System and method for securing data through a PDA portal

• US 7,584,149 B1
• Filed: 03/15/2006
• Issued: 09/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/26/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Liberty Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. (American Express Company)
• Inventors: Ariff, Fauziah B, Voltmer, Theodore S, Neemann, Trey, Bishop, Fred
• Primary Examiner(s): Hewitt, II, Calvin L
• Assistant Examiner(s): KIM, STEVEN S
• Application Number:
  US11/276,800
• Time in Patent Office: 1,266 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/51
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03

Abstract

Consumers may utilize computing devices to assist in the purchase and/or loyalty process, and in particular, the consumer may utilize a PDA to facilitate the purchase and/or loyalty process. During the purchase and/or loyalty process, the consumer may need to insure that any content downloaded or used in association with the PDA is secure in how it is collected, assembled, and delivered to the PDA device. This system and method secures the data from its source to when it is actually viewed or used by the authorized user. The PDA may have direct access to an Internet web site portal that offers secure personal content from a content provider, such as, for example, an on-line banking or financial institution. Using the web site portal, the content provider may offer personal or confidential data, such as financial information, to PDA users in a secure (e.g., encrypted) environment. The exemplary system and method may establish a PDA portal link to the web site for collecting specified information for a user and transmitting the information to the remote device. To receive the information, the PDA contacts the portal and establishes a connection, authenticates itself to the network and allows the user to complete secured transactions or transmissions over the network.

Claims

1. A method for implementing a loyalty program using a first host computer which facilitates securing a portion of content from a source to a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), said method comprising the steps of:

receiving, by said first host computer, a consumer identifier (consumer ID) and a retailer identifier (retailer ID);

receiving, by said first host computer, product description data which includes a purchase price, and a retailer item identifier;

calculating, by said first host computer, a first set of reward points based on said consumer ID and said purchase price corresponding to said retailer item identifier;

calculating, by said first host computer, a second set of reward points based on said consumer ID and said purchase price corresponding to a manufacturer item identifier related to said retailer item identifier;

calculating, by said first host computer, a third set of reward points based on said consumer ID and said purchase price corresponding to affiliated Service Establishment (SE) numbers;

combining, by said first host computer, said first set of reward points, said second set of reward points, and said third set of reward points within a loyalty account associated with said consumer ID, wherein said PDA is used to exchange said reward points for an item;

receiving, by said first host computer, a request for first content from said PDA;

retrieving, by said first host computer, said first content, wherein said first content is encrypted;

decrypting, by said first host computer, said first content;

locating, by said first host computer, an embedded link within said first content, wherein said embedded link includes navigation information for retrieving second content;

encrypting, by said first host computer, said first content;

retrieving, by said first host computer, said second content from a second host computer using said embedded link, wherein said second content is retrieved prior to transmitting said encrypted first content to said PDA;

transmitting, by said first host computer, said encrypted first content and said second content to said PDA, wherein at least one of;

said encrypted first content and said second content includes an item for purchase using said reward points;

receiving, by said first host computer and from said PDA, a purchase request for said item from said PDA; and

using, by said first host computer, at least a portion of said reward points to complete said purchase request.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of:

said first content or said second content comprises information relating to a number of reward points issued by at least one of a transaction account issuer, a manufacturer, or a retailer.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising encrypting at least one of:

said first content or said second content with an encryption key of said PDA.

4. The method claim 1, wherein at least one of:

said first content or said second content comprises information relating to reward points accumulated on a network level.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising retrieving at least one of:

said first content or said second content in accordance with a user profile, wherein said user profile comprises content channel selections.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting said embedded link and at least one of:

said first content or said second content to said PDA for storage in response to at least one of;

said first content or said second content being collected from a source, wherein at least one of;

said first content or said second content remains encrypted at said PDA.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of:

said first content or said second content is encrypted with an encryption key of said PDA.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of:

said first set of reward points, said second set of reward points, or said third set of reward points are calculated based on a currency to point ratio corresponding to at least one of;

said retailer item identifier, said manufacturer item identifier, or said affiliated SE numbers.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising collecting at least one of:

said first content or said second content in accordance with predetermined interests of a user of said PDA.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of:

said first content or said second content comprises a combination of public data and private data.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said manufacturer item identifier comprises a Universal Product Code (UPC) and said retailer item identifier comprises a Stock Keeping Unit (SKU).

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting a balance of said loyalty points to said PDA from said loyalty account.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising synchronizing said PDA to said first host computer, wherein said synchronization comprises updating a balance of said reward points in said loyalty account.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said request for first content is received by a PDA portal computer.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein said purchase request comprises a selection of said item to purchase and an amount of said loyalty points to apply to said purchase, and wherein said selection is from at least one of:

said first content or said second content.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein said embedded link is only in Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) of said first content and said embedded link is not visible within a display of said first content.

17. A first host computer with a processor and memory that stores executable code for implementing a loyalty program on a network-wide level which facilitates securing a portion of content from a source to a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), said executable code causing said processor to perform the following steps of:

receiving a consumer identifier (consumer ID) and a retailer identifier (retailer ID);

receiving product description data which includes a purchase price, and a retailer item identifier;

calculating a first set of reward points based on said consumer ID and said purchase price corresponding to said retailer item identifier;

calculating a second set of reward points based on said consumer ID and said purchase price corresponding to a manufacturer item identifier related to said retailer item identifier;

calculating a third set of reward points based on said consumer ID and said purchase price corresponding to affiliated Service Establishment (SE) numbers;

combining said first set of reward points, said second set of reward points, and said third set of reward points within a loyalty account associated with said consumer ID, wherein said PDA is used to exchange said reward points for an item;

receiving a request for first content from said PDA;

retrieving said first content, wherein said first content is encrypted;

decrypting said first content;

locating an embedded link within said first content, wherein said embedded link includes navigation information for retrieving second content;

encrypting said first content;

retrieving said second content from a second host computer associated with said embedded link, wherein said second content is retrieved prior to transmitting said encrypted first content to said PDA;

transmitting said encrypted first content and said second content to said PDA, wherein at least one of;

said encrypted first content and said second content includes an item for purchase using said reward points;

receiving, from said PDA, a purchase request for said item from said PDA; and

using at least a portion of said reward points to complete said purchase request.

18. The first host computer of claim 17, wherein at least one of:

said first content or said second content is encrypted with an encryption key of said PDA.

19. The first host computer of claim 17, wherein at least one of:

said first content or said second content is received over a secure connection that is established by using a negotiated encryption key.

20. The first host computer of claim 17, further including a hardware encryption device configured to identify a plurality of embedded links within said encrypted content.

21. A tangible computer readable medium having computer executable instructions stored thereon, said tangible computer executable instruction when read by a first host computer causes the first host computer to perform steps comprising:

receiving a consumer identifier (consumer ID) and a retailer identifier (retailer ID);

receiving product description data which includes a purchase price, and a retailer item identifier;

calculating a first set of reward points based on said consumer ID and said purchase price corresponding to said retailer item identifier;

calculating a second set of reward points based on said consumer ID and said purchase price corresponding to a manufacturer item identifier related to said retailer item identifier;

calculating a third set of reward points based on said consumer ID and said purchase price corresponding to affiliated Service Establishment (SE) numbers;

combining said first set of reward points, said second set of reward points, and said third set of reward points within a loyalty account associated with said consumer ID, wherein a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) is used to exchange said reward points for an item;

receiving a request for first content from said PDA;

retrieving said first content, wherein said first content is encrypted;

decrypting said first content;

locating an embedded link within said first content, wherein said embedded link includes navigation information for retrieving second content;

encrypting said first content;

retrieving said second content from a second host computer using said embedded link, wherein said second content is retrieved prior to transmitting said encrypted first content to said PDA;

transmitting said encrypted first content and said second content to said PDA, wherein at least one of;

said encrypted first content and said second content includes an item for purchase using said reward points;

receiving, from said PDA, a purchase request for said item from said PDA; and

using at least a portion of said reward points to complete said purchase request.