption, average power consumption and power consumption in mode just me. Devices using low-power Bluetooth will consume less power than other Bluetooth devices of previous generations. In many cases, the devices will be able to work for more than a year on one miniature tablet-type battery without recharging. Thus, it will be possible to have, for example, small sensors that operate continuously (for example, a temperature sensor), communicating with other devices, such as a cell phone or PDA.

GPS (Global Positioning System - Global Positioning System, GP) is a satellite-based navigation system that provides distance, time and location in the WGS 84 world coordinate system. It allows anywhere on the Earth (excluding the polar regions), almost at any weather, as well as in near-Earth space to determine the location and speed of objects.

The issuer is a remote server that allows connection to it through an integrated network, processes requests and issues answers to them automatically, on which there is a database with customer’s personal payment details. A typical example is any bank server that issues (issues) payment cards, or any payment service that has a connection to a bank server. Examples of such an option for issuers are PayPal, the CardsMobile wallet mobile application (CardsMobile), or Apple Pay (Apple Pay). That is, in general, this is an organization that stores the full payment details of the buyer (usually a bank card). This can be in two cases, or the organization itself has issued this card (the bank that serves this or that card, where the card account is located, it is always one bank for each specific card), or the organization received them for its own use (for example , the buyer himself transmitted the data once, but there are other options for receiving payment details of payment cards, including from the banks that issue them. In the second case, this may be some kind of third-party service).

An acquirer is a remote server that allows you to connect to it through an integrated network, processes requests and issues answers to them automatically, on which there is a module for generating requests for debiting funds from a customer’s account. That is, it is any server that performs the function of making a payment. A typical example is any bank server that has the function of debiting funds from the buyer's account. Specialized processing centers (independent or part of the systems of specific banks) that exclusively perform the functions of receiving and transferring payment details by banks for further processing by banks are also considered issuers within the framework of this document.

Means of payment - any of the means used for payment, cash account, virtual money and so on.

Buyer payment details - bank details of the buyer’s personal account from which funds or their equivalents can be debited to pay for goods and / or services, for example:

- a current account with a bank or other credit institution, for example, a debit or credit card account,

- an account in an electronic payment system, for example Yandex money,

- an account with a telecom operator when payment is made by sending SMS messages,

- an internal account on the server when an advance payment is made for some services, which is taken into account in your personal account, for example, in hosting services.

Validation - confirmation based on the presentation of objective evidence that the requirements intended for a particular use or application are precisely and fully predetermined, and the goal is achieved, in the context of this description, confirmation that the identified customer is correctly identified and is.

State of the art

Currently, the process of accepting payments at retail outlets is increasingly focused on accepting various non-cash payments, such as, for example, bank cards, instead of cash. This, of course, is convenient, since it reduces the processing time of one transaction, the buyer is freed from the need to have cash with him. But at the same time, this form of payment gives rise to its own shortcomings. For example, the fact that the process of entering the payment data of the buyer is not sufficiently protected from unauthorized access by third parties. Any buyer can see the process of entering a PIN code, which is a secret password, you can take a picture of a bank card with modern means and then use it to withdraw or transfer money, since there are many options for transferring money without SMS confirmation.

This invention relates to methods intended for commercial, financial, purposes, and more specifically to methods of paying for goods or services by a buyer using his personal device at a point of sale having a cash register, in which a database of customer identification parameters is preliminarily formed on the seller’s server, and Also, the buyer’s payment data corresponding to them, connect the seller’s cash register with the seller’s server, pay for goods or services selected at the point of sale by the buyer, By automatically generating a request for debiting funds from a customer’s means of payment tied to his personal device.

Such a method is described in the patent of the Russian Federation for invention No. 2589847, the date of publication of the application: 20.10.2014.

It uses a database of customer’s fingerprints as a database of customer’s identification parameters. When paying for goods and services, a registered customer enters the amount to be paid at the cash register (terminal) and applies the finger used for payment to the scanner of the cash register by which they identify the buyer is automatically debited from his means of payment. A terminal is used as a cash register.

This method is the closest in technical essence and the achieved technical result and is selected for the prototype of the invention.

The disadvantage of this prototype is its vulnerability to intercept payment information, that is, the possibility of unauthorized actions when processing data for non-cash payment. This is always possible, because the buyer leaves fingerprints in the store, outlet, service point, for example, on a door handle, on goods, on dishes in a restaurant, and such a fingerprint that is scanned and, for example, printed using three-dimensional or flat print, can be used as a cipher to identify the buyer in his absence.

This possibility of unauthorized access to the buyer’s means of payment is a problem. Therefore, the problem to which the present invention is directed is the possibility of intercepting data in cashless payments for goods or services.

Disclosure of the invention as a method

Based on this original observation, the present invention mainly aims to propose a method of paying for goods or services by a buyer using his personal device in a retail outlet having a cash register, which allows at least smoothing out at least one of the above disadvantages, and namely, to provide the possibility of automatic identification of the buyer by his personal device when the buyer is in the outlet and the possibility of further validation, which is the set technical object of the present invention.

To achieve this goal:

include in the database of identification parameters of buyers the image of the faces of buyers,

automatic identification of the buyer by his personal device when the buyer is in the outlet,

display on the display of the cash register images of the faces of all customers located at this point in the outlet,

validate the buyer when paying for goods or services at the checkout by manually confirming the specified buyer from the displayed on the cash register images of the faces of all buyers at this point in the outlet.

Thanks to these advantageous characteristics, it becomes possible to automatically identify the buyer by his personal device when the buyer is in the outlet, as well as further validation of the buyer at the time of payment for goods or services.

That is, an important advantage now appears - this is a fundamental lack of input by the buyer himself, he is automatically identified only due to what is inside the outlet. And the cashier can further confirm the correctness of identification by comparing the face of the buyer and the image of the face of the identified buyer from the database displayed on the cash register display. In case of successful validation, payment for goods or services occurs automatically, the buyer does not enter passwords, does not press any buttons, does not put fingers, does not scan any codes, does not even get his personal device. In this case, the attackers have nothing to intercept. If the personal device of the buyer is stolen, validation will still not take place, since the face of the attacker does not match the face of the buyer, which is registered in the database of identification parameters of customers.

 There is also a variant of the invention, in which they additionally send a signal from the device of the employee of the outlet to the personal device of the buyer with a short confirmation code for further identification of the buyer.

Thanks to this advantageous feature, it becomes possible to further confirm readiness to pay for a purchase. This is convenient for situations when the debited funds from the customer’s payment means cannot be considered debited without his knowledge.

There is also an embodiment of the invention in which a signal is sent to a customer’s personal device through one of: via SMS, USSD or push notification of a mobile application.

Due to this advantageous characteristic, it becomes possible to specifically implement the transmission of an acknowledgment signal to a customer’s personal device.

There is a variant of the invention in which automatic identification of the buyer by his personal device is made by automatic geolocation of the personal device according to data from mobile operators.

Thanks to this advantageous characteristic, it becomes possible to identify the buyer by his personal device by automatically geolocating the personal device according to data from mobile operators, that is, as a rule, this is by triangulating signals from a personal device to stationary cellular antennas, the location of which is known.

There is also a variant of the invention in which automatic identification of the buyer by his personal device is made by automatic geolocation of the personal device according to the data from the GPS module of his personal device.

Thanks to this advantageous feature, it becomes possible to automatically identify the buyer by his personal device by automatically geolocating the personal device according to the data from the GPS module of his personal device, which allows you to very accurately determine the fact of the buyer’s location.

There is another embodiment of the invention in which the customer is automatically identified by his personal device by exchanging data via the Bluetooth (bluetooth) or Bluetooth Smart (bluetooth smart) channel.

Thanks to this advantageous feature, it becomes possible to identify the buyer by his personal device by exchanging data via the Bluetooth (bluetooth) or Bluetooth Smart (bluetooth smart) channel with an identification module that is installed at the outlet, mainly at the entrance, which has a wired or wireless connection unified network with the seller’s server. Thus, any customer will be automatically identified when they pass next to the identification module.

There is also a variant of the invention in which automatic customer identification is performed by automatically recognizing the customer according to data from a video camera connected to the seller’s server.

Thanks to this advantageous feature, it becomes possible to automatically identify the buyer by automatically recognizing the buyer according to the data from the video camera, which is installed at the outlet, mainly at the entrance, and which has a wired or wireless connection through an integrated network with the seller’s server. Thus, any customer will be automatically identified by automatically capturing an image of his face, using recognition methods and automatically comparing with facial images from a database of customer identification parameters.

There is also an embodiment of the invention in which the customer is automatically identified by his personal device by exchanging data on the channel with NFS tags.

Thanks to this advantageous feature, it becomes possible to automatically identify the buyer by his personal device by exchanging data on the channel with an NFS tag located at the outlet, mainly at the entrance. At the same time, the customer’s personal device must have a wireless connection through an integrated network with the seller’s server. Thus, any buyer will be automatically identified by transmitting data to the seller’s server.

There is also such a variant of the invention, in which automatic identification of the buyer by his personal device is carried out by exchanging data by QR code or barcode at the checkout.

Thanks to this advantageous characteristic, it becomes possible to automatically identify the buyer by his personal device by exchanging data using a QR code or bar code at the checkout. This can be significant when other identification methods are not installed or have not worked.

The set of essential features of the invention is unknown from the prior art for methods of similar purpose, which allows us to conclude that the criterion of "novelty" for the invention in relation to the method. The non-obviousness of the solution and the global nature of the problem being solved, which still remained unresolved, speaks of the non-obviousness of the solution for a specialist in this field of technology and thus the compliance of the invention with the criterion of "inventive step".

Brief Description of the Drawings

Other distinguishing features and advantages of this invention clearly follow from the description below for illustration and not being restrictive, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

- figure 1 depicts a functional diagram of a system for paying for goods or services by a buyer for his personal device in a retail outlet having a cash register, according to the invention;

- figure 2 schematically depicts the steps of a method of paying for goods or services by a buyer for his personal device at a point of sale having a cash register, according to the invention.

According to FIG. 1, a cash register 2 having a display 21 and also a data exchange module 22 with a seller’s server 3, which can also be located on the territory of a retail outlet 1 or remotely, are located in the sales area 1 (marked with a dotted line). If the seller’s server 3 is located on the territory of the outlet 1, the connection with the cash register 2 can be made by wire connections. In the case of a remote location of the seller’s server 3, the connection with the cash register 2 can be carried out via the integrated network 4, for example, the Internet.

Similarly, the seller’s server 3 can be connected to the customer identification module 5, which can be used as:

- a module for data exchange via the Bluetooth channel (bluetooth) or Bluetooth Smart (bluetooth smart),

- video camera,

- module with NFS tag.

The buyer at the entrance can make automatic or manual data exchange between his personal device 6 and the customer identification module 5.

The seller’s server 3 includes or is connected to a separately executed module 7 for storing a database of customer identification parameters, as well as corresponding customer payment data.

With the cash register can be connected the device 8 of the employee 9 of the outlet, configured to send a signal to the personal device of the buyer 6 with a short confirmation code for additional identification of the buyer. This may be the personal device of the employee 9 of the seller, such as his smartphone or mobile personal computer. Alternatively, such a device 8 may be a data exchange module 22 of the cash register.

The implementation of the invention

The method of payment for goods or services by the buyer on his personal device at a point of sale having a cash register works as follows. Here is the most comprehensive example of the invention. Keeping in mind that this example does not limit the application of the invention.

According to figure 2:

Stage A1. Pre-form on the seller’s server 3 a database of customer identification parameters, as well as the customer’s payment data corresponding to them, placing it in module 7. This can happen as a standard registration of a new user on the seller’s website, in which a new customer enters their personal and payment data, receives login, password, goes through the verification procedure.

Stage A2. Connect the seller’s cash register 2 with wires or through an integrated network 4 with the seller’s server 3.

Stage A3. An image of customer faces is included in the database of customer identification parameters.

Stage A4. Automatically identify the buyer by his personal device 6 when the buyer is in the outlet 1.

Stage A41. And / or by automatic geolocation of a personal device according to data from mobile operators.

Stage A42. And / or by automatic geolocation of the personal device according to the data from the GPS module of its personal device.

Stage A43. And / or by exchanging data via the Bluetooth (bluetooth) or Bluetooth Smart (bluetooth smart) channel.

Stage A44. And / or by automatically recognizing the buyer according to the data from the video camera connected to the seller’s server.

Stage A45. And / or by exchanging channel data with NFS tags.

Stage A46. And / or by exchanging data by QR code or barcode on a cash register 2.

Thus, several options for automatic customer identification can be applied simultaneously.

Stage A5. Display on the display 21 of the cash register 2 images of the faces of all customers who are at this point in the outlet.

Stage A6. The buyer is validated when paying for goods or services at the checkout by manually confirming the specified buyer from the displayed on the display 21 of the cash register images of the faces of all the buyers who are at this point in the outlet. That is, the seller’s employee who is behind the cash register sends a signal to the seller’s server, which corresponds to the confirmation of the correct identification of the buyer.

Stage A7. Additionally, they optionally send a signal from the device 8 of the employee of the outlet to the personal device of the buyer 6 with a short confirmation code for additional identification of the buyer through one of: via SMS, USSD or push notification of the mobile application.

Stage A8. They pay for goods or services selected at point 1 by the buyer by automatically generating a request to write off funds from the buyer’s means of payment tied to his personal device 6. This can be a signal to a remote bank or similar server to write off the buyer’s money.

The sequence of steps is approximate and allows you to rearrange, reduce, add or perform some operations at the same time without losing the ability to pay for goods or services by the buyer on his personal device in a retail outlet that has a cash register.

Industrial applicability

The proposed method of payment for goods or services by the buyer on his personal device at a point of sale that has a cash register can be carried out by a specialist in practice and, when implemented, ensures the implementation of the declared purpose, which allows us to conclude that the criterion of "industrial applicability" for the invention is met.

In accordance with the proposed invention, an experimental system for payment of goods or services by a buyer for his personal device in a retail outlet having a cash register has been manufactured, that is, the corresponding devices and server have been tested that are capable of processing all data.

Tests of the experimental system have shown that it provides the ability to:

- inclusion in the database of identification parameters of buyers, an image of the faces of buyers,

- automatic identification of the buyer by his personal device when the buyer is in the outlet, automatic identification of the buyer by his personal device when the buyer is in the outlet,

- display on the cash register display of the faces of all customers located at this point in the outlet,

- the validation of the buyer when paying for goods or services at the checkout by manually confirming the specified buyer from the images displayed on the display of the cash register of the faces of all the buyers who are at this point in the outlet.

Thus, in this invention the task is achieved - the ability to automatically identify the buyer by his personal device when the buyer is in the outlet and the possibility of further validation.

This all leads to an increase in the reliability of payment for goods or services by the buyer by his personal device at a point of sale that has a cash register.

An additional useful technical result of the claimed invention is that the payment for goods or services is greatly simplified, it is enough just to have a personal device with you, when paying you do not need to enter any data.

The invention can be used in trade (payment for goods in stores), the service sector (payment for visits to cafes, restaurants, entertainment, buying tickets, etc.) and in the banking sector (cash transactions at ATMs).

Claims (16)

1. A way to automate and optimize the payment of goods or services by a buyer by his personal device in a retail outlet having a cash register, in which, preliminary form on the seller’s server a database of customer identification parameters, as well as the corresponding customer payment data,  connect the seller’s cash register to the seller’s server,  pay for goods or services selected at the point of sale by the buyer by automatically generating a request to write off funds from the buyer’s means of payment tied to his personal device, characterized in that  include in the database of identification parameters of buyers the image of the faces of buyers,  automatic identification of the buyer by his personal device when the buyer is in the outlet,  display on the cash register display the images of the faces of all customers who are at that moment in the outlet for possible validation of the buyer when paying for goods or services at the checkout, by manually confirming the specified buyer from the displayed on the cash register images of the faces of all customers located in this moment at the point of sale. 2. The method according to p. 1, characterized in that they additionally send a signal from the device of the employee of the outlet to the personal device of the buyer with a short confirmation code for additional identification of the buyer. 3. The method according to p. 2, characterized in that they send a signal to the personal device of the buyer through one of: via SMS, USSD or push notification of the mobile application. 4. The method according to p. 1, characterized in that the automatic identification of the buyer by his personal device by automatic geolocation of the personal device according to data from mobile operators. 5. The method according to p. 1, characterized in that the customer is automatically identified by his personal device by automatically locating the personal device according to the data from the GPS module of his personal device. 6. The method according to p. 1, characterized in that they automatically identify the buyer by his personal device by exchanging data via the Bluetooth (bluetooth) or Bluetooth Smart (bluetooth smart) channel. 7. The method according to p. 1, characterized in that they automatically identify the buyer by automatically recognizing the buyer according to the data from the video camera connected to the seller’s server. 8. The method according to p. 1, characterized in that they automatically identify the buyer by his personal device by exchanging data on the channel with NFS tags. 9. The method according to p. 1, characterized in that they automatically identify the buyer by his personal device by exchanging data by QR code or bar code at the checkout.

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