Patent Publication Number: US-2022222114-A1

Title: Centralized repository system for performing communication-based authentication

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     There exists a need for a system to perform communication-based authentication to authenticate one or more users of an entity. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY 
     The following presents a summary of certain embodiments of the invention. This summary is not intended to identify key or critical elements of all embodiments nor delineate the scope of any or all embodiments. Its sole purpose is to present certain concepts and elements of one or more embodiments in a summary form as a prelude to the more detailed description that follows. 
     Embodiments of the present invention address the above needs and/or achieve other advantages by providing apparatuses (e.g., a system, computer program product and/or other devices) and methods for performing communication-based authentication. The system embodiments may comprise one or more memory devices having computer readable program code stored thereon, a communication device, and one or more processing devices operatively coupled to the one or more memory devices, wherein the one or more processing devices are configured to execute the computer readable program code to carry out the invention. In computer program product embodiments of the invention, the computer program product comprises at least one non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer readable instructions for carrying out the invention. Computer implemented method embodiments of the invention may comprise providing a computing system comprising a computer processing device and a non-transitory computer readable medium, where the computer readable medium comprises configured computer program instruction code, such that when said instruction code is operated by said computer processing device, said computer processing device performs certain operations to carry out the invention. 
     In some embodiments, the present invention extracts data from one or more communication channels associated with an entity, determines last activity timestamp associated with a user based on the data extracted from the one or more communication channels, determines that the user has accessed an entity application, via a user device, in response to determining that the user has accessed the entity application, transmits control signals to the user device to transform user interface of the entity application to display the last activity timestamp to the user, prompts the user to confirm the last activity timestamp, receives input associated with confirmation of the last activity timestamp from the user, via the user device, and performs one or more actions based on the input received from the user, via the user device. 
     In some embodiments, the last activity timestamp is time of initiation of a request to access information or resources associated with one or more resource pools associated with the user. 
     In some embodiments, the present invention continuously monitors, in real-time, one or more resource pools of the user, via the one or more communication channels associated with the entity. 
     In some embodiments, the present invention identifies a real-time request based on continuously monitoring the one or more resource pools of the user and determines a real-time activity timestamp based on identifying the real-time request. 
     In some embodiments, the present invention generates a real-time notification associated with the real-time activity timestamp and transmits the real-time notification to the user device of the user, via at least one communication channel of the one or more communication channels. 
     In some embodiments, the present invention receives a real-time input associated with the real-time notification from the user device of the user, via the at least one communication channel and performs one or more real-time actions based on the real-time input received from the user device of the user. 
     In some embodiments, the present invention establishes a communication link with each of the one or more communication channels of the entity. 
     The features, functions, and advantages that have been discussed may be achieved independently in various embodiments of the present invention or may be combined with yet other embodiments, further details of which can be seen with reference to the following description and drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Having thus described embodiments of the invention in general terms, reference will now be made the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  provides a block diagram illustrating a system environment for performing communication-based authentication, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 2  provides a block diagram illustrating the entity system  200  of  FIG. 1 , in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 3  provides a block diagram illustrating a communication-based authentication system  300  of  FIG. 1 , in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; 
         FIG. 4  provides a block diagram illustrating the computing device system  400  of  FIG. 1 , in accordance with an embodiment of the invention; and 
         FIG. 5  provides a block diagram illustrating a process flow for performing communication-based authentication, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION 
     Embodiments of the present invention will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not all, embodiments of the invention are shown. Indeed, the invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legal requirements. Where possible, any terms expressed in the singular form herein are meant to also include the plural form and vice versa, unless explicitly stated otherwise. Also, as used herein, the term “a” and/or “an” shall mean “one or more,” even though the phrase “one or more” is also used herein. Furthermore, when it is said herein that something is “based on” something else, it may be based on one or more other things as well. In other words, unless expressly indicated otherwise, as used herein “based on” means “based at least in part on” or “based at least partially on.” Like numbers refer to like elements throughout. 
     As used herein, the term “resource entity” or “entity” may be any institution which involves in financial transactions. In one embodiment, the term “entity” or “resource entity” may be any financial institution. As used herein, the term “entity device” may be any device associated with the entity. In some embodiments of the present invention, the entity device may be an automated machine. In some embodiments, the “automated machine” may be any automated device that is involved in distribution of resources such as cash, checks, electronic transfers, money orders or the like which may be performed using a credit card, a debit card, or the like. In one embodiment of the present invention, the automated machine may be an Automated Teller Machine (ATM). In some embodiments, the “automated machine” may be any automated device that provides information associated with resource pools of the user. In some embodiments, the automated machine may be owned and/or controlled by the resource entity. 
     As described herein, a “user” may be a customer or a potential customer of the entity. In some embodiments, a “user” may be a financial institution customer (e.g., an account holder or a person who has an account (e.g., banking account, credit account, or the like)). An “account” or “resource pool” may be the relationship that the customer has with the financial institution. Examples of accounts include a deposit account, such as a transactional account (e.g. a banking account), a savings account, an investment account, a money market account, a time deposit, a demand deposit, a pre-paid account, a credit account, a non-monetary customer information that includes only personal information associated with the customer, or the like. The account is associated with and/or maintained by a financial institution. 
     A “user interface” is any device or software that allows a user to input information, such as commands or data, into a device, or that allows the device to output information to the user. For example, the user interface includes a graphical user interface (GUI) or an interface to input computer-executable instructions that direct a processing device to carry out specific functions. The user interface typically employs certain input and output devices to input data received from a user or to output data to a user. These input and output devices may include a display, mouse, keyboard, button, touchpad, touch screen, microphone, speaker, LED, light, joystick, switch, buzzer, bell, and/or other user input/output device for communicating with one or more users. 
     Typically, an entity may provide multiple channels to users that allow the users to access the services provided by the entity. However, existing conventional systems do not use the information received via multiple channels to improve authentication process used to authenticate users. As such, there exists a need for a system that effectively authenticates users. The system of the present invention utilizes information from multiple channels to authenticate users and block misappropriation of resources associated with users of entity. 
       FIG. 1  provides a block diagram illustrating a system environment  100  for performing communication-based authentication, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the environment  100  includes a communication-based authentication system  300 , entity system  200 , one or more entity devices  201 , and a computing device system  400 . One or more users  110  may be included in the system environment  100 , where the users  110  interact with the other entities of the system environment  100  via a user interface of the computing device system  400 . In some embodiments, the one or more user(s)  110  of the system environment  100  may be customers of an entity associated with the entity system  200 . 
     The entity system(s)  200  may be any system owned or otherwise controlled by an entity to support or perform one or more process steps described herein. In some embodiments, the entity is a financial institution. In some embodiments, the process or the solution provided herein may be applicable to entities that are non-financial institutions and that have a need for authenticating users of the entities. In some embodiments, each of the one or more entity systems  200  may be a channel that provides information to the users  110  or allows the users  110  to perform one or more actions, where the one or more actions may be associated with resource pools of the user. In some embodiments, the one or more entity devices  201  may be owned, operated, controlled, and/or maintained by the entity. Examples of the one or more entity devices may include, but are not limited to, Automated Teller Machines, automated kiosks, associate computing devices (e.g., computing device used by an employee of the entity), or the like that allow a user and/or an associate to access information associated with one or more resource pools of the user 
     The communication-based authentication system  300  is a system of the present invention for performing one or more process steps described herein. In some embodiments, the communication-based authentication system  300  may be an independent system. In some embodiments, the communication-based authentication system  300  may be a part of the entity system  200 . 
     The communication-based authentication system  300 , the entity system  200 , and the computing device system  400  may be in network communication across the system environment  100  through the network  150 . The network  150  may include a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), and/or a global area network (GAN). The network  150  may provide for wireline, wireless, or a combination of wireline and wireless communication between devices in the network. In one embodiment, the network  150  includes the Internet. In general, the communication-based authentication system  300  is configured to communicate information or instructions with the entity system  200 , and/or the computing device system  400  across the network  150 . 
     The computing device system  400  may be a system owned or controlled by the entity of the entity system  200  and/or the user  110 . As such, the computing device system  400  may be a computing device of the user  110 . In general, the computing device system  400  communicates with the user  110  via a user interface of the computing device system  400 , and in turn is configured to communicate information or instructions with the communication-based authentication system  300 , and/or entity system  200  across the network  150 . 
       FIG. 2  provides a block diagram illustrating the entity system  200 , in greater detail, in accordance with embodiments of the invention. As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , in one embodiment of the invention, the entity system  200  includes one or more processing devices  220  operatively coupled to a network communication interface  210  and a memory device  230 . In certain embodiments, the entity system  200  is operated by a first entity, such as a financial institution, while in other embodiments, the entity system  200  is operated by an entity other than a financial institution. 
     It should be understood that the memory device  230  may include one or more databases or other data structures/repositories. The memory device  230  also includes computer-executable program code that instructs the processing device  220  to operate the network communication interface  210  to perform certain communication functions of the entity system  200  described herein. For example, in one embodiment of the entity system  200 , the memory device  230  includes, but is not limited to, a communication-based authentication application  250 , one or more entity applications  270 , and a data repository  280  comprising user data  283 , where the user data  283  comprises data associated with users  110  and/or one or more resource pools associated with the users  110 . The one or more entity applications  270  may be any applications provided by the entity that allows users  110  to access information and/or perform one or more actions associated with one or more resource pools of the users  110 . The computer-executable program code of the network server application  240 , the communication-based authentication application  250 , the one or more entity application  270  to perform certain logic, data-extraction, and data-storing functions of the entity system  200  described herein, as well as communication functions of the entity system  200 . In some embodiments, the entity system  200  may comprise one or more different systems or servers that host each of the one or more entity applications  270  of the entity, where each of the entity applications  270  may be a separate channel that servers the users  110 . In one example, the entity application  270  may be a mobile banking application. In another example, the entity application  270  may be a web based online banking application. In another example, the entity application  270  may be any application present in entity devices (e.g., automated machines, ATM, kiosks, or the like) present at entity locations (e.g., financial centers). In another example, the entity application  270  may be an application installed on an employee computing system (e.g., financial center employee computing system, or the like). 
     The network server application  240 , the communication-based authentication application  250 , and the one or more entity applications  270  are configured to store data in the data repository  280  or to use the data stored in the data repository  280  when communicating through the network communication interface  210  with the communication-based authentication system  300 , and/or the computing device system  400  to perform one or more process steps described herein. In some embodiments, the entity system  200  may receive instructions from the communication-based authentication system  300  via the communication-based authentication application  250  to perform certain operations. The communication-based authentication application  250  may be provided by the communication-based authentication system  300 . 
       FIG. 3  provides a block diagram illustrating the communication-based authentication system  300  in greater detail, in accordance with embodiments of the invention. As illustrated in  FIG. 3 , in one embodiment of the invention, the communication-based authentication system  300  includes one or more processing devices  320  operatively coupled to a network communication interface  310  and a memory device  330 . In certain embodiments, the communication-based authentication system  300  is operated by a first entity, such as a financial institution, while in other embodiments, the communication-based authentication system  300  is operated by an entity other than a financial institution. In some embodiments, the communication-based authentication system  300  is owned or operated by the entity of the entity system  200 . In some embodiments, the communication-based authentication system  300  may be an independent system. In alternate embodiments, the communication-based authentication system  300  may be a part of the entity system  200 . 
     It should be understood that the memory device  330  may include one or more databases or other data structures/repositories. The memory device  330  also includes computer-executable program code that instructs the processing device  320  to operate the network communication interface  310  to perform certain communication functions of the communication-based authentication system  300  described herein. For example, in one embodiment of the communication-based authentication system  300 , the memory device  330  includes, but is not limited to, a network provisioning application  340 , a real-time extraction application  350 , a real-time notification application  360 , a real-time authentication application  370 , an implementation application  380 , and a centralized data repository  390  comprising data processed or accessed by one or more applications in the memory device  330 . In one embodiment of the present invention, the centralized data repository  390  comprises data collected by the real-time extraction application  350  from multiple channels provided by the entity. The computer-executable program code of the network provisioning application  340 , the real-time extraction application  350 , the real-time notification application  360 , the real-time authentication application  370 , and the implementation application  380  may instruct the processing device  320  to perform certain logic, data-processing, and data-storing functions of the communication-based authentication system  300  described herein, as well as communication functions of the communication-based authentication system  300 . 
     The network provisioning application  340 , the real-time extraction application  350 , the real-time notification application  360 , the real-time authentication application  370 , and the implementation application  380  are configured to invoke or use the data in the data repository  390  when communicating through the network communication interface  310  with the entity system  200 , and/or the computing device system  400 . In some embodiments, the network provisioning application  340 , the real-time extraction application  350 , the real-time notification application  360 , the real-time authentication application  370 , and the implementation application  380  may store the data extracted or received from the entity system  200 , and the computing device system  400  in the centralized data repository  390 . In some embodiments, the network provisioning application  340 , the real-time extraction application  350 , the real-time notification application  360 , the real-time authentication application  370 , and the implementation application  380  may be a part of a single application. The functionalities of the network provisioning application  340 , the real-time extraction application  350 , the real-time notification application  360 , the real-time authentication application  370 , and the implementation application  380  are explained in greater detail in  FIG. 5 . 
       FIG. 4  provides a block diagram illustrating a computing device system  400  of  FIG. 1  in more detail, in accordance with embodiments of the invention. However, it should be understood that a mobile telephone is merely illustrative of one type of computing device system  400  that may benefit from, employ, or otherwise be involved with embodiments of the present invention and, therefore, should not be taken to limit the scope of embodiments of the present invention. Other types of computing devices may include portable digital assistants (PDAs), pagers, mobile televisions, gaming devices, desktop computers, workstations, laptop computers, cameras, video recorders, audio/video player, radio, GPS devices, wearable devices, Internet-of-things devices, augmented reality devices, virtual reality devices, automated teller machine devices, electronic kiosk devices, or any combination of the aforementioned. 
     Some embodiments of the computing device system  400  include a processor  410  communicably coupled to such devices as a memory  420 , user output devices  436 , user input devices  440 , a network interface  460 , a power source  415 , a clock or other timer  450 , a camera  480 , and a positioning system device  475 . The processor  410 , and other processors described herein, generally include circuitry for implementing communication and/or logic functions of the computing device system  400 . For example, the processor  410  may include a digital signal processor device, a microprocessor device, and various analog to digital converters, digital to analog converters, and/or other support circuits. Control and signal processing functions of the computing device system  400  are allocated between these devices according to their respective capabilities. The processor  410  thus may also include the functionality to encode and interleave messages and data prior to modulation and transmission. The processor  410  can additionally include an internal data modem. Further, the processor  410  may include functionality to operate one or more software programs, which may be stored in the memory  420 . For example, the processor  410  may be capable of operating a connectivity program, such as a web browser application  422 . The web browser application  422  may then allow the computing device system  400  to transmit and receive web content, such as, for example, location-based content and/or other web page content, according to a Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), and/or the like. 
     The processor  410  is configured to use the network interface  460  to communicate with one or more other devices on the network  150 . In this regard, the network interface  460  includes an antenna  476  operatively coupled to a transmitter  474  and a receiver  472  (together a “transceiver”). The processor  410  is configured to provide signals to and receive signals from the transmitter  474  and receiver  472 , respectively. The signals may include signaling information in accordance with the air interface standard of the applicable cellular system of the wireless network  152 . In this regard, the computing device system  400  may be configured to operate with one or more air interface standards, communication protocols, modulation types, and access types. By way of illustration, the computing device system  400  may be configured to operate in accordance with any of a number of first, second, third, and/or fourth-generation communication protocols and/or the like. 
     As described above, the computing device system  400  has a user interface that is, like other user interfaces described herein, made up of user output devices  436  and/or user input devices  440 . The user output devices  436  include a display  430  (e.g., a liquid crystal display or the like) and a speaker  432  or other audio device, which are operatively coupled to the processor  410 . 
     The user input devices  440 , which allow the computing device system  400  to receive data from a user such as the user  110 , may include any of a number of devices allowing the computing device system  400  to receive data from the user  110 , such as a keypad, keyboard, touch-screen, touchpad, microphone, mouse, joystick, other pointer device, button, soft key, and/or other input device(s). The user interface may also include a camera  480 , such as a digital camera. 
     The computing device system  400  may also include a positioning system device  475  that is configured to be used by a positioning system to determine a location of the computing device system  400 . For example, the positioning system device  475  may include a GPS transceiver. In some embodiments, the positioning system device  475  is at least partially made up of the antenna  476 , transmitter  474 , and receiver  472  described above. For example, in one embodiment, triangulation of cellular signals may be used to identify the approximate or exact geographical location of the computing device system  400 . In other embodiments, the positioning system device  475  includes a proximity sensor or transmitter, such as an RFID tag, that can sense or be sensed by devices known to be located proximate a merchant or other location to determine that the computing device system  400  is located proximate these known devices. 
     The computing device system  400  further includes a power source  415 , such as a battery, for powering various circuits and other devices that are used to operate the computing device system  400 . Embodiments of the computing device system  400  may also include a clock or other timer  450  configured to determine and, in some cases, communicate actual or relative time to the processor  410  or one or more other devices. 
     The computing device system  400  also includes a memory  420  operatively coupled to the processor  410 . As used herein, memory includes any computer readable medium (as defined herein below) configured to store data, code, or other information. The memory  420  may include volatile memory, such as volatile Random Access Memory (RAM) including a cache area for the temporary storage of data. The memory  420  may also include non-volatile memory, which can be embedded and/or may be removable. The non-volatile memory can additionally or alternatively include an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory or the like. 
     The memory  420  can store any of a number of applications which comprise computer-executable instructions/code executed by the processor  410  to implement the functions of the computing device system  400  and/or one or more of the process/method steps described herein. For example, the memory  420  may include such applications as a conventional web browser application  422 , a communication-based authentication application  421 , entity application  424 , an SMS application  423 , or the like. The communication-based authentication application  421  may comprise instructions to a graphical user interface (GUI) on the display  430  that allows the user  110  to interact with the entity system  200 , the communication-based authentication system  300 , and/or other devices or systems. The graphical user interface provided by the communication-based authentication application  421  may be an interactive user interface that allows the user to perform one or more actions described in  FIG. 5 . The memory  420  of the computing device system  400  may comprise a Short Message Service (SMS) application  423  configured to send, receive, and store data, information, communications, alerts, and the like via the wireless telephone network  152 . In some embodiments, the communication-based authentication application  421  provided by the communication-based authentication system  300  allows the user  110  to access the communication-based authentication system  300 . In some embodiments, the entity application  424  provided by the entity system  200  and the communication-based authentication application  421  allow the user  110  to access the functionalities provided by the communication-based authentication system  300  and the entity system  200 . In some embodiments, the entity application  424  may be an online banking application. 
     The memory  420  can also store any of a number of pieces of information, and data, used by the computing device system  400  and the applications and devices that make up the computing device system  400  or are in communication with the computing device system  400  to implement the functions of the computing device system  400  and/or the other systems described herein. 
       FIG. 5  provides a block diagram illustrating a process flow for performing communication-based authentication, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. 
     As shown in block  505 , the system extracts data from one or more communication channels associated with an entity. The one or more communication channels may comprise web based online banking channel, mobile based online banking channel, an associate application located on an associate device of an associate (e.g., employee of the entity), an entity application located on entity devices (e.g., automated machines, kiosks, ATM, or the like) present at entity locations (e.g., financial centers or the like). The system establishes a communication link with all the one or more communication channels. 
     As shown in block  510 , the system determines last activity timestamp associated with a user based on the data extracted from the one or more communication channels. The last activity timestamp may be a time of initiation of a request to access information or resources associated with one or more resource pools associated with the user. In one example, the last activity timestamp may be associated with the user logging in to a web based online banking application to perform a transaction or view resource balance associated with resource pool of the user. In another example, the last activity timestamp may be associated with the user initiating a transaction at an ATM. In another example, the last activity timestamp may be associated with the user initiating a conversation with an associate of the entity via electronic means or by visiting an entity location. 
     As shown in block  515 , the system determines that the user has accessed an entity application, via a user device. In response to determining that the user is online based on determining that the user has accessed the entity application, the process flow proceeds to block  520 . As shown in block  520 , the system transmits control signals to the user device to transform user interface of the entity application to display the last activity timestamp to the user. For example, the system may display that the last activity timestamp was at 13:34 hours at location X based on the data extracted from the one or more communication channels. 
     As shown in block  525 , the system prompts the user to confirm the last activity timestamp. As shown in block  530 , the system receives input associated with confirmation of the last activity timestamp from the user, via the user device. As shown in block  535 , the system perform one or more actions based on the input received from the user, via the user device. The one or more actions may be based on the type of input received from the user. In one embodiment, if the user confirms the last activity timestamp, the system allows the user to navigate further on the entity application. In another embodiment, if the user rejects the last activity timestamp, the system may suspend the one or more resource pools of the user. 
     The system may also continuously monitor the one or more resource pools of the user in real-time, via the one or more communication channels associated with the entity. Based on continuously monitoring the one or more resource pools of the user in real-time, the system may identify a real-time request and determine a real-time activity timestamp associated with the real-time request. For example, the system may determine that a transaction was initiated in real-time at a financial center and may determine time of initiation of the transaction as the real-time activity timestamp. In response to identifying the real-time request, the system may generate a real-time notification associated with the real-time activity timestamp and transmit the real-time notification to the user device of the user, via at least one communication channel of the one or more communication channels. In one embodiment, the system may transmit the real-time notification via an entity application (e.g., mobile banking application, web based banking application, or the like). In other embodiments, the system may transmit the real-time notification via a text message or a phone call based on determining that the user is not online. The system may receive a real-time input associated with the real-time notification from the user device of the user, via the at least one communication channel and may perform one or more real-time actions based on the real-time input received from the user device of the user. In an embodiment, where the user rejects the real-time activity timestamp, the one or more real time actions may be any actions that limit the misappropriation activity identified by the user. 
     As will be appreciated by one of skill in the art, the present invention may be embodied as a method (including, for example, a computer-implemented process, a business process, and/or any other process), apparatus (including, for example, a system, machine, device, computer program product, and/or the like), or a combination of the foregoing. Accordingly, embodiments of the present invention may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment (including firmware, resident software, micro-code, and the like), or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects that may generally be referred to herein as a “system.” Furthermore, embodiments of the present invention may take the form of a computer program product on a computer-readable medium having computer-executable program code embodied in the medium. 
     Any suitable transitory or non-transitory computer readable medium may be utilized. The computer readable medium may be, for example but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device. More specific examples of the computer readable medium include, but are not limited to, the following: an electrical connection having one or more wires; a tangible storage medium such as a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), or other optical or magnetic storage device. 
     In the context of this document, a computer readable medium may be any medium that can contain, store, communicate, or transport the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. The computer usable program code may be transmitted using any appropriate medium, including but not limited to the Internet, wireline, optical fiber cable, radio frequency (RF) signals, or other mediums. 
     Computer-executable program code for carrying out operations of embodiments of the present invention may be written in an object oriented, scripted or unscripted programming language such as Java, Perl, Smalltalk, C++, or the like. However, the computer program code for carrying out operations of embodiments of the present invention may also be written in conventional procedural programming languages, such as the “C” programming language or similar programming languages. 
     Embodiments of the present invention are described above with reference to flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, and/or combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer-executable program code portions. These computer-executable program code portions may be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a particular machine, such that the code portions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, create mechanisms for implementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks. 
     These computer-executable program code portions may also be stored in a computer-readable memory that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to function in a particular manner, such that the code portions stored in the computer readable memory produce an article of manufacture including instruction mechanisms which implement the function/act specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block(s). 
     The computer-executable program code may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable apparatus to produce a computer-implemented process such that the code portions which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus provide steps for implementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block(s). Alternatively, computer program implemented steps or acts may be combined with operator or human implemented steps or acts in order to carry out an embodiment of the invention. 
     As the phrase is used herein, a processor may be “configured to” perform a certain function in a variety of ways, including, for example, by having one or more general-purpose circuits perform the function by executing particular computer-executable program code embodied in computer-readable medium, and/or by having one or more application-specific circuits perform the function. 
     Embodiments of the present invention are described above with reference to flowcharts and/or block diagrams. It will be understood that steps of the processes described herein may be performed in orders different than those illustrated in the flowcharts. In other words, the processes represented by the blocks of a flowchart may, in some embodiments, be performed in an order other that the order illustrated, may be combined or divided, or may be performed simultaneously. It will also be understood that the blocks of the block diagrams illustrated, in some embodiments, merely conceptual delineations between systems and one or more of the systems illustrated by a block in the block diagrams may be combined or share hardware and/or software with another one or more of the systems illustrated by a block in the block diagrams. Likewise, a device, system, apparatus, and/or the like may be made up of one or more devices, systems, apparatuses, and/or the like. For example, where a processor is illustrated or described herein, the processor may be made up of a plurality of microprocessors or other processing devices which may or may not be coupled to one another. Likewise, where a memory is illustrated or described herein, the memory may be made up of a plurality of memory devices which may or may not be coupled to one another. 
     While certain exemplary embodiments have been described and shown in the accompanying drawings, it is to be understood that such embodiments are merely illustrative of, and not restrictive on, the broad invention, and that this invention not be limited to the specific constructions and arrangements shown and described, since various other changes, combinations, omissions, modifications and substitutions, in addition to those set forth in the above paragraphs, are possible. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various adaptations and modifications of the just described embodiments can be configured without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Therefore, it is to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced other than as specifically described herein.