Universal portable unit

• US 7,353,014 B2
• Filed: 04/09/2001
• Issued: 04/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SendSig, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Vijay Raghavan Chetty
• Inventors: Chetty, Vijay Raghavan
• Primary Examiner(s): Ferguson; Keith
• Application Number:
  US09/829,858
• Publication Number:
  US 20020052193A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,549 Days
• Field of Search: 455/403, 455406-408, 455/422.1, 4554141-4144, 455/426.1, 455/426.2, 455/410, 455/411, 455/435.1, 455/550.1, 455/500, 455/517, 455/445, 455/566, 455/557, 455/418, 455/419, 455/420, 455/412.1, 455/412.2, 455/405, 455/73, 235/380, 235/382, 235/382.5, 705/50, 705/59, 705/43, 705/62, 705/72, 705/67, 705/18, 705/44, 379/114.01, 379/127.02, 379/145
• US Class Current: 455/412.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/35 communicating wirelessly
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1085 involving automatic teller machines [ATMs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4012 Verifying personal identification numbers [PIN]
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/23 by means of a password
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234

Abstract

In general, a portable unit and method are described for storing user information for subsequent recovering. For one embodiment, the portable unit comprises a casing, an antenna and logic employed within the casing. The logic may comprise a wireless transceiver coupled to the antenna, a processing unit coupled to the wireless transceiver, and a remote transceiver coupled to a plurality of device drivers and a memory unit. The memory unit is configured to store remote codes, user identification information and user transaction information.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting information between a hand-held portable unit and an entity, comprising:

verifying and authenticating a user of the portable unit by the entity located at a first location, the portable unit comprises internal memory including a first area to contain user information; and

uploading user information into the portable unit only after the user is verified and authenticated by the entity, the user information being subsequently provided by the portable unit to a business entity located at a second location for use during a transaction, the business entity being different than the entity.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user information includes a drivers license number of the user and the method further comprises prompting the user to select either displaying, downloading or printing the user information where the display of the user information includes displaying a digital picture of the user, the drivers license number, name and physical characteristics of the user and the downloading of the user information can be restricted to read-only.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the user identification information further includes a card number and an expiration date from the entity being a credit card issuer and the method further comprises downloading at least the card number to the business entity for use during the transaction being a commercial transaction.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the verifying and authenticating of the user includes receiving for review user identification information printed on a separate document.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the uploading of the user information includes accessing records stored on a computer of the entity and uploading the user information into the portable unit via an input/output (I/O) port of the portable unit.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the uploading of the user information further includes transferring the information into the first area of the internal memory being a protected memory area of the internal memory within the portable unit.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the uploading of the user information further includes transferring the information into the first area of the internal memory being a protected memory area of a tertiary device within the portable unit.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the uploading of the user information includes swiping a magnetic stripped card into a magnetic card reader, convening information stored within the magnetic stripped card into digital information and uploading the digital information into the portable unit via an input/output (I/O) port of the portable unit.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the uploading of the user information further includes swiping a smart card into a smart card reader, convening information stored within the chip of the smart card into digital information and uploading the digital information into the portable unit via an input/output (I/O) port of the portable unit.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising prompting the user of the portable unit to set up at least one of a user identification and a password after completion of the uploading of the information, the user identification and the password being used to regulate access to the user information within the first area of the internal memory.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising denying access to the information if the user is unable to be verified and authenticated.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the entity is one of a financial institution, a governmental agency, a commercial enterprise, a non-profit enterprise and a kiosk.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the establishing of communications includes establishing an internet connection with a web site of the entity.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the uploading of the user information includes uploading a file to an electronic mail address or web site accessible by the portable unit.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the uploading of the user information occurs over the wireless telephone link.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising uploading of remote codes into the portable unit, if the user is verified and authenticated, includes accessing the remote codes stored on a computer of an entity and uploading the remote codes into the portable unit via an input/output (I/O) port of the portable unit.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the uploading of the remote codes includes accessing the remote codes stored on a computer of an entity and uploading the remote codes into the portable unit via an input/output (I/O) port of the portable unit.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the uploading of the remote codes includes uploading the remote codes from a universal programmable remote control.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the uploading of the remote codes includes manually inputting the remote codes into the portable unit using the keypad.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the remote codes include a transmission format including at least one of digital signals, one or more analog signals modulated within a selected frequency range, series of infrared pulses, radio frequency, optical signals and laser.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein the uploading of the remote codes includes transferring the remote codes into a protected memory area of an internal memory within the portable unit.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein the uploading of the remote codes further includes transferring the remote codes into a remote control transceiver within the portable unit.

23. A method comprising

authenticating a user of a portable unit, the portable unit comprises a display, a wireless transceiver, a processing unit and a non-volatile memory contained within a casing;

and

uploading drivers license information into the portable unit for storage within the memory, the drivers license information includes a digital picture of the user, a user name and a drivers license number; and

restricting access to the drivers license information by displaying the drivers license information on the display of the portable unit when selected by the user or downloading the drivers license information with restricted read-only viewing privileges.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the uploading of the drivers license information is stored in a protected area of the memory.

25. The method of claim 23 further comprising;

prompting the user to set tip a user identification and a password for accessing the drivers license information.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein the drivers license information is a read only file.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein the drivers license information further comprises a digital picture of a drivers license of the user.

28. The method of claim 23, wherein the drivers license information farther comprises an age of the user, a date of birth of the user, and an indication of corrective lenses.

29. The method of claim 23, further comprises selecting one of a plurality of options to download the drivers license information, the plurality of options include (i) physical connectivity where an input/output port of the portable unit is connected to a device to receive the downloaded drivers license information, and (ii) remote connectivity where the drivers license information is transmitted to an Internet address.

30. A method comprising:

authenticating a user of a portable unit, the portable unit being a cellular phone that comprises a display, a wireless transceiver, a processing unit and a non-volatile memory contained within a casing; and

uploading drivers license information and credit card information for storage within the non-volatile memory, the drivers license information includes a digital picture of the user, a user name and a drivers license number while the credit card information includes a credit card number and an expiration date;

downloading the drivers license information for verification of the user during a commercial transaction after the drivers license information has been uploaded and stored; and

displaying the drivers license information on the display of the portable unit upon request by the user after the drivers license information has been uploaded and stored.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the uploading of the drivers license information and the credit card information is stored in a protected area of the memory, the protected area of the memory precluding a user from accessing and altering of either the drivers license information or the credit card information.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein the drivers license information is a read only file.