Virtual token

• US 20030163787A1
• Filed: 03/04/2003
• Published: 08/28/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telstra Corporation Limited (Telstra Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Telstra Corporation Limited (Telstra Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Leenders, Ronald George, Hay, Brian Robert, Kinder, Richard David, Hibberd, Timothy Winston
• Granted Patent: US 8,037,193 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/522
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/367 involving electronic purses or money safes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3672 initialising or reloading thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

A virtual token represents an item, and includes embedded data defining rules and/or capabilities which apply to the use of the item. A virtual token may include graphical image data which is used to generate a display on a computer, whereby selection of the display allows the item represented by the virtual token to be used. A virtual token may contain instructions for sending access requests to a location on a communications network A system for handling virtual tokens includes a clearing and routing house for routing token access requests, authenticating and generating tokens, and maintaining container structures for tokens. The system also includes connectors installed in a communications network for creating, controlling and managing items represented by tokens, and device clients for executing token components that issue access requests to the clearing and routing house.

Claims

1. A virtual token representative of an item, said token including embedded data defining rules and/or capabilities which define use and control of said item, such that said token has a value.

2. A token as claimed in claim 1, including identification data identifying the token itself and the owner of the token.

3. A token as claimed in claim 1, wherein said token is part of a token hierarchy and the identification data identifies the token'"'"'s position in the hierarchy.

4. A token as claimed in claim 3, wherein said token is a primary token referring to at least one secondary token.

5. A token as claimed in claim 3, wherein said token is a secondary token referring to at least one primary token.

6. A token as claimed in claim 1, wherein said token is part of a token hierarchy defined by token cluster data accessible by said token.

7. A token as claimed in claim 6, wherein said cluster data includes data providing links to primary and secondary tokens of a token cluster.

8. A token as claimed in claim 2, wherein said identification data identifies a template used to create the token.

9. A token as claimed in claim 2, wherein said identification data identifies other virtual tokens referenced by the token.

10. A token as claimed in claim 1, wherein said item is an asset or service or a potential asset or service.

11. A token as claimed in claim 1, wherein said token includes instructions to send an access request to a location of a computer device, such as a computer system, application server or handheld device.

12. A token as claimed in claim 1, wherein said token includes an item data block with data representing said capabilities and rules associated with said item, and a life cycle stage data block including capabilities filter data for adjusting said capabilities and said rules based on time or events.

13. A token as claimed in claim 12, including a proxy data block for installation on a user computer device having access instruction data for accessing said item data block.

14. A token as claimed in claim 12, wherein said token includes a connector data block having data for creating, managing or controlling said item, said connector data block being accessible based on a reference in said item data block.

15. A token as claimed in claim 12, wherein said item data block refers to a cluster data block defining said token'"'"'s position in a hierarchy.

38. A system having components for generating and processing a token as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 15 and 26 to 29.

39. Software having components for generating and processing a token as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 15 and 26 to 29.

45. A virtual token as claimed in claim 13 or 44, wherein said computer device is portable.

46. A virtual token as claimed in claim 12 or 42, including a proxy data block for installation on a portable memory device, said proxy data block having data for accessing said item data block.

16. A method of providing a virtual token, including:

generating a virtual token representative of an item, said token including identifying data, rules defining use and control of said item, and data defining operation and presentation of said token; and

delivering said token for use by a person, such that said presentation is generated on a device;

wherein said person is able to use and control said item by selecting said presentation using said device.

17. A method as claimed in claim 16, wherein said method includes managing said token, all child tokens in a token hierarchy of said token, and all referenced tokens.

18. A method as claimed in claim 16, wherein said method includes grouping said tokens within a token container that specifies the relationship between said tokens.

19. A method as claimed in claim 18, wherein said container has a status based on the state of the tokens of said container.

20. A method as claimed in claim 19, wherein said container is adapted to trigger a predefined action once a container status transition occurs.

21. A method as claimed in claim 19, wherein said container status is altered by triggering of said tokens.

22. A method as claimed in claim 16, wherein said token has value related to the value of said item.

23. A method as claimed in claim 22, wherein said item is an asset, service or potential asset or service.

24. A method as claimed in claim 16, wherein said token includes data for sending an access request to a location of a communications network.

25. A method as claimed in claim 16, wherein said generating is executed on a token generation system under the control of an owner of the token, and said identifying data includes data identifying the owner.

36. A system having components for executing the steps of the method as claimed in any one of claims 16 to 25 and 30 to 35.

37. Software having components for executing the steps of the method as claimed in any one of claims 16 to 25 and 30 to 35.

26. A virtual token representative of an item and having identifying data, rules defining use and control of the item, instructions to send an access request to a location of a communications network and graphical image data to generate a display of a presentation of said token.

27. A virtual token as claimed in claim 26, wherein said token is adapted to cause execution of said instructions on selection of said icon on a computer device and send said identifying data to said location for authentication.

28. A virtual token as claimed in claim 26, wherein said token is adapted to be dynamically altered on the basis of status information corresponding to said item accessed by said token.

29. A virtual token as claimed in claim 28, wherein said graphical image data is adapted to generate the presentation of the status information embedded within said icon.

30. A method of using a virtual token, including:

selecting a presentation of a virtual token, said token being representative of an item and including identifying data, rules defining use and control of said item, data to send an access request to a location of a communications network, and data defining operation and said presentation; and

executing said data and rules in response to selecting said presentation and sending said identifying data to said location with said access request.

31. A method as claimed in claim 30, including causing execution of authentication instructions at said location in response to said access request to authenticate said identifying data, and to generate and send a request for use of said item.

32. A method as claimed in claim 31, wherein executing said authentication instructions includes consolidating data related to token authentication and usage.

33. A method as claimed in claim 31, including updating said token to reflect the results of the use and/or status of said item.

34. A method as claimed in claim 33, wherein updates to said token are presented dynamically.

35. A method as claimed in claim 33, wherein updates to said token are presented as information embedded within the icon of said token.

40. A token system for handling virtual tokens, including:

a clearing and routing house for routing token access requests, authenticating tokens and generating tokens, and maintaining container structures for said tokens;

connectors installed in a communications network for creating, controlling and managing items represented by said tokens; and

device clients installed on devices for executing components of said tokens that issue access requests to said clearing and routing house.

41. A token system as claimed in claim 40, wherein said clearing and routing house issues access requests to said connectors.

42. A virtual token representative of an item, and including embedded data defining rules and/or capabilities which apply to use of said item, such that said token has value, said token including an item data block with data representing said capabilities and rules associated with said item, and a life cycle stage data block including capabilities filter data for adjusting said capabilities and said rules based on time or events.

44. A virtual token as claimed in claim 42, including a proxy data block for installation on a computer device adapted for connection to a communications network, said proxy data block having data for accessing said item data block.

43. A virtual token representative of an item and having identifying data, instructions to send and access request to a location of a communications network and graphical image data to generate a display of a presentation of said token, said token being adapted to be dynamically altered on the basis of status information corresponding to said item accessed by said token.