Method and system for providing interactive cardholder rewards image replacement

• US 7,857,216 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: Redford, Liane, Gordon, James G., Black, Marc, Nguyen, Loc, Salters, Michael, Mazour, James, Madore, Kim, Shimko, Bryan, Berg, Glenda
• Primary Examiner(s): ST CYR, DANIEL
• Application Number:
  US11/877,540
• Publication Number:
  US 20090159675A1
• 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 for facilitating image management for portable devices, which includes 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 portable devices. The interface device includes control logic configured to: determine whether the first portable device is valid for image synchronization using information provided by the host in order to record an image of the first portable device, determine whether the second portable device is valid for image synchronization in order to download an image of the first portable device to the second portable device. The interface device further includes control logic configured to: determine whether the second portable device is valid for image replacement using information provided by the host so as to retrieve 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 in order to concatenate 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.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

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

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the first and second portable devices are smartcards.

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 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 device comprises receiving the second rewards program image at the second portable device.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the first and second portable devices are transponders.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the first and second portable devices are security cards.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the first and second portable devices are phones.

8. A method comprising:

receiving information regarding a first rewards program image on a first portable device; 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 device, wherein the first rewards program image and the second rewards program image are associated with the same account, and wherein the first portable device and the second portable device are possessed by the same person, and the account is used by the same person.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the method is performed by the host.

10. The method of claim 8 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 device comprises sending the second rewards program image maintained in the host to the second portable device.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the first portable device and the second portable device are linked to a common loyalty account.

12. A host configured to:

receive information regarding a first rewards program image on a first portable device; 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 device,

wherein the first and second portable devices are linked to an account, and wherein the first portable device and the second portable device are possessed by the same person, and the account is used by the same person.

13. A merge module configured to:

receive information regarding a first rewards program image on a first portable device;

contact a host to obtain a second rewards program image, or any different information between the second rewards program image and the first rewards program image; and

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

14. The merge module of claim 13, wherein the merge module is further configured to:

authenticate the second portable device.

15. The merge module of claim 13, wherein the merge module is further configured to:

authenticate the first portable device.

16. The merge module of claim 13, wherein the merge module is further configured to:

determine if an authorized number of reward image replacements for the account have been used.

17. The merge module of claim 13, wherein the merge module is further configured to:

determine differences between the first rewards program image and the second rewards program image.

18. An interface device comprising the merge module of claim 13.

19. The interface device of claim 18 wherein the interface device is a kiosk.