ELECTRONIC VERIFICATION SERVICE SYSTEMS AND METHODS
First Claim
1. A method of authenticating an applicant, the method performed by a computer executing a program stored on a computer readable medium, the method comprising:
- receiving an indication of an existing account purportedly owned by the applicant;
transmitting a question request message, the question request message identifying the account and requesting one or more questions relating to the account to be asked to the applicant;
receiving a first reply in response to the question request message, the first reply comprising a set of the one or more questions;
asking the applicant the set of one or more questions relating to the account;
receiving answers to the questions from the applicant;
transmitting an answer message to an issuer of the account, the answer message comprising the applicant'"'"'s answers to the questions; and
receiving a second reply from the issuer in response to the answer message, the second reply indicating whether the applicant is authenticated as the owner of the account;
and wherein the messages and replies are carried over an electronic funds transfer network.
8 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Systems and methods for authenticating an applicant. In one implementation, the applicant indicates to an acquirer an existing account for which the applicant wishes to be authenticated. The acquirer sends a message over an electronic funds transfer (EFT) network to an issuer of the account requesting a set of questions to ask the applicant. The issuer replies with a set of questions. The acquirer asks the applicant the questions, and forwards the applicant'"'"'s answers to the issuer. The issuer compares the answers with known information relating to the account and decides, based on the comparison, whether the applicant is authenticated. The issuer then communicates its decision to the acquirer. Preferably, the messages and their associated replies are added to the set of messages handled by the EFT network, so that authentication may be handled in a standardized way without proliferating applicants'"'"' secret information.
58 Citations
26 Claims
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1. A method of authenticating an applicant, the method performed by a computer executing a program stored on a computer readable medium, the method comprising:
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receiving an indication of an existing account purportedly owned by the applicant; transmitting a question request message, the question request message identifying the account and requesting one or more questions relating to the account to be asked to the applicant; receiving a first reply in response to the question request message, the first reply comprising a set of the one or more questions; asking the applicant the set of one or more questions relating to the account; receiving answers to the questions from the applicant; transmitting an answer message to an issuer of the account, the answer message comprising the applicant'"'"'s answers to the questions; and receiving a second reply from the issuer in response to the answer message, the second reply indicating whether the applicant is authenticated as the owner of the account; and wherein the messages and replies are carried over an electronic funds transfer network. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method of authenticating an applicant, the method performed by a computer executing a program stored on a computer readable medium, comprising:
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receiving a question request message, the question request message identifying an existing account and requesting a set of one or more questions relating to the account to be asked of the applicant; transmitting a reply to the question request message, the reply to the question request message comprising the set of one or more questions; receiving an answer message, the answer message comprising a set of answers given by an applicant to the set of one or more questions relating to the account; comparing the answers with known information relating to the account; deciding, based on the comparison, whether the applicant is authenticated as the account owner; and transmitting a reply in response to the answer message, the reply to the answer message indicating whether the applicant is authenticated; wherein the messages and replies are carried over an electronic funds transfer network. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A system for authenticating an applicant, the system comprising:
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a host computer executing a program stored on a computer readable medium, the host computer configured to receive an indication of an account purportedly owned by the applicant; transmit, over an electronic funds transfer network, a question request message, the question request message identifying the account and requesting a set of one or more questions about the account to be asked to the applicant; receive, over the electronic funds transfer network, a first reply in response to the question request message, the first reply comprising the set of one or more questions; ask the applicant the questions; receive, from the applicant, answers to the questions; transmit, over the electronic funds transfer network, an answer message to an issuer of the account, the answer message comprising the applicant'"'"'s answers to the questions; and receive, over the electronic funds transfer network, a second reply from the issuer in response to the answer message, the second reply indicating whether the applicant is authenticated as the owner of the account. - View Dependent Claims (23)
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24. A system for authenticating an applicant, the system comprising:
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a host computer executing a program stored on a computer readable medium, the host computer configured to receive, over an electronic funds transfer network, a question request message, the question request message identifying an account and requesting one or more questions relating to the account to be asked of the applicant; transmit, over the electronic funds transfer network in response to the question request message a first reply, the first reply comprising the one or more questions; receive, over the electronic funds transfer network, an answer message, the answer message comprising a set of answers given by the applicant to the questions; compare the answers with known information relating to the account; decide, based on the comparison, whether the applicant is authenticated as the account owner; and transmit, over the electronic funds transfer network, a second reply in response to the answer message, the second reply indicating whether the applicant is authenticated.
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25. A method comprising adding, to a set of messages handled by an electronic funds transfer network, two messages and their associated replies, wherein:
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the first message requests a set of questions to be asked of an applicant for authentication; the reply to the first message comprises a set of questions to ask the applicant; the second message communicates the applicant'"'"'s answers to a recipient of the second message; and the reply to the second message communicates an indication of whether the applicant is authenticated. - View Dependent Claims (26)
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Specification