METHOD TO USE CELL PHONE LOCATION TO AUTHENTICATE OR ENABLE/DISABLE AUTHORIZATION OF CREDIT CARDS

• US 20080035725A1
• Filed: 08/11/2006
• Published: 02/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Naick, Indran, Vasudevan, Cheranellore, Jambunathan, Sivakumar
• Application Number:
  US11/463,902
• Publication Number:
  US 20080035725A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/380
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3224 Transactions dependent on location of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/325 using wireless networks
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

A method for reducing fraudulent usage of credit cards/debit cards, the method comprising: allowing a user owning the credit cards/debit cards to register the credit cards/debit cards to a GPS (Global Positioning System) enabled device, the GPS enabled device connected to a network; allowing the user to define a range at which the credit cards/debit cards are out of range with respect to the GPS enabled device; authorizing use of the credit cards/debit cards owned by the user after it is determined that the credit cards/debit cards and the GPS enabled device are within the user defined range; and denying the authorization of the credit cards/debit cards owned by the user after it is determined that the credit cards/debit cards and the GPS enabled device are outside the user defined range.

Claims

1. A method for reducing fraudulent usage of credit cards/debit cards, the method comprising:

allowing a user owning the credit cards/debit cards to register the credit cards/debit cards to a GPS (Global Positioning System) enabled device, the GPS enabled device connected to a network;

allowing the user to define a range at which the credit cards/debit cards are out of range with respect to the GPS enabled device;

authorizing use of the credit cards/debit cards owned by the user after it is determined that the credit cards/debit cards and the GPS enabled device are within the user defined range; and

denying the authorization of the credit cards/debit cards owned by the user after it is determined that the credit cards/debit cards and the GPS enabled device are outside the user defined range.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the GPS enabled device is a cell phone.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the network is a cell phone network.

4. A system for reducing fraudulent usage of credit cards/debit cards, the system comprising:

a network; and

a host system in communication with the network, the host system including software to implement a method comprising;

allowing a user owning the credit cards/debit cards to register the credit cards/debit cards to a GPS (Global Positioning System) enabled device, the GPS enabled device connected to the network;

allowing the user to define a range at which the credit cards/debit cards are out of range with respect to the GPS enabled device;

authorizing use of the credit cards/debit cards owned by the user after it is determined that the credit cards/debit cards and the GPS enabled device are within the user defined range; and

denying the authorization of the credit cards/debit cards owned by the user after it is determined that the credit cards/debit cards and the GPS enabled device are outside the user defined range.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the GPS enabled device is a cell phone.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the network is a cell phone network.

7. A computer program product for reducing fraudulent usage of credit cards/debit cards, the computer program product comprising:

a storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for performing a method comprising;

allowing a user owning the credit cards/debit cards to register the credit cards/debit cards to a GPS (Global Positioning System) enabled device, the GPS enabled device connected to a network;

allowing the user to define a range at which the credit cards/debit cards are out of range with respect to the GPS enabled device;

authorizing use of the credit cards/debit cards owned by the user after it is determined that the credit cards/debit cards and the GPS enabled device are within the user defined range; and

denying the authorization of the credit cards/debit cards owned by the user after it is determined that the credit cards/debit cards and the GPS enabled device are outside the user defined range.

8. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the GPS enabled device is a cell phone.

9. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the network is a cell phone network.