Secure electronic coupon delivery to mobile device

• US 10,102,509 B2
• Filed: 08/07/2009
• Issued: 10/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Orange S.A.
• Original Assignee: Orange S.A.
• Inventors: Arceneaux, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Huang, Tsan-Yu J
• Application Number:
  US12/538,021
• Publication Number:
  US 20100036772A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,357 Days
• Field of Search: 705 141, 705 16, 705 64
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/045 using payment protocols involving tickets
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/0457 the tickets being sent electronically
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/32 using wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3274 using a pictured code, e.g. barcode or QR-code, being displayed on the M-device
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/00 Arrangements or apparatus for collecting fares, tolls or entrance fees at one or more control points handling coins or valuable papers, e.g. banknotes, G07D; apparatus for vending or hiring articles or services activated by coins, credit cards, paper currency or the like G07F7/00, G07F17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/23 by means of a password
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/27 with central registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/77 Graphical identity

Abstract

A system, method, device and interface for providing and redeeming an electronic coupon that provides for authenticating access of a user to an electronic coupon server, receiving selection from the user of at least one of an event, transportation, secured location, good, authorization, and service, generating a reservation number corresponding to the selection, encrypting the reservation number based on a first string of characters that is uniquely associated with a mobile device that will be utilized for redeeming the electronic coupon, transmitting the encrypted reservation number to the mobile device, retrieving a second string of characters from the mobile device, wherein the second string of characters corresponds to the first string of characters, decrypting the encrypted reservation number on the mobile device using the retrieved second string of characters, generating the electronic coupon from the decrypted reservation number, and presenting the electronic coupon to an authentication device for redemption.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

redeeming an electronic coupon by a mobile device having a memory and a display device, wherein redeeming comprises acts of;

receiving an encrypted reservation number that is encrypted using a string of characters uniquely identifying the mobile device;

retrieving the string of characters from the memory;

decrypting the encrypted reservation number using the retrieved string of characters to generate the corresponding electronic coupon; and

presenting the generated electronic coupon on the display device, wherein the presented electronic coupon is configured to be read by an authentication device for redemption;

wherein the mobile device is a mobile telephone, the encrypted reservation number is received from a mobile operator server associated with the mobile telephone, and the reservation number is concatenated with a first password prior to encryption, and the act of decrypting the encrypted reservation number further comprising requesting a second password for comparison with the first password.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the reservation number is concatenated with the first password by appending the reservation number to a beginning portion of the first password.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising comparing the first password to the second password and only initiating generation of the corresponding electronic coupon if the first password and the second password match.

4. The method of claim 3, comprising allowing correction on the mobile device of the second password if the first password does not match the second password.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising disabling the act of presenting the generated electronic coupon if the second password incorrectly entered a predetermined number of times.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein at least the act of decrypting is initiated in response to an interaction between the mobile device and the authentication device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of receiving an encrypted reservation number comprises receiving an encrypted reservation number that includes readable portions prior to decryption, which indicate a selection that the electronic coupon may be redeemed towards.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein presenting of the generated electronic coupon comprises:

the mobile device rendering a barcode representation of the electronic coupon on a display for the redemption.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a number utilized for encrypting and decrypting is maintained as a secret.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device comprises a mobile telephone and the act of retrieving the string of characters comprises retrieving a string of characters corresponding to an International Mobile Equipment Identity number (IMEI) of the mobile telephone.

11. A mobile device comprising:

a processor having;

a first portion configured to redeem an electronic coupon; and

a second portion configured to receive an encrypted reservation number generated by a coupon server;

a memory configured to maintain a first string of characters that uniquely identifies the mobile device, wherein the first string of characters was utilized to encrypt the reservation number at the coupon server;

a third portion of the processor configured to retrieve the first string of characters from the memory and decrypt the encrypted reservation number using the first string of characters so as to generate the electronic coupon from the decrypted reservation number; and

a display, wherein first portion of the processor is configured to redeem the electronic coupon by presenting the electronic coupon on the display, and wherein the presented electronic coupon is configured to be read by an authentication device for redemption;

wherein the mobile device is a mobile telephone, the encrypted reservation number is received from a mobile operator server associated with the mobile telephone, and the reservation number is concatenated with a first password prior to encryption, and the third portion of the processor is further configured to request a second password for comparison with the first password.

12. The mobile device of claim 11, wherein the decrypting of the encrypted reservation number separates the first password from the reservation number utilizing the second password.

13. The mobile device of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to compare the first password to the second password and only generate the electronic coupon if the first password matches the second password.

14. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein if the first password does not match the second password, correction of the second password is allowed.

15. The mobile device of claim 14, wherein the reservation number corresponds to a selection of at least one of an event, a mode of, means, or a component of transportation, an authorization for some act, a permission for access to a location, a device, a product, or a service.

16. The mobile device of claim 11, wherein the processor decrypts the encrypted reservation number in response to the interaction between the mobile device and the authentication device.

17. The mobile device of claim 11, wherein the electronic coupon is presented as a rendering of a barcode representation of the electronic coupon on the display.

18. The mobile device of claim 11, wherein the first string of characters corresponds to an International Mobile Equipment Identity number (IMEI) of the mobile telephone.