MOBILE COMMUNICATION DEVICE MONITORING SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20140214668A1
• Filed: 03/27/2014
• Published: 07/31/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eAgency, Inc.
• Original Assignee: eAgency, Inc.
• Inventors: Allard, Timothy S., Lotter, Robert A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,324,074 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/41
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/552 involving long-term monitoring or reporting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/554 involving event detection and direct action
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6272 by registering files or documents with a third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2151 Time stamp
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3278 RFID or NFC payments by means of M-devices
• 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: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1425 Traffic logging, e.g. anomaly detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72463 to restrict the functionality of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/47 Fraud detection or prevention means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/48 Secure or trusted billing, e.g. trusted elements or encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/58 based on statistics of usage or network monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/93 using near field or similar technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/60 logging of communication history, e.g. outgoing or incoming calls, missed calls, messages or URLs
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2218 Call detail recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2281 Call monitoring, e.g. for law enforcement purposes; Call tracing; Detection or prevention of malicious calls
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/12 Detection or prevention of fraud
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 : Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/64 : using geofenced areas
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 : Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 : Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 : Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/18 : Processing of user or subscriber data, e.g. subscribed services, user preferences or user profiles; Transfer of user or subscriber data

Abstract

Systems and methods are directed to monitoring the communications to and from a mobile communication device in accordance with one or more embodiments. For example in accordance with an embodiment, data services such as a mobile wallet on a mobile communication device may be monitored against rules stored in a central data center repository. Other data services may include all forms of communications between the mobile communication device and a third party along with changes to application or data within the mobile communication device. An alert may be provided to an administrator when unauthorized mobile wallet activity is detected and/or a message may be sent to the mobile communication device to prevent the unauthorized mobile wallet activity.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a service provider for a mobile communications device;

a network data monitor associated with the service provider and configured to generate monitoring information to provide to a data center, the monitoring information including information on a financial transaction of the mobile communications device; and

wherein the network data monitor comprises an alert monitor program configured to determine whether the financial transaction is allowed based at least in part on whether an identity that is in communication with the mobile communications device and associated with the financial transaction is found in a database.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the identity comprises an application store.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring information comprises a recipient associated with the financial transaction.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring information comprises an originator of the financial transaction.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring information includes a purchase amount threshold.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring information comprises a time of day or a geographical location.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the network data monitor is configured to prevent a breach of a mobile wallet associated with the mobile communications device based on the monitoring information.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the financial transaction is a received financial transaction at the mobile communications device.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the financial transaction is a sent financial transaction from the mobile communications device.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the financial transaction comprises Near Field Communication communications with the mobile communications device.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the network data monitor comprises:

a memory configured to store programs and data, including the monitoring information;

a processor, coupled to the memory, configured to run the programs stored in the memory;

a communications port configured to communicate with the data center directly or via the service provider; and

wherein the network data monitor comprises one or more of the programs stored in the memory, and wherein the monitoring information includes contextual information associated with the financial transaction.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising the mobile communications device, wherein the mobile communications device comprises:

a memory configured to store mobile programs and mobile data;

a processor, coupled to the memory and configured to execute the mobile programs stored in the memory;

a communications port configured to wirelessly communicate with the data center via the service provider; and

wherein the mobile programs comprise a mobile wallet application configured to perform at least a portion of the financial transaction.

13. A system, comprising:

a data center, comprising;

a memory configured to store programs and database information;

a processor, coupled to the memory and configured to access the database information and execute the programs;

a communication gateway coupled to the processor and configured via a service provider to receive information on a financial transaction of a mobile communications device being monitored by the data center, the service provider having a network data monitor configured to;

monitor the financial transaction for the mobile communications device; and

compile monitoring information associated the financial transaction;

wherein the programs comprise an alert monitor program configured to provide an alert if the financial transaction is not allowed, wherein the alert monitor program is configured to determine whether the financial transaction is allowed based at least in part on whether an identity that is in communication with the mobile communications device and associated with the financial transaction is found in a database.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the database information comprises an activity log database configured to store an entry for the financial transaction based on the monitoring information.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the monitoring information includes contextual information received from the mobile communications device.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the database information comprises a permissions database configured to store rules as to whether the financial transaction is allowed for the mobile communications device.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the alert monitor program is further configured to compare the entry for the financial transaction stored in the activity log database to an associated one of the rules stored in the permissions database.

18. A mobile communications device, comprising:

a memory configured to store mobile programs and mobile data;

a processor, coupled to the memory and configured to execute the mobile programs stored in the memory;

a communications port configured to wirelessly communicate with a data center via a service provider; and

wherein the mobile programs comprise a data monitor program configured to;

monitor financial transactions of the mobile communications device;

compile information associated with the financial transactions; and

transmit the information to the data center via the communications port and the service provider;

wherein the data monitor program comprises an alert monitor program configured to determine whether at least one of the financial transactions is allowed based at least in part on whether an identity that is in communication with the mobile communications device and associated with the at least one of the financial transactions is found in a database.

19. The mobile communications device of claim 18, wherein the mobile programs comprise a digital wallet application.

20. The mobile communications device of claim 18, wherein the data monitor program is configured to prevent the at least one of the financial transactions if the at least one of the financial transactions is not allowed.

21. A method of monitoring a mobile communications device, the method comprising:

storing rules associated with a financial transaction for the mobile communications device at a data center;

receiving monitoring information for the financial transaction of the mobile communications device;

checking the financial transaction based on comparing the monitoring information to a corresponding one of the rules associated with the financial transaction, wherein the checking is based at least in part on whether an identity that is in communication with the mobile communications device and associated with the financial transaction is an authorized entry within a database associated with the mobile communications device; and

providing an alert if the financial transaction is unauthorized based on the corresponding one of the rules.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising, if the financial transaction is unauthorized, providing the alert to the mobile communications device to prevent the financial transaction that is unauthorized.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising blocking an attempt to access funds in a mobile wallet associated with the financial transaction.

24. The method of claim 21, further comprising, if the financial transaction is unauthorized, providing the alert to an administrator to notify the administrator of the financial transaction that is unauthorized.

25. A method of monitoring communications of a mobile communications device, comprising:

storing mobile programs and mobile data with a memory of the mobile communications device, wherein the mobile programs comprise a data monitor program;

wirelessly communicating with a data center via a service provider using a communications port of the mobile communications device; and

executing the data monitor program with a processor of the mobile communications device by;

monitoring financial transactions of the mobile communications device,

compiling information associated with the financial transactions,

transmitting the information to the data center via the communications port and the service provider, and

determining, by executing an alert monitor program of the data monitor program, whether at least one of the financial transactions is allowed based at least in part on whether an identity that is in communication with the mobile communications device and associated with the at least one of the financial transactions is found in a database.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the mobile programs comprise a digital wallet application.

27. The method of claim 25, further comprising preventing the at least one of the financial transactions if the at least one of the financial transactions is not allowed.