Contactless Card Provisioning of Spend-Limited Virtual Numbers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Obtaining additional physical cards for trusted individuals is impractical in situations where nominal spending limits or infrequent purchases are involved, and deactivating/reactivating existing cards is cumbersome.
Innovation Solution
A system that allows a contactless card to provision a virtual account number by tapping it to a computing device, using encrypted data generated by a cryptographic algorithm, validated by an authentication server, and restricted by predefined parameters, to create a virtual account number for subaccounts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If additional physical cards are obtained for trusted individuals, then spending authorization is enabled, but physical card management becomes impractical and security risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates virtual copies of card accounts that can be provisioned digitally without physical card issuance. The virtual account number serves as a digital representation that replicates the functionality of physical cards while eliminating the need for physical card management, distribution, and security handling.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical/physical card system with a digital electronic system. Instead of physically distributing cards through mail or handoff, the system uses electronic provisioning through contactless communication between devices to generate and distribute virtual account numbers, eliminating physical card infrastructure.
2Productivity
If physical cards are used for infrequent purchases, then account access is maintained, but deactivation and reactivation becomes cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables automatic account provisioning and management through the contactless card system. When the primary card is tapped, the system automatically provisions virtual account numbers without requiring manual intervention for each transaction, and can automatically deactivate or reactivate accounts based on usage patterns or user preferences.
Solution Approach 2:
The system pre-provisions virtual account numbers in advance through the contactless card tap, so that when infrequent purchases need to occur, the accounts are already ready and authorized. This eliminates the need for real-time card activation or manual account setup at the point of purchase.
3Adaptability or versatility
If additional physical cards with nominal spending limits are obtained, then spending control is enabled, but physical card distribution becomes impractical
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates digital replicas of card accounts with programmable spending limits. These virtual copies can be instantly generated and distributed without physical production, allowing easy creation of multiple accounts with different spending authorities and limits for various trusted individuals.
Solution Approach 2:
The system allows dynamic modification of account parameters including spending limits, authorized merchants, and time restrictions. These parameters can be changed remotely and instantly for virtual accounts without requiring new physical card production or distribution.
4Reliability
If contactless card tapping is used to provision virtual numbers, then security is enhanced and physical card elimination is achieved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an authentication server as an intermediary that handles the complex cryptographic verification and account provisioning logic. This centralizes the complexity in a secure server environment rather than requiring complex security implementations in each client device, while still providing enhanced security through cryptographic authentication.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces physical card security mechanisms with cryptographic digital authentication. Instead of relying on physical card features, the system uses cryptographic algorithms and key pairs for authentication, which can be implemented through standard contactless communication protocols without requiring complex hardware security modules in each device.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, methods, articles of manufacture, and computer-readable media for tapping a contactless card to a computing device to provision a virtual number. At least one parameter for authorizing a virtual account number for a subaccount associated with a primary account may be received. An application executing on a processor circuit may receive authentication credentials for the primary account. A card reader may receive encrypted data from a communications interface of a contactless card. The application may transmit the encrypted data to an authentication server. The application may receive verification of the encrypted data from the authentication server. The application may provide the at least one parameter for authorizing the virtual account number and receive a virtual account number for the subaccount generated by a virtual card number server, the virtual account number restricted to a spending limit based on the amount parameter associated with the virtual account number.