Mobile phone payment system using integrated camera credit card reader
A system and a method for conducting credit card transactions through a mobile device of a user. The mobile device comprises an image acquisition unit and a mobile application operated by the mobile device. The system enables acquiring an image of a client's credit card, using the image acquisition unit; analyzing data of the image; outputting details of the credit card from the analysis; verifying the output details, wherein the verification is further carried out through the mobile application; verifying authorization of inputted monetary transaction, wherein the mobile application enables verifying the authorization by communicating with the billing center, associated with at least one credit company associated with the credit card over at least one communication network, wherein the communication is carried out by the mobile application using the mobile device; and conducting monetary transactions using the verified credit card details.
1. A method of conducting credit card transactions through a device including an image acquisition unit, a processor, a memory and a display, the method comprising:
receiving an authentication communication indicative of whether authentication details for a user of the device are valid;
acquiring an image of a credit card using the image acquisition unit subsequent to receiving the authentication communication, when the authentication communication is indicative of valid authentication details;
identifying at least one segment area in the acquired image that includes one or more credit card details;
creating an image of the at least one identified segment area;
extracting at least one of the one or more credit card details from the image of the at least one identified segment area, wherein the extracting recognizes one or more characters identified within the at least one identified segment area; and
communicating at least one of the one or more characters identified within the at least one identified segment area to a billing center associated with the credit card.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising presenting the extracted credit card details on the display in association with a monetary transaction.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving an input indicative of a monetary transaction.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the input is received through one of a user interface provided with the device and communication unit provided with the device.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving an input from a user indicative of assent to a monetary transaction using the credit card details.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein communicating the at least one identified characters to the billing center includes requesting authorization of a monetary transaction, and receiving feedback from the billing center, including at least one of an indication authorizing the monetary transaction and an indication declining the monetary transaction.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein extracting the at least one credit card details includes applying an optical character recognition technique for identifying at least one of a credit card number, an expiration date, a card verification value and a name of a card holder.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining whether the credit card details have been successfully extracted; and
acquiring a new image of the credit card in response to determining that the credit card details were not successfully extracted from the previously acquired image.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein acquiring a new image includes prompting a user to present the credit card again.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein authenticating the user includes obtaining biometric information from the user.
11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising storing the acquired image of the credit card.
12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising encrypting the acquired image of the credit card.
13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising storing the encrypted image in the memory, and/or transmitting the encrypted image to the third party.
14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising encrypting at least some of the credit card details.
15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising storing the encrypted credit card details in the memory, and/or transmitting the encrypted credit card details to the third party.
16. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
transmitting at least a portion of the image of the credit card to a remote server; and
receiving from the remote server at least one of the credit card details and verification of a completed transaction using the credit details extracted from the image.
17. The method of claim 1 , wherein extracting the credit card details includes:
identifying at least some of the characters in the image;
determining the accuracy level for at least some of the recognized characters;
assessing a recognition level according to the determined accuracy levels; and
at least one of repeating the image acquisition and credit card detail extraction, and providing feedback to a user in response to determining that the recognition level is below a threshold.
18. The method of claim 1 further comprising deleting the acquired image of the credit card and the at least one of the extracted credit card details in response to communicating the at least one of the extracted credit card details to the billing center associated with the credit card.
19. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing one or more instructions configured for execution by one or more processors of a device, wherein the one or more instructions include instructions for:
receiving an authentication communication indicative of whether authentication details for a user of the device are valid;
acquiring an image of a credit card using the image acquisition unit subsequent to receiving the authentication communication, when the authentication communication is indicative of valid authentication details;
identifying at least one segment area in the acquired image that includes one or more credit card details;
creating an image of the at least one identified segment area;
extracting at least one of the one or more credit card details from the image of the at least one identified segment area, wherein the extracting recognizes one or more characters identified within the at least one identified segment area; and
communicating at least one of the one or more characters identified within the at least one identified segment area to a billing center associated with the credit card.
20. A device comprising:
an image acquisition unit;
a processor configured to at least execute instructions;
a transceiver configured to transmit and receive data communications; and
a memory storing instructions configured for execution by the processor, including instructions for:
receiving an authentication communication indicative of whether authentication details for a user of the device are valid;
acquiring an image of a credit card using the image acquisition unit subsequent to receiving the authentication communication, when the authentication communication is indicative of valid authentication details;
identifying at least one segment area in the acquired image that includes one or more credit card details;
creating an image of the at least one identified segment area;
extracting at least one of the one or more credit card details from the image of the at least one identified segment area, wherein the extracting recognizes one or more characters identified within the at least one identified segment area; and
communicating at least one of the one or more characters identified within the at least one identified segment area to a billing center associated with the credit card.