Computer-Facilitated Secure Account-Transaction

• US 20080147562A1
• Filed: 12/14/2007
• Published: 06/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huntington Bancshares Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Tcf Financial Corporation
• Inventors: Kuntz, Kevin, Allen, Gene
• Granted Patent: US 8,719,128 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/64
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3572 Multiple accounts on card
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03

Abstract

The handling of accounts and account transactions are implemented using a variety of different systems and methods. According to one embodiment a computer-facilitated system is implemented for handling accounts held by a user a financial institution and an educational institution. A first database stores account balance information associated with a first account held at one of the institutions. A second database stores account balance information associated with a second account held at the other institution. Logic, located at one institution, encrypts an identifier of the first account, associates a resulting encrypted identifier with the second account and decrypts the encrypted identifier. A database interface transmits the encrypted identifier to the second database for storage. A user interface provides the user with the account balance information associated with the accounts in response to the logic decrypting the encrypted identifier.

Claims

1. A computer-facilitated system for handling a first monetary account held by a user at one of a financial institution and an educational institution and a second monetary account held by the user at the other of the educational institution and the financial institution, the system including:

a first database that stores account balance information associated with the first account and that is controlled by a computer system at said one of the financial institution and the educational institution;

a second database that stores account balance information associated with the second account and that is controlled by a computer system at said other of the educational institution and the financial institution;

logic located at said one of the financial institution and the educational institution that encrypts an identifier of the first account to create an encrypted identifier, that associates the encrypted identifier with the second account and that decrypts the encrypted identifier;

a database interface that transmits the encrypted identifier and data corresponding to the association to the second database for storage therein and that receives the encrypted identifier from the second database for decryption by said logic; and

a user interface that provides the user with access via a remote computer to the account balance information associated with the second account and the account balance information associated with the first account via a secured connection to one of the first and second databases.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the logic encrypts and decrypts the identifier using an encryption key and the encryption key is not provided to said other of the educational institution and the financial institution.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface is an Internet-based website.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein one of the first and second accounts is one of a savings and checking account and the other of the first and second account is a university debit account.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the encryption is accomplished using a symmetric-key algorithm.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the secured connection is accomplished using a handshake protocol between the remote computer and said one of the first and second databases such that the user interface does not participate in the handshake protocol.

7. A computer-facilitated system for handling a first monetary account held by a user at a financial institution and a second monetary account held by the user at an educational institution, the system including:

a first database that stores account balance information associated with the first account and that is controlled by a computer system at the financial institution;

a second database that stores account balance information associated with the second account and that is controlled by a computer system at the educational institution; and

a network interface provided by the educational institution that allows the user to access the account balance information associated with the second account and the account balance information associated with the first account using a remote computer, wherein the first account information is transferred using an encrypted link between the first database and the remote computer.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein access to the network interface is allowed through presentation of an identification card issued by the educational institution for users associated with the educational institution.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the network interface is an Internet-based website.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein one of the first and second accounts is one of a savings and checking account and the other of the first and second account is a university debit account.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein, in response to receiving the identification card issued by the educational institution, the network interface provides user options not otherwise available

12. A computer-facilitated method for handling a first monetary account held by a user at one of a financial institution and an educational institution and a second monetary account held by the user at the other of the educational institution and the financial institution, the method including the steps of:

storing account balance information associated with the first account in a first database and account balance information associated with the second account in a second database;

encrypting an identifier of the first account at said one of the financial institution and the educational institution;

associating the encrypted identifier with the second account;

storing the encrypted identifier and data corresponding to the association in the second database;

in response to the user requesting access to the first and second accounts using a remote computer, decrypting the encrypted identifier at said one of the financial institution and the educational institution;

identify the first account using the identifier; and

transferring account balance information associated with the second account from the second database and account balance information associated with the first account from the first database to the remote computer.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the identifier is associated with an identification card issued by the educational institution for users associated with the educational institution.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the user requests access via an Internet-based website.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein one of the first and second accounts is one of a savings and checking account and the other of the first and second account is a university debit account.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein, in response to determining the identification card was issued by the educational institution, the user is provided with options not otherwise available.

17. A computer-facilitated system for handling transactions between a first account held by a user at one of a financial institution and an educational institution and a second account held by the user at the other of the educational institution and the financial institution, the system including:

means for allowing the user to access the first account and the second account from a remote device;

means for controlling transactions associated with the first account using a first computer arrangement;

means for, in response to input from the remote device, controlling transactions associated with the second account using a second computer arrangement;

means for sending real time monetary transfers requests from the second computer arrangement to the first computer arrangement in response to user input via the remote device; and

means for sending periodic transaction files between the first and second computer arrangements, wherein the periodic transaction files contain information related to monetary transfers that have already been effected between accounts controlled by the first and second computer arrangements.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the remote device is one of an automated teller machine, a computer equipment and a telephone-based equipment.