Transaction card information access web service

• US 20040208164A1
• Filed: 04/15/2003
• Published: 10/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. (American Express Company)
• Original Assignee: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. (American Express Company)
• Inventors: Keenan, Sean M., Turko, Bill, Morgan, Bob
• Granted Patent: US 7,342,918 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols

Abstract

There is provided a platform neutral method and system for retrieving card information in an extensible markup language (XML) format over the internet via a web service comprising the steps of formulating a simple access object protocol (SOAP) request for the selected information at a consumer application, transmitting the SOAP request to the web service over the internet, receiving the SOAP requests at a provider web service, routing the information request for card information to a provider back-end network, processing the information request and retrieving the selected card information and forwarding to the web service application, formatting the retrieved selected card information in an XML format and formulating a SOAP reply, transmitting the SOAP reply to the consumer over the internet, receiving the SOAP reply at a consumer web server application, reading the XML formatted stored value card information, and routing the XML formatted information to a consumer back-end application or end-point access devices.

Claims

1. A method for retrieving selected transaction card information in a standard format over a public interconnected network via a provider web service, comprising the steps of:

a) formulating a simple object access protocol (SOAP) request for transaction card information;

b) transmitting said SOAP request to the provider web service over the public interconnected network;

c) receiving said SOAP request at a provider web service;

d) reading said SOAP request to determine the transaction card information being requested;

e) retrieving the transaction card information from a storage location and forwarding the transaction card information to said web service;

f) formatting said transaction card information in an extensible markup language (XML) format and formulating a SOAP reply; and

g) transmitting said SOAP reply over the public interconnected network.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

h) receiving said SOAP reply at a consumer web server application;

i) reading said SOAP reply to parse out said XML formatted transaction card information; and

j) routing said XML formatted transaction card information to one or more consumer back-end applications or end-point access devices.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising the steps of:

prior to transmitting said SOAP request, encrypting said SOAP request, and providing said SOAP request with a consumer digital signature;

after receiving said SOAP request, verifying that said consumer digital signature on said received encrypted SOAP request corresponds to an authorized consumer and then decrypting said SOAP request;

prior to transmitting said SOAP reply, encrypting said SOAP reply, and providing said SOAP reply with a provider digital signature; and

after receiving said SOAP reply, verifying that said provider digital signature on said received encrypted SOAP reply corresponds to said provider, and then decrypting said SOAP reply.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising the steps of:

generating and transmitting an out-of-band message to a selected third party application indicating that said SOAP request was sent to said web service;

generating and transmitting an out-of-band message to said selected third party application acknowledging that said SOAP request was received at said web service application;

generating and transmitting an out-of-band message to said selected third party application indicating that said SOAP reply was sent to said consumer web server application; and

generating and transmitting an out-of-band message to said selected third party application acknowledging that said SOAP reply was received at said consumer web server application;

whereby said third party application is adapted to store a plurality of received messages confirming that said SOAP request and said SOAP reply were transmitted and received by a consumer and provider network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said transaction card is a stored value card, a gift card, a credit card, a smart card, a bank card, a charge card or a financial card.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said transaction card information is card transaction history and balance of said transaction card.

7. A method for retrieving selected transaction card information in a standard format over a public interconnected network via a provider web service, comprising the steps of:

a) formulating a simple object access protocol (SOAP) request for transaction card information at a web server application in a consumer network operating on a first platform;

b) transmitting said SOAP request to the provider web service over the public interconnected network;

c) receiving said SOAP request at a provider web service application of the provider web service;

d) reading said SOAP request to determine the transaction card information being requested;

e) generating and routing an internal information request based on said received SOAP request to a provider back-end network operating on a second platform;

f) retrieving said transaction card information from a storage location and forwarding the transaction card to said web service application;

g) formatting said retrieved transaction card information in an extensible markup language (XML) format and formulating a SOAP reply containing said XML formatted transaction card information;

h) transmitting said SOAP reply to said consumer web server application over the public interconnected network;

i) receiving said SOAP reply at said consumer web server application;

j) reading said SOAP reply to parse out said XML formatted transaction card information; and

k) routing said XML formatted transaction card information to one or more consumer back-end applications or end-point access devices.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising:

prior to transmitting said SOAP request to said provider web service, encrypting said SOAP request, and providing said SOAP request with a consumer digital signature;

after receiving said SOAP request at said provider web service application, verifying that said consumer digital signature on said received encrypted SOAP request corresponds to an authorized consumer and then decrypting said SOAP request;

prior to transmitting said SOAP reply to said consumer web server application, encrypting said SOAP reply, and providing said SOAP reply with a provider digital signature; and

after receiving said SOAP reply at said consumer web server application, verifying that said provider digital signature on said received encrypted SOAP reply corresponds to said provider, and then decrypting said SOAP reply.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

generating and transmitting an out-of-band message to a selected third party application indicating that said SOAP request was sent to said web service;

generating and transmitting an out-of-band message to said selected third party application acknowledging that said SOAP request was received at said provider web service application;

generating and transmitting an out-of-band message to said selected third party application indicating that said SOAP reply was sent to said consumer web server application; and

generating and transmitting an out-of-band message to said selected third party application acknowledging that said SOAP reply was received at said consumer web server application;

whereby said third party application is adapted to store a plurality of received messages confirming that said SOAP request and said SOAP reply were transmitted and received by a consumer and provider network.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein said transaction card is a stored value card, a gift card, a credit card, a smart card, a bank card, a charge card or a financial card.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein said selected card information is card transaction history and balance of said transaction card.

12. The method of claim 7, where said first platform and said second platforms are different operating systems.