Method and system for managing transaction card data

• US 6,687,714 B1
• Filed: 02/29/2000
• Issued: 02/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Citicorp Credit Services Incorporated (Citigroup Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Citicorp Development Center Incorporated (Citigroup Incorporated)
• Inventors: Tan, Warren, Kogen, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Robinson, Greta
• Assistant Examiner(s): RAYYAN, SUSAN F
• Application Number:
  US09/515,313
• Time in Patent Office: 1,435 Days
• Field of Search: 707/10, 707/203, 707/204, 705/16, 705/26, 705/43
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4037 Remote solvency checks
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/08 by coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means without personal verification means G07F7/02

Abstract

A method and system for managing transaction card data provides distributed services for use of a transaction card, such as a smart card, on board a ship when shipboard communication with a centralized host system is unavailable. Aspects of the centralized land-based system, such as card issuance, card management, and issuer host authentication are migrated to the shipboard environment, and an on board issuance system, a distributed card management system, and a local monitoring and administration system are introduced to the shipboard environment. When the ship leaves port, an instance of the central system database data for the on board ship personnel is hosted on board the ship and stored in the distributed card management system database. Tracking data representing current transaction information for the transaction cards of the ship personnel is also stored in the distributed card management system database, and at regular intervals, when ship-to-shore communication is available, the land-based and shipboard databases are synchronized with one another.

Claims

1. A method of managing transaction card data, comprising:

centrally storing data representing information about a transaction cardholder and the cardholder'"'"'s transaction card in a central system database;

storing an instance of the centrally stored data in a distributed card management system database disposed at a predetermined location and capable of being transported together with the transaction cardholder away from the predetermined location;

storing data representing current transaction information for the cardholder'"'"'s transaction card in the distributed card management system database after transportation of the distributed card management system database together with the transaction cardholder away from the predetermined location; and

periodically synchronizing the centrally stored data with the data stored in the distributed card management system database.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein centrally storing the data further comprises centrally storing data representing specific information about the transaction cardholder and general information about at least one transaction card application and at least one transaction card service for the cardholder'"'"'s transaction card.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein centrally storing the data further comprises initializing and personalizing the transaction card for the cardholder according to the specific and general information.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein centrally storing the data representing information about the transaction cardholder further comprises centrally storing data representing profile information about the cardholder.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein centrally storing the data representing information about the cardholder'"'"'s transaction card further comprises centrally storing data representing information about at least one transaction with the cardholder'"'"'s transaction card.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein centrally storing the data representing information about the transaction further comprises centrally storing the data representing information about a transaction at a transaction card accepting device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the transaction card accepting device further comprises a device selected from a group of transaction card accepting devices consisting of a point of sale terminal, a telephone, an automatic teller machine, a telephone-based home loading device, and a commercial load kiosk.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein centrally storing the data representing the information about the transaction at the transaction card accepting device further comprises centrally storing data representing information about one of a load transaction and a purchase transaction.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein storing the instance of the centrally stored data further comprises storing the instance of the data in the distributed card management system database representing a profile of all individuals on board a ship.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein storing the data corresponding to the centrally stored data further comprises storing data in the distributed card management system database representing a snapshot of the centrally stored data.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein storing the instance of the centrally stored data representing the snapshot of the centrally stored data further comprises storing the instance of the data in the distributed card management system database on board a ship.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein storing the instance of the centrally stored data further comprises storing the instance of the data in the distributed card management system database on board a ship.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein storing data representing current transaction information in the distributed card management system database further comprises storing data representing information for at least one transaction with the cardholder'"'"'s transaction card.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein storing the data representing the information about the transaction further comprises storing the data representing information about a transaction at a transaction card accepting device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the transaction card accepting device further comprises a device selected from a group of transaction card accepting devices consisting of a point of sale terminal, a telephone, an automatic teller machine, a telephone-based home loading device, and a commercial load kiosk.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein storing the data representing the information about the transaction further comprises storing data representing information about one of a load transaction and a purchase transaction.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein storing the data representing current transaction information further comprises storing the data in the distributed card management system database on board a ship.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein periodically synchronizing further comprises periodically updating the data stored in one of the central system database and the distributed card management system database with the data stored in the other of one of the central system database and the distributed card management system database.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein periodically synchronizing further comprises periodically updating the data stored in the central system database with the data stored in the distributed card management system database.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein periodically synchronizing further comprises periodically updating the data stored in the central system database with the data representing current transaction information stored in the distributed card management system database.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein periodically synchronizing further comprises periodically synchronizing the centrally stored data with the data stored in the distributed card management system database on board a ship.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein periodically synchronizing further comprises periodically establishing communication between the central system database and the distributed card management system database.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein periodically establishing communication further comprises periodically establishing communication between the central system database and the distributed card management system database via a wireless communication device.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein periodically establishing communication further comprises periodically establishing communication between the central system database and the distributed card management system database via a cable communication device.

25. A system for managing transaction card data, comprising:

means for centrally storing data representing information about a transaction cardholder and the cardholder'"'"'s transaction card;

means for separately storing an instance of the centrally stored data disposed at a predetermined location and capable of being transported away from the first location and for storing data representing current transaction information for the cardholder'"'"'s transaction card after transportation of the means for separately storing an instance of the centrally stored data away from the predetermined location; and

means for periodically synchronizing the centrally stored data with the separately stored data.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the means for centrally storing the data further comprises a central system database.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the means for centrally storing the data further comprises a land-based central system database.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein the means for centrally storing the data further comprises a card issuance system coupled to the central system database.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the card issuance system coupled to the central system database further comprises a land-based card issuance system coupled to a land-based central system database.

30. The system of claim 25, wherein the means for separately storing the instance of the centrally stored data further comprises a distributed card management system database.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the means for separately storing the data representing current transaction information further comprises the distributed card management system database.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the distributed card management system database further comprises a shipboard based distributed card management system database.

33. The system of claim 25, wherein the means for periodically synchronizing the centrally stored data with the separately stored data further comprises means for periodically establishing communication between the means for storing the centrally stored data and the means for storing the separately stored data.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the means for storing the centrally stored data further comprises a land-based central system database.

35. The system of claim 33, wherein the means for storing the separately stored data further comprises a shipboard based distributed card management system database.

36. The system of claim 33, wherein the means for periodically establishing communication further comprises a wireless communication device.

37. The system of claim 33, wherein the means for periodically establishing communication further comprises a cable communication device.

38. A system for managing transaction card data, comprising:

a land-based central system having a database for centrally storing data representing transaction card information;

a shipboard based system having a database disposed at a predetermined location and capable of being transported away from the predetermined location for separately storing an instance of at least a portion of the centrally stored data and for storing data representing current transaction card information after transportation of the shipboard based system database away from the predetermined location;

a communication device periodically coupling the land-based central system database to the shipboard based system for updating the centrally stored data with the separately stored data.

39. The system of claim 38, wherein the shipboard based system further comprises an on board card issuance system, a distributed card management system, and a local monitoring and administration system coupled to one another over a network.

40. The system of claim 39, wherein the communication device further comprises one of a wireless communication device and a cable communication device.

41. A method of managing transaction card data, comprising:

centrally storing data representing information about a plurality of transaction cardholders and the cardholders'"'"' transaction cards in a central system database;

storing an instance of the centrally stored data in a distributed card management system database disposed at a predetermined location and capable of being transported together with the plurality of transaction cardholders away from the predetermined location;

allowing the distributed card management system database to be transported together with the plurality of transaction cardholders away from the predetermined location;

storing data representing current transaction information for at least some of the plurality of transaction cardholders'"'"' transaction cards in the distributed card management system database after transportation of the distributed card management system database together with the plurality of transaction cardholders away from the predetermined location; and

periodically synchronizing the centrally stored data with the data stored in the distributed card management system database.