Central Key Authority Database in an ABDS System

• US 20030097573A1
• Filed: 02/01/2003
• Published: 05/22/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: First Data Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: First Data Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Wheeler, Anne M., WHEELER, Lynn Henry
• Granted Patent: US 7,096,354 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/182
• 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 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/341 Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3823 combining multiple encryption tools for a transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3825 Use of electronic signatures
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3829 involving key management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/385 using an alias or single-use codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/388 using mutual authentication without cards, e.g. challenge-response
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4014 Identity check for transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/403 Solvency checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40975 using encryption therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0886 the card reader being portable for interacting with a POS or ECR in realizing a payment transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1016 Devices or methods for securing the PIN and other transaction-data, e.g. by encryption arrangements for secret communication, see H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/062 for key distribution, e.g. centrally by trusted party cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving a central third party H04L9/0819
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/12 Applying verification of the received information cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for data integrity or data verification H04L9/32

Abstract

Abstract of Disclosure

Managing a database of a central key authority for a plurality of account holders, each account holder having at least one account associated with a public key of a public-private key pair of that account holder, includes maintaining for each account holder a record of information pertaining to the accounts of that account holder associated with the public keys of the account holder. The information pertaining to the accounts of an account holder includes (a) a public key of a user device that generates digital signatures, and (b) third-party account identifiers each of which identifies to a third-party an account of the user that is maintained with the third-party and that has been associated with the user'"'"'s public key by the third-party.

Claims

1. A method of managing a database of a central key authority for a plurality of account holders, each account holder having at least one account associated with a public key of a public-private key pair of that account holder, comprising maintaining for each account holder a record of information pertaining to the accounts of that account holder associated with the public keys of the account holder.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the information pertaining to the accounts of an account holder includes the public keys associated with the accounts.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each account of an account holder is associated with the same public key of that account holder.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the information pertaining to the accounts of the account holder includes the single public key associated with the accounts of that account holder.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the information pertaining to the accounts of an account holder includes the identity of the account authority of each account.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the information pertaining to the accounts of an account holder includes a unique identifier of each account by which a record maintained by the account authority of each account is retrievable from an account database of the account authority.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the information pertaining to the accounts of an account holder includes attributes of each account.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the information pertaining to the accounts of an account holder includes personal information of that account holder.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the information pertaining to the accounts of an account holder includes information regarding a device of that account holder in which a private key of a public-private key pair of that account holder is kept.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the information regarding the device includes security features of the device.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of recording information in the record of an account holder received from an account authority of an account of that account holder.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of recording information in the record of an account holder received from a manufacturer of a device of that account holder in which a private key of a public-private key pair of that account holder is kept.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of recording information in the record of an account holder received from a distributor of a token of that account holder in which a private key of a public-private key pair of that account holder is kept.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of indexing the records of the account holders in the central key authority database by the public keys of each account holder.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of indexing the records of the account holders in the central key authority database by unique identifiers.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of notifying for a particular account holder each account authority of an account of that account holder with which a single public key is associated which has been lost, stolen, or compromised.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising the step of communicating a public key of another public-private key pair of that account holder to a notified account authority to be newly associated with the account of that account holder maintained by that account authority.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating information maintained in the central key authority database for a particular account holder to a new account authority with which the account holder desires to establish an account, the information including a public key of that account holder to be associated by the new account authority with the new account.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein no personal information regarding the account owner is communicated to the new account authority.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving information from an existing account authority of an account holder and maintaining the information in a record for that account holder in the central key authority database, the information including a public key of that account holder associated with the account of that account authority.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the information includes an account number.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the information includes a list of associated accounts.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the information includes the name of an account holder.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein the information includes the address of an account holder.

25. The method of claim 1, wherein the information includes the social security number of an account holder.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein the information includes the tax identification number of an account holder.

27. The method of claims 1, wherein the information regards a device possessing a private key of the account holder used to generate a digital signature of an electronic message.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein the information includes security features of the device.

29. A method of maintaining a Central Key Authority (CKA) database, the CKA database comprising account information of users including:

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the information linked with the public key comprises security features of the device.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the information linked with the public key comprises a manufacturing history of the device.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein the public key and information linked therewith is obtained from a Secure Entity.

33. The method of claim 29, wherein the account information maintained in the CKA database for each user further includes the identity of each third-party with which an account is maintained that is identified by one of the third-party account identifiers.

34. The method of claim 29, wherein the account information of the users is indexed in the CKA database by unique CKA account identifiers such that the account information for a user is retrievable from the CKA database based on the account identifier.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the public key is the CKA account identifier.

36. The method of claim 29, wherein the account information maintained in the CKA database for each user further includes user-specific information.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the user-specific information is verified.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein each user account further includes a record of the techniques that were employed in verifying the user-specific information.

39. The method of claim 36, wherein the user-specific information includes the name and address of the user.

40. The method of claim 36, wherein the user-specific information includes the age and gender of the user.

41. The method of claim 34, further comprising establishing an account on behalf of a user with a third-party by communicating the public key of the user and information with the public key from the CKA database to the third-party.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the public key of the user and information with the public key is communicated upon the request of the third-party to which it is communicated.

43. The method of claim 36, further comprising updating PuK-linked accounts of a user maintained with at least two independent third-parties with a new public key of the user, comprising the steps of:

44. The method of claim 36, further comprising digitally signing the new public key of the user and third-party account identifier.