IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,657,577
Granted Patent B2
US 12,657,577 · App. 17/161,244 · Granted Jun 16, 2026

Proprietary token-based universal payment processing system

Inventors: Albert D'Alisa (Pound Ridge, NY); Scott W. Frey (Pound Ridge, NY); Frank S. Giaccio (Edwards, CO); Greg Hines (Westlake Village, CA); Frank Sherman (Agoura Hills, CA)
Assignee: TREC Corporation
G06Q20/3674G06Q20/02G06Q20/10G06Q20/322G06Q20/3278G06Q20/3821G06Q20/38215G06Q20/401
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,657,577
App. No.
17/161,244
Granted
Jun 16, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Embodiments described herein provide approaches for processing a payment in an electronic commerce environment. Specifically, a customer of a merchant website in the electronic commerce environment is provided a universal payment interface in response to the customer's request to pay. The universal payment interface retrieves a proprietary token from the customer. This proprietary token is a mobile device-based token that is provided by a provider associated with the mobile device. The universal payment interface requests a determination from the provider as to whether the proprietary token is valid, and the payment is verified based on the determination from the provider.

Claims (73)

1 . A computer-implemented method for processing a secure payment in an electronic commerce environment, the method comprising:

facilitating presentation, to a client device in response to a selection at a merchant site, of a universal payment interface that facilitates processing of a payment using a proprietary token associated with a mobile device, wherein the proprietary token is proprietary to the mobile device, stored on the mobile device prior to a request to pay, and provided to the mobile device by a provider of the mobile device prior to the request to pay, wherein the provider is at least one of a manufacturer of a hardware of the mobile device or a developer of an operating system of the mobile device and independent of the universal payment interface;

receiving at the universal payment interface, a selection by a customer of a payment option requiring the proprietary token;

generating, in response to the selection, a retrieval request for the proprietary token corresponding to the payment option selected;

sending the retrieval request to the client device;

receiving, at the universal payment interface, the proprietary token transmitted by the mobile device of the customer over a network from the client device;

verifying, by the universal payment interface, that the proprietary token received from the client device is recognized as a provider provided proprietary token;

requesting, by the universal payment interface in response to the receiving of the proprietary token, a determination from the provider as to whether the proprietary token is valid; and

determining a status-of the payment based on the determination from the provider.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

providing a link to the universal payment interface on the merchant website in the electronic commerce environment; and

redirecting the customer to the universal payment interface in response to a selection of the link by the customer.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the network includes a wireless connection, and wherein the wireless connection uses at least one of a Bluetooth protocol or Wi-Fi.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the propriety token contains information that enables the provider to retrieve credit card information associated with the customer.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the propriety token is at least one of an Apple Pay token, a Samsung Pay token, or a Google Wallet token.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

providing a code that is uniquely associated with a transaction in the electronic commerce environment to the customer via a voice-based telephonic connection; and

redirecting the customer to the universal payment interface in response to an entry of the code into a website by the user.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

providing the universal payment interface to a second customer of a second merchant website associated with a second merchant that is not affiliated with the first merchant in the electronic commerce environment in response to a request to pay by the second customer, the second merchant being independent of the provider and the universal payment interface;

retrieving a second proprietary token from the second customer electronically over the network by the universal payment interface;

requesting, by the universal payment interface in response to the retrieving of the second proprietary token, a determination from the provider as to whether the second proprietary token is valid; and

verifying a second payment based on the determination from the provider.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the proprietary token is transmitted to the client computer in response to the retrieval request.

9 . A computer system for processing a secure payment in an electronic commerce environment, the computer system comprising:

a memory medium comprising program instructions;

a bus coupled to the memory medium; and

a processor for executing the program instructions, the instructions causing the system to:

facilitate presentation, to a client device in response to a selection at a merchant site, of a universal payment interface that facilitates processing of a payment using a proprietary token associated with a mobile device, wherein the proprietary token is proprietary to the mobile device, stored on the mobile device prior to a request to pay, and provided to the mobile device by a provider of the mobile device prior to the request to pay, wherein the provider is at least one of a manufacturer of a hardware of the mobile device or a developer of an operating system of the mobile device and independent of the universal payment interface;

receive at the universal payment interface, a selection by a customer of a payment option requiring the proprietary token;

generating, in response to the selection, a retrieval request for the proprietary token corresponding to the payment option selected;

receiving, at the universal payment interface, the proprietary token transmitted by the mobile device of the customer over a network from the client device;

verify, by the universal payment interface, that the proprietary token received from the client device is recognized as a provider provided proprietary token;

request, by the universal payment interface in response to the receiving of the proprietary token, a determination from the provider as to whether the proprietary token is valid; and

determine a status of the payment based on the determination from the provider.

10 . The computer system of claim 9 , the instructions further causing the system to:

provide a link to the universal payment interface on the merchant website in the electronic commerce environment; and

redirect the customer to the universal payment interface in response to a selection of the link by the customer.

11 . The computer system of claim 9 , wherein the network includes a wireless connection, and wherein the wireless connection uses at least one of a Bluetooth protocol or Wi-Fi.

12 . The computer system of claim 9 , wherein the propriety token contains information that enables the provider to retrieve credit card information associated with the customer.

13 . The computer system of claim 9 , wherein the propriety token is at least one of an Apple Pay token, a Samsung Pay token, or a Google Wallet token.

14 . The system of claim 9 , the instructions further causing the system to:

provide a code that is uniquely associated with a transaction in the electronic commerce environment to the customer via a voice-based telephonic connection; and

redirect the customer to the universal payment interface in response to an entry of the code into a website by the customer.

15 . The system of claim 9 , the instructions further causing the system to:

provide the universal payment interface to a second customer of a second merchant website associated with a second merchant that is not affiliated with the first merchant in the electronic commerce environment in response to a request to pay by the second customer, the second merchant being independent of the provider and the universal payment interface;

retrieve a second proprietary token from the second customer electronically over the network by the universal payment interface;

request, by the universal payment interface in response to the retrieving of the second proprietary token, a determination from the provider as to whether the second proprietary token is valid; and

verify a second payment based on the determination from the provider.

16 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the proprietary token is transmitted to the client computer in response to the retrieval request.

17 . A computer readable storage device having a computer program product for processing a secure payment in an electronic commerce environment stored thereon, the computer program product comprising program instructions stored on the computer readable storage device that, when executed, cause a computer device to:

facilitate presentation, to a client device in response to a selection at a merchant site, of a universal payment interface that facilitates processing of a payment using a proprietary token associated with a mobile device, wherein the proprietary token is proprietary to the mobile device, stored on the mobile device prior to a request to pay, and provided to the mobile device by a provider of the mobile device prior to the request to pay, wherein the provider is at least one of a manufacturer of a hardware of the mobile device or a developer of an operating system of the mobile device and independent of the universal payment interface;

receive at the universal payment interface, a selection by a customer of a payment option requiring the proprietary token;

generate, in response to the selection, a retrieval request for the proprietary token corresponding to the payment option selected;

receive, at the universal payment interface, the proprietary token transmitted by the mobile device of the customer over a network from the client device;

verify, by the universal payment interface, that the proprietary token received from the client device is recognized as a provider provided proprietary token;

request, by the universal payment interface in response to the receiving of the proprietary token, a determination from the provider as to whether the proprietary token is valid; and

determine a status of the payment based on the determination from the provider.

18 . The computer program product of claim 17 , the program instructions further causing the computer device to:

provide a link to the universal payment interface on the merchant website in the electronic commerce environment; and

redirect the customer to the universal payment interface in response to a selection of the link by the customer.

19 . The computer program product of claim 17 , wherein the network includes a wireless connection, and wherein the wireless connection uses at least one of a Bluetooth protocol or Wi-Fi.

20 . The computer program product of claim 17 , wherein the propriety token contains information that enables the provider to retrieve credit card information associated with the customer.

21 . The computer program product of claim 17 , wherein the propriety token is at least one of an Apple Pay token, a Samsung Pay token, or a Google Wallet token.

22 . The computer program product of claim 17 , the program instructions further causing the computer device to:

provide a code that is uniquely associated with a transaction in the electronic commerce environment to the customer via a voice-based telephonic connection; and

redirect the customer to the universal payment interface in response to an entry of the code into a website by the user.

23 . The computer program product of claim 17 , the program instructions further causing the computer device to:

provide the universal payment interface to a second customer of a second merchant website associated with a second merchant that is not affiliated with the first merchant in the electronic commerce environment in response to a request to pay by the second customer, the second merchant being independent of the provider and the universal payment interface;

retrieve a second proprietary token from the second customer electronically over the network by the universal payment interface;

request, by the universal payment interface in response to the retrieving of the second proprietary token, a determination from the provider as to whether the second proprietary token is valid; and

verify a second payment based on the determination from the provider.

24 . The computer readable storage device of claim 17 , wherein the proprietary token is transmitted to the client computer in response to the retrieval request.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 5, 2021
From: D'ALISA, ALBERT; FREY, SCOTT W.; GIACCIO, FRANK S.; HINES, GREG; SHERMAN, FRANK
To: TREC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 056586/0343 →
Continuity (5)
Continuation 14957062 · Dec 2, 2015
Provisional Application 62121526 · Feb 27, 2015
Provisional Application 62107191 · Jan 23, 2015
Provisional Application 62087155 · Dec 3, 2014
Related Publication 20210248597A1 · Aug 12, 2021
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