System and method for capturing token data with a portable computing device

Abstract

A system and method for collecting and managing information taken from tokens, like credit cards and gift cards, includes a portable computing device (PCD). The PCD may support a token recognizer that may comprise hardware and/or software that may reside in memory of the PCD. The token recognizer may work in combination with a camera. The token recognizer may comprise a broad recognizer module and an optical character recognition (“OCR”) module. The camera of the PCD may capture images of one or more physical tokens. These captured images of the physical tokens may be processed by the token recognizer so that digital images as well as data provided by the physical tokens may be maintained in memory of the PCD for later presentation to the user. These later presentations on the PCD may be used for account management and for conducting transactions, such as making payment at a point-of-sale (POS) terminal.

1 - 40 . (canceled) 
     
     
         41 . A method for capturing information from physical tokens with a portable computing device, the method comprising:
 displaying an instruction to scan a first side of the physical token, the physical token comprising a rectangular geometry, the portable computing device comprising a mobile phone;   creating an image of a first side of the physical token with the portable computing device;   displaying a geometry within the image that outlines a perimeter of the physical token;   conducting optical character recognition of the image of the first side of the physical token contained within the geometry to retrieve consumer information;   storing the consumer information in memory; and   transmitting the consumer information over a computer communications network.   
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the consumer information comprises at least one of a name of a merchant, a vendor, and a service provider. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the consumer information comprises at least one of a name of a person, an account number, and an expiration date corresponding to the account number. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 41 , further comprising displaying an instruction for keying-in information listed on the physical token. 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 44 , further comprising receiving input from a keypad of the portable computing device corresponding to the information listed on the physical token. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the input comprises information listed on a second side of the physical token. 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 46 , wherein the physical token comprises at least one a credit card, a gift card, a gasoline card, a stored value card, a telephone card, and a bank account card. 
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the physical token comprises at least one a credit card, a gift card, a gasoline card, a stored value card, a telephone card, and a bank account card. 
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 41 , further comprising displaying an image of the physical token and the consumer information recognized from the optical character recognition. 
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 41 , further comprising displaying an image of the physical token and the consumer information recognized from the optical character recognition in response to a command for initiating a financial transaction with the portable computing device. 
     
     
         51 . A system for capturing information from physical tokens with a portable computing device, the system comprising:
 a processor for displaying an instruction to scan a first side of the physical token, the physical token comprising a rectangular geometry, the portable computing device comprising a mobile phone;   a processor for creating an image of a first side of the physical token with the portable computing device;   a processor for displaying a geometry within the image that outlines a perimeter of the physical token;   a processor for conducting optical character recognition of the image of the first side of the physical token contained within the geometry to retrieve consumer information;   a processor for storing the consumer information in memory; and   a processor for transmitting the consumer information over a computer communications network.   
     
     
         52 . The system of  claim 51 , wherein the consumer information comprises at least one of a name of a merchant, a vendor, and a service provider. 
     
     
         53 . The system of  claim 51 , wherein the consumer information comprises at least one of a name of a person, an account number, and an expiration date corresponding to the account number. 
     
     
         54 . The system of  claim 51 , further comprising a processor displaying an instruction for keying-in information listed on the physical token. 
     
     
         55 . The system of  claim 54 , further comprising a processor for receiving input from a keypad of the portable computing device corresponding to the information listed on the physical token. 
     
     
         56 . The system of  claim 55 , wherein the input comprises information listed on a second side of the physical token. 
     
     
         57 . The system of  claim 56 , wherein the physical token comprises at least one a credit card, a gift card, a gasoline card, a stored value card, a telephone card, and a bank account card. 
     
     
         58 . The system of  claim 51 , wherein the physical token comprises at least one a credit card, a gift card, a gasoline card, a stored value card, a telephone card, and a bank account card. 
     
     
         59 . The system of  claim 51 , further comprising a processor for displaying an image of the physical token and the consumer information recognized from the optical character recognition. 
     
     
         60 . The system of  claim 61 , further comprising displaying an image of the physical token and the consumer information recognized from the optical character recognition in response to a command for initiating a financial transaction with the portable computing device. 
     
     
         61 . A system for capturing information from physical tokens with a portable computing device, the system comprising:
 means for displaying an instruction to scan a first side of the physical token, the physical token comprising a rectangular geometry, the portable computing device comprising a mobile phone;   means for creating an image of a first side of the physical token with the portable computing device;   means for displaying a geometry within the image that outlines a perimeter of the physical token;   means for conducting optical character recognition of the image of the first side of the physical token contained within the geometry to retrieve consumer information;   means for storing the consumer information in memory; and   means for transmitting the consumer information over a computer communications network.   
     
     
         62 . The system of  claim 61 , wherein the consumer information comprises at least one of a name of a merchant, a vendor, and a service provider. 
     
     
         63 . The system of  claim 61 , wherein the consumer information comprises at least one of a name of a person, an account number, and an expiration date corresponding to the account number. 
     
     
         64 . The system of  claim 61 , further comprising displaying an instruction for keying-in information listed on the physical token. 
     
     
         65 . The system of  claim 64 , further comprising receiving input from a keypad of the portable computing device corresponding to the information listed on the physical token. 
     
     
         66 . A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method for capturing information from physical tokens with a portable computing device, the method comprising:
 displaying an instruction to scan a first side of the physical token, the physical token comprising a rectangular geometry, the portable computing device comprising a mobile phone;   creating an image of a first side of the physical token with the portable computing device;   displaying a geometry within the image that outlines a perimeter of the physical token;   conducting optical character recognition of the image of the first side of the physical token contained within the geometry to retrieve consumer information;   storing the consumer information in memory; and   transmitting the consumer information over a computer communications network.   
     
     
         67 . The computer program product of  claim 66 , wherein the consumer information comprises at least one of a name of a merchant, a vendor, and a service provider. 
     
     
         68 . The computer program product of  claim 66 , wherein the consumer information comprises at least one of a name of a person, an account number, and an expiration date corresponding to the account number. 
     
     
         69 . The computer program product of  claim 66 , wherein the program code implementing the method further comprises displaying an instruction for keying-in information listed on the physical token. 
     
     
         70 . The computer program product of  claim 69 , wherein the program code implementing the method further comprises receiving input from a keypad of the portable computing device corresponding to the information listed on the physical token.