Third-party provider method and system

• US 7,979,057 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2001
• Issued: 07/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Advanced Transactions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: SF IP Properties 62 LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Ortiz, Luis M., Lopez, Kermit D.
• Primary Examiner(s): RUDY, ANDREW J
• Application Number:
  US09/962,675
• Publication Number:
  US 20020042743A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,577 Days
• Field of Search: 379/201.01, 455406-408, 455/410, 455/414.1, 455/414.2, 455/419, 455/456.1, 455/556.1, 455/556.2, 705/35, 705/39, 705/65, 705/67, 705/17, 705/14.1, 705/14.17, 713/168, 713/169, 713/182, 713/186
• US Class Current: 455/414.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/105 involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0222 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0269 based on user profile or attribute

Abstract

Methods and systems for processing negotiable economic credits through, or at the request of, a hand held device in association with a third-party provider communicative with the hand held device and/or a point of sale. At least one negotiable economic credit can be transferred from a third-party provider communicative with the hand held device to the hand held device and/or point of sale. The negotiable economic credit can be stored within a memory of the hand held device and/or point of sale for retrieval and processing at a point of sale associated with a retail establishment and/or by a hand held device. The negotiable economic credit can be associated with a security module for protecting the privacy of the negotiable economic credit. A user profile can be compiled for utilization during the retrieval of the negotiable economic credit.

Claims

1. A method for processing negotiable economic credits through a wireless hand held device, the method comprising:

storing a filter in a memory of a hand held device, wherein the hand held device comprises a display, user controls, the memory, and a wireless controller, wherein the wireless controller is configured to communicate with a wireless network, and wherein the filter is configurable via the user controls;

receiving at least one negotiable economic credit from the wireless network at the hand held device based on the stored filter;

storing the at least one negotiable economic credit in the memory of the hand held device;

retrieving the at least one negotiable economic credit; and

transferring the at least one negotiable economic credit via the wireless network.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one negotiable economic credit is associated with a security module for protecting privacy of said at least one negotiable economic credit.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

compiling a user profile for utilization during retrieval of said at least one negotiable economic credit, in response to user input.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

storing the user profile in a database associated with a third-party provider.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

storing the user profile in a database within the memory of said hand held device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the retrieved at least one negotiable economic credit from said hand held device is retrieved in response to user input via the user controls.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the retrieved at least one negotiable economic credit is associated with a user profile stored in the memory.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying the at least one negotiable economic credit on the display.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein transferring the retrieved at least one negotiable economic credit comprises transferring the retrieved at least one negotiable economic credit from the hand held device to a point of sale (POS) via the wireless network.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising redeeming the at least one negotiable economic credit at the POS.

11. A hand held device, comprising:

a processor;

user controls, operatively coupled to the processor;

a wireless controller configured to transmit and receive data through a wireless network;

a display;

and a memory, configured to store software executable by the processor to perform functions, wherein the functions include;

storing a filter in the memory, wherein the filter is configurable via the user controls;

receiving at least one negotiable economic credit from the wireless network at the hand held device based on the stored filter;

storing the at least one negotiable economic credit in the memory;

retrieving the at least one negotiable economic credit; and

transferring the at least one negotiable economic credit via the wireless network.

12. The hand held device of claim 11, wherein said at least one negotiable economic credit is associated with a security module for protecting privacy of the at least one negotiable economic credit.

13. The hand held device of claim 11, further comprising:

compiling a user profile for utilization during retrieval of the at least one negotiable economic credit, in response to user input.

14. The hand held device of claim 13, further comprising:

storing the user profile in a database associated with a third-party provider.

15. The hand held device of claim 14, further comprising:

storing the user profile in a database within the memory of the hand held device.

16. The hand held device of claim 11, wherein the retrieved at least one negotiable economic credit is retrieved in response to user input via the user controls.

17. The hand held device of claim 11, wherein the retrieved at least one negotiable economic credit is associated with a user profile stored in the memory.

18. The hand held device of claim 11, further comprising:

displaying the at least one negotiable economic credit on the display.

19. The hand held device of claim 11, wherein transferring the retrieved at least one negotiable economic credit comprises transferring the retrieved at least one negotiable economic credit from the hand held device to a point of sale (POS) via the wireless network.

20. The hand held device of claim 19, further comprising redeeming the at least one negotiable economic credit at the POS.

21. An article of manufacture including a computer-readable storage medium having software stored thereon that, in response to execution by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

storing a filter in a memory of a hand held device, wherein the hand held device comprises a display, user controls, the memory, and a wireless controller, wherein the wireless controller is configured to communicate with a wireless network, and wherein the filter is configurable via the user controls;

receiving at least one negotiable economic credit from the wireless network at the hand held device based on the stored filter;

storing the at least one negotiable economic credit in the memory of the hand held device;

retrieving the at least one negotiable economic credit; and

transferring the at least one negotiable economic credit via the wireless network.