SECURE ELECTRONIC COUPON DELIVERY TO MOBILE DEVICE

• US 20100036772A1
• Filed: 08/07/2009
• Published: 02/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Orange S.A.
• Original Assignee: Orange S.A.
• Inventors: Arceneaux, Joseph
• Granted Patent: US 10,102,509 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/50
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/045 using payment protocols involving tickets
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/0457 the tickets being sent electronically
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/32 using wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3274 using a pictured code, e.g. barcode or QR-code, being displayed on the M-device
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/00 Arrangements or apparatus for collecting fares, tolls or entrance fees at one or more control points handling coins or valuable papers, e.g. banknotes, G07D; apparatus for vending or hiring articles or services activated by coins, credit cards, paper currency or the like G07F7/00, G07F17/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/23 by means of a password
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/27 with central registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/77 Graphical identity

Abstract

A system, method, device and interface for providing and redeeming an electronic coupon that provides for authenticating access of a user to an electronic coupon server, receiving selection from the user of at least one of an event, transportation, secured location, good, authorization, and service, generating a reservation number corresponding to the selection, encrypting the reservation number based on a first string of characters that is uniquely associated with a mobile device that will be utilized for redeeming the electronic coupon, transmitting the encrypted reservation number to the mobile device, retrieving a second string of characters from the mobile device, wherein the second string of characters corresponds to the first string of characters, decrypting the encrypted reservation number on the mobile device using the retrieved second string of characters, generating the electronic coupon from the decrypted reservation number, and presenting the electronic coupon to an authentication device for redemption.

Claims

1. A method of providing and redeeming an electronic coupon comprising acts of:

authenticating access of a user to an electronic coupon server;

receiving selection from the user of at least one of an event, transportation, good, authorization to some act, and access to a secured location, device, and service;

generating a reservation number corresponding to the selection;

encrypting the reservation number based on a first string of characters that is uniquely associated with a mobile device that will be utilized for redeeming the electronic coupon;

transmitting the encrypted reservation number to the mobile device;

retrieving a second string of characters from the mobile device, wherein the second string of characters corresponds to the first string of characters;

decrypting the encrypted reservation number on the mobile device using the retrieved second string of characters;

generating the electronic coupon from the decrypted reservation number; and

presenting the electronic coupon to an authentication device for redemption.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising acts of:

soliciting entrance of a first password separate from the authenticating act, wherein the act of encrypting the reservation number comprises an act of concatenating the reservation number with the first password and encrypting the concatenated reservation number and first password; and

soliciting entrance on the mobile device of a second password that corresponds to the first password, wherein the act of decrypting the encrypted reservation number comprises an act of separating the first password from the reservation number utilizing the second password.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the act of concatenating the reservation number with the first password comprises an act of appending the reservation number to a beginning portion of the first password.

4. The method of claim 2, comprising an act of comparing the first password to the second password and only initiating the generating act if the first password equals the second password.

5. The method of claim 4, comprising an act of re-soliciting entrance on the mobile device of the second password if the first password does not equal the second password.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the act of re-soliciting entrance of the second password is repeated a predetermined number of times before presenting of the electronic coupon is disabled.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the acts of at least one of retrieving, decrypting, generating and presenting is initiated in response to an interaction between the mobile device and the authentication device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the encrypted reservation number includes readable portions prior to decryption that indicate what the electronic coupon may be redeemed towards.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of presenting the electronic coupon comprises acts of:

rendering a barcode representation of the electronic coupon on a display of the mobile device;

scanning the barcode using the authentication device; and

comparing the scanned barcode to a reservation number received from the electronic coupon server.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is a mobile telephone and the electronic coupon server is a mobile operator server associated with the mobile telephone.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the acts related to encrypting and decrypting the reservation number are maintained as a secret.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device is a mobile telephone and wherein the first string of characters and the second string of characters correspond to an International Mobile Equipment Identity number (IMEI) of the mobile telephone.

13. A mobile device for redeeming an electronic coupon, the device comprising a memory, a display and a processor operatively coupled to the memory and the display, wherein the processor is configured to:

receive an encrypted reservation number from a coupon server;

retrieve a first string of characters from the mobile device that uniquely identifies the mobile device, wherein the first string of characters corresponds to a second string of characters that was utilized to encrypt the reservation number at the coupon server;

decrypt the encrypted reservation number on the mobile device using the retrieved first string of characters;

generate the electronic coupon from the decrypted reservation number; and

present the electronic coupon to an authentication device for redemption.

14. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the processor is configured to solicit entrance of a first password that corresponds to a second password that was concatenated with the reservation number prior to encryption of the reservation number, wherein the act of decrypting the encrypted reservation number comprises an act of separating the second password from the reservation number utilizing the first password.

15. The mobile device of claim 14, wherein the processor is configured to compare the first password to the second password and only generate the electronic coupon if the first password equals the second password.

16. The mobile device of claim 15, wherein the processor is configured to re-solicit entrance of the first password if the first password does not equal the second password.

17. The mobile device of claim 16, wherein the processor is configured to re-solicit entrance of the first password a predetermined number of times before presenting of the electronic coupon is disabled.

18. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the processor is configured to interact with the authentication device and wherein the processor is further configured to initiate at least one of retrieve, decrypt, generate and present in response to the interaction between the mobile device and the authentication device.

19. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the processor is configured to present the electronic coupon by rendering a barcode representation of the electronic coupon on the display.

20. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the mobile device is a mobile telephone and wherein the first string of characters and the second string of characters correspond to an International Mobile Equipment Identity number (IMEI) of the mobile telephone.

21. A system for redeeming an electronic coupon, the system comprising:

a coupon server;

an authentication device operatively coupled to the coupon server; and

a mobile device configured to;

receive an encrypted reservation number from the coupon server;

retrieve a first string of characters from the mobile device that uniquely identifies the mobile device, wherein the first string of characters corresponds to a second string of characters that was utilized to encrypt the reservation number at the coupon server;

decrypt the encrypted reservation number on the mobile device using the retrieved first string of characters;

generate the electronic coupon from the decrypted reservation number; and

present the electronic coupon to the authentication device for redemption.