Secure voice transactions
AssigneeSemafone Limited
InventorsTimothy Critchley, David Jackson, Jim Cozens
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of facilitating a transaction during a voice call between a caller or callee and an agent, for example for a merchant or organisation, the method comprising: activating a secure mode of a call processor adapted to prevent sensitive information relating to the transaction provided by the caller from reaching or being accessible by the agent; transmitting a notification that the secure mode has been activated to an electronic wallet accessible by the caller in which the sensitive information is stored; and processing the transaction in dependence on or using the sensitive information received from the electronic wallet; wherein the notification is transmitted to the electronic wallet via the voice call.
Claims41
A method of facilitating a transaction during a voice call between a caller and an agent, the method comprising:
- activating a secure mode of a call processor adapted to prevent sensitive information relating to the transaction provided by the caller from being accessible by the agent;
- transmitting a notification that the secure mode has been activated to an electronic wallet accessible by the caller in which the sensitive information is stored;
- and
- processing the transaction in dependence on the sensitive information received from the electronic wallet;
- wherein the notification is transmitted to the electronic wallet via the voice call.
The method of any preceding claim, further comprising activating the secure mode in response to receiving a secure mode activation signal from the agent.
The method of any preceding claim, wherein the notification comprises a plurality of tones.
The method of any preceding claim, further comprising requesting the sensitive information via a plurality of tones via the voice call.
The method of any preceding claim, further comprising receiving the sensitive information as a plurality of tones via the voice call.
The method of any preceding claim, wherein the tones are inaudible.
The method of any preceding claim wherein the tones are masked by or incorporated into an audio signal.
The method of any preceding claim, wherein the sensitive information is encoded in base 14 or base 12.
The method of any preceding claim, wherein the sensitive information is received via an alternative communication channel other than that being used for the voice call.
The method of any preceding claim, further comprising maintaining the voice call between the caller and the agent during the transaction.
The method of any preceding claim, further comprising monitoring for the presence of a voice call and transmitting a trigger to the electronic wallet to prepare for potential use.
The method of any preceding claim, further comprising monitoring for the presence of other transaction methods and determining which transaction method is to be used.
A method of determining during a voice call between a caller and an agent the compatibility of an electronic wallet accessible by the caller with a transaction method adapted to facilitate transactions between caller and agent, comprising at least one of:
- i) transmitting to the electronic wallet a signal comprising an identifier identifying the transaction method or a query requesting identification of at least one transaction method with which the electronic wallet is compatible;
- and
- ii) receiving from the electronic wallet a signal comprising an indicator indicating the compatibility of the electronic wallet with the transaction method or an identifier of at least one transaction method with which the electronic wallet is compatible;
- wherein the signal is transmitted via the voice call.
A call processor for facilitating a transaction during a voice call between a caller and an agent, comprising:
- means for activating a secure mode of a call processor adapted to prevent sensitive information relating to a transaction provided by the caller from being accessible by the agent;
- means for transmitting a notification that the secure mode has been activated to an electronic wallet accessible by the caller in which the sensitive information is stored;
- and
- means for processing the transaction in dependence on the sensitive information received from the electronic wallet;
- wherein the notification is transmitted to the electronic wallet via the voice call.
An electronic wallet adapted to facilitate a transaction during a voice call between a caller and an agent, comprising:
- means for storing sensitive information relating to the transaction;
- means for receiving a request for the sensitive information;
- means for receiving a notification via the voice call that a secure mode has been activated, the secure mode being adapted to prevent the sensitive information from reaching the agent;
- and
- means for transmitting the sensitive information;
- wherein the means for transmitting is adapted to transmit the sensitive information only if the notification that a secure mode has been activated has been received.
A method as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
A system as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.