UPSTREAM AND DOWNSTREAM DATA CONVERSION

• US 20140032418A1
• Filed: 03/05/2013
• Published: 01/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.)
• Inventors: Weber, Lance
• Granted Patent: US 9,846,861 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/77
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/085 involving remote charge determination or related payment systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/385 using an alias or single-use codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]

Abstract

One embodiment of the invention is directed to implementing a broker system to accept confidential information from upstream trading partners, retrieve tokens from the tokenization service, send tokens to the merchant ordering system, and forward confidential information to downstream trading partners. By using a broker system, the merchant ordering system could store and use tokens to identify orders in its system instead of confidential information, which can help protect the confidential information in the event of a security breach. Also, the broker system may provide an amenable solution for the merchant to continue doing business with the upstream and downstream trading partners without causing these entities to substantially change their current processing systems.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a broker computer, an order message comprising an order and an account token;

initiating a detokenization process to detokenize the account token and to form an account identifier;

generating a subsequent order message with the order and account identifier; and

transmitting the subsequent order message to a downstream trading partner computer wherein the downstream trading partner computer initiates a payment transaction.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the order is a second order, payment transaction is a second payment transaction, the account token is a second token, the order message is a third order message and wherein the subsequent order message is a fourth order message, and wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a first order message comprising a first order and the account identifier from an upstream trading partner computer;

initiating a tokenization process to tokenize the account identifier and to form a second account token;

generating a second order message with the first order and the second account token; and

transmitting the second order message to a merchant ordering system wherein the merchant ordering system initiates a first payment transaction,

wherein the third order message is received after the first order message.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the account identifier is decrypted and the method further comprises:

after forming the account identifier, encrypting the account identifier.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the account identifier is a primary account number.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the broker computer receives the third order message via a hosted webpage.

6. A method comprising:

generating, at a merchant ordering system, an order message comprising an order and an account token; and

transmitting, to a broker computer, the order message, wherein the broker computer initiates a detokenization process to detokenize the account token and to form an account identifier, wherein the broker computer generates a subsequent order message with the order and account identifier, wherein the broker computer transmits the subsequent order message to a downstream trading partner computer, and wherein the downstream trading partner computer initiates a payment transaction.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the order message is a third order message, the order is a second order, the subsequent order message is a fourth order message, the account token is a second account token, and the payment transaction is a second payment transaction, and wherein the method further comprises:

receiving, at the merchant ordering system, a first order message comprising a first order and a first account token, wherein the first order message is received from the broker computer.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the third order message is received after the first order message.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the account identifier is a primary account number.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein the broker computer hosts a webpage for the merchant ordering system to receive the third order message.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a computer coupled to a database, wherein the computer comprises a processor and a computer-readable medium coupled to the processor, the computer-readable medium comprising code executable by the processor for implementing a method comprising;

receiving, at a broker computer, an order message comprising an order and an account token;

initiating a detokenization process to detokenize the account token and to form an account identifier;

generating a subsequent order message with the order and account identifier; and

transmitting the subsequent order message to a downstream trading partner computer wherein the downstream trading partner computer initiates a payment transaction.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the order is a second order, payment transaction is a second payment transaction, the account token is a second token, the order message is a third order message and wherein the subsequent order message is a fourth order message, and wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a first order message comprising a first order and the account identifier from an upstream trading partner computer;

initiating a tokenization process to tokenize the account identifier and to form a second account token;

generating a second order message with the first order and the second account token; and

transmitting the second order message to a merchant ordering system wherein the merchant ordering system initiates a first payment transaction,

wherein the third order message is received after the first order message.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the account identifier is decrypted and the method further comprises:

after forming the account identifier, encrypting the account identifier.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the account identifier is a primary account number.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the broker computer receives the third order message via a hosted webpage.

16. An apparatus comprising:

a computer coupled to a database, wherein the computer comprises a processor and a computer-readable medium coupled to the processor, the computer-readable medium comprising code executable by the processor for implementing a method comprising;

generating, at a merchant ordering system, an order message comprising an order and an account token; and

transmitting, to a broker computer, the order message, wherein the broker computer initiates a detokenization process to detokenize the account token and to form an account identifier, wherein the broker computer generates a subsequent order message with the order and account identifier, wherein the broker computer transmits the subsequent order message to a downstream trading partner computer, and wherein the downstream trading partner computer initiates a payment transaction.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the method further comprises:

wherein the order message is a third order message, the order is a second order, the subsequent order message is a fourth order message, the account token is a second account token, and the payment transaction is a second payment transaction, and wherein the method further comprises;

receiving, at the merchant ordering system, a first order message comprising a first order and a first account token, wherein the first order message is received from the broker computer.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the third order message is received after the first order message.

19. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the account identifier is a primary account number.

20. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the broker computer hosts a webpage for the merchant ordering system to receive the third order message.