Method, system and computer readable medium for web site account and e-commerce management from a central location

• US 10,102,521 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2010
• Issued: 10/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Slingshot Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: Gula Consulting Limited Liability Company (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Fung, Daniel Y., Evans, Stephen C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Eric T
• Application Number:
  US12/973,856
• Publication Number:
  US 20110099108A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,857 Days
• Field of Search: 705 35, 705 261
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/354 Card activation or deactivation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/00 Mechanisms actuated by objects other than coins to free or to actuate vending, hiring, coin or paper currency dispensing or refunding apparatus

Abstract

A method, system, and computer readable medium for managing a financial transaction of a user at a merchant, including authenticating the user via a device of the user while the user is at the merchant; transmitting activation information for activating an account number of the user from the user device to a financial institution for processing financial transactions, while the user is authenticated; submitting a payment request including the account number to the financial institution from the merchant, while the account number is activated; and de-activating the account number after the payment request is processed by the financial institution. The financial institution only accepts and processes payment requests received from merchants while the account number is activated, and the financial institution declines payment requests while the account number is de-activated.

Claims

1. A method for remote activation and de-activation of a digital dormant payment card technology operating, at least in part, via a user device, the method comprising:

a computer system transmitting to the user device on which the digital dormant payment card technology is operating, a merchant identification signal including an identification of a plurality of merchants available through online interfaces, wherein the computer system maintains credential data for logging a user of the user device into individual online interfaces of the plurality of merchants;

the computer system receiving from the user device a presence signal indicating that the user of the user device is at an online interface of a merchant selected from the plurality of merchants based on the merchant identification signal;

the computer system receiving from the user device an authentication signal;

the computer system authenticating the user based on the authentication signal and transmitting a login signal to a computer system of the merchant, wherein the login signal is generated based, at least in part, on the credential data maintained by the computer system and the login signal causes automatic login of the user into the online interface of the merchant;

in response to the presence signal indicating that the user is at the online interface, the computer system transmitting to the user device information enabling an activation signal specific to the selected merchant to be sent to a financial institution, wherein the activation signal causes the digital dormant payment card technology operating, at least in part, on the user device to be temporarily activated and a payment request from the selected merchant to be accepted; and

the computer system transmitting to the user device information used by the user device to send a de-activation signal to the financial institution, wherein the de- activation signal causes the dormant payment card technology operating, at least in part, on the user device to return to being de-activated and a subsequent payment request to be declined.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the activation signal is automatically transmitted to the financial institution when the user logs into a server.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the result of the processing of the financial transaction is transmitted to the user via a server.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the activation signal is transmitted as one of a secure signal, an encrypted e-mail message, a secure facsimile message, a secure wireless communications message, a secure telephone communications message, a secure SMS message, and a secure web services message.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital dormant payment card technology operating, at least in part, on the user device is associated with an account and includes one or more levels of control for the account including controls for one of allowing purchases using the account during predetermined times of the month, controls for limiting a number of transactions with the account within a pre-determined time period, and controls for limiting the account to be used with predetermined merchants.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the user device is a portable wireless communications device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the de-activation signal is not part of any transaction request.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the user device is a smart card.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the user device is a mobile phone and the digital dormant payment card technology is a virtual card.

18. The system of claim 6, wherein the activation signal is automatically transmitted to the financial institution when the user logs into a server.

19. The system of claim 6, wherein the result of the processing of the financial transaction is transmitted to the user via a server.

20. The system of claim 6, wherein the activation signal is transmitted as one of a secure signal, an encrypted e-mail message, a secure facsimile message, a secure wireless communications message, a secure telephone communications message, a secure SMS message, and a secure web services message.

10. A computer-readable storage device, excluding a transitory propagating signal, storing one or more computer readable instructions for remote activation and de-activation of a digital dormant payment card technology operating, at least in part, via a user device, the instructions comprising:

instructions for transmitting to the user device on which the digital dormant payment card technology is operating, a merchant identification signal including an identification of a plurality of merchants available through online interfaces, wherein a computer system maintains credential data for logging a user of the user device into individual online interfaces of the plurality of merchants;

instructions for receiving from the user device a presence signal indicating that the user is at an online interface of a merchant selected from the plurality of merchants based on the merchant identification signal;

instructions for receiving from the user device an authentication signal;

instructions for authenticating the user based on the authentication signal and transmitting a login signal to the selected merchant, wherein the login signal is generated based, at least in part, on the credential data maintained by the computer system and the login signal causes automatic login of the user into the online interface of the merchant;

instructions for, in response to the presence signal indicating that the user is at the online interface, transmitting to the user device information enabling an activation signal specific to the selected merchant to be sent to a financial institution, wherein the activation signal causes the digital dormant payment card technology operating, at least in part, on the user device to be temporarily activated and a payment request from the selected merchant to be accepted; and

instructions for transmitting to the user device information enabling a de-activation signal to be sent to the financial institution, wherein the de-activation signal causes the dormant payment card technology operating, at least in part, on the user device to return to being de-activated and a subsequent payment request to be declined.

11. The computer-readable storage device of claim 10, wherein the activation signal is automatically transmitted to the financial institution when the user logs into a server.

12. The computer-readable storage device of claim 10, wherein the result of the processing of the financial transaction is transmitted to the user via a server.

13. The computer-readable storage device of claim 10, wherein the activation signal is transmitted as one of a secure signal, an encrypted e-mail message, a secure facsimile message, a secure wireless communications message, a secure telephone communications message, a secure SMS message, and a secure web services message.

14. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the digital dormant payment card technology operating, at least in part, on the user device is associated with an account and includes one or more levels of control for the account including controls for one of allowing purchases using the account during predetermined times of the month, controls for limiting a number of transactions with the account within a pre-determined time period, and controls for limiting the account to be used with predetermined merchants.

15. The computer-readable storage device of claim 10, wherein the user device is a portable wireless communications device.

16. The computer-readable storage device of claim 10, wherein the de-activation signal is not part of any transaction request.

17. A system comprising:

means for receiving from a user device a presence signal indicating that the user is at an online interface of a merchant selected from a plurality of merchants based on a merchant identification signal, wherein a dormant digital card technology is operating, at least in part, on the user device and wherein the system maintains credential data for logging a user of the user device into individual online interfaces of the plurality of merchants; and

means for receiving, from the user device on which the dormant digital card technology is operating, an authentication signal;

means for transmitting, to the user device on which the dormant digital card technology is operating, information enabling an activation signal specific to the selected merchant to be sent to a financial institution, wherein the activation signal causes the dormant digital card technology to be temporarily activated and a payment request from the selected merchant to be accepted; and

means for transmitting to the user device information used by the user device to send a de-activation signal to the financial institution, wherein the de-activation signal causes the dormant payment card technology operating, at least in part, on the user device to being de-activated.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein the digital dormant payment card technology operating, at least in part, on the user device is associated with an account and includes one or more levels of control for the account including controls for one of allowing purchases using the account during predetermined times of the month, controls for limiting a number of transactions with the account within a pre-determined time period, and controls for limiting the account to be used with predetermined merchants.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein the user device is a portable wireless communications device.