System for remotely controlling access to a mobile device

• US 10,003,686 B2
• Filed: 01/04/2016
• Issued: 06/19/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Original Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Inventors: Jones-McFadden, Alicia C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bhattacharya, Sam
• Application Number:
  US14/987,754
• Publication Number:
  US 20170195477A1
• Time in Patent Office: 897 Days
• Field of Search: 455410, 455411, 4554561, 4554562, 455419
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3224 Transactions dependent on location of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4016 involving fraud or risk level assessment in transaction processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72463 to restrict the functionality of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/025 using location based information parameters

Abstract

Systems, computer program products, and methods are described herein for remotely controlling access to a mobile device. The present invention is configured to receive an indication that a transaction executed by a user is misappropriate, wherein the transaction is executed by the user using a mobile device; transmit control signals configured to cause the misappropriation application to begin running in the background of the mobile device; initiate, via the misappropriation application, one or more actions to be executed on the mobile device of the user based on at least receiving the indication that the transaction executed by the user is misappropriate; determine an alternative communication form associated with the user; transmit a notification to the user via the alternate communication form, when the notification further comprises an indication that one or more functionalities of the mobile device has been limited.

Claims

1. A system for remotely controlling access to a mobile device, the system comprising:

at least one non-transitory storage device;

at least one processor; and

at least one module stored in said storage device and comprising instruction code that is executable by the at least one processor and configured to cause said at least one processor to;

provide a misappropriation application for installation on a mobile device of a user, wherein the misappropriation application is initially inactive;

receive an indication that a transaction executed by a user is misappropriate, wherein the transaction is executed by the user using the mobile device, wherein the mobile device is in possession of the user, wherein the transaction is executed by the user at a merchant location;

establish a communication link with the mobile device of the user, wherein establishing further comprises creating a wireless data channel with the mobile device;

transmit control signals, via the established communication link, configured to cause the misappropriation application to begin running in the background of the mobile device;

initiate, via the misappropriation application, one or more actions to be executed on the mobile device of the user based on at least receiving the indication that the transaction executed by the user is misappropriate, wherein the one or more actions limit one or more functionalities of the mobile device, wherein limiting further comprises disabling one or more features of the mobile device based on at least a predefined user preference;

determine an alternative communication form associated with the user;

transmit a notification to the user via the alternate communication form, wherein the notification further comprises an indication that one or more features of the mobile device has been disabled;

receive one or more authentication credentials from the user in response to transmitting a notification indicating that the one or more features of the mobile device has been disabled;

verify the one or more authentication credentials received from the user, wherein verifying further comprises validating an identity of the user;

transmit control signals, via the established communication link, to re-enable the one or more features previously disabled on the mobile device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the module is further configured to cause the at least one processor to determine a location associated with the mobile device, wherein determining the location further comprises determining global positioning system (GPS) coordinates associated with the mobile device.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the module is further configured to cause the at least one processor to continuously monitor the location of the mobile device for a predetermined period of time after the mobile device has left a vicinity of the merchant location.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the module is further configured to cause the at least one processor to determine the location of the mobile device wherein determining the location further comprises:

transmitting control signals via the established communication link to initiate an image capturing component associated with the mobile device to capture images periodically; and

receiving, via the established communication link, the captured images.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the module is further configured to cause the at least one processor to:

determine one or more other merchant transactions executed by the user using the mobile device after receiving an indication that the transaction executed by the user using the mobile device at the merchant location is misappropriate; and

transmit control signals configured to cause the misappropriation application to transmit an alert to one or more other merchants associated with the one or more other merchant transactions executed by the user using the mobile device, wherein the alert indicates that the mobile device used to execute the transaction is associated with misappropriate activity.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the module is further configured to cause the at least one processor to deny one or more transactions executed by the user using the mobile device at the one or more other merchant locations based on at least the alert received from the misappropriation application.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the module is further configured to cause the at least one processor to implement a continuum of authentication to quantify one or more levels of authentication, and a continuum of functions to define a number of accessible functions based on the continuum of authentication.

8. A computerized method for remotely controlling access to a mobile device, the method comprising:

providing, using a computing device processor, a misappropriation application for installation on a mobile device of a user, wherein the misappropriation application is initially inactive;

receiving, using a computing device processor, an indication that a transaction executed by a user is misappropriate, wherein the transaction is executed by the user using the mobile device, wherein the mobile device is in possession of the user, wherein the transaction is executed by the user at a merchant location;

establishing, via a computing device processor, a communication link with the mobile device of the user, wherein establishing further comprises creating a wireless data channel with the mobile device;

transmitting control signals, via the established communication link, configured to cause the misappropriation application to begin running in the background of the mobile device;

initiating, via the misappropriation application, one or more actions to be executed on the mobile device of the user based on at least receiving the indication that the transaction executed by the user is misappropriate, wherein the one or more actions limit one or more functionalities of the mobile device, wherein limiting further comprises disabling one or more features of the mobile device based on at least a predefined user preference;

determining, using a computing device processor, an alternate communication form associated with the user;

transmit a notification to the user via the alternate communication form, wherein the notification further comprises an indication that one or more features of the mobile device has been disabled;

receiving, using a computing device processor, one or more authentication credentials from the user in response to transmitting a notification indicating that the one or more features of the mobile device has been disabled;

verifying, using a computing device processor, the one or more authentication credentials received from the user, wherein verifying further comprises validating an identity of the user;

transmitting control signals, via the established communication link, to re-enable the one or more features previously disabled on the mobile device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises determining a location associated with the mobile device, wherein determining the location further comprises determining global positioning system (GPS) coordinates associated with the mobile device.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises continuously monitoring the location of the mobile device for a predetermined period of time after the mobile device has left a vicinity of the merchant location.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises determining the location of the mobile device wherein determining the location further comprises:

transmitting control signals via the established communication link to initiate an image capturing component associated with the mobile device to capture images periodically; and

receiving, via the established communication link, the captured images.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises:

determining one or more other merchant transactions executed by the user using the mobile device after receiving an indication that the transaction executed by the user using the mobile device at the merchant location is misappropriate; and

transmitting control signals configured to cause the misappropriation application to transmit an alert to one or more other merchants associated with the one or more other merchant transactions executed by the user using the mobile device, wherein the alert indicates that the mobile device used to execute the transaction is associated with misappropriate activity.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the method further comprises denying one or more transactions executed by the user using the mobile device at the one or more other merchant locations based on at least the alert received from the misappropriation application.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises implementing a continuum of authentication to quantify one or more levels of authentication, and a continuum of functions to define a number of accessible functions based on the continuum of authentication.

15. A computer program product for remotely controlling access to a mobile device, the computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising code causing a first apparatus to:

provide a misappropriation application for installation on a mobile device of a user, wherein the misappropriation application is initially inactive;

receive an indication that a transaction executed by a user is misappropriate, wherein the transaction is executed by the user using the mobile device, wherein the mobile device is in possession of the user, wherein the transaction is executed by the user at a merchant location;

establish a communication link with the mobile device of the user, wherein establishing further comprises creating a wireless data channel with the mobile device;

transmit control signals, via the established communication link, configured to cause the misappropriation application to begin running in the background of the mobile device;

initiate, via the misappropriation application, one or more actions to be executed on the mobile device of the user based on at least receiving the indication that the transaction executed by the user is misappropriate, wherein the one or more actions limit one or more functionalities of the mobile device, wherein limiting further comprises disabling one or more features of the mobile device based on at least a predefined user preference;

determine an alternative communication form associated with the user;

transmit a notification to the user via the alternate communication form, wherein the notification further comprises an indication that one or more features of the mobile device has been disabled;

receive one or more authentication credentials from the user in response to transmitting a notification indicating that the one or more features of the mobile device has been disabled;

verify the one or more authentication credentials received from the user, wherein verifying further comprises validating an identity of the user;

transmit control signals, via the established communication link, to re-enable the one or more features previously disabled on the mobile device.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the first apparatus is further configured to determine a location associated with the mobile device, wherein determining the location further comprises determining global positioning system (GPS) coordinates associated with the mobile device.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the first apparatus is further configured to continuously monitor the location of the mobile device for a predetermined period of time after the mobile device has left a vicinity of the merchant location.

18. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the first apparatus is further configured to determine the location of the mobile device wherein determining the location further comprises:

transmitting control signals via the established communication link to initiate an image capturing component associated with the mobile device to capture images periodically; and

receiving, via the established communication link, the captured images.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the first apparatus is further configured to:

determine one or more other merchant transactions executed by the user using the mobile device after receiving an indication that the transaction executed by the user using the mobile device at the merchant location is misappropriate; and

transmit control signals configured to cause the misappropriation application to transmit an alert to one or more other merchants associated with the one or more other merchant transactions executed by the user using the mobile device, wherein the alert indicates that the mobile device used to execute the transaction is associated with misappropriate activity.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the first apparatus is further configured to deny one or more transactions executed by the user using the mobile device at the one or more other merchant locations based on at least the alert received from the misappropriation application.