SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MANAGING ELECTRONIC DATA TRANSFER APPLICATIONS

• US 20090179075A1
• Filed: 12/19/2006
• Published: 07/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hurry, Simon, Raj, Thanigaivel Ashwin, Sahota, Jagdeep Singh, Kashef, Forough, Shenker, Gavin
• Granted Patent: US 7,815,111 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/382
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/209 Specified transaction journal output feature, e.g. printed receipt or voice output
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3227 using secure elements embedded in M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/326 Payment applications installed on the mobile devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/341 Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3552 Downloading or loading of personalisation data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/35765 Access rights to memory zones
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0886 the card reader being portable for interacting with a POS or ECR in realizing a payment transaction
• 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: H04M 1/673 the user being required to key in a code
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality

Abstract

A system and method for managing one or more applications deployed on a mobile electronic device, such as a cellular phone, are disclosed. The system and method enable the user of a mobile electronic device to select one of a plurality of applications deployed on the mobile electronic device for use in a transaction and to authenticate himself or herself prior to initiating the transaction. The transaction may occur via a wireless interface and/or a contact-based interface. In addition, the system and method allow the user to manage applications deployed on a mobile electronic device, including adding new applications, designating nicknames for the applications and setting security codes for each application.

Claims

1. A method for managing one or more data transfer applications on a mobile electronic device, the method comprising:

disabling all of the one or more data transfer applications on the electronic device;

identifying one or more of the data transfer applications which have been registered for use on the electronic device;

displaying an identifier for one or more of the registered data transfer application on the electronic device;

receiving, from a user of the electronic device, a selection for one of the data transfer applications;

enabling the selected data transfer application for use by the user when the user satisfies an authentication mechanism associated with the selected data transfer application; and

disabling the selected data transfer application.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the authentication mechanism operates independent of the data transfer application.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the authentication mechanism comprises entry by the user of a first authentication code is compared to a second authentication code for the data transfer application.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the authentication mechanism comprises the entry of a first personal identification number which is compared to a second personal identification number for the data transfer application.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the authentication mechanism comprises comparing a biometric sample supplied by the user with a biometric template associated with the data transfer application.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the biometric sample comprises one or more of the following:

a fingerprint;

a facial scan;

a retinal image;

an iris scan; and

a voice print.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the authentication mechanism comprises comparing a signature supplied by the user with a signature template associated with the data transfer application.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the signature supplied by the user is electronically compared to the signature template.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if the authentication mechanism is not satisfied, prompting the user to re-attempt authentication up to a predetermined number of times.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

prohibiting access to the selected data transfer application when the authentication mechanism has failed a predetermined number of times.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

transmitting first transaction information from the mobile electronic device to a second device, wherein the first transaction information comprises data uniquely associated with the selected data transfer application; and

receiving at the mobile electronic device second transaction information wherein the second transaction information is provided to the selected data transfer application to complete processing of a data transfer and further wherein the second transaction information is received from the second device.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein transmitting the first transaction information occurs over a wireless interface.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the second transaction information is received over a wireless interface.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the identifier is a user-specified nickname for the data transfer application.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein displaying an identifier for the one or more registered data transfer applications comprises displaying only identifiers for representations of one or more data transfer applications associated with transactions of a user-specified type.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein available user-specified transaction types comprise one or more of the following:

credit card transactions;

debit card transactions;

calling card transactions;

stored value transactions;

loyalty card transactions; and

coupon transactions.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the mobile electronic device comprises one or more of the following:

a cellular phone;

a removable memory card;

a subscriber information module;

a personal digital assistant;

a pager;

a walkie-talkie;

an integrated circuit cord;

a cellular phone in communication with a subscriber interaction module

a cellular phone in communication with a removable memory card;

a personal digital assistant in communication with a subscriber information module; and

a personal digital assistant in communication with a removable memory card.

18. The method of claim 1 further comprising registering one or more data transfer application for use by the user.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein registering the one or more data transfer applications comprises:

prompting the user to enter the identifier for the data transfer application; and

storing the user-entered identifier in memory on the mobile electronic device.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

prompting the user to enter authentication data to be used by the authentication mechanism to authenticate the user in subsequent uses of the data transfer application; and

storing the authentication data in memory on the mobile electronic device.

21-60. -60. (canceled)