Account authority digital signature (AADS) accounts

• US 20020042877A1
• Filed: 12/05/2001
• Published: 04/11/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Anne Mcafee Wheeler, Lynn Henry Wheeler
• Original Assignee: Anne Mcafee Wheeler, Lynn Henry Wheeler
• Inventors: Wheeler, Anne Mcafee, Wheeler, Lynn Henry
• Granted Patent: US 6,981,154 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/155
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/00 Payment architectures, schemes or protocols apparatus for performing or posting payment transactions G07F7/08, G07F19/00; electronic cash registers G07G1/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3825 Use of electronic signatures
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3829 involving key management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/401 Transaction verification
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 involving digital signatures

Abstract

A method of managing accounts by an account authority for the same account holder includes associating identity information for each account with the same public key. A method for establishing a new account for the same account holder with each one of a plurality of account authorities includes associating respective identity information for each account with the same public key of the account holder. A method of setting up an account with account authorities for the later process of validating the identity of a sender of electronic communications representing requests for performance of actions regarding the accounts, each electronic communication including a digital signature and respective sender identity information, includes associating a public key with the account such that the public key later is retrievable following receipt of a communication based on the respective sender identity information in the communication, the public key being the same for each account authority.

Claims

1. A method of managing accounts by an account authority for the same account holder, comprising the step of associating identity information for each account with the same public key of a public-private key pair.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the respective identity information for each account comprises a unique account number.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein identity information for each account comprises other than an account number.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the public key is associated with the identity information for each account such that the public key is retrievable from a computer database based on the respective identity information for that account.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the account authority is a financial institution and the public key is associated with financial information.

6. A method for establishing a new account for the same account holder with each one of a plurality of account authorities, comprising the step of associating respective identity information for each account with the same public key of a public-private key pair of the account holder.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the public key is associated with the respective identity information by each account authority such that the public key is retrievable from a computer database based on the respective identity information.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the public key is provided to each account authority by the account holder.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the public key is provided by one of the account authorities to the account holder, and the public key then is provided to each one of the other account authorities by the account holder.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein identity information for an account authority comprises an account number.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein identity information for an account authority comprises other than an account number.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein each account authority is a financial institution and the public key is associated with financial information.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the public key is associated with the respective identity information by each account authority such that the public key is retrievable from a computer database for each account authority based on the respective identity information.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the public key is provided to each account authority by the account holder.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the public key is provided by one of the account authorities to the account holder, and the public key then is provided to each one of the other account authorities by the account holder.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein identity information for an account authority comprises an account number.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein identity information for an account authority comprises other than an account number.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein each account authority is a financial institution and the public key is associated with financial information.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the account authority is a financial institution and the action on the account comprises a financial transaction on the account.

13. A method of setting up an account of an account holder with each one of a plurality of account authorities for the later process of validating the identity of a sender of electronic communications representing requests for performance of actions regarding the accounts, wherein each electronic communication includes a digital signature and respective sender identity information for each account authority, the method for each account authortiy of setting up the account comprising the step of associating the public key of a public-private key pair with the account such that the public key later is retrievable following receipt of an electronic communication based on the respective sender identity information received in the electronic communication, the public key being the same for each account authority.

21. A method of establishing a new account with an account authority for the later process of validating the identity of a sender of an electronic communication representing a request for performance of an action regarding the account, wherein the electronic communication includes a digital signature and sender identity information, the method of establishing the account comprising the step of associating a public key of a publicprivate key pair with the account by the account authority such that the public key later is retrievable following receipt of the electronic communication based on the sender identity information received in the electronic communication.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the public key is provided to the account authority.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the public key is provided by the account authority.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the identity information comprises the account number.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the identity information comprises other than the account number.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein the public key is associated with the account in a computer database.

27. The method of claim 21, wherein the account authority is a financial institution and the public key is associated with financial information.

28. The method of claim 21, wherein the account authority is a financial institution and the action on the account comprises a financial transaction on the account.