USER TERMINAL AND WIRELESS ITEM-BASED CREDIT CARD AUTHORIZATION SERVERS, SYSTEMS, METHODS AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCTS

• US 20100228638A1
• Filed: 05/17/2010
• Published: 09/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: McNamara, Justin Michael, Mikan, Jeffrey Clinton, Cenciarelli, Fulvio Arturo, Heil, Kenneth D., Lewis, John Erwin
• Granted Patent: US 9,049,568 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/17
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/327 Short range or proximity payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3821 Electronic credentials
• 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 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/10 between location register and external networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]

Abstract

Credit card transaction authorization is performed using ad-hoc, short-range wireless links to obtain item identification information from items that include ad-hoc short range wireless link transmitters and that are carried by a user who is associated with a prospective credit card transaction. Authorization information for the prospective credit card transaction is generated based on the item identification information that was obtained. Location information for a wireless terminal that is associated with the user and/or Internet Protocol (IP) address information for a transaction terminal that is associated with the transaction may also be used. Related systems, devices and computer program products are also described.

Claims

1. An Internet credit card transaction server comprising:

an Internet credit card transaction interface that is programmed to receive information about credit card transactions that are performed over the Internet, the information including an Internet Protocol (IP) address that is associated with a user terminal on which an Internet credit card transaction is performed;

an IP address location interface that is programmed to obtain location information corresponding to an IP address;

a wireless network interface that is programmed to obtain location information for a plurality of wireless terminals; and

an Internet credit card transaction authorization processor that is responsive to receipt of information concerning a prospective Internet credit card transaction from the Internet credit card transaction interface, including an IP address of a user terminal that is associated with the prospective Internet credit card transaction, and that is programmed to instruct the IP address location interface to obtain user terminal location information that corresponds to the IP address of the user terminal that is associated with the prospective Internet credit card transaction, to instruct the wireless network interface to obtain wireless terminal location information for a wireless terminal that is associated with a user of the credit card for the prospective Internet credit card transaction, to correlate the user terminal location information and the wireless terminal location information, and to generate authorization information for the prospective Internet credit card transaction based on the user terminal location information and the wireless terminal location information that were correlated.

2. An Internet credit card transaction server according to claim 1:

wherein the wireless network interface is further programmed to obtain item identification information for a plurality of items that are wirelessly linked to a plurality of wireless terminals; and

wherein the Internet credit card transaction authorization processor is further programmed to instruct the wireless network interface to obtain item identification information for an item that is wirelessly linked to the wireless terminal that is associated with the user of the credit card for the prospective Internet credit card transaction, to correlate the user terminal location information, the wireless terminal location information and the item identification information, and to generate authorization information for the prospective Internet credit card transaction based on the user terminal location information, the wireless terminal location information and the item identification information that were correlated.

3. An Internet credit card transaction server according to claim 1 wherein the Internet credit card transaction authorization processor is programmed to generate authorization information for the prospective Internet credit card transaction that indicates a trustworthiness measure that is proportional to proximity of the user terminal and the wireless terminal to one another.

4. An Internet credit card transaction server according to claim 1 wherein the Internet credit card transaction authorization processor is further programmed to instruct the Internet credit card transaction interface to obtain additional identification information from the user of the credit card if the user terminal location and the wireless terminal are sufficiently distant from one another.

5. An Internet credit card transaction server according to claim 4 wherein the Internet credit card transaction authorization processor is further programmed to instruct the Internet credit card transaction interface to obtain additional identification information from the user of the credit card via the wireless terminal in response to the user terminal and the wireless terminal being sufficiently distant from one another.

6. An Internet credit card transaction server according to claim 2 wherein the Internet credit card transaction authorization processor is programmed to generate authorization information for the prospective Internet credit card transaction that indicates a trustworthiness measure that is proportional to proximity of the user terminal and the wireless terminal to one another and is further proportional to a number of items for which item identification information was obtained.

7. An Internet credit card transaction server according to claim 2 wherein the Internet credit card transaction authorization processor is further programmed to instruct the wireless network interface to obtain the item identification information for the item that is linked to the wireless terminal that is associated with the user of the credit card for the prospective Internet credit card transaction in response to the user terminal and the wireless terminal being sufficiently distant from one another.

8. An Internet credit card transaction server according to claim 2 wherein the Internet credit card transaction authorization processor is further programmed to instruct the wireless network interface to obtain the item identification information for the item that is linked to the wireless terminal that is associated with a user of the credit card for the prospective Internet credit card transaction via the wireless terminal.

9. A credit card transaction server comprising:

a credit card transaction interface that is programmed to receive information about credit card transactions;

a wireless network interface that is programmed to obtain location information for a plurality of wireless terminals and to obtain item identification information for a plurality of items that are wirelessly linked; and

a credit card transaction authorization processor that is responsive to receipt of information concerning a prospective credit card transaction from the credit card transaction interface, and that is programmed to instruct the wireless network interface to obtain wireless terminal location information for a wireless terminal that is associated with a user of the credit card for the prospective credit card transaction, to obtain item identification information for an item that is associated with the user of the credit card for the prospective credit card transaction and to generate authorization information for the prospective credit card transaction based on the wireless terminal location information and the item identification information.

10. A credit card transaction server according to claim 9 wherein the credit card transaction authorization processor is programmed to generate authorization information for the prospective credit card transaction that indicates a trustworthiness measure that is proportional to proximity of a credit card transaction terminal and the wireless terminal to one another and is further proportional to a number of items for which item identification information was obtained.

11. A credit card transaction server according to claim 10 wherein the credit card transaction authorization processor is further programmed to instruct the wireless network interface to obtain the item identification information for an item that is associated with the user of the credit card for the prospective credit card transaction in response to the credit card transaction terminal location and the wireless terminal being sufficiently distant from one another.

12. A credit card transaction server according to claim 9 wherein the credit card transaction authorization processor is further programmed to instruct the wireless network interface to obtain item identification information for an item that is associated with the user of the credit card for the prospective credit card transaction via the wireless terminal.

13. A credit card transaction authorization method comprising:

wirelessly obtaining item identification information from at least one item that includes a wireless link transmitter and that is carried by a user who is associated with a prospective credit card transaction; and

generating authorization information for the prospective credit card transaction based on a number of items for which the item identification information was obtained.

14. A method according to claim 13 further comprising:

obtaining location information for a wireless terminal that is associated with the user; and

wherein generating authorization information comprises generating authorization information for the prospective credit card transaction based on the number of items for which the item identification information was obtained and the location information that was obtained.

15. A method according to claim 14 further comprising:

obtaining Internet Protocol (IP) address information for a transaction terminal that is associated with the transaction; and

wherein generating authorization information comprises generating authorization information for the prospective credit card transaction based on the location information, the number of items for which the item identification information was obtained and the IP address information that was obtained.

16. A method according to claim 13 wherein the wireless link extends between the item and a wireless terminal that is associated with the user, a merchant point-of-sale terminal that is associated with the prospective credit card transaction and/or a terminal having Internet access that is associated with the user.

17. A method according to claim 15 wherein the transaction terminal is a merchant point-of-sale terminal or a user terminal having Internet access.