System and method for enhanced protection and control over the use of identity

• US 9,361,658 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2014
• Issued: 06/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gary M. Dennis, Sharon D. Dennis
• Original Assignee: Gary M. Dennis, Sharon D. Dennis
• Inventors: Dennis, Gary M., Dennis, Sharon D.
• Primary Examiner(s): PERUNGAVOOR, VENKATANARAY
• Application Number:
  US14/218,128
• Publication Number:
  US 20140207681A1
• Time in Patent Office: 812 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/45 Structures or tools for the administration of authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/604 Tools and structures for managing or administering access control systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2105 Dual mode as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2137 Time limited access, e.g. to a computer or data
• 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 20/4014 Identity check for transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/265 Personal security, identity or safety
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/257 electronically G07C9/26 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 Grouping of entities

Abstract

A method of protecting use of an entity'"'"'s identity is provided. The method comprises setting a status of the identity to a first state, the first state defining a scope of permitted use of the identity, changing, in advance of an intended use of the identity, the status to a second state defining a scope of permitted use of the identity that is different from the first state, requesting use of the identity after the changing; and returning, after the requesting, the state back to the first state.

Claims

1. A method for a service provider to control use of an entity'"'"'s financial account to facilitate transactions, comprising:

setting scope of use, defined by the entity via a network, for the financial account, including at least;

(a) the financial account to either OFF or ON;

(b) for a plurality of individual categories, whether each category is authorized or unauthorized for transactions using the financial account, each category representing a different type of transaction partner; and

(c) a geographical scope reflecting a geographic area in which transactions are authorized;

receiving, via a network from a source other than the entity, an inquiry regarding a proposed transaction that would use the financial account;

determining, relative to the scope of use, whether the financial account may or may not be used for the proposed transaction, comprising;

denying when the financial account is OFF;

denying when the financial account is ON and the proposed transaction falls within a category that is unauthorized;

denying when the financial account is ON, the proposed transaction falls within a category that is authorized and when a location of the proposed transaction is outside of the geographical area;

permitting when (a) the financial account is ON, (b) the proposed transaction falls within a category that is authorized, (c) a location of the proposed transaction is inside the geographical area, and (d) the proposed transaction is not otherwise impermissible; and

responding to the inquiry by providing, via a network to the source, first information based on the result of the determining.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein content of the inquiry is insufficient to allow the service provider to execute the proposed transaction, such that the service provider could not use the contents of the inquiry alone to fraudulently execute other transactions.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the entity'"'"'s financial account has an assigned code, the method further comprising:

the receiving the inquiry comprises receiving only a portion of the assigned code;

wherein the entire assigned code is needed to execute the proposed transaction, such that the service provider'"'"'s possession of only the portion of the assigned code is alone insufficient to allow the service provider to fraudulently execute other transactions.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the setting for the plurality of individual categories further comprises setting at least one category to authorized, and setting at least one other category to unauthorized.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the financial account is a credit card account or debit card account.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving second information representing the entity'"'"'s desired scope of use of the financial account;

wherein the scope of use is defined by the received second information.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the setting scope of use further includes (c) setting geographic limitations on where the financial account can be used; and

wherein a proposed transaction that originates outside of the geographic limitations is considered impermissible for the determining.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the setting scope of use further includes (c) setting a distance from the entity, where the entity'"'"'s financial account can be used within said distance; and

wherein a proposed transaction that originates from beyond the distance is considered impermissible for the determining.

7. A method for a service provider to control use of an entity'"'"'s financial account to facilitate transactions, the method being executed on electronic computer hardware in combination with software, the method comprising:

setting scope of use, as defined by the entity via a network, for the financial account, including at least;

(a) setting a state status of the financial account to either an OFF or ON state;

(b) setting a category status for each category of a plurality of categories as either authorized or unauthorized for transactions using the financial account, each category representing a type of transaction partner; and

(c) setting a distance from the entity, where the entity'"'"'s financial account can be used within said distance;

receiving, via a network from a source other than the entity, an inquiry regarding a proposed transaction on the financial account;

determining, relative to the scope of use, a response status to the inquiry reflecting whether the financial account may or may not be used for the proposed transaction, comprising;

setting the response status to impermissible when the state status for the financial account is OFF;

setting the response status to impermissible when the state status for the financial account is ON and the proposed transaction falls within a category having an unauthorized category status;

setting the response status to impermissible when the state status for the financial account is ON, the proposed transaction falls within a category having an authorized category status and the distance from the entity where the entity'"'"'s financial account can be used is outside said distance;

setting the response status to permissible when (a) the state status of the financial account is ON, (b) the proposed transaction falls within a category having an authorized category status, (c) the distance from the entity where the entity'"'"'s financial account can be used is within said distance, and (d) the proposed transaction is not otherwise impermissible; and

responding to the inquiry by providing, via a network to the source, first information based on the response status of the determining.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the contents of the inquiry is insufficient to allow the service provider to execute the proposed transaction, such that the service provider could not use the contents of the inquiry alone to fraudulently execute other transactions.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the setting the category status further comprises setting at least one category to authorized status, and setting at least other one category to unauthorized status.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the financial account is a credit card account or debit card account.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the scope of use further comprise a geographic scope reflecting a geographic area in which transactions are authorized, and the determining further comprises setting the response status to impermissible when a location of the proposed transaction is outside of the geographic area.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving second information representing the entity'"'"'s desired scope of use of the financial account, and

wherein the scope of use is defined by the received second information.

15. The method of claim 7, wherein:

the setting scope of use further includes (c) setting geographic limitations on where the financial account can be used; and

wherein a proposed transaction that originates outside of the geographic limitations is considered impermissible for the determining.

13. A method of protecting use of an entity'"'"'s financial account, the method being executed on electronic computer hardware in combination with software, the method comprising:

storing data representing;

first identification information of an entity; and

at least one criteria previously defined by the entity for allowing and/or limiting the use of the financial account, the at least one criteria defining at least one non-monetary circumstance under which the financial account can be used;

receiving, via a network from a source other than the entity, a request to determine whether a proposed use of the entity'"'"'s financial account by a party at a location is allowable, the request including second identification information;

comparing at least some of the first identification information with at least some of the second identification information;

determining whether the proposed use of the entity'"'"'s financial account by the party at the location is authorized for the proposed use, comprising;

determining whether the entity'"'"'s financial account is in an entity established ON or OFF state;

determining whether or not the at least one criteria blocks the proposed use, with the at least one criteria blocks comprising at least one of;

a geographical limitation on where the financial account can be used; and

a distance from the entity within which the financial account can be used; and

responding to the request by providing, via a network to the source, response information based on the result of said determining.