SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR VALIDATING AND OPERATING AN ACCESS CARD

• US 20040124246A1
• Filed: 12/26/2002
• Published: 07/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/26/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Micropen Technologies Corporation (Heico Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Micropen Technologies Corporation (Heico Corporation)
• Inventors: Jilka, Bharat, Allen, Greggory W. D.
• Granted Patent: US 6,776,332 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/492
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/108 Remote banking, e.g. home banking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3415 Cards acting autonomously as pay-media
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system

Abstract

A system and method for authenticating a user for an account is provided. The system comprises a form factor enclosing a microprocessor, a first memory associated with the microprocessor, authentication information stored in the first memory for the account, a display device, a microcontroller in communication with the microprocessor, a second memory associated with the microcontroller, an input device providing a data entry interface for the user to the form factor and a card reader interface selectively connecting the microprocessor to a remote card reader. In the system, the microcontroller is adapted to receive authentication data from the input device provided by the user, to evaluate the authentication data against the authentication information and to enable the card reader interface if the authentication data is validated against authentication information. The method provides the functions of the system as well as a method of providing information from a card to an account server through a third party server, in a secure manner to the third party server.

Claims

1. A system for authenticating a user for an account, said system comprising a form factor enclosing

a microprocessor;

a first memory associated with said first microprocessor;

authentication information stored in said first memory for said account;

a display device;

a microcontroller in communication with said microprocessor;

a second memory associated with said microcontroller;

an input device providing a data entry interface for said user to said form factor; and

a card reader interface selectively connecting said microprocessor to a remote card reader,

wherein

said microcontroller is adapted to receive authentication data from said input device provided by said user;

to evaluate said authentication data against said authentication information; and

to enable said card reader interface if said authentication data is validated against authentication information.

2. The system for authenticating a user for an account as claimed in claim 1 wherein said system further comprises

unique microcontroller identification information relating to said microcontroller;

microprocessor identification information relating to said microprocessor,

wherein said microcontroller is further adapted

to evaluate (i) said unique microcontroller identification information against said microcontroller and (ii) said microprocessor identification information against said microprocessor; and

to enable said card reader interface if said (i) said unique microcontroller identification information is validated against said microcontroller and (ii) said microprocessor identification information is validated against said microprocessor.

3. The system for authenticating a user for an account as claimed in claim 2 wherein said microcontroller identification information is stored in said first memory and said microprocessor identification information is stored in said second memory.

4. The system for authenticating a user for an account as claimed in claim 3 wherein said input device is a keypad.

5. The system for authenticating a user for an account as claimed in claim 4 wherein said system generates an account transaction request which may be communicated to an account server associated with a central administration system for said account through a third party server.

6. The system for authenticating a user for an account as claimed in claim 5 wherein said system encodes said account transaction request from said third party server.

7. The system for authenticating a user for an account as claimed in claim 6 wherein said system encodes said account transaction request in a message.

8. The system for authenticating a user for an account as claimed in claim 7 wherein said system is further adapted to receive and process a response message from said account server.

9. The system for authenticating a user for an account as claimed in claim 8 wherein said system is further adapted to extract and store transaction data from said response message and to display a report summarizing said transaction data when requested by said user.

10. The system for authenticating a user for an account as claimed in claim 9 wherein said transaction request provides a transaction amount to said account server for verification against a transaction amount provided to said account server by said third party server.

11. The system for authenticating a user for an account as claimed in claim 10 wherein said transaction request provides an account limit adjustment request to said account server.

12. The system for authenticating a user for an account as claimed in claim 11 wherein said microcontroller is further adapted to enable uploading of said transaction data to a remote device through said card reader interface.

13. The system for authenticating a user for an account as claimed in claim 12 wherein said microcontroller is enabled to provide access to a plurality of accounts and account servers.

14. The system for authenticating a user for an account as claimed in claim 13 wherein one of said plurality of accounts selected from a set of accounts comprising a health card account and a credit card account.

15. The system for authenticating a user for an account as claimed in claim 8 wherein said microcontroller is enabled to provide limited access to said account when an involuntary access process is activated by said user.

16. A method of providing a transaction request related to an account from an account card to an account server through a third party system, said method comprising:

generating said transaction request on said account card; and

after connecting said account card to said third party system via a card reader, transmitting said transaction request from said account card to the account server through said third party system for further processing by said account server while encrypting contents of said transaction request from said third party system.

17. The method of providing a transaction request related to an account as claimed in claim 16 wherein before generating said transaction request, a user of said account card is required to provide authorization data via input device on said account card to authorize operation of said account card.

18. The method of providing a transaction request related to an account as claimed in claim 17 wherein parameters for said transaction request is generated on said account card via accepting input from said input device.

19. The method of providing a transaction request related to an account as claimed in claim 18, wherein said transaction request is a request to amend a limit associated said account.

20. The method of providing a transaction request related to an account as claimed in claim 19, wherein said transaction request contains an amount associated with a transaction, which is provided to said account server for verification against a second amount associated with said transaction provided by said third party system.