Method for authorizing an auxiliary account using identification wristbands

• US 20060076402A1
• Filed: 10/07/2005
• Published: 04/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Bartronics America, Inc. (Systems America Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Proximities Incorporated (Bartronics India Ltd.)
• Inventors: Lerch, John W., Girvin, Joshua M.
• Application Number:
  US11/246,358
• Publication Number:
  US 20060076402A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/380
• 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

Abstract

A process for electronic authorization to access a common account via personal identification devices such as Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags, such as may be mounted on a wristband. RFID wristbands for auxiliary users are not authorized by a cashier/operator unless a primary account holder'"'"'s RFID wristband is utilized as an immediate preceding step. This process alleviates a problem with simpler approaches which merely require operator authorization to associate auxiliary RFID wristbands with primary RFID wristbands.

Claims

1. A method for authorizing transactions using personal identification devices comprising the steps of:

(a) authorizing a first identification device to access a primary account, the first identification device containing a first set of identification information;

(b) at a later time reading the first set of identification information from the first identification device;

(c) immediately thereafter, reading a second set of identification information from a second identification device; and

(d) authorizing the second identification device to access the primary account only if step (c) immediately follows step (b).

2. The method of claim 1 wherein at least a portion of the first set of identification information of the first identification device is stored in one of (i) the second identification device and (ii) an external database.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the identification information includes at least one of a credit card number, a serial number, and a PIN number.

4. The method of claims 1 wherein the first and second identification devices are Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the RFID tags are mounted on wristbands.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein step (d) authorizes the second identification device if steps (b) and (c) occurred within a predetermined time interval.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein a person using the first identification device and a person using the second identification device must be physically present at a single location for at least steps (b) and (c).

8. The method of claim 1 additionally comprising:

associating additional information with the second device selected from the group consisting of associated primary credit card information, a spending limit, an age restriction, an area access restriction.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein step (d) authorizes the second identification device if steps (b) and (c) are performed in uninterrupted succession.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein steps (b), (c), and (d) are performed under administration by an authorized operator.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the operator is a person using the first identification device.