Multi-bureau credit file freeze and unfreeze

• US 9,792,648 B1
• Filed: 11/04/2016
• Issued: 10/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Experian Information Solutions Incorporated (Experian plc)
• Original Assignee: Experian Information Solutions Incorporated (Experian plc)
• Inventors: Haller, Eric, Kent, Kelly
• Primary Examiner(s): Ojiaku, Chika
• Application Number:
  US15/344,003
• Time in Patent Office: 347 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/00 Pattern recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof

Abstract

The systems and methods described herein allow consumers to lock or unlock their credit files at multiple credit bureaus in real-time or near real-time. The service may allow a consumer to provide identifying information, such as a personal identifier to lock or unlock credit files at a plurality of credit bureaus over a network. Upon receiving the personal identifier, the system may use the personal identifier to translate the identifier into a plurality of access codes for respective credit bureaus, for example by accessing a data structure, such as a database or table, that stores a personal identifier and access codes that are associated with a consumer. The system may then use the access codes to automatically initiate locking or unlocking of credit files for the consumer at the respective credit bureaus.

Claims

1. A mobile computing device configured to allow a user to remotely unlock credit data of the user at each of a plurality of credit bureaus, wherein the credit data of the user can be unlocked at the plurality of credit bureaus only with prior authorization from the user, the mobile computing device comprising:

one or more hardware processors;

an input device configured to receive an input string representative of a personal identifier from the user; and

a communication interface configured to allow the mobile computing device to communicate the personal identifier provided via the input device to a server computing system, wherein the server computing system stores a database indicating the personal identifier in association with at least each of a first access code for a first of the plurality of credit bureaus and a second access code for a second of the plurality of credit bureaus;

wherein the server computing system is configured to;

receive a request for permission to access credit data of the user from a third party computing device;

in response to receiving the permission request, automatically perform in substantially real time;

identify a third party making the permission request,

transmit to the mobile computing device a notification indicating the identified third party;

wherein the mobile computing device is configured to;

request entry of an input string by the user to allow unlocking of the credit data of the user at each of the plurality of credit bureaus for the identified third party;

receive the input string from the user via the input device of the mobile computing device; and

transmit the input string to the server computing system;

wherein the server computing system is further configured to,

identify the input string as a personal identifier in the database;

request unlocking of the credit data of the user at the first of the plurality of credit bureaus using the first access code; and

request unlocking of the credit data of the user at the second of the plurality of credit bureaus using the second access code.

2. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the input string comprises at least one of:

a name, an address, a phone number, a date of birth, a maiden name, a social security number, an account number, a driver'"'"'s license number, a password, an RFID tag, an RFID token, biometric data, and a personal identification number.

3. The mobile computing device of claim 2, wherein the biometric data comprises a fingerprint.

4. A computing system configured to allow a user to remotely unlock credit data of the user at each of a plurality of credit bureaus, wherein the credit data of the user can be unlocked at the plurality of credit bureaus only with authorization from the user, the computing system comprising:

a touchpad computing device configured to receive a fingerprint identifier of the user; and

a communication interface configured to allow the touchpad computing device to communicate a credit data sharing authorization to a server computing system, wherein the server computing system stores a database indicating a personal identifier of the user in association with at least each of a first access code for a first of the plurality of credit bureaus and a second access code for a second of the plurality of credit bureaus;

wherein the server computing system is configured to;

in response to receiving a credit inquiry request from a third party computing device, automatically perform in substantially real time;

identify the third party associated with the third party computing device;

transmit to the touchpad computing device an indication of the identified third party requesting credit data of the user;

wherein the touchpad computing device is configured to;

request entry of a fingerprint identifier of the user to allow unlocking of the credit data of the user at each of the plurality of credit bureaus for the identified third party;

detect the fingerprint identifier of the user via a touchpad display of the touchpad computing device; and

in response to detecting the fingerprint identifier, transmit the credit data sharing authorization to the server computing system;

wherein the server computing system is further configured to, in response to receiving the credit data sharing authorization from the touchscreen computing device;

request unlocking of the credit data of the user at the first of the plurality of credit bureaus using the first access code; and

request unlocking of the credit data of the user at the second of the plurality of credit bureaus using the second access code.

5. The computing system of claim 4, wherein the touchpad computing device comprises at least one of:

a mobile device, a keypad, a card reader, a point of sale terminal, or a biometric data reader.

6. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon, the computer-executable instructions executable by a mobile computing device having one or more hardware processors, wherein the computer-executable instructions are executable on the mobile computing device in order to cause the mobile computing device to perform operations comprising:

receiving an input string representative of a personal identifier from a user of the mobile computing device; and

communicating the personal identifier to a server computing system, wherein the server computing system stores a database indicating the personal identifier in association with at least each of a first access code for a first of a plurality of credit bureaus and a second access code for a second of a plurality of credit bureaus;

wherein the server computing system is configured to;

receive a request for permission to access credit data of the user from a third party computing device;

in response to receiving the permission request, automatically perform in substantially real time;

identify a third party making the permission request,

transmit to the mobile computing device a notification indicating the identified third party;

wherein the mobile computing device is configured to;

request entry of an input string by the user to allow unlocking of credit data of the user at each of the plurality of credit bureaus for the identified third party;

receive the input string from the user; and

transmit the input string to the server computing system;

wherein the server computing system is further configured to;

identify the input string as a personal identifier in the database;

request unlocking of the credit data of the user at the first of the plurality of credit bureaus using the first access code; and

request unlocking of the credit data of the user at the second of the plurality of credit bureaus using the second access code.