METHODS, SYSTEMS, AND COMPUTER READABLE MEDIA FOR OVER THE AIR (OTA) PROVISIONING OF SOFT CARDS ON DEVICES WITH WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS CAPABILITIES

• US 20090164322A1
• Filed: 12/19/2008
• Published: 06/25/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mastercard International Incorporated (MasterCard Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Mastercard International Incorporated (MasterCard Incorporated)
• Inventors: Narayanan, Narendra, Kumar, Pradeep, Khan, Mohammad, Liu, Ming-Li, Vijayshankar, Roshan
• Granted Patent: US 8,165,635 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.140
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/105 involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3278 RFID or NFC payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/355 Personalisation of cards for use
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0212 Chance discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/35 Protecting application or service provisioning, e.g. securing SIM application provisioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer readable media for over the air provisioning of soft cards on devices with wireless communications capabilities are disclosed. According to one method, a soft card provisioning application is instantiated on a device with wireless communications capabilities. A card number for a soft card desired to be provisioned on the device is obtained from a user of the device. An issuer identification number retrieved from the card number is communicated to a provisioning configuration server over an air interface. A provisioning issuer server network address is obtained from the provisioning configuration server based on the issuer identification number. The provisioning information server is connected to, and card-issuer-specific challenge information is obtained therefrom. The challenges are presented to the user, and the user'"'"'s responses to the challenges are received. A connection is made to the provisioning issuer server corresponding to the network address. The challenge responses are communicated to the provisioning issuer server. Soft card image data and personalization data, where the personalization data includes personalized embossed and pre-printed data, are received from the provisioning issuer server over the air interface. The soft card is provisioned for use on the device based on the data received over the air interface.

Claims

1. A method for over the air (OTA) provisioning a soft card on a device having wireless communications capabilities, the method comprising:

(a) instantiating a soft card provisioning application on a device with wireless communications capabilities;

(b) obtain a card number for a soft card desired to be provisioned on the device;

(c) communicating an issuer identification number (IIN) retrieved from the card number to a provisioning configuration server over an air interface;

(d) receiving a provisioning issuer server network address from the provisioning configuration server based on the issuer identification number;

(e) connecting to and receiving at least one card-issuer-specific challenge question from provisioning issuer server;

(f) presenting the at least one challenge question to a user of the device and receiving at least one response to the at least one challenge question;

(g) communicating the at least one response to the provisioning issuer server; and

(h) receiving, over the air interface, card image data and soft card personalization data including personalized embossed and pre-printed data from the provisioning issuer server and, in response to successful receipt of the data sent over the air interface, provisioning the soft card for the use on the device with wireless communication capabilities based on the data received over the air interface.

2. The method of claim 1 comprising sending a confirmation from provisioning and payment application to the provisioning configuration server and severing provisioning control between the provisioning and payment application and the soft card once the soft card is successfully provisioned.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the device with wireless communications capabilities includes at least one of general packet radio service (GPRS), global system for mobile communications (GSM), code division multiple access (CDMA), Internet, short message service point to point (SMS PP), card application toolkit transport protocol (CAT_TP) and Bluetooth communications capabilities.

4. The method of claim 1 comprising, in response to failing to successfully receive the data from the provisioning issuer server over the air interface, reading card track information from a secure chip associated with the device to obtain and display the last four digits of a card number and displaying a default card image.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the soft card comprises a card selected from the group consisting of a loyalty card, a member card, a non-payment card, a door key, a debit card, a prepaid card, an e-purse card, a coupon, a promotion, and a ticket for one of:

transit, parking, a movie, and an event.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the soft card comprises a software-implemented version of a physical card for which the corresponding physical card does not exist.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the soft card comprises a software-implemented card for which a corresponding physical card exists.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein obtaining a card number includes receiving a card number via a keypad associated with the device.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein obtaining a card number includes obtaining a personal account number (PAN) from the user.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the device having wireless communications capabilities comprises a device selected from a group consisting of a mobile telephone, a smart phone, a key fob, a physical card, and a personal digital assistant.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one card-issuer-specific challenge includes a request for security information from the user.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the card image data from the provisioning issuer server over the air interface includes receiving a graphical image of the soft card to be displayed on a display associated with the device.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the soft card personalization data includes receiving name, expiration date and card verification value (CVV), issuer marketing data, including card type, account type, member since, issuer specific data including customer support number, issuer uniform resource locator (URL), issuer name, and network supported.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving a soft card request includes receiving a request for provisioning at least one soft card via a web interface.

15. The method of claim 1 comprising initiating the provisioning application to start a provisioning process by sending a wireless application protocol (WAP) push message to the provisioning application.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the soft card personalization data over the air interface includes receiving the soft card personalization data using one of:

transmission control protocol/Internet protocol (TCP/IP), card application toolkit transport protocol (CAT_TP), and short message service point to point (SMS PP) over the air interface.

17. A method for over the air (OTA) provisioning of a soft card on a device having wireless communications capabilities using a provisioning configuration server, the method comprising:

at a provisioning configuration server;

(a) storing issuer configuration data and challenge questions for a plurality of different card issuers;

(b) receiving a soft card provisioning request for provisioning a soft card on a device with wireless communications capabilities, the provisioning request including an issuer identification number (IIN);

(c) identifying, based on IIN, a card issuer for the soft card request; and

(d) communicating a network address for a card issuer server to the device over the air interface so that the device can contact the provisioning issuer server and obtain, from the provisioning issuer server over the air interface, soft card image data and soft card personalization data including pre-printed and embossed data.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the soft card comprises a card selected from a group consisting of a payment card, a loyalty card, a debit card, an e-purse card, a member card, a non-payment card, a door key, a coupon, a promotion, and a ticket for one of transit, parking, a movie, and an event.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein the soft card comprises a software-implemented version of a physical card for which a corresponding physical card exists.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the soft card comprises a software-implemented card for which a corresponding physical card does not exist.

21. The method of claim 17 wherein receiving a soft card request including a card identifier includes obtaining a personal account number (PAN) number.

22. The method of claim 17 wherein receiving a soft card provisioning request including a card identifier includes receiving a soft card provisioning request from the device over a connection established over an air interface without requiring a voice call.

23. The method of claim 17 wherein receiving a soft card provisioning request including a card identifier includes receiving a soft card provisioning request including the card identifier from a user over a web interface.

24. The method of claim 17 wherein receiving a soft card provisioning request includes receiving a wireless application protocol (WAP) push message containing card provisioning information from a card issuer.

25. The method of claim 17 wherein receiving a soft card provisioning request includes receiving a control SMS (cSMS) message containing card provisioning information from a card issuer.

26. The method of claim 17 wherein the device comprises a device selected from a group consisting of a mobile phone, a smart phone, a physical card, a key fob, and a personal digital assistant.

28. The method of claim 17 wherein steps (a)-(d) are performed in real time.

29. The method of claim 17 wherein the steps (a)-(d) are performed a plurality of times to provision a plurality of different soft cards in real time.

30. The method of claim 17 wherein the step (d) includes presenting the challenge and network identification to the device using one of:

transmission control protocol/Internet protocol TCP/IP, card application toolkit transport protocol (CAT_TP), and short message service point to point (SMS PP) over an air interface.

27. The method of claim 27 wherein the device includes a memory for storing the soft card personalization data, wherein the memory comprises secure and non-secure memory present in the device as one of:

embedded memory, a universal subscriber identity module (uSIM) part of a universal integrated circuit card (UICC), a subscriber identification module (SIM), a removable element, and device memory.

31. A system for over the air (OTA) provisioning of a soft card on a device with wireless communications capabilities, the system comprising:

(a) a soft card provisioning application for executing on a device with wireless communications capabilities, for obtaining a card number from a user, and for communicating an issuer identification number (IIN) determined from the card number over an air interface;

(b) a provisioning configuration server for receiving the IIN from the soft card provisioning application, for identifying a card issuer corresponding to the IIN, and for communicating card issuer network identification information over the air interface; and

(c) a provisioning issuer server for connecting with the soft card provisioning application over an air interface, for communicating, over the air interface, at least one challenge to the soft card provisioning application, for receiving, over the air interface, at least one response to the at least one challenge, and for sending, over the air interface, personalization data to the soft card provisioning application for provisioning the soft card.

32. The system of claim 31 wherein the provisioning issuer server includes a computer program to perform account lifecycle management, prepare the personalization data, and perform secure domain management.

33. The system of claim 31 wherein the provisioning issuer server is integrated with a card issuer back office system.

34. The system of claim 31 wherein the soft card comprises a card selected from a group consisting of a payment card, a loyalty card, a member card, a non-payment card, a door key, a debit card, a prepaid card, an e-purse card, a coupon, a promotion, and a ticket for one of:

transit, parking, a movie, and an event.

35. The system of claim 31 wherein the soft card comprises a software-implemented version of a physical card for which the corresponding physical card exists.

36. The system of claim 31 wherein the soft card comprises a software-implemented for which a corresponding physical card does not exist.

37. The system of claim 31 wherein obtaining a card identifier includes obtaining a personal account number (PAN) number.

38. The system of claim 31 wherein obtaining a card identifier includes obtaining the card identifier via a user interface associated with the device.

39. The system of claim 31 wherein the provisioning configuration server includes a computer program to perform phone lifecycle management, secure domain lifecycle management, card issuer configuration management, and secure domain key management.

40. The system of claim 31 wherein the soft card provisioning application, the provisioning configuration server, and the provisioning issuer server are adapted to provision the soft card in real time.

41. The system of claim 31 comprising a web provisioning application for receiving provisioning information for a plurality of cards and for communicating the information to the provisioning configuration server, wherein the provisioning configuration server is adapted to identify card issuers for each of the provisioning requests and to effect provisioning of a plurality of soft cards in real time.

42. The system of claim 31 wherein the soft card provisioning application is adapted to communicate with the provisioning configuration server using one of transmission control protocol/Internet protocol (TCP/IP), card application toolkit transport protocol (CAT_TP), and short message service point to point (SMS PP) over the air interface.

43. A computer readable medium having stored therein computer executable instructions that when executed by the processor of a computer transform a non-provisioned mobile device into a mobile device provisioned with a soft card:

(a) instantiating a soft card provisioning application on a device with wireless communications capabilities;

(b) obtain a card number for a soft card desired to be provisioned on the device;

(c) communicating an issuer identification number (IIN) retrieved from the card number to a provisioning configuration server over an air interface;

(d) receiving a provisioning issuer server network address from the provisioning configuration server based on the issuer identification number;

(e) connecting to a provisioning issuer server and receiving at least one card-issuer-specific challenge question from the provisioning issuer server;

(f) presenting the at least one challenge question to a user of the device and receiving at least one response to the at least one challenge question;

(g) communicating the at least one response to the provisioning issuer server; and

(h) receiving, over the air interface, card image data and soft card personalization data including personalized embossed and pre-printed data from the provisioning issuer server and, in response to successful receipt of the data sent over the air interface, provisioning the soft card for the use on the device with wireless communication capabilities based on the data received over the air interface.

44. The computer readable medium of claim 43 wherein the soft card comprises a card selected from a group consisting of a payment card, a non-payment card, a ticket, a coupon, a debit card, an e-purse card, a loyalty promotion, and a door key.

45. A computer readable medium having stored therein computer executable instructions that when executed by the processor of a computer transform a non-provisioned mobile device into a mobile device provisioned with a soft card:

at a provisioning configuration server;

(a) storing issuer configuration data and challenge questions for a plurality of different card issuers;

(b) receiving a soft card provisioning request for provisioning a soft card on a device with wireless communications capabilities, the provisioning request including an issuer identification number (IIN);

(c) identifying, based on IIN, a card issuer for the soft card request; and

(d) communicating a network address for a card issuer server to the device over the air interface so that the device can contact the provisioning issuer server and obtain, from the provisioning issuer server over the air interface, soft card image data and soft card personalization data including pre-printed and embossed data.