ANONYMOUS TRANSACTION AUTHENTICATION

• US 20040254894A1
• Filed: 07/30/2004
• Published: 12/16/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: First Data Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: First Data Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Barton, Laura P., TSUEI, Henry, WELLS, Stephen, BLAGG, Lynn Holm, BARTON, Peter Richard
• Granted Patent: US 7,264,152 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/74
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• 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 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/24 Credit schemes, i.e. "pay after"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/342 Cards defining paid or billed services or quantities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/383 Anonymous user system
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/385 using an alias or single-use codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4037 Remote solvency checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/025 by means, e.g. cards, providing billing information at the time of purchase, e.g. identification of seller or purchaser, quantity of goods delivered or to be delivered
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/08 by coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means without personal verification means G07F7/02

Abstract

An automated system for the confirmed efficient authentication of an anonymous subscriber'"'"'s profile data. The system is comprised of software/hardware interface to facilitate centralized access and exchange to easily and inexpensively allow the confirmed authentication of subscriber profiles of customers wishing to blind their transactions, while maintaining current services. In one aspect the system allows a subscriber to anonymously accomplish credit card transactions without associating any aspect of the transaction with any information associated with the true identity of the subscriber.

Claims

1. A system for confirmed authentication of uniquely identified personal and business type information related to a particular subscriber to a service provider requesting an authentication of said information by means of an alias comprising:

a) at least one segregated database, containing said uniquely identified personal and business type information related to a particular subscriber for facilitating said confirmed authentication and able of confirmed transmission and confirmed receipt over a communications link wherein said segregated database communicates with at least one requesting entity and is able of generating a formatted response to said formatted request for said authentication and able of confirmed transmission of said response over said communication link; and

b) at least one requesting entity, communicating with said segregated database able of generating a formatted request for said authentication, able of confirmed transmission of said request over said communication link, and able of confirmed receipt of a formatted response over said communication link.

2. The system as set out in claim 1, wherein said service providers are selected from the group comprising vendors, wholesale, retailers and e-commerce vendors.

3. The system as set out in claim 1, wherein said at least one requesting entity is a financial service provider.

4. The system as set out in claim 1, wherein said service provider is a credit card company.

5. The system as set out in claim 1, wherein said formatted request is an alias.

6. The system as set out in claim 1, wherein said formatted request is an alphanumeric code.

7. The system as set out in claim 1, wherein said communications link is selected from the group consisting of a public communication system and a private communications system.

8. The system as set out in claim 7, wherein said public communication system is a preexisting public communication system.

9. The system as set out in claim 8 wherein the public communication system is the Internet.

10. The system as set out in claim 9 wherein the protocol on said Internet is selected from the group consisting of virtual private network and X.400.

11. The system as set out in claim 1 wherein said segregated database is accessed by at least one central server.

12. The system as set out in claim 11 wherein said at least one central server is a multi tiered system.

13. The system as set out ire claim 11, wherein said database contains a lookup table.

14. The system as set out in claim 1, wherein the system is automated.

15. The system as set out in claim 1, wherein said business type information related to a particular subscriber is a subscriber information financial profile.

16. The system as set out in claim 15, wherein said subscriber profile is a financial subscriber profile.

17. A system for anonymous confirmed authentication of uniquely identified busing type information related to a particular subscriber to service providers or information requesters comprising:

a) at least one, requesting service provider,

b) at least one subscriber having identified business type information related the particular subscriber;

c) an information hub, containing identified business type information related to the particular subscriber connected to said requesting service provider via a communications link for electronically requesting, processing and confirming the existence of said uniquely identified business information related to a particular subscriber to said requesting service provider.

18. The system as set out ire claim 17, wherein said Service Provider or Information Requester is selected from the group comprising vendors, wholesalers, retailers and ecommerce vendors.

19. The system as set out in claim 17, wherein said at least one subscriber is a credit card subscriber.

20. The system as set out in claim 17, wherein said communications link is selected from the group consisting of a public communication system and a private communications system.

21. The system as set art in claim 20, wherein said public communication system is a preexisting public communication system.

22. The system as set out in claim 21 wherein said public communication system is the Internet.

23. The system as set out in claim 22 wherein the protocol on said Internet is selected from the group consisting of virtual private network and X400

24. The system as set out in claim 17 wherein said information hub is comprised of a single server.

25. The system as set out in claim 17 wherein said information hub is comprised of a multi tiered server system.

26. The system as set out in claim 17, wherein the system is automated.

27. The system as set out in claim 17, wherein said subscriber profile is financial.

28. A method for a system of confirmed authentication of uniquely identified business type records which are related to a particular subscriber to an authorized requesting entity using at least one segregated database which communicates with the requester by means of a communications link comprising the steps of:

a) initially generating a request for authentication of the uniquely identified business records in a specified format;

b) transmitting the request to a confirming segregated database via the communications link;

c) receiving said confirming receipt of the formatted request by the segregated database;

d) confirming receipt of said formatted request and generating a formatted response;

e) transmitting the response to the requesting entity via the communications link; and

f) receiving and confirming receipt of the formatted response by the requesting entity.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprisig the steps of,

providing an alias account for a credit cardholder on a credit card processing system that is associated with a first credit card and that identifies the cardholder with an alias identity;

providing a primary account for the credit cardholder on the credit card processing system that is associated with a second credit card and identifies the cardholder with the cardholder'"'"'s real identity; and

providing a secure database to create a relationship between the alias account and the primary account to carry out credit card processing functions, wherein the segregated database comprises the secure database.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising the step of creating the relationship between the alias and primary account by constructing a database that associates a second primary account and a second alias account stored in the secure database.

31. The method of claim 29, further comprising the steps of:

constructing a first database that contains information for setting up the second alias account in the secure database;

constructing a second database containing information for assigning an account number to the second alias account setup from information in the first database;

constructing a third database containing information to create a profile for an issuer that is assigned to the second alias account constructed from the first database;

constructing a fourth database that contains information for matching the second alias account created from the first database and a second primary account that corresponds to the primary account on the card processing system; and

constructing a fifth database containing alias and primary account information for replacing the alias identity with the cardholder'"'"'s real identity retrieved from the second primary account.

32. The method of claim 29, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a security stub from an applicant and using the security stub to setup an alias account in the secure database that corresponds to a second alias account in the credit card processing system;

providing the alias account'"'"'s information to the credit card processing system so that the credit card processing system can set up the second alias account;

receiving a credit card application at the credit card processing system from an applicant to setup the primary account in the credit card processing system; and

providing the primary account'"'"'s information from the credit card processing system to the secure database so that the secure database can setup a second primary account that corresponds to the account in the credit card processing system.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising the steps of:

receiving the security stub with a password and a first document tracking number;

receiving the credit card application with a source of credit information and a second document tracking number that corresponds to the first document tracking number on the security stub; and

creating the relationship between the alias account and the primary account based on the first and second document tracking number.

34. The method of claim 29, further comprising the steps of:

creating a first credit line for the primary account on the credit card processing system;

transmitting an indication of the first credit line from the credit card processing system to the secure database;

receiving the indication of the first credit line at the secure database and apportioning the fast credit line and assigning a second credit line to the primary account and a third credit line to the alias account; and

transmitting a message reflecting the second credit tine back to the credit card processing system to replace the first credit line as a new credit line associated with the primary account.

35. The method of claim 29, further comprising the steps of:

closing the primary or alias account on the credit card processing system;

transmitting an indication to the secure database that the primary or alias account has been closed;

receiving the indication at the secure database that the primary or alias account has been closed and in response to receiving the indication;

combining the second primary account and the second alias account into a new account; and

transmitting the new account to the credit card processing system.

36. The method of claim 28 wherein said response is a denial of the request.

37. The method of claim 28 wherein said response is an authentication.

38. The method of claim 28 wherein said response is at least a partial informational compliance.

39. The method of claim 28 wherein said response comprises uniquely identified customer related profiles.

40. The method of claim 28 wherein said communications link is selected from the group consisting of a public communication system and a private communications system.

41. A system for anonymous confirmed authentication of uniquely identified personal and business type information related to a particular subscriber to service provides comprising,

a) at least one requesting service provider capable of communicating with at least one server via a communications link and generating formatted requests for said authentication, capable of confirmed transmission of said requests over said communication link and capable of confirmed receipt of a formatted response over said communications link;

b) at least one subscriber having identified business type information related to the particular subscriber;

c) at least one server capable of verifying a service provider'"'"'s authority arid receiving and transmitting via a communication link formatted requests for said authentication and formatted responses for said authentication; and

d) at least one offline database containing unique identified personal and business type information for a particular subscriber capable of receiving via a communication link formatted requests for said authentication and transmitting a response to said requests.

42. The system as set out in claim 41 wherein the service providers are selected from the group comprising vendors, wholesalers, retailers and ecommerce vendors.

43. The system as set out in claim 41 wherein said at least one service provider is a financial service provider.

44. The system as set out in claim 41 wherein said service provider is a credit card company.

45. The system as set out in claim 41 wherein said formatted request is an alias.

46. The system as set out in claim 41 wherein said formatted request is an alphanumeric code.

47. The system as set out in claim 41 wherein said communications link is selected from the group consisting of a public communication system arid a private communication system.

48. The system as set out in claim 47 wherein said public communication system is the Internet.

49. The system as set out in claim 48 wherein the protocol on said Internet is selected from the group consisting of a virtual private network and X.400.