Method and system for authentication

• US 20060040726A1
• Filed: 02/11/2005
• Published: 02/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT Global Solutions Corporation (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: GTECH Rhode Island Corporation (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Oram, Thomas K., Szrek, Walter
• Granted Patent: US 7,749,080 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/17
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/341 Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40145 Biometric identity checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40975 using encryption therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/329 Regular and instant lottery, e.g. electronic scratch cards
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/08 by coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means without personal verification means G07F7/02
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/12 Card verification
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/122 Online card verification
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/32 including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system or for message authentication, e.g. authorization, entity authentication, data integrity or data verification, non-repudiation, key authentication or verification of credentials

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide a method and system for authentication. In one embodiment, a first identifier associated with an item to be authenticated may be received. A first decryption key associated with the item may also be received. The first identifier may be decrypted using the first decryption key to generate a second identifier. The contents of an authentication database may be searched to find a match for the second identifier. If a match for the second identifier is found in the authentication database, the item may be confirmed as authentic. In embodiments of the present invention, the item may be a lottery ticket, a document, a receipt, a ticket, a credit card, etc.

Claims

1. A method for authenticating a lottery ticket, comprising:

receiving a first identifier associated with the lottery ticket to be authenticated;

receiving a first decryption key associated with the lottery ticket;

decrypting the first identifier using the first decryption key to generate a second identifier;

searching the contents of a lottery ticket authentication database to find a match for the second identifier; and

if a match for the second identifier is found in the lottery ticket authentication database, confirming that the lottery ticket is authentic.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first identifier and the first decryption key are printed on the lottery ticket.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprises:

encrypting a lottery ticket identifier using a first encryption key to generate the first identifier, wherein the lottery ticket identifier is associated with the lottery ticket.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprises:

generating the first encryption key and the first decryption key.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the first encryption key and the first decryption key are the same.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the first encryption key and the first decryption key are different.

7. The method of claim 2, further comprises:

encrypting the second identifier using a second encryption key to generate a third identifier.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprises:

generating a second decryption key.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprises:

decrypting the third identifier using the second decryption key to generate a first result.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein the first decryption key is associated with a plurality of lottery tickets.

11. The method of claim 2, wherein the first encryption key is associated with a plurality of lottery tickets.

12. The method of claim 2, wherein the first decryption key is uniquely associated with a single lottery ticket.

13. The method of claim 2, wherein the first encryption key is uniquely associated with a single lottery ticket.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprises:

if a match for the second identifier is not found in the lottery ticket authentication database, indicating that the lottery ticket is not authentic.

15. A method for authenticating items, comprising:

receiving a first identifier associated with an item to be authenticated;

receiving a first decryption key associated with the item;

decrypting the first identifier using the first decryption key to generate a second identifier;

searching the contents of an authentication database to find a match for the second identifier; and

if a match for the second identifier is found in the authentication database, confirming that the item is authentic.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the item is a lottery ticket.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the item is a document.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the first identifier and the first decryption key are printed on the item.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprises:

encrypting a item identifier using a first encryption key to generate the first identifier, wherein the item identifier is associated with the item.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprises:

generating the first encryption key and the first decryption key.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the first encryption key and the first decryption key are the same.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the first encryption key and the first decryption key are different.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein the item is a ticket.

24. The method of claim 18, wherein the item is a coupon.

25. The method of claim 18, further comprises:

if a match for the second identifier is not found in the authentication database, indicating that the item is not authentic.

26. A method for generating authentication information for a lottery ticket, comprising:

receiving a first identifier, wherein the first identifier is associated with the lottery ticket;

encrypting the first identifier using a first encryption key to generate a second identifier;

generating a first decryption key to decrypt the second identifier; and

outputting the second identifier and the first decryption key, wherein the second identifier and the first decryption key are associated with the lottery ticket.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the first encryption key and the second encryption key are the same.

28. The method of claim 26, further comprises:

printing the second identifier and the first decryption key on the lottery ticket.

29. The method of claim 26, further comprises:

storing the first identifier in a lottery ticket authentication database.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprises:

receiving an authentication request from a client, wherein the authentication request includes a lottery ticket identifier and a corresponding lottery ticket decryption key;

decrypting the lottery ticket identifier using the corresponding lottery ticket decryption key to generate a third identifier;

searching the contents of the lottery ticket authentication database to find a match for the third identifier; and

if a match for the third identifier is found in the lottery ticket authentication database, validating the lottery ticket as authentic.

31. The method of claim 26, further comprises:

printing the second identifier on the lottery ticket.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprises:

retrieving the first decryption key based on the second identifier from a key database.

33. The method of claim 26, further comprises:

encrypting the second identifier using a second encryption key to generate a third identifier.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprises:

generating a second decryption key to decrypt the third identifier.

35. The method of claim 34, further comprises:

decrypting the third identifier using the second decryption key to generate the second identifier.

36. A method for generating authentication information for items, comprising:

receiving a first identifier, wherein the first identifier is associated with an item;

encrypting the first identifier using a first encryption key to generate a second identifier;

generating a first decryption key to decrypt the second identifier; and

outputting the second identifier and the first decryption key, wherein the second identifier and the first decryption key are associated with the item.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the first encryption key and the second encryption key are the same.

38. The method of claim 36, further comprises:

printing the second identifier and the first decryption key on the item.

39. The method of claim 36, wherein the item is a lottery ticket.

40. The method of claim 36, wherein the item is a document.

41. The method of claim 36, wherein the item is a ticket.

42. The method of claim 36, further comprises:

storing the first identifier in an authentication database.

43. The method of claim 42, further comprises:

receiving an authentication request from a client, wherein the authentication request includes a item identifier and a corresponding item decryption key;

decrypting the item identifier using the corresponding item decryption key to generate a third identifier;

searching the contents of the authentication database to find a match for the third identifier; and

if a match for the third identifier is found in the authentication database, validating the item as authentic.

44. The method of claim 36, further comprises:

printing the second identifier on the item.

45. Apparatus comprising:

an interface to receive a first identifier and a first decryption key associated with an item;

a decryption device to decrypt the first identifier using the first decryption key to generate a second identifier;

a comparator to search the contents of an authentication database to find a match for the second identifier, wherein the interface to confirm that the item is authentic, if a match for the second identifier is found in the authentication database.

46. The apparatus of claim 45, wherein the item is a lottery ticket.

47. The apparatus of claim 45, further comprises:

an encryption device to encrypt a item identifier using a first encryption key to generate the first identifier, wherein the item identifier is associated with the item.

48. The apparatus of claim 45, further comprises:

a client device to transmit the first identifier and the first decryption key included with the item to the interface.

49. The apparatus of claim 45, further comprises:

a scanner to read the first identifier and the first decryption key included with the item.

50. A machine-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of executable instructions to be executed by a processor to implement a method for authenticating a lottery ticket, the method comprising:

receiving a first identifier associated with the lottery ticket to be authenticated;

receiving a first decryption key associated with the lottery ticket;

decrypting the first identifier using the first decryption key to generate a second identifier;

searching the contents of a lottery ticket authentication database to find a match for the second identifier; and

if a match for the second identifier is found in the lottery ticket authentication database, confirming that the lottery ticket is authentic.

51. The machine-readable medium of claim 50, the method further comprises:

encrypting a lottery ticket identifier using a first encryption key to generate the first identifier, wherein the lottery ticket identifier is associated with the lottery ticket.

52. The machine-readable medium of claim 51, the method further comprises:

generating the first encryption key and the first decryption key.

53. The machine-readable medium of claim 51, the method further comprises:

encrypting the second identifier using a second encryption key to generate a third identifier.

54. The machine-readable medium of claim 53, the method further comprises:

generating a second decryption key.

55. The machine-readable medium of claim 54, the method further comprises:

decrypting the third identifier using the second decryption key to generate a first result.

56. A lottery ticket comprising an encrypted ticket identifier and a decryption key.

57. The lottery ticket of claim 56, wherein the decryption key is to decrypt the encrypted ticket identifier to generate an authentication identifier.

58. The lottery ticket of claim 56, wherein the encrypted ticket identifier is printed on the ticket.

59. The lottery ticket of claim 56, wherein the decryption key is printed on the ticket.

60. The lottery ticket of claim 56, further comprises:

a removable layer disposed to conceal the decryption key.

61. The lottery ticket of claim 56, further comprises:

a removable layer disposed to conceal the encrypted ticket identifier.

62. The lottery ticket of claim 56, wherein the lottery ticket is embodied in a smart card.

63. The lottery ticket of claim 56, wherein the decryption key is embodied in a machine-readable medium.

64. The lottery ticket of claim 56, wherein the decryption key is embodied in a bar-code.

65. A method comprising:

encrypting a first identifier using a first encrypting key to generate a second identifier;

encrypting the second identifier using a second encrypting key to generate a third identifier;

generating a first decrypting key and a second decrypting key; and

printing on a lottery ticket the third identifier and the second decrypting key.

66. The method of claim 65, further comprises:

printing on the lottery ticket the first decrypting key.

67. The method of claim 66, further comprises:

storing the first identifier and the second identifier in a database;

68. The method of claim 67, further comprises:

decrypting the third identifier using the second decrypting key to generate a first result.

69. The method of claim 68, further comprises:

authenticating the lottery ticket if the first result is found in the database.

70. The method of claim 69, further comprises:

indicating that the lottery ticket is not authenticated if the first result is not found in the database.

71. The method of claim 68, further comprises:

decrypting the first result using the first decrypting key to generate a second result if the first result is found in the database.

72. The method of claim 71, further comprises:

authenticating the lottery ticket if the first result is found in the database.

73. The method of claim 72, further comprises:

indicating that the lottery ticket is not authenticated if the first result is not found in the database.