Computerized authorization system and method

Abstract

A computerized authorization system configured to authorize electronically-made requests to an electronic entity. The computerized authorization system comprises a store configured to store an indication of at least one predetermined electronic authorization device configured to authorize each electronically-made request. The computerized authorization system is further configured such that: in response to receiving an electronically-made request to the electronic entity, an indication of the request is output to the at least one predetermined electronic authorization device configured to authorize the request as indicated in the store; and in response to receiving an indication of authorization from the at least one predetermined electronic authorization device, an indication of authorization of the request is output to the electronic entity.

1 . A computerized authorization system configured to authorize electronically-made requests to an electronic entity, the computerized authorization system comprising:
 a store configured to store a plurality of indications of a corresponding plurality of predetermined electronic authorization devices configured to authorize an electronically-made request to an electronic entity;   the computerized authorization system being further configured such that:   in response to receiving the electronically-made request to the electronic entity, an indication of the electronically-made request to the electronic entity is output to the plurality of predetermined electronic authorization devices configured to allow a corresponding plurality of users to provide one or more authorizations of the electronically-made request to the electronic entity as indicated in the store; and   in response to receiving the one or more authorizations from the corresponding one or more predetermined electronic authorization devices of the plurality of predetermined electronic authorization devices, an indication of authorization of the electronically-made request to the electronic entity is output to the electronic entity when the one or more authorizations meet a predetermined criterion.   
     
     
         2 . A computerized authorization system according to  claim 1 , further configured such that if the one or more authorizations that meet the predetermined criterion is not received from the corresponding one or more predetermined electronic authorization devices within a predetermined time an indication that the electronically-made request to the electronic entity is rejected is sent to the electronic entity. 
     
     
         3 . A computerized authorization system according to  claim 1 , further configured to: receive an indication that the electronically-made request to the electronic entity is fraudulent from one or more of the plurality of predetermined electronic authorization devices; and, in response, transmit a message to the electronic entity. 
     
     
         4 . A computerized authorization system according to  claim 3 , further configured such that, in response to receiving the indication that the electronically-made request to the electronic entity is fraudulent from the one or more of the plurality of predetermined electronic authorization devices, an identity request is made to identify an electronic device that made the electronically-made request to the electronic entity and/or a user of the electronic device that made the electronically-made request to the electronic entity. 
     
     
         5 . A computerized authorization system according to  claim 4 , wherein the identity request comprises a signal being sent to the electronic device that made the electronically-made request to the electronic entity, to capture an image of the user of the electronic device that made the electronically-made request to the electronic entity. 
     
     
         6 . A computerized authorization system according to  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of predetermined electronic authorization devices are different devices to an electronic device that made the electronically-made request to the electronic entity. 
     
     
         7 . A computerized authorization system according to  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined criterion is the one or more authorizations being at least a predetermined number of authorizations. 
     
     
         8 . A computerized authorization system according to  claim 7 , wherein the store is configured to store the predetermined number. 
     
     
         9 . A computerized authorization system according to  claim 8 , further configured to automatically send at least one of said one or more authorizations on behalf of at least one of the plurality of users if at least one additional predetermined criterion is met. 
     
     
         10 . A computerized authorization system according to  claim 9 , wherein the store is configured to store the at least one additional predetermined criterion. 
     
     
         11 . A computerized authorization system according to  claim 10 , wherein the at least one additional predetermined criterion is set by the plurality of predetermined electronic authorization devices. 
     
     
         12 . A computerized authorization system according to  claim 11 , comprising a plurality of computers and/or servers on a network. 
     
     
         13 . A computerized authorization method, the computerized authorization method comprising:
 in response to receiving an electronically-made request to an electronic entity, sending an indication of the electronically-made request to the electronic entity to a plurality of predetermined electronic authorization devices as indicated in a store, wherein the plurality of predetermined electronic authorization devices are configured to allow a corresponding plurality of users to provide one or more authorizations of the electronically-made request to the electronic entity; and   in response to receiving one or more authorizations from the corresponding one or more predetermined electronic authorization devices of the plurality of predetermined electronic authorization devices as indicated in the store, sending an indication of authorization of the electronically-made request to the electronic entity to the electronic entity when the one or more authorizations meet a predetermined criterion.   
     
     
         14 . A computerized authorization method according to  claim 13 , further comprising:
 sending an indication that the electronically-made request to the electronic entity is rejected to the electronic entity if the one or more authorizations of the electronically-made request to the electronic entity meeting the predetermined criterion is not received from the one or more predetermined electronic authorization devices of the plurality of predetermined electronic authorization devices within a predetermined time.   
     
     
         15 . A computerized authorization method according to  claim 14 , further comprising receiving an indication that the electronically-made request to the electronic entity is fraudulent from one or more of the predetermined electronic authorization devices of the plurality of predetermined electronic authorization devices; and, m response, transmitting a message to the electronic entity. 
     
     
         16 . A computerized authorization method according to  claim 15 , further comprising:
 in response to receiving the indication that the electronically-made request to the electronic entity is fraudulent from the one or more predetermined electronic authorization devices, making an identity request to identify an electronic device that made the electronically-made request to the electronic entity and/or a user of the electronic device that made the electronically-made request to the electronic entity.   
     
     
         17 . A computerized authorization method according to  claim 16 , wherein the identity request comprises sending a signal to the electronic device that made the electronically-made request to the electronic entity, to capture an image of the user of the electronic device that made the electronically-made request to the electronic entity. 
     
     
         18 . A computerized authorization method according to  claim 13 , wherein the plurality of predetermined electronic authorization devices are different devices to an electronic device that made the electronically-made request to the electronic entity. 
     
     
         19 . A computerized authorization method according to  claim 13 , wherein sending an indication of authorization of the electronically-made request to the electronic entity comprises sending the indication of authorization of the electronically-made request to the electronic entity to the electronic entity in response to receiving authorizations from a predetermined number of the plurality of predetermined electronic authorization devices. 
     
     
         20 - 25 . (canceled) 
     
     
         26 . A computer-readable medium containing a set of instructions to cause a computer to perform a method comprising:
 in response to receiving an electronically-made request to an electronic entity, sending an indication of the electronically-made request to the electronic entity to a plurality of predetermined electronic authorization devices as indicated in a store; and   in response to receiving one or more authorizations from a corresponding one or more of the plurality of predetermined electronic authorization devices as indicated in the storage device, sending an indication of authorization of the electronically-made request to the electronic entity to the electronic entity.   
     
     
         27 - 30 . (canceled)