System and methods related to an available balance debit/credit card

• US 8,820,638 B1
• Filed: 07/27/2007
• Issued: 09/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Original Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Inventors: Cotter, Judy Margaret, Medina, Reynaldo III
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Michael G
• Assistant Examiner(s): ELLIS, SUEZU Y
• Application Number:
  US11/829,838
• Time in Patent Office: 2,594 Days
• Field of Search: 235/379, 235/380, 235/487, 235/492, 235/493, 705/39, 705/41, 705/42, 705/35, 705/68, 705/44, 705/67, 455/556.1, 455/558, 340/5.4, 340/5.41, 340/5.42, 340/5.52, 340/5.53, 340/5.82, 340/5.83, 340/5.84
• US Class Current: 235/380
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07749 the record carrier being capable of non-contact communication, e.g. constructional details of the antenna of a non-contact smart card
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03

Abstract

A wirelessly updated consumer spending card includes a spending card housing, a memory module on the spending card housing, a processor module on the spending card housing in operable communication with the memory module, an output display on the spending card housing in operable communication with the processor, a transceiver on the spending card housing operable for wirelessly transmitting and receiving data across a metropolitan area in operable communication with the processor and display, and a power source on the spending card housing in operable connectivity to the memory, processor, transceiver and display. The card may further include a biometric input device on the spending card housing in operable communication with the processor.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

providing a financial account identifier from a mobile electronic card to a point-of-sale transaction terminal, the financial account identifier associated with a financial account of a user of the mobile electronic card;

wirelessly receiving encrypted updated account information regarding the financial account of the user on a cellular telephone associated with the user;

storing the encrypted updated account information regarding the financial account of the user on the cellular telephone associated with the user;

connecting a wireless communication adapter of the cellular telephone associated with the user and a wireless communication adapter of the mobile electronic card;

transmitting the encrypted updated account information regarding the financial account of the user from the wireless communication adapter of the cellular telephone to the wireless communication adapter of the mobile electronic card;

receiving biometric information on the mobile electronic card;

determining that the biometric information is valid, wherein determining includes sending the biometric information to a financial institution associated with the financial account of the user for verification by the financial institution that the sent biometric information matches biometric data provided to the financial institution for security purposes;

activating a display of the mobile electronic card responsive to a signal from the financial institution confirming the verification; and

displaying a balance of the financial account information on the display of the mobile electronic card for a predetermined time period based on the receiving of the encrypted updated account information and the signal from the financial institution, wherein the encrypted updated account information includes a signal indicative of a most recent transaction and the displayed balance of the financial account is calculated at the mobile electronic card from the signal indicative of the most recent transaction and a transaction record stored in the mobile electronic card, and wherein the display includes a portion configured to display a digital image of a signature associated with the user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request location for the mobile electronic card; and

transmitting a location in response to the receiving of the request location,

wherein the wirelessly receiving of the encrypted updated account information is in response to the transmitting.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the encrypted updated account information includes the balance of the financial account.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

activating a wireless transceiver of the mobile electronic card based on the providing of the financial account identifier,

wherein the wirelessly receiving is based on the activating of the wireless transceiver.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting an association number of the mobile electronic card to the cellular telephone,

wherein the wirelessly receiving of the encrypted updated account information is in response to the transmitting.

6. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium including computer readable instructions, which when executed by a computer, cause the computer to:

provide a financial account identifier from a mobile electronic card to a point-of-sale transaction terminal, the financial account identifier associated with a financial account of a user of the mobile electronic card;

wirelessly receive encrypted updated account information regarding the financial account of the user on a cellular telephone associated with the user;

store the encrypted updated account information regarding the financial account of the user on the cellular telephone associated with the user;

connect a wireless communication adapter of the cellular telephone associated with the user and a wireless communication adapter of the mobile electronic card;

transmit the encrypted updated account information regarding the financial account of the user from the wireless communication adapter of the cellular telephone to the wireless communication adapter of the mobile electronic card;

receive biometric information on the mobile electronic card;

determine that the biometric information is valid, wherein determining includes sending the biometric information to a financial institution associated with the financial account of the user for verification by the financial institution that the sent biometric information matches biometric data provided to the financial institution for security purposes;

activate a display of the mobile electronic card responsive to a signal from the financial institution confirming the verification; and

display a balance of the financial account information on the display of the mobile electronic card for a predetermined time period based on receipt of the encrypted updated account information and the signal from the financial institution, wherein the encrypted updated account information includes a signal indicative of a most recent transaction and the displayed balance of the financial account is calculated at the mobile electronic card from the signal indicative of the most recent transaction and a transaction record stored in the mobile electronic card, and wherein the display includes a portion configured to display a digital image of a signature associated with the user.

7. The computer readable storage medium of claim 6, further comprising instructions that cause the machine to:

receive a request location for the mobile electronic card; and

transmit a location in response to the receiving of the request location,

wherein wirelessly receiving the encrypted updated account information is in response to transmission of the location.

8. The computer readable storage medium of claim 6, wherein the encrypted updated account information includes the balance of the financial account.

9. The computer readable storage medium of claim 6, further comprising instructions that cause the machine to:

activate a wireless transceiver of the mobile electronic card based on providing the financial account identifier,

wherein wirelessly receiving is based on activation of the wireless transceiver.

10. A system comprising:

a mobile electronic card; and

a cellular telephone associated with a user;

wherein the mobile electronic card includes a memory and a processor to;

provide a financial account identifier from the mobile electronic card to a point-of-sale transaction terminal, the financial account identifier associated with a financial account of the user of the mobile electronic card;

wherein the cellular telephone associated with the user includes a wireless communication adapter and memory to;

receive and store encrypted updated account information regarding the financial account of the user and

transmit the encrypted updated account information regarding the financial account of the user;

wherein the mobile electronic card associated with the user includes a wireless communication adapter coupled to the memory and the processor of the mobile electronic card to wirelessly connect and receive the encrypted updated account information regarding the financial account of the user directly from the wireless communication adapter of the cellular telephone associated with the user based on providing the financial account identifier;

wherein the mobile electronic card associated with the user includes a biometric information module coupled to the memory and the processor of the mobile electronic card to;

receive biometric information on the mobile electronic card,

determine that the biometric information is valid, wherein determining includes sending the biometric information to a financial institution associated with the financial account of the user for verification by the financial institution that the sent biometric information matches biometric data provided to the financial institution for security purposes, and

activate a display of the mobile electronic card responsive to a signal from the financial intuition confirming the verification; and

wherein the mobile electronic card associated with the user includes the display coupled to the memory and the processor of the mobile electronic card to display a balance of the financial account information for a predetermined time period based on receipt of the updated account information and the activation of the display, wherein the encrypted updated account information includes a signal indicative of a most recent transaction and the displayed balance of the financial account is calculated at the mobile electronic card from the signal indicative of the most recent transaction and a transaction record stored in the mobile electronic card, and wherein the display includes a portion configured to display a digital image of a signature associated with the user.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

wherein the mobile electronic card receives a location request for the mobile electronic card and transmits a location in response to receipt of the location request,

wherein wirelessly receiving of encrypted updated account information is in response to transmission of the location.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the encrypted updated account information includes the balance of the financial account.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the mobile electronic card further comprises:

an activation module to activate a wireless transceiver of the mobile electronic card based on the providing of the financial account identifier;

wherein wirelessly receiving is based on activation of the wireless transceiver.