A mobile electronic device such as a mobile phone includes wallet application software for receiving, storing, encrypting, and transmitting selected payment card data. A tab including a programmable magnetic stripe is associated with a controller for receiving transmitted payment card data and programming the stripe with selected data. The tab is mounted directly to the electronic device or to an attachment device removably coupled to the electronic device. The attachment device may comprise a case for the mobile electronic device that allows access to a user interface and display of the mobile electronic device.

A mobile electronic device such as a mobile phone includes wallet application software for receiving, storing, encrypting, and transmitting selected payment card data. A tab including a programmable magnetic stripe is associated with a controller for receiving transmitted payment card data and programming the stripe with selected data. The tab is mounted directly to the electronic device or to an attachment device removably coupled to the electronic device. The attachment device may comprise a case for the mobile electronic device that allows access to a user interface and display of the mobile electronic device.

A platform, apparatus and method for Internet of Things Implementations. For example, one embodiment of a system comprises: an Internet of Things (IoT) hub comprising a network interface to couple the IoT hub to an IoT service over a wide area network (WAN), and programming logic to program an identification device with one or more encryption keys usable to establish encrypted communication with an IoT device; and at least one IoT device interfacing with the identification device following programming of the identification device by the IoT hub; wherein once the identification device is programmed and interfaced with the IoT device, the IoT device uses the one or more keys to establish a secure communication channel with the IoT hub and/or the IoT service.

Systems and techniques are disclosed for establishing inbound calls and outbound calls involving inmates and outside parties. One exemplary technique receives input identifying authorized sources who are authorized to initiate and conduct calls with an inmate and stores a list of the authorized sources. The list, for example, can include telephone numbers, VOIP caller identifiers, and/or call privileges associated with the sources. The technique receives an inbound call directed to the inmate and determines whether the source of the inbound call is authorized or not, for example, by comparing information about the source with information in the list of authorized sources and/or based on the call privileges. If the source is authorized, the call is permitted. If not the technique routes the call to a payment interface for the caller to provide payment information.

In a method of payment for service of a portable communication unit, a customer prepays a dealer for said service, the dealer forwards transaction order information about the pre-payment to a prepaid management center (PMC); and the PMC provides a bank the transaction order information. The bank, upon receipt of the transaction order information from the PMC, determines whether there are sufficient funds in the dealer account to cover the transaction. If there is insufficient cash on hand, the dealer is notified and is provided an opportunity to replenish the account so that the transaction may proceed. If there are adequate funds in the dealer account, the bank automatically transfers the amount of the purchase transaction in the SPS account, less the dealer's fee for the purchase. After funds are transferred from the dealer account, the PMC is notified of the transfer, at which time the PMC generates codes and issues the codes to the dealer. The dealer transfers the codes to the user and the user enters the codes into the unit. On a regular basis the bank electronically transfers funds from the SPS account into accounts held by parties entitled to receive the funds.

A processing system deployed in a telecommunication network may obtain data records including data associated with subscribers, cluster the subscribers into a plurality of clusters in accordance with the data, identify a first set of subscribers enrolled in automated clearing house (ACH) payment agreements, and identify a second set of subscribers not enrolled in ACH payment agreements, calculate distance measures for the second set of subscribers, where for each respective subscriber of the second set of subscribers, the distance measures include a respective distance measure of the respective subscriber to a feature centroid for a subset of the first set of subscribers in a same cluster as the respective subscriber, select a subset of the second set of subscribers based upon the plurality of distance measures for receiving an offer in an ACH payment agreement, and present communications to the subset of the second set of subscribers with the offer.

A top up communication system and method thereof are provided, which provides a call between at least two electronic devices, where each of the at least two electronic devices has a unique identification code. The method includes following steps: buying a deposit code on the web-site or obtaining it sent from others; surfing a user interface of an activating data server; inputting the deposit code into the user interface to generate an activate identification data; scanning the activate identification data by a scanner to generate a shortcut icon on a monitor of the scanner; transmitting a dialed command to a connection generation server by triggering the shortcut icon; using the dialed command to establish a communication link between the at least two electronic devices by the connection generation server.

A secured party audio and audio/video communication system and method providing administration, management and control that includes a portable secured communication device in possession solely of a secured party positioned in a secured environment, the portable secured communication device being exclusive to the secured party and communicatively connectable only to a secured connection management system, in a secured connection management system hosting a secured communication device interface, hosting a remote communication device interface, storing in the database information related to the secured party, the portable secured communication system, and the external party, at least one of which includes a predetermined connection parameter, creating the selective communication between the portable secured communication device and only the remote communication device response to the stored database information and controlling a duration of the communication as a function of the predetermined connection parameter as stored in the database.

A secured party audio and audio/video communication system and method providing administration, management and control that includes a portable secured communication device in possession solely of a secured party positioned in a secured environment, the portable secured communication device being exclusive to the secured party and communicatively connectable only to a secured connection management system, in a secured connection management system hosting a secured communication device interface, hosting a remote communication device interface, storing in the database information related to the secured party, the portable secured communication system, and the external party, at least one of which includes a predetermined connection parameter, creating the selective communication between the portable secured communication device and only the remote communication device response to the stored database information and controlling a duration of the communication as a function of the predetermined connection parameter as stored in the database.

Systems and methods are disclosed that may selectively determine network connection information in a wearable wireless device. A wearable wireless device may communicate with a first wireless device associated with a wireless network, estimate a separation distance to the first wireless device, and compare a first network identifier of the wearable wireless device with a second network identifier of the first wireless device. The wearable wireless device may then selectively receive, from the first wireless device, network connection information for the wireless network based, at least in part, on the comparison and the separation distance.