Method and system for conducting financial and non-financial transactions using a wireless device

• US 20070053518A1
• Filed: 06/06/2006
• Published: 03/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Citicorp Credit Services Incorporated (Citigroup Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Citicorp Development Center Incorporated (Citigroup Incorporated)
• Inventors: Tompkins, Peter, Ahuja, Arun, Vos, Jennifer
• Granted Patent: US 8,725,632 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 380/270
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3265 characterised by personalisation for use
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3552 Downloading or loading of personalisation data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72406 by software upgrading or downloading
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/068 using credential vaults, e.g. password manager applications or one time password [OTP] applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/60 Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 60/00 Affiliation to network, e.g. registration; Terminating affiliation with the network, e.g. de-registration

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for conducting transactions, such as standard banking transactions, using a wireless device, such as a cellular telephone, personal digital assistant, and other web-enabled wireless devices utilizing software downloaded to the wireless device. The software provides a user with interface screens on the display of the wireless device for facilitating information requests to a service provider having access to at least one account of the user.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating wireless transactions with a service provider using a wireless device comprising:

accepting registration information from a user at a service provider, wherein the service provider maintains financial account data for the user;

verifying the registration information from the user;

facilitating a software download to a user'"'"'s wireless device in response to verification of the registration information, wherein the software download includes

(i) an interface application for navigating the user through a transaction using the wireless device and

(ii) a protocol application for facilitating the transfer of data between the wireless device and the service provider; and

authenticating the user at the service provider in response to user identification data supplied using the interface application of the wireless device.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein registration information is accepted via one of the following Internet, phone, or in-person.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the registration information includes the phone number associated with user wireless device.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the registration information includes at least one user account recognized by the service provider.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising establishing user identification data after verification of the registration information.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein facilitating a software download to a user'"'"'s wireless device further comprises forwarding a confirmation message to the user'"'"'s wireless device with instructions for confirmation embedded in the message.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the message is an SMS message including a URL for accessing the instructions for confirmation.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the confirmation message must be accessed by the user within a predetermined period of time.

9. The method according to claim 5, wherein the user identification data includes a user identifier and an associated access code.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the software download to the user'"'"'s wireless device includes the download of a software icon viewable on a display of the user'"'"'s wireless device.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising providing the user with at least one interface screen on the display of the user'"'"'s wireless device after the user selects the software icon.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising accepting user information requests at the service provider via the wireless device initiated from the at least one interface screen.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the user information requests are provided to the service provider as formatted by the protocol application.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the protocol application utilizes at least the OFX format.

15. A method for facilitating wireless transactions with a service provider using a wireless device comprising:

accepting registration information from a user at a service provider, wherein the service provider maintains financial account data for the user;

verifying the registration information from the user;

activating access to software on the user'"'"'s wireless device in response to verification of the registration information, wherein the software includes

(i) an interface application for navigating the user through a transaction using the wireless device and

(ii) a protocol application for facilitating the transfer of data between the wireless device and the service provider; and

authenticating the user at the service provider in response to user identification data supplied using the interface application of the wireless device.

16. The method according to claim 15 wherein registration information is accepted via one of the following Internet, phone, or in-person.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the registration information includes the phone number associated with user wireless device.

18. The method according to claim 15, wherein the registration information includes at least one user account recognized by the service provider.

19. The method according to claim 15, further comprising establishing user identification data after verification of the registration information.

20. The method according to claim 15, wherein facilitating a software download to a user'"'"'s wireless device further comprises forwarding a confirmation message to the user'"'"'s wireless device with instructions for confirmation embedded in the message.

21. The method according to claim 20, wherein the message is an SMS message including a URL for accessing the instructions for confirmation.

22. The method according to claim 20, wherein the confirmation message must be accessed by the user within a predetermined period of time.

23. The method according to claim 19, wherein the user identification data includes a user identifier and an associated access code.

24. The method according to claim 15, wherein the software on the user'"'"'s wireless device is accessible through a software icon viewable on a display of the user'"'"'s wireless device.

25. The method according to claim 24, further comprising providing the user with a first in an available series of interface screens on the display of the user'"'"'s wireless device after the user selects the software icon.

26. The method according to claim 25, further comprising accepting user information requests at the service provider via the wireless device initiated from the first interface screen.

27. The method according to claim 26, wherein the user information requests are provided to the service provider as formatted by the protocol application.

28. The method according to claim 27, wherein the protocol application utilizes at least the OFX format.

29. A system for facilitating wireless transactions with a service provider using a wireless device comprising:

means for accepting registration information from a user at a service provider, wherein the service provider maintains financial account data for the user;

means for verifying the registration information from the user;

means for facilitating a software download to a user'"'"'s wireless device in response to verification of the registration information, wherein the software download includes

(i) an interface application for navigating the user through a transaction using the wireless device and

(ii) a protocol application for facilitating the transfer of data between the wireless device and the service provider; and

means for authenticating the user at the service provider in response to user identification data supplied using the interface application of the wireless device.