Account association systems and methods

• US 10,623,388 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2016
• Issued: 04/14/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visa Europe Limited (Visa, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Visa Europe Limited (Visa, Inc.)
• Inventors: Taratine, Boris, Lewis, Malcolm
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Tae K
• Application Number:
  US15/073,341
• Publication Number:
  US 20160197904A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,489 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles

Abstract

Embodiments of the present disclosure comprise methods, apparatus and computer readable instructions for establishing a relationship between user accounts. An account association request message in relation in relation to a first user account and a second user account is received. The account identifier for the first user account and the account identifier for the second user account is determined based on the account association request message. A profile information message is transmitted on the basis of the account identifier for the second user account and in response, a profile information response message is received. A relationship between the first user account and the second user account is established least in response to receipt of the profile information response message.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, prior to receipt of an account association request message, a token request message in relation to one of a first user account and a second user account;

transmitting a token response message in response to receipt of the token request message, the token response message comprising a token corresponding to said one of the first user account and the second user account;

receiving, by an account association server via a computer network, the account association request message having information that identifies the first user account and the second user account, wherein the first user account corresponds to a first user of an account based system and the second user account corresponds to a second user of the account based system, each respective user account having an account identifier and one or more items of profile identity information associated with the corresponding user, at least one item of profile identity information having been assured by a trusted identity provider and initially being unavailable to users of the account system other than said corresponding user, the account association request originating from a first user device associated with the first user, and wherein the account association request message comprises the token;

determining, by the account association server on the basis of the account association request message, the account identifier for the first user account and the account identifier for the second user account, wherein the account identifier for said one of the first user account and the second user account is determined on the basis of the token;

identifying, by the account association server on the basis of the account identifier for the first user account, a first said item of profile identity information that is initially unavailable to users of the account system other than said corresponding user, wherein the first said item of profile identity information is associated with the first user but does not itself describe the first user, wherein the first said item of profile identity information is an image that the second user recognizes as being associated with the first user;

transmitting, by the account association server on the basis of the account identifier for the second user account, a profile information message to a second user device associated with the second user via the computer network, the profile information message conveying the first said item of profile identity information, wherein the first said item of profile identity information is known by the second user to be associated with the first user prior to the second user device receiving the profile information message conveying the first said item of profile identity information from the account association server;

receiving, by the account association server via the computer network, a profile identity response message originating from the second user device in response to transmission of the profile information message, the profile identity response message confirming that the first said item of profile identity information has been verified by the second user as being associated with the first user; and

establishing, by the account association server, a relationship between the first user account and the second user account at least in response to receipt of the profile identity response message by adding account information for the second user account to the first user account.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the profile information message comprises a profile information challenge message configured to request the first said item of profile identity information, and wherein said profile information response message comprises a received item of profile identity information,

the method further comprising comparing the first said item of profile identity information and the received item of profile identity information, wherein the establishment of the relationship between the first user account and the second user account is performed on the basis of the comparison.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the account association request message is received from the first user device or a service provider entity associated with the first user account.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the account association request message comprises at least one of the account identifier for the first user account and the account identifier for the second user account.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the profile identity response message is received from the second user device or a service provider entity associated with the second user account.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the token comprises the identifier for said one of the first user account and the second user account.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating the token in response to receipt of the token request message, wherein the token comprises a timestamp relating to at least one of the date and the time that the token was generated.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying, on the basis of the account identifier for the second user account, a second said item of profile identity information, the second said item of profile identity information being associated with the second user;

transmitting, in response to receipt of said profile identity confirmation message, a further profile information message, the further profile information message relating to the second said item of profile identity information; and

receiving a further profile identity response message in response to transmission of the profile information message, the further profile identity response message comprising information relating to the second said item of profile identity information;

wherein the relationship between the first user account and the second user account is established further in response to receipt of the further profile confirmation message.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the further profile information message comprises a further profile information challenge message configured to request the second said item of profile identity information, and wherein said further profile information response message comprises a further received item of profile identity information,

the method further comprising comparing the second said item of profile identity information and the further received item of profile identity information, wherein the establishment of the relationship between the first user account and the second user account is performed on the basis of an outcome of the further comparison.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the further profile information message and the further profile identity response message are sent to and received from respectively, the first user device or a service provider entity associated with the first user account.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first user account and the second user account are each held with a financial institution.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein establishing a relationship between said first user account and said second user account comprises adding the first user account to a list of user accounts associated with the second user account.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein establishing a relationship between said first user account and said second user account further comprises adding the second user account to a list of user accounts associated with the first user account.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the account identifier for the first user account and the identifier for the second user account are unique within the account based system.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the first said item of profile identity information is rendered on a user interface of the second user device, and the profile identity response message is transmitted by the second user device in response to the second user device receiving user input indicating that the second user has verified the first said item of profile identity information as being associated with the first user.

16. An account association server comprising:

at least one memory including computer program code; and

at least one processor in data communication with the at least one memory, wherein the at least one processor is configured to;

receiving, prior to receipt of an account association request message, a token request message in relation to one of a first user account and a second user account;

transmitting a token response message in response to receipt of the token request message, the token response message comprising a token corresponding to said one of the first user account and the second user account;

receive, via a computer network, the account association request having information that identifies the first user account and the second user account, in which the first user account corresponds to a first user of an account based system and the second user account corresponds to a second user of the account based system, each respective user account having an account identifier and one or more items of profile identity information associated with the corresponding user, at least one item of profile identity information having been assured by a trusted identity provider and initially being unavailable to users of the account system other than said corresponding user, the account association request originating from a first user device associated with the first user, and wherein the account association request message comprises the token;

determine, on the basis of the account association request message, the account identifier for the first user account and the account identifier for the second user account wherein the account identifier for said one of the first user account and the second user account is determined on the basis of the token;

identify, on the basis of the account identifier for the first user account, a first said item of profile identity information that is initially unavailable to users of the account system other than said corresponding user, wherein the first said item of profile identity information is associated with the first user but does not itself describe the first user, wherein the first said item of profile identity information is an image that the second user recognizes as being associated with the first user;

transmit, on the basis of the account identifier for the second user account, a profile information message to a second user device associated with the second user via the computer network, the profile information message conveying the first said item of profile identity information, wherein the first said item of profile identity information is known by the second user to be associated with the first user prior to the second user device receiving the profile information message conveying the first said item of profile identity information from the account association server;

receive, via the computer network, a profile identity response message originating from the second user in response to transmission of the profile information message, the profile identity response message confirming that the first said item of profile identity information has been verified by the second user as being associated with the first user; and

establish a relationship between the first user account and the second user account at least in response to receipt of the profile identity response message by adding account information for the second user account to the first user account.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising computer-executable instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause an account association server to perform a method, the method comprising:

receiving, prior to receipt of an account association request message, a token request message in relation to one of a first user account and a second user account;

transmitting a token response message in response to receipt of the token request message, the token response message comprising a token corresponding to said one of the first user account and the second user account;

receiving, by the account association server via a computer network, the account association request message having information that identifies the first user account and the second user account, in which the first user account corresponds to a first user of an account based system and the second user account corresponds to a second user of the account based system, each respective user account having an account identifier and one or more items of profile identity information associated with the corresponding user, at least one item of profile identity information having been assured by a trusted identity provider and initially being unavailable to users of the account system other than said corresponding user, the account association request originating from a first user device associated with the first user, and wherein the account association request message comprises the token;

determining, by the account association server on the basis of the account association request message, the account identifier for the first user account and the account identifier for the second user account, wherein the account identifier for said one of the first user account and the second user account is determined on the basis of the token;

identifying, by the account association server on the basis of the account identifier for the first user account, a first said item of profile identity information that is initially unavailable to users of the account system other than said corresponding user, wherein the first said item of profile identity information is associated with the first user but does not itself describe the first user, wherein the first said item of profile identity information is an image that the second user recognizes as being associated with the first user;

transmitting, by the account association server on the basis of the account identifier for the second user account, a profile information message to a second user device associated with the second user via the computer network, the profile information message conveying the first said item of profile identity information, wherein the first said item of profile identity information is known by the second user to be associated with the first user prior to the second user device receiving the profile information message conveying the first said item of profile identity information;

receiving, by the account association server via the computer network, a profile identity response message originating from the second user device in response to transmission of the profile information message, the profile identity response message confirming that the first said item of profile identity information has been verified by the second user as being associated with the first user; and

establishing, by the account association server, a relationship between the first user account and the second user account at least in response to receipt of the profile identity response message, by adding account information for the second user account to the first user account.