Grace H Chen

US Patent:

20050015332, Jan 20, 2005

Filed:

Jul 18, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/622718

Inventors:

Grace Chen - Houston TX, US

International Classification:

G06F017/60

US Classification:

705039000, 705017000, 705042000

Abstract:

A payment system that does not rely on credit or debit cards, does not require the merchant and purchaser to have compatible memberships to complete a transaction, and does not limit single transactions to a single account provides a wide range of flexibility permitting debit, credit, pre-paid and payroll cards to be accommodated in a seamless and invisible manner to the electronic transaction network. The transaction may be verified and approved at the point-of-sale whether or not the merchant is a member of a specific financial transaction system. Specifically, the point-of-sale transaction system permits an identified customer to use any of a variety of payment options to complete the transaction without requiring the merchant to pre-approve the type of payment selected by the customer. In one configuration, and in order to take advantage of the widespread use of the ATM/POS network, the invention uses a typical credit/debit card format to provide the identifying information in a stored value card. When a transaction is to be completed, the user enters the identifying information carried on the card at the point-of-sale. This can be a merchant or other service provider at a retail establishment, or on-line while the user is logged onto a web site, or other location. The information can be swiped by a card reader, or manually entered via a keyboard or other input device. The system supports a wide range of flexibility, permitting issuing systems such as parents and state welfare agencies to restrict the types of authorized uses, and permitting users to access accounts in a prioritized manner. Further, the accepting merchant is not required to be a member because settlement with the merchant may be made via the Federal Reserve Automatic Clearing House (ACH) system by typical and standard electronic transfer. This permits the merchant to take advantage of the lower ACH transaction fees with even greater convenience and flexibility than the current ATM/POS system. The system supports numerous types of identification methods from typical credit card structures with magnetic data strips to various biometric systems such as finger prints, facial recognition and the like. Specifically, once the user is identified, the transaction is managed by his membership data on record with the transaction processing system.

US Patent:

20080270246, Oct 30, 2008

Filed:

Apr 26, 2007

Appl. No.:

11/796062

Inventors:

Grace Chen - Houston TX, US

International Classification:

G06Q 20/00
G06Q 40/00

US Classification:

705 17, 705 41

Abstract:

A global payment system supports real time payments by a first party to a second party via an electronic interface using any of a plurality of input devices. First party identifying information and information relating to the requested transaction desired by the first party is entered into the system via the selected input device for accessing the payment system. The information is verified and the funds are transferred to a dedicated account for a second party per the instructions received from the first party. The global payment system is a financial transaction system permitting the identified first party to use any of a variety of payment options to complete the transaction without requiring the second party to pre-approve the method of payment. The system is compatible with known ATM/POS debit/credit card formats or other electronic input terminal devices, including either a second party controlled device, or a first party controlled device. This can be but is not limited to a merchant or other service provider controlled device at a retail establishment, or on-line while the user is logged onto a web site from a commercially based computer or from the convenience of his personal computer, or other devices such as a PDA or a cell phone. The information can be swiped by a card reader, or manually entered via a keyboard or other input device such as, by way of example, a cell phone or personal digital assistant (PDA). This flexibility permits a consumer and merchant to complete a transaction in real time anywhere in the world without regard to the consumer's source of funds or the merchant's typical method of payment acceptance.