PARENTAL CONTROLS

• US 20130018792A1
• Filed: 03/05/2012
• Published: 01/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Casey, Brandon J., Cressall, Erik, Wipfler, Gary J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,459,544 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/44
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/2295 Parent-child type, e.g. where parent has control on child rights
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03

Abstract

Various techniques are provided for establishing financial transaction rules to control one or more subsidiary financial accounts. In one embodiment, a financial account management application stored on a processor-based device may provide an interface for defining financial transaction rules to be applied to a subsidiary account. The financial transaction rules may be based upon transaction amounts, aggregate spending amounts over a period, merchant categories, specific merchants, geographic locations, or the like. The device may update the financial transaction rules associated with a subsidiary account by communicating the rules to an appropriate financial server. Accordingly, transactions made using the subsidiary account by a subsidiary account holder may be evaluated against the defined rules, wherein an appropriate control action is carried out if a financial transaction rule is violated.

Claims

1. A method for establishing a multiple-tier transaction rule based at least partially upon geographic location using a handheld electronic device comprising:

using the handheld electronic device to define the multiple-tier transaction rule by;

defining a first geographic limit and selecting a first control action to be implemented if a transaction initiated by a subsidiary financial account linked to a primary account belonging to the user of the handheld electronic device violates the first geographic limit;

defining a second geographic limit and selecting a second control action to be implemented if the transaction initiated by a subsidiary financial account violates the second geographic limit;

defining a third geographic limit and selecting a third control action to be implemented if the transaction initiated by a subsidiary financial account violates the third geographic limit; and

defining a fourth geographic limit and selecting a fourth control action to be implemented if the transaction initiated by a subsidiary financial account violates the fourth geographic limit, wherein the first, second, third, and fourth geographic limits are different from one another, and wherein the first, second, third, and fourth control actions are different from one another; and

communicating the multiple-tier transaction rule to an external server controlled by a financial entity that manages the primary account and subsidiary account, wherein the communication of the multiple-tier transaction rule causes the external server to apply the multiple-tier transaction rule to the subsidiary account.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first geographic limit is violated if the transaction is initiated at a location outside of the first geographic limit, the second geographic limit is violated if the transaction is initiated at a location outside of the second geographic limit, the third geographic limit is violated if the transaction is initiated at a location outside of the third geographic limit, and the fourth geographic limit is violated if the transaction is initiated at a location outside of the fourth geographic limit.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first, second, third, and fourth geographic limits are defined as distances away from a home location, and wherein the second geographic limit is farther than the first geographic limit, wherein the third geographic limit is farther than the second geographic limit, and wherein the fourth geographic limit is farther than the third geographic limit.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the home location is specified on the handheld electronic device by providing one of a zip code, a city name, a state name, a county name, or geographic coordinates.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising:

defining and associating a first additional limit of another type of limit with the first geographic limit and the first control action, wherein the first control action is performed if both the first geographic limit and the first additional limit are violated;

defining and associating a second additional limit of the other type of limit with the second geographic limit and the second control action, wherein the second control action is performed if both the second geographic limit and the second additional limit are violated;

defining and associating a third additional limit of the other type of limit with the third geographic limit and the third control action, wherein the third control action is performed if both the third geographic limit and the third additional limit are violated; and

defining and associating a fourth additional limit of the other type of limit with the fourth geographic limit and the fourth control action, wherein the fourth control action is performed if both the fourth geographic limit and the fourth additional limit are violated.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the other type of limit comprises a limit regarding merchant categories, a limit regarding specific merchants, a limit regarding a transaction amount per transaction, a limit regarding an aggregate transaction amount over a period of time, or some combination thereof.

7. A method, comprising:

defining a multiple-tier transaction rule having a plurality of transaction limits using a handheld electronic device, wherein the transaction limits comprise restrictions on transactions made using a financial account associated with an account holder other than a user of the handheld electronic device;

associating each of a plurality of control actions with a respective one of the plurality of transaction limits, wherein defining the multiple-tier transaction rule and associating each of the plurality of control actions with a respective one of the plurality of transaction limits comprises;

defining a first geographic limit and associating the first geographic limit with a first control action; and

defining a second geographic limit and associating the second geographic limit with a second control action, wherein the first and second control actions are different from one another; and

applying the multiple-tier transaction rule to a subsidiary financial account associated with the account holder other than the user of the handheld electronic device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein applying the multiple-tier transaction rule to the subsidiary account comprises communicating the multiple-tier transaction rule to an external server controlled by a financial entity associated with the subsidiary financial account, wherein the financial entity updates user preference settings associated with the subsidiary financial account based upon the communicated rules.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the financial entity comprises one of an issuing bank, a credit card association, or a merchant loyalty account entity.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the first control action comprises receiving a notification message on the handheld electronic device if the first transaction limit of the multiple-tier transaction rule is violated by a transaction initiated using the subsidiary account, wherein the second control action comprises receiving a first type of authorization request message on the handheld electronic device for authorization of the transaction initiated using the subsidiary account if the second transaction limit of the multiple-tier transaction rule is violated by the transaction.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the transaction is approved if the handheld electronic device does not respond to the first type of authorization request message within a defined period of time.

12. The method of claim 11, comprising defining a third transaction limit and associating the third transaction limit with a third control action, wherein the third control action comprises receiving an second type of authorization request message on the handheld electronic device for authorization of the transaction initiated using the subsidiary account if the third transaction limit of the multiple-tier transaction rule is violated by the transaction, wherein the transaction is declined if the handheld device does not respond to the second type of authorization request message within the defined period of time.

13. The method of claim 12, defining a fourth transaction limit and associating the fourth transaction limit with a fourth control action, wherein the fourth control action comprises declining the transaction initiated using the subsidiary account without an authorization request message being received by the handheld electronic device if the fourth transaction limit of the multiple-tier transaction rule is violated by the transaction.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first, second, third, and fourth transaction limits are defined as either individual transaction amounts or aggregate transaction amounts over a period of time.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the second transaction limit is greater than the first transaction limit, wherein the third transaction limit is greater than the second transaction limit, and wherein the fourth transaction limit is greater than the third transaction limit.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the first transaction limit defines either a first set of one or more merchant categories or specific merchants, wherein the second transaction limit defines either a second set of one or more merchant categories or specific merchants, wherein the third transaction limit defines either a third set of one or more merchant categories or specific merchants, and wherein the fourth transaction limit defines either a fourth set of one or more merchant categories or specific merchants.

17. A device, comprising:

one or more input structures;

a storage structure encoding routines for a financial account management application, wherein the encoded routines comprise;

a routine for receiving a first set of one or more inputs via the input structures,

wherein the first set of received inputs define one or more rules for establishing restrictions on transactions initiated by a subsidiary financial account associated with an account holder other than a user of the device; and

a routine for storing the one or more defined rules;

a routine for receiving a second set of one or more inputs via the input structures,

wherein the second set of received inputs define a first rule related to an in-person transaction request and a second rule related to an online transaction request; and

a processor configured to execute the encoded routines.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the encoded routines further comprise a routine for transmitting the one or more rules to an external server controlled by a financial entity associated with the subsidiary financial account, wherein the financial entity updates user preference settings associated with the subsidiary financial account based upon the transmitted rules.

19. The device of claim 17, comprising a display, wherein the routine for receiving the one or more inputs defining the one or more rules defines a graphical user interface, and wherein the execution of the routine for receiving the one or more inputs by the processor causes the graphical user interface to be displayed on the display.

20. The device of claim 17, wherein the first rule related to an in-person transaction request comprises a first authorization response time for authorization of transactions and the second rule related to an online transaction request comprises a second authorization response time for authorization of transactions.

21. The device of claim 17, wherein the first rule related to an in-person transaction request is different from the second rule related to an online transaction request.