SYSTEM FOR MANAGEMENT OF ALTERNATIVELY PRICED TRANSACTIONS ON NETWORK

• US 20080183628A1
• Filed: 01/29/2008
• Published: 07/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: David M. Oliver, Michael J. Callahan, William P. Densmore
• Original Assignee: David M. Oliver, Michael J. Callahan, William P. Densmore
• Inventors: Callahan, Michael J., Oliver, David M., Densmore, William P.
• Granted Patent: US 8,606,719 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/71
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/367 involving electronic purses or money safes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3821 Electronic credentials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3829 involving key management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/383 Anonymous user system
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/188 Electronic negotiation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0414 during transmission, i.e. party's identity is protected against eavesdropping, e.g. by using temporary identifiers, but is known to the other party or parties involved in the communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0807 using tickets, e.g. Kerberos cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using tickets or tokens H04L9/3213
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0815 providing single-sign-on or federations

Abstract

A system and method thereof, comprising means for: communicating through at least one computer network interface with each of (i) a plurality of providers of accountable resources, and (ii) a plurality of registrars which register clients, each client having access to accountable resources of providers, and maintain client-associated accounts therewith; generating a token verifying that a client is authenticated by a registrar; logging accountable transactions identifying a client-associated account and a transaction valuation, maintained by the registrar; and periodically accounting for the logged accountable transactions between respective registrars and respective providers; wherein a valuation of the accountable transaction is dependent at least on information conveyed in the token.

Claims

1. A method, comprising the steps of:

a) communicating through at least one computer network interface with each of (i) a plurality of providers of accountable resources, and (ii) a plurality of registrars which register clients, each client having access to accountable resources of providers, and maintain client-associated accounts therewith;

b) generating a token verifying that a client is authenticated by a registrar;

c) logging accountable transactions identifying a client-associated account and a transaction valuation, maintained by the registrar; and

d) periodically accounting for the logged accountable transactions between respective registrars and respective providers;

wherein a valuation of the accountable transaction is dependent at least on information conveyed in the token.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the token further comprises access privilege information relating to an access privilege of the client.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the token comprises XML.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the token comprises an uniform identifier for the resource provided by the provider, wherein the same resource provided by each of a plurality of resource providers has a common identifier.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the token conveys a registrar transaction price markup parameter, wherein an accounted transaction valuation varies in dependence on the conveyed registrar transaction price markup parameter.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said generating step comprises conducting a communication using hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP).

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the token comprises authentication information encrypted using private-key encryption.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein said generating step comprises an interactive communication comprises a request communicated from the at least one computer network interface and a response to the request received through the at least one computer network interface.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of including, within the token, client demographic profile information.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of periodically accounting comprising netting transactions between a respective registrar and a respective provider

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of conducting at least one an electronic payment transaction between a registrar and a provider, based on the periodic accounting.

12. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of conducting an electronic payment transaction between a client and a registrar in dependence on a client-associated account balance.

13. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of imposing a credit limit on the client-associated account.

14. A system, comprising:

a) at least one network interface, adapted to communicate with each of (i) a plurality of providers of accountable resources, and (ii) a plurality of registrars which register clients, each client having access to accountable resources of providers, and maintain client-associated accounts therewith; and

b) at least one processor, adapted to;

i) generating a token based on communications with the registrar, comprising transaction valuation information, verifying that a client is authenticated by the registrar; and

ii) logging accountable transactions identifying a client-associated account and a transaction valuation, maintained by the registrar, wherein the logged accountable transactions are adapted to be periodically accounted between respective registrars and respective service providers.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the token further comprises access privilege information relating to an access privilege of the client.

16. The system according to claim 14, wherein the token comprises XML.

17. The system according to claim 14, wherein the token comprises an uniform identifier for the resource provided by the provider, wherein the same resource provided by each of a plurality of resource providers has a common identifier.

18. The system according to claim 14, wherein the token comprises a registrar transaction price markup parameter, wherein an accounted transaction valuation varies in dependence on the conveyed registrar transaction price markup parameter.

19. The system according to claim 14, wherein the token comprises authentication information encrypted using private-key encryption.

20. The system according to claim 14, wherein the token comprises client demographic profile information.

21. A system, comprising:

a) at least one accountable resource, selectively made available in dependence on a validated accountable transaction;

b) at least one network interface, adapted to communicate with each of (i) a central validation server, and (ii) a plurality of clients; and

c) at least one processor, adapted to;

i) respond to a token received from the registrar, comprising accountable transaction valuation information and client authentication information;

ii) generating logging information for logging the accountable transactions comprising a transaction valuation, in dependence on information contained in the token; and

iii) selectively communicating the accountable resource to the client in dependence on at least the verification of the authentication of the client,

wherein the client authentication information is defined based on communications with a client registrar which maintains a client-associated account for settling of accountable transactions associated with clients.

22. A system, comprising:

a) at least one network interface, adapted to communicate with each of (i) a central validation server, and (ii) a plurality of clients;

b) a database representing client-associated account registration information; and

c) at least one processor, adapted to;

i) generating a response to an authentication request received from the registrar relating at a pending accountable transaction involving a client and a provider, comprising client authentication information and a transaction valuation parameter;

ii) settling a transaction with the provider with respect to the accountable transaction conducted between the provider and the client; and

iii) accounting for the settled transaction in the respective client-associated account maintained in the database.