Single use user IDS

• US 20080083024A1
• Filed: 03/18/2004
• Published: 04/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Liberty Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. (American Express Company)
• Inventors: Glazer, Elliott, Bishop, Fred, Fehlhaber, Jeff S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,539,860 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/8
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/335 for accessing specific resources, e.g. using Kerberos tickets
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/367 involving electronic purses or money safes

Abstract

An access verifier may act as an intermediary to allow users to receive single use user IDs while protecting their anonymity. The access verifier has some relationship with the user that allows the access verifier to know details regarding the user that might be helpful in determining whether the user is a potentially desirable customer. The user may request a user ID from the access verifier. The user may then pass the user ID to the access provider when the user wishes to gain access. Upon receiving the user ID, the access provider may request verification that the ID is valid from the access verifier. The access verifier may respond that the ID is valid (if appropriate), and also may include user information. The access provider is thereby provided with some level of assurance that the user is a potential customer without knowing confidential information.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating a single access to an access provider for a user, the method comprising:

identifying at least one primary account for the user

generating a single use user identification that is configured to be usable to gain access to the access provider;

associating said single use user identification with said at least one primary account for the user;

issuing said single use user identification to the user;

receiving a request for authentication of said single use user identification from an access provider;

determining a primary account number corresponding to said single use user identification;

returning an approval message to said access provider if an account associated with said primary account number is valid; and

declining said authentication request based at least in part on one or more determinations including determining that no primary account number corresponds to said single use user identification and determining if an account associated with said primary account number is invalid.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said identifying includes:

receiving information from a user specifying a particular account; and

verifying that said account exists and is valid.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said generating includes:

randomly generating an alphanumeric code using a random number generator.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the access provider is configured to read the single use user ID as part of a log-in process.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one primary account is associated with a physical charge card.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said issuing is facilitated by a user interface system.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

registering a user to use a transaction configured to generate and issue a single use user identification.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

allowing the user to select and define conditions-of-use parameters, wherein the parameters place limits on how the single use user identification may be used; and

associating the conditions-of-use parameters with the single use user identification by storing the parameters in one or more user account database fields associated with the single use user identification.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the conditions-of-use parameters comprise an expiration date.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

returning information regarding said user to said access provider if an account associated with said primary account number is valid.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said information regarding said user includes credential information.

10. (canceled)

13. An apparatus for facilitating a single access to a access provider for a user, the apparatus comprising:

a user primary account identifier;

a single use user identification generator coupled to said user primary account identifier;

a single use user identification primary account associater coupled to said single use user identification generator and to said user primary account identifier;

a single use user identification user issuer coupled to said single use user identification primary account associater;

an access provider single use user identification authentication request receiver;

a primary account number determiner coupled to said access provider single use user identification authentication request receiver;

an approval message returner coupled to said primary account number determiner; and

an authentication request decliner coupled to said primary account number determiner.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising:

a conditions-of-use parameter selector; and

a conditions-of-use parameter single use user identification associater coupled to said conditions-of-use parameter selector and to said single use user identification user issuer.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising a user information returner coupled to said approval message returner.

15. (canceled)

17. An apparatus for facilitating a single access to a access provider for a user, the apparatus comprising:

means for identifying at least one primary account for the user

means for generating a single use user identification that is configured to be usable to gain access to the access provider;

means for associating said single use user identification with said at least one primary account for the user;

means for issuing said single use user identification to the user;

means for receiving a request for authentication of said single use user identification from a access provider;

means for determining a primary account number corresponding to said single use user identification;

means for returning an approval message to said access provider if an account associated with said primary account number is valid; and

means for declining said authentication request based at least in part on one or more determinations including determining that no primary account number corresponds to said single use user identification and determining if an account associated with said primary account number is invalid.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said means for identifying includes:

means for receiving information from a user specifying a particular account; and

means for verifying that said account exists and is valid.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said means for generating includes:

means for randomly generating an alphanumeric code using a random number generator.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the access provider is configured to read the single use user ID as part of a log-in process.

21. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said at least one primary account is associated with a physical charge card.

22. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said issuing is facilitated by a user interface system.

23. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising:

means for registering a user to use a transaction configured to generate and issue a single use user identification.

24. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising;

means for allowing the user to select and define conditions-of-use parameters, wherein the parameters place limits on how the single use user identification may be used; and

means for associating the conditions-of-use parameters with the single use user identification by storing the parameters in one or more user account database fields associated with the single use user identification.

27. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising:

means for returning user information regarding said primary account number to said access provider if an account associated with said primary account number is valid.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein said information regarding said user includes credential information.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the conditions-of-use parameters comprise an expiration date.

26. (canceled)

29. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method for facilitating a single access to a access provider for a user, the method comprising:

identifying at least one primary account for the user

generating a single use user identification that is configured to be usable to gain access to the access provider;

associating said single use user identification with said at least one primary account for the user;

issuing said single use user identification to the user;

receiving a request for authentication of said single use user identification from an access provider;

determining a primary account number corresponding to said single use user identification;

returning an approval message to said access provider if an account associated with said primary account number is valid; and

declining said authentication request based at least in part on one or more determinations including determining that no primary account number corresponds to said single use user identification and determining if an account associated with said primary account number is invalid.