Enhanced vehicle identification card

• US 8,370,254 B1
• Filed: 09/26/2007
• Issued: 02/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Original Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Inventors: Hopkins, John Chandler III, Cotter, Judy Margaret
• Primary Examiner(s): Norman, Samica L
• Application Number:
  US11/861,476
• Time in Patent Office: 1,959 Days
• Field of Search: 705/4, 705/40, 705/41, 235/379, 235/493, 455/558
• US Class Current: 705/39
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/044 comprising galvanic contacts for contacting an integrated circuit chip thereon
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0702 the arrangement including a battery
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/0723 the record carrier comprising an arrangement for non-contact communication, e.g. wireless communication circuits on transponder cards, non-contact smart cards or RFIDs
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07703 the interface being visual
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07773 Antenna details antennas for wireless devices, e.g. RFID tags, in general H01Q1/22
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/20 Administration of product repair or maintenance
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance

Abstract

A vehicle identification card is provided to an insured that includes proof of automotive insurance information and charge account information. The card may include an insurance policy covering the insured'"'"'s vehicle, the VIN number of the vehicle, and other information about the vehicle such as the vehicle'"'"'s make and model. The card may include account information that allows the card to be used like a credit card. The card may further include means for wirelessly updating information and providing a display to the user, which includes, but is not limited to, a housing, a memory module, a processor, one or more displays, and a power source.

Claims

1. A system for authorizing vehicle based transactions comprising:

at least one subsystem that maintains a database of accounts, each account associated with a vehicle, said database including credit card accounts and secured available credit accounts;

at least one subsystem that receives a transaction to debit a secured available credit account, said transaction related to said vehicle and said transaction selectively identifying said secured available credit account related to said vehicle in preference to a credit card account related to said vehicle;

at least one subsystem that determines whether secured available credit is available from said secured available credit account and authorizes said transaction when secured available credit is available; and

at least one subsystem that transmits information regarding whether secured available credit is available and whether said transaction has been authorized to a vehicle identification card associated with said vehicle, and said vehicle identification card associated with said secured available credit account and associated with said credit card account.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one subsystem that determines whether secured available credit is available for a specific service performed for said vehicle.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one subsystem that determines whether secured available credit is available for a specific entity to perform a service for said vehicle.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one subsystem that receives a request to approve a transaction and determines whether said transaction is a credit based transaction or a secured available credit based transaction.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one subsystem that receives a request to authorize a secured available credit transaction from a user'"'"'s computer system.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one subsystem that receives a request to authorize a secured available credit transaction from an entity associated with an insurance provider.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one subsystem that receives accident information related to said specific vehicle, determines secured available credit usable for an accident related transaction, and transmits said secured available credit.

8. A method for authorizing vehicle based transactions, the method carried out by a computing device comprising at least one processor and at least one memory communicatively coupled to said processor, the method comprising:

maintaining a database of accounts, each account associated with a vehicle, said database of accounts including credit card accounts and secured available credit accounts;

receiving a transaction to debit a secured available credit account, said transaction related to said vehicle and said transaction selectively identifying said secured available credit account related to said vehicle in preference to a credit card account related to said vehicle;

determining on said computing device whether secured available credit is available from said secured available credit account and authorizing said transaction when secured available credit is available; and

transmitting information regarding whether secured available credit is available and whether said transaction was authorized to a vehicle identification card associated with said vehicle, and said vehicle identification card associated with said secured available credit account and associated with said credit card account.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising determining whether secured available credit is available for a specific service performed for said vehicle.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising determining whether secured available credit is available for a specific entity to perform a service for said vehicle.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising receiving a request to approve a transaction and determining whether said transaction is a credit based transaction or a secured available credit based transaction.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising receiving a request to authorize a secured available credit transaction from a user'"'"'s computer system.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising receiving a request to authorize a secured available credit transaction from an entity associated with an insurance provider.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising receiving accident information related to said specific vehicle, determining secured available credit usable for an accident related transaction, and transmitting said secured available credit.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium bearing instructions for authorizing vehicle based transactions comprising:

instructions for maintaining a database of accounts, each account associated with a vehicle said database including credit card accounts and secured available credit accounts;

instructions for receiving a transaction to debit a secured available credit account, said transaction related to said vehicle and said transaction selectively identifying said secured available credit account related to said vehicle in preference to a credit card account related to said vehicle;

instructions for determining whether secured available credit is available from said secured available credit account and authorizing said transaction when secured available credit is available; and

instructions for transmitting information regarding whether secured available credit is available and authorizing said transaction to a vehicle identification card associated with said vehicle, and said vehicle identification card associated with said secured available credit account and associated with said credit card account.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 15, further comprising instructions for determining whether secured available credit is available for a specific service performed for said vehicle.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 15, further comprising instructions for determining whether secured available credit is available for a specific entity to perform a service for said vehicle.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 15, further comprising instructions for receiving a request to approve a transaction and determining whether said transaction is a credit based transaction or a secured available credit based transaction.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 15, further comprising instructions for receiving a request to authorize a secured available credit transaction from a user'"'"'s computer system.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 15, further comprising instructions for receiving a request to authorize a secured available credit transaction from an entity associated with an insurance provider.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 15, further comprising instructions for receiving accident information related to said specific vehicle, determining secured available credit usable for an accident related transaction, and transmitting said secured available credit.