Patents by Inventor Michael J. Cowen

Michael J. Cowen has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20150220911
    Abstract: A card holder carries out an initial top-up of a balance of a pre-paid payment card. The prepaid payment card is configured for use in an infrastructure in accordance with a payment specification requiring different behavior for normal transactions in the infrastructure versus that required for topping-up of the balance. Contemporaneously with the initial top-up, the card holder registers risk mitigation information in association with the pre-paid payment card. Subsequent to the initial top-up, an indicator is written to the pre-paid payment card during a transaction with the pre-paid payment card outside the infrastructure. The indicator identifies the pre-paid payment card as having the risk mitigation information associated therewith. During subsequent presentation of the pre-paid payment card to the infrastructure, the pre-paid payment card is treated as a token backed up by the risk mitigation information, based on presence of the indicator on the pre-paid payment card.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2015
    Publication date: August 6, 2015
    Inventor: Michael J. Cowen
  • Patent number: 9098851
    Abstract: A predetermined amount, which may, in general, be zero, less than, the same as, or greater than a (yet-to-be-determined) final transaction amount, is charged upon first presentation of a payment device to a merchant. A final transaction amount is calculated, preferably at a central server, subsequent to the first presentation. A variable adjustment value is calculated, preferably at the central server, by comparing the predetermined amount already charged with the final transaction amount. A new predetermined amount charged, upon a subsequent presentation of the payment device, is modified by the variable adjustment value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2015
    Assignee: MASTERCARD INTERNATIONAL INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Michael J. Cowen
  • Publication number: 20150206110
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method of automatically transferring data to each of one or more data receivers includes, for each data receiver: automatically determining if the current data within the data receiver meets a requirement for an automatic transfer of data to the data receiver to be performed; and, in dependence on the requirement being met: automatically attempting to transfer data from a first data source to the data receiver in dependence on the data within the first data source; and, if the attempt to transfer data is not successful, automatically transferring data from one of one or more further data sources, in dependence on the data within the one of the one or more data sources, to the data receiver. Advantageously, a user's experience is improved both due to the increased amount of control that a user has and the improved functionality of the system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2014
    Publication date: July 23, 2015
    Inventors: James C. Noe, Michael J. Cowen, Jason Field
  • Publication number: 20150196845
    Abstract: A method for scoring a payment transaction includes: storing consumer profiles, each consumer profile including a consumer identifier, contact information, and team identifier; storing merchant profiles, each merchant profile including a merchant identifier and plurality of team scores; receiving an authorization request for a payment transaction, the request including a consumer identification, merchant identification, and transaction data; identifying a specific consumer profile where the included consumer identifier corresponds to the consumer identification; identifying a specific merchant profile where the included merchant identifier corresponds to the merchant identification; identifying a transaction score for the transaction using one or more scoring rules based on the transaction data; updating, in the specific merchant profile, a team score corresponding to the team identifier included in the specific consumer profile based on the transaction score; and transmitting a notification to a consumer rel
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 10, 2014
    Publication date: July 16, 2015
    Applicant: MasterCard International Incorporated
    Inventors: David Klemm, Purvi Jatin Gandhi, Stefania Del Tosto, Michael J. Cowen, Vladimir Rymchuk, Bensam Joyson, Stephen Elder, James Gallagher
  • Publication number: 20150124965
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method of generating a document comprising verification data, the method comprising: obtaining data for inclusion on a document, wherein the obtained data includes verification data; encrypting the verification data; generating a machine readable code comprising the encrypted verification data; and generating a document comprising both the obtained data in a non-encrypted form and the machine readable code. Advantageously, an entity that is required to verify the document can decrypt the machine readable code to obtain the verification data. The encrypted nature of the data within the machine readable code ensures that the data is secure and the verification reliable.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2014
    Publication date: May 7, 2015
    Inventors: James C. Noe, Michael J. Cowen
  • Publication number: 20150095232
    Abstract: A computer implemented method of performing a transaction using a payment account, typically handled by a payment account manager (PAM), comprises the steps of: receiving a first message from a top up terminal indicating that funds have been transferred to the payment account; setting or adjusting a funds limit of the payment account based on information in the first message; receiving an authorisation or pre-authorisation request from a first terminal and commencing a funds aggregation; receiving a second message indicating a pre-defined amount of funds which may be used in the transaction; blocking an amount of the funds limit of the payment account equivalent to the pre-defined amount; and sending an authorisation response to the first terminal. As a result, the PAM can send data to indicate that a card associated with the payment account is not fit for travel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2014
    Publication date: April 2, 2015
    Inventors: James Noe, Michael J. Cowen, Jason Field, Sagitha George, David A. Roberts
  • Patent number: 8949152
    Abstract: A card holder carries out an initial top-up of a balance of a pre-paid payment card. The prepaid payment card is configured for use in an infrastructure in accordance with a payment specification requiring different behavior for normal transactions in the infrastructure versus that required for topping-up of the balance. Contemporaneously with the initial top-up, the card holder registers risk mitigation information in association with the pre-paid payment card. Subsequent to the initial top-up, an indicator is written to the pre-paid payment card during a transaction with the pre-paid payment card outside the infrastructure. The indicator identifies the pre-paid payment card as having the risk mitigation information associated therewith. During subsequent presentation of the pre-paid payment card to the infrastructure, the pre-paid payment card is treated as a token backed up by the risk mitigation information, based on presence of the indicator on the pre-paid payment card.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 3, 2015
    Assignee: Mastercard International Incorporated
    Inventor: Michael J. Cowen
  • Publication number: 20140279309
    Abstract: Transaction data is gathered for a plurality of successful payment device transactions in a first environment. The transaction data is filtered to identify successful payment device transactions associated with payment devices for which offline authentication is not supported, to obtain a whitelist. The whitelist is made available to at least one of (1) a merchant in a second, different environment, and (2) a third party acting on behalf of such a merchant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2014
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Inventors: Michael J. Cowen, James Noe, Mark Lulic
  • Publication number: 20130212025
    Abstract: At a terminal assembly associated with a physical access point, payment device data is obtained from a reduced-functionality payment device, and the data is identified as emanating from such a device. In response, the payment device data emanating from the reduced-functionality payment device is converted into an authorization request or an access request, of a format consistent with full-functionality payment devices. The authorization request or access request is dispatched into a payment infrastructure which is configured to handle same, but is not configured to handle the reduced-functionality payment device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2012
    Publication date: August 15, 2013
    Applicant: MasterCard International Incorporated
    Inventors: Colin Tanner, Michael J. Cowen, James D. Sinton
  • Patent number: 8341084
    Abstract: A card holder carries out an initial top-up of a balance of a pre-paid payment card. The prepaid payment card is configured for use in an infrastructure in accordance with a payment specification requiring different behavior for normal transactions in the infrastructure versus that required for topping-up of the balance. Contemporaneously with the initial top-up, the card holder registers risk mitigation information in association with the pre-paid payment card. Subsequent to the initial top-up, an indicator is written to the pre-paid payment card during a transaction with the pre-paid payment card outside the infrastructure. The indicator identifies the pre-paid payment card as having the risk mitigation information associated therewith. During subsequent presentation of the pre-paid payment card to the infrastructure, the pre-paid payment card is treated as a token backed up by the risk mitigation information, based on presence of the indicator on the pre-paid payment card.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Mastercard International Incorporated
    Inventor: Michael J. Cowen
  • Publication number: 20110276420
    Abstract: A method includes entering transaction data into a point of sale (POS) terminal. The POS terminal is operable with a number of payment applications. An integrated circuit (IC) card is interfaced to the POS terminal. The IC card stores data objects that correspond to the payment applications in the POS terminal. The POS terminal retrieves the data objects from the IC card and selects a payment application to be used for the transaction based on the data objects indicated as present in the IC card and/or based on the information related to the transaction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2010
    Publication date: November 10, 2011
    Inventors: Robert White, Robert K. Walls, Shuan Ghaidan, Michael J. Cowen
  • Publication number: 20100312617
    Abstract: A card holder carries out an initial top-up of a balance of a pre-paid payment card. The prepaid payment card is configured for use in an infrastructure in accordance with a payment specification requiring different behavior for normal transactions in the infrastructure versus that required for topping-up of the balance. Contemporaneously with the initial top-up, the card holder registers risk mitigation information in association with the pre-paid payment card. Subsequent to the initial top-up, an indicator is written to the pre-paid payment card during a transaction with the pre-paid payment card outside the infrastructure. The indicator identifies the pre-paid payment card as having the risk mitigation information associated therewith. During subsequent presentation of the pre-paid payment card to the infrastructure, the pre-paid payment card is treated as a token backed up by the risk mitigation information, based on presence of the indicator on the pre-paid payment card.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 8, 2009
    Publication date: December 9, 2010
    Inventor: Michael J. Cowen
  • Publication number: 20090210299
    Abstract: A predetermined amount, which may, in general, be zero, less than, the same as, or greater than a (yet-to-be-determined) final transaction amount, is charged upon first presentation of a payment device to a merchant. A final transaction amount is calculated, preferably at a central server, subsequent to the first presentation. A variable adjustment value is calculated, preferably at the central server, by comparing the predetermined amount already charged with the final transaction amount. A new predetermined amount charged, upon a subsequent presentation of the payment device, is modified by the variable adjustment value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2009
    Publication date: August 20, 2009
    Applicant: MasterCard International Incorporated
    Inventor: Michael J. Cowen