A SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DYNAMIC FOB SYNCHRONIZATION AND PERSONALIZATION

• US 20050033689A1
• Filed: 07/21/2004
• Published: 02/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Liberty Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. (American Express Company)
• Inventors: Bonalle, David S., Saunders, Peter D., Larkin, Carl
• Granted Patent: US 7,762,457 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/95 Retrieval from the web
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/00 Payment architectures, schemes or protocols apparatus for performing or posting payment transactions G07F7/08, G07F19/00; electronic cash registers G07G1/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/14 specially adapted for billing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3226 Use of secure elements separate from M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/327 Short range or proximity payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/341 Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/342 Cards defining paid or billed services or quantities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/346 Cards serving only as information carrier of service
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/355 Personalisation of cards for use
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3829 involving key management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40145 Biometric identity checks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/06 Involving synchronization or resynchronization between transmitter and receiver; reordering of codes
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/29 the pass containing active electronic elements, e.g. smartcards
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/025 by means, e.g. cards, providing billing information at the time of purchase, e.g. identification of seller or purchaser, quantity of goods delivered or to be delivered
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/14 Systems including one or more distant stations co-operating with a central processing unit data transmission in general H04L; telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station H04Q9/00

Abstract

A system generally for personalizing and synchronizing fob data in the context of a distributed transaction system is disclosed. A dynamic fob synchronization system may comprise point of service (POS) devices configured with transponder-readers to initiate a transaction in conjunction with a fob, an enterprise data collection unit, and a fob object database update system. An exemplary dynamic synchronization system (DSS) may comprise various fob POS devices, a secure support client server, a fob object database update system (FODUS), one or more enterprise data synchronization interfaces (EDSI), an update logic system, one or more enterprise data collection units (EDCUs), and one or more fob POS devices configured to interoperably accept and interface with fobs. In an exemplary embodiment, DSS may comprise a personalization system and an account maintenance system configured to communicate with FODUS. Personalization of multi-function fobs may be accomplished using a security server configured to generate and/or retrieve cryptographic key information from multiple enterprise key systems during the final phase of the fob issuance process.

Claims

1. A system for facilitating synchronizing transponder information associated with a transponder, said system comprising:

a first enterprise data collection unit associated with a first enterprise, said enterprise data collection unit configured to store update transactions and pending transactions associated with said transponder and said first enterprise;

a second enterprise data collection unit associated with a second enterprise, said second enterprise data collection unit configured to store update transactions and pending transactions associated with said transponder and said second enterprise;

at least one point-of-sale device configured with a transponder-reader to interface with said transponder and said first and second enterprise data collection units;

a fob object database system coupled to said first and second enterprise data collection units and configured to store said transponder information in accordance with said update transactions and said pending transactions, wherein said transponder information may include a fob object having at least one application; and

an update logic system configured to route said transponder information from said first and second enterprise data collection units to at least one of said point-of-sale device in order to effect synchronization of said transponder information associated with said fob and said fob object database system.

2. A system according to claim 1, further comprising an update logic system coupled to at least one enterprise data synchronization interface, said update logic system configured to securely route transponder information between said enterprise data synchronization interface and said enterprise data collection units, said enterprise data synchronization interface coupled to an enterprise network configured to communicate with said point-of-sale device.

3. The system according to claim 2, further comprising a secure support client server configured to communicate with said point-of-sale device, said secure support client server further configured to adaptively provide communication functionality in accordance with the communication functionality available at said point-of-sale device.

4. The system of claim 1, further including a personalization system comprising:

a security server;

at least one key system associated with said at least one application, said key system configured to communicate with said security server and to supply a key in response to a request from said security server;

a personalization utility configured to receive said fob object and to communicate with said security server;

said personalization utility further configured to add said key to said fob object;

a transponder management system, said transponder management system configured to accept a transponder request and communicate said transponder request to said personalization utility; and

a gather application module configured to communicate with said transponder management system and gather application information from a first database and a second database in accordance with said transponder request, wherein said first database is associated with said first enterprise, and said second database is associated with said second enterprise.

5. A personalization system comprising:

a security server;

at least one key system associated with said at least one application, said key system configured to communicate with said security server and to supply a key in response to a request from said security server;

a personalization utility configured to receive a fob object and to communicate with said security server;

said personalization utility further configured to add said key to said fob object;

a transponder management system, said transponder management system configured to accept a transponder request and communicate said transponder request to said personalization utility;

a first enterprise data collection unit associated with a first enterprise, said enterprise data collection unit configured to store update transactions and pending transactions associated with said transponder and said first enterprise;

a second enterprise data collection unit associated with a second enterprise, said second enterprise data collection unit configured to store update transactions and pending transactions associated with said transponder and said second enterprise; and

a gather application module configured to communicate with said transponder management system and gather application information from a first database and a second database in accordance with said transponder request, wherein said first database is associated with said first enterprise, and said second database is associated with said second enterprise.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said transponder management system is further configured to parse said transponder request in order to choose optimum transponder characteristics.

7. The system of claim 5 wherein said personalization utility is further configured to facilitate formatting said fob object.

8. The system of claim 5 further comprising an activation block configured to facilitate activation of a transponder.

9. A method for personalization comprising the following steps:

communicating with a security server to facilitate supplying a key in response to a request from said security server;

receiving a fob object at a personalization utility configured to communicate with said security server;

using said personalization utility to facilitate adding said key to said fob object;

accepting a transponder request at a transponder management system to facilitate communicating said transponder request to said personalization utility;

storing update transactions and pending transactions at a first enterprise data collection unit associated with a transponder and a first enterprise;

storing update transactions and pending transactions at a second enterprise data collection unit associated with a transponder and a second enterprise; and

gathering application information from a first database and a second database in accordance with said transponder request, wherein said first database is associated with said first enterprise, and said second database is associated with said second enterprise, and wherein said step of gathering comprises using a gather application module configured to communicate with said transponder management system.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said step of gathering application information from a first database and a second database in accordance with said transponder request further comprises creating at least one of a file structure, data set and data type.

11. The method of claim 9 further comprising the step of issuing a transponder corresponding to said transponder request.

12. A method for facilitating synchronizing transponder information associated with a transponder, said method comprising the following steps:

using a first enterprise data collection unit associated with a first enterprise to facilitate storing update transactions and pending transactions associated with said transponder and said first enterprise;

using a second enterprise data collection unit associated with a second enterprise to facilitate storing update transactions and pending transactions associated with said transponder and said second enterprise;

interfacing with said transponder and said first and second enterprise data collection units through at least one point-of-sale device configured with a transponder-reader;

storing said transponder information in accordance with said update transactions and said pending transactions at a fob object database system coupled to said first and second enterprise data collection units, wherein storing said transponder information may include storing a fob object having at least one application; and

using an update logic system to facilitate routing said transponder information from said first and second enterprise data collection units to at least one of said point-of-sale device in order to effect synchronization of said transponder information associated with said fob and said fob object database system.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of using an update logic system coupled to at least one enterprise data synchronization interface to facilitate securely routing transponder information between said enterprise data synchronization interface and said enterprise data collection units, said enterprise data synchronization interface coupled to an enterprise network configured to communicate with said point-of-sale device.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein said step of communicating with said point-of-sale device using a secure support client server, wherein said step of using said secure support client server further comprises adaptively providing communication functionality in accordance with the communication functionality available at said point-of-sale device.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of facilitating personalization, wherein said step comprises:

communicating with a security server to facilitate supplying a key in response to a request from said security server;

receiving a fob object at a personalization utility configured to communicate with said security server;

using said personalization utility to facilitate adding said key to said fob object;

accepting a transponder request at a transponder management system to facilitate communicating said transponder request to said personalization utility;

storing update transactions and pending transactions at a first enterprise data collection unit associated with a transponder and a first enterprise;

storing update transactions and pending transactions at a second enterprise data collection unit associated with a transponder and a second enterprise; and

gathering application information from a first database and a second database in accordance with said transponder request, wherein said first database is associated with said first enterprise, and said second database is associated with said second enterprise, and wherein said step of gathering comprises using a gather application module configured to communicate with said transponder management system.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein step of routing said transponder information from said first and second enterprise data collection units comprises routing said transponder information in track 1/track 2 International Standards Setting Organization format.