Method for acquiring and revalidating an electronic credential

• US 5,642,419 A
• Filed: 12/19/1995
• Issued: 06/24/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Citibank (South Dakota) NA (Citigroup Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Citibank (South Dakota) NA (Citigroup Incorporated)
• Inventors: Rosen, Sholom S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barron, Jr., Gilberto
• Application Number:
  US08/574,857
• Time in Patent Office: 553 Days
• Field of Search: 380/23-25, 380/30
• US Class Current: 705/76
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/06 Private payment circuits, e.g. involving electronic currency used among participants of a common payment scheme
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/085 involving remote charge determination or related payment systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/0855 involving a third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/105 involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/209 Specified transaction journal output feature, e.g. printed receipt or voice output
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/26 Debit schemes, e.g. "pay now"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/367 involving electronic purses or money safes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3676 Balancing accounts
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3678 e-cash details, e.g. blinded, divisible or detecting double spending
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3821 Electronic credentials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3829 involving key management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/383 Anonymous user system
• 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 30/06 : Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 : Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/188 : Electronic negotiation
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/16 : for devices exhibiting advertisements, announcements, pictures or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0866 : by active credit-cards adapted therefor G07F7/1008 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/42 : Anonymization, e.g. involving pseudonyms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 : Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 : received data contents, e.g. message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3213 : using tickets or tokens, e.g. Kerberos network architectures or network communication protocols for entities authentication using tickets in a packet data network H04L63/0807
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 : involving digital signatures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3263 : involving certificates, e.g. public key certificate [PKC] or attribute certificate [AC]; Public key infrastructure [PKI] arrangements network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using certificates in a packet data network H04L63/0823

Abstract

A system for open electronic commerce having a customer trusted agent securely communicating with a first money module, and a merchant trusted agent securely communicating with a second money module. Both trusted agents are capable of establishing a first cryptographically secure session, and both money modules are capable of establishing a second cryptographically secure session. The merchant trusted agent transfers electronic merchandise to the customer trusted agent, and the first money module transfers electronic money to the second money module. The money modules inform their trusted agents of the successful completion of payment, and the customer may use the purchased electronic merchandise.

Claims

1. A method for acquiring an electronic credential utilizing a customer trusted agent, an authority trusted agent, and a host processor, comprising the steps of:

establishing a cryptographically secure session between said customer trusted agent and said authority trusted agent, wherein said customer and authority trusted agents are tamper-proofed processing devices;

said host processor sending credential information to said authority trusted agent;

said authority trusted agent assembling said electronic credential including said credential information, a device identifier uniquely designating the trusted agent that will receive said electronic credential, a digital signature of said authority trusted agent, and a certificate of said authority trusted agent;

sending said electronic credential to said customer trusted agent, via said cryptographically secure session;

said customer trusted agent validating said electronic credential;

said customer trusted agent committing;

said authority trusted agent committing; and

when said electronic credential is sent to another device and is checked, said other device verifying that said device identifier in said electronic credential matches a device identifier of said customer trusted agent.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said electronic credential is a driver'"'"'s license.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said electronic credential is a corporate seal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said electronic credential is a credit or debit card.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said electronic credential is a passport.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said electronic credential is a social security card.

7. The method of claim 1, further including the steps of:

sending a payment amount to said customer trusted agent via said cryptographically secure session;

establishing a second cryptographically secure session between a first money module associated with said customer trusted agent and a second money module associated with said authority trusted agent; and

said first money module transferring electronic money to said second money module in an amount consistent with said payment amount.

8. The method of claim 1, further including the steps of:

sending a payment amount to said customer trusted agent via said cryptographically secure session;

said customer trusted agent sending a payment credential to said authority trusted agent via said cryptographically secure session;

said authority trusted agent validating said payment credential;

sending said payment amount and said payment credential to a card authorization network;

said authority trusted agent receiving notification that payment is authorized; and

said authority trusted agent sending a payment authorized message to said customer trusted agent.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said trusted agents record log information which after said committing step is nonprovisionally maintained by said trusted agents.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said customer trusted agent'"'"'s log information includes said credential information.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein said device identifier of said customer trusted agent is part of a certificate of said customer trusted agent, and is sent to said other device.

11. A method for remotely revalidating an electronic credential utilizing a customer trusted agent and an authority trusted agent, comprising the steps of:

(a) establishing a cryptographically secure session between said customer trusted agent and said authority trusted agent, wherein said customer and authority trusted agents are tamper-proofed processing devices;

(b) said customer trusted agent sending said electronic credential to said authority trusted agent, via said cryptographically secure session, for remote revalidation, wherein said electronic credential includes a device identifier uniquely designating the trusted agent that had received said electronic credential;

(c) said authority trusted agent validating said electronic credential, including verifying that said device identifier in said electronic credential matches a device identifier of said customer trusted agent;

(d) said authority trusted agent assembling an updated electronic credential including updated credential information, said device identifier of said customer trusted agent, a digital signature of said authority trusted agent, and a certificate of said authority trusted agent;

(e) sending said updated electronic credential to said customer trusted agent, via said cryptographically secure session;

(f) said customer trusted agent validating said updated electronic credential;

(g) said customer trusted agent committing; and

(h) said authority trusted agent committing.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said electronic credential is a driver'"'"'s license.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said electronic credential is a corporate seal.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein said electronic credential is a credit or debit card.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein said electronic credential is a passport.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein said electronic credential is a social security card.

17. The method of claim 11, further including the steps of:

sending a payment amount to said customer trusted agent via said cryptographically secure session;

establishing a second cryptographically secure session between a first money module associated with said customer trusted agent and a second money module associated with said authority trusted agent; and

said first money module transferring electronic money to said second money module in an amount consistent with said payment amount.

18. The method of claim 11, further including the steps of:

sending a payment amount to said customer trusted agent via said cryptographically secure session;

said customer trusted agent sending a payment credential to said authority trusted agent via said cryptographically secure session;

said authority trusted agent validating said payment credential;

sending said payment amount and said payment credential to a card authorization network;

said authority trusted agent receiving notification that payment is authorized; and

said authority trusted agent sending a payment authorized message to said customer trusted agent.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein said trusted agent'"'"'s record log information which after said committing step is nonprovisionally maintained by said trusted agents.

20. The method of claim 11, further including the steps of said authority trusted agent determining if said electronic credential should be revalidated in person.

21. The method of claim 11, further including the steps of:

after step (a), said authority trusted agent sending an authority credential to said customer trusted agent, via said cryptographically secure session;

said customer trusted agent validating said authority credential.

23. The method of claim 11, wherein said device identifier of said customer trusted agent is part of a certificate of said customer trusted agent, and is sent to said authority trusted agent when establishing said session.