U.S. patent application number 11/772559 was filed with the patent office on 2007-12-13 for credit card transaction authority by content rating.
Invention is credited to James Aloysius Donnelly, Ron Saint Pierre, Herman Rodriguez, Newton James JR. Smith.
Application Number | 20070288379 11/772559 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 25498673 |
Filed Date | 2007-12-13 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070288379 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Smith; Newton James JR. ; et
al. |
December 13, 2007 |
Credit Card Transaction Authority By Content Rating
Abstract
Administration of credit account transaction authority including
receiving a request for authorization for a credit transaction
against a credit account for purchase of at least one item
available for purchase through credit transactions, wherein the
item available for purchase has a content rating, and wherein the
credit account has a content rating, an account owner, and at least
one authorized account user; comparing the content rating of the
item requested for purchase and the content rating of the credit
account, wherein the comparing produces a determination whether the
content rating of the item requested for purchase matches the
content rating of the credit account; and authorizing the requested
transaction when the content rating of the item requested for
purchase matches the content rating of the credit account.
Inventors: |
Smith; Newton James JR.;
(Austin, TX) ; Rodriguez; Herman; (Austin, TX)
; Donnelly; James Aloysius; (Austin, TX) ; Pierre;
Ron Saint; (Austin, TX) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Biggers & Ohanian
P.O. Box 1469
Houston
TX
78767-1469
US
|
Family ID: |
25498673 |
Appl. No.: |
11/772559 |
Filed: |
July 2, 2007 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
09956768 |
Sep 20, 2001 |
7257516 |
|
|
11772559 |
Jul 2, 2007 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
705/44 ;
714/E11.194 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06Q 20/40 20130101;
G06Q 40/06 20130101; G06F 11/3428 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
705/044 |
International
Class: |
G06Q 40/00 20060101
G06Q040/00 |
Claims
1. A computer-implemented method for administration of credit
account transaction authority, the method comprising the steps of:
receiving a request for authorization for a credit transaction
against a credit account for purchase of at least one item
available for purchase through credit transactions, wherein the
item available for purchase has a content rating, and wherein the
credit account has a content rating, an account owner, and at least
one authorized account user; retrieving the content rating of the
credit account, wherein retrieving the content rating of the credit
account further comprises retrieving from a ratings repository the
content rating of the credit account and wherein the credit account
is a credit card account, and wherein retrieving the content rating
of the credit account further comprises retrieving from a credit
card company the content rating of the credit account; comparing
the content rating of the item requested for purchase and the
content rating of the credit account, wherein the comparing
produces a determination whether the content rating of the item
requested for purchase matches the content rating of the credit
account; and authorizing the requested transaction when the content
rating of the item requested for purchase matches the content
rating of the credit account.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein the account owner has preferences
regarding the content rating of the credit account and the method
further comprises assigning the content rating to the credit
account in dependence upon the account owner's preferences.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein assigning a content rating further
comprises editing by the account owner of the content rating of the
credit account.
4. The method of claim 2 wherein assigning a content rating further
comprises editing by the account owner of the content rating of the
credit account on-line through a web site of a credit card
company.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the content rating comprises a
primary content label having primary content values.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein the content rating comprises an
age category indicating the minimum age requirement for an
authorized account user.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein the content rating comprises a
secondary content label having secondary content values.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein the content rating comprises a
content descriptor having content descriptor values.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein the content rating comprises a
merchant rating having merchant rating values.
10. A system for administration of credit account transaction
authority, the system comprising the steps of: means for receiving
a request for authorization for a credit transaction against a
credit account for purchase of at least one item available for
purchase through credit transactions, wherein the item available
for purchase has a content rating, and wherein the credit account
has a content rating, an account owner, and at least one authorized
account user; means for retrieving the content rating of the credit
account, wherein retrieving the content rating of the credit
account further comprises retrieving from a ratings repository the
content rating of the credit account and wherein the credit account
is a credit card account, and wherein means for retrieving the
content rating of the credit account further comprises means for
retrieving from a credit card company the content rating of the
credit account; means for comparing the content rating of the item
requested for purchase and the content rating of the credit
account, wherein the means for comparing has a capability of
producing a determination whether the content rating of the item
requested for purchase matches the content rating of the credit
account; and means for authorizing the requested transaction when
the content rating of the item requested for purchase matches the
content rating of the credit account.
11. The system of claim 10 wherein the account owner has
preferences regarding the content rating of the credit account and
the system further comprises means for assigning the content rating
to the credit account in dependence upon the account owner's
preferences.
12. The system of claim 10 wherein means for assigning a content
rating further comprises means for editing by the account owner of
the content rating of the credit account.
13. The system of claim 10 wherein means for assigning a content
rating further comprises means for editing by the account owner of
the content rating of the credit account on-line through a web site
of a credit card company.
14. The system of claim 10 wherein the content rating comprises a
content descriptor having content descriptor values.
15. The system of claim 10 wherein the merchant rating values
comprise an indication that a merchant is a general merchandising
merchant.
16. A computer program product for administration of credit account
transaction authority, the system comprising the steps of: a
recording medium; means, recorded on the recording medium, for
receiving a request for authorization for a credit transaction
against a credit account for purchase of at least one item
available for purchase through credit transactions, wherein the
item available for purchase has a content rating, and wherein the
credit account has a content rating, an account owner, and at least
one authorized account user; means, recorded on the recording
medium, for retrieving the content rating of the credit account,
wherein retrieving the content rating of the credit account further
comprises retrieving from a ratings repository the content rating
of the credit account and wherein the credit account is a credit
card account, and wherein means, recorded on the recording medium,
for retrieving the content rating of the credit account further
comprise means, recorded on the recording medium, for retrieving
from a credit card company the content rating of the credit
account; means, recorded on the recording medium, for comparing the
content rating of the item requested for purchase and the content
rating of the credit account, wherein the means for comparing has a
capability of producing a determination whether the content rating
of the item requested for purchase matches the content rating of
the credit account; and means, recorded on the recording medium,
for authorizing the requested transaction when the content rating
of the item requested for purchase matches the content rating of
the credit account.
17. The computer program product of claim 16 wherein the account
owner has preferences regarding the content rating of the credit
account and the computer program product further comprises means,
recorded on the recording medium, for assigning the content rating
to the credit account in dependence upon the account owner's
preferences.
18. The computer program product of claim 16 wherein means,
recorded on the recording medium, for assigning a content rating
further comprises means, recorded on the recording medium, for
editing by the account owner of the content rating of the credit
account.
19. The computer program product of claim 16 wherein means,
recorded on the recording medium, for assigning a content rating
further comprises means, recorded on the recording medium, for
editing by the account owner of the content rating of the credit
account on-line through a web site of a credit card company.
20. The computer program product of claim 16 wherein the content
rating comprises a merchant rating having merchant rating values.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a continuation application of and claims
priority from U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/956,768 filed on
Sep. 6, 2001.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] 1. Field of the Invention
[0003] The field of the invention is credit transaction processing,
or, more specifically, methods, systems, and products for
administration of credit card transaction authority.
[0004] 2. Description of Related Art
[0005] Prior art systems have allowed available credit for a credit
account to be determined by someone other than the card issuer and
allowed limits to be set on the number of expenditures that can be
made. Prior art systems have allowed parents to control the use of
ancillary credit or debit transaction cards issued to children.
Prior art included administration by use of cards of prepaid
amounts for certain categories of goods and services. Prior art
included so-called `smart cards` having some computational ability
installed upon the cards, although the computational ability was
generally limited in use to credit amount verification and security
checks to validate the identity of a card or account user. Prior
art card methods and systems, however, lacked the ability to
authorize transactions based upon indications of user preference.
Prior art methods and systems lacked the ability to categorize
goods and services according to content so as to support
authorization based upon such content.
[0006] Consider, for the sake of illustration, the case of cash.
When an employer hands cash to an employee for use in purchasing
office supplies, there is within the cash absolutely no functional
limitation restricting purchases to office supplies. The employer
may have internal controls and administrative procedures designed
to assure that expenditures are limited to intended purposes, but
the cash itself in fact can be spent on anything. In fact, prior
art credit account administration is very similar to the case of
cash.
[0007] In fashion very similar to cash, typical prior art credit
card accounts have no functional or substantive limitations
whatsoever. Prior art credit card accounts have credit maxima, but
credit maxima, except for the obvious amount limitation, have no
effect on what can be purchased with a credit card. When a parent
authorizes a prior art credit card for a child, therefore, the
parent has absolutely no way within the credit card or the credit
card account itself to control expenditures using the card. Parents
no doubt have many practical prior art ways of controlling the
spending behavior of children, but none of those ways are
implemented through the prior art credit cards as such. Accordingly
therefore, there is a real need in the art for systems and methods
in which the use of credit accounts is authorized according to the
preferences of account owners and the content of goods and
services, so that owners of credit card accounts and other credit
accounts can implement expenditure controls within the account
arrangements themselves.
SUMMARY
[0008] Embodiments of the invention include methods for
administration of credit account transaction authority including
receiving a request for authorization for a credit transaction
against a credit account for purchase of at least one item
available for purchase through credit transactions, wherein the
item available for purchase has a content rating, and wherein the
credit account has a content rating, an account owner, and at least
one authorized account user. Embodiments include comparing the
content rating of the item requested for purchase and the content
rating of the credit account, wherein the comparing produces a
determination whether the content rating of the item requested for
purchase matches the content rating of the credit account.
Embodiments include authorizing the requested transaction when the
content rating of the item requested for purchase matches the
content rating of the credit account.
[0009] Typical embodiments of the invention include retrieving,
from a ratings repository or a credit card company, the content
rating of the credit account. Typical embodiments of the invention
also include account owners having preferences regarding the
content rating of the credit account and assigning the content
rating to the credit account in dependence upon the account owner's
preferences. Assigning a content rating in typical embodiments
includes editing by the account owner of the content rating of the
credit account and editing by the account owner of the content
rating of the credit account on-line through a web site of a credit
card company. In many embodiments, the credit account is a credit
card account.
[0010] Further embodiments of the invention comprise content
ratings including several content categories, each category having
its own values. In typical embodiments, the content rating includes
a primary content label having primary content values, a secondary
content label having secondary content values, and a content
descriptor having content descriptor values. Typical embodiments
comprise a content rating including a maximum value for a credit
account transaction, a timing code indicating when credit account
transactions are enabled, a governmental restriction having
governmental restriction values, and a merchant rating having
merchant rating values. Content ratings in many embodiments also
include an age category indicating the minimum age requirements for
authorized account users.
[0011] In addition to the method aspects of the invention, further
aspects of the invention include embodiments as computer systems
and computer program products. The foregoing and other objects,
features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the
following more particular descriptions of exemplary embodiments of
the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein
like reference numbers generally represent like parts of exemplary
embodiments of the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating embodiments of a
system aspect of the invention.
[0013] FIG. 2 is a control flow diagram illustrating various
embodiments of method aspects.
[0014] FIG. 3 illustrates embodiments of content ratings useful
within the scope of the present invention.
[0015] FIG. 4 illustrates as a use case an embodiment of a credit
account content rating.
[0016] FIG. 5 illustrates as a use case a further embodiment of a
credit account content rating.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS
Introduction
[0017] The present invention is described to a large extent in this
specification in terms of methods for credit transaction
processing, or, more specifically, methods, systems, and products
for administration of credit card transaction authority. Persons
skilled in the art, however, will recognize that any computer
system that includes suitable programming means for operating in
accordance with the disclosed methods also falls well within the
scope of the present invention.
[0018] Suitable programming means include any means for directing a
computer system to execute the steps of the method of the
invention, including for example, systems comprised of processing
units and arithmetic-logic circuits coupled to computer memory,
which systems have the capability of storing in computer memory
data elements and programmed steps of the method of the invention
for execution by a processing unit as computer program
instructions, which computer memory includes electronic circuits
configured to store data and program instructions. The invention
also is embodied in a computer program product, such as a diskette
or other recording medium, for use with any suitable data
processing system.
[0019] Embodiments of a computer program product typically are
implemented by use of any recording media for machine-readable
information, including magnetic media, optical media, or other
suitable media. Persons skilled in the art will immediately
recognize that any computer system having suitable programming
means will be capable of executing the steps of the method of the
invention as embodied in a program product. Persons skilled in the
art will recognize immediately that, although most of the exemplary
embodiments described in this specification are oriented to
software installed and executing on computer hardware,
nevertheless, alternative embodiments implemented as firmware or as
hardware are well within the scope of the present invention.
Definitions
[0020] In this specification, the terms "field," "data element,"
and "attribute" are used as synonyms, referring to individual
elements of digital data. Aggregates of data elements are referred
to as "records" or "data structures." Definitions of complex data
structures that include member methods, functions, or software
routines in addition to data elements are referred to as "classes."
Instances of complex data structures are referred to as "objects"
or "class objects."
[0021] The terms "client," "client device," and "device" are used
as synonyms in this specification, referring to any device capable
of accessing a server through a network. Examples of client devices
are personal computers, special purpose devices that are
internet-enabled, internet-capable personal data organizers, and
others that will occur to those of skill in the art. Various
embodiments of client devices are capable of wired and/or wireless
network access. The use as a client device of any instrument
capable of accessing a server through a network is well within the
present invention.
[0022] A "browser" is a software application typically installed
and running upon a client device, the browser operating to download
to the client device from a web server documents developed in a
markup language, display the contents of the documents, and to the
extent that the documents include tags identifying other documents
to download or other actions to be taken, downloading the documents
or taking the actions.
[0023] "Coupled for data communications" means any form of data
communications, wireless, infrared, radio, internet protocols, HTTP
protocols, email protocols, networked, direct connections,
dedicated phone lines, dial-ups, and other forms of data
communications as will occur to those of skill in the art.
[0024] The term "network" is used in this specification to mean any
networked coupling for data communications. Examples of networks
useful with the invention include intranets, extranets, internets,
local area networks, wide area networks, and other network
arrangements as will occur to those of skill in the art. The use of
any networked coupling from client devices to one or more content
servers is well within the scope of the present invention.
[0025] "World Wide Web," or more simply "the web," refers to the
well-known system of internet protocol ("IP") servers that support
specially formatted documents, documents formatted in a language
called HTML for HyperText Markup Language. The term "web" is used
in this specification also to refer to any server or connected
group or interconnected groups of servers that implement the
HyperText Transport Protocol, "HTTP," in support of URLs and HTML
documents, regardless whether such servers or groups of servers are
coupled to the world wide web as such.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0026] Turning now to FIG. 1, a first aspect of the invention is
seen illustrated as embodiments of a system for credit account
transaction authority. An embodiment according to FIG. 1 includes a
merchant (112) that in typical embodiments is implemented as a
commercial web site. Of course many embodiments include brick and
mortar merchants such as movies, restaurants, office supplies,
lumber yards, etc. The merchant of the illustrated embodiment is
coupled for data communications (106) to an account user (102).
Embodiments of the account user (102) typically include a browser
coupled through a network connection to a merchant web site. The
illustrated embodiment includes the merchant coupled for data
communications (108) to a source of credit account content ratings,
a ratings repository, in the illustrated embodiment, a credit card
company (118), although other embodiments use a credit bureau, a
special purpose services company, or other organizations as sources
of credit account content ratings.
[0027] In typical embodiments according to FIG. 1 the merchant
system includes the capabilities of receiving (104) from an account
user a request for authorization for a credit transaction regarding
an item to be purchased, where the item for purchase has a content
rating (110), and the credit account has a content rating (116) and
at least one authorized account user (102). In typical embodiments
according to FIG. 1, the merchant system (112) is also capable of
retrieving (114) from a ratings repository (118) the content rating
of the credit account, comparing the content rating of the item for
purchase and the content rating of the credit account, and
authorizing the requested transaction when the content rating of
the item requested for purchase matches the content rating of the
credit account. The ratings repository is any data storage
mechanism capable of being coupled for data communications (108) to
a merchant system (112) and storing to provide upon request credit
account content ratings.
[0028] Turning now to FIG. 2, further embodiments of the invention
are illustrated as a method for administration of credit account
transaction authority. Typical embodiments of the kind shown in
FIG. 2 include receiving (104) a request (150) for authorization
for a credit transaction against a credit account for purchase of
at least one item available for purchase through credit
transactions. In such embodiments, the item available for purchase
has a content rating (110), and the credit account has a content
rating (116), an account owner (132), and at least one authorized
account user (102). Typical embodiments include comparing (124) the
content rating of the item requested for purchase and the content
rating of the credit account, wherein the comparing produces a
determination whether the content rating of the item requested for
purchase matches the content rating of the credit account. Such
embodiments typically include authorizing (126) the requested
transaction when the content rating of the item requested for
purchase matches the content rating of the credit account. In many
embodiments, the credit account is a credit card account.
[0029] Typical embodiments of the invention as shown in FIG. 2
include retrieving (114) the content rating of the credit account
(116). Retrieving the content rating of the credit account in
typical embodiments includes retrieving from a ratings repository
(118) the content rating of the credit account. In typical
embodiments of the kind illustrated, the step of retrieving the
content rating of the credit account also includes retrieving from
a credit card company the content rating of the credit account.
[0030] Typical embodiments of the kind illustrated in FIG. 2
include an account owner (132) having preferences (130) regarding
the content rating of the credit account. Typical embodiments
include assigning the content rating (134) to the credit account in
dependence upon the account owner's preferences. In typical
embodiments of the invention, the step of assigning a content
rating (134) includes editing by the account owner of the content
rating of the credit account. The step of assigning a content
rating (134) also includes in many embodiments editing by the
account owner of the content rating of the credit account on-line
through a web site of a credit card company.
[0031] In typical embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in
FIG. 3, the method includes at least one item available for
purchase. In typical embodiments, the item available for purchase
has a content rating (302) which includes a primary content label
(312) having primary content values. In typical embodiments, the
primary content values may be "personal" or "commercial." Those
values are examples only. Many useful primary content values will
occur to persons skilled in the art, and all such values are well
within the scope of the present invention.
[0032] In typical embodiments of the kind shown in FIG. 3, the
method further includes a content rating (302) which includes an
age category (314) indicating the minimum age requirement for an
authorized account user. In typical embodiments, the content rating
(302) also includes a secondary content label (316) having
secondary content values. In typical embodiments of the invention,
the secondary content values may include "necessity", "optional",
"entertainment" or "luxury." Those values are examples only. Many
useful secondary content values will occur to those of skill in the
art, and all such values are well within the scope of the present
invention.
[0033] In typical embodiments of the kind illustrated in FIG. 3,
the method includes a content rating (302) which includes a content
descriptor (318) having content descriptor values. In typical
embodiments the content description values may include goods or
services. Those values are examples only. Many useful content
description values will occur to persons skilled in the art, and
all such values are well within the scope of the present
invention.
[0034] As illustrated in FIG. 3, the method includes a content
rating (302) which includes a maximum value (320) for a credit
account transaction. In typical embodiments, the maximum value
includes a maximum amount of money authorized for a credit account
transaction. In typical embodiments, the content rating also
includes a timing code (322) indicating when credit account
transactions are enabled, the timing code having timing code
values. In typical embodiments, the timing code values include a
restricted date, a restricted time, and a restricted transaction
frequency.
[0035] In typical embodiments of the invention, the method also
includes a content rating (302) which includes a governmental
restriction (324) having governmental restriction values. In
typical embodiments, the governmental restriction values include a
minimum age for purchase of alcoholic beverages, an indication of a
confirmation requirement for purchase of handguns, or a minimum age
requirement for purchase of cigarettes. Those values are examples
only. Many useful governmental restriction values will occur to
those of skill in the art, and all such values are well within the
scope of the present invention.
[0036] In typical embodiments of the kind illustrated in FIG. 3,
the method further includes a content rating (302) which includes a
merchant rating (326) having merchant rating values. In typical
embodiments, the merchant rating values may include an indication
that a merchant is a general merchandising merchant, a specialty
store, a retail merchant of consumables, a wholesale merchant of
durable goods, a provider of entertainment services, or a provider
of financial services. Those values are examples only. Many useful
merchant rating values will occur to persons skilled in the art,
and all such values are well within the scope of the present
invention.
[0037] Turning now to FIG. 4, a further embodiment of the invention
is illustrated as a use case involving a credit card account
bearing content ratings appropriate for use by a child as an
authorized user of an account owned by the child's parents. In the
illustrated embodiment, the credit card account content rating is
set to allow personal charges for goods appropriate for a child
according to age category "PG-13." The content rating limits
purchases to $25.00 for single events only in daylight on weekends
and only for movies rated PG-13 or less. In effect, the parent has
limited the use of this card to purchases of soft drinks, popcorn,
and candy in a motion picture theatre on weekends during the day.
Very little else would be available for purchase by use of the
illustrated embodiment of a credit card account content rating of
FIG. 4. It is useful to remember that the parent-owners of the
account illustrated in FIG. 4 effected these limitations in typical
embodiments merely by taking three minutes to log on to the credit
card company web site and enter the limitations, the content
ratings, through a data entry dialogue box on a browser screen.
[0038] Turning now to FIG. 5, a further embodiment of the invention
is illustrated as a use case involving a credit card account
bearing content ratings appropriate for use by an employee as an
authorized user of an account owned by a company that uses office
supplies. In the illustrated embodiment, the credit card account
content rating is set to allow business charges of the kind
effected by adults as necessities, including both goods and
services. The content rating in the embodiment of FIG. 5 limits
purchases to $250.00 for multiple events with no time limitation.
The content rating of FIG. 5 authorizes charges for general
merchandising as office supplies. In effect, the company that owns
the credit card account of FIG. 5 has limited the use of the
illustrated card to purchases of office supplies not to exceed
$250.00 per transaction although multiple transactions are
authorized. It is useful to remember that the company's credit
manager for the account illustrated in FIG. 5 effected these
limitations in typical embodiments merely by taking three minutes
to log on to a credit card company web site and enter the
limitations, the content ratings, through a data entry dialogue box
on a browser screen.
[0039] The scope of the invention is in no way limited by the
particular elements of content ratings discussed in this
specification. Additional embodiments include, for example, content
ratings fields for drugs, to prevent accidental acquisition by
account users of drugs dangerous in combination, useful for both
prescription drugs and nonprescription drugs. Other embodiments
include, for example, content ratings on automobile fuels, to
prevent accidental acquisition of fuels that will not work properly
in an account user's automobile. Other embodiments include, for
example, content ratings on electronic products such as video and
audio programs and software applications, updates, and upgrades,
available for purchase and download across the Internet, to prevent
accidental acquisition of electronic products that will not work
correctly on a particular account user's computer. Many other
embodiments of content ratings will occur to those of skill in the
art, and all of them are well within the scope of the present
invention.
[0040] It will be understood from the foregoing description that
various modifications and changes may be made in the various
embodiments of the present invention without departing from its
true spirit. It is intended that the descriptions in this
specification are for purposes of illustration only and are not to
be construed in a limiting sense. The scope of the present
invention is limited only by the language of the following
claims.
* * * * *