Claims:1. A system for enabling a visually-impaired user to perform a transaction at a terminal device, the system comprising:
a transaction card, issued to the visually-impaired user, comprising first and second sets of braille indicia, wherein each braille indicium of the first set is associated with a subset of the second set; and
a server configured to:
receive, from the terminal device, an authorization request for the transaction initiated by the visually-impaired user by using the transaction card at the terminal device,
communicate, to one of the terminal device or a user device of the visually-impaired user, a first code based on the authorization request, wherein the first code includes a first plurality of characters symbolized by a first plurality of braille indicia of the first set,
receive, from the terminal device, a second code including a second plurality of characters that are symbolized by the subset of the second set of braille indicia associated with each braille indicium corresponding to the first code, wherein the second code is inputted by the visually-impaired user to the terminal device based on the first code,
authenticate the visually-impaired user based on the second code for processing the transaction.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein each braille indicium of the first set symbolizes an alphabetic letter and each braille indicium of the second set symbolizes a numeral.
3. The system of claim 1, wherein the transaction card further comprises a first surface having the first and second sets of braille indicia formed thereon.
4. The system of claim 1, wherein the transaction card further comprises:
a first surface having the first set of braille indicia formed thereon; and
a second surface having the second set of braille indicia formed thereon, such that each braille indicium of the first set is directly contralateral with the corresponding subset of the second set of braille indicia.
5. The system of claim 1, wherein the server communicates the first code as an audio file that is to be played by the terminal device or the user device of the visually-impaired user.
6. The system of claim 1, wherein the second code further comprises a personal identification number (PIN) of the visually-impaired user, such that the PIN is concatenated with the second plurality of characters.
7. The system of claim 1, wherein the transaction card is one of a debit card, a credit card, or a prepaid card.
8. A method for enabling a visually-impaired user to perform a transaction at a terminal device, the method comprising:
receiving, by a server, an authorization request for the transaction initiated by the visually-impaired user by using a transaction card at the terminal device, wherein the transaction card comprises first and second sets of braille indicia, and wherein each braille indicium of the first set is associated with a subset of the second set;
communicating, by the server, a first code to one of the terminal device or a user device of the visually-impaired user based on the authorization request, wherein the first code includes a first plurality of characters symbolized by a first plurality of braille indicia in the first set;
receiving, by the server from the terminal device, a second code including a second plurality of characters that are symbolized by the subset of the second set of braille indicia associated with each braille indicium corresponding to the first code, wherein the second code is inputted by the visually-impaired user to the terminal device based on the first code; and
authenticating, by the server, the visually-impaired user based on the second code, for processing the transaction.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein each braille indicium of the first set symbolizes an alphabetic letter and each braille indicium of the second set symbolizes a numeral.
10. The method of claim 8, wherein the transaction card further comprises a first surface having the first and second sets of braille indicia formed thereon.
11. The method of claim 8, wherein the transaction card further comprises:
a first surface having the first set of braille indicia formed thereon; and
a second surface having the second set of braille indicia formed thereon, such that each braille indicium of the first set is directly contralateral with the corresponding subset of the second set.
12. The method of claim 8, wherein the server communicates the first code as an audio file that is to be played by the terminal device or the user device of the visually-impaired user.
13. The method of claim 8, wherein the second code further comprises a personal identification number (PIN) of the visually-impaired user, such that the PIN is concatenated with the second plurality of characters.
14. The method of claim 8, wherein the transaction card is one of a debit card, a credit card, or a prepaid card.
15. A transaction card for enabling a visually-impaired user to perform a transaction, the transaction card comprising:
a first surface;
a second surface that is contralateral with the first surface;
a first set of braille indicia formed on the first surface; and
a second set of braille indicia formed on one of the first or second surface, wherein each braille indicium of the first set is associated with a subset of the second set, and wherein when the transaction is initiated at a terminal device by using the transaction card, the visually-impaired user is dynamically authenticated based on the first and second sets of braille indicia, for processing the transaction.
16. The transaction card of claim 15, wherein each braille indicium of the first set symbolizes an alphabetic letter and each braille indicium of the second set symbolizes a numeral.
17. The transaction card of claim 15, wherein when the second set of braille indicia is formed on the second surface, each braille indicium of the first set is directly contralateral with the corresponding subset of the second set of braille indicia.
18. The transaction card of claim 15, wherein the transaction card is one of a debit card, a credit card, or a prepaid card.
19. The transaction card of claim 15, wherein the terminal device is one of an automated teller machine, a point-of-sale device, a point-of-interaction device, or a point-of-purchase device.
20. The transaction card of claim 15, further comprising a memory element that stores one or more card details of the transaction card.
, Description:METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR ENABLING VISUALLY-IMPAIRED USERS TO PERFORM TRANSACTIONS

BACKGROUND

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

Various embodiments of the disclosure relate generally to facilitating secure transactions for visually-impaired users. More specifically, various embodiments of the disclosure relate to a method and system for enabling visually-impaired users to perform secure transactions at terminal devices.

DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART

Technological advancements have led to emergence and evolution of several types of terminal devices that enable users to perform transactions, such as cash deposits and withdrawals, credit transfers, purchase payments, and the like. Examples of the terminal devices may include automated teller machines (ATMs), point-of-sale (POS) devices, bunch note acceptors (BNAs), or the like. For performing a transaction, a user may use a transaction card such as a debit card, a credit card, a prepaid card, or a gift card. However, the user initiating the transaction may not be an actual card holder of the transaction card, leading to a fraudulent transaction. Hence, to prevent fraudulent transactions, authentication of the user is required.
Authentication is a process to verify the identity of a user. Several authentication methods that are deployed on existing terminal devices use secret passkeys, such as passwords, personal identification numbers (PINs), one-time-passwords (OTPs), or the like. In such implementations, the transaction card is linked with a unique passkey that is only known to the card holder of the transaction card. Therefore, when a user initiates a transaction using a transaction card, the unique passkey linked to the transaction card is required to complete the transaction. Various input mechanisms are available to users for providing the unique passkey. For example, for a transaction carried out at an ATM, the user may enter a PIN or an OTP by pressing keys of the ATM.
The unique passkey-based authentication methods rely on an assumption that only the card holder of the transaction card knows the unique passkey. However, the security of such authentication methods is compromised in an event someone who is not the card holder of a transaction card fraudulently discovers the unique passkey linked to the transaction card. For visually-abled users, it is easier to ensure that no one discovers their unique passkey in comparison to visually-impaired users. A visually abled user may ensure that no one was looking at the unique passkey when he or she entered the unique passkey into the ATM, whereas a visually-impaired user would be unaware if someone discovers his or her unique passkey while it was entered in the ATM. Hence, the visually-impaired users become easy targets for fraudulent discovery of the unique passkey.
In light of the foregoing, there exists a need for a technical solution that overcomes the abovementioned problems and enables visually-impaired users to perform secure transactions at terminal devices without any inconvenience.

SUMMARY

In an embodiment of the present disclosure, a system for enabling a visually-impaired user to perform a transaction at a terminal device is provided. The system includes a transaction card issued to the visually-impaired user. The transaction card includes first and second sets of braille indicia such that each braille indicium of the first set is associated with a subset of the second set. The system further includes a server that is configured to receive, from the terminal device, an authorization request for the transaction initiated by the visually-impaired user by using the transaction card at the terminal device. Based on the authorization request, the server communicates a first code to one of the terminal device or a user device of the visually-impaired user. The first code includes a first plurality of characters symbolized by a first plurality of braille indicia in the first set. The server receives a second code, inputted by the visually-impaired user to the terminal device based on the first code. The second code includes a second plurality of characters that are symbolized by the subset of the second set of braille indicia associated with each braille indicium corresponding to the first code. Based on the received second code, the server authenticates the visually-impaired user for processing the transaction.
In an embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for enabling a visually-impaired user to perform a transaction at a terminal device is provided. An authorization request is received by a server for the transaction initiated by the visually-impaired user by using a transaction card at the terminal device. The transaction card includes first and second sets of braille indicia such that each braille indicium of the first set is associated with a subset of the second set. Based on the received authorization request, a first code is communicated by the server to one of the terminal device or a user device of the visually-impaired user. The first code includes a first plurality of characters symbolized by a first plurality of braille indicia in the first set. Based on the first code, a second code that is inputted by the visually-impaired user to the terminal device is received by the server. The second code includes a second plurality of characters that are symbolized by the subset of the second set of braille indicia associated with each braille indicium corresponding to the first code. Based on the received second code, the visually-impaired user is authenticated by the server for processing the transaction.
In an embodiment of the present disclosure, a transaction card for enabling a visually-impaired user to perform a transaction is provided. The transaction card includes a first surface and a second surface that is contralateral with the first surface. The transaction card further includes first and second sets of braille indicia. The first set of braille indicia is formed on the first surface, and the second set of braille indicia is formed on one of the first or second surface. Each braille indicium of the first set is associated with a subset of the second set. When the visually-impaired user initiates a transaction at a terminal device by using the transaction card, the visually-impaired user is dynamically authenticated based on the first and second sets of braille indicia, for processing the transaction.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings illustrate the various embodiments of systems, methods, and other aspects of the disclosure. It will be apparent to a person skilled in the art that the illustrated element boundaries (e.g., boxes, groups of boxes, or other shapes) in the figures represent one example of the boundaries. In some examples, one element may be designed as multiple elements, or multiple elements may be designed as one element. In some examples, an element shown as an internal component of one element may be implemented as an external component in another, and vice versa.
Various embodiments of the disclosure are illustrated by way of example, and not limited by the appended figures, in which like references indicate similar elements:
FIG. 1 is a block diagram that illustrates an exemplary environment for enabling a visually-impaired user to perform a transaction at a terminal device, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the disclosure;
FIGS. 2A and 2B illustrate front and back views of a transaction card of FIG. 1, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;
FIG. 3 illustrates a front view of the transaction card of FIG. 1, in accordance with another exemplary embodiment of the disclosure;
FIG. 4 represents a process flow diagram that illustrates an exemplary scenario for enabling a visually-impaired user to perform transactions at the terminal device of FIG. 1, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;
FIG. 5 is a block diagram that illustrates an issuer server of FIG. 1, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;
FIG. 6 is a block diagram that illustrates the terminal device of FIG. 1, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;
FIG. 7 is a flow chart that illustrates a method for enabling a visually-impaired user to perform a transaction at the terminal device of FIG. 1, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;
FIG. 8 represents a high-level flow chart that illustrates a method for enabling a visually-impaired user to perform a transaction at the terminal device of FIG. 1, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure; and
FIG. 9 is a block diagram that illustrates system architecture of a computer system, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the disclosure.
Further areas of applicability of the disclosure will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description of exemplary embodiments is intended for illustration purposes only and is, therefore, not intended to necessarily limit the scope of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

The disclosure is best understood with reference to the detailed figures and description set forth herein. Various embodiments are discussed below with reference to the figures. However, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the detailed descriptions given herein with respect to the figures are simply for explanatory purposes as the methods and systems may extend beyond the described embodiments. In one example, the teachings presented and the needs of a particular application may yield multiple alternate and suitable approaches to implement the functionality of any detail described herein. Therefore, any approach may extend beyond the particular implementation choices in the following embodiments that are described and shown.
References to “an embodiment”, “another embodiment”, “yet another embodiment”, “one example”, “another example”, “yet another example”, “for example”, and so on, indicate that the embodiment(s) or example(s) so described may include a particular feature, structure, characteristic, property, element, or limitation, but that not every embodiment or example necessarily includes that particular feature, structure, characteristic, property, element or limitation. Furthermore, repeated use of the phrase “in an embodiment” does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment.
OVERVIEW
When a transaction is performed by a visually-impaired user at a terminal device, the visually-impaired user is at a risk of becoming a target to fraudulent discovery of a unique passkey associated with a transaction card of the visually-impaired user. Transaction processing and user authentication means deployed by existing transaction platforms are insecure and inconvenient for visually-impaired users.
Various embodiments of the present disclosure solve the abovementioned problems by providing a method and a system for enabling the visually-impaired user to perform secure transactions at the terminal device. The system includes a transaction card issued to the visually-impaired user and a server for processing a transaction performed by using the transaction card. The transaction card includes first and second sets of braille indicia formed thereon such that each braille indicium of the first set is associated with a subset of the second set of braille indicia. For performing the transaction, the visually-impaired user may use (e.g., swipe, tap, or the like) the transaction card at a terminal device. The terminal device then generates and communicates an authorization request for the transaction to the server. Based on the received authorization request, the server communicates a first code to one of the terminal device or a registered user device of the visually-impaired user. The first code includes a first plurality of characters symbolized by a first plurality of braille indicia in the first set. The terminal device or the user device receives the first code from the server and presents the received first code to the visually-impaired user. In one example, for presenting the first code to the visually-impaired user, the terminal device or the user device may play an audio including the first plurality of characters. When presented with the first code, the visually-impaired user identifies the first plurality of braille indicia in the first set that symbolizes the first plurality of characters of the first code. The visually-impaired user then identifies a plurality of subsets in the second set of braille indicia that are associated with the identified first plurality of braille indicia. The visually-impaired user then inputs a second code to the terminal device. The second code includes a second plurality of characters that are symbolized by the identified subsets in the second set of braille indicia corresponding to the first code. The terminal device communicates the second code to the server, and the server authenticates the visually-impaired user based on the second code for processing the transaction. Thus, the method and system of the present disclosure provide a mechanism that enables the visually-impaired user to perform secure transactions at the terminal device.
TERMS DESCRIPTION (in addition to plain and dictionary meaning)
Transaction is an exchange of funds between two or more entities. For example, the transaction may include transferring a transaction amount from an account of a user to an account of a merchant, when the user makes a purchase from the merchant. In another example, the transaction may include transferring the transaction amount from one account to another account or from one merchant account to another merchant account.
Transaction card is a payment device (such as a debit card, a credit card, a prepaid card, a promotional card, or a contactless card) that is specially designed for visually-impaired users to perform transactions at terminal devices. In an embodiment, the transaction card may be radio frequency identification (RFID) or NFC enabled for performing contactless transactions. The transaction card has various braille markings formed thereon, which enables an issuer of the transaction card to dynamically authenticate the visually-impaired card holder of the transaction card.
Braille indicia are braille markings that represent alphanumeric characters. A transaction card is specially designed to have first and second sets of braille indicia formed thereon. Each braille indicium in the first set symbolizes to an alphabetic letter and each braille indicium in the second set symbolizes a numeral. Further, each braille indicium in the first set is associated with a subset of second set of braille indicia. The association between the braille indicia of the first and second sets is used by an issuer to execute dynamic authentication of the visually-impaired card holder for a transaction.
First and second codes refer to dynamic authentication information used by an issuer to authenticate a visually-impaired card holder of a transaction card for a transaction. The first code is communicated by the issuer to the card holder when the card holder attempts to perform the transaction using the transaction card. The second code is provided by the card holder to the issuer in response to the first code. The first and second codes include various characters that are symbolized by braille indicia of the first and second sets of the transaction card.
Issuer is a financial institution, where user accounts of several users are established and maintained. The issuer ensures payment for authorized transactions in accordance with various payment network regulations and local legislation.
Payment network is a transaction card association that acts as an intermediate entity between acquirers and issuers to authorize and fund transactions. Examples of payment networks include MasterCard®, American Express®, VISA®, Discover®, Diners Club®, or the like. The payment network settles the transactions between various acquirers and issuers, when transaction cards are used for initiating transactions.
Authentication is a method for verifying the identity of a user. For example, authenticating a user who initiates a transaction using a transaction card corresponds to an act of ensuring that the user is an actual card holder of the transaction card and is authorized to perform transactions using the transaction card.
Terminal device is a computing device affiliated with a financial institution. The terminal device enables a user to initiate various transactions, such as cash withdrawals, funds transfer, cash deposit, purchase payment, and/or the like. Examples of the terminal device includes automatic teller machines (ATMs), point-of-sale (POS) devices, point-of-interaction (POI) devices, point-of-purchase (POP) devices, bunch note acceptors (BNAs), or the like.
Server is a physical or cloud data processing system on which a server program runs. The server may be implemented in hardware or software, or a combination thereof. In one embodiment, the server may be implemented in computer programs executing on programmable computers, such as personal computers, laptops, or a network of computer systems. The server may correspond to one of an acquirer server, a payment network server, an issuer server, or a third-party server.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram that illustrates an exemplary environment 100 for enabling a visually-impaired user to perform a transaction at a terminal device, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the disclosure. The exemplary environment 100 includes a user 102 in possession of a transaction card 104 and a user device 106. The environment 100 further includes a terminal device 108, an acquirer server 110, a payment network server 112, and an issuer server 114. The user device 106, the terminal device 108, the acquirer server 110, the payment network server 112, and the issuer server 114 communicate with each other by way of a communication network 116 or through separate communication networks established therebetween.
The user 102 may be a visually-impaired user who wants to conduct a financial transaction. Examples of the transaction may include a credit transaction, a debit transaction, a fund transfer, and/or the like. The user 102 may use the transaction card 104 issued to the user 102 for initiating the transaction.
The transaction card 104 refers to a payment card, such as a credit card, a debit card, a membership card, a promotional card, a charge card, a prepaid card, or a gift card. The transaction card 104 is a type of physical payment card that is specially designed for visually-impaired users by an issuer of the issuer server 114. The transaction card 104 may include card details such as a card number, a card verification value (CVV), an expiry date, a name the card holder, and the like.
The transaction card 104 has first and second surfaces which are contralateral to each other as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B. The transaction card 104 further includes first and second sets of braille indicia (as shown in FIGS. 2A-2B and 3) formed on at least one of the first and second surfaces of the transaction card 104. The braille indicia correspond to braille markings formed on the first and second surfaces of the transaction card 104. These braille markings help in authenticating the user 102 for a transaction performed using the transaction card 104. For example, these braille indicia allow a visually-impaired card holder (such as the user 102) to read authentication information from at least one of the first and second surfaces of the transaction card 104. The first and second sets of braille indicia further constitutes the card details of the transaction card 104. Each braille indicium of the first set is associated with a subset of the second set of braille indicia. Association between the first and second sets of braille indicia is described in detail in conjunction with FIGS. 2A-2B and 3. In one embodiment, the transaction card 104 is linked to an account of the user 102 maintained at the issuer, which has issued the transaction card 104 to the user 102.
The user device 106 is a communication device, such as a mobile phone, that belongs to the user 102. Further, the user device 106 may be associated with a unique identification number that is linked with the account and the transaction card 104. In one example, the unique identification number may be a registered contact number, such as a mobile phone number, of the user 102. The contact number may be registered at the time the account was set up with the issuer. Examples of the user device 106 may include, but are not limited to, a mobile phone, a smartphone, a laptop, a tablet, a phablet, or any other portable communication device. The user device 106 may include suitable interface, logic, circuitry, and/or code, executable by the circuitry, for playing an audio file received from the issuer server 114.
The terminal device 108 is an electronic device at which the user 102 performs a transaction using the transaction card 104. The terminal device 108 may include suitable interface, logic, circuitry, and/or code, executable by the circuitry, for reading the card details of the transaction card 104. Examples of the terminal device 108 may include, but are not limited to, an ATM, a BNA, a POS device, a POI device, or a POP device. The terminal device 108 is configured to communicate an authorization request for authorizing the transaction to the issuer server 114 by way of the acquirer server 110 and the payment network server 112, over the communication network 116. The authorization request include details of the transaction such as the card details (i.e., the card number, the CVV, the expiry date, the name of the card holder, the first and second sets of braille indicia, or the like), a transaction amount, a time and a date of the transaction, and/or the like.
The acquirer server 110 is a computing server that is associated with the acquirer. The acquirer server 110 is configured to receive the authorization request from the terminal device 108 and identify a payment network associated with the transaction card 104 using which the transaction was initiated at the terminal device 108. The acquirer server 110 is further configured to communicate the authorization request to the payment network server 112 of the identified payment network.
The payment network server 112 is a computing server that is associated with a payment network of the transaction card 104. Examples of the payment network may include MasterCard®, Discover®, Diners Club®, and/or the like. The payment network server 112 represents an intermediate entity between the acquirer server 110 and the issuer server 114 for processing the transactions. The payment network server 112 is configured to receive the authorization request from the acquirer server 110 and identify an issuer that is associated with the transaction card 104. The payment network server 112 is further configured to communicate the authorization request to the issuer server 114 associated with the identified issuer.
The issuer server 114 is a computing server that is associated with the issuer of the transaction card 104. The issuer is a financial institution that manages accounts of multiple account holders. Account details of the accounts maintained at the issuer are stored as account profiles in a memory (not shown) or a database of the issuer server 114 or on a cloud server (not shown) associated with the issuer server 114. The account details of an account may include an account balance, credit line details, details of the account holder, a transaction history of the account holder, account identification information, card details of the transaction card 104 linked to the account, and/or the like. The details of the account holder may include name, age, gender, physical attributes, such as ‘visually abled’ or ‘visually impaired’, registered contact number, an alternate contact number, email ID, and the like, of the account holder.
The issuer server 114 is configured to receive various authorization requests for various transactions from the payment network server 112 over the communication network 116. For authorizing a transaction initiated by the user 102 using the transaction card 104, the issuer server 114 is configured to authenticate the user 102, and determine whether the account linked to the transaction card 104 has sufficient funds to cover the transaction amount of the transaction. The authentication of the user 102 for a transaction is explained in conjunction with FIG. 4.
Methods for processing the transactions via the issuer server 114 will be apparent to persons having skill in the art and may include processing a transaction via the traditional four-party system or three-party system. In one example, the issuer server 114 rejects a transaction if the authentication of the user 102 fails or if the balance in the account is not sufficient to cover the transaction amount. In another example, the issuer server 114 approves a transaction if the authentication of the user 102 is successful and the account balance of the account is sufficient to cover the transaction amount. When the transaction is approved (or authorized), the issuer server 114 is further configured to process the transaction by debiting the transaction amount from or crediting the transaction amount to the account linked to the transaction card 104.
Examples of the acquirer server 110, the payment network server 112, and the issuer server 114 may include, but are not limited to, a computer, a laptop, a mini computer, a mainframe computer, any non-transient and tangible machine that can execute a machine-readable code, a network of computer systems, or a distributed network of computer systems.
The communication network 116 is a medium through which content and messages are transmitted between various devices, such as the user device 106, the terminal device 108, the acquirer server 110, the payment network server 112, and the issuer server 114. Examples of the communication network 116 include, but are not limited to, a wireless fidelity network, a light fidelity (Li-Fi) network, a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), a metropolitan area network (MAN), a satellite network, the internet, a fiber optic network, a coaxial cable network, an infrared network, a radio frequency (RF) network, or any combination thereof. Various devices in the environment 100 may connect to the communication network 116 in accordance with various wired and wireless communication protocols, such as Transmission Control Protocol and Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), User Datagram Protocol (UDP), long term evolution (LTE) communication protocols, or any combination thereof.
In operation, the user 102, who is visually impaired, is issued the transaction card 104 by the issuer server 114. The user 102 may want to conduct a transaction at the terminal device 108, such as a POS device. For conducting the transaction, the user 102 may use (e.g., swipe, tap, or the like) the transaction card 104 at the terminal device 108. The terminal device 108 may then generate and communicate an authorization request for the transaction to the issuer server 114. Based on the received authorization request, the issuer server 114 may communicate a first code to one of the terminal device 108 or the registered user device 106 of the user 102. The first code may include a first plurality of characters symbolized by a first plurality of braille indicia in the first set. In one example, the issuer server 114 may communicate the first code as an audio file. On receiving the audio file, the terminal device 108 or the user device 106 may be configured to play the audio file to inform the user 102 regarding the first plurality of characters in the first code. On listening to the audio file, the user 102 may identify the first plurality of braille indicia in the first set that symbolizes the first plurality of characters of the first code. In other words, the user 102 may identify those braille indicia in the first set that denotes the first plurality of characters. The user 102 may then identify a plurality of subsets in the second set of braille indicia that are associated with the identified first plurality of braille indicia. The terminal device 108 may prompt the user 102 to input a second code to the terminal device 108. The second code may include a second plurality of characters that are symbolized by the identified subsets in the second set of braille indicia corresponding to the first code. The user 102 may then input the second code to the terminal device 108. Based on receiving the second code, the terminal device 108 may communicate the second code to the issuer server 114. The issuer server 114 may authenticate the user 102 based on the second code and authorize the transaction.
FIGS. 2A and 2B illustrate front and back views of the transaction card 104, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure.
With reference to FIG. 2A, the front view of the transaction card 104 illustrates the first (or front) surface (hereinafter, designated as “the first surface 202a”) of the transaction card 104. The first surface 202a contains the card details (such as the card number, the expiration date, and the name of the card holder) of the transaction card 104. The first surface 202a further has the first set of braille indicia 204 (hereinafter, the first set of braille indicia is designated and referred to as “the first set 204”) formed thereon. The first set 204 includes multiple braille characters that are arranged in the form of a grid, as shown in FIG. 2A. For the sake of brevity, only three braille indicia 204a-204c in the first set 204 are numbered. Each braille indicium in the first set 204 symbolizes a unique alphabetic letter. For example, the braille indicium 204a (?) symbolizes the alphabetic letter ‘A’, the braille indicium 204b (?) symbolizes the alphabetic letter ‘B’, and the braille indicium 204c (?) symbolizes the alphabetic letter ‘C’. Likewise, the other braille indicia of the first set 204 symbolizes other alphabetic letters, as shown in FIG. 2A. In one embodiment, the first surface 202a may further include an electronic chip 206a (i.e., a memory element of the transaction card 104) that electronically stores the card details and financial information of the transaction card 104. The electronic chip 206a is a machine-readable data storage device by which the terminal device 108 obtains the financial information of the transaction card 104.
With reference to FIG. 2B, the back view of the transaction card 104 illustrates the second (or back) surface (hereinafter, designated as “the second surface 202b”) of the transaction card 104. The second surface 202b has the second set of braille indicia 208 (hereinafter, the second set of braille indicia is designated and referred to as “the second set 208”) formed thereon. The second set 208 includes multiple braille characters that are arranged in the form of a grid, as shown in FIG. 2B.
The second set 208 may be directly contralateral with the first set 204 such that the first and second sets 204 and 208 are located at related regions on opposite surfaces 202a and 202b of the transaction card 104. In other words, if the transaction card 104 were transparent, the first set 204 would appear to be superimposed over the second set 208. Directly contralateral positioning of the first and second sets 204 and 208 is possible because, the braille indicia in the first and second sets 204 and 208 are not formed by embossing the first and second surfaces 202a and 202b of the transaction card 104. As a result, the transaction card 104 is devoid of unwanted indentations on the first and second surfaces 202a and 202b, related to the formation of the braille indicia on the first and second surfaces 202a and 202b. The braille indicia of the first and second sets 204 and 208 may be produced by depositing material, that form the individual projections of each braille indicium, on the respective surface 202a or 202b of the transaction card 104 by any of several well-known techniques.
Each braille indicium of the second set 208 symbolizes a numeral. Further, each braille indicium of the first set 204 is associated with a subset of the second set 208. For example, each braille indicium of the first set 204 is associated with those braille indicia (i.e., two braille indicia) of the second set 208 that are directly contralateral with the corresponding braille indicium of the first set 204. For the sake of brevity, three subsets 208a, 208b, and 208c of the second set 208 that are associated with the braille indicia 204a, 204b, and 204c of the first set 204, respectively, are numbered. The subset 208a (???) symbolizes the numerals ‘65’, the subset 208b (???) symbolizes the numerals ‘23’, and the subset 208c (???) symbolizes the numerals ‘56’. Thus, the braille indicium 204a (?) symbolizing the letter ‘A’ is associated with the subset 208a (???) symbolizing numerals ‘65’, the braille indicium 204b (?) symbolizing the letter ‘B’ is associated with the subset 208b (???) symbolizing the numerals ‘23’, and the braille indicium 204c (?) symbolizing the letter ‘C’ is associated with the subset 208c (???) symbolizing the numerals ‘56’. Likewise, the other subsets of the second set 208 are associated with directly contralateral braille indicia of the first set 204.
The second surface 202b may further include a magnetic stripe 206b (i.e., another memory element) that stores the card details and the financial information of the transaction card 104. The magnetic stripe 206b is a machine-readable data storage device by which a magnetic reading head of the terminal device 108 obtains the financial information of the transaction card 104. The transaction card 104 may further include other types of machine-readable data storage devices such as bar codes, wireless transponder circuits, and/or the like for storing the financial information of the transaction card 104.
Since every transaction card issued by the issuer server 114 is unique, no other transaction card has same associations between corresponding first and second sets of braille indicia as found in the first and second sets 204 and 208 of the transaction card 104. In one embodiment, the projections that form the braille indicia in the first and second sets 204 and 208 may have a distinctive color from that of the surrounding first and second surfaces 202a and 202b, thereby enabling users (e.g., the user 102) having limited vision to identify the braille indicia of the first and second sets 204 and 208 by sight.
It will be apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art that the standard six-dot or eight dot systems may be used for forming the first and second sets 204 and 208, and the dot placement may vary based on the localized braille system for different countries. For example, as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, English braille with six-dot systems is used for forming the braille indicia on the transaction card 104.
FIG. 3 illustrates a front view of the transaction card 104, in accordance with another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. The front view of the transaction card 104 illustrates the first surface 202a of the transaction card 104 in accordance with another embodiment of the present disclosure.
The first surface 202a has the first and second sets 204 and 208b formed thereon. In one embodiment, the first and second sets 204 and 208 may be arranged in the form of a grid (as shown in FIG. 3) on the first surface 202a. Further, each braille indicium of the first set 204 is associated with a subset of the second set 208. For example, a braille indicium of the first set 204 and braille indicia of the second set 208 that are present in the same cell of the grid are associated with each other. Thus, as shown in FIG. 3, the braille indicium 204a (?) symbolizing the letter ‘A’ is associated with the subset 208a (???) symbolizing numerals ‘65’, the braille indicium 204b (?) symbolizing the letter ‘B’ is associated with the subset 208b (???) symbolizing the numerals ‘23’, and the braille indicium 204c (?) symbolizing the letter ‘C’ is associated with the subset 208c (???) symbolizing the numerals ‘56’. Likewise, the other subsets of the second set 208 are associated with those braille indicia of the first set 204 that are present in their corresponding cell of the grid. The first surface 202a may further include the electronic chip 206a.
It will be apparent to a person of ordinary skill in the art that the scope of the disclosure is not limited to the formation of the first and second sets 204 and 208 on the first surface 202a. In another embodiment, instead of the first surface 202a, the first and second sets 204 and 208 may be formed on the second surface 202b. In another embodiment, the first and second sets 204 and 208 may be formed on both the first and second surfaces 202a and 202b, thereby enabling the user 102 to use any surface of the transaction card 104 for identifying the braille indicia.
FIG. 4 represents a process flow diagram 400 that illustrates an exemplary scenario for enabling a visually-impaired user to perform transactions at the terminal device 108, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. The terminal device 108 may be an ATM, a POS device, a POP device, a POI device, a BNA, or the like. For the sake of brevity, it is assumed that the terminal device 108 is a POS device installed at a merchant store of a merchant.
The user 102, who is visually impaired, may visit the merchant store for making a purchase. After selecting a product for purchasing or availing a service at the merchant store, the user 102 may be required to carry out a transaction at the terminal device 108 to make a payment. For performing the transaction, the user 102 uses (e.g., swipes, taps, or the like) the transaction card 104 at the terminal device 108 (as shown by arrow 402). The terminal device 108 then reads the card details of the transaction card 104. Based on the card details and a transaction amount provided by the merchant, the terminal device 108 generates and communicates an authorization request for the transaction to the acquirer server 110 (as shown by arrow 404). The authorization request may include details of the transaction such as the card details, the transaction amount, the time and date of the transaction, a terminal device identifier, a transaction identifier, and/or the like. The authorization request is pursuant to one or more standards for the interchange of transaction messages (such as the ISO8583 standard), and includes various fields (such as data elements) for storing various transaction details.
The acquirer server 110 receives the authorization request. Based on the card details included in the authorization request, the acquirer server 110 identifies a payment network associated with the transaction card 104. The acquirer server 110 then communicates the authorization request to the payment network server 112 of the identified payment network (as shown by arrow 406). The payment network server 112 receives the authorization request and identifies an issuer that had issued the transaction card 104 to the user 102. The payment network server 112 then communicates the authorization request to the issuer server 114 of the identified issuer (as shown by arrow 408).
Based on the received authorization request, the issuer server 114 may determine whether the transaction card 104 is the type of transaction card that is specially designed for visually-impaired users. In one embodiment, the card details of the transaction card 104 may include a specific identifier indicating the issuer server 114 that the transaction card 104 is the special type of payment card issued to visually-impaired users (i.e., the user 102). In another embodiment, the issuer server 114 may utilize the card details to lookup a database (as shown in FIG. 5) stored in its memory. The database includes a record of card details of all transaction cards issued by the issuer server 114 and may indicate the type of the transaction card 104. Thus, for the transaction card 104, the database may include details pertaining to the first set 204, the second set 208, and the association between the braille indicia of the first and second sets 204 and 208.
In one embodiment, when the issuer server 114 determines that the transaction card 104 is specially designed for visually-impaired users, the issuer server 114 generates and communicates the first code to the terminal device 108 by way of the payment network server 112 and the acquirer server 110 (as shown by arrows 410, 412, 414, respectively) for authenticating the user 102. The issuer server 114 may generate the first code by referring to the details of the first set 204 stored in the database of the issuer server 114. The first code may include the first plurality of characters symbolized by the first plurality of braille indicia in the first set 204 (as shown in FIGS. 2A or 3). For example, the first code may be ‘ABC’ symbolized by the braille indicia 204a, 204b, and 204c in the first set 204. The issuer server 114 may select the first plurality of characters from the first set 204 at random. Thus, for subsequent transactions, the first code communicated by the issuer server 114 is different. In one embodiment, the issuer server 114 may communicate the first code as an audio file to the terminal device 108. In another embodiment, the issuer server 114 may communicate the first code as a text message.
On receiving the first code as the audio file, the terminal device 108 may be configured to play the audio file (as shown by arrow 416) to inform the user 102 regarding the first plurality of characters in the first code. In another embodiment, when the first code is received as the text file, the terminal device 108 may be configured to perform text to speech conversion for playing an audio to inform the user 102 regarding the first plurality of characters in the first code. In another embodiment, when the first code is received as the text file, the terminal device 108 may display the first code on a corresponding display screen and an operator of the terminal device 108 may read out the first code to the user 102.
On listening to the first code, the user 102 may identify the first plurality of braille indicia in the first set 204 that symbolizes the first plurality of characters of the first code. In other words, the user 102 may identify those braille indicia of the first set 204 that denotes the first plurality of characters. For example, the user 102 may identify the braille indicia 204a (?), 204b (?), and 204c (?) which symbolize the first plurality of characters in the first code, i.e., ‘ABC’. The user 102 may then identify a plurality of subsets in the second set 208 that are associated with the identified first plurality of braille indicia. For example, the user 102 may identify the subsets 208a, 208b, and 208c of the second set 208 that are associated with the identified braille indicia 204a, 204b and 204c of the first set 204. The terminal device 108 may prompt the user 102 to input the second code to the terminal device 108. The second code may include the second plurality of characters that are symbolized by the identified subsets of the second set 208 corresponding to the first code. For example, the second code may be ‘652356’ which is symbolized by the subsets 208a (???), 208b (???), and 208c (???) of the second set 208. The user 102 may then input the second code to the terminal device 108 (as shown by arrow 418) by an input means of the terminal device 108. Based on receiving the second code, the terminal device 108 communicates the second code to the issuer server 114, by way of the acquirer server 110 and the payment network server 112 (as shown by arrows 420, 422, 424, respectively).
Based on receiving the second code, the issuer server 114 authenticates the user 102 (as shown by arrow 426). For authenticating the user 102, the issuer server 114 determines whether there is a match between an expected code corresponding to the first code and the second code received from the terminal device 108. The expected code is determined by the issuer server 114 by looking up the database that stores the details pertaining to the first set 204, the second set 208, and the association between the braille indicia of the first and second sets 204 and 208. For example, when the first code is ‘ABC’, the issuer server 114 determines that the expected code is ‘652356’. When the expected code matches the second code received from the terminal device 108, the user 102 is successfully authenticated. In one exemplary scenario, the expected code may not match the second code received from the terminal device 108. In such a scenario, the issuer server 114 may communicate an authorization response indicating the decline of the transaction to the terminal device 108.
Based on successful authentication of the user 102, the issuer server 114 may authorize and process the transaction (as shown by arrow 428). For authorizing the transaction, the issuer server 114 may further determine whether the account linked to the transaction card 104 has sufficient funds to cover the transaction amount of the transaction. In one example, the issuer server 114 determines that the account has sufficient funds to cover the transaction amount of the transaction and authorizes the transaction. In another example, the issuer server 114 may determine that the account does not have sufficient funds to cover the transaction amount of the transaction and may decline the transaction. The issuer server 114 then transmits the authorization response to the terminal device 108 regarding the successful processing of the transaction by way of the payment network server 112 and the acquirer server 110 (as shown by the arrows 430, 432, 434).
In another embodiment, the issuer server 114 may directly communicate the first code to the registered user device 106 of the user 102. In one embodiment, the issuer server 114 may communicate the first code as an audio file to the user device 106. On receiving the audio file, the user device 106 may be configured to play the audio file to inform the user 102 regarding the first plurality of characters in the first code. In another embodiment, the issuer server 114 may communicate the first code to the user device 106 as a text message. Thus, when the first code is received as the text file, the user device 106 may be configured to perform text to speech conversion for playing an audio to inform the user 102 regarding the first plurality of characters in the first code.
In another embodiment, the transaction card 104 may be associated with a security personal identification number (PIN) that is only known to the user 102. In such a scenario, the second code and the expected code may further include the security PIN along with the second plurality of characters. The security PIN may be concatenated to the second plurality of characters either at the beginning or at end. For example, if the security PIN of the transaction card 104 is ‘45’, then the second code entered by the user 102 and the expected code determined by the issuer server 114 may be one of ‘45652356’ or ‘65235645’.
It will be apparent to a person of skill in the art that the application area for the method and system of the present disclosure is not just limited to financial transactions as described in FIG. 4. In another embodiment, access cards used for gaining access to high-security areas may also be specially designed for visually-impaired users and may include the first and second sets 204 and 208 for dynamic authentication.
FIG. 5 is a block diagram that illustrates the issuer server 114, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. The issuer server 114 includes a first processing circuitry 502, a first memory 504, and a first transceiver 506. The first processing circuitry 502, the first memory 504, and the first transceiver 506 communicate with each other by way of a first communication bus 508.
The first processing circuitry 502 includes suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces, and/or code, executable by the circuitry, for processing transactions conducted by using the transaction card 104. Examples of the first processing circuitry 502 may include, but are not limited to, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) processor, a reduced instruction set computing (RISC) processor, a complex instruction set computing (CISC) processor, a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or the like. The first processing circuitry 502 includes an authorization manager 510 and a first transaction manager 512.
The authorization manager 510 receives the authorization request for the transaction conducted at the terminal device 108 using the transaction card 104. Based on the authorization request, the authorization manager 510 is configured to authenticate the user 102 who conducted the transaction. The authorization manager 510 is configured to compare the expected code with the second code received from the terminal device 108, to determine a match between the expected code and the second code. Based on authentication of the user 102, the authorization manager 510 is configured to authorize the transaction.
The first transaction manager 512 performs one or more operations, as known to those skilled in the art, for processing the transactions that correspond to the issuer server 114. For example, the first transaction manager 512 deducts the transaction amount from the account linked to the transaction card 104 when the transaction is authorized by the authorization manager 510. The first transaction manager 512 may be configured to generate authorization responses indicating success or failure of processed transactions. The first transaction manager 512 further generates credit or debit acknowledgements when the account linked to the transaction card 104 is credited or debited, respectively.
The first memory 504 includes suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces, and/or code, executable by the circuitry, for storing the account profiles of various accounts that are maintained at the issuer server 114. The first memory 504 further stores a database 514 that includes the record of card details of all transaction cards (e.g., the transaction card 104) issued by the issuer server 114. The authorization manager 510 looks-up the database 514 for determining the first code and the expected code for authenticating the user 102 as described ion FIG. 4. Examples of the first memory 504 may include, but are not limited to, a RAM, a ROM, a removable storage drive, an HDD, a flash memory, a solid-state memory, or the like. It will be apparent to a person skilled in the art that the scope of the disclosure is not limited to realizing the first memory 504 in the issuer server 114, as described herein. In another embodiment, the first memory 504 may be realized in form of a database server or a cloud storage working in conjunction with the issuer server 114, without departing from the scope of the disclosure.
The first transceiver 506 includes suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces and/or code, executable by the circuitry, for transmitting and receiving data over the communication network 116 using one or more communication protocols. The first transceiver 506 receives various requests and messages from the terminal device 108, the acquirer server 110, and/or the payment network server 112. For example, the first transceiver 506 receives authorization requests from the terminal device 108 for authorizing transactions conducted at the terminal device 108. The first transceiver 506 further transmits various requests and messages to the terminal device 108 by way of the acquirer server 110 and the payment network server 112. For example, the first transceiver 506 transmits the authorization responses, indicating results of transaction authorization to the terminal device 108 by way of the acquirer server 110 and the payment network server 112. Examples of the first transceiver 506 may include, but are not limited to, an antenna, a radio frequency transceiver, a wireless transceiver, an Ethernet port, a universal serial bus (USB) port, or any other device configured to transmit and receive data.
FIG. 6 is a block diagram that illustrates the terminal device 108, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. The terminal device 108 includes a second processing circuitry 602, a terminal device memory 604, an input/output (I/O) port 606, a transaction card reader 608, and a second transceiver 610. The second processing circuitry 602, the terminal device memory 604, the I/O port 606, the transaction card reader 608, and the second transceiver 610 communicate with each other by way of a second communication bus 612.
The second processing circuitry 602 includes suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces, and/or code, executable by the circuitry, for processing transactions conducted by using the transaction card 104. The second processing circuitry 602 includes an audio processor 614 and a second transaction manager 616.
The audio processor 614 includes suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces, and/or code, executable by the circuitry, for converting text to audio and vice versa. The audio processor 614 may receive a text file from the issuer server 114 regarding the first code. Based on the received text file, the audio processor 614 may be configured to convert the text to audio, to play the audio to inform the user 102 regarding the first plurality of characters in the first code. In another embodiment, the audio processor 614 may receive an audio input from the user 102 regarding the second code. Based on the received audio input, the audio processor 614 may be configured to convert the audio input to text for communicating the second code to the issuer server 114. Examples of the audio processor 614 include, but are not limited to, an ASIC processor, a RISC processor, a CISC processor, an FPGA, a digital signal processor, and the like.
The second transaction manager 616 includes suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces, and/or code, executable by the circuitry, for generating the authorization request based on the use of the transaction card 104 at the terminal device 108. The second transaction manager 616 may further perform one or more operations, as known to those skilled in the art, for processing the transactions initiated at the terminal device 108.
The terminal device memory 604 includes suitable logic, circuitry, and/or interfaces to store one or more instructions which causes the second processing circuitry 602 execute corresponding operations for processing the transactions. Examples of the terminal device memory 604 include a RAM, a ROM, a removable storage drive, an HDD, a flash memory, a solid-state memory, and the like. It will be apparent to a person skilled in the art that the scope of the disclosure is not limited to realizing the terminal device memory 604 in the terminal device 108, as described herein. In another embodiment, the terminal device memory 604 may be realized in form of a database server or a cloud storage working in conjunction with the terminal device 108, without departing from the scope of the disclosure.
The I/O port 606 may include suitable logic, circuitry, interfaces, and/or code, executable by the circuitry, for performing one or more I/O operations. The I/O port 606 may include various input and output devices that are configured to operate under the control of the second processing circuitry 602. The I/O port 606 may be used by the user 102 to perform one or more input or output operations associated with the transaction. The I/O port 606 may include a keypad 618, a display 620, a speaker 622, and a microphone 624.
The keypad 618 includes a set of alphanumeric keys (‘0’- ‘9’, ‘F’, and ‘.’) and a set of function defined keys (FDKs) such as Cancel’, ‘Clear’, and ‘Enter’. The keypad 618 may be a physical keypad. Further each key in the keypad 618 may have braille indicia symbolizing the corresponding alphanumeric characters, for enabling a visually-impaired user to perform the transaction at the terminal device 108. For example, the user 102 may utilize the keypad 618 to enter the second code to the terminal device 108.
The display 620 may include suitable logic, circuitry, and/or interfaces, and/or code, executable by the circuitry, for performing one or more display operations. For example, the display 620 may be configured to display a user interface, for example, a payment user interface and/or a virtual keypad. In an embodiment, the display 620 may be a refreshable braille display that displays a virtual braille keypad. In one embodiment, the display 620 may display the first code received from the issuer server 114.
The speaker 622 may be configured to play the audio received from the audio processor 614. For example, the speaker 622 may play the audio corresponding to the first code received from the issuer server 114. The microphone 624 may be configured to receive audio input from the user 102. For example, the user 102 may use the microphone 624 to provide the audio input for the second code to the terminal device 108.
The transaction card reader 608 includes suitable logic, circuitry, and/or interfaces for reading data from the transaction card 104 used at the terminal device 108. The data read by the transaction card reader 608 may include the card details and the financial details stored in the memory element (i.e., the electronic chip 206a or the magnetic stripe 206b) of the transaction card 104.
The second transceiver 610 transmits and receives data over the communication network 116 using one or more communication network protocols. The second transceiver 610 transmits various requests and messages to the acquirer server 110 and/or the issuer server 114. For example, the second transceiver 610 transmits the authorization request to the acquirer server 110. The second transceiver 610 further receives various requests and messages from the acquirer server 110 and the issuer server 114. For example, the second transceiver 610 receives the first code and the authorization response from the issuer server 114 based on the authorization request. Examples of the second transceiver 610 include, but are not limited to, an antenna, a radio frequency transceiver, a wireless transceiver, a Bluetooth transceiver, an ethernet port, a USB port, or any other device configured to transmit and receive data.
In another embodiment, the terminal device 108 may include braille hand gloves (not shown) to enable the user 102 to input the second code to the terminal device 108. The braille hand gloves assign a character to each finger of the braille hand gloves. For example, in a six-dot braille system, the braille hand glove may assign first through third dot positions to a first set of fingers (i.e. three fingers) of a first braille hand glove and fourth through sixth dot positions to a second set of fingers (i.e. three fingers) of a second braille hand glove. The visually-impaired user (i.e., the user 102) may then use the braille hand gloves to type characters based on different Braille combinations. The braille hand gloves may further allow the user 102 to read characters based on vibrations at the six different positions (i.e. the first set and the second set of fingers). The vibrations at the six different positions match to a braille code thereby indicating a braille character received.
FIG. 7 is a flow chart 700 that illustrates a method for enabling a visually-impaired user to perform a transaction at the terminal device 108, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. The user 102, who is visually impaired, may utilize the transaction card 104 at the terminal device 108 for initiating (or performing) a transaction.
At step 702, the issuer server 114 receives the authorization request from the terminal device 108 based on initiation of the transaction at the terminal device 108 by utilizing the transaction card 104. At step 704, based on the received authorization request, the issuer server 114 generates the first code for authenticating the user 102 for the transaction. The first code includes the first plurality of characters symbolized by the first plurality of braille indicia in the first set 204 of the transaction card 104. At step 706, the issuer server 114 communicates the first code to the terminal device 108 via the communication network 116.
At step 708, the issuer server 114 receives the second code from the terminal device 108. The second code is provided by the user 102 in response to the first code. The second code includes the second plurality of characters that are symbolized by subsets in the second set 208 corresponding to the first plurality of braille indicia of the first set 204. The second code may further include the security PIN associated with the transaction card 104. The security PIN may be concatenated to the second plurality of characters. At step 710, the issuer server 114 determines whether the second code received from the terminal device 108 matches the expected code determined by the issuer server 114. If at step 710, it is determined that the expected code matches the second code, step 712 is performed.
At step 712, the issuer server 114 authenticates the user 102. In other words, when the expected code matches the second code, the user 102 is authenticated successfully. At step 714, the issuer server 114 authorizes and processes the transaction. The transaction is processed as per the transaction details. For example, the issuer server 114 authorizes the transaction based on sufficient funds in the account linked to the transaction card 104. At step 716, the issuer server 114 communicates the authorization response to the terminal device 108 regarding the successful processing of the transaction, and the process stops.
If at step 710, it is determined that the expected code does not match the second code, step 716 is performed, and the issuer server 114 communicates the authorization response indicating that the authorization of the transaction has failed, and the process stops.
FIG. 8 is a high-level flow chart 800 that illustrates a method for enabling a visually-impaired user to perform a transaction at the terminal device 108, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. At step 802, the issuer server 114 receives the authorization request for the transaction initiated by the visually-impaired user (e.g., the user 102), utilizing the transaction card 104 at the terminal device 108. The transaction card 104 includes the first and second sets of braille indicia 204 and 208 (as shown in FIGS. 2A-2B and 3), and each braille indicium of the first set 204 is associated with the subset of the second set 208 as described in the foregoing description of FIGS. 2A-2B and 3. At step 804, based on the authorization request, the issuer server 114 communicates the first code to the terminal device 108. The first code includes the first plurality of characters symbolized by the first plurality of braille indicia in the first set 204. At step 806, the issuer server 114 receives the second code corresponding to the first code from the terminal device 108 over the communication network 116. The second code includes the second plurality of characters that are symbolized by the subset of the second set 208 associated with each braille indicium corresponding to the first code. At step 808, the issuer server 114 authenticates the user 102 based on the received second code for processing the transaction.
FIG. 9 is a block diagram that illustrates system architecture of a computer system 900, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. In one example, the user device 106, the terminal device 108, the acquirer server 110, the payment network server 112, and the issuer server 114 of FIG. 1 may be implemented in the computer system 900 using hardware, software, firmware, non-transitory computer readable media having instructions stored thereon, or a combination thereof and may be implemented in one or more computer systems or other processing systems. Hardware, software, or any combination thereof may embody modules and components used to implement the methods of FIGS. 7 and 8.
The computer system 900 includes a processor 902 that may be a special-purpose or a general-purpose processing device. The processor 902 may be a single processor, multiple processors, or combinations thereof. The processor 902 may have one or more processor cores. In one example, the processor 902 is an octa-core processor. The processor 902 may be connected to a communication infrastructure 904, such as a bus, message queue, multi-core message-passing scheme, and the like. The computer system 900 may further include a main memory 906 and a secondary memory 908. Examples of the main memory 906 may include RAM, ROM, and the like. The secondary memory 908 may include a hard disk drive or a removable storage drive, such as a floppy disk drive, a magnetic tape drive, a compact disc, an optical disk drive, a flash memory, and the like.
The computer system 900 further includes an I/O interface 910 and a communication interface 912. The I/O interface 910 includes various input and output devices that are configured to communicate with the processor 902. Examples of the input devices may include a keyboard, a mouse, a joystick, a touchscreen, a microphone, and the like. Examples of the output devices may include a display screen, a speaker, headphones, and the like. The communication interface 912 may be configured to allow data to be transferred between the computer system 900 and various devices that are communicatively coupled to the computer system 900. Examples of the communication interface 912 may include a modem, a network interface, i.e., an Ethernet card, a communication port, and the like. Data transferred via the communication interface 912 may correspond to signals, such as electronic, electromagnetic, optical, or other signals as will be apparent to a person skilled in the art. The signals may travel via a communication channel (not shown) which may be configured to transmit the signals to devices that are communicatively coupled to the computer system 900. Examples of the communication channel may include, but are not limited to, cable, fiber optics, a phone line, a cellular phone link, a radio frequency link, and the like.
A person having ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that embodiments of the disclosed subject matter can be practiced with various computer system configurations, including multi-core multiprocessor systems, minicomputers, mainframe computers, computers linked or clustered with distributed functions, as well as pervasive or miniature computers that may be embedded into digitally any device. Further, the operations may be described as a sequential process, however some of the operations may in fact be performed in parallel, concurrently, and/or in a distributed environment by single or multiprocessor machines. In addition, in some embodiments the order of operations may be rearranged without departing from the spirit of the disclosed subject matter.
Thus, technological improvements in the transaction card 104 and the issuer server 114 enable a visually-impaired user (for example, the user 102) to perform transactions at the terminal device 108. Further, a threat of a fraudulent transaction by a skimmer, who may have discovered the first and second codes of the user 102, is mitigated as the first code communicated to the user 102 is not static and changes for subsequent transactions. The braille indicia (i.e., the first and second sets 204 and 208) on the transaction card 104 and various assistive I/O ports at the terminal device 108 enable the visually-impaired user 102 to independently perform seamless transactions. The method and system of the present disclosure may be implemented with minimal addition to the existing infrastructure. This leads to reduction of hardware modifications required for implementing the method and system of the present disclosure.
Techniques consistent with the present disclosure provide, among other features, systems and methods for enabling a visually-impaired user to perform a transaction at a terminal device. While various exemplary embodiments of the disclosed system and method have been described above it should be understood that they have been presented for purposes of example only, not limitations. It is not exhaustive and does not limit the disclosure to the precise form disclosed. Modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings or may be acquired from practicing of the disclosure, without departing from the breadth or scope.
Unless stated otherwise, terms such as “first” and “second” in claims are used to arbitrarily distinguish between the elements such terms describe. Thus, these terms are not necessarily intended to indicate temporal or other prioritization of such elements. The fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage. While various embodiments of the disclosure have been illustrated and described, it will be clear that the disclosure is not limited to these embodiments only. Numerous modifications, changes, variations, substitutions, and equivalents will be apparent to those skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure, as described in the claims.