Location based access to financial information systems and methods

• US 8,935,226 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2012
• Issued: 01/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/02/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Stevens, Gilman R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mahmoudi, Tony
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le, Michael
• Application Number:
  US13/419,238
• Publication Number:
  US 20120173582A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,036 Days
• Field of Search: 707/705, 707/758, 707/781
• US Class Current: 707/705
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9537 Spatial or temporal dependent retrieval, e.g. spatiotemporal queries
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3224 Transactions dependent on location of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0263 Rule management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/107 wherein the security policies are location-dependent, e.g. entities privileges depend on current location or allowing specific operations only from locally connected terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1079 of unsolicited session attempts, e.g. SPIT
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal

Abstract

Systems, methods, and software for identifying location based rules related to a network connected device are described. A network connected device may transmit a set of data identifying the location of the device and an identifier unique to the device to a server. The server may also receive an action request, wherein the action request is associated with the identifier. The server may select a rule in a database to address the action request, the rule applicable to the identifier and location of the device. Various embodiments related to financial card transactions, access to financial information, emergency services contact, and electronic message filtering are also addressed.

Claims

1. A system for authorizing access to financial information, the system comprising:

a mobile communications device configured to;

receive a set of data identifying the location of the mobile communications device; and

in response to a query from a location comparison server, initiate a first communications signal from the mobile communications device over an Internet protocol network to the location comparison server, the first communication signal including information comprising the set of data and an identifier unique to the mobile communications device; and

a database which comprises a table of identifiers, wherein,

each identifier in the table is unique to one of a plurality of mobile communications devices;

each identifier in the table is associated with a different set of financial information; and

the table of identifiers includes the identifier unique to the mobile communications device;

the location comparison server, in communication with the mobile communications device and the database, wherein the server is configured to;

receive the first communications signal initiated by the mobile communications device over the Internet protocol network;

store the set of data from the first communications signal in the database;

receive a second communications signal comprising a request for access for a requester to view a set of financial information and data identifying the location of the request, wherein the set of financial information is associated with the identifier unique to the mobile communications device;

authorize the request for access allowing the requester to view the set of financial information when the database indicates that the mobile communications device is located within one of one or more limited geographic regions, wherein the one or more limited geographic regions encompass at least one of a home region, a work region, a school region, or a vacation home region of a user associated with the mobile communications device, and wherein authorizing the request for access comprises authorizing total access to the requestor to view the set of financial information when the database indicates that the mobile communications device is located within at least one of the home region, the work region, the school region, or the vacation home region of the user associated with the mobile communications device; and

deny the request for access preventing the requestor to view the set of financial information when the database indicates that the mobile communications device is located in a region other than one of the one or more limited geographic regions.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the set of data is received by hardware configured to receive the set of data, the hardware coupled with the device.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the hardware configured to receive the set of data comprises a GPS receiver.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the identifier unique to the device is selected from the group consisting of:

a MAC address, an IP address, a telephone number, and any combination thereof.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the database further comprises rules associated with each identifier in the table, the rules dictating how the location of the request for access will determine the limited geographic regions.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the set of financial information is associated with an account of a user of the device.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the database further comprises user preferences associated with each identifier in the table, the user preferences dictating how the location of the request for access will determine the limited geographic regions.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the request for access is made by the user.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the requester is a person or entity other than a user of the device.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the request for access is transmitted from the device.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the request for access may be authorized by:

explicitly authorizing the request for access;

or

implicitly authorizing the request for access by failing to deny the request for access.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the authorize step comprises validating a password.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein a size and shape of the limited geographic regions are variable with time.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the limited geographic regions are further determined by the location of the device.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the server authorizes the request for access if the database indicates that the device and the request for access are each located within one of the limited geographic regions.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the limited geographic regions comprise a specified distance from the location of the device, and the server authorizes the request for access if the database indicates that the request for access is located within the specified distance of the device.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the server does not authorize the request for access because the database indicates that the device and the request for access are not each located within one of the limited geographic regions.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the communications signal comprises more than one signal, each signal transmitted at different times.

19. A method of authorizing access to financial information of a user, the method comprising:

maintaining a database which comprises a table of identifiers, wherein,

each identifier in the table is unique to one of a plurality of mobile communications devices; and

each identifier in the table is associated with a different set of financial information;

querying, with a location comparison server, one mobile communications device of the plurality of mobile communications devices for location information;

receiving, over an Internet protocol connection with the one mobile communications device, a communications signal initiated by the one mobile communications device in response to the query, the signal including information comprising a set of data identifying the location of the one mobile communications device and an identifier unique to the one mobile communications device;

storing the set of data from the communications signal in the database;

receiving a request for access to allow a requester to view the set of financial information and receiving data identifying the location originating the request, wherein the set of financial information is associated with the identifier unique to the one mobile communications device;

authorizing the request for access allowing the requester to view the set of financial information when the database indicates that the mobile communications device is located within one of one or more limited geographic regions, wherein the one or more limited geographic regions encompass at least one of a home region, a work region, a school region, or a vacation home region of a user associated with the mobile communications device, and wherein authorizing the request for access comprises authorizing total access to the requestor to view the set of financial information when the database indicates that the mobile communications device is located within at least one of the home region, the work region, the school region, or the vacation home region of the user associated with the mobile communications device; and

denying the request for access preventing the requestor to view the set of financial information when the database indicates that the mobile communications device is located in a region other than one of the one or more limited geographic regions.

20. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a computer program, the computer program comprising instructions executable by a computer to:

maintain a database which comprises a table of identifiers, wherein,

each identifier in the table is unique to one of a plurality of mobile communications devices; and

each identifier in the table is associated with a different set of financial information;

query one mobile communications device of the plurality of mobile communications devices for location information;

receive, over an Internet protocol connection with the one mobile communications device, a communication signal initiated by the one mobile communications device in response to the query, the signal including information comprising a set of data identifying the location of the one mobile communications device and an identifier unique to the one mobile communications device;

store the set of data from the communications signal in the database;

receive a request for access to allow a requester to view the set of financial information and receive data identifying the location originating the request, wherein the set of financial information is associated with the identifier unique to the one mobile communications device; and

authorize the request for access allowing the requester to view the set of financial information when the database indicates that the mobile communications device is located within one of one or more limited geographic regions, wherein the one or more limited geographic regions encompass at least one of a home region, a work region, a school region, or a vacation home region of a user associated with the mobile communications device, and wherein authorizing the request for access comprises authorizing total access to the requestor to view the set of financial information when the database indicates that the mobile communications device is located within at least one of the home region, the work region, the school region, or the vacation home region of the user associated with the mobile communications device; and

deny the request for access preventing the requestor to view the set of financial information when the database indicates that the mobile communications device is located in a region other than one of the one or more limited geographic regions.