Method and system for supporting monitored data exchanges

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and system for monitoring exchanges of data that various members (100) of a community (1) are required to carry out, the method and system comprising the following steps: i. defining an administrator (10) for the community (1); ii. creating an administrator profile (10) comprising information linked to a main account (20) and access rights to the main account (20); iii. creating user profiles for each member (100); iv. allocating a card (110) to each member (100) that allows them to carry out exchanges, each of the cards (110) being associated with the main account (20); v. giving the administrator (10) the possibility to define a usage rule for the card (110) of each member (100); and informing the administrator (10) when a member (100) uses their card (110).

Description

[0001] Method and system for supporting controlled data exchanges

[0002] Technical field

[0003] According to a first aspect, the invention relates to an assistance method for enabling controlled exchanges of data between different persons (or members of a community) and one or more different entities or other persons. According to a second aspect, the invention relates to a system for implementing this method.

[0004] State of the art

[0005] There are systems that allow individuals to pay or exchange information with a third party. An example in the banking field is the use of prior art credit cards such as VISA ® or MASTERCARD ®. The holder of such a card can pay a third party entity, for example a store, to purchase a product or service using their card. By simply using the card, a terminal in the store queries a database of the card provider, and checks the authorization of the transaction. Optionally, the cardholder is asked to confirm the transaction by entering a secret code specific to them, determined on an individual basis.

[0006] In other areas where it is more a question of exchanging or transferring information, a similar situation may arise. For example, the holder of a health card may wish to transfer personal information about themselves to a healthcare organization or a store such as a pharmacy. When using the card, a reading terminal of the organization can connect to a database containing the desired medical information. In this case too, authorization to access the desired information is granted through use of the card, possibly also by the additional entry of a secret code by the user. Other examples of such individual cards are possible, for example, to exchange non-medical information between a person and a store or organization.Each user's card can be a physical or virtual card that can be accessed via an application hosted on their mobile phone, for example.

[0007] The use of such cards facilitates the transfer of information. However, the control of such a transfer of information or of a payment in the case of credit cards is carried out only by the user alone once he has been assigned a card. To do this, he presents his card to the party with whom he wants to carry out the transaction and may be asked to enter a secret code to authorize it. Thus, it is an individual approach with regard to the control of exchanges of information or money, once a card has been assigned to the user. However, it could be useful to have additional control that does not rely solely on general rules for all cardholders. It is also useful to be able to have usage control that is not carried out solely by the cardholder or by the card issuing organization, in order to have finer and more flexible control.

[0008] Statement of the invention

[0009] According to a first aspect, one of the aims of the present invention is to provide a method for controlling data exchanges that different members of a community or a group are required to carry out.

[0010] To this end, a computer-implemented method is proposed for controlling data exchanges that different members of a community are required to carry out and comprising the following steps: i. defining a manager for said community; ii. creating a manager profile, said manager profile comprising information linked to a main account and access rights to said main account; iii. creating user profiles for each member of the community; iv. assigning each member of the community a card allowing them to carry out given exchanges, each of said cards being associated with said main account; v. offering the manager the possibility of defining a rule for the use of each member's card; as well as the step of informing the manager when a member uses their card. The different users or, equivalently, members are part of a community and a manager is defined for it.The manager must define a profile, and a main account is associated with the community. The manager has rights to access the main account, called access rights. Different user profiles are created for different community members. Such profiles can be generated by the manager, for example. Each user is also assigned a card, which can be physical or virtual.

[0011] Each user card is linked to the community's main account. The method of the invention then proposes to offer the manager the possibility of defining one or more card usage rules for each member of the community. This makes it possible to control exchanges that the different members of the community are required to carry out, based on their card. In particular, thanks to these usage rules by the manager, it is possible to have control over the exchanges desired by the members of the community that is not solely carried out by the card holder or by the card issuing organization. Ultimately, the method of the invention therefore allows for finer and more flexible control. Indeed, it is possible for the manager to define various rules, for example different rules for different users.

[0012] This control is reinforced by the information provided to the manager when a member uses their card. The manager is thus kept informed of the data exchanges associated with their main account and can therefore intervene if necessary to regulate these exchanges, for example, by modifying the usage rule or, as described below, by defining a new one.

[0013] In general, the manager's control facilitates the management of the main account and improves the security of data exchanges. In addition, and in general, the method according to the invention allows members to carry out data exchanges via cards from a main account to which they preferably do not have access. For example, only the result of the data exchange can be visible to the member, so that he does not have access to the data of the main account as such. This is advantageous in the case of a financial transfer so that the member cannot consult the manager's main (bank) account (its balance or even its transactions for example), as well as in the case of a transfer of sensitive data, for example medical data, from one organization to another. The manager is then the only one with access to the main account and the data associated with it and can exercise adequate control over them.

[0014] Members may belong to the same family, a group of friends, or be part of the same company. The manager may be a father, a person with responsibilities in a company. Other examples are possible.

[0015] Various fields of application of the method of the invention, as described in the 'State of the art' section, are possible. In the case of the banking or financial sector, the cards are, for example, credit cards. The method of the invention then allows a manager to define rules for the use of such cards for the different cardholders.

[0016] Various preferred embodiments will now be described, some of which may be combined.

[0017] In a possible example, the rule for using each member's card is a usage limit. A usage limit can be a limit in terms of the number of exchanges allowed for a given period of time. For example, the manager can impose a maximum number of exchanges per day, three exchanges per week, etc. Another example of a usage limit is a maximum number of information exchanges for a given member: for example, no more than two pieces of information exchanged among the different possible pieces of information for a given user or member. In the case of credit cards, the usage rule can be a limit on the amount of money that can be used by a given member, possibly over a given period. For example, a maximum of 1000 EUR for a given member.

[0018] According to other possible examples, the rule of use of each member's card includes:

[0019] - an authorization for a member to carry out a given exchange; and / or

[0020] - a ban on a member making a given exchange.

[0021] Thus, the manager can customize and control the different exchanges that the different members can make. Preferably, the allocation of a card to each member in step iv. is automatic once the user profiles have been created in step iii. This makes it possible to automate the method of the invention even more and therefore to have an even easier-to-use method.

[0022] The method preferably also comprises the step of informing the manager of the usage status of each member's card when such a member uses his card. This information can be understood as a preferred form of the generic step of informing the manager when the member uses his card. This embodiment allows the manager to be kept regularly informed of the activity of the different members.

[0023] The method preferably comprises the step of offering the manager the possibility of defining a new rule for using the card of one or more members. Thanks to this preferred embodiment, the method of the invention is even more flexible because it is possible to modify the rule for using each member card and / or to define a new one, and this in particular with regard to the data exchanges of which he is kept informed. The manager thus exercises better control over the data exchanges.

[0024] The preferred features of a "usage rule" mentioned above apply similarly to the new usage rule, which is nothing more than a usage rule. In particular, the manager may undertake to establish a usage limit, or prohibit a member from carrying out certain data exchanges based on the card usage information that it receives, via a new usage rule for the member's card in question.

[0025] In particular, and preferably, the new usage rule may be defined based on a card usage status of which the manager is previously informed each time the card is used. The manager can thus increase its control over the use of the cards by its members in response to the card usage status.

[0026] According to a preferred embodiment, the method further comprises the step of generating a QR code associated with a data exchange when a member uses his card. In this case, in addition, the step of informing the manager comprises a transmission to the manager of the QR code associated with the data exchange. Advantageously, the QR code is a secure and common information code format. It allows the manager to receive all the necessary information relating to the pending or carried out data exchange in a compact and practical, but also discreet manner, without a third party being able to decrypt it at first sight. In the case of money exchanges, the QR code can also be exploited by existing payment technologies.

[0027] According to another preferred embodiment, the method further comprises the step of offering the manager the possibility of authorizing or refusing each data exchange carried out using one of the cards by one of the members on the basis of the card usage information. In particular, in this case, the manager, in addition to being the only one to actually have access to the main account, can exercise total control over each data exchange. Each of the members must receive the manager's approval to use his or her card (i.e. to implement the data exchange). The control of these exchanges is further reinforced.

[0028] Preferably, the authorization of a data exchange comprises a reading of the QR code associated with this data exchange (according to the embodiment introduced above) by means of an electronic device. This makes life easier for the manager in the authorization of data exchanges. Indeed, the reading (for example, scanning) of the QR code is sufficient, it containing all the information relating to the data exchange. Preferably, it is provided that the reading of the QR code also generates a signature of authorization of the data exchange. The aforementioned electronic device is, for its part, for example, a mobile phone (for example a smartphone) of the manager on which he receives the QR code via a dedicated application. It can be provided that beyond a predefined time to read the QR code, for example 60 or 120 seconds, the data exchange is considered to be passively refused by the manager.

[0029] According to one embodiment of the invention, the method comprises the step of geolocating the card of one of the members when it is used. In this case, the information from the manager preferably includes a transmission to the manager of the geolocation of the card. This advantageously makes it possible to increase the manager's control over the cards and his main account, as well as to ensure the location of the member who is carrying out a data exchange. Advantageously, it is also made possible to trace the card in the event of loss or theft.

[0030] Preferably, the method further comprises the step of providing the manager with access to a visual interface enabling him to view in real time the degree of use of each member's card. This makes it possible to ensure good monitoring of the use of each member's card, and accordingly, to possibly modify and / or define a new rule for use of a given member's card.

[0031] According to a possible example, the method further comprises the step of grouping the different members of the community into subgroups. This makes it possible to split the different members into distinct subgroups. It is then possible to define specific usage rules for the members of the same subgroup. Preferably, the method then comprises the step of assigning the same card usage rules for the members of the same subgroup.

[0032] The inventors provide a method of using a community member card comprising all the steps of any preceding claim and further comprising the following steps:

[0033] - request by said member to use his card (or equivalently to carry out an exchange of data using his card);

[0034] - sending the request from the previous step to a third party entity;

[0035] - transfer of this request by said third-party entity to a management program capable of implementing the method for controlling data exchanges according to one of the aforementioned embodiments;

[0036] - provide an authorization response (which may preferably be an authorization or a refusal to carry out the data exchange) for use of the card (or equivalently, the data exchange) for the member, based on the rule defined in step v.

[0037] This method describes the use of a card by a member of the community, with control exercised by the manager. Thus, the method of the invention manages and controls data flows or exchanges from members.

[0038] Preferably, the management program is capable of implementing the method according to the embodiment allowing the manager to authorize or refuse each data exchange. In this case, the authorization response preferably also depends on the authorization or refusal of data exchange by the manager based on the card usage information. In particular, the terms "depending on" above are not to be interpreted in a restrictive manner because other parameters can be taken into account in the definition of the authorization response. In the case of a refusal by the manager, this refusal takes precedence over the rule defined in step v. The manager therefore exercises reinforced control in two stages over the use of the cards: on the one hand, via the basic usage rules, and on the other hand, via its power to authorize or refuse each data exchange.

[0039] A distributed computing system is also proposed to control data exchanges that different members of a community are required to carry out and includes:

[0040] - initialization interface means for defining a manager for said community and creating a manager profile, said manager profile comprising information linked to a main account and access rights to said main account;

[0041] - interfacing means to create user profiles for each member of the community;

[0042] - cards, each of which is allocated to a member of the community to enable them to make exchanges, and each of which is associated with the main account;

[0043] - means of control to offer the manager the possibility of defining a rule for the use of each member's card.

[0044] More generally, this computer system comprises all the means intended to implement the aforementioned method and process according to the invention.

[0045] The embodiments and advantages of the method apply to the system, mutatis mutandis. The cards can be real or virtual. In the latter case, a member can, for example, access them via an application installed on their mobile phone. Brief description of the figures

[0046] These and other aspects of the invention will be presented in the detailed description of particular embodiments of the invention, with reference to the drawings of the figures, in which:

[0047] - figure 1 illustrates a community of members according to the invention;

[0048] - Figure 2 illustrates an example of a visual interface allowing the manager to view in real time the degree of use of each member's card;

[0049] - Figure 3 illustrates an example of data flow and instructions when a member uses a card.

[0050] The drawings of the figures are not to scale. Generally, like elements are denoted by like references in the figures. The presence of reference numbers in the drawings cannot be considered as limiting, including when these numbers are indicated in the claims.

[0051] Detailed description of embodiments of the invention

[0052] The method according to the invention allows everyone to best manage data exchanges that different members 100 of their family, their company, a group to which they belong, are required to carry out. In particular, a manager 10 can carry out such a control for different members 100 of a community 1, said community 1 therefore being able to represent a family, a company or any other group of people or members 100. In the case of the banking or financial application, the method of the invention allows a manager 10 of a community 1 to specify who can use and / or withdraw what sum of money and according to what criteria or rules. The method will now be described, FIG. 1 illustrating in particular the notions of members 100 and manager 10 of a community 1.

[0053] A first step of the method of the invention consists in defining a manager 10 for the community 1. The manager 10 can be a father, a business manager, or any other person having responsibilities towards a group or a community 1. Then, the manager 10 must create a profile. This profile can include different information such as for example: name, first name, place of residence, date of birth, sex, ... But this profile must also include information linked to a main account 20 and access rights for this main account 20. The main account 20 can be of different kinds. It can be an account including information for the different members 10 of the community 1, for example medical information, personal information, subscription information, ...It may also be a bank-type account, characterized for example by a global sum to which the members 10 of the community 1 may possibly have access. Examples of information linked to the main account 20 are: references of said main account 20 allowing it to be found. Examples of access rights are login, password, TOKEN.

[0054] Once the manager profile 10 has been created, it is then a matter of defining user profiles for each member 100 of the community 1. The profile of each member 100 may include different information such as: last name, first name, place of residence, date of birth. Other fields may be used for the profiles of each member 100. Preferably, the manager

[0055] 10 can create these different user profiles using a visual interface

[0056] 1 1 which can be hosted for example in an application on your mobile phone (see figure 2).

[0057] Once the user profiles have been created, a card 110 must then be assigned to each member 100 of the community 1. This may be a physical card or a virtual card. In the latter case, it is preferred to provide access to such a virtual card using an application hosted on the mobile phone of each member 100. The card 110 will later allow each member 100 to carry out exchanges with a third party entity or person. In the case of a banking application of the method of the invention, the cards 110 are preferably credit cards. And the main account 20 is then a bank account in the system of the organization issuing the cards 110.

[0058] Preferably, the ordering and allocation of cards 1 10 are automatic once the user profiles have been created. The different cards 1 10 are associated with the main account 20. This means that the cards 110 allow exchanges of data, money, etc. hosted in one way or another in the main account 20.

[0059] Finally, the method of the invention comprises a step of offering the manager 10 the possibility of defining one or more rules for using the card 110 of each member 100. This or these rules make it possible to control the exchanges that different members 100 of the community 1 are required to carry out. Thus, thanks to the method of the invention, a manager 10 of a community 1 can control the use of the card 110 of each member 100. The method is particularly flexible and makes it possible, for example, to define different rules for the members 100.

[0060] An example of a usage rule is setting a card usage limit. For example, manager 10 may decide that member 100 cannot use their card 110 more than once a day. Another example of a usage limit in banking is setting a maximum amount that member 100 can spend.

[0061] Another example of a usage rule is a permission or prohibition for a member 100 to make a given exchange. For example, a manager 10 may decide that a member 100 cannot exchange information or money with a given third-party entity.

[0062] Preferably, the manager 10 is informed when a member 100 uses his card 110 to make an exchange. This can be done in different ways. In a preferred version, the method of the invention is implemented in an application that can be downloaded to a mobile phone. In such a case, the manager 10 can then be informed of the use of the card 110 of a member 100 via a visual interface 11 which he accesses by opening the application. Such a visual interface 11 is schematically illustrated in FIG. 2, said visual interface 11 comprising different information for the different members 100. This information preferably includes the state of use of the card 110 of each member 100 and a summary of the different exchanges carried out.When the method is implemented in an application hosted on the mobile phone of the manager 20, it may be envisaged to create a visual and / or audible notification each time a member 100 uses his card 110. Preferably, the manager 10 can modify the rule(s) for using the card 110 of each member 100 and / or define new ones. This allows for an even more flexible control method. For example, in the case of a banking application of the invention, the manager 10 can decide on a new limit for using the card 110 of a member 100, either upwards or downwards.

[0063] According to a possible variant, the inventors further propose the possibility of defining different subgroups 2 for the members 100 of the same community. This is illustrated in Figure 1. Once these different subgroups 2 have been created, it is then possible to define one or more common rules for the members 100 of the same subgroup 2. This allows for more efficient management of exchanges because it is then not necessary to define usage rules for each member 100 individually. This can be done by imposing one or more usage rules for each subgroup 2.

[0064] Figure 3 illustrates a possible example of data flow, when a member 100 uses his card 110. According to a possible example, the member 100 presents a physical card 110 at a terminal present at the home of a person with whom he wishes to make the exchange. According to another possible example, the member 100 presents his virtual card 110 using his mobile phone to the person with whom he wishes to make an exchange, for example a merchant. By this presentation, the member 100 in fact expresses his wish to make an exchange, of information or commercial for example (payment in the latter case). This request is sent to a third-party entity 200 which is for example the owner of the cards 110. Preferably, this request is in fact sent to a database of the owner of the cards 110.This request is not directly processed by the card owner but is rather sent to a management program 300 capable of implementing the method for controlling the data exchanges of the invention. For example, this request is sent to a database hosting the management program 300 implementing the invention and containing the different user profiles of the different members 100, as well as the information of the main account 20. And it is this program 300 which authorizes or not the transaction or exchange, based on the usage rule(s) defined by the manager 10. According to a possible example, the management program 300 also informs the manager 10 when it authorizes the transaction or exchange.

[0065] The use in this document of the verbs "to understand", "to include", "to comprise", or any other variant, as well as their conjugations, cannot in any way exclude the presence of elements other than those mentioned. The use of the indefinite article "a", "an", or of the definite article "the", "the" or "I'", to introduce an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of these elements. The present invention has been described above in relation to specific embodiments, which have a purely illustrative value and should not be considered as limiting. It will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention is not limited to the examples illustrated or described above, but that its scope is more broadly defined by the claims introduced below.

Claims

Demands 1. A computer-implemented method for controlling data exchanges that different members (100) of a community (1) are required to carry out, comprising the following steps: i. defining a manager (10) for said community (1); ii. creating a profile for the manager (10), said manager profile (10) including information linked to a master account (20) and access rights to said master account (20); iii. creating user profiles for each member (100) of the community (1); iv. assigning each member (100) of the community (1) a card (110) enabling them to carry out data exchanges, each of said cards (110) being associated with said master account (20); v. providing the manager (10) with the ability to define a rule for the use of each member's (100) card (110); in which the method further includes the step of informing the manager (10) when a member (100) uses his card (1 10).

2. Method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of informing the manager (10) of the usage status of the card (1 10) of each member (100) when such member (100) uses his card (1 10).

3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising the step of offering the manager (10) the possibility of defining a new rule for the use of the card (10) of one or more members.

4. Method according to claim 3 when it depends on claim 2, wherein said new usage rule is defined according to said usage state of the card (1 10).

5. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising the step of generating a QR code associated with a data exchange when a member (100) uses their card (110), and wherein the step Informing the manager (10) includes transmitting to the manager (10) the QR code associated with the data exchange. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising the step of offering the manager (10) the possibility of authorizing or refusing each data exchange carried out using one of the cards (110) by one of the members (100) based on the card (110) usage information. A method according to claim 6, when it depends on claim 5, wherein the authorization of a data exchange includes reading the QR code associated with that data exchange by means of an electronic device. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising the step of geolocating the card (110) of one of the members (100) when it is used, wherein the step of informing the manager (10) includes transmitting to the manager (10) the geolocation of the card (110).A method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the rule for using each member's (100) card (10) is a usage limit. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the rule for using each member's (100) card (10) includes authorization and / or prohibition for a member (100) to carry out a given transaction. A method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, further comprising the step of providing the manager (10) with access to a visual interface (11) enabling them to view in real time the degree of card (110) usage for each member (100). A method according to any one of claims 1 to 11, further comprising the step of grouping the different members (100) of the community (1) into subgroups (2), and of assigning the same rules for using the card (110) to the members (100) of the same subgroup (2). A method according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein each card (110) is virtual and accessible from an application previously installed on a mobile phone belonging to one of the members (100). A method for using a card (110) belonging to a member (100) of a community (1), comprising all the steps of any one of claims 1 to 13, and further comprising the following steps: - request by said member (100) to carry out a data exchange using his card (110); - sending to a third party entity (200) the request from the previous step; - transfer of this request by said third-party entity (200) to a management program (300) capable of implementing the method according to any one of claims 1 to 13; - provide an authorization response for the data exchange for the member (100), according to the rule defined in step v. Method according to claim 14, wherein the management program (300) is capable of implementing the method according to claim 6, and wherein the authorization response also depends on the authorization or refusal of data exchange by the manager (10) based on the card usage information (110).

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