Banking computer account system with lock for secure payment via telephone

• US 7,712,655 B2
• Filed: 03/30/2006
• Issued: 05/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kamfu Wong
• Original Assignee: Kamfu Wong
• Inventors: Wong, Kamfu
• Primary Examiner(s): Labaze; Edwyn
• Application Number:
  US11/396,059
• Publication Number:
  US 20060261152A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,503 Days
• Field of Search: 235/379, 235/380, 235/382, 235/487, 705 70- 79
• US Class Current: 235/379
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/32 using wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3829 involving key management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/383 Anonymous user system
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/401 Transaction verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/425 using two different networks, one for transaction and one for security confirmation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/007 with remote control systems remote control in general G08C

Abstract

A banking computer system with lock for secure payment via telephone and corresponding method, the system includes a telephone (1), a public communication system (2), a financial computer account system (3), wherein the financial computer account system (3) usually locks its user account (3-7), assigns a private phone number (6) to a user, and sets unlock information (8) associated with the user account (3-7) in the system. Once the user is connected to the financial computer account system (3) using the telephone (1) with the private phone number (6) through the public communication system (2), the financial computer account system (3) will check the unlock information (8) according to a predefined program, if the unlock information (8) is authenticated, the user account (3-7) will be unlocked for a predefined time, otherwise, the user account cannot be unlocked, the secure payment is therefore achieved by adding an unlock procedure which can be controlled by user.

Claims

1. A banking computer account system for secure payment via telephone, the system comprising:

a telephone (1) of a user, wherein said telephone is assigned a private telephone number (6);

a public communication system (2),

a financial computer account system (3) of a financial institution, said financial computer account system storing unlock information of said user in a memory (3-3), and wherein said user is connected to said financial computer account system using said telephone via said public communication system; and

a user account of said financial computer account system belonging to said user, wherein said user account is normally in a locked state preventing withdrawal from said user account, wherein said financial computer account system is arranged to determine if said private telephone number of said telephone matches said stored unlock information, and wherein said financial computer account system is further arranged to unlock said user account allowing withdrawals for a predefined time when it is determined there is said match, whereby secure payment is achieved.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the financial computer account system (3) includes an auto-phone device (3-1), and a CPU (3-2), wherein the CPU (3-2) is connected to said auto-phone device (3-1) and is arranged to receive said private telephone number from said auto-phone device in order to

check whether or not the received private phone number (6) matches the stored unlock information (8) according to a predefined program.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the unlock information (8) is:

a first information set, including a specified phone number (6-1) and a public phone number (6-2) assigned by the financial computer account system (3);

or

a second information set, including the specified phone number (6-1), the public phone number (6-2) assigned by the financial computer account system (3), and a password (6-3);

or

a third information set, including the specified phone number (6-1), the public phone number (6-2) assigned by the financial computer account system (3), the password (6-3), and an upper expense limit (6-4) wherein the upper expense limit (6-4) has a format specified by the system, the amount of the upper expense limit (6-4) is input by the user and controlled by the CPU (3-2);

or

a fourth information set, including the public phone number (6-2) and the password (6-3);

or

a fifth information set, including the public phone number (6-2), the password (6-3), and the upper expense limit (6-4);

or

a sixth information set, including the public phone number (6-2), the password (6-3), the upper expense limit(6-4), and the specified phone number (6-1);

or

a seventh information set, including the public phone number (6-2), the password (6-3), and the specified phone number (6-1);

or

an eighth information set, including the specified phone number (6-1), the public phone number (6-2), the password (6-3), and the upper expense limit (6-4);

or

a ninth information set, including the specified phone number (6-1), the public phone number (6-2), the password (6-3), the upper expense limit (6-4), and an unlock date/time (6-5);

or

a tenth information set, including the specified phone number (6-1), the public phone number (6-2), a short message for unlock, and the password (6-3);

or

a eleventh information set, including an email address (6-7), and an unlock password (6-8) included in an e-mail message sent to the e-mail address;

or

a twelfth information set, including a network address (6-9) and an unlock password (6-10).

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the telephone (1) is a mobile phone, a fixed phone, a computer or a PDA.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the public communication system (2) includes a mobile phone system, and a fixed phone system, and a network communication system, and wherein the financial computer account system (3) includes a banking computer system (333), a credit card computer system (334), a debt card computer system, or a financial securities computer system.

6. A method for secure payment via telephone, said method comprising:

storing unlock information associated with a user financial account in a financial computer account system of a financial institution;

locking said financial account of said user by said financial computer account system, said locking preventing withdrawals from said financial account;

receiving, at said financial computer account system, a telephone call from a telephone of said user;

identifying a private telephone number assigned to said telephone of said user;

determining if said identified private telephone number matches said stored unlock information; and

unlocking, by said financial computer account system, said financial account and allowing withdrawals for a predefined time when it is determined that said identified private telephone number matches said stored unlock information.

7. A method for secure payment via telephone using an existing financial computer account system (3) in an existing financial institution, a public communication system (2) and a telephone (1), said method comprising:

storing unlock information set (8) associated with the account (3-7) of a specific user in the financial computer account system (3),

assigning, by the financial computer account system (3), a private phone number (6) to the user, said private phone number being included in said unlock information set;

dialing, by said specific user, from the assigned private phone number (6) of the telephone (1) the financial computer account system;

checking, by the financial computer account system (3), whether or not an information set for the private phone number (6) matches the stored unlock information set (8);

unlocking the user account if there is said match for a predefined time; and

locking said user account after said predefined time has elapsed.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the unlock information (8) is:

a first information set, including a specified phone number (6-1) and a public phone number (6-2) assigned by the financial computer account system (3);

or

a second information set, including the specified phone number (6-1), the public phone number (6-2) assigned by the financial computer account system (3), and a password (6-3);

or

a third information set, including the specified phone number (6-1), the public phone number (6-2) assigned by the financial computer account system (3), the password (6-3), and an upper expense limit (6-4) wherein the upper expense limit (6-4) has a format specified by the system, the amount of the upper expense limit (6-4) is input by the user and controlled by the CPU (3-2);

or

a fourth information set, including the public phone number (6-2) and the password (6-3);

or

a fifth information set, including the public phone number (6-2), the password (6-3), and the upper expense limit (6-4);

or

a sixth information set, including the public phone number (6-2), the password (6-3), the upper expense limit (6-4), and the specified phone number (6-1);

or

a seventh information set, including the public phone number (6-2), the password (6-3), and the specified phone number (6-1);

or

an eighth information set, including the specified phone number (6-1), the public phone number (6-2), the password (6-3), and the upper expense limit (6-4);

or

a ninth information set, including the specified phone number (6-1), the public phone number (6-2), the password (6-3), the upper expense limit (6-4), and an unlock date/time (6-5);

or

a tenth information set, including the specified phone number (6-1), the public phone number (6-2), a short message for unlock, and the password (6-3);

or

a eleventh information set, including an email address (6-7), and an unlock password (6-8) included in an e-mail message sent to the e-mail address;

or

a twelfth information set, including a network address (6-9) and an unlock password (6-10).

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the predefined time (T) is associated with an amount limit (M) preset by the user, said method further comprising:

maintaining said user account as unlocked when a cumulative amount withdrawn by the user is less than the amount limit (M).

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

storing an upper expense limit for said user account in said financial computer account system;

inputting the upper expense limit by the user after the user dials the account system and then inputs a password; and

allowing a withdrawal from said user account only if said withdrawal is less than said upper expense limit.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the predefined time (T) is associated with an amount limit (M) preset by the user, said method further comprising:

locking automatically said user account when a cumulative amount withdrawn by the user is more than the amount limit (M); and

cancelling a current transaction of said user.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

assigning two telephone numbers to the user, wherein a first one is used as the unlock telephone number for a transaction in a small amount (TL1), and a second one is used as the unlock telephone number for a transaction in a large amount (TL2) that is greater than said small amount;

allowing withdrawals from said user account having values less than a predetermined number when said user inputs said first telephone number; and

allowing withdrawals from said user account having values greater than said predetermined number when said user inputs said second telephone number.

13. A computer account system with security via an electronic means, the system includes:

a financial computer account system (a) having a plurality of accounts wherein the accounting state of an individual account may be sets;

one or more receivers (b) connected to said financial computer account system for receiving instructions to activate one of said accounts;

a subsystem (c) connected to the financial computer account system for processing electronic transactions, the subsystem for processing electronic transactions including on-line or off-line transaction terminals (d);

a wireless electronic device (e) arranged to send codes with which account holders send instructions to activate said accounts of the financial computer account system (a) via the electronic means; and

a customer database recording said codes of the wireless electronic device (e).

14. The computer account system of claim 13, wherein said financial computer account system (a) is an account system of a bank, a financial institution, a credit card company, a financial network operator, or a prepaid card distributor.

15. The computer account system of claim 13, wherein said one or more receiver for receiving instructions to activate accounts includes a telephone voice processing system.

16. The computer account system of claim 13, wherein said one or more receiver for receiving instructions to activate accounts includes a data processing system.

17. The computer account system of claim 13, wherein said receiver for receiving instructions to activate accounts includes a mobile phone banking system for processing a short message or multimedia message of a mobile phone, or an electronic receiver specially designed to activate accounts.

18. The computer account system of claim 13, wherein said subsystem (c) for processing electronic transactions is an on-line bank.

19. The computer account system of claim 13, wherein said subsystem (c) for processing electronic transactions is a debit system implemented via IC cards of an ATM/CDM, a bank card, a phone bank or a prepaid card distributor.

20. The computer account system of claim 13, wherein said wireless electronic device (e) includes a mobile phone, a PDA or other wireless electronic devices with identification.

21. The computer account system of claim 13, wherein said customer database includes individualized settings having conditions satisfied to activate accounts with either a registered or a non-registered wireless electronic device.

22. The computer account system of claim 21, wherein said individualized settings also include a time period to keep accounts activated, and wherein said accounts shift automatically to a sleeping state after the time period expires no matter whether there are transactions to be processed and any request for accounting would no longer be accepted.

23. The computer account system of claim 22, wherein said time period to keep accounts activated is preset by account holders.

24. The computer account system of claim 22, wherein said time period to keep accounts activated is set by account holders when needed.

25. The computer account system of claim 21, wherein said individualized settings also include an upper limit set for a single withdrawal from an account or a cumulative upper limit on withdrawals accumulated in a particular time after the accounts are activated.

26. The computer account system of claim 21, wherein said individualized settings also include conditions considered necessary to enhance security by account holders.

27. The computer account system of claim 13, wherein said wireless electronic device being further arranged to send an additional identification code in the case of using a non-registered wireless electronic device to activate accounts.

28. The computer account system of claim 13, wherein said instructions to activate accounts are sent to a relevant instruction receiver connected to the financial computer account system.

29. The computer account system of claim 28, wherein said instructions to activate accounts include instructions in the form of voice, text, or multimedia.

30. The computer account system of claim 28, wherein a time period to keep accounts activated is set and an upper limit for the debit amount of every transaction or a cumulative limit on withdrawals accumulated in a particular time is also set.

31. The computer account system of claim 28, wherein said activation of accounts selects certain or all debit items.