MODIFIABLE AUTHENTICATION LEVELS IN AUTHENTICATION SYSTEMS FOR TRANSACTIONS

• US 20120109824A1
• Filed: 01/13/2012
• Published: 05/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kioba Processing, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Daita Frontier Fund LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Takatori, Sunao, Kiyomatsu, Hisanori
• Granted Patent: US 8,442,915 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/44
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/33 using certificates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/401 Transaction verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/188 Electronic negotiation

Abstract

A system and method are provided for authentication. A first request for a transaction is received from a communications device, the first request comprising collation information of a customer to be authenticated and a price of a product or service to be purchased by the customer. An authentication level is set based on the price. A second request is transmitted to a mobile communications device of the customer. Authentication information is received from the mobile communications device, the authentication information comprising identification information of the customer. The authentication information is transmitted to the communications device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a processing device, a first request for a transaction from a communications device, the first request comprising information of a customer to be authenticated and a price of a product or service to be purchased by the customer;

setting, using the processing device, an authentication level based on the price;

transmitting, from the processing device, a second request to a mobile communications device of the customer;

receiving, at the processing device, authentication information from the mobile communications device, the authentication information comprising identification information of the customer; and

transmitting, from the processing device, the authentication information to the communications device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the setting comprises:

selecting a first authentication level if the price is equal to or less than a first threshold;

selecting a second authentication level if the price is greater than the first threshold and equal to or less than a second threshold; and

selecting a third authentication level if the price is greater than the second threshold.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

storing a purchase history of the customer in the processing device or the communications device, wherein the purchase history comprises a frequency of purchase and a purchase amount of the product or service; and

setting the first threshold and the second threshold based on the purchase history.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the selecting further comprises:

analyzing, using the processing device, a purchasing trend of the customer for the product or service;

increasing, using the processing device, the first threshold to be the price if the price approximates the purchasing trend; and

decreasing, using the processing device, the first threshold to be below the price if the price does not approximate the purchasing trend.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

unconditionally authenticating the transaction if the first authentication level is selected;

authenticating the transaction after receiving a first confirmation from the mobile communications device in response to the second request if the second authentication level is selected; and

authenticating the transaction after receiving the first confirmation from the mobile communications device in response to the second request and receiving a second confirmation from the communications device, in response to a third request from the processing device to the communications device, if the third authentication level is selected.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the authentication level is based on at least one of:

a location of the communications device;

a physical characteristic of the product or service; and

a frequency of purchase of the product or service.

7. A method comprising:

receiving, at a host computer, a first request for a transaction from a communications terminal, the first request comprising information of a customer to be authenticated and information identifying a parameter of the transaction;

setting an authentication level based on the parameter of the transaction;

transmitting, from the host computer, a second request to a mobile communications device of the customer;

receiving, at the host computer, authentication information from the mobile communications device, the authentication information comprising identification information of the customer; and

transmitting, from the host computer, the authentication information to the communications terminal.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the setting comprises:

selecting a first authentication level if the parameter is within a first threshold;

selecting a second authentication level if the parameter exceeds the first threshold and is within a second threshold; and

selecting a third authentication level if the parameter exceeds the first threshold and the second threshold.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

unconditionally authenticating the transaction if the first authentication level is selected;

authenticating the transaction after receiving a first confirmation from the mobile communications device in response to the second request if the second authentication level is selected; and

authenticating the transaction after receiving the first confirmation from the mobile communications device in response to the second request and receiving a second confirmation from the communications terminal, in response to a third request from the host computer to the communications terminal, if the third authentication level is selected.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the parameter is one or more of:

a price of the transaction for a product or service;

a location of the service terminal;

a physical characteristic of the product or service; and

a frequency of purchase by the customer of the product or service.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

storing a purchase history of the customer in the host computer or the communications terminal, wherein the purchase history comprises the frequency of purchase and the price of the transaction; and

setting the first threshold and the second threshold based on the purchase history.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

storing a transaction history of the customer in the host computer or the mobile communications device, wherein the transaction history comprises a location of the communications terminal; and

setting the first threshold and the second threshold based on a geographic area produced from the transaction history.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

storing the frequency of purchase of the product or service by the customer in the host computer or the communications terminal; and

setting the first threshold and the second threshold based on the frequency of purchase of the product or service.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

analyzing, using the host computer, a purchasing trend of the customer for the product or service;

increasing, using the host computer, the first threshold to be the price if the price approximates the purchasing trend; and

decreasing, using the host computer, the first threshold to be below the price if the price does not approximate the purchasing trend.

15. A computer-readable storage device having instructions stored thereon that, upon execution by a host device, cause the host device to perform operations comprising:

receiving a first request for a transaction from a communications device, the first request comprising information of a customer to be authenticated and information identifying a price of a product or service to be purchased in the transaction;

setting an authentication level based on the price of the transaction;

transmitting a second request to a mobile communications device of the customer;

receiving authentication information from the mobile communications device, the authentication information comprising identification information of the customer; and

transmitting the authentication information to the communications device.

16. The computer-readable storage device of claim 15, wherein the setting comprises:

selecting a first authentication level if the price is equal to or less than a first threshold;

selecting a second authentication level if the price is greater than the first threshold and equal to or less than a second threshold; and

selecting a third authentication level if the price is greater than the second threshold.

17. The computer-readable storage device of claim 16, further comprising:

unconditionally authenticating the transaction if the first authentication level is selected;

authenticating the transaction after receiving a first confirmation from the mobile communications device in response to the second request if the second authentication level is selected; and

authenticating the transaction after receiving the first confirmation from the mobile communications device in response to the second request and a second confirmation from the communications device, in response to a third request from the host device to the communications device, if the third authentication level is selected.

18. The computer-readable storage device of claim 16, further comprising:

storing a purchase history of the customer in the host device or the communications device, wherein the purchase history comprises the frequency of purchase and the price of the transaction; and

setting the first threshold and the second threshold based on the purchase history.

19. The computer-readable storage device of claim 16, wherein the selecting further comprises:

analyzing a purchasing trend of the customer for the product or service;

increasing the first threshold to be the price if the price approximates the purchasing trend; and

decreasing the first threshold to be below the price if the price does not approximate the purchasing trend.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage device of claim 15, wherein the setting of the authentication level is based on one or more of:

a location of the communications device;

a physical characteristic of the product or service; and

a frequency of purchase of the product or service.