Method to electronically track personal credit information

• US 7,289,970 B1
• Filed: 08/29/2000
• Issued: 10/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Siegel, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Bashore; Alain L.
• Application Number:
  US09/650,034
• Time in Patent Office: 2,618 Days
• Field of Search: 705/39, 705/14
• US Class Current: 705/39
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

A method and apparatus for tracking transactions made over the Internet. A sidecar application detects entry of a credit card number. The application auto-populates a web page associated with the transaction and updates a database that tracks the transaction. Third parties can be given access to the database to process loyalty points or make bill payments.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of tracking online credit card usage by a user of a general purpose personal computing device operating as an Internet communication device, comprising:

monitoring entries made on personal computing device using a computer program that operates as a background process running on the personal computing device while a foreground process is also carried out on the personal computing device;

wherein the foreground process comprises an Internet communication process in which an online credit card transaction is being carried out by entry of information into a web page;

the computer program recognizing instances of the credit card transaction in the entries made on the personal computing device by recognition of a credit card number in the entries made into the web page; and

upon recognizing an instance of a credit card transaction and receiving verification of the instance of the credit card transaction, the background process automatically populating the web page with data stored in a user profile, and storing information describing the credit card transaction in a database accessible and controlled by the personal computing device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising retrieving the information describing the credit card transaction from the database via the personal computing device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the recognizing comprises matching an entry with a stored sixteen digit credit card number.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the personal computing device comprises one of a personal computer, a personal digital assistant a television set top box, a wireless telephone and an Internet appliance.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the information describing the credit card transaction comprises a monetary amount spent.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the information describing the credit card transaction comprises a date and time of the transaction.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the information describing the credit card transaction comprises a merchant name with which the transaction was carried out.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the information describing the credit card transaction comprises a user identifier.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the information describing the credit card transaction comprises a monetary amount spent, a date and time of the transaction, and a merchant name with which the transaction was carried out.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising carrying out a database function on the database.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the database function comprises totaling a monetary value of a plurality of transactions.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising

upon recognizing an instance of a credit card transaction, asking a user to verify the information describing the credit card transaction and confirm storage of information describing the credit card transaction prior to storing the information describing the credit card transaction in the database.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the database is stored within the personal computing device.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the database is stored in a location remote to the personal computing device.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising granting access to the database to a creditor;

permitting the creditor to charge a monetary value as a credit card transaction; and

permitting the creditor to enter the credit card transaction into the database.

16. A computer system, comprising:

a processor having a central processing unit, an input device and memory,

a storage device coupled to the processor, that stores a database accessible and controlled by the processor;

the processor being programmed to perform the programmed steps of tracking online credit card usage by a user of the computer system in a background process carried out by the processor while a foreground process is also carried out by the processor, wherein the foreground process comprises an Internet communication process in which an online credit card transaction is being carried out by entry of information into a web page, the programmed steps comprising the steps of;

monitoring entries made by a user using the input device;

recognizing instances of a credit card transaction in the entries made by the user by recognition of a credit card number in the entries made into the web page; and

upon recognizing an instance of a credit card transaction and receiving verification of the instance of the credit card transaction, the background process automatically populating the web page with data stored in a user profile, and storing information describing the credit card transaction in the database.

17. The computer system of claim 16, further comprising a display for displaying the database upon receipt of a user command.

18. The computer system of claim 16, wherein the recognizing comprises matching an entry with a stored sixteen digit credit card number.

19. The computer system of claim 16, wherein the computer system is embodied in one of a personal computer, a personal digital assistant, a television set top box, a wireless telephone and an Internet appliance.

20. The computer system of claim 16, wherein the information describing the credit card transaction comprises at least one of a monetary amount spent, a date and time of the transaction, a merchant name with which the transaction was carried out, a description of the purchase, and a user identifier.

21. The computer system of claim 16, further comprising means for carrying out a database function on the database.

22. The computer system of claim 21, wherein the database function comprises totaling a monetary value of a plurality of transactions.

23. The computer system of claim 16, wherein the processor is further programmed to carry out the step of, upon the background process recognizing an instance of a credit card transaction, asking a user to confirm storage of information describing the credit card transaction prior to storing the information describing the credit card transaction in the database.

24. The computer system of claim 16, wherein the storage device is situated within the computer system.

25. The computer system of claim 16, wherein the storage device is situated in a location remote to the computer system.

26. The computer system of claim 16, wherein the storage device is connected to a network file server.

27. The computer system of claim 26, further comprising program means for permitting access to the database by a creditor so that the creditor can initiate credit card transactions.

28. A computer-implemented method of tracking online credit card usage by a user of a personal computing device operating as an Internet communication device, comprising:

monitoring entries made on the personal computing device in a computer program carrying out a background process while a foreground process is also carried out on the personal computer device, wherein the foreground process comprises an Internet communication process in which an online credit card transaction is being carried out by entry of information into a web page;

the computer program recognizing instances of a credit card transaction in the entries made on the personal computing device by matching an entry with a stored sixteen digit credit card number entered into the web page; and

upon recognizing an instance of a credit card transaction and receiving verification of the instance of the credit card transaction, the background process automatically populating the web page with data stored in a user profile, and asking a user to confirm storage of information describing the credit card transaction;

if the user confirms storage of the information, storing information describing the credit card transaction in a database within the personal computing device and accessible and controlled by the personal computing device, the information describing the credit card transaction comprising a monetary amount spent, a date and time of the transaction, a merchant name with which the transaction was carried out, a description of the purchase, and a user identifier;

retrieving the information describing the credit card transaction from the database via the personal computing device;

carrying out a database function on the database, the database function comprising totaling a monetary value of a plurality of transactions; and

wherein the personal computing device comprises one of a personal computer, a personal digital assistant, a television set top box, a wireless telephone and an Internet appliance.

29. A storage medium storing a set of computer instructions which, when executed on a personal computing device, carry out a background process while a foreground process is also carried out on the personal computing device, wherein the foreground process comprises an Internet communication process in which an online credit card transaction is being carried out by entry of information into a web page comprising:

monitoring entries made by a user using an input device;

recognizing instances of a credit card transaction in the entries made by the user by recognizing a credit card number in the entries made into the web page; and

upon recognizing an instance of a credit card transaction and receiving verification of the instance of the credit card transaction, the background process automatically populating the web page with data stored in a user profile, and storing information describing the credit card transaction in a database accessible and controlled by the personal computing device.

30. The storage medium of claim 29, wherein the information describing the credit card transaction comprises at least one of:

a monetary amount spent, a date and time of the transaction, a merchant name with which the transaction was carried out, a description of the purchase, and a user identifier.

31. The storage medium of claim 29, the background process further comprises carrying out a database function on the database.

32. The storage medium of claim 31, wherein the database function comprises totaling a monetary value of a plurality of transactions.

33. The storage medium of claim 31, wherein the background process further comprises, upon recognizing an instance of a credit card transaction, asking a user to confirm storage of information describing the credit card transaction prior to storing the information describing the credit card transaction in the database.

34. The storage medium of claim 31, wherein the background process further comprises permitting access to the database by a creditor so that the creditor can initiate credit card transactions.