Method and system for restricting the usage of payment accounts

• US 7,398,250 B2
• Filed: 07/13/2004
• Issued: 07/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Blinn, Arnold Neil, Coco, Joseph N.
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, JAGDISH
• Application Number:
  US10/890,418
• Publication Number:
  US 20040249753A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,456 Days
• Field of Search: 705/41, 705/39, 705/35
• US Class Current: 705/41
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/105 involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/29 characterised by micropayments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• 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: G06Q 20/403 Solvency checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

A user'"'"'s ability to spend and/or receive funds for payment accounts maintained in an electronic wallet are limited. These limitations include restrictions on where the user is able to spend the funds in a payment account (e.g., at which merchants the funds can be spent, whether the funds can be withdrawn from an ATM, etc.). These limitations may also include restrictions on what other payment accounts the user can receive funds from and/or transfer funds to, thereby limiting person-to-person fund transfers.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

maintaining on a server a plurality of payment accounts in a user-accessible electronic wallet corresponding to a particular user, wherein each payment account stores information that identifies a particular set of one or more additional users that are allowed to add funds to the payment account and an associated external account where funds available to the user are maintained; and

restricting by the server where the funds to be added to a first of the plurality of payment account in the electronic wallet corresponding to a particular user can be received from, wherein the restricting comprises allowing only the particular set of the one or more additional users to add funds to the first of the plurality of payment account.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the electronic wallet is maintained at a remote server.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first payment account comprises a gift certificate account.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first payment account comprises a cash account.

5. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising restricting the first payment account to being combinable with only a particular one or more other payment accounts.

6. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising restricting different payment accounts in the electronic wallet.

7. One or more computer-readable memories containing a computer program that is executable by a processor to perform a method, the method comprising:

maintaining on a server a plurality of payment accounts in a user-accessible electronic wallet corresponding to a particular user, wherein each payment account stores information that identifies a particular set of one or more additional users that are allowed to add funds to the payment account and an associated external account where funds available to the user are maintained;

restricting by the server where the funds to be added to a first of the plurality of payment account in the electronic wallet corresponding to a particular user can be received from, wherein the restricting comprises allowing only the particular set of the one or more additional users to add funds to the first of the plurality of payment account.

8. The one or more computer-readable memories recited in claim 7, wherein the electronic wallet is maintained at a remote server.

9. The one or more computer-readable memories recited in claim 7, wherein the first payment account comprises a gift certificate account.

10. The one or more computer-readable memories recited in claim 7, wherein the first payment account comprises a cash account.

11. The one or more computer-readable memories recited in claim 7, further comprising restricting the first payment account to being combinable with only a particular one or more other payment accounts.

12. The one or more computer-readable memories recited in claim 7, further comprising restricting different payment accounts in the electronic wallet.