SMART PHONES OR INTERNET PADS SUPPORTING MOBILE PAYMENT THAT INCLUDES SECURITY BASED, AT LEAST PARTLY, ON FINGERPRINT AUTHENTICATION, DATA ENCRYPTION, AND SHORT PHYSICAL DISTANCE WIRELESS COMMUNICATION

1 . A mobile information apparatus operable for making mobile payments by short range wireless communication with a wireless controller device that is within a limited physical distance, the wireless output controller being a distinct device from the mobile information apparatus, the mobile information apparatus is at least a smart phone or an Internet-Pad, the mobile information apparatus comprising:

a processing unit;

operating system software;

a touch sensitive screen interface for interacting with the user;

a digital camera for taking pictures;

an antenna for transmitting short range radio frequency signals to wireless controller devices that are within a limited physical distance from the mobile information apparatus;

a wireless communication unit for managing local wireless communication with wireless controller devices that are within a limited physical distance from the mobile information apparatus;

a memory or storage unit storing at least part of payment information at the information apparatus, the payment information being associated, at least in part, with a credit card or a bank card related to the user of the mobile information apparatus;

wherein, the mobile information apparatus is configured for:

discovering, over the antenna of the mobile information apparatus, the wireless output controller, the discovering of the wireless output controller is limited to when the mobile information apparatus is within a limited local physical distance from the wireless output controller;

establishing, by the wireless communication unit over the antenna, a short range radio frequency communication link directly between the mobile information apparatus and the wireless output controller;

generating, at the mobile information apparatus, encrypted output data for ensuring security of communication from the mobile information apparatus to the wireless output controller for transaction management, the encrypted output data is associated with the payment information stored at the memory or storage unit of the mobile information apparatus, and the payment information is associated, at least partly, with a credit card;

receiving at least an indication from the user of the mobile information apparatus authorizing the release of payment information from the mobile information apparatus to the wireless output controller, the indication from the user includes fingerprint authentication of the user; and

subsequent to the fingerprint authentication that identifies the user of the information apparatus, the mobile information apparatus is operable for wireless transmitting at least part of the encrypted output data, over the short range radio frequency communication link directly from the mobile information apparatus, to the wireless output controller for processing payment associated with a transaction.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 in which the security of the mobile payment is implemented with all of the following:

(1) a physical distance restriction directly between the mobile information apparatus and the wireless output controller;

(2) an encryption technique applied on data being transmitted from the mobile information apparatus to the wireless output controller; and

(3) fingerprint authentication of the user of the mobile information apparatus.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 in which accessing the mobile payment service further comprises obtaining, at the mobile information apparatus, at least one of a password, a PIN code, a personal identification number, or an ID number, individually or in any combination.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising instructing the user of the mobile information apparatus to physically point the mobile information apparatus directly to the wireless output controller to be within a limited physical distance for establishing short range radio frequency communication link directly between the mobile information apparatus and the wireless output controller.

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 in which the mobile information apparatus is a smart phone that includes:

a touch sensitive screen interface for interacting with the user;

a graphical user interface over the touch sensitive screen;

a digital camera for taking pictures; and

one or more applications installed, wherein the operating system software further supports an application programming interface (API) to facilitate operations of the one or more applications at the mobile information apparatus, and the smart phone further allows the user to install additional applications for expanding the functionalities of the smart phone.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 in which accessing the mobile payment service further comprises obtaining, at the mobile information apparatus, biometric information associated with the user.

7 . A method for mobile payment operable with a mobile information apparatus that is at least a smart phone or an Internet-Pad, the mobile information apparatus having:

a processing unit,

operating system software that is executable, at least partly, by the processing unit of the mobile information apparatus,

a touch sensitive screen interface for interacting with the user,

a digital camera for taking pictures,

an antenna for transmitting short range radio frequency signals for wireless communication with wireless controller devices that are within a limited physical distance from the mobile information apparatus,

a wireless communication unit for managing local wireless communication with a wireless controller device that is within a limited physical distance from the mobile information apparatus,

a memory or storage unit storing at least part of payment information at the information apparatus, the payment information being associated, at least in part, with a credit card or a bank card related to the user of the mobile information apparatus,

the method comprising:

establishing, by the wireless communication unit and over the antenna, a short range radio frequency communication link directly between the mobile information apparatus and a wireless output controller, the wireless output controller being a distinct and separate device from the mobile information apparatus, and the establishing of the short range radio frequency communication link is limited to when the mobile information apparatus is within a limited physical distance from the wireless output controller;

generating, at the mobile information apparatus, encrypted output data for ensuring security of communication from the mobile information apparatus to the wireless output controller, the encrypted output data is associated with the payment information, and the payment information is associated, at least partly, with a credit card or a bank card;

receiving at least an indication from the user of the mobile information apparatus for releasing payment information from the mobile information apparatus to the wireless output controller, the indication from the user includes fingerprint authentication of the user of the information apparatus; and

subsequent to the fingerprint authentication that identifies the user of the information apparatus, wireless transmitting at least part of the encrypted output data, over the short range radio frequency communication link directly from the mobile information apparatus to the wireless output controller for processing payment associated with a transaction.

8 . The method of claim 7 in which the security of the mobile payment method relies, at least in part, on all of the following:

(1) a physical distance restriction directly between the mobile information apparatus and the wireless output controller;

(2) an encryption technique applied on the data being transmitted from the mobile information apparatus to the wireless output controller; and

(3) fingerprint authentication of the user of the mobile information apparatus.

9 . The method of claim 7 in which accessing the mobile payment service further comprises obtaining, at the mobile information apparatus, at least one of a password, a PIN code, a personal identification number, or an ID number, individually or in any combination, for authorizing payment service.

10 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising instructing the user of the mobile information apparatus to physically point the mobile information apparatus directly to a wireless output controller to be within the limited physical distance for establishing the short range distance wireless communication link.

11 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising discovering the wireless output controller device when the mobile information apparatus is within the limited physical distance directly between the mobile information apparatus and the wireless output controller.

12 . The method of claim 7 in which, after the wireless output controller receives output data from the mobile information apparatus, the method further comprises the wireless output controller implementing a payment service and a transaction management service.

13 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising obtaining a signature from the user of the information apparatus for authorizing payment.

14 . A mobile information apparatus system for mobile payment, the system is at least a smart phone or an Internet-Pad, the system comprising:

a processing unit;

software executable by the processing unit for receiving, at the mobile information apparatus system, fingerprint authentication from the user of the mobile information apparatus for authorizing mobile payment;

a touch sensitive screen interface for interacting with the user;

a memory or storage unit storing at least part of payment information at the information apparatus, the payment information being associated, at least in part, with a credit card or a bank card related to the user of the mobile information apparatus system;

an antenna for transmitting short range radio frequency signals; and

a wireless communication unit for establishing short range radio frequency communication, and wherein subsequent to having received the fingerprint authentication from the user authorizing payment, the wireless communication unit is configured for:

managing local wireless communication with a wireless output controller that is within a limited physical distance from the mobile information apparatus;

establishing, a short range radio frequency communication link directly between the mobile information apparatus and a wireless output controller, the wireless output controller being a distinct and separate device from the mobile information apparatus, and the establishing of the short range radio frequency communication link is limited to when the mobile information apparatus is within a limited physical distance from the wireless output controller;

obtaining payment information from the memory or storage unit, the payment information is associated, at least partly, with a credit card or a bank card;

encrypting data for communication, the encryption being for ensuring security of communication from the mobile information apparatus to the wireless output controller; and

transmitting the payment information that includes encrypted data, over the short range radio frequency communication link directly from the mobile information apparatus, to the wireless output controller for processing payment.

15 . The system of claim 14 in which the security of the mobile payment relies, at least in part, on all of the following:

(1) a physical distance restriction directly between the mobile information apparatus and the wireless output controller; and

(2) an encryption technique applied on the data being transmitted from the mobile information apparatus to the wireless output controller; and

(3) fingerprint authentication of the user of the mobile information apparatus for authorizing payment.

16 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the user of the information apparatus is charged a fee for using the payment service.

17 . The system of claim 14 , further comprising instructing the user of the mobile information apparatus to physically point the mobile information apparatus directly to a wireless output controller to be within the limited physical distance for establishing the short range radio frequency communication link.

18 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the encryption of data is implemented by both software and hardware as a security implementation.

19 . The system of claim 14 in which accessing the mobile payment service further comprises obtaining, at the mobile information apparatus, at least one of a password, a PIN code, a personal identification number, or an ID number, individually or in any combination, for authorizing payment.

20 . The system of claim 14 in which the mobile information apparatus is a smart phone that includes:

a touch sensitive screen interface for interacting with the user;

a graphical user interface over the touch sensitive screen;

a digital camera for taking pictures;

one or more applications installed; and

operating system software that supports an application programming interface (API) to facilitate operations of the one or more applications at the mobile information apparatus, wherein the smart phone further allows the user to install additional applications for expanding the functionalities of the smart phone.