Method and system including phone with rewards image

• US 7,857,215 B2
• Filed: 10/23/2007
• Issued: 12/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visa USA, Inc. (Visa, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Visa USA, Inc. (Visa, Inc.)
• Inventors: Berg, Glenda, Redford, Liane, Gordon, James G., Black, Marc, Nguyen, Loc, Salters, Michael, Mazour, James, Madore, Kim, Shimko, Bryan
• Primary Examiner(s): ST CYR, DANIEL
• Application Number:
  US11/877,505
• Publication Number:
  US 20080097852A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,162 Days
• Field of Search: 235/376, 235/379, 235/380, 235/383, 705/65, 705/68, 705/70, 705/14, 705/75, 705/21, 705 35- 43
• US Class Current: 235/383
• 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 20/355 Personalisation of cards for use
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4093 Monitoring of device authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/08 by coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means without personal verification means G07F7/02
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/12 Card verification
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/122 Online card verification

Abstract

A system having a host configured to maintain information relating to a first portable device and a second portable device and an interface device configured to communicate with the host and the first and second portable devices. The interface is configured to determine whether the first portable device is valid for image synchronization for recording an image of the first portable device, determine whether the second portable device is valid for image synchronization so as to download an image of the first portable device to the second portable device. The interface is further configured to determine whether the second portable device is valid for image replacement using information provided by the host for retrieving an image of the first portable device and download the retrieved image to the second portable device. The interface device also includes control logic configured to determine whether the second portable device includes additional information that is not included in the image of the first portable device for concatenating the additional information with the image of the first portable device, and download the concatenated additional information and image of the first portable device onto the second portable device. The interface device concatenates the additional information and the image of the first portable device based on a set of conflict resolution rules.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

using a first portable phone comprising a first rewards program image;

communicating with a host that maintains a second rewards program image; and

receiving the second rewards program image or any different information between the second rewards program image and the first rewards program image at a second portable phone,

wherein the first portable phone and the second portable phone are linked to a common account, and wherein the first portable phone and the second portable phone are possessed by the same person, and the common account is used by the same person.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving transaction history information along with the second rewards program image at the second portable phone.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein communicating with the host comprises communicating with the host through a communication network.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein communicating with the host comprises communicating with the host through a communication network, wherein the communication network comprises a wireless network.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising contacting the host to initiate a rewards program image synchronization process via a website prior to communicating with the host.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the host comprises information regarding a number of image synchronizations that is allowed by the common account.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the common account is a common loyalty account.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein receiving the second rewards program image or any different information between the second rewards program image and the first rewards program image at the second portable phone comprises receiving the second rewards program image at the second portable phone.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the method is performed by a user of the first portable phone and the second portable phone.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the method is performed by a user of the first portable phone and the second portable phone.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the common account is associated with a primary account number.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein a merge module contacts the host.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the merge module prompts a user of the second portable phone.

22. The method of claim 21 further comprising authenticating the second portable phone.

11. A method comprising:

receiving information regarding a first rewards program image on a first portable phone; and

sending a second rewards program image maintained in a host, or any different information between the second rewards program image and the first rewards program image, to a second portable phone,

wherein the first portable phone and the second portable phone are linked to a common account, and wherein the first portable phone and the second portable phone are possessed by the person, and the common account is used by the same person.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein sending the second rewards program image maintained in the host, or any different information between the second rewards program image and the first rewards program image, to the second portable phone comprises sending the second rewards program image maintained in the host to the second portable phone.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the common account is a common loyalty account.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the second rewards images is sent to the second portable phone through a wireless network.

15. The method of claim 11 further comprising sending transaction history information along with the second rewards program image to the second portable phone.

16. The method of claim 11 further comprising receiving authentication information corresponding to the first portable phone.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising receiving authentication information corresponding to the second portable phone.

18. A host configured to:

receive information regarding a first rewards program image on a first portable phone; and

send a second rewards program image, or any different information between the second rewards program image and the first rewards program image, to a second portable phone, wherein the first portable phone and the second portable phone are linked to a common account, and wherein the first portable phone and the second portable phone are possessed by the same person, and the common account is used by the same person.