Method and system for setting levels of electronic wallet security

• US 7,707,113 B1
• Filed: 09/28/2007
• Issued: 04/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: DiMartino, Allison, Roche, Elizabeth, Zhu, Kevin, Miller, Robert H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kramer; James
• Assistant Examiner(s): Maguire; Lindsay M.
• Application Number:
  US11/863,632
• Time in Patent Office: 942 Days
• Field of Search: 705/44, 705/41
• US Class Current: 705/44
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/105 involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3278 RFID or NFC payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/341 Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3572 Multiple accounts on card
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3574 Multiple applications on card
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/363 with the personal data of a user
• 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: G07F 7/1025 Identification of user by a PIN code

Abstract

A method of a portable electronic device providing payment from an electronic wallet is provided. The method comprises prompting for input of a personal identification number (PIN) after the wallet has been opened and providing payment from the wallet after receiving the PIN, when the wallet is configured to a first level of security. The method also comprises providing payment from the wallet after the wallet has been opened, when the wallet is configured to a second level of wallet security, wherein the PIN is not contemporaneously input. The method also comprises providing payment from the wallet when the electronic portable device has been activated, when the wallet is configured to a third level of wallet security, wherein the wallet is not opened and the PIN is not contemporaneously input.

Claims

1. A method of completing a payment transaction using an electronic wallet on a portable device, comprising:

storing, by the electronic wallet stored in a memory of the portable device and being executed by a processor of the mobile device, multiple payment cards, wherein the electronic wallet has first, second, and third user configured levels of electronic wallet security for providing payment information to complete a transaction when the portable device is active;

responsive to receiving, by the electronic wallet, a third set of selections from a user, executing the electronic wallet at the third level of electronic wallet security, wherein the third set of selections comprises a selection for a payment card to remain on, and wherein the third level of electronic wallet security comprises providing payment information without launching the electronic wallet and without requiring a PIN input to complete the payment transaction;

responsive to receiving, by the electronic wallet, a second set of selections from a user, executing the electronic wallet at the second level of electronic wallet security, wherein the second set of selections comprises a selection for remembering the PIN, and wherein the second level of electronic wallet security comprises providing payment information by launching the electronic wallet without requiring the PIN input to complete the payment transaction;

responsive to receiving, by the electronic wallet, a first set of selections from a user or responsive to a first initialization of the electronic wallet, executing the electronic wallet at the first level of electronic wallet security, wherein the first level of electronic wallet security comprises providing payment information by launching the electronic wallet and requiring the PIN input to complete the payment transaction; and

providing, by the electronic wallet, payment information to complete the payment transaction based on a current level of user configured electronic wallet security.

2. The method of claim 1, further including:

reconfiguring the electronic wallet from the first level of electronic wallet security to the second level of electronic wallet security responsive to receiving the second set of selections from a user; and

reconfiguring the electronic wallet from the second level of electronic wallet security to the third level of electronic wallet security responsive to receiving the third set of selections from a user, wherein the payment card selected to remain on is not a transit card.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the portable device is one of a mobile phone and a personal digital assistant.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the providing payment information to complete the payment transaction for the first, second, and third levels of wallet includes contactless communication with a point-of-sale terminal.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the contactless communication is based on near field communication (NFC) technology.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein requiring the PIN input to complete the payment transaction comprises prompting for and receiving input of the PIN responsive to initiating a payment with a payment card contained by the electronic wallet.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein requiring the PIN input to complete the payment transaction comprises prompting for and receiving input of the PIN responsive to launching the electronic wallet.

8. The method of claim 1 further including:

launching a dynamic set up interface with selectable options responsive to the level of security of the electronic wallet,

wherein launching the dynamic set up interface for the first level of electronic wallet security provides a selectable option of the second set of selectable options for remembering the PIN to configure the electronic wallet for the second level of security, wherein launching the dynamic set up interface when the electronic wallet is configured for the second level of electronic wallet security provides a selectable option of the third set of selectable options for a payment card to remain on to configure the electronic wallet for the third level of security.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the multiple payment cards comprise a plurality of credit cards, a plurality of debit cards, a plurality of transit cards, or combinations thereof.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein only a single payment card that is not a transit card is allowed to be made to remain on.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein a plurality of transit cards are allowed to be made to remain on.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the first initialization of the electronic wallet comprises the electronic wallet having no payment card set up.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the electronic wallet comprises a plurality of payment cards having different levels of security.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

adding a new payment card to the electronic wallet; and

automatically configuring a security level of the new payment card to the current user configured level of electronic wallet security.