Systems, Methods, and Apparatus to Facilitate Locating a User of a Transaction Device

• US 20100102122A1
• Filed: 10/28/2008
• Published: 04/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: First Data Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: First Data Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Skowronek, Daniel P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,550,361 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/380
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/321 using wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3224 Transactions dependent on location of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/326 Payment applications installed on the mobile devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3278 RFID or NFC payments by means of M-devices

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention may relate to systems, methods, and apparatus to facilitate locating a user of a transaction device. In one embodiment, a contactless transaction device for facilitating locating the user can be provided. The contactless transaction device may include an antenna operable to electromagnetically receive and transmit data. The contactless transaction device may also include a microchip comprising a memory operable to store consumer account data and location alert data and in communication with the antenna, wherein the microchip is operable to transmit the location alert data to a transaction terminal via the antenna when the contactless transaction device is presented to facilitate a transaction with the transaction terminal.

Claims

1. A contactless transaction device for facilitating locating a user, comprising:

an antenna operable to electromagnetically receive and transmit data; and

a microchip comprising a memory operable to store consumer account data and location alert data and in communication with the antenna, wherein the microchip is operable to transmit the location alert data to a transaction terminal via the antenna when the contactless transaction device is presented to facilitate a transaction with the transaction terminal.

2. The contactless transaction device of claim 1, wherein the location alert data indicates to the transaction terminal to transmit an alert indicating the location of the user of the contactless transaction device.

3. The contactless transaction device of claim 1, wherein the location alert data comprises at least one of:

cardholder information, cardholder contact information, guardian contact information, cardholder boundary information, time of day information, safe location information, an absolute alert indicator, medical provider information, law enforcement officer information, or service provider information.

4. The contactless transaction device of claim 1, wherein the microchip is operable to receive updated location alert data via the antenna.

5. The contactless transaction device of claim 1, wherein the microchip is further operable to transmit the consumer account data responsive to a request from the transaction terminal.

6. The contactless transaction device of claim 1, further comprising account indicia displayed on the transaction device, wherein the account indicia is associated with at least one of the consumer account data or the location alert data.

7. The contactless transaction device of claim 1, wherein the location alert data comprises at least one of safe location information or boundary information, and wherein the microchip is further operable to:

determine whether the location of the transaction terminal violates at least one of the safe location information or boundary information; and

if the location of the transaction terminal does not violate the safe location information or the boundary information, transmit the consumer account data and not the location alert data when the contactless transaction device is presented to facilitate the transaction with the transaction terminal; and

if the location of the transaction terminal violates the safe location information or the boundary information, transmit the location alert data and not the consumer account data when the contactless transaction device is presented to facilitate the transaction with the transaction terminal.

8. The contactless transaction device of claim 1, wherein the location alert data comprises time of day information, and wherein the microchip is further operable to:

determine whether approximate time of the transaction violates the time of day information; and

if the approximate time of the transaction does not violate the time of day information, transmit the consumer account data and not the location alert data when the contactless transaction device is presented to facilitate the transaction with the transaction terminal; and

if the approximate time of the transaction violates the time of day information, transmit the location alert data and not the consumer account data when the contactless transaction device is presented to facilitate the transaction with the transaction terminal.

9. A method for locating a transaction device user, comprising:

requesting consumer account data from a transaction device when the transaction device is presented to facilitate a transaction with the transaction terminal, wherein the transaction device is operable to store consumer account data and location alert data;

receiving the location alert data at the transaction terminal from the transaction device; and

generating a user location alert, responsive to receiving the location alert data.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the location alert data comprises at least one of:

cardholder information, cardholder contact information, guardian contact information, cardholder boundary information, time of day information, an absolute alert indicator, safe location information, medical provider information, law enforcement officer information, or service provider information.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising receiving the consumer account data at the transaction terminal from the transaction device responsive to the request.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the transaction device comprises account indicia displayed thereon, wherein the account indicia is associated with at least one of the consumer account data or the location alert data, and further comprising entering at least part of the account indicia at the transaction terminal.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the user location generated by the transaction terminal alert comprises information indicating the transaction terminal location, and further comprising transmitting the user location alert to at least one of:

a guardian of the transaction device cardholder, a medical provider, a law enforcement officer, or a service provider.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the location alert data comprises cardholder information and at least one of guardian contact information, medical provider information, law enforcement officer information, or service provider, and wherein the user location alert generated by the transaction terminal comprises instructions to an operator of the transaction terminal to contact at least one of the guardian, the medical provider, the law enforcement officer, or the service provider.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising transmitting the user location alert from the transaction terminal over a network to at least one of a service provider or a financial institution.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the user location alert is transmitted as a new transaction type.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the network comprises a bank network.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the user location alert comprises information to enable the service provider or the financial institution to contact a guardian of the transaction device cardholder.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein tile user location alert comprises information to enable the service provider or the financial institution to determine if a notification of the location of the user of the transaction device should be generated.

20. The method of claim 9, further comprising transmitting a transaction request from the transaction terminal to a financial institution or a service provider over a bank network, responsive to receiving the location alert data, wherein the transaction request comprises a bank identification number indicating that the transaction comprises a user location alert transaction.

21. The method of claim 9, wherein the location alert data comprises at least one of safe location information or boundary information, and further comprising:

receiving the consumer account data at the terminal from the transaction device;

determining, by the transaction terminal, whether the location of the transaction terminal violates at least one of the safe location information or the boundary information; and

if the location of the transaction terminal does not violate the safe location information or the boundary information, processing the transaction by the transaction terminal without transmitting an alert associated with the location alert data; and

if the location of the transaction terminal violates the safe location information or the boundary information, generating the user location alert by the transaction terminal responsive to determining that the location of the transaction terminal violates the safe location information and not processing the transaction.

22. The method of claim 9, wherein the location alert data comprises time of day information, and further comprising:

receiving the consumer account data at the terminal from transaction device;

determining, by the transaction terminal, whether the approximate time of the transaction violates the time of day information; and

if the approximate time of the transaction does not violate the time of day information, processing the transaction by the transaction terminal without transmitting an alert associated with the location alert data; and

if the approximate time of the transaction violates the time of day information, generating the user location alert by the transaction terminal responsive to determining that the approximate time of the transaction violates the time of day information and not processing the transaction.

23. The method of claim 9, wherein the transaction device comprises a contactless transaction device comprising an antenna, and a microchip comprising a memory operable to store the consumer account data and the location alert data and in communication with the antenna;

and wherein receiving the location alert data at the transaction terminal comprises receiving the location alert data from the microchip via the antenna.

24. A system for locating a transaction device user, comprising:

a memory comprising instructions;

a processor in communication with the memory, and operable to execute the instructions to;

receive a user location alert from a transaction terminal, wherein the user location alert is generated responsive to receiving location alert data from a transaction device when the transaction device is presented to facilitate a transaction with the transaction terminal;

generate an alert indicating the location of the user of the transaction device; and

transmit the alert to at least one of a guardian of the transaction device user, a medical provider, a law enforcement officer, a service provider, the transaction terminal, or an entity associated with the transaction terminal.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the processor is further operable to execute the instructions to transmit the message by at least one of:

email, an internet message, short messaging service messaging, or telephonically.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the processor is operable to receive the user location alert from the transaction terminal over a bank network.

27. The system of claim 24, wherein the processor is further operable to execute the instructions to determine that the user of the transaction device is violating at least one rule prior to generating the alert indicating the location of the user.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the at least one rule comprises at least one of:

cardholder boundary information, time of day information, safe location information, or an absolute alert indicator.

29. The system of claim 24, wherein the system for locating the transaction device user is associated with a third party service provider in communication with the transaction terminal over a network.