Certification and unique electronic seals for online entities

• US 20050065812A1
• Filed: 11/08/2004
• Published: 03/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Square Trade Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Square Trade Incorporated
• Inventors: Khaishgi, Ahmed, Quinn, John
• Application Number:
  US10/983,774
• Publication Number:
  US 20050065812A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3821 Electronic credentials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/401 Transaction verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4016 involving fraud or risk level assessment in transaction processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/018 Certifying business or products
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/182 Alternative dispute resolution

Abstract

The invention provides techniques for issuing electronic seals of certification to online entities, such as online merchants, in a manner that prevents non-certified parties from easily stealing or otherwise misusing the seals. A central seal issuer verifies the credentials, policies or business practices of each merchant and issues a corresponding seal of certification. For each merchant, the seal issuer generates a unique media object representing an electronic seal. The media object includes an encrypted watermark containing an expiration date. The media objects are stored on a seal server such that the merchants can dynamically retrieve and display the electronic seals when accessed by a user. The seal issuer can easily revoke or update the centrally stored seals.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving agreements to participate in online dispute resolution from plurality of online entities; and

generating corresponding media objects for each of the online entities based on receipt of the agreements, wherein each of the media objects includes media to present a unique seal of certification for each of the entities.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing data reflecting the agreements for each of the online entities in a database,

wherein generating corresponding media objects comprises generating corresponding media objects for each of the online entities based on the data stored in the database.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the media objects comprise images and the entities comprises online merchants.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein generating corresponding media objects comprises selectively displaying the media objects.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating at least one of the media objects via an electronic mail message.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein generating corresponding media objects comprises selectively displaying the media objects within an online marketplace

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising verifying that the participants comply with security requirements.