System and architecture for merchant integration of a biometric payment system

Abstract

A system and method for performing authentication are disclosed. The system may include a shared central processing server, a plurality of software components each residing in a corresponding point-of-sale (POS) workstation and an identity provider service. The server may reside at a merchant location and communicate with multiple POS workstations at the merchant location. The server may be configured to receive biometric information from each POS workstation. Each software component may communicate with a biometric sensor in communication with the corresponding POS workstation to receive biometric information. The identity provider service may be configured to communicate with the server, store registered biometric information and compare biometric information received from the server with one or more of the stored registered biometric information. One of the biometric sensor, a POS workstation and the server may convert a biometric image into a biometric template for comparison with the stored registered biometric information.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method, comprising:
 receiving, at a shared central processing server from a point of sale workstation, biometric information;   transmitting the biometric information to an identity provider service, the identity provider service residing at a remote location physically separated from a merchant location and configured to perform at least one of: communicate with the shared central processing server, store registered biometric information, store registered payment account information, store payment account options corresponding to the registered payment account information, compare biometric information received from the shared central processing server with the stored registered biometric information, and, upon a successful match of biometric information received from the shared central processing server with the stored registration biometric information, transmit the registered payment account options and the registered payment account information associated with the stored registered biometric information to the shared central processing server;   receiving one or more payment account options and payment account information corresponding to each payment account option from the identity service provider, wherein the payment account information enables payment processing for a transaction;   forwarding the one or more payment account options to the point of sale workstation;   receiving a payment account option selection from the point of sale workstation;   identifying a held payment account information corresponding to the payment account selection; and   forwarding the identified held payment account information to the point of sale workstation, wherein the payment account information enables the merchant to directly communicate with a payment processor to process payment for the transaction.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each software component of each point-of-sale workstation is configured to receive an input from a payment terminal coupled to the point-of-sale workstation, wherein the input received from the payment terminal relates to initiating the payment. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the payment terminal comprises a personal identification number pad. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the biometric information received by the shared central processing server from the point-of-sale workstation comprises a fingerprint image. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the shared central processing server is configured to convert the fingerprint image into a biometric template. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the biometric information received by the shared central processing server from the point-of-sale workstation comprises a biometric template. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the biometric information received by the point-of-sale workstation comprises a fingerprint image. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the point-of-sale workstation is configured to convert the fingerprint image into a biometric template. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the biometric information received by the point-of-sale workstation comprises a biometric template. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each point-of-sale workstation comprises an electronic cash register. 
     
     
         11 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing program code that causes a computer to perform:
 receive, at a shared central processing server from a point of sale workstation, biometric information;   transmit the biometric information to an identity provider service, the identity provider service residing at a remote location physically separated from a merchant location and configured to perform at least one of: communicate with the shared central processing server, store registered biometric information, store registered payment account information, store payment account options corresponding to the registered payment account information, compare biometric information received from the shared central processing server with the stored registered biometric information, and, upon a successful match of biometric information received from the shared central processing server with the stored registration biometric information, transmit the registered payment account options and the registered payment account information associated with the stored registered biometric information to the shared central processing server;   receive one or more payment account options and payment account information corresponding to each payment account option from the identity service provider, wherein the payment account information enables payment processing for a transaction;   forward the one or more payment account options to the point of sale workstation;   receive a payment account option selection from the point of sale workstation;   identify a held payment account information corresponding to the payment account selection; and   forward the identified held payment account information to the point of sale workstation, wherein the payment account information enables the merchant to directly communicate with a payment processor to process payment for the transaction.   
     
     
         12 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 11 , wherein each software component of each point-of-sale workstation is configured to receive an input from a payment terminal coupled to the point-of-sale workstation, wherein the input received from the payment terminal relates to initiating the payment. 
     
     
         13 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 12 , wherein the payment terminal comprises a personal identification number pad. 
     
     
         14 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 11 , wherein the biometric information received by the shared central processing server from the point-of-sale workstation comprises a fingerprint image. 
     
     
         15 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 14 , wherein the shared central processing server is configured to convert the fingerprint image into a biometric template. 
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 11 , wherein the biometric information received by the shared central processing server from the point-of-sale workstation comprises a biometric template. 
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 11 , wherein the biometric information received by the point-of-sale workstation comprises a fingerprint image. 
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the point-of-sale workstation is configured to convert the fingerprint image into a biometric template. 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 11 , wherein the biometric information received by the point-of-sale workstation comprises a biometric template. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 11 , wherein each point-of-sale workstation comprises an electronic cash register.