Computerized authorization system and method

• US 8,719,907 B2
• Filed: 05/11/2012
• Issued: 05/06/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arctran Holdings Limited
• Original Assignee: Gary Martin Shannon
• Inventors: Shannon, Gary Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Holder, Bradley
• Assistant Examiner(s): MOHAMMADI, FAHIMEH M
• Application Number:
  US13/469,780
• Publication Number:
  US 20120240198A1
• Time in Patent Office: 725 Days
• Field of Search: 705 64- 75, 726 4- 5, 726/18, 726/21, 713156-158, 713172-174
• US Class Current: 726/4
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/30 Authentication, i.e. establishing the identity or authorisation of security principals
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/40 by quorum, i.e. whereby two or more security principals are required
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/108 Remote banking, e.g. home banking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/2295 Parent-child type, e.g. where parent has control on child rights
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3223 Realising banking transactions through M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4012 Verifying personal identification numbers [PIN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/102 applying security measure for e-commerce data processing systems or methods, specially adapted for e-commerce G06Q30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/725 Cordless telephones user interfaces specially adapted therefor H04M1/724

Abstract

A computerized authorization system configured to authorize electronically-made requests to an electronic entity. The computerized authorization system comprises a store configured to store an indication of at least one predetermined electronic authorization device configured to authorize each electronically-made request. The computerized authorization system is further configured such that: in response to receiving an electronically-made request to the electronic entity, an indication of the request is output to the at least one predetermined electronic authorization device configured to authorize the request as indicated in the store; and in response to receiving an indication of authorization from the at least one predetermined electronic authorization device, an indication of authorization of the request is output to the electronic entity.

Claims

1. A computerized authorization system configured to authorize electronically-made requests made to an electronic entity, the computerized authorization system comprising:

a hardware storage device, wherein the hardware storage device is configured to store m identifiers of m corresponding predetermined electronic authorization hardware devices, wherein each of the m predetermined electronic authorization hardware devices is associated with one, and only one user, of n users, where m and n are integers, n≧

2, and n≦

m;

one or more processors, wherein the one or more processors is configured to receive an indication of an electronically-made request made to an electronic entity, from the electronic entity;

wherein each predetermined electronic authorization hardware device, of the m predetermined electronic authorization hardware devices, is configured to receive the indication of the electronically-made request from the one or more processors, and configured to output an authorization of the electronically-made request by the user, of the n users, associated with the each predetermined electronic authorization hardware device, to the one or more processors, upon receipt of an authorization input from the user, of the n users, associated with the each predetermined electronic authorization hardware device;

wherein when the one or more processors receives the indication of the electronically-made request, from the electronic entity, the one or more processors output the indication of the electronically-made request to the m predetermined electronic authorization hardware devices; and

wherein when the one or more processors receives one or more authorizations of the electronically-made request from a corresponding one or more predetermined electronic authorization hardware devices of the m predetermined electronic authorization hardware devices, an indication of authorization of the electronically-made request is output to the electronic entity if the one or more authorizations of the electronically-made request received by the one or more processors meet a predetermined criterion,

wherein the one or more processors is configured to transmit a message to the electronic entity when the one or more processors receive an indication that the electronically-made request is fraudulent from at least one of the m predetermined electronic authorization hardware devices.

2. A computerized authorization system according to claim 1, wherein if the one or more authorizations of the electronically-made request that meet the predetermined criterion is not received from the corresponding one or more predetermined electronic authorization hardware devices of the m predetermined electronic authorization hardware devices within a predetermined time an indication that the electronically-made request is rejected is output to the electronic entity.

3. A computerized authorization system according to claim 1, wherein the message is an indication that the electronically-made request is fraudulent.

4. A computerized authorization system according to claim 1, wherein when the indication that the electronically-made request is fraudulent is received from the at least one of the m predetermined electronic authorization hardware devices, an identity request is made to identify an electronic device that made the electronically-made request and/or a user of the electronic device that made the electronically-made request.

5. A computerized authorization system according to claim 4, wherein the identity request comprises a signal being sent to the electronic device that made the electronically-made request, to capture an image of the user of the electronic device that made the electronically-made request.

6. A computerized authorization system according to claim 1, wherein the m predetermined electronic authorization hardware devices are different devices than an electronic device that made the electronically-made request.

7. A computerized authorization system according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined criterion is the one or more authorizations of the electronically-made request being at least a predetermined number of authorizations of the electronically-made request, wherein a value of the predetermined number of authorizations of the electronically-made request is greater than n/2.

8. A computerized authorization system according to claim 7, wherein the hardware storage device is configured to store the value of the predetermined number.

9. A computerized authorization system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said one or more authorizations of the electronically-made request on behalf of a corresponding at least one of the n users is automatically provided if at least one predetermined user-established criterion is met.

10. A computerized authorization system according to claim 9, wherein the hardware storage device is configured to store the at least one predetermined user-established criterion.

11. A computerized authorization system according to claim 9, wherein the at least one predetermined user-established criterion is set by the m predetermined electronic authorization hardware devices.

12. A computerized authorization system according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of computers and/or servers on a network.

13. The computerized authorization system according to claim 1, further comprising:

m predetermined electronic authorization hardware devices, wherein each predetermined electronic authorization hardware device of the m predetermined electronic authorization hardware devices comprises;

an input interface configured to receive, from the one or more processors, the indication of the electronically-made request made to the electronic entity, from a different electronic device;

a user interface configured to indicate the indication of the electronically-made request and to allow a user to input an authorization input; and

an output interface configured to output an indication of authorization of the electronically-made request, to the one or more processors;

wherein when the indication of the electronically-made request is received by each predetermined electronic authorization hardware device, from the one or more processors, at the input interface, the user interface indicates the indication of the electronically-made request; and

wherein when the user inputs an authorization input, at the input interface, the indication of authorization of the electronically-made request is output to the one or more processors, from the output interface.

14. The computerized authorization system according to claim 1, wherein the indication of the electronically-made request output to the m predetermined electronic authorization hardware devices and the one or more authorizations of the electronically-made request output from a corresponding one or more predetermined electronic authorization hardware devices of the m predetermined electronic authorization hardware devices are transmitted via hypertext transfer secure protocol.

15. A computerized authorization method, the computerized authorization method comprising:

receiving an indication of an electronically-made request made to an electronic entity, from the electronic entity;

sending the indication of the electronically-made request to m predetermined electronic authorization hardware devices identified by m corresponding identifiers stored in a hardware storage device, wherein each of the m predetermined electronic authorization hardware devices is associated with one, and only one user, of n users, where m and n are integers, n≧

2, and n≦

m, wherein each predetermined electronic authorization hardware device, of the m predetermined electronic authorization hardware devices, is configured to receive the indication of the electronically-made request and configured to output an authorization of the electronically-made request by the user, of the n users, associated with the each predetermined electronic authorization hardware device, upon receipt of an authorization input from the user, of the n users, associated with the each predetermined electronic authorization hardware device; and

receiving one or more authorizations of the electronically-made request from a corresponding one or more predetermined electronic authorization hardware devices of the m predetermined electronic authorization hardware devices;

sending an indication of authorization of the electronically-made request to the electronic entity, if the one or more authorizations of the electronically-made request meet a predetermined criterion; and

transmitting a message to the electronic entity if an indication that the electronically-made request is fraudulent is received from at least one of the predetermined electronic authorization hardware devices of the m predetermined electronic authorization hardware devices.

16. A computerized authorization method according to claim 15, further comprising:

sending an indication that the electronically-made request is rejected, to the electronic entity, if the one or more authorizations of the electronically-made request meeting the predetermined criterion is not received from the one or more predetermined electronic authorization hardware devices of the m predetermined electronic authorization hardware devices within a predetermined time.

17. A computerized authorization method according to claim 15, wherein the message is an indication that the electronically-made request is fraudulent.

18. A computerized authorization method according to claim 15, further comprising:

making an identity request to identify an electronic device that made the electronically-made request and/or a user of the electronic device that made the electronically-made request.

19. A computerized authorization method according to claim 18, wherein making the identity request comprises sending a signal to the electronic device that made the electronically-made request, to capture an image of the user of the electronic device that made the electronically-made request.

20. A computerized authorization method according to claim 15, wherein the m predetermined electronic authorization hardware devices are different devices than an electronic device that made the electronically-made request.

21. A computerized authorization method according to claim 15, wherein the predetermined criterion is the one or more authorizations of the electronically-made request being at least a predetermined number of authorizations of the electronically-made request, wherein a value of the predetermined number of authorizations of the electronically-made request is greater than n/2.

22. A computerized authorization method according to claim 21, comprising storing the value of the predetermined number in the hardware storage device.

23. A computerized authorization method according to claim 15, further comprising automatically providing at least one of said one or more authorizations of the electronically-made request on behalf of a corresponding at least one of the n users if at least one predetermined user-established criterion is met.

24. A computerized authorization method according to claim 23, further comprising storing the at least one predetermined user-established criterion in the hardware storage device.

25. A computerized authorization method according to claim 24, further comprising the m predetermined electronic authorization hardware devices setting the at least one predetermined user-established criterion.

26. A computerized authorization method according to claim 15, wherein

sending the indication of the electronically-made request to m predetermined electronic authorization hardware devices identified by m corresponding identifiers stored in the hardware storage device;

and

receiving one or more authorizations of the electronically-made request from the corresponding one or more predetermined electronic authorization hardware devices of the m predetermined electronic authorization hardware devices

is carried out by a plurality of computers and/or servers on a network.

27. The computerized authorization method according to claim 15, wherein the indication of the electronically-made request sent to the m predetermined electronic authorization hardware devices and the one or more authorization of the electronically-made request received from a corresponding one or more predetermined electronic authorization hardware device of the m predetermined electronic authorization hardware devices are transmitted via hypertext transfer secure protocol.

28. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing a set of instructions that when executed cause a computer to perform a method comprising:

receiving an indication of an electronically-made request made to an electronic entity, from the electronic entity;

sending the indication of the electronically-made request to m predetermined electronic authorization hardware devices identified by m corresponding identifiers stored in a hardware storage device, wherein each of the m predetermined electronic authorization hardware devices is associated with one, and only one user, of n users, where m and n are integers, n≧

2, and n≦

m, wherein each predetermined electronic authorization hardware device, of the m predetermined electronic authorization hardware devices, is configured to receive the indication of the electronically-made request and configured to output an authorization of the electronically-made request by the user, of the n users, associated with the each predetermined electronic authorization hardware device, upon receipt of an authorization input from the user, of the n users, associated with the each predetermined electronic authorization hardware device;

receiving one or more authorizations of the electronically-made request from a corresponding one or more predetermined electronic authorization hardware devices of the m predetermined electronic authorization hardware devices;

sending an indication of authorization of the electronically-made request to the electronic entity, if the one or more authorizations of the electronically-made request meet a predetermined criterion; and

transmitting a message to the electronic entity if an indication that the electronically-made request is fraudulent is received from at least one of the predetermined electronic authorization hardware devices of the m predetermined electronic authorization hardware devices.