Secure Channel For Image Transmission

• US 20080301441A1
• Filed: 05/30/2007
• Published: 12/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Original Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Inventors: Calman, Matthew Alexander, Treadwell, William Scott
• Granted Patent: US 7,971,059 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/56 Computer malware detection or handling, e.g. anti-virus arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/606 by securing the transmission between two devices or processes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/82 Protecting input, output or interconnection devices

Abstract

Systems, devices, and methods for establishing a secure session for the transmission of data from an input device to a remote server device is disclosed. The input device may be an electronic check scanner attached to a banking customer'"'"'s home personal computer. The customer may visit a bank'"'"'s Internet website using the web browser or other application on their personal computer, and then submit scanned images of check to the bank. The bank, however, to ensure security and prevent fraud, may wish to establish a secure session between the devices and components in the system before the image data may be scanned and transmitted.

Claims

1. A device for capturing an image, comprising:

a sensor configured to capture an image;

a memory configured to store an integrity status indicator value and data corresponding to the image, the memory comprising non-volatile memory for storing computer-executable instructions; and

a processing unit configured to store the computer-executable instructions to perform a method comprising;

performing a test to verify integrity of the computer-executable instructions, including detecting whether the computer-executable instructions include malware;

updating the integrity status indicator value according to the test; and

sending the integrity status indicator value.

2. The device of claim 1, comprising:

a housing configured to restrict physical access to the memory storing the computer-executable instructions, where the test includes verifying that the housing has not been tampered.

3. The device of claim 1, where the computer-executable instructions include firmware for execution by the processing unit, and the non-volatile memory includes flash memory.

4. The device of claim 1, where the memory is configured to store a unique identifier corresponding to the device.

5. The device of claim 4, where the unique identifier includes an IP address.

6. The device of claim 1, where the processing unit is located in a paper check scanner.

7. A system, comprising:

an image input device, comprising;

an input device memory storing first computer-executable instructions and a integrity status indicator value; and

an input device processing unit for executing the computer-executable instructions to perform a method comprising;

performing a test to detect whether the input device memory is infected with malware;

updating the integrity status indicator value according to the test; and

sending the integrity status indicator value to a personal computing device;

the personal computing device connected to the image input device, comprising;

a personal computing device memory storing second computer-executable instructions; and

a personal computing device processor for executing the computer-executable instructions to perform a method comprising;

sending a request for image data to the image input device;

receiving image data from the image input device; and

receiving the integrity status indicator value; and

a server computing device in communication with the image input device over a network and through the personal computing device, comprising;

a server computing device memory storing information corresponding to an Internet-accessible webpage; and

a server computing device processor for receiving image data and sending the information corresponding to the Internet-accessible webpage to the personal computing device.

8. The system of claim 7, where the second computer-executable instructions include malware detection software, and the personal computing device further comprising:

a datafile stored in the personal computing device memory to indicate whether the personal computing device includes malware; and

a timestamp value stored in the personal computing device memory to indicate when the malware detection software was last run on the personal computing device.

9. The system of claim 7, where the second computer-executable instructions include instructions corresponding to a thin-client application configured to communicate with the server computing device.

10. The system of claim 7, where the first computer-executable instructions comprise instructions for causing the image input device to perform an electronic handshake with the personal computing device to establish a secure channel before sending image data to the personal computing device.

11. The system of claim 7, where the image input device comprises an electronic paper check scanner, and the server computing device comprises a data storage unit configured to store the image data of a paper check.

12. The system of claim 7, where the server computing device has line-of-sight to the image input device.

13. A method, comprising:

(a) receiving a first indication that a personal computing device includes no malware, the first indication being generated by malware detection software on the personal computing device;

(b) receiving a second indication that a secure communication channel is established between an image input device and the personal computing device, the secure communication channel being established after an electronic handshake between the image input device and the personal computing device;

(c) receiving a third indication that line-of-sight is available to the image input device;

(e) after performing (a), (b), and (c), sending a command to initiate a secure scanning session; and

(f) receiving image data generated by the image input device during the secure scanning session.

14. The method of claim 13, comprising:

receiving login information of a user of a personal computing device connected to an image input device;

authenticating the user using the login information;

associating the user and the image data received during the secure scanning session; and

storing the image data in a data storage unit.

15. The method of claim 14, where the image input device comprises an electronic check scanner.

16. The method of claim 14, where the image input device comprises a digital camera.

17. A method, comprising:

(a) receiving a first indication that a image input device includes no malware, the first indication being generated by computer-executable instructions stored in a memory in the image input device;

(b) authenticating the image input device by performing an electronic handshake with the image input device;

(c) after (a) and (b), establishing a secure communication channel with the image input device

(d) sending a command to initiate a secure scanning session;

(e) receiving image data generated by the image input device during the secure scanning session; and

(f) storing the image data in a data storage unit.

18. The method of claim 17, where a non-volatile memory in the image input device stores a unique identifier corresponding to the image input device.

19. The method of claim 17, where the unique identifier includes an IP address and the image input device comprises an electronic paper check scanner.

20. The method of claim 17, comprising generating a key for use in performing the electronic handshake with the image input device.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 20, where performing a test comprises comparing firmware in the electronic check scanner against shadow firmware.

21. A computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions for causing a processing unit in an electronic check scanner to perform a method comprising:

performing a test to detect whether the computer-executable instructions include malware and to detect whether a housing of the electronic check scanner has been tampered;

updating a integrity status indicator value according to the test; and

sending the integrity status indicator value.