Conducting a transaction at a mobile POS terminal using a defined structure
A system and method configured for conducting a transaction between two parties using a mobile device, or a plurality of mobile devices. In various embodiments, a system for conducting a transaction can comprise an accessory device having an accessory device module and a hardware component, where the accessory device can have various accessory device capabilities. The system can further comprise a mobile device SDK incorporated into the client application and in communication with the accessory device, where the mobile device SDK includes an accessory conversion module in communication with the accessory device module and where the mobile device SDK provides data to the client application. The client application can request accessory device information and receive accessory device capabilities, and the transaction data for the transaction can be provided in a defined structure between the accessory device and the client application via the mobile device SDK.
1. A tangible non-transitory computer-readable medium having a mobile device software development kit (SDK), the mobile device SDK comprising:
a first accessory device conversion module and a second accessory device conversion module;
wherein the mobile device SDK is configured for:
receiving first account information from a first accessory device and second account information from a second accessory device,
converting the first account information into a defined structure for a client application; and
converting the second account information into the defined structure for the client application.
2. The mobile device SDK of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of conversion modules, wherein each of the plurality of conversion modules is configured for communicating with a different type of accessory device.
3. A computer-implemented method, performed by a mobile device, for conducting a transaction, the method comprising:
receiving, by the mobile device, a request for accessory device information from a client application installed on the mobile device, wherein the mobile device includes a mobile device software development kit (SDK) configured to receive the request for accessory device information, wherein the mobile device SDK comprises
a first accessory device conversion module providing communications between a client application and a first accessory device, and
a second accessory device conversion module providing communications between the client application and the second accessory device,
retrieving, by the mobile device, account data from the first accessory device, the account data being in an first accessory device format;
using the first client application conversion module to convert the account data from the first accessory device format to the defined structure for the client application;
retrieving, by the mobile device, account data from the second accessory device, the account data being in an second accessory device format; and
using the second client application conversion module to convert the account data from the second accessory device format to the defined structure for the client application.
4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
connecting, by the mobile device, to the first accessory device, wherein the first accessory device comprises a hardware component and an accessory device module;
determining, by the mobile device, an accessory type of the first accessory device, wherein accessory device capabilities are based on the accessory type; and
selectively enabling accessory capabilities of the first accessory device as instructed by the mobile device.
5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the first accessory device format is different from the second accessory device format.
6. The method of claim 3 , wherein the first accessory device and the second accessory device are concurrently connected to the mobile device.
7. The method of claim 4 , wherein the mobile device determines one or more accessory capabilities to selectively enable.
8. The method of claim 4 , wherein the client application determines one or more accessory capabilities to selectively enable.
9. The method of claim 3 , wherein the first accessory device has accessory capabilities that include at least one of a card reader, a bar code scanner, a PIN pad, and a biometric reader.
10. The method of claim 3 , wherein the transaction is a financial transaction, and wherein the transaction data is financial transaction data.
11. The method of claim 3 , wherein the transaction is a non-financial transaction, and wherein the transaction data is related to at least one of a loyalty program or a rewards program.
12. The method of claim 3 , wherein the first accessory device provides a full set of accessory capabilities to the client application.
13. The method of claim 3 , wherein the first accessory device provides a partial set of accessory capabilities to the first client application.
14. A non-transitory, tangible computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon that, if executed by a client application incorporating a mobile device software development kit (SDK) for conducting a transaction, cause the mobile device SDK to perform operations comprising:
determining, by the mobile device SDK, a first accessory device format;
receiving, by the mobile device SDK, first account data in the first accessory device format;
using the mobile device SDK to convert the first account data from the first accessory device format to a defined structure for a client application;
determining, by the mobile device SDK, a second accessory device format;
receiving, by the mobile device SDK, second account data in the second accessory device format; and
using the mobile device SDK to convert the data from the second accessory device format to the defined structure for the client application.
15. The non-transitory, tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 14 ,
wherein the client application requests accessory device information and receives accessory device capabilities comprising a subset of device capabilities, the subset selected based on at least one of mobile device capabilities, client application capabilities, and communications restrictions comprising a rate of data transfer.
16. The non-transitory, tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 14 ,
wherein the mobile device SDK receives accessory device capabilities comprising a subset of device capabilities, the subset selected based on at least one of mobile device capabilities, client application capabilities, and communications restrictions comprising a rate of data transfer from the accessory device module and provides the accessory device capabilities to the first client application.
17. The non-transitory, tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 14 , further configured to cause the SDK to perform operations comprising:
retrieving, by the mobile device, accessory device capabilities comprising a subset of device capabilities, the subset selected based on at least one of mobile device capabilities, client application capabilities, and communications restrictions comprising a rate of data transfer, from the first accessory device; and
providing, by the mobile device, the accessory device capabilities to the client application.
18. The non-transitory, tangible computer-readable storage medium of claim 14 , further configured to cause the SDK to perform operations comprising:
retrieving, by the mobile device SDK, accessory device capabilities comprising a subset of device capabilities, the subset selected based on at least one of mobile device capabilities, client application capabilities, and communications restrictions comprising a rate of data transfer, from an accessory device; and
providing, by the mobile device SDK, the accessory device capabilities to the client application.