Method for replacing traditional payment and identity management systems and components to provide additional security and a system implementing said method

• US 10,679,209 B2
• Filed: 06/11/2018
• Issued: 06/09/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Garmin International, Inc. (Garmin Limited)
• Original Assignee: Garmin International, Inc. (Garmin Limited)
• Inventors: Tunnell, Charles David, Mitchell, Justin, Pereira, Gino, Zurasky, Jacob
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilder, A. Hunter
• Application Number:
  US16/005,598
• Publication Number:
  US 20190139030A1
• Time in Patent Office: 729 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/321 using wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3552 Downloading or loading of personalisation data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/357 Cards having a plurality of specified features
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/363 with the personal data of a user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication

Abstract

An electronic wallet system that protects payment accounts, identification and other personal information found within a typical wallet with a secure electronic vault (first) device that can be part of a physical wallet, insert to a wallet, or in other embodiments, wearable/portable devices. A unique biometrically enabled multi-factor authentication process ensures only owners of the information can copy the information to the device or retrieve it thereafter. Authenticated users may then select payment, identification, medical or virtually any private information via touch display or voice command on the vault or on another (second) device that operates in conjunction with the vault. The second device comprises, for example, a programmable card with dynamic magnetic stripe, cell phone, or other wearable technology, that initiates and processes a payment and/or transfer of private information.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

supplying, by a switching element of an electronic wallet, power to electronic components of the electronic wallet when the electronic wallet is in an opened configuration and deactivating the electronic components when the electronic wallet is in a closed configuration;

charging, by a power supply of the electronic wallet, a power source of an electronic card when the electronic card is disposed within a pocket of the electronic wallet;

assuming, by a processor of the electronic wallet, any one of a plurality of sleep states and power states responsive to resources needed to perform functions by the electronic wallet, wherein one of the plurality of sleep states comprising a deep sleep state during which the processor scans a touch interface of the electronic wallet at a first rate, and responsive to sensing a touch event on the touch interface, the processor scans the touch interface at a second rate greater than the first rate;

storing, in a memory of the electronic wallet, a plurality of personal information items;

authenticating, by the processor of the electronic wallet, a user to the electronic wallet;

receiving selection, by the processor from the user, of a personal information item from the plurality of personal information items on the electronic wallet;

authorizing, by the processor in response to receiving the selection, the electronic card to receive the selected personal information item;

transferring, by the processor, the selected personal information item to the electronic card, the electronic card comprising first and second regions of conductive material disposed in alignment on opposing surfaces of the electronic card;

storing the selected personal information item on the electronic card;

activating the electronic card responsive to the user pinching the first and second regions; and

conducting, after the step of activating, a transaction using the electronic card and the selected personal information item stored therein.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the power supply charges the electronic card by physical contact between the power supply and the electronic card or wirelessly from the power supply to the electronic card.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of authorizing the electronic card comprises authenticating the user to the electronic card, or authenticating the electronic wallet to the electronic card, or dynamically pairing the electronic wallet and the electronic card.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising assigning an alias to each one of the plurality of personal information items, the step of the user selecting a personal information item comprising the user selecting the personal information item using the alias.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the alias comprises at least one of a word, a biometric, a PIN, a password, a pattern, a behavior, a gesture, or a signature.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the electronic wallet comprises any one of a mobile phone, an electronic vault device, a personal identity vault, a private electronic vault, a private device, a secure electronic payment and identity management device, a wearable device, a portable device, a money clip, a key chain, a smart card, a smart wallet, a wearable accessory, a watch, a dongle, a cell phone, and a cell phone accessory.

7. The method of claim 1 after executing the step of authenticating the user to the electronic wallet, the user is able to load additional personal information items to or modify the personal information items on the electronic wallet.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the selected personal information item is stored on the electronic card in a format to support the transaction.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising deleting or obliterating the selected personal information item from the electronic card after the step of conducting the transaction.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of the user selecting comprises the user selecting the personal information item by touching a region of the electronic wallet according to a predetermined touch pattern, or according to a predetermined touch region, or by speaking a predetermined voice command, or by making a predetermined gesture.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising the user touching a predetermined region of at least one of the electronic wallet and the electronic card to wake-up or control one or both of the electronic wallet and the electronic card.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein one or both of the electronic wallet and the electronic card comprise one or more physical contacts on an external surface thereof, the method further comprising the user touching one or more of the contacts on one or both of the electronic wallet and the electronic card to control operation of one or both of the electronic wallet and the electronic card.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of authenticating further comprises determining a user'"'"'s biometrics, physical traits or behaviors by a sensor disposed on the electronic wallet, and comparing the biometrics, physical traits, or behaviors with stored biometrics, physical traits and behaviors of authenticated users.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the biometrics comprise one or more of gesture, finger, face, three-dimensional face, iris, eye, eye vein, eye tracking, DNA, vein, palm, heartbeat, sweat, vibrometry, brain waves, and scent.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the transaction involves one or more of financial information, medical information, and identity information.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising a step of the user specifying a limit associated with the transaction, the limit comprising a time duration during which the transaction must be conducted or a maximum dollar amount associated with the transaction.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising encrypting the selected personal information item prior to transferring the selected personal information item to the electronic card.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the electronic card comprises a dynamically programmable magnet stripe for use in conducting a transaction with a magnetic stripe reader, or the electronic card comprises a near field communications transmitter for use with a near field communications receiver, or the electronic card comprises a bar code generator for use with a bar code reader or the electronic card comprises EMV contacts.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of authenticating the user further comprises employing symmetric authentication, asymmetric authentication, or dynamic pairing authentication.

20. A system comprising:

an electronic wallet comprising a switching element, electronic components, a power supply, a memory, a touch interface, a pocket and a processor, wherein the electronic wallet is configured to;

supply, by the switching element, power to the electronic components when the electronic wallet is in an opened configuration and deactivate the electronic components when the electronic wallet is in a closed configuration;

charge, by the power supply, a power source of an electronic card when the electronic card is disposed within the pocket of the electronic wallet;

assume, by the processor, any one of a plurality of sleep states and power states responsive to resources needed to perform functions by the electronic wallet, wherein one of the plurality of sleep states comprises a deep sleep state during which the processor scans the touch interface of the electronic wallet at a first rate, and responsive to sensing a touch event on the touch interface, the processor scans the touch interface at a second rate greater than the first rate;

store, in the memory, a plurality of personal information items;

authenticate, by the processor, a user to the electronic wallet;

receive selection, by the processor from the user, of a personal information item from the plurality of personal information items on the electronic wallet;

authorize, by the processor in response to receiving the selection, the electronic card to receive the selected personal information item;

transfer, by the processor, the selected personal information item to the electronic card; and

the electronic card comprising the power source and first and second regions of conductive material disposed in alignment on opposing surfaces of the electronic card, wherein the electronic card is configured to;

store the selected personal information item;

activate responsive to the user pinching the first and second regions; and

conduct, after the step of activating, a transaction using the selected personal information item stored therein.