Credit worthiness rating method

• US 20060233332A1
• Filed: 03/24/2005
• Published: 10/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Cerebrus Solutions Ltd (Neural Technologies Limited)
• Original Assignee: Cerebrus Solutions Ltd (Neural Technologies Limited)
• Inventors: Toms, Alvin David
• Application Number:
  US11/090,694
• Publication Number:
  US 20060233332A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/114.200
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof

Abstract

A method of providing a credit worthiness rating, and systems and computer programs configured to enable the method, are disclosed. An identifier of an electronic device is received, and information is associated with the identifier. A credit worthiness rating is then determined, the rating based on the information associated with the received identifier. The information may include one or more of information relating to payments made for services supplied to the telephone or the user or users of the telephone, information relating to the usage of the telephone, and/or information relating to transactions or payments made using the telephone.

Claims

1. A method of providing a credit worthiness rating, the method comprising:

receiving an identifier of an electronic device, wherein information is associated with the identifier;

determining a credit worthiness rating based on the information associated with the received identifier.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the identifier is a telephone number.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein a user of the telephone is contacted to verify that they are the person who is applying for credit.

4. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the information associated with the telephone number comprises one or more of the following:

(i) information relating to payments made for services supplied to the telephone or the user or users of the telephone; and

/or

(ii) information relating to the usage of the telephone; and

/or

(iii) information relating to transactions or payments made using the telephone.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the credit worthiness rating is computed from information associated with the identifier.

6. A method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the credit worthiness rating is computed by a predictive model.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the credit worthiness rating is also based on other information.

8. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein a user of the telephone is contacted to verify that they are aware that a credit assessment is being performed against the telephone.

9. A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the user of the telephone that is contacted is the telephone subscriber.

10. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein a user of the telephone is contacted to verify that they approve of a credit assessment being performed against the telephone number.

11. A method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the telephone number is used to verify that the telephone is in the possession of the person applying for credit.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein the telephone number is for a mobile telephone and the credit applicant appears in person and presents their mobile telephone, the telephone number is dialled to determine whether the credit applicant'"'"'s telephone is the same as the telephone corresponding to the number dialled.

25. A computer program for controlling a computer to perform a method as described in claim 1.

30. A computer readable storage medium which stores the computer program defined in claim 25.

35. A computer device programmed to perform the method defined in claim 1.

13. A method of providing a credit worthiness rating comprising:

receiving an identifier of an electronic device, wherein the identifier is associated with a service provided in relation to the electronic device;

determining a credit worthiness rating based on information associated with the received identifier.

14. A method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the identifier is the telephone number.

15. A method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the service is a telecommunications service.

26. A computer program for controlling a computer to perform a method as described in claim 13.

31. A computer readable storage medium which stores the computer program defined in claim 26.

36. A computer device programmed to perform the method defined in claim 13.

16. A method of providing a credit worthiness rating comprising:

receiving a telephone number;

determining a credit worthiness rating based on information associated with the telephone number.

17. A method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the information associated with the telephone number is data on the use of the telephone and/or data on the payment behaviour for provision of the telephone service or services provided to the telephone and/or information relating to transactions or payment made using the telephone.

27. A computer program for controlling a computer to perform a method as described in claim 16.

32. A computer readable storage medium which stores the computer program defined in claim 27.

37. A computer device programmed to perform the method defined in claim 16.

18. A method of providing a credit worthiness rating and verifying the identity of a credit applicant comprising:

receiving a telephone number and identifying information of the credit applicant;

determining a credit worthiness rating of the credit applicant based on information associated with the telephone number;

verifying the identifying information using the received telephone number.

19. A method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the credit applicant'"'"'s identity details are compared to the telephone subscriber'"'"'s identity details.

20. A method as claimed in claim 19, wherein the credit applicant'"'"'s identity details and the telephone subscriber'"'"'s identity details are encoded prior to comparison using a non-invertible encoding.

28. A computer program for controlling a computer to perform a method as described in claim 18.

33. A computer readable storage medium which stores the computer program defined in claim 28.

38. A computer device programmed to perform the method defined in claim 18.

21. A method for mapping a telephone number to a representation of credit worthiness comprising:

receiving a telephone number; and

mapping the telephone number to a representation of a credit worthiness rating.

22. A method as claimed in claim 21, wherein the mapping is performed by computing the representation of credit worthiness from information associated with the telephone number.

23. A method as claimed in claim 21, wherein the mapping is performed by looking up the representation of credit worthiness using the telephone number in a lookup table.

24. A method as claimed in claim 23, wherein the lookup table is updated by an update means.

29. A computer program for controlling a computer to perform a method as described in claim 21.

34. A computer readable storage medium which stores the computer program defined in claim 29.

39. A computer device programmed to perform the method defined in claim 21.

40. An apparatus for providing a credit worthiness rating comprising:

means for receiving an identifier of an electronic device, wherein the identifier is associated with a service provided in relation to the electronic device;

means for determining a credit worthiness rating based on information associated with the received identifier.

41. An apparatus for providing a credit worthiness rating comprising:

means for receiving a telephone number;

means for determining a credit worthiness rating based on information associated with the telephone number.

42. An apparatus for providing a credit worthiness rating and verifying the identity of a credit applicant comprising:

means for receiving a telephone number and identifying information of a credit applicant;

means for determining a credit worthiness rating of the credit applicant based on information associated with the telephone number

means for verifying the identifying information using the received telephone number.

43. An apparatus for mapping a telephone number to a representation of credit worthiness comprising:

means for receiving a telephone number; and

means for mapping the telephone number to a representation of a credit worthiness rating.

44. An apparatus for providing a credit worthiness rating comprising:

means for receiving an identifier of an electronic device, wherein information is associated with the identifier;

means for determining a credit worthiness rating based on the information associated with the received identifier.