Encryption and tokenization architectures

• US 10,102,525 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2015
• Issued: 10/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Inventors: Sahasranaman, Mahesh, Plumer, Robert W
• Primary Examiner(s): Lemieux, Jessica
• Application Number:
  US14/657,049
• Publication Number:
  US 20160012524A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,313 Days
• Field of Search: 705 39
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/24 Credit schemes, i.e. "pay after"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/38215 Use of certificates or encrypted proofs of transaction rights
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3829 involving key management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/385 using an alias or single-use codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/102 applying security measure for e-commerce data processing systems or methods, specially adapted for e-commerce G06Q30/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0807 using tickets, e.g. Kerberos cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using tickets or tokens H04L9/3213
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]

Abstract

Various embodiments of the present invention are directed to methods, systems and computer program products for conducting an online transaction on a website involving sensitive information. Such embodiments provide methods, systems and computer program products to: (a) register at least one entity with a gate keeper module, the registering comprising associating the entity with a subscription level; (b) associate a sub-string of a character string with a unique token so that a direct link does not exist between the unique token and the character string; and (c) during processing of the online transaction: (i) using the unique token for intermediate steps during the processing of the online transaction; and (ii) only accessing the character string in storage memory to complete the online transaction after receiving a request from at least one registered entity associated with a subscription level associated with a privilege to receive the requested sensitive information.

Claims

1. A method for selecting a graphical representation of a credit card to use a unique token associated with the graphical representation of the credit card on a website to control access to sensitive information of the credit card, the method comprising:

registering, by a server entity, an entity with a gate keeper module;

generating, by the server entity, graphical representations of a plurality of credit cards associated with the entity for display via an interface of a user device, wherein (a) each graphical representation is configured to convey an indication of a corresponding credit card without revealing sensitive information of the corresponding credit card and (b) the sensitive information of each corresponding credit card is stored as encrypted data in one or more memory storage devices;

for each generated graphical representation;

associating, by the server entity, the graphical representation with a unique token, and

storing, by the server entity, the graphical representation with the unique token;

providing, by the server entity for display via the interface of the user device, the graphical representations of the plurality of credit cards associated with the entity;

receiving, by the server entity, a selection of one of the plurality graphical representations; and

responsive to receiving the selection of one of the plurality of graphical representations, transmitting, by the server entity, the unique token associated with the selected graphical representation to facilitate completion of a an online transaction on a website without thereafter displaying the sensitive information of the corresponding credit card.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical representation of a credit card comprises a sub-string of a character string associated with the credit card.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the character string comprises a credit card number.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the sub-string comprises a last four digits of the character string.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request to view the plurality of credit cards,

wherein the step of displaying the graphical representations of the plurality of credit cards is performed in response to receiving the request to view the plurality of credit cards.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensitive information of the credit card comprises a character string associated with the credit card.

7. A data processing system for selecting a graphical representation of a credit card to use a unique token associated with the graphical representation of the credit card on a website to control access to sensitive information of the credit card, the data processing system comprising a processor and one or more storage devices embodying computer-readable program instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the data processing system to:

register an entity with a gate keeper module;

generate graphical representations of a plurality of credit cards associated with the entity for display via an interface of a user device, wherein (a) each graphical representation is configured to convey an indication of a corresponding credit card without revealing sensitive information of the corresponding credit card and (b) the sensitive information of each corresponding credit card is stored as encrypted data in one or more memory storage devices;

for each generated graphical representation;

associate the graphical representation with a unique token, and

store the graphical representation with the unique token;

provide, for display via the interface of the user device, the graphical representations of the plurality of credit cards associated with the entity;

receive a selection of one of the plurality graphical representations; and

responsive to receiving the selection of one of the plurality of graphical representations, transmit the unique token associated with the selected graphical representation to facilitate completion of a an online transaction on a website without thereafter displaying the sensitive information of the corresponding credit card.

8. The data processing system of claim 7, wherein the graphical representation of a credit card comprises a sub-string of a character string associated with the credit card.

9. The data processing system of claim 8, wherein the character string comprises a credit card number.

10. The data processing system of claim 8, wherein the sub-string comprises a last four digits of the character string.

11. The data processing system of claim 7, wherein the computer-readable program instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the data processing system to:

receive a request to view the plurality of credit cards,

wherein the computer-readable program instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the data processing system to display the graphical representations of the plurality of credit cards in response to receiving the request to view the plurality of credit cards.

12. The data processing system of claim 7, wherein the sensitive information of the credit card comprises a character string associated with the credit card.

13. A computer program product for conducting an online transaction on a website involving sensitive information, the computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage embodying computer-readable program instructions that, when executed, cause a processor to:

register an entity with a gate keeper module;

generate graphical representations of a plurality of credit cards associated with the entity for display via an interface of a user device, wherein (a) each graphical representation is configured to convey an indication of a corresponding credit card without revealing sensitive information of the corresponding credit card and (b) the sensitive information of each corresponding credit card is stored as encrypted data in one or more memory storage devices;

for each generated graphical representation;

associate the graphical representation with a unique token, and

store the graphical representation with the unique token;

provide, for display via the interface of the user device, the graphical representations of the plurality of credit cards associated with the entity;

receive a selection of one of the plurality graphical representations; and

responsive to receiving the selection of one of the plurality of graphical representations, transmit the unique token associated with the selected graphical representation to facilitate completion of a an online transaction on a website without thereafter displaying the sensitive information of the corresponding credit card.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the graphical representation of a credit card comprises a sub-string of a character string associated with the credit card.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the character string comprises a credit card number.

16. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the sub-string comprises a last four digits of the character string.

17. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the computer-readable program instructions, when executed, further cause the processor to:

receive a request to view the plurality of credit cards,

wherein the computer-readable program instructions, when executed, cause the processor to display the graphical representations of the plurality of credit cards in response to receiving the request to view the plurality of credit cards.

18. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the sensitive information of the credit card comprises a character string associated with the credit card.