Citigroup Patents

Citigroup Inc. provides financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, trade and securities services and wealth management, to consumers, corporations, governments and institutions.

Citigroup Patents by Type
  • Publication number: 20130041746
    Abstract: Methods and systems of electronic messaging for verification and/or authentication purposes using a point of sale terminal and a card transaction processing network involve, for example, receiving data consisting at least in part of a consumer's identifier that is processable through a transaction card processing network and a nominal monetary amount which is an indicator that the data relates at least in part to a coupon redemption for a consumer. Other aspects include, for example, using different nominal amounts to distinguish between multiple promotions and processing overcharges. Additional aspects involve, for example, receiving data consisting at least in part of an identifier for a registrant that is processable through a transaction card processing network and a nominal monetary amount which serves at least in part to identify a command message on behalf of the registrant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 10, 2011
    Publication date: February 14, 2013
    Applicant: Citibank, N.A.
    Inventors: Eran Hollander, Andrew John Kese, Carrie Jubinski, Nicole Carroll, Allison Lindemann
  • Patent number: 8364589
    Abstract: A method and system for performing a cash transaction with a self-service financial transaction terminal makes use of computer hardware and software that allows a financial institution cardholder to authorize a recipient to withdraw a specified amount of cash at an ATM of the particular financial institution. The cardholder can set up the transaction, for example, from any telephone using an interactive voice response (IVR) system, or by utilizing the application at a financial institution ATM, or by using an Internet website application. The originator can set up the recipient's ATM transaction to be either cardless or card-initiated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2013
    Assignee: Citicorp Development Center, Inc.
    Inventors: Carol J. Rizzo, Phoebe Rin-Rin Hsu, Michael L. Sears
  • Patent number: 8346678
    Abstract: Described herein is an enabling product that facilitates implementation of an m-commerce business solution. According to an embodiment of the present invention an m-commerce solution includes: a content provider or merchant site that provides products and goods to be purchased; a payment system allowing online authorization of funds to purchase the goods; and a wireless network for all customer interactions. Embodiments described herein perform at least one of the following three functions: 1) protocol conversions; 2) customer information reposing, and 3) payment authorization system interfacing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Citicorp Development Center, Inc.
    Inventors: Grigor Markarian, Ramadurai Vaidyanathan, Arun Ahuja, Albert Cohen, Anand Tata
  • Patent number: 8346677
    Abstract: Described herein is an enabling product that facilitates implementation of an m-commerce business solution. According to an embodiment of the present invention an m-commerce solution includes: a content provider or merchant site that provides products and goods to be purchased; a payment system allowing online authorization of funds to purchase the goods; and a wireless network for all customer interactions. Embodiments described herein perform at least one of the following three functions: 1) protocol conversions; 2) customer information reposing, and 3) payment authorization system interfacing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Citicorp Development Center, Inc.
    Inventors: Grigor Markarian, Ramadurai Vaidyanathan, Arun Ahuja, Albert Cohen, Anand Tata
  • Patent number: 8346663
    Abstract: A method and system of smart card banking utilizes a contactless communication interface, such as infrared or a wireless or radio frequency interface, including, for example, a proximity interface. A contactless communication is initiated for a smart card user between a smart card application and the on-line system of a financial institution, such as a bank, the system verifies authorization for the communication, the information is communicated for the user to the on-line system. The contactless communication is initiated, and the information is communicated, for example, between a contactless interface transceiver of a personal data assistant, into which the smart card is inserted, and the contactless interface transceiver of an on-line terminal. Alternatively, the contactless communication is initiated, and the information is communicated between a contactless interface transceiver of the smart card and the contactless interface transceiver of the terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 28, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Citicorp Development Center, Inc.
    Inventor: Joseph C. Kawan
  • Patent number: 8347086
    Abstract: A system and method of guaranteeing the presence of secure and tamper-proof remote files over a distributed communication medium, such as the Internet, is provided. The system and method automatically detects, and then self-repairs corrupt, modified or non-existent remote files. The method first performs an integrity check on a remote file and then determines whether the integrity check passed. If the integrity check passed, then the user goes through the authentication process as normal. If the integrity check fails, then the present invention redirects to an install module in order to prepare to reinstall the remote file. Via the install module, the present invention then reinstalls the remote file and the user is then taken through the authentication process as normal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2013
    Assignee: Citibank, N.A.
    Inventors: Steve Vlcan, Bikram S Bakshi
  • Patent number: 8341075
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and system for assessing the risks and/or exposures associated with financial transactions using various statistical and probabilistic techniques. Specifically, the present invention relates to a method and system for identifying plausible sources of error in data used as input to financial risk assessment systems using Bayesian belief networks as a normative diagnostic tool to model relationships between and among inputs/outputs of the risk assessment system and other external factors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Citibank, N.A.
    Inventor: Ronald Coleman
  • Patent number: 8327429
    Abstract: Described herein are systems and methods for centralizing and standardizing implementation of security tokens so as to provide one token per one user for accessing business applications across an enterprise, providing scalability to support authentication of as many enterprise users as desired or needed, and providing a standardized token management interface that supports both pre-binding and post-binding user registration processes and different types of security token.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2012
    Assignee: Citibank, N.A.
    Inventors: Jerry Speyer, Sandeep Nair, Ricky Lou
  • Publication number: 20120296795
    Abstract: Methods and systems for matching buy and sell orders that maximize the number of shares matched while simultaneously providing an even allocation of shares regardless of when a given order is received, are provided herein. The methods and system utilize an optimization function to determine the optimized price point at which the maximum number of shares can be matched using such inputs as a set of buy and sell orders, market spread, and participant defined exclusion criteria. This optimized price point may then be used to select those buy and sell orders eligible for participation in the matching event. Shares are then evenly allocated between participants using, for example, a round-lot base allocation procedure. The methods and systems may also utilize an anti-gaming function that compresses multiple orders from a single participant into a single participant interest prior to allocating shares.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2011
    Publication date: November 22, 2012
    Applicant: CITIGROUP GLOBAL MARKETS, INC.
    Inventor: Hannes Greim
  • Patent number: 8311909
    Abstract: A method and system for managing legal fees and minimizing costs of an organization involves periodically receiving case budget information consisting at least in part of identification, billing rate, and hours for each person projected to work on a legal project for the organization. The case budget information is received by internal counsel for the organization from external counsel via entry of the information on a template provided by internal counsel and uploaded to an internal matter management system of the organization if approved by internal counsel. At the end of each billing cycle, current bill data from external counsel is also uploaded to the internal matter management system of the organization, and the current bill data is compared with the case budget information. A report is generated flagging any discrepancies between the current bill data and the case budget information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2006
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Citibank, N.A.
    Inventors: Michael Helfer, Michael T. Heyrich, Maria M. Zulaica
  • Patent number: 8302172
    Abstract: A method and system for securely logging onto a banking system authentication server so that a user credential never appears in the clear during interaction with the system in which a user's credential is DES encrypted, and the DES key is PKI encrypted with the public key of an application server by an encryption applet before being transmitted to the application server. Within the HSM of the application server, the HSM decrypts and re-encrypts the credential under a new DES key known to the authentication server, the re-encrypted credential is forwarded to the authentication server, decrypted with the new DES key known to the authentication server, and verified by the authentication server.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 15, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Citibank Development Center, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Grandcolas, Marc Guzman, Thomas Yee, Dilip Parekh, Yonggiang Chen
  • Patent number: 8301525
    Abstract: A method and system of managing communication of information to a destination utilizes computer hardware and software and a client-server architecture. The system receives information in file form, such as ASCII file form, via a file transfer service and/or in message-based form, such as SWIFT and/or ISITC messages, via a message network. The information that is received in message-based form is converted to file form by a message to file converter and translated by a message format library to an intermediary file format, and the information that is received in file form is also translated to the intermediary format by a message format library. The intermediary file format information can be aggregated and sorted, and is then translated to a preferred file format of the destination and sent to the destination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Citibank, N.A.
    Inventor: Adrian Gilmore Bray
  • Patent number: 8296229
    Abstract: A system and method for associating consumers with their purchases so that consumer transactions can be tied back to a particular consumer is described. More particularly, a central transaction entity as part of a larger network collects, aggregates, manages and mines consumer transaction data from at least consumer and merchant members of the network for the purpose of routing electronic purchase history to consumers and allowing merchant analysis of consumer behavior in order to create consumer profiles to better service consumers and provide more personalized offers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Citicorp Credit Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Eric Yellin, Susan Moon, Ntiedo Etuk
  • Publication number: 20120265680
    Abstract: Methods and systems for routing payment transactions electronically involve interrogating by computer logic each payment transaction received by a payments interface processor to identify a payment destination and a payment source and to determine, according to pre-defined parameters, whether the payment transaction is eligible for processing via an internal payment transaction processor of the financial institution that minimizes processing costs. Eligible payment transactions may be routed, for example, to an internal debit or credit card processor or ACH processor, and ineligible payment transactions may be routed to external card processing networks.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 13, 2011
    Publication date: October 18, 2012
    Applicant: CITIGROUP CREDIT SERVICES, INC.
    Inventors: Sean T. Lynch, Dickson CHU
  • Patent number: 8280810
    Abstract: A method and system automatically harmonizes access to a given software application program via different access devices. Through use of the method and system, a financial institution can provide access to a given application (such as, for example, automatic bill payment services) to customers using different access devices such web browsers, screen phones and personal computers. A single application program is all that needs to be written and maintained by the financial institution. Also, the method and system enables financial institutions to “leverage” existing programs because now the institution can automatically “project” its existing stock of program services unto new access devices—devices which may not have even existed at the time the program was created. By receiving information from the user via the user's access device, including information identifying the type of device being used and the application program the user wishes to access, the present invention solves these problems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Citicorp Development Center, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael L. Grandcolas, Wendell W. Anthony, Patrick Law, Leslie Moss, Teresa A. Petach, Peter Tompkins
  • Patent number: 8266025
    Abstract: A method and system is provided for assuring the integrity of data used to evaluate financial risk or exposure in trading portfolios such as portfolios of derivative contracts by looking for sweeping changes or statistically significant trends suggestive of possible errors. The method and system uses Content Analysis to measure the changes in the information content or entropy of data to detect abnormal changes that may require human intervention. A graphical user interface can also be provided that provides a mechanism for alerting users of possible errors and also gives an indication of the severity of the detected abnormality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2000
    Date of Patent: September 11, 2012
    Assignee: Citibank, N.A.
    Inventors: Ronald Coleman, Richard Renzetti
  • Patent number: 8260704
    Abstract: Computer-implemented methods and systems for managing consumer transactional accounts provides a temporary line of credit with an installment option that a consumer can use for specific occasions or life events. The account remains open for only a limited period of time during which interest does not accrue. Thereafter, the account automatically expires, interest begins to accrue on the amount charged on the account, and an invoice is sent to the consumer with a number of payment options.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2009
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2012
    Assignee: Citicorp Credit Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Kevin K. Hung, Susan R. Moon, Eric H. Yellin, Alice C. Yu
  • Patent number: 8204830
    Abstract: A global customer activated terminal (CAT) primarily serves traveling customers who require access to their accounts when they are away from their home financial institution and beyond their local regional financial area. The system provides applications that permit users to access their accounts and utilize account profiles and transaction journals within a generic global system approach, and each transaction set provides access to the user's full account profile. The traveling customer is also provided with access to all their accounts linked (as they would locally) to a specific card. The hardware employed in the system supports encryption key downloading, unscrambling and PIN encryption, so that security is instituted at the hardware level. To provide the maximum flexibility at each regional level for product and services offered, regional front end processors and Hosts are the arbitrators of each transaction acceptance and fulfillment, rather than the CAT.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Assignee: Citicorp Development Center, Inc.
    Inventors: Nancy Bryant, Howard A. Schechtman, Lucilla Warren, Wigberto Yu, Netty Meiroff
  • Patent number: 8181232
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method and system for secure user authentication in electronic commerce involves maintaining electronic information having a first aspect that is accessible over a first electronic communication channel in response to entry of a first credential known to the user and a second aspect that is accessible by the user over the first electronic communication channel in response to entry of a second credential provided to the user at a pre-registered delivery address on a second electronic communication channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: Citicorp Development Center, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Grandcolas, Irina Koryakovtseva, Jennifer Vos, Robert A. Herrig
  • Publication number: 20120101992
    Abstract: A method for updating web pages on a web server without republishing the web pages involves providing a live version on a production database and a quality assurance version on a quality assurance web server. A maker at a business workstation can access the quality assurance database server and enter a change to data on the quality assurance version of the business data tables, and a checker at the business workstation accesses the quality assurance database server to review and approve or reject changes to the data on the quality assurance version of the business data tables, and if the checker approves the changes, the changes to the data on the quality assurance version of the business data tables are replicated from the quality assurance database server to the live version on the production database server.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2011
    Publication date: April 26, 2012
    Applicant: Citicorp Development Center, Inc.
    Inventors: Roy Sykes, Joseph Zusman, Sikun Lan, Kent Frazier, Tyler Young, Yong Huang, Stanislav Solari
  • Patent number: 8157166
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method and system for managing transaction card accounts involves enabling a transaction card account by a card issuer for use with pre-defined categories of providers of goods/services and goods/services sold and issuing a transaction card and establishing an associated pre-qualified category card account. Upon receiving data for a transaction with the transaction card at a transaction terminal by a processing platform of the card issuer via a card association processing network, the category of the provider and goods/services is interrogated to determine whether or not the transaction can be posted on the pre-qualified category card account of the cardholder, and the transaction is approved and posted to the pre-qualified category card account if the transaction falls within the pre-qualified category of the cardholder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2012
    Assignee: Citicorp Credit Services, Inc.
    Inventor: William Johnson
  • Publication number: 20120089505
    Abstract: Methods and systems for managing transaction card accounts in which cardholders are permitted to incur transaction charge balances on existing transaction card accounts and substituting the existing transaction card for each of at least a portion of the plurality of cardholders with a different transaction card product upon an occurrence of one of termination of a private label or co-branded agreement and a predetermined level of inactivity on the transaction card account which has significant additional features and benefits absent from the existing transaction card product.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 16, 2011
    Publication date: April 12, 2012
    Applicant: Citicorp Credit Services, Inc.
    Inventors: William Johnson, Craig Vallorano
  • Patent number: 8156039
    Abstract: A method and system of managing a mortgage rebate transaction card account in which a transaction card provider computes a mortgage rebate amount based on the amount of charges incurred against the account and periodically arranges for application of the mortgage rebate amount against a mortgage loan balance for the cardholder. The account is provided by the transaction card provider in connection with either a pre-existing mortgage loan of the cardholder or a prospective mortgage loan of the cardholder. Further, the account can be provided in connection with a mortgage loan from any mortgage lender regardless of the existence or non-existence of an affiliation or association between the transaction card provider and the mortgage lender.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Citicorp Credit Services, Inc.
    Inventor: Gina Doynow
  • Publication number: 20120078794
    Abstract: A delivery system and method allow a financial institution to provide financial services to a plurality of remote devices. The system is comprised of a set of re-usable global components which are modular and are organized into services sets. The system and method operate in sessions and, for instance, employ a dialog component for gathering information from a customer, a rule broker component for providing answers to the various legal and regulatory rules in a particular country, a language man component for selecting appropriate language, a transaction executor component for performing transactions, and a presentation manager component for formatting outputs to the customer. The system and method provide state-of-the art interfaces that can be configured and delivered to the customer in a globally consistent format that is based on the customer's account profile, various languages, various currencies, different legal regulatory requirements, as well as, different sets of business products.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 17, 2011
    Publication date: March 29, 2012
    Applicant: Citicorp Development Center, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael L. Grandcolas, Nancy Bryant, Howard A. Schechtman, Dilip J. Parekh
  • Patent number: 8146141
    Abstract: A method and system for securely logging onto a banking system authentication server so that a user credential never appears in the clear during interaction with the system in which during a log on process, an encryption applet and the public key of a public/private key pair of a banking application server, the private key for which is known by a hardware security module (HSM) of the banking application, are downloaded by a user's browser. The applet contains code for generating a DES key and performing DES and PKI encryption. A user's credential is DES encrypted, and the DES key is PKI encrypted with the public key of the application server by the applet before being transmitted to the application server.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: Citibank Development Center, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Grandcolas, Marc Guzman, Thomas Yee, Dilip Parekh, Yongqiang Chen
  • Patent number: 8145566
    Abstract: A standalone notification system, including a notification server which generates electronic messages for alerting customers of potentially fraudulent activity on one or more of their financial accounts. Alternatively, or in addition thereto, the notification system may be used to forward transaction code(s) to customers for verification of a request for high risk transaction(s) with respect to a customer's financial account. The transaction code is generated in response to a high risk transaction request and sent to through an identified customer notification means, e.g., e-mail, short message service (“SMS”), facsimile, mobile phone, telephone, etc. The customer must enter the transaction code within a predetermined amount of time in order to verify the high-risk transaction request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: Citicorp Development Center, Inc.
    Inventors: Arun Ahuja, Ramadurai Vaidyanathan, Anand Tata, Grigor Markarian, Joe Pan, Peter Tompkins
  • Publication number: 20120072714
    Abstract: A method and system for securely logging onto a banking system authentication server so that a user credential never appears in the clear during interaction with the system in which a user's credential is DES encrypted, and the DES key is PKI encrypted with the public key of an application server by an encryption applet before being transmitted to the application server. Within the HSM of the application server, the HSM decrypts and re-encrypts the credential under a new DES key known to the authentication server, the re-encrypted credential is forwarded to the authentication server, decrypted with the new DES key known to the authentication server, and verified by the authentication server.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2011
    Publication date: March 22, 2012
    Applicant: Citibank Development Center, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Grandcolas, Marc Guzman, Thomas Yee, Dilip Parekh, Yonggiang Chen
  • Publication number: 20120059761
    Abstract: A method performed by a transfer instrument issuer involves issuing, to a recipient, a certificate which is linked to a national card account obtained by the transfer instrument issuer from an account issuer different from the transfer instrument issuer, without both issuing and providing a physical card for the national card account to the recipient of the certificate, the certificate having been purchased by a purchaser, who is not also the recipient, and containing all information necessary for the purchase of goods or services from any merchant who is capable of processing economic transactions involving one of the plurality national card accounts for which a physical card has issued, but without presentment of the physical card.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 15, 2011
    Publication date: March 8, 2012
    Applicant: Citibank, N.A.
    Inventors: Matthew J. Gillin, Roger Korfmann, Paul L. Raden
  • Patent number: 8132226
    Abstract: A system, method and computer program product that utilizes measurements for the authentication of users to enterprise resources. The system includes an authentication server that stores the engine and collections of data required by the system to authenticate users. The collections of data include templates, policies, groups, device IDS, user IDS, computer IDS and application IDS. In the present invention, it is the policies that determine the way or method in which a user is to be authenticated by the system. The pre-defined polices include an OR policy, an AND policy, a CONTINGENT policy, a RANDOM policy and a THRESHOLD policy, a multi-user policy, a multi-location policy, a multi-template policy, a user dependent policy, a location restriction policy, and a computer/device specific policy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: Citibank, N.A.
    Inventors: Peter Garrett Bianco, William Taylor Boon, Anthony C. Rochon, Marc A. Sherman, Robert Brewster Sterling, Karl Roger Ware
  • Patent number: 8117122
    Abstract: Methods and systems for managing transaction card accounts in which cardholders are permitted to incur transaction charge balances on existing transaction card accounts and substituting the existing transaction card for each of at least a portion of the plurality of cardholders with a different transaction card product upon an occurrence of one of termination of a private label or co-branded agreement and a predetermined level of inactivity on the transaction card account which has significant additional features and benefits absent from the existing transaction card product.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: Citicorp Credit Services, Inc.
    Inventors: William Johnson, Craig Vallorano
  • Patent number: 8117125
    Abstract: Methods and systems for controlling certificate-based open payment transactions involving a merchant and a customer utilizing various types of networks and terminals. Prior to accessing a merchant POS terminal or, for example, a merchant website, a customer obtains a certificate from a service provider (SP), such as a bank, certifying his identification (ID) and his relevant financial information, in a form that is understandable by the SP. The SP is capable of performing multiple functions. For example, the SP is capable of acting as a certificate authority when it issues the customer's certificates, an authenticator when it receives private-key encrypted certificates from the customers to be decrypted using the corresponding public-key, and an authorizing authority when it checks the value available in a customer' chosen payment account against the requested purchase or transfer amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: Citicorp Developement Center, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph C. Kawan, Ronald King-Hang Chu, Charles Golvin, Peter Tompkins
  • Patent number: 8112330
    Abstract: A delivery system and method allow a financial institution to provide financial services to a plurality of remote devices and internally within the financial institution to staff terminals using a set of re-usable global components which are modular and are organized into services sets. The system and method operate in sessions and, for instance, employ a dialog component for gathering information from a customer, a rule broker component for providing answers to the various legal and regulatory rules in a particular country, a language man component for selecting appropriate language, a transaction executor component for performing transactions, and a presentation manager component for formatting outputs to the customer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2000
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2012
    Assignee: Citibank Development Center, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael L. Grandcolas, Nancy Bryant, Howard A. Schechtman, Dilip J. Parekh
  • Patent number: 8108307
    Abstract: A system, method and apparatus for exchanging value using a smart card in a financial transaction is disclosed. The system includes a smart card having a contact interface and a contactless interface interactive with a closed purse application and an open purse application controlled by a microprocessor. The closed purse application contains application-specific value, while the open purse contains general value. The application-specific value and general value are each compatible within the system of the invention to perform and settle the financial transaction. The financial transaction may include the smart card communicating with a load terminal or a transaction terminal to add or change the amount of value on the smart card. Further, the present invention include auto-load functionality for adding an amount of value to the smart card. Finally, applications such as a transportation application and a loyalty application are described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2012
    Assignee: Citicorp Development Center, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph C. Kawan, Ramiro Munoz, Mark Kogen
  • Patent number: 8103626
    Abstract: A method for updating web pages on a web server without republishing the web pages involves providing on a production database server a live version of one or more business data tables containing information used to populate web pages on a production web server and storing in a quality assurance database server a quality assurance version of the business data tables that can be used to populate pages on a quality assurance web server. A maker at a business workstation can access the quality assurance database server from time to time and enter a change to data on the quality assurance version of the business data tables.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignee: Citicorp Development Center, Inc.
    Inventors: Roy Sykes, Joseph Zusman, Sikun Lan, Kent Frazier, Tyler Young, Yong Huang, Stanislav Solari
  • Publication number: 20110296522
    Abstract: Described herein are systems and methods for centralizing and standardizing implementation of security tokens so as to provide one token per one user for accessing business applications across an enterprise, providing scalability to support authentication of as many enterprise users as desired or needed, and providing a standardized token management interface that supports both pre-binding and post-binding user registration processes and different types of security token.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2011
    Publication date: December 1, 2011
    Applicant: Citibank, N.A.
    Inventors: Jerry Speyer, Sandeep Nair, Ricky Luo
  • Patent number: 8065226
    Abstract: A method and system for performing a cash transaction with a self-service financial transaction terminal makes use of computer hardware and software that allows a financial institution cardholder to authorize a recipient to withdraw a specified amount of cash at an ATM of the particular financial institution. The cardholder can set up the transaction, for example, from any telephone using an interactive voice response (IVR) system, or by utilizing the application at a financial institution ATM, or by using an Internet website application. The originator can set up the recipient's ATM transaction to be either cardless or card-initiated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2001
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Assignee: Citicorp Development Center, Inc.
    Inventors: Carol J. Rizzo, Phoebe Rin-Rin Hsu, Michael L. Sears
  • Patent number: 8060426
    Abstract: A method performed by a transfer instrument issuer involves issuing, to a recipient, a certificate which is linked to a national card account obtained by the transfer instrument issuer from an account issuer different from the transfer instrument issuer, without both issuing and providing a physical card for the national card account to the recipient of the certificate, the certificate having been purchased by a purchaser, who is not also the recipient, and containing all information necessary for the purchase of goods or services from any merchant who is capable of processing economic transactions involving one of the plurality national card accounts for which a physical card has issued, but without presentment of the physical card.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2010
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2011
    Assignee: Citibank, N.A.
    Inventors: Matthew J. Gillin, Roger Korfmann, Paul L. Raden
  • Patent number: 8057556
    Abstract: A method for producing a combustion product that involves dewatering raw paint sludge from spray paint booth operations. The resulting material can provide significant and economical fuel value to combustion processes such as for power plants while also obviating the need to dispose of waste paint sludge in landfills. Additionally the process is inexpensive, safe and free of most problems associated with paint sludge drying.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2011
    Assignee: Citibank, N.A.
    Inventors: Joe McCarty, Christopher Hubb, Kenneth O. Peebles
  • Patent number: 8041632
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and system for assessing the risks and/or exposures associated with financial transactions using various statistical and probabilistic techniques. Specifically, the present invention relates to a method and system for identifying plausible sources of error in data used as input to financial risk assessment systems using Bayesian belief networks as a normative diagnostic tool to model relationships between and among inputs/outputs of the risk assessment system and other external factors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: Citibank, N.A.
    Inventor: Ronald Coleman
  • Patent number: 8032932
    Abstract: Described herein are systems and methods for centralizing and standardizing implementation of security tokens so as to provide one token per one user for accessing business applications across an enterprise, providing scalability to support authentication of as many enterprise users as desired or needed, and providing a standardized token management interface that supports both pre-binding and post-binding user registration processes and different types of security token.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: Citibank, N.A.
    Inventors: Jerry Speyer, Sandeep Nair, Ricky Luo
  • Patent number: 8010786
    Abstract: A system for providing interoperability between PKI networks is provided in which a identity management server converts PKI requests received in a client-specific format into a generic format, identifies an appropriate certificate authority for handling the request, converts the request into a format specific to the format used by the identified certificate authority, and forwards the request to the identified certificate authority for processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2011
    Assignee: Citigroup Global Markets Inc.
    Inventor: Hilary Ward
  • Patent number: 7970686
    Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for communicating information between a securities customer and a trader. The system includes a computer which has three class components for completing the communications between the customer and the trader. A first component manages trading functions, a second component manages customer log-in and password, and the third component manages communication between the first two components and a trading system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2000
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2011
    Assignee: Citigroup Global Markets, Inc.
    Inventors: Fred Irwin, Mark Johnson, Neil D. Potter, Peter E. Raynor, Maria Torremante
  • Patent number: 7966226
    Abstract: A method and system for purchased-based segmentation of potential customers employs the use of actual, observed purchases instead of presumptions and correlations to improve the accuracy of segmentation and involves collecting empirical data for a client on actual purchasing behavior of a group of customers and applying statistical modeling techniques to the empirical purchasing behavior data to identify segments or clusters of the customers that exhibit similar purchasing propensity characteristics. Thereafter, the segments or clusters are further differentiated from one another according to other factors having a tendency to directly affect actual purchasing behavior of the customers within the segments or clusters, and potential customers are then identified according to a correlation with the segments or clusters for customized marketing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2011
    Assignee: Citicorp Credit Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark E. Temares, Alan B. Newman, Noor A. Menai
  • Patent number: 7953662
    Abstract: A global customer activated terminal (CAT) primarily serves traveling customers who require access to their accounts when they are away from their home financial institution and beyond their local regional financial area. The system provides applications that permit users to access their accounts and utilize account profiles and transaction journals within a generic global system approach, and each transaction set provides access to the user's full account profile. The traveling customer is also provided with access to all their accounts linked (as they would locally) to a specific card. The hardware employed in the system supports encryption key downloading, unscrambling and PIN encryption, so that security is instituted at the hardware level. To provide the maximum flexibility at each regional level for product and services offered, regional front end processors and Hosts are the arbitrators of each transaction acceptance and fulfillment, rather than the CAT.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 7, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2011
    Assignee: Citicorp Development Center, Inc.
    Inventors: Nancy Bryant, Howard A. Schechtman, Lucilla Warren, Wigberto Yu, Netty Meiroff
  • Patent number: 7949559
    Abstract: A platform and program for enhancing the value and desirability of a credit card (or other payment product) to a card holder and encouraging increased use of the card as a payment device by rewarding the card holder based not only on qualifying purchases but on miles traveled in connection with travel ticket or travel pass purchases. The inventive program leverages qualifying transaction information and other data (e.g., Level 3 Data) which automatically flow with such transaction information. The rewards redeemed by the card holder according to the inventive platform and program are not tied to a particular provider of goods or services, and reward fulfillment is managed through the card issuer or its fulfillment agent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2011
    Assignee: Citicorp Credit Services, Inc.
    Inventor: Steven Freiberg
  • Patent number: 7937286
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and system for evaluating the cause and effect of advertising and marketing programs using card transaction data. In one embodiment, access is provided to voluminous card-holder transaction data detailing accurate-to-the-penny transaction amounts, twenty-four hour active customers, and a multi-year transaction history per customer. Furthermore, such data is captured in real-time, and due to the sample size, can provide granular, statistically significant information at a local level for client and merchant coverage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2011
    Assignee: Citicorp Credit Services, Inc.
    Inventors: Alan B. Newman, Noor A. Menai
  • Patent number: 7925586
    Abstract: A method and system for escrow service for web-based transactions, such as multi-currency web-based transactions, is web-accessible and accepts registrations from exchanges and/or portal partners. The completion of registration and transactions is allowed to entitled users who access the system via the web. The system maintains an internal banking engine to act as a deal manager, messaging service and accounts sub-ledger and escrows funds entrusted to it. The transaction process is composed of a number of transaction statuses, and reporting of those statuses to users is accomplished online and via web query. The system provides local currency/multi-currency capability and supports several methods of payment, such as credit cards, authorized Automated Clearing House (ACH) or equivalent direct debit/credit and wire transfer payments, and all funds movements are electronic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Citibank, N.A.
    Inventors: Alan Cole, Deborah Bennett, Hachadur Hashasian
  • Patent number: 7908222
    Abstract: A method and system automatically harmonizes access to a given software application program via different access devices. Through use of the method and system, a financial institution can provide access to a given application (such as, for example, automatic bill payment services) to customers using different access devices such web browsers, screen phones and personal computers. A single application program is all that needs to be written and maintained by the financial institution. Also, the method and system enables financial institutions to “leverage” existing programs because now the institution can automatically “project” its existing stock of program services unto new access devices—devices which may not have even existed at the time the program was created. By receiving information from the user via the user's access device, including information identifying the type of device being used and the application program the user wishes to access, the present invention solves these problems.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2011
    Assignee: Citicorp Development Center, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael L. Grandcolas, Wendell W. Anthony, Patrick Law, Leslie Moss, Teresa A. Petach, Peter Tompkins
  • Patent number: 7904946
    Abstract: Methods and systems for secure user authentication utilizes OTP generation and validation techniques in which the shared secret for generating the OTP is not stored in the user's mobile device but instead is dynamically synthesized based on a PIN that activates the OTP generation and the personalized OTP data. The client software has no knowledge of what the correct PIN should be and always generates a normal looking OTP based on whatever PIN is entered, and the only way to learn whether or not the OTP is correct is to submit it during user login. By limiting the number of failed login attempts before the account is locked, brute-force attacks via the online channel will fail, and further, brute-force attacks to uncover the correct PIN for generating the correct OTP offline will also fail even if a hacker steals the user's mobile device and extracts the data inside for offline hacking, because there is nothing on the client that contains the PIN or encrypted by the PIN.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: Citicorp Development Center, Inc.
    Inventors: Ronald King-Hang Chu, Mark Kogen, Warren Tan, Simon Ma, Yosif Smushkovich, Gerry Glindro, Jeffrey William Coyte Nicholas
  • Patent number: D672786
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2012
    Assignee: Citigroup Technology, Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher E. Kay, Tim Kobe, Sam Lising, Raul Paredes, Sanjeev Mehra