User terminal and wireless item-based credit card authorization servers, systems, methods and computer program products

• US 9,049,568 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2010
• Issued: 06/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mikan, Jeffrey Clinton, Cenciarelli, Fulvio Arturo, Heil, Kenneth D., Lewis, John Erwin, McNamara, Justin Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Gart, Matthew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Danzig, Reva R
• Application Number:
  US12/781,623
• Publication Number:
  US 20100228638A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,842 Days
• Field of Search: 705/44, 705/17, 726/7
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/327 Short range or proximity payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3821 Electronic credentials
• 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 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/10 between location register and external networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/04 Network layer protocols, e.g. mobile IP [Internet Protocol]

Abstract

Credit card transaction authorization is performed using ad-hoc, short-range wireless links to obtain item identification information from items that include ad-hoc short range wireless link transmitters and that are carried by a user who is associated with a prospective credit card transaction. Authorization information for the prospective credit card transaction is generated based on the item identification information that was obtained. Location information for a wireless terminal that is associated with the user and/or Internet Protocol (IP) address information for a transaction terminal that is associated with the transaction may also be used. Related systems, devices and computer program products are also described.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, at a server comprising a processor, information about a credit card transaction associated with a credit card;

determining, by the server, that a wireless terminal of a user of the credit card associated with the credit card transaction is not within a proximity of a terminal on which the credit card transaction is being performed; and

in response to determining that the wireless terminal of the user of the credit card associated with the credit card transaction is not within the proximity of the terminal on which the credit card transaction is being performed,

instructing, by the server, the terminal on which the credit card transaction is being performed to query, via a short-range wireless connection, for identification information associated with items that support the short-range wireless connection,

receiving, at the server, the identification information associated with an item that supports the short-range wireless connection, and

determining, by the server, whether the identification information associated with the item matches an item required by the user of the credit card to allow credit card transactions associated with the credit card to be performed.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the identification information for a plurality of additional items that support the short-range wireless connection; and

determining whether the item and the plurality of additional items meet a predetermined number of items required by the user to allow credit card transactions associated with the credit card to be performed.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a trustworthiness measure that is proportional to a distance between the wireless terminal of the user of the credit card associated with the credit card transaction and the terminal on which the credit card transaction is being performed.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining that the wireless terminal of the user of the credit card associated with the credit card transaction is not within the proximity of the terminal on which the credit card transaction is being performed comprises determining that the wireless terminal of the user of the credit card associated with the credit card transaction and the terminal on which the credit card transaction is being performed are unable to set up a short-range wireless connection between one another.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether the item that supports the short-range wireless connection meets a predetermined number of items required by the user to allow credit card transactions associated with the credit card to be performed.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the trustworthiness measure is further proportional to a number of items for which the identification information is received.

7. A credit card transaction server, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory to store instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

receiving information about a credit card transaction associated with a credit card,

determining that a wireless terminal of a user of the credit card associated with the credit card transaction is not within a proximity of a terminal on which the credit card transaction is being performed, and

in response to determining that the wireless terminal of the user of the credit card associated with the credit card transaction is not within the proximity of the terminal on which the credit card transaction is being performed,

instructing the terminal on which the credit card transaction is being performed to query, via a short-range wireless connection, for identification information associated with items that support the short-range wireless connection,

receiving the identification information associated with an item that supports the short-range wireless connection, and

determining whether the identification information associated with the item matches an item required by the user of the credit card to allow credit card transactions associated with the credit card to be performed.

8. The credit card transaction server of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise generating a trustworthiness measure that is proportional to a distance between the wireless terminal of the user of the credit card associated with the credit card transaction and the terminal on which the credit card transaction is being performed.

9. The credit card transaction server of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving the identification information for a plurality of additional items that support the short-range wireless connection; and

determining whether the item and the plurality of additional items meet a predetermined number of items required by the user to allow credit card transactions associated with the credit card to be performed.

10. The credit card transaction server of claim 7, wherein determining that the wireless terminal of the user of the credit card associated with the credit card transaction is not within the proximity of the terminal on which the credit card transaction is being performed comprises determining that the wireless terminal of the user of the credit card associated with the credit card transaction and the terminal on which the credit card transaction is being performed are unable to set up a short-range wireless connection between one another.

11. The credit card transaction server of claim 7, wherein the operations further comprise generating a trustworthiness measure that is proportional to a distance between the wireless terminal of the user of the credit card associated with the credit card transaction and the terminal on which the credit card transaction is being performed.

12. The credit card transaction server of claim 11, wherein the trustworthiness measure is further proportional to a number of items for which the identification information is received.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving information about a credit card transaction associated with a credit card;

determining that a wireless terminal of a user of the credit card associated with the credit card transaction is not within a proximity of a terminal on which the credit card transaction is being performed; and

in response to determining that the wireless terminal of the user of the credit card associated with the credit card transaction is not within the proximity of the terminal on which the credit card transaction is being performed,

instructing the terminal on which the credit card transaction is being performed to query, via a short-range wireless connection, for identification information associated with items that support the short-range wireless connection,

receiving the identification information associated with an item that supports the short-range wireless connection, and

determining whether the identification information associated with the item matches an item required by the user of the credit card to allow credit card transactions associated with the credit card to be performed.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving the identification information for a plurality of additional items that support the short-range wireless connection; and

determining whether the item and the plurality of additional items meet a predetermined number of items required by the user to allow credit card transactions associated with the credit card to be performed.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein determining that the wireless terminal of the user of the credit card associated with the credit card transaction is not within the proximity of the terminal on which the credit card transaction is being performed comprises determining that the wireless terminal of the user of the credit card associated with the credit card transaction and the terminal on which the credit card transaction is being performed are unable to set up a short-range wireless connection between one another.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise determining whether the item that supports the short-range wireless connection meets a predetermined number of items required by the user to allow credit card transactions associated with the credit card to be performed.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the operations further comprise generating a trustworthiness measure that is proportional to a distance between the wireless terminal of the user of the credit card associated with the credit card transaction and the terminal on which the credit card transaction is being performed.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the trustworthiness measure is further proportional to a number of items for which the identification information is received.