Provisioning a mobile communication device with electronic credentials

Abstract

A novel system and methodology for conducting financial and other transactions using a wireless device. Credentials may be selectively issued by issuers such as credit card companies, banks, and merchants to consumers permitting the specific consumer to conduct a transaction according to the authorization given as reflected by the credential or set of credentials. The preferred mechanism for controlling and distributing credentials according to the present invention is through one or more publicly accessible networks such as the Internet wherein the system design and operating characteristics are in conformance with the standards and other specific requirements of the chosen network or set of networks. Credentials are ultimately supplied to a handheld device such as a mobile telephone via a wireless network. The user holding the credential may then use the handheld device to conduct the authorized transaction or set of transactions via, for example, a short range wireless link with a point-of-sale terminal.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of provisioning a mobile communication device with an electronic credential, the method comprising:
 displaying an interface on the mobile communication device through which a user of the mobile communication device accesses a credential issuance system through a network connection that includes a wireless communication link;   authenticating the user with the credential issuance system so that the user is authorized by a credential issuer to receive the electronic credential;   receiving, by the mobile communication device, data including the electronic credential in response to successfully authenticating the user so as to be authorized by the credential issuer; and   storing the received electronic credential in a secured storage portion of a memory device so as to be retrievable to conduct a transaction.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein storing the received electronic credential comprises:
 storing the received electronic credential in the secured storage portion of the memory device, where the mobile communication device includes the memory device.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein storing the received electronic credential comprises:
 storing the received electronic credential in the secure storage portion of the memory device which is external to the mobile communication device.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the external memory device is communicatively coupled to the mobile communication device through a mobile communication network. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 inserting, into the data, an indicator of a transaction-specific process that is to be executed by a processor of the mobile communication device to conduct the transaction with the electronic credential.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 retrieving an application extension code that, when executed by the processor on the mobile communication device, performs the transaction-specific process associated with the indicator; and   storing the application extension code so as to be executed by the processor of the mobile communication device to perform the transaction-specific process associated with the electronic credential in conducting the transaction.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 when the application extension code is executed by the processor on the mobile communication device, performing the transaction-specific process of generating a representation of the electronic credential to be wirelessly transmitted to an electronic credential reader through a wireless interface of the mobile communication device.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 configuring the application extension code by generating the representation of the electronic credential to be wirelessly transmitted in a Bluetooth transmission to the electronic credential reader.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 configuring the application extension code by generating the representation of the electronic credential to be conveyed in a near-field communication (NFC) transmission as the wireless transmission to the electronic credential reader.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving a reader key in the data with the electronic credential; and   storing, in the memory device, the reader key received in the data in an association with the electronic credential received in the data such that the electronic credential is locatable in the memory via a search of the memory device for the reader key.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 establishing a network connection between the mobile communication device and a credential management device;   determining, from the credential management device, whether an update to the electronic credential stored on the memory device is applicable thereto; and   applying the update to the received electronic credential in response to determining that the update is applicable to the stored electronic credential.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the establishing the network connection, the determining whether the update is applicable, and the applying the update are performed periodically in accordance with a predetermined rule. 
     
     
         13 . A system to provision a mobile communication device with an electronic credential, the system comprising:
 a credential issuing device remote from the mobile communication device and accessible thereby through a network connection that includes a wireless communication link; and   the mobile communication device comprising:
 a processor configured to display an interface on the mobile communication device through which a user thereof accesses the credential issuing device through the network connection, to authenticate the user with the credential issuing device so that the user is authorized by a credential issuer to receive the electronic credential, to receive data including the electronic credential in response to successfully authenticating the user so as to be authorized by the credential issuer, and to store the received electronic credential in a secured storage portion of a memory device so as to be retrievable to conduct a transaction. 
   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the mobile communication device includes the memory device. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the memory device is external to the mobile communication device. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the memory device is communicatively coupled to the mobile communication device through a mobile communication network. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the credential issuing device is configured to insert, into the data, an indicator of a transaction-specific process that is to be executed by the processor on the mobile communication device to conduct the transaction with the electronic credential. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the processor of the mobile communication device is further configured to retrieve an application extension code that, when executed by the processor, perform the transaction-specific process associated with the indicator, and store the application extension code so as to be executed by the processor to perform the transaction-specific process associated with the electronic credential in conducting the transaction. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the processor performs the transaction-specific process of generating a representation of the electronic credential to be wirelessly transmitted to an electronic credential reader through a wireless interface of the mobile communication device when the application extension code is executed by the processor on the mobile communication device. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the representation of the electronic credential is generated by the transaction-specific process to be wirelessly transmitted in a Bluetooth transmission to the electronic credential reader. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the representation of the electronic credential is generated by the transaction-specific process to be wirelessly transmitted in a near-field communication (NFC) transmission as the wireless transmission to the electronic credential reader. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the processor of the mobile communication device is further configured to receive a reader key in the data with the electronic credential, and to store, in the memory device, the reader key received in the data in an association with the electronic credential received in the data such that the electronic credential is locatable in the memory via a search of the memory device for the reader key. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 a credential management device remote from the mobile communication device and accessible thereby through another network connection with the mobile communication device, the credential management device being configured to apply an update to the electronic credential stored in the memory device in response to determining that the update is applicable to the electronic credential.   
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein at least one of the credential management device and the mobile communication device determines, periodically in accordance with a predetermined rule, whether to update the electronic credential.