Mobile Device Software Radio for Securely Passing Financial Information between a Customer and a Financial Services Firm

• US 20130332366A1
• Filed: 06/08/2012
• Published: 12/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: FMR LLC
• Original Assignee: FMR LLC
• Inventors: Kalinichenko, Boris Olegovich, Ferra, Joseph G.
• Granted Patent: US 9,672,519 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/64
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3223 Realising banking transactions through M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/425 using two different networks, one for transaction and one for security confirmation

Abstract

A computing device having a software radio (e.g., a mobile device where the software radio is substantially defined in software) transmits first information related to a financial transaction over the first radio network to the financial institution, and transmits second information related to the financial transaction over the second radio network to the financial institution. A server of the financial institution receives the first information and the second information to carry out the financial transaction.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

identifying, by a computing device having a software radio, two or more radio networks available for communication with a financial institution;

transmitting, by the computing device, first information related to a financial transaction over a first radio network to the financial institution;

tuning, by the computing device, the software radio from the first radio network to a second radio network independent from the first radio network; and

transmitting, by the computing device, second information related to the financial transaction over the second radio network to the financial institution;

wherein a server of the financial institution receives the first information and the second information to carry out the financial transaction.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the software radio is substantially defined in software of a mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the first information is an application level encryption key.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the second information is (i) data encrypted using an application level encryption key and (ii) a key index indicating a location of the application level encryption key on the server of the financial institution.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving, by the computing device, a key index from the server of the financial institution, wherein the key index indicates a location of an application level encryption key on the server of the financial institution;

encrypting, by the computing device, data using the application level encryption key; and

transmitting, by the computing device, the second information to the financial institution, wherein the second information includes the data and the key index.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining, by a computing device, a first rating for the first radio network and a second rating for the second radio network to identify the first radio network as being independent from the second radio network.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing, by the computing device, a visual indicator to a user of the computing device to indicate that the first radio network is independent from the second radio network; and

receiving, by the computing device, input from the user to initiate transmission of the first information and the second information over the respective networks.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the first radio network being independent from the second radio network means at least one of that the networks operate on different frequencies, utilize different transmission protocols, or are operated by different carriers.

9. A computer program product, tangibly embodied in a machine readable storage device of a computing device having a software radio, the computer program product including instructions being operable to cause a data processing apparatus of the computing device to:

identify two or more radio networks available for communication with a financial institution;

transmit first information related to a financial transaction over a first radio network to the financial institution;

tune the software radio from the first radio network to a second radio network independent from the first radio network; and

transmit second information related to the financial transaction over a second radio network to the financial institution;

wherein a server of the financial institution receives the first information and the second information to carry out the financial transaction.

10. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein the software radio is substantially defined in software of a mobile device.

11. A computing system of a financial institution, comprising:

a key gateway in communication with a computing device over a first radio network, wherein the computing device has a software radio;

a data gateway in communication with the computing device over a second radio network independent from the first radio network; and

a key storage facility in communication with the key gateway and the data gateway;

wherein the key gateway (A) receives an application level encryption key from the computing device, (B) stores the application level encryption key in the key storage facility, and (C) transmits, to the computing device, a key index indicating a location of the application level encryption key on the key storage facility;

wherein the data gateway (A) receives (i) data encrypted, by the computing device, using the application level encryption key and (ii) the key index, (B) retrieves the application level encryption key from the key storage facility, and (C) decrypts the data using the application level encryption key; and

wherein the decrypted data is transmitted to a server of the financial institution to carry out a financial transaction.

12. The computing system of claim 11 wherein the first radio network being independent from the second radio network means at least one of that the networks operate on different frequencies, utilize different transmission protocols, or are operated by different carriers.

13. The computing system of claim 11 wherein the data gateway includes a data decryption module to decrypt the data using the application level encryption key.

14. A method comprising:

receiving, over a first radio network, by a key gateway of a financial institution in communication with a computing device having a software radio, an application level encryption key from the computing device;

storing, by the key gateway, the application level encryption key in a key storage facility;

transmitting, to the computing device, by the key gateway, a key index indicating a location of the application level encryption key on the key storage facility;

receiving, over a second radio network, by a data gateway in communication with the computing device over a second radio network, (i) data encrypted, by the computing device, using the application level encryption key and (ii) the key index, wherein the first radio network is independent from the second radio network;

retrieving, by the data gateway, the application level encryption key from the key storage facility;

decrypting, by the data gateway, the data using the application level encryption key; and

transmitting, to a server of the financial institution, by the data gateway, the decrypted data to carry out a financial transaction.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the first radio network being independent from the second radio network means at least one of that the networks operate on different frequencies, utilize different transmission protocols, or are operated by different carriers.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising decrypting the data using a data decryption module of the data gateway.