System and method for binding and unbinding ticket items with user-negotiated security features

• US 20020138751A1
• Filed: 03/26/2001
• Published: 09/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Dutta, Rabindranath
• Granted Patent: US 6,965,997 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/200
• 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

Abstract

A customer wants to transfer an electronic ticket that includes customer security features to another person, he requests that the merchant unbind the security features from the ticket identifier. The merchant verifies the identity of the customer based on a digital certificate or other customer identifier. If the customer is allowed to transfer the ticket, the merchant unbinds the ticket identifier from the security features. The customer can then transfer the ticket to a second ticket holder. If the second ticket holder presents the ticket to the merchant for admission, the merchant determines that the ticket identifier is unbound and admits the ticket holder. To enhance security in case of loss or theft of the electronic ticket, the second ticket holder can request that the merchant rebind the ticket to security features corresponding to the second ticket holder.

Claims

1. A method of unbinding a ticket identifier from security features included on an electronic ticket, said method comprising:

receiving an unbind request from a requester, the unbind request including the ticket identifier corresponding to the electronic ticket;

determining whether the unbind request is authorized by the customer; and

unbinding the security features from the ticket identifier in response to determining that the unbind request is authorized.

2. The method as described in claim 1 wherein at least one of the security features is selected from the group consisting of a photograph of the customer, a customer signature, a digital signature corresponding to the customer, a fingerprint, and a description of the customer.

3. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the determining further comprises:

receiving an encrypted data packet that has been encrypted using a private key corresponding to the customer; and

deciphering the encrypted data packet using a stored public key corresponding to the customer.

4. The method as described in claim 1 further comprising:

determining whether the electronic ticket can be transferred; and

unbinding the security features from the ticket identifier in response to determining that the ticket can be transferred; and

returning an error message to the requester in response to determining that the ticket cannot be transferred.

5. The method as described in claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a binding request from a second requester, the binding request including a second ticket identifier and one or more security features corresponding to the second requester;

determining whether the second ticket identifier is currently bound to stored security features; and

binding the second ticket identifier to the second requestor'"'"'s security features in response to determining that the second ticket identifier is not currently bound to stored security features.

6. The method as described in claim 5 further comprising:

sending ticket information to the second request or in response to the binding, the ticket information including a ticket layout.

7. The method as described in claim 6 further comprising:

receiving a printed ticket from the second requestor, the printed ticket formatted according to the ticket layout, the printed ticket including the ticket identifier and the second requestor'"'"'s security features.

8. The method as described in claim 1 further comprising:

verifying the requester, the verifying including;

receiving a secret identifier from the requester; and

comparing the secret identifier with a stored secret identifier corresponding to the requester.

9. An information handling system comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory accessible by the processors;

a network interface for communicating with other information handling systems;

one or more nonvolatile storage areas accessible by the processors; and

an electronic ticketing tool for unbinding a ticket identifier from security features, the electronic ticket tool including;

means for receiving an unbind request from a requester, the unbind request including the ticket identifier corresponding to the electronic ticket;

means for determining whether the unbind request is authorized by the customer; and

means for unbinding the security features from the ticket identifier in response to determining that the unbind request is authorized.

10. The information handling system as described in claim 9 wherein the means for determining further comprises:

means for receiving an encrypted data packet that has been encrypted using a private key corresponding to the customer; and

means for deciphering the encrypted data packet using a stored public key corresponding to the customer.

11. The information handling system as described in claim 9 further comprising:

means for receiving a binding request from a second requestor, the binding request including a second ticket identifier and one or more security features corresponding to the second requester;

means for determining whether the second ticket identifier is currently bound to stored security features; and

means for binding the second ticket identifier to the second requestor'"'"'s security features in response to determining that the second ticket identifier is not currently bound to stored security features.

12. The information handling system as described in claim 9 further comprising:

means for verifying the requester, the verifying including;

means for receiving a secret identifier from the requester; and

means for comparing the secret identifier with a stored secret identifier corresponding to the requester.

14. The computer program product as described in claim 13 wherein at least one of the security features is selected from the group consisting of a photograph of the customer, a customer signature, a digital signature corresponding to the customer, a fingerprint, and a description of the customer.

15. The computer program product as described in claim 13 wherein the means for determining further comprises:

means for receiving an encrypted data packet that has been encrypted using a private key corresponding to the customer; and

means for deciphering the encrypted data packet using a stored public key corresponding to the customer.

16. The computer program product as described in claim 13 further comprising:

means for determining whether the electronic ticket can be transferred; and

means for unbinding the security features from the ticket identifier in response to determining that the ticket can be transferred; and

means for returning an error message to the requester in response to determining that the ticket cannot be transferred.

17. The computer program product as described in claim 13 further comprising:

means for receiving a binding request from a second requester, the binding request including a second ticket identifier and one or more security features corresponding to the second requestor;

means for determining whether the second ticket identifier is currently bound to stored security features; and

means for binding the second ticket identifier to the second requestor'"'"'s security features in response to determining that the second ticket identifier is not currently bound to stored security features.

18. The computer program product as described in claim 17 further comprising:

means for sending ticket information to the second requestor in response to the binding, the ticket information including a ticket layout.

19. The computer program product as described in claim 18 further comprising:

means for receiving a printed ticket from the second requestor, the printed ticket formatted according to the ticket layout, the printed ticket including the ticket identifier and the second requestor'"'"'s security features.

20. The computer program product as described in claim 13 further comprising:

means for verifying the requester, the verifying including;

means for receiving a secret identifier from the requestor; and

means for comparing the secret identifier with a stored secret identifier corresponding to the requester.

13. A computer program product stored on a computer operable medium for unbinding a ticket identifier from security features included on an electronic ticket, said computer program product comprising:

means for receiving an unbind request from a requester, the unbind request including the ticket identifier corresponding to the electronic ticket;

means for determining whether the unbind request is authorized by the customer; and

means for unbinding the security features from the ticket identifier in response to determining that the unbind request is authorized.