Secured online financial transaction text chat

• US 8,156,324 B1
• Filed: 12/29/2008
• Issued: 04/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Original Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Inventors: Shnowske, Daniel P., Treadwell, William
• Primary Examiner(s): Shan, April
• Application Number:
  US12/345,335
• Time in Patent Office: 1,198 Days
• Field of Search: 713/151, 713/166, 726/29, 463/36, 463/42
• US Class Current: 713/151
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/71 using secure communication between game devices and game servers, e.g. by encrypting game data or authenticating players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/87 Communicating with other players during game play, e.g. by e-mail or chat
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/401 Secure communication, e.g. using encryption or authentication
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/532 using secure communication, e.g. by encryption, authentication
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5513 involving billing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/572 Communication between players during game play of non game information, e.g. e-mail, chat, file transfer, streaming of audio and streaming of video
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1822 Conducting the conference, e.g. admission, detection, selection or grouping of participants, correlating users to one or more conference sessions, prioritising transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1827 Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/046 Interoperability with other network applications or services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality

Abstract

Systems, methods, and computer program products are defined that provide for secure online financial transaction text chat. According to present embodiments, the security provided to the text chat stream is less likely to be intercepted by a network attacker during communication. In addition to providing heightened security to text chat transmissions, methods, systems and computer program products provide for an alternate platform for delivering the text chat application in the form of a game console. In this regard, the methods, systems and the like provide for text chat on platforms other than personal computers, laptops and/or telephones.

Claims

1. A method for providing text chats for a game console-based online financial institution service, the method comprising:

executing, on a game console device, an online financial institution service application;

receiving, at the game console device, a user request to initiate a text chat session via the online financial institution service;

establishing one of a Secured Socket Layer (SSL) protocol tunneled network connection or a Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol tunneled network connection between the game console device and a network entity associated with the financial institution, wherein the network connection is established by communicating of a game console identifier from the game console device to the network entity and bi-directional exchanging of digital certificates between the game console device and the network entity;

accessing and controlling a text input mechanism associated with the game console device and a text output mechanism associated with the game console device based on receipt of the user request;

receiving, at the text input mechanism, user text inputs for the text chat session;

encrypting and hashing, at the game console device, the user text inputs; and

communicating the user text inputs via one of the SSL protocol tunneled network connection or the TLS protocol tunneled network connection to the network entity associated with the financial institution.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein executing an online financial institution service application further comprises executing the online financial institution service application that includes signed code.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the game console device is further defined as being configured to execute only signed code.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, at the game console device, financial institution text data for the text chat session and outputting the financial institution text data via the text output mechanism.

5. A system for providing text chats for a game console-based online financial institution service, the system comprising:

a gaming console device including a computing platform having a processor and a memory in communication with the processor; and

an online financial customer service application operable to be loaded into the memory of the gaming console device and executed on the gaming console device, wherein the application is specifically configured for the gaming console device and includes;

text chat computer instructions executable by the processor configured to;

receive a user input to initiate a text chat session, establish one of a Secured Socket Layer (SSL) protocol tunneled network connection or a Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol tunneled network connection between the gaming console device and a network entity associated with the financial institution, wherein the network connection is established by communicating of a game console identifier from the gaming console device to the network entity and bi-directional exchanging of digital certificates between the gamine console device and the network entity, access and control a text input mechanism associated with the gaming console device and a text output mechanism associated with the gaming console device, receive, at the text input mechanism, user inputs for the text chat session, encrypt and hash the user text inputs, and communicate the user text inputs via one of the SSL protocol tunneled network connection or the TLS protocol tunneled network connection to the network entity.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the online financial customer service application further comprises signed code.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the gaming console device is further defined as configured to execute only signed code.

8. A computer program product, comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising game console executable instructions configured to perform a method of;

executing an online financial institution service application;

receiving a user request to initiate a text chat session via the online financial institution service;

establishing one of a Secured Socket Layer (SSL) protocol tunneled network connection or a Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol tunneled network connection between the game console device and a network entity associated with the financial institution, wherein the network connection is established by communicating a game console identifier from the game console device to the network entity and bi-directional exchanging of digital certificates between the game console device and the network entity;

accessing and controlling, on behalf of the text chat session, a text input mechanism associated with the game console device and a text output mechanism associated with the game console device based on receipt of the user request;

receiving, at the text input mechanism, user text inputs for the text chat session;

encrypting and hashing the user text inputs; and

communicating the user text inputs via one of the SSL protocol tunneled network connection or the TLS protocol tunneled network connection to the network entity associated with the financial institution.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, comprising the non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising the game console executable instructions configured to further perform executing the online financial institution service application that includes signed code.

10. The computer program product of claim 8, comprising the non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising the game console executable instructions configured to further perform executing the online financial service application on the game console device that is configured to execute only signed code.

11. The computer program product of claim 8, comprising the non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising the game console executable instructions configured to further perform receiving, at the game console device, financial institution text data for the text chat session and output the financial institution text data via the text output mechanism.