Techniques for providing an electronic representation of a card

• US 8,746,581 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2009
• Issued: 06/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Codebroker, LLC
• Original Assignee: Codebroker, LLC
• Inventors: Slavin, Dan, Smrzlic, Pero
• Primary Examiner(s): JOHNSON, SONJI N
• Application Number:
  US12/371,130
• Publication Number:
  US 20090156180A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,943 Days
• Field of Search: 235/449, 235/379, 235/494, 455/558, 455/564
• US Class Current: 235/494
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06028 using bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/06112 the marking being simulated using a light source, e.g. a barcode shown on a display or a laser beam with time-varying intensity profile
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3255 using mobile network messaging services for payment, e.g. SMS
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3274 using a pictured code, e.g. barcode or QR-code, being displayed on the M-device
• 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 20/367 involving electronic purses or money safes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

Techniques for making electronic cards that can be displayed on a mobile phone. The techniques permit making an electronic card based on an arbitrary SMS message and making an electronic card (eCard) that corresponds to a pre-existing non-electronic privilege card such as a loyalty card. In the latter case, the system on which the card is being made obtains information about the user and the issuer and uses the information to determine whether to issue the eCard and also to make use validity information which is associated with the card and is used to determine the validity of the card as it is used.

Claims

1. A method of making an electronic version of a previously-issued non-electronic version of a privilege card for a user having a device, the previously-issued non-electronic version of the privilege card having been issued with a card identifier by a card issuer and the method comprising the steps, performed in a processor remote from the user'"'"'s device and not operated by the card issuer, of:

receiving, from the user and not via the card issuer, issue validation information at the processor remote from the user'"'"'s device for the electronic version including at least the card identifier for the previously-issued non-electronic version of the privilege card;

using the issue validation information and additional information of the card issuer to determine whether the electronic version of the previously-issued non-electronic version of the privilege card should issue; and

on validation, making the electronic version of the previously-issued non-electronic version of privilege card available through the user'"'"'s device.

2. The method set forth in claim 1 further comprising the step of:

associating use validation information provided by the card issuer with the electronic version of the previously-issued non-electronic version of the privilege card.

3. The method set forth in claim 1 further comprising the step of:

using display information for the user'"'"'s device upon which the electronic version of the previously-issued non-electronic version of the privilege card is to be displayed to make the electronic version of the previously-issued non-electronic version of the privilege card.

4. The method set forth in claim 3 wherein:

the electronic version of the previously-issued non-electronic version of the privilege card includes a barcode; and

in the step of using the display information, the display information is used to generate the barcode.

5. The method set forth in claim 1 wherein the electronic version includes an identifier for the user.

6. The method set forth in claim 5 wherein the identifier comprises alphanumeric text.

7. The method set forth in claim 5 wherein the identifier comprises a barcode.

8. The method set forth in claim 1 further comprising the step of:

transmitting the electronic version of the previously-issued non-electronic version of the privilege card to the user'"'"'s device.

9. A method of making an electronic version of a previously-issued non-electronic privilege card for a user having a mobile telephone, the mobile telephone having a display and being configured to send text messages and the method comprising the steps, performed in a server to which the mobile telephone sends Short Messaging Service (SMS) text messages, of:

receiving a SMS text message from the mobile telephone, the message including a card identifier issued by the card issuer for the previously-issued non-electronic privilege card;

making the electronic version of the previously-issued non-electronic privilege card based on the SMS text message, the electronic version of the previously-issued non-electronic privilege card being displayable on the mobile telephone; and

providing the electronic version of the previously-issued non-electronic privilege card to the mobile telephone.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the text message further comprises information of a card issuer for the previously-issued non-electronic privilege card.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the information of the card issuer is a name for the card issuer, and wherein the card identifier includes an identification number issued by the card issuer for the previously-issued non-electronic privilege card.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the previously-issued non-electronic privilege card is a privilege card.

13. A method of making an electronic privilege card from a previously-issued non-electronic privilege card for a user having a mobile telephone that has a display and being configured to send Short Messaging Service (SMS) text messages, the method comprising the steps, performed in the mobile telephone, of:

sending a SMS text message to a server, the SMS text message including a card identifier issued by a card issuer for the previously-issued non-electronic privilege card, the server responding to the text message by making an electronic privilege card from the previously-issued non-electronic privilege card that is based on the text message and is displayable on the mobile telephone; and

receiving the electronic privilege card of the previously-issued non-electronic privilege card from the server.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the card identifier includes information of the card issuer.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the card identifier is associated by the card issuer with a user of the previously-issued non-electronic privilege card.

16. A method of utilizing an electronic version of a previously-issued non-electronic privilege card for a user having a device, the previously-issued non-electronic privilege card having been issued with a card identifier by a card issuer, the method comprising the steps performed in a server of:

receiving, from the user and not via the card issuer, issue validation information for the electronic version including at least the card identifier for the previously-issued non-electronic privilege card;

using the issue validation information to determine whether the electronic version of the previously-issued non-electronic privilege card should issue;

on validation, creating the electronic version of the previously-issued non-electronic privilege card;

transmitting the electronic version to the user'"'"'s device upon which the electronic version is to be displayed; and

displaying the electronic version of the previously-issued non-electronic privilege card on the user'"'"'s device, wherein the server is remote from the device upon which the electronic version is to be displayed and is not operated by the card issuer.

17. The method set forth in claim 16 further comprising the step of:

associating use validation information provided by the card issuer with the electronic version of the previously-issued non-electronic privilege card.

18. The method set forth in claim 16 further comprising the step of:

using display information for the user'"'"'s device upon which the electronic version of the previously-issued non-electronic privilege card is to be displayed to make the electronic version of the previously-issued non-electronic privilege card.

19. The method set forth in claim 18 wherein:

the electronic version of the previously-issued non-electronic privilege card includes a barcode; and

in the step of using the display information, the display information is used to generate the barcode.

20. A method of making electronic versions of previously-issued non-electronic privilege cards for users having devices, each of the previously-issued non-electronic privilege cards having been issued with a card identifier by a plurality of card issuers, and the method comprising the steps, performed in a server computer remote from the users'"'"' devices and not operated by the card issuers, of:

receiving, from the users and not via the card issuers, issue validation information for the electronic versions, at the server computer remote from the user'"'"'s devices, the issue validation information including at least the card identifiers for the previously-issued non-electronic privilege cards;

for each privilege card, using the issue validation information and additional information of the card issuer to determine whether the electronic version of the previously-issued non-electronic privilege card should issue;

for each privilege card, on validation, making the electronic version of the previously-issued non-electronic privilege card available through the user'"'"'s device.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

displaying the electronic version of the previously-issued non-electronic privilege card from the user'"'"'s device.

22. The method set forth in claim 20 further comprising the step of:

associating use validation information provided by the card issuer with the electronic version of the previously-issued non-electronic version of the privilege card.

23. The method set forth in claim 20 further comprising the step of:

using display information for the user'"'"'s device upon which the electronic version of the previously-issued non-electronic privilege card is to be displayed to make the electronic version of the previously-issued non-electronic privilege card.

24. The method set forth in claim 23 wherein:

the electronic version of the previously-issued non-electronic privilege card includes a barcode; and

in the step of using the display information, the display information is used to generate the barcode.