Pre-authenticated identification token

• US 7,742,995 B2
• Filed: 03/23/2007
• Issued: 06/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mastercard International Incorporated (MasterCard Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Mastercard International Incorporated (MasterCard Incorporated)
• Inventors: Phillips, Simon
• Primary Examiner(s): Hewitt, II; Calvin L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Huang; Tsan-Yu J
• Application Number:
  US11/728,224
• Publication Number:
  US 20080235144A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,187 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/65
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/327 Short range or proximity payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/352 Contactless payments by cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/367 involving electronic purses or money safes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3821 Electronic credentials
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0813 Specific details related to card security
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/086 by passive credit-cards adapted therefor, e.g. constructive particularities to avoid counterfeiting, e.g. by inclusion of a physical or chemical security-layer for security documents G07D7/00; for the reading of record-carriers in general G06K7/00; for the design of coded credit-cards G06K19/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32

Abstract

An identification token such as a proximity payment device may be integrated with a wristwatch. For security purposes, the identification token may be disabled when removed from the user'"'"'s wrist. The identification token may be re-enabled by interaction with a docking station or personal computer at the user'"'"'s residence.

Claims

1. An identification token, comprising:

a housing;

a band for securing the housing to a user'"'"'s wrist; and

a processor for executing computer program instructions stored on a computer readable medium to perform the following steps;

sensing attachment of the identification token to a user'"'"'s wrist;

sensing removal of the identification token from the user'"'"'s wrist;

detecting the removal of the identification token from the user'"'"'s wrist;

switching the identification token from an enabled state to a disabled state in response to detecting the removal of the identification token;

receiving a signal from a re-enabling device, with the identification in proximity to the re-enabling device, the identification token in its disabled state when the identification token receives said signal, said signal received at a time when the identification token is not on the user'"'"'s wrist;

sensing re-attachment of the identification token to the user'"'"'s wrist within a predetermined time after receiving said signal; and

switching the identification token switching back to the enabled state in response to the identification token being re-attached to the user'"'"'s wrist within said predetermined time after receiving the signal.

2. The identification token of claim 1, wherein said signal is not an interrogation signal.

3. The identification token of claim 1, further comprising:

a battery in said housing; and

means for receiving a power signal from a electronic device and using said power signal to charge said battery.

4. The identification token of claim 1, wherein the identification token is a wristwatch.

5. The identification token of claim 1, wherein the identification token further comprises:

the band further comprising two straps that are attached to opposite sides of the housing and are adapted to be selectively coupled to each other; and

means for detecting that the two straps are not coupled to each other.

6. The identification token of claim 1, wherein the identification token is a proximity payment device.

7. The identification token of claim 1, further comprising:

an antenna coupled to a transmitting device and to a state-switching device.

8. The identification token of claim 1, further comprising:

a USB port on said housing.

9. The identification token of claim 1, further comprising:

an indicator on said housing, said indicator for indicating to the user whether or not the identification token is in said first state.

10. The identification token of claim 9, wherein said indicator is a light-emitting diode.

11. A method of operating a physical identification token, the method comprising:

sensing, by a sensing device, attachment of the identification token to a user'"'"'s wrist;

sensing, by the sensing device, removal of the identification token from the user'"'"'s wrist;

detecting, by the identification token, the removal of the identification token from the user'"'"'s wrist;

switching, by a switching device, the identification token from an enabled state to a disabled state in response to detecting the removal of the identification token;

receiving, in the identification token, a signal from a re-enabling device, with the identification in proximity to the re-enabling device, the identification token in its disabled state when the identification token receives said signal, said signal received at a time when the identification token is not on the user'"'"'s wrist;

sensing, by the sensing device, re-attachment of the identification token to the user'"'"'s wrist within a predetermined time after receiving said signal switching, by the switching device, the identification token back to the enabled state in response to the identification token being re-attached to the user'"'"'s wrist within said predetermined time after receiving the signal.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

the identification token receiving a power signal from the re-enabling device; and

the identification token using the power signal to charge a battery included in the identification token.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the identification token is a wristwatch.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the identification token is a proximity payment device.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the sensing removal of the identification token from the user'"'"'s wrist includes sensing that one portion of a wristband has been uncoupled from another portion of the wristband.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the re-enabling device is in data communication with a personal computer located in the user'"'"'s residence.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

the user operating the personal computer to perform an authentication procedure to cause the personal computer to send an authentication signal to the re-enabling device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the authentication procedure includes the personal computer exchanging data communication with a server computer that is remotely located from the personal computer.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the authentication procedure includes the personal computer transmitting, to the server computer, information input into the personal computer by the user.