System and a method for carrying out personal and business transactions
The present invention relates to a system and a method for carrying out personal transactions including financial transactions, e-mail transactions, and voice messaging transactions. A user of the system is issued a ten digit identification number in the form of a telephone number. The identification number may be the user's actual phone number or a pseudo phone number. The user is also assigned a PIN number which contains a single or multiple digit security element which allows the user to indicate a security problem and its nature by dialing the assigned PIN number and which allows the user to avoid tripping the security elements of the system by using a digit or digits other than that/those assigned as the significantly placed digit(s) in the PIN number. Access to the system is provided either by dialing a central telephone number or via the Internet.
1 - 121 . (canceled)
122 . A method for carrying out a personal transaction comprising the steps of:
providing a user with a number;
registering said number with a monitoring system;
identifying a first location of said user by contacting a communication device associated with said user;
identifying at least one additional location of said user by contacting said communication device; and
creating a log of said identified locations.
123 . The method according to claim 122 , further comprising:
responding to said contacting step to indicate to said monitoring service that said user is safe.
124 . The method according to claim 123 , wherein said responding step comprises using said communication device to input said number.
125 . The method according to claim 123 , further comprising activating third party intervention if said responding step is not carried out.
126 . The method according to claim 125 , wherein said activating step is performed if credit card use is detected after said responding step is not carried out.
127 . The method according to claim 122 , further comprising indicating a danger situation by inputting a number other than said number.
128 . The method according to claim 122 , further comprising monitoring whether a credit card assigned to said user has been used in a transaction and inserting information about credit card use into said log.
129 . The method according to claim 122 , further comprising carrying out said identifying steps at predetermined time intervals.
130 . The method according to claim 122 , wherein said number providing step comprises providing said user with a telephone number.
131 . The method according to claim 122 , wherein said number providing step comprises providing said user with a PIN number with a security code.
132 . A system for monitoring personal safety of a user comprising:
means for providing a user with a number;
means for registering said number with a monitoring system;
means for identifying a first location of said user by contacting a communication device associated with said user;
means for identifying at least one additional location of said user by contacting said communication device; and
means for creating a log of said identified locations.
133 . The system according to claim 132 , further comprising means for responding to said contacting step to indicate to said monitoring service that said user is safe.
134 . The system according to claim 133 , wherein said responding means comprises said communication device having means for inputting said number.
135 . The system according to claim 133 , further comprising means for activating third party intervention if a response to said contacting step is not carried out.
136 . The system according to claim 135 , wherein said activating means includes means for detecting credit card use after said response is not carried out.
137 . The system according to claim 132 , further comprising means for indicating a danger situation by inputting a number other than said number.
138 . The system according to claim 132 , further comprising means for monitoring whether a credit card assigned to said user has been used in a transaction and means for inserting information about credit card use into said log.
139 . The system according to claim 132 , further comprising means for carrying out said identifying steps at predetermined time intervals.
140 . The system according to claim 132 , wherein said number providing means comprises means for providing said user with a telephone number.
141 . The method according to claim 132 , wherein said number providing means comprises means for providing said user with a PIN number with a security code.