System and method for commercial payments using trusted agents

• US 5,671,280 A
• Filed: 08/30/1995
• Issued: 09/23/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Citibank NA (Citigroup Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Citibank NA (Citigroup Incorporated)
• Inventors: Rosen, Sholom S.
• Primary Examiner(s): CANGIALOSI, SALVATORE A
• Application Number:
  US08/521,262
• Time in Patent Office: 755 Days
• Field of Search: 380/24, 380/30
• US Class Current: 705/67
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/06 Private payment circuits, e.g. involving electronic currency used among participants of a common payment scheme
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/389 Keeping log of transactions for guaranteeing non-repudiation of a transaction

Abstract

A system for electronic commercial payment is provided having a customer trusted agent associated with a first money module, a merchant trusted agent that establishes a first cryptographically secure session with the customer trusted agent and associated with a second money module. Where the money modules establish a second cryptographically secure session. The customer trusted agent provides remittance advice information to the merchant trusted agent, and the merchant trusted agent provides a commercial payment ticket to the customer trusted agent. Upon receiving said commercial payment ticket, the customer trusted agent initiates a transfer of electronic money from the first money module to the second money module.

Claims

1. A system for electronic commercial payment comprising:

a customer trusted agent;

a first money module associated with said customer trusted agent that securely communicates with said customer trusted agent;

a merchant trusted agent that establishes a first secure session with said customer trusted agent by using cryptographic means;

a second money module associated with said merchant trusted agent that securely communicates with said merchant trusted agent, and that establishes a second secure session with said first money module by using cryptographic means;

where said customer trusted agent provides a remittance advice information signal to said merchant trusted agent, and said merchant trusted agent provides a commercial payment ticket signal to said customer trusted agent;

where upon receiving said commercial payment ticket signal, said customer trusted agent initiates a transfer of electronic money from said first money module to said second money module.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said merchant trusted agent creates a digital signature over said remittance advice information and includes said digital signature in said commercial payment ticket signal.

3. The system of claim 2, where upon receiving said commercial payment ticket signal, said customer trusted agent verifies said digital signature prior to initiating said transfer of electronic money.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said remittance advice information includes a list of invoices.

5. A method for electronic commercial payments utilizing a customer trusted agent, a first money module, a merchant trusted agent, and a second money module, comprising the steps of:

(a) establishing a first secure session between said customer trusted agent and said merchant trusted agent by using cryptographic means;

(b) said customer trusted agent transferring a remittance advice information signal, via said first secure session, to said merchant trusted agent;

(c) said merchant trusted agent creating a commercial payment ticket including, at least in part, data from said remittance advice information signal;

(d) said merchant trusted agent transferring a commercial payment ticket signal, via said first secure session, to said customer trusted agent which provisionally retains said ticket;

(e) establishing a second secure session between said first money module and said second money module by using cryptographic means;

(f) said first money module transferring an electronic money signal, via said second secure session, to said second money module which provisionally retains said electronic money;

(g) said first money module committing and securely informing said customer trusted agent of successful electronic money transfer;

(h) said second money module committing, whereupon said retention of said electronic money is no longer provisional, and securely informing said merchant trusted agent of successful electronic money receipt;

(i) said customer trusted agent committing, whereupon said retention of said commercial payment ticket is no longer provisional; and

(j) said merchant trusted agent committing.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said merchant trusted agent creates a digital signature over said remittance advice information and includes said digital signature in said commercial payment ticket signal.

7. The method of claim 6 further including the step of said customer trusted agent verifying said digital signature prior to initiating said transfer of electronic money.

8. A system for securely linking electronic commercial payment to remittance advice information over a communication network, comprising:

a tamper-proof first electronic agent having a first processor;

a tamper-proof first money module associated with and that securely communicates with said first electronic agent, and having a second processor;

a tamper-proof second electronic agent that established a first secure session with said first electronic agent over said communication network by using cryptographic means, and having a third processor;

a tamper-proof second money module associated with and that securely communicates with said second electronic agent, and that establishes a second secure session with said first money module by using cryptographic means, and having a fourth processor;

where said first processor is adapted to transfer a remittance advice information signal, via said first secure session, to said second electronic agent;

where said third processor creates a commercial payment ticket based on said remittance advice information, and transfers a commercial payment ticket signal to said first electronic agent via said first secure session;

where upon verifying said commercial payment ticket, said first processor institutes an electronic money payment from said first money module to said second money module.

9. The commercial payment system of claim 8, wherein said third processor forms a digital signature over said remittance advice information, and includes said digital signature in said commercial payment ticket signal.

10. The commercial payment system of claim 9, wherein said remittance advice information includes a list of invoices.

11. The commercial payment system of claim 10, wherein amounts associated with invoices of said list are summed and compared to a total amount included in said remittance advice information.

12. A system for securely linking electronic commercial payment to remittance advice information, comprising:

a tamper-proof first electronic transaction device including a first processor;

a tamper-proof second electronic transaction device including a second processor and that communicates with said first electronic transaction device via a secure session established by using cryptographic means;

where said first processor is adapted to transfer a remittance advice information signal including a list of invoices to said second electronic transaction device;

where said second processor digitally signs at least part of said remittance advice information and incorporates said digital signature in a commercial payment ticket;

where said second processor transfers a commercial payment ticket signal to said first electronic transaction device; and

where said first electronic transaction device transfers an electronic money signal to said second electronic transaction device, thereby completing a final payment from payor to payee without third party intermediaries.

13. The commercial payment system of claim 12, wherein said commercial payment ticket is sent to a computer-implemented accounts payable system as proof of payment.

14. The commercial payment system of claim 12, wherein said second electronic transaction device sends said remittance advice information to a computer-implemented accounts receivable system to match with outstanding invoices.

15. The commercial payment system of claim 12, wherein said first electronic transaction device verifies said digital signature prior to initiating said transfer of electronic money.

16. The commercial payment system of claim 12, wherein said first electronic transaction device checks the validity of an electronic merchant credential associated with said second electronic transaction device.