Mobile merchant proximity solution for financial transactions
In order to facilitate conducting a financial transaction via wireless communication between an electronic device (such as a smartphone) and another electronic device (such as another smartphone), a secure element in the electronic device may generate, using an encryption key associated with the secure element, a signed blob based on a transaction amount and a merchant identifier. Then, the electronic device communicates connection information between the electronic device and the other electronic device. Moreover, the electronic device may establish a connection between the electronic device and the other electronic device based on the connection information, and may concurrently provide the signed blob to the other electronic device. After receiving a signed transaction blob from the other electronic device using the connection (which includes information needed to conduct the financial transaction), the electronic device provides the information to a server to conduct the financial transaction.
1. An electronic device, comprising:
an antenna;
a secure element; and
an interface circuit, communicatively coupled to the antenna and the secure element;
wherein the interface circuit is programmed to communicate with another electronic device;
the secure element comprising an authentication applet and a payment applet, wherein the secure element is configured to (i) execute the authentication applet in a master security domain of the secure element, and (ii) execute the payment applet in a supplemental security domain of the secure element;
wherein the secure element, during a financial transaction, is programmed to:
receive, in the payment applet in the supplemental security domain of the secure element, a transaction amount associated with the financial transaction from the electronic device in response to the authentication applet authenticating user information;
generate, using an encryption key associated with the secure element, a signed blob based at least in part on the transaction amount and a merchant identifier associated with the electronic device;
transmit, via the interface circuit, connection information to the other electronic device using a first connection based at least in part on a near-field-communication protocol;
establish, via the interface circuit, a second connection with the other electronic device based at least in part on the connection information, wherein the second connection is based at least in part on a communication protocol different than the near-field-communication protocol;
transmit, via the interface circuit, the signed blob to the other electronic device using the first connection based at least in part on a pairing speed, wherein the transmitting the signed blob is performed concurrently with the establishing the second connection;
receive, via the interface circuit, a signed transaction blob from the other electronic device using the second connection in response to transmitting the signed blob using the first connection, wherein the other electronic device generates the signed transaction blob based at least in part on the transaction amount, the merchant identifier, and financial-account information that specifies a financial account; and
transmit, via the interface circuit, the transaction amount, the merchant identifier, and financial-account information associated with the signed transaction blob to a server, wherein the server conducts the financial transaction based at least in part on the transaction amount, the merchant identifier, and the financial-account information.
2. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the secure element is further configured to:
Transmit, via the interface circuit, the signed blob to the server; and prior to transmitting the signed blob to the server, receive, via the interface circuit, a confirmation from the server that the electronic device is authorized to conduct the financial transaction.
3. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the financial account is associated with a credit card.
4. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the server is associated with a third party that is different than a user of the electronic device and a user of the other electronic device.
5. The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein the third party comprises a provider of the electronic device.
6. The electronic device of claim 4 , wherein the third party comprises a payment network that processes a payment for the financial transaction; and
wherein, the payment is processed using the transaction amount, the merchant identifier, and the financial-account information.
7. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein, prior to receiving the transaction amount, the secure element is further configured to:
receive, at the authentication applet, authentication information associated with a user of the electronic device; and
authenticate the user based on the received authentication information and stored authentication information.
8. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the secure element is further configured to receive, via the interface circuit, confirmation that the financial transaction was completed from the server.
9. The electronic device of claim 8 , wherein the secure element is further configured to transmit, via the interface circuit, the confirmation to the other electronic device using the second connection.
10. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a set of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors of a secure element in an electronic device during a financial transaction, causes the one or more processors to:
authenticate, by an authentication applet in a master security domain of the secure element, user information;
receive, in a supplemental security domain of the secure element, a transaction amount associated with the financial transaction from the electronic device in response to the authentication applet authenticating the user information;
generate, using an encryption key associated with the secure element, a signed blob based at least in part on the transaction amount and a merchant identifier associated with the electronic device;
transmit connection information to the other electronic device using a first connection based at least in part on a near-field-communication protocol;
establish a second connection with the other electronic device based at least in part on the connection information, wherein the second connection is based at least in part on a communication protocol different than the near-field-communication protocol;
transmit the signed blob to the other electronic device using a first connection based at least in part on a pairing speed, wherein the transmitting the signed blob is performed concurrently with the establishing the second connection;
receive a signed transaction blob from the other electronic device using a second connection in response to transmitting the signed blob using the first connection, wherein the other electronic device generates the signed transaction blob based at least in part on the transaction amount, the merchant identifier, and financial-account information that specifies a financial account, and wherein the other electronic device encrypts the signed transaction blob using an encryption key associated with the other electronic device; and
transmit the transaction amount, the merchant identifier, and financial-account information associated with the signed transaction blob to a server, wherein the server conducts the financial transaction based at least in part on the transaction amount, the merchant identifier, and the financial-account information.
11. A secure element for use with an electronic device, comprising:
a processor; and
a memory, coupled to the processor, which stores a program module that when executed by the processor, during a financial transaction, causes the processor to perform operations of:
authenticating, by an authentication applet in a master security domain of the secure element, user information;
receiving, in a supplemental security domain of the secure element, a transaction amount associated with the financial transaction from the electronic device in response to the authentication applet authenticating the user information;
generating, using an encryption key associated with the secure element, a signed blob based at least in part on the transaction amount and a merchant identifier associated with the electronic device;
transmitting connection information to another electronic device using a first connection based at least in part on a near-field-communication protocol;
establishing a second connection with the other electronic device based at least in part on the connection information, wherein the second connection is based at least in part on a communication protocol different than the near-field-communication protocol;
transmitting the signed blob to the other electronic device using the first connection based at least in part on a pairing speed, wherein the transmitting the signed blob is performed concurrently with the establishing the second connection;
receiving a signed transaction blob from the other electronic device using the second connection in response to transmitting the signed blob using the first connection, wherein the other electronic device generates the signed transaction blob based at least in part on the transaction amount, the merchant identifier, and financial-account information that specifies a financial account; and
transmitting the transaction amount, the merchant identifier, and financial-account information associated with the signed transaction blob to a server, wherein the server conducts the financial transaction based at least in part on the transaction amount, the merchant identifier, and the financial-account information.
12. A processor-implemented method for conducting a financial transaction at an electronic device, comprising a secure element and an interface circuit, with another electronic device, wherein the method comprises:
authenticating, by an authentication applet in a master security domain of the secure element, user information;
receiving, in a supplemental security domain of the secure element, a transaction amount associated with a financial transaction from the electronic device in response to the authentication applet authenticating the user information;
generating, by the secure element, using an encryption key associated with the secure element, a signed blob based at least in part on the transaction amount and a merchant identifier associated with the electronic device;
transmitting, by the interface circuit, connection information to the other electronic device using a first connection, wherein the first connection is based at least in part on a near-field-communication protocol;
establishing, by the interface circuit, a second connection with the other electronic device based at least in part on the connection information, wherein the second connection is based at least in part on a communication protocol different than the near-field-communication protocol;
transmitting, by the interface circuit, the signed blob to the other electronic device using the first connection based at least in part on a pairing speed, wherein the transmitting the signed blob is performed concurrently with the establishing the second connection;
receiving, by the interface circuit, a signed transaction blob from the other electronic device using the second connection in response to transmitting the signed blob using the first connection, wherein the other electronic device generates the signed transaction blob based at least in part on the transaction amount, the merchant identifier, and financial-account information that specifies a financial account; and
transmitting, by the interface circuit, the transaction amount, the merchant identifier, and financial-account information associated with the signed transaction blob to a server, wherein the server conducts the financial transaction based at least in part on the transaction amount, the merchant identifier, and the financial-account information.
13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:
receiving, from the server, confirmation that the financial transaction was completed.
14. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the other electronic device determines the financial-account information without prior participation by the electronic device, and after the signed blob is transmitted to the other electronic device.
15. The electronic device of claim 1 , wherein the authentication applet is configured to authenticate a user based on a flag type being set for the payment applet.