Technique to authenticate in a mobile application using near-field communication

• US 10,262,317 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2015
• Issued: 04/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Genesys Telecommunications Laboratories Incorporated (Genesys Cloud Services Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Genesys Telecommunications Laboratories Incorporated (Genesys Cloud Services Incorporated)
• Inventors: Beilis, David, Lee-Kwen, Adrian
• Primary Examiner(s): Kasraian, Allahyar
• Application Number:
  US14/797,061
• Publication Number:
  US 20150317623A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,376 Days
• Field of Search: 455410, 455411, 455 411, 455 412, 455 413, 705 39- 44, 705 4138, 705 35, 705 64- 79, 726 4- 6, 726 27- 30
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3278 RFID or NFC payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/409 Device specific authentication in transaction processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72415 for remote control of appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A method for operating a mobile communication appliance enabled for Near Field Communication (NFC) has steps for (a) positioning the communication appliance and an article associated with a person, the article enabled for NFC and storing a unique identifier, within a near-field threshold; (b) acquiring by the communication appliance through NFC the unique digital identifier from the article; and (c) using the identifier to select and initiate a particular functionality of the communication appliance.

Claims

1. A method for operating a communication appliance enabled for near field communication (NFC) comprising:

receiving, by the communication appliance, over a wireless connection, a unique identifier stored on a local device enabled for NFC;

initializing, by the communication appliance, a login request to a server, wherein the login request, in response to the communication appliance receiving the unique identifier, automatically launches an application configured to launch in response to the communication appliance receiving the unique identifier from the local device on the communication appliance for communication with the server, wherein the communication appliance automatically forwards the unique identifier to the server;

receiving access, by the communication appliance, in response to the server authenticating the unique identifier, to information stored on the server; and

displaying, on the communication appliance, content relating to the information stored on the server.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

manipulating, by the communication appliance, the information stored on the server in response to a command input by a user of the communication appliance.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the local device enabled for NFC is a credit card issued by a financial institution, the server is configured to host an interactive website of the financial institution, and the information corresponds to data relating to the credit card or an account of the user.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

initiating, by the communication appliance, a telephonic communication with a customer contact center in response to a user interaction with a website hosted by the server,

wherein the communication appliance is authenticated through the unique identifier without additional verification when connected to the customer contact center.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication appliance is a cellular telephone.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

verifying, by the communication appliance, that the local device enabled for NFC is a previously known device; and

prompting, by the communication appliance, for a password that is not stored on the local device enabled for NFC in response to being unable to verify the local device enabled for NFC as a previously known device.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

verifying, by the communication appliance, a geographical location of the communication appliance; and

prompting, by the communication appliance, for a password in response to being unable to verify that the location of the communication appliance is an approved location.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving, the initializing, the receiving access, and the displaying, by the communication appliance, is in response to a first login request to the server by an appliance that is not NFC enabled, and the server is configured to allow the appliance that is not NFC enabled access to the information stored on the server in response to the server authenticating the unique identifier through the communication appliance.

9. A communication system enabled for near field communication (NFC) comprising:

a processor;

a display coupled to the processor; and

a memory storing instructions that when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

receive, over a wireless connection, a unique identifier stored on a local device enabled for NFC;

initialize, in response to receiving the unique identifier, a login request to a server, wherein the login request automatically launches an application configured to launch in response to the communication appliance receiving the unique identifier from the local device on a communication appliance for communication with the server, wherein the communication appliance automatically forwards the unique identifier to the server;

receive access, in response to the server authenticating the unique identifier, to information stored on the server; and

control the display to display content relating to the information stored on the server.

10. The communication system of claim 9, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

manipulate the information stored on the server in response to a command input by a user of the communication system.

11. The communication system of claim 10, wherein the local device enabled for NFC comprises a credit card issued by a financial institution, the server is configured to host an interactive website of the financial institution, and the information corresponds to data relating to the credit card or an account of the user.

12. The communication system of claim 9, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

initiate a telephonic communication with a customer contact center in response to a user interaction with a web site hosted by the server,

wherein the communication system is configured to be authenticated through the unique identifier without additional verification when connected to the customer contact center.

13. The communication system of claim 9, wherein the communication system comprises a cellular telephone.

14. The communication system of claim 9, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

verify that the local device enabled for NFC is a previously known device; and

prompt for a password that is not stored on the local device enabled for NFC in response to being unable to verify the local device enabled for NFC as a previously known device.

15. The communication system of claim 9, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

verify a geographical location of the communication system; and

prompt for a password in response to being unable to verify that the location of the communication appliance is an approved location.

16. The communication system of claim 9, wherein the processor is configured to execute the instructions in response to a first login request to the server by an appliance that is not NFC enabled, and the server is configured to allow the appliance that is not NFC enabled access to the information stored on the server in response to the server authenticating the unique identifier that is transmitted when the processor initializes the login request to the server.