Method and system for electronic purchases using an intelligent data carrier medium, electronic coupon system, and interactive TV infrastructure

• US 20060179006A1
• Filed: 03/06/2006
• Published: 08/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thomson Licensing SAS (Vantiva SA)
• Original Assignee: Metabyte Networks Incorporated (Metabyte, Inc.)
• Inventors: Watson, Dan, Humpleman, Richard, Mehta, Manu
• Granted Patent: US 8,538,892 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/64
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3821 Electronic credentials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0222 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0225 Avoiding frauds
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/60 Digital content management, e.g. content distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 involving digital signatures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3263 involving certificates, e.g. public key certificate [PKC] or attribute certificate [AC]; Public key infrastructure [PKI] arrangements network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using certificates in a packet data network H04L63/0823
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25883 being end-user demographical data, e.g. age, family status or address arrangements for identifying locations of users in broadcast systems H04H60/52
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4181 for conditional access
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4184 providing storage capabilities, e.g. memory stick
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47815 Electronic shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4784 receiving rewards
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8543 using a description language, e.g. Multimedia and Hypermedia information coding Expert Group [MHEG], eXtensible Markup Language [XML] information retrieval of semistructured data, the underlying structure being taken into account, e.g. mark-up language structure data G06F16/80
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 : by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A method and a system for electronically transacting a purchase between a purchaser and a merchant are disclosed. The method includes storing accrued incentives on an intelligent data carrier medium via interactive television (DTV/STB) equipment and redeeming a discount or a value corresponding to the accrued incentives present on the data carrier medium when a purchase is made. The electronic purchase system using an electronic network contains a purchaser interactive television (DTV/STB) equipment connected to the electronic network, a fixed intelligent data carrier medium connected to the interactive television (DTV/STB) equipment for service authentication and decryption and a detachable intelligent data carrier medium connected to the interactive television (DTV/STB) equipment.

Claims

1-26. -26. (canceled)

27. An electronic purchase system using an electronic network comprising:

an interactive television (DTV/STB) equipment connected to the electronic network;

a fixed intelligent data carrier medium connected to said purchaser DTV/STB equipment for service authentication and decryption; and

a detachable intelligent data carrier medium connected to said purchaser DTV/STB equipment.

28. The electronic purchase system according to claim 27, which further comprises:

a merchant terminal having a data carrier medium reader connected to the electronic network.

29. A computer-readable medium having programming instructions for performing a method of electronically transacting a purchase between a purchaser and a merchant, comprising:

storing accrued incentives on an intelligent data carrier medium via interactive television (DTV/STB) equipment; and

redeeming a discount or a value corresponding to the accrued incentives present on the data carrier medium when a purchase is made.

30. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a data structure for an electronic coupon, comprising:

a first field containing data representing a value;

a second field containing data representing details;

a third field containing data representing a purchaser'"'"'s/first digital signature verifying the veracity of the first and second fields;

a fourth field containing data representing a user'"'"'s/second digital signature rendering the coupon unique, and validating the use and redemption of the coupon.

31. The computer-readable medium according to claim 30, wherein the first digital signature includes an encrypted hash of the coupon and the coupon originator'"'"'s public key hereby enabling a party to validate the coupon contents by decrypting the hash and comparing it against a re-hash of the coupon.

32. The computer readable medium according to claim 30, wherein the user'"'"'s/second digital signature is generated by an intelligent data carrier by combining a private key of the intelligent data carrier with a unique public key to the coupon.