Smart card application system and method

• US 7,523,489 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2005
• Issued: 04/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bossemeyer, Robert W., Heinmiller, Wayne Robert, Ekstrom, Gayle Roberta, Light, Jordan Howard, Israelski, Edmond W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Truong; Thanhnga B
• Application Number:
  US11/314,263
• Publication Number:
  US 20060101509A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,217 Days
• Field of Search: 713/172, 713/182, 713/185, 725/6, 725/75, 902/25, 902/26, 382/115, 726/5, 726/9, 726/20, 711/100, 235/380, 705/64, 705/72, 705 75- 76, 705/65
• US Class Current: 726/9
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/351 Virtual cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/367 involving electronic purses or money safes
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 Grouping of entities

Abstract

A system has a plurality of memory locations and a processor. The plurality of memory locations is partitioned by security level and by smart card application. The plurality of memory locations has at least one limited access partition to store limited access information associated with a smart card. The processor is coupled to the plurality of memory locations to receive a transaction request related to the smart card, to authenticate the smart card, to access the limited access information of the limited access partition in response to a data pointer of the smart card, and to process the transaction request according to the limited access information. The limited access information includes a restriction defined by an owner of the smart card.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, in a commercial transaction request, a user identification code of a smart card of a plurality of smart cards associated with a group and a merchant code that is used to identify available records available to a merchant for a commercial transaction, the available records selected from a partitioned database server that is partitioned in terms of a plurality of transaction applications and is partitioned in terms of level of accessibility for each transaction application;

accessing an owner defined parameter limiting access to the available records associated with the commercial transaction from the partitioned database server that is associated with the smart card in response to receiving the user identification code and the merchant code; and

restricting usage of the smart card in the commercial transaction based on the accessed parameter.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the accessed parameter comprises a threshold dollar value for a single transaction and wherein restricting usage comprises prohibiting the commercial transaction when the commercial transaction exceeds the threshold dollar value.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the accessed parameter comprises a threshold dollar value over a given time interval and wherein restricting usage comprises prohibiting the commercial transaction when the commercial transaction exceeds the threshold dollar value.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the accessed parameter comprises a list of particular merchants and wherein restricting usage of the smart card comprises restricting usage of the smart card to the particular merchants on the list.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the user identification code comprises a data pointer to a partition of a database server.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein before the step of receiving the user identification code, the method further comprising:

providing the plurality of smart cards to the group, the group comprising a group owner and one or more members;

receiving one or more usage parameters of at least one of the plurality of smart cards from the group owner; and

storing the usage parameters on a database server.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the group comprises a family unit.

8. A system comprising:

a plurality of memory locations having available information for a transaction, the plurality of memory locations partitioned by security level accessibility and by a plurality of smart card applications, the plurality of memory locations comprising at least one limited access partition to store limited access information associated with a smart card; and

a processor coupled to the plurality of memory locations, the processor to receive a transaction request related to the smart card that has an access code and a merchant code to identify the available information selected from the plurality of partitioned memory locations that is accessible by the merchant based on the merchant code, to authenticate the smart card, to access the limited access information of the limited access partition in response to a data pointer of the smart card, and to process the transaction request according to the limited access information, wherein the limited access information comprises a restriction defined by an owner of the smart card.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the restriction comprises a maximum dollar value over a given time period and wherein the processor restricts usage of the smart card in a commercial transaction according to the maximum dollar value.

10. The server of claim 9, further comprising:

a time/date and certification authority to verify a time of a commercial transaction, wherein the processor is adapted to restrict usage of the smart card when the commercial transaction exceeds the maximum dollar value within the given time period.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the restriction comprises a list of merchants and wherein the processor restricts usage of the smart card in a commercial transaction to merchants identified within the list of merchants.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the limited access information comprises medical information.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the limited access information comprises financial information.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor facilitates a transfer of information between a second server and a source of the transaction request according to the limited access information.

15. A method comprising:

receiving a transaction request related to a smart card of a plurality of smart cards at a server from a merchant, the transaction request including a user identification code of a user and a merchant code of the merchant, the merchant code to identify selected information from the server that is available to the merchant, wherein the server is a partitioned database server that is partitioned in terms of a plurality of transaction applications and is partitioned in terms of level of accessibility by the merchant;

accessing limited access information on the server in response to the user identification code, the limited access information associated with the smart card;

cross-referencing the merchant code with a list of merchants in the limited access information; and

permitting access by the merchant to the identified available information related to the user based on the limited access information, after the merchant code is recognized.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein permitting access by the merchant comprises routing a data pointer to an appropriate memory location of an information keeper in response to the transaction request to facilitate a merchant transaction based on the limited access information.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the transaction request comprises a request for medical treatment information of a user, and wherein routing the data pointer comprises routing the data pointer to a database of a health provider.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the transaction request comprises a request for credit history information, and wherein routing the data pointer comprises routing the data pointer to a database of a credit reporting company.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the transaction request comprises a request for financial records information, and wherein routing the data pointer comprises routing the data pointer to a database of a financial institution.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the transaction request comprises a commercial transaction having a dollar value, and wherein permitting access by the merchant comprises permitting access by the merchant to a digital wallet of the user to complete the commercial transaction up to a predetermined dollar limit, when the dollar value is less than the predetermined dollar limit.