Induction based mobile transactions

Abstract

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for completing a transaction using a wireless mobile communication channel and another communication channel, particularly another communication channel that provides for near field radio channels (NFC), as well as other communication channels, such as Bluetooth or WIFI. The present invention also provides a method of completing a transaction in which a management server assists a transaction server and a point of sale terminal in forwarding transaction information to a hand-held mobile device, with the transaction having originated from the hand-held mobile device. There is also provided a hand-held mobile device that wirelessly communicates between a secure element and a radio element that are associated with the hand-held mobile device.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A server for conducting a near field communication transaction, the server comprising:
 a server transceiver that receives an identification code from a point of sale (POS) terminal, the POS terminal including a terminal processor to receive the identification code from a secure element and to transmit a near field communication (NFC) inductive trigger interaction between the secure element coupled to a mobile device, wherein a secure element processor initiates execution of an NFC application maintained in secure element memory in response to the NFC inductive trigger interaction and further wherein the secure element is in proximity to the POS terminal; and   a server processor that processes an NFC transaction using the identification code transferred from the secure element memory through the POS terminal to the server, wherein the identification code is transferred to the POS terminal during the NFC interaction using a first communication channel, the mobile application running on the mobile device, the mobile device including a mobile device display, a mobile device memory, a mobile device processor, and a mobile device transceiver.   
     
     
         2 . The server of  claim 1 , wherein the point of sale terminal is a desktop computer, a laptop computer, or a thin client, and wherein the point of sale terminal includes an NFC chip configured as an NFC scanner and an NFC reader. 
     
     
         3 . The server of  claim 1 , further comprising automatically applying a coupon during the near field communication interaction. 
     
     
         4 . The server of  claim 1 , wherein a receipt, ticket, or coupon is sent to the mobile device after the interaction. 
     
     
         5 . The server of  claim 4 , wherein the management server sends the receipt, ticket, or coupon to the mobile device. 
     
     
         6 . The server of  claim 4 , wherein the POS terminal sends the receipt, ticket, or coupon to the mobile device. 
     
     
         7 . The server of  claim 1 , wherein the secure element is physically coupled to the mobile device but electrically decoupled from electrical interior components of the mobile device. 
     
     
         8 . The server of  claim 1 , wherein the secure element is physically coupled to the mobile device and electrically coupled to electrical interior components of the mobile device. 
     
     
         9 . The server of  claim 1 , wherein the secure element is included within the body of a memory card configured for placement in a memory card slot in the mobile device. 
     
     
         10 . The server of  claim 1 , further wherein the server authenticates a user after the identification code has been transferred from the NFC terminal, but prior to the transaction being processed and completed, wherein the NFC terminal receives manual user authentication based on a termination by the NFC terminal that manual user authentication is required and prompts the user. 
     
     
         11 . A method for conducting a near field communication transaction, the method comprising
 receiving at a server an identification code from a point of sale (POS) terminal, the POS terminal including a terminal processor configured to receive the identification code from a secure element to transmit a near field communication (NFC) inductive trigger interaction with a the secure element coupled to a mobile device, wherein a secure element processor initiates execution of an NFC application maintained in secure element memory in response to the NFC inductive trigger interaction and further wherein the secure element is in proximity to the POS terminal; and   processing at the server an NFC transaction using the identification code transferred from the secure element memory through the POS terminal to the management server, wherein the identification code is transferred during the NFC interaction to the POS terminal using a first communication channel, the mobile application running on the mobile device, the mobile device including a mobile device display, a mobile device memory, a mobile device processor, and a mobile device transceiver.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the point of sale terminal is a desktop computer, a laptop computer, or a thin client, and wherein the point of sale terminal includes an NFC chip configured as an NFC scanner and an NFC reader. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising automatically applying a coupon during the near field communication interaction. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein a receipt, ticket, or coupon is sent to the mobile device after the interaction. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the management server sends the receipt, ticket, or coupon to the mobile device. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the POS terminal sends the receipt, ticket, or coupon to the mobile device. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the secure element is physically coupled to the mobile device but electrically decoupled from electrical interior components of the mobile device. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the secure element is physically coupled to the mobile device and electrically coupled to electrical interior components of the mobile device. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 1 , further wherein the server authenticates a user after the identification code has been transferred from the NFC terminal, but prior to the transaction being processed and completed, wherein the NFC terminal receives manual user authentication based on a termination by the NFC terminal that manual user authentication is required and prompts the user. 
     
     
         20 . A computer readable medium for conducting a near field communication transaction, comprising
 computer code to receive an identification code at a server from a point of sale (POS) terminal, the POS terminal including a terminal processor that receives the identification code from a secure element and to transmits a near field communication (NFC) inductive trigger interaction between the secure element coupled to a mobile device, wherein a secure element processor initiates execution of an NFC application maintained in secure element memory in response to the NFC inductive trigger interaction and further wherein the secure element is in proximity to the POS terminal;   computer code to process an NFC transaction at the server using the identification code transferred from the secure element memory through the POS terminal to the server, wherein the identification code is transferred to the POS terminal during the NFC interaction using a first communication channel, the mobile application running on the mobile device, the mobile device including a mobile device display, a mobile device memory, a mobile device processor, and a mobile device transceiver.