The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 11, 2014
Filed:
Feb. 01, 2013
Method for obtaining a balance and withdrawing funds from a prepaid access device by law enforcement
Thomas J Williams, Fort Worth, TX (US);
Thomas J Williams, Fort Worth, TX (US);
Other;
Abstract
A method is disclosed for use by law enforcement for obtaining a balance and seizing funds from prepaid access devices using existing clearing and settlement networks for open loop branded bank cards and closed loop private label cards. A payment terminal has a scanner for reading indicia from the prepaid access devices. A merchant identity is used for cloaking the identity of law enforcement. A balance inquiry instruction is forwarded to an issuing processor, which polls an issuing financial institution for the balance of the funds available in an associated account. An encumbering instruction is then forwarded to the issuing processor and the issuing financial institution, which includes at least one of a seize instruction and a freeze instruction. A claiming instruction is then forwarded to the issuing financial institution to forward the balance of the funds from the associated account to a law enforcement account.