Multi-way transaction related data exchange apparatus and methods

• US 20050273440A1
• Filed: 05/13/2005
• Published: 12/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Peter N. Ching
• Original Assignee: Peter N. Ching
• Inventors: Ching, Peter N.
• Granted Patent: US 7,814,024 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/64
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/401 Transaction verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 2220/00 Business processing using cryptography
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/50 using hash chains, e.g. blockchains or hash trees

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for conducting electronic transactions such as commerce transactions or purchases and exchanging related information. In one aspect, a robust and integrated apparatus and associated method is provided whereby a purchaser can securely provide transaction data and/or information in an electronic format to another party such as a vendor. In one exemplary embodiment, the purchaser can authenticate his or her right to use the billing information contained therein to complete a purchase without actually having to disclose the billing information in a human readable format, thereby enabling the vendor to obtain and authenticate the purchaser'"'"'s identity and billing information while still protecting the purchaser'"'"'s privacy, and without requiring disclosure of the purchaser'"'"'s billing information to the vendor'"'"'s employees or any other parties. In another aspect, the vendor can provide information about the transaction in an electronic form that can be authenticated and verified for accuracy.

Claims

1. Apparatus adapted to securely provide transaction information in an electronic format to a first party, wherein said apparatus is configured to allow a second party to authenticate his or her right to use said information to complete a transaction without disclosing said information in any human-cognizable form.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said apparatus is configured to provide said authentication using at least dual key encryption.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said apparatus is further configured to provide validation of at least a portion of said information using at least a one-way hash algorithm.

4. A method of processing transaction-related data, comprising:

generating an electronic file comprising transaction-related data;

processing said file to create a first indicator of at least the content of said file at a first time;

encrypting said first indicator to produce at least one encrypted indicator; and

combining said encrypted indicator and said file to form a data structure.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising making said data structure available for use by or transfer to a third party.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising generating at least one additional file comprising second data.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein said act of encrypting comprises encrypting said first indicator such that it may only be decrypted with a decryption key designated by an entity performing said act of encrypting.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

verifying that the contents of the data structure are in their original form based at least in part on said content; and

authenticating an identity of a creator of said content.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

processing the data structure to identify the encrypted indicator;

using said designated decryption key to decrypt the identified encrypted indicator in order to obtain said first indicator; and

using said first indicator to confirm that at least a portion of said transaction-related data is unchanged.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein said data structure is distributed among a plurality of authorized entities.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein said second data comprises electronically readable notations to the data, said notations being selected from the group consisting of:

(i) instructions relating to decryption of said at least one file; and

(ii) information relating to the content of said at least one file.

12. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

placing a data transfer device in wired or wireless data communication with a device on which said data structure is resident; and

transferring said data structure to said data transfer device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said act of processing is performed substantially by a point-of-sale device, and said data transfer device is in data communication with said point-of-sale device either directly or through a data networking hub.

14. The method of claim 4, further comprising transferring said data structure via at least one of the Internet, a local area network, or a wide area network.

15. The method of claim 4, further comprising storing said data structure in a data file that is part of one or more independent distributed databases.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein at least a portion of said data file is periodically synchronized with a second data file that is also part of said one or more distributed databases.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said second data file is located on a data transfer device, and after said synchronization, information in said data file and said second data file are substantially identical.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein conflicts in said synchronization are identified and resolved according to at least one predefined criterion.

19. The method of claim 5, further comprising said third party utilizing said encrypted indicator and said first indicator to authenticate and verify, respectively, at least a portion of said data structure.

20. The method of claim 4, wherein said electronic file comprises a plurality of transaction related data, and said act of processing comprises processing multiple ones of said data.

21. The method of claim 4, further comprising performing at least a portion of said acts of generating, processing, encrypting and combining using at least one software application, said at least one software application being adapted to enable a plurality of user to exchange, capture, annotate, and analyze said transaction-related data.

22. The method of claim 4, wherein said electronic file comprises at least one of (i) healthcare records, and (iii) healthcare expenditure records, corresponding to one or more patients.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein said electronic file is transferred between at least one of said patients and at least one healthcare entity.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising using at least one software application to perform at least two acts from the group consisting of:

(i) exchanging, (ii) capturing, (iii) annotating, (iv) modifying, and (v) analyzing, said at least one file.

25. A method of processing data relating to equipment performance or diagnostics, comprising:

generating at least one electronic file comprising said data;

processing said at least one file to create a first indicator of at least the content of said at least one file at a first time;

encrypting said first indicator to produce an encrypted indicator;

combining said encrypted indicator and said at least one electronic file to form a data structure; and

transmitting said data structure from a first entity to a second entity electronically.

26. Apparatus adapted to process data selected from the group consisting of:

(i) transaction-related data, (ii) personal data;

(iii) health care data, and (iv) equipment performance or diagnostics data, the apparatus comprising;

input apparatus adapted to receive said data from at least one source;

computer apparatus operatively coupled to said input apparatus and adapted to;

generate at least one electronic file comprising said data;

process said at least one file to create a first indicator of at least the content of said at least one file at a first time;

encrypt said first indicator to produce an encrypted indicator;

combine said encrypted indicator and said at least one electronic file to form a data structure; and

transmit said data structure from said apparatus to another device.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein said computer apparatus comprises a digital processor and at least one software application running thereon, said distributed application being in logical communication with a software process at least one of said source and said another device.

28. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein said computer apparatus is configured to support (i) authentication using at least dual key encryption;

and (ii) validation of at least a portion of said data using at least a one way hash algorithm, by a recipient of said data structure.

29. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein said computer apparatus is configured to support authentication of said data structure without disclosing said data in a human-cognizable form.

30. A method for processing healthcare data, comprising:

storing the data in electronic form;

transferring the data to a data transfer device at a first location;

transferring the data transfer device to a second location; and

transferring the data from the data transfer device to a client device.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein said act of storing the data comprises storing said data in a first data file that is part of one or more independent distributed databases.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising periodically synchronizing said first data file with another data file residing on said data transfer device that is also part of said distributed database.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising subsequently synchronizing said another data file with at least one other data file that is also part of an independent distributed database.

34. The method of claim 30, further comprising authenticating and verifying said data using at least said client device and cryptographic data.

35. The method of claim 31, further comprising periodically synchronizing said first data file with a second data file residing on a remote computer device accessible via a local or wide area connection established between a first device hosting said first data file and said remote computer device.

36. A paper-less method of doing business, comprising:

generating via a first entity at least one first data structure comprising business-related data;

processing said at least one first structure to create a first indicator of at least the content of said at least one first structure at a first time;

encrypting said first indicator to produce an encrypted indicator;

combining said encrypted indicator and said at least one first structure to form a second data structure;

transmitting said second structure to a second entity; and

authenticating and verifying said second structure;

wherein said authenticating and verifying obviate paper or other tangible records of said business-related data.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein said business-related data comprises data related to purchase or service transactions, and said paper or other tangible records comprise receipts of said transactions.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein said authenticating comprises authenticating that the business-related data was created by a designated source, and said verifying comprises verifying that at least a portion of contents of said second data structure are unchanged as compared to corresponding contents of said first structure.

39. A method of conducting logically related transactions between first and second entities, comprising:

conducting a first transaction at a first time;

storing data relating to said first transaction at said first entity;

performing subsequent processing of said stored data to generate a data structure; and

conducting a second transaction related at least in part to said data structure at a second time.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein said first transaction comprises a sales or service transaction, and said second transaction comprises transmitting said data structure to said second entity at said second time.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein said processing comprises:

generating via said first entity at least one electronic file comprising said data relating to said first transaction;

processing said at least one file to create a first indicator of at least the content of said at least one file at a first time;

encrypting said first indicator to produce an encrypted indicator; and

combining said encrypted indicator and said at least one file to form said data structure.