Apparatus and method for providing dual number access electronic wallet

• US 20030009422A1
• Filed: 06/25/2001
• Published: 01/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Gopalan, Prabhakar
• Granted Patent: US 7,814,014 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/41
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/105 involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

A program and method is disclosed for an electronic wallet based upon a centralized personal data base (CPDB). In the CPDB system merchants obtained customer information by using a primary number and a secondary number given to them by the customer. The CPDB electronic wallet provides a primary number and a wallet number to the merchant to conduct the financial transaction between the user and the merchant. The merchant submits the primary number and the wallet number to the centralized personal data base, the transaction is processed by the CPDB, and the merchant obtains credit for the financial transaction. Since the CPDB customer can have several bank accounts and credit cards, multiple wallet numbers can be created. Each wallet number can also have a monetary limit set and can be associated with one or financial accounts. An expiration date can be established for each wallet number. Transactions can be conducted by authorizing the CPDB to conduct the debit on the customer'"'"'s account for the customer purchase and simultaneously credit the merchant account in the CPDB. Alternatively, the merchant may obtain credit card information from the centralized personal data base and then the merchant may proceed to charge the credit card in the manner of a traditional credit card transaction.

Claims

1. A programmable apparatus comprising:

a first computer;

a CPDB in the first computer;

a network;

a second computer connected to a server computer by the network;

wherein responsive to receipt of a primary number and a wallet number from the second computer, a payment transaction is processed by the CPDB and the results transmitted to the second computer.

2. The programmable apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a transaction program in the CPDB.

3. The programmable apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a wallet number generation program in the CPDB.

4. The programmable apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a user data base in the CPDB with account data to implement the payment transactions.

5. The programmable apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a display of the primary number and the wallet number.

6. The programmable apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a display of the wallet number and an account number.

7. The programmable apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a wallet set up program in the CPDB.

8. The programmable apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a display of the wallet number, an account number and a limit on an account.

9. A method for remotely completing a financial transaction using a CPDB comprising the steps of:

obtaining a wallet number;

providing a merchant with a primary number and the wallet number.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising the step of creating the wallet number.

11. The method of claim 9 further comprising using the primary number and the wallet number in the transaction with a merchant.

12. The method of claim 9 further comprising the step of selecting accounts to be accessed by a combination of the primary number and the wallet number.

13. The method of claim 9 further comprising the step of placing a limit on an account that can be accessed by the primary number and the wallet number.

15. The computer readable memory of claim 14 further comprising a wallet number generation program in the CPDB.

16. The computer readable memory of claim 14 further comprising a wallet set up program in the CPDB.

14. A computer readable memory comprising:

a computer readable storage medium;

a CPDB in said computer readable memory;

a computer program stored in said storage medium;

wherein the storage medium, so configured by the computer program, conducts a financial transaction upon receipt of a correct primary number and wallet number combination.