Location based access to financial information systems and methods

• US 20070055672A1
• Filed: 09/02/2005
• Published: 03/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Stevens, Gilman
• Granted Patent: US 8,176,077 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3224 Transactions dependent on location of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0263 Rule management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/107 wherein the security policies are location-dependent, e.g. entities privileges depend on current location or allowing specific operations only from locally connected terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1079 of unsolicited session attempts, e.g. SPIT
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal

Abstract

Systems, methods, and software for identifying location based rules related to a network connected device are described. A network connected device may transmit a set of data identifying the location of the device and an identifier unique to the device to a server. The server may also receive an action request, wherein the action request is associated with the identifier. The server may select a rule in a database to address the action request, the rule applicable to the identifier and location of the device. Various embodiments related to financial card transactions, access to financial information, emergency services contact, and electronic message filtering are also addressed.

Claims

1. A system for authorizing access to financial information, the system comprising:

a mobile communications device, wherein the device is configured to;

receive a set of data identifying the location of the device; and

transmit a communications signal which includes information comprising the set of data and an identifier unique to the device; and

a database which comprises a table of identifiers, wherein,

each identifier in the table is unique to one of a plurality of mobile communications devices;

each identifier in the table is associated with a different set of financial information; and

the table of identifiers includes the identifier unique to the device;

a location comparison server, in communication with the device and the database, wherein the server is configured to;

receive the communications signal;

store the set of data from the communications signal in the database;

receive a request for access to a set of financial information and data identifying the location of the request, wherein the set of financial information is associated with the identifier unique to the device; and

authorize the request for access when the database indicates that the device is located within limited geographic regions, the regions determined by the location of the request for access.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the set of data is received by hardware configured to receive the set of data, the hardware coupled with the device.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the hardware configured to receive the set of data comprises a GPS receiver.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the identifier unique to the device is selected from the group consisting of:

a MAC address, an IP address, a telephone number, and any combination thereof.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the database further comprises rules associated with each identifier in the table, the rules dictating how the location of the request for access will determine the limited geographic regions.

6. The system of claim 5, the rules are established by a financial services company associated with the financial information.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the set of financial information is associated with an account of a user of the device

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the database further comprises user preferences associated with each identifier in the table, the user preferences dictating how the location of the request for access will determine the limited geographic regions.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the request for access is made by the user.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the set of financial information is associated with an account of a corporate entity.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the request for access is made by a person or entity other than a user of the device.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the request for access is transmitted from the device and in the communications signal.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the request for access may be authorized by failing to deny the request for access.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the authorize step comprises validating a password.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein a size and shape of the limited geographic regions are variable with time.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the limited geographic regions are further determined by the location of the device.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the server authorizes the transaction if the database indicates that the device and the transaction are each located within one of the limited geographic regions.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the server authorizes the transaction if the database indicates that the device and the request for access are located within a specified distance of each other.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the server does not authorize the transaction because the database indicates that the device and the transaction are not each located within one of the limited geographic regions.

20. The system of claim 1, wherein the communications signal comprises more than one signal, each signal transmitted at different times.

21. A method of authorizing access to financial information of a user;

the system comprising;

maintaining a database which comprises a table of identifiers, wherein,

each identifier in the table unique to one of a plurality of mobile communications devices;

each identifier in the table is associated with at a different set of financial information;

receiving a communications signal from one device the plurality of mobile communications devices, the signal including information comprising a set of data identifying the location of the one device and an identifier unique to the one device;

storing the set of data from the communications signal in the database;

receiving a request for access to the set of financial information and data identifying the location originating the request, wherein the set of financial information is associated with the identifier unique to the device; and

authorizing the request for access when the database indicates that the device is located within limited geographic regions, the regions determined by the location of the request for access.

22. A computer program embodied on at least one computer readable medium, the computer program comprising instructions executable by a computer to:

maintain a database which comprises a table of identifiers, wherein,

each identifier in the table unique to one of a plurality of mobile communications devices;

each identifier in the table is associated with at a different set of financial information;

receive a communications signal from one device one of a plurality of mobile communications devices, the signal including information comprising a set of data identifying the location of the one device and an identifier unique to the one device;

store the set of data from the communications signal in the database;

receive a request for access to the set of financial information and data identifying the location originating the request, wherein the set of financial information is associated with the identifier unique to the device; and

authorize the request for access when the database indicates that the device is located within limited geographic regions, the regions determined by the location of the request for access.