Method for providing secured commerical transactions via a networked communications system

• US 5,848,161 A
• Filed: 05/16/1996
• Issued: 12/08/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Totally Secure Transactions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Totally Secure Transactions, Inc.
• Inventors: King, Thomas, Remillard, Jason, Luneau, Greg
• Primary Examiner(s): CAIN, DAVID C
• Application Number:
  US08/648,876
• Time in Patent Office: 936 Days
• Field of Search: 380/23, 380/24, 380/25, 380/28, 380/30, 380/29, 380/49
• US Class Current: 705/78
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/00 Payment architectures, schemes or protocols apparatus for performing or posting payment transactions G07F7/08, G07F19/00; electronic cash registers G07G1/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/0855 involving a third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/166 at the transport layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/18 using different networks or channels, e.g. using out of band channels cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving distinctive intermediate devices or communication paths H04L9/0827; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for authentication using a plurality of channels H04L9/3215

Abstract

In a networked communications system comprising a client unit, a secured host server, and a company subscriber unit, a method for providing secured commercial transactions via the networked communications system. The method includes the steps of providing a secured transmission path via the networked communications system between the client unit and the secured host server, presenting the client unit with an order form in which commercial information is to be entered via the secured transmission path, receiving the commercial information transmitted via the secured transmission path by the client unit at the secured host server, maintaining the commercial information solely in the dynamic memory of the secured host server, encrypting the commercial information in response to the step of receiving the commercial information, erasing the dynamic memory of the secured host server in response to the step of encrypting the commercial information, and forwarding the encrypted commercial information via the communications network from the secured host server to the company subscriber unit.

Claims

1. In a networked communications system comprising a client unit, a secured host server, and a company subscriber unit, a method for providing secured commercial transactions via the networked communications system comprises the steps of:

providing a secured transaction path via the networked communications system between the client unit and the secured host server;

receiving encrypted commercial information transmitted via the secured transmission path by the client unit at the secured host server;

reencrypting substantially all of the once encrypted commercial information in response to the step of receiving encrypted commercial information; and

forwarding the reencrypted commercial information via the communications network from the secured host server to the company subscriber unit.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the steps of maintaining the encrypted commercial information solely in the dynamic memory of the secured host server and erasing the dynamic memory of the secured host server in response to the step of reencrypting the encrypted commercial information.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the step of providing a secured transmission path comprises the step of establishing a Secured Sockets Layer (SSL).

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of reencrypting substantially all of the once encrypted commercial information further comprises the step of PGP encrypting the encrypted commercial information.

5. The method as recited in claim 3, further comprising the step of presenting the client unit with an order form having information fields and utilizing the secured sockets layer to encrypt commercial information entered into the information fields.

8. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the step of forwarding the re-encrypted commercial information includes the step of

utilizing unsecured commercial electronic mail.

6. In a networked communications system comprising a client unit, a secured host server, and a company subscriber unit, a method for providing secured commercial transactions via the networked communications system comprising the steps of:

providing a secured sockets layer transmission path via the networked communications system between the client unit and the secured host server;

presenting the client unit with an order form in which commercial information is to be entered via the secured socket layer transmission path;

receiving the commercial information transmitted via the secured sockets layer transmission path by the client unit at the secured host server;

maintaining the commercial information solely in the dynamic memory of the secured host server;

PGP encrypting the commercial information in response to the step of receiving the commercial information;

erasing the dynamic memory of the secured host server in response to the step of PGP encrypting the commercial information; and

forwarding the PGP encrypted commercial information via the communications network from the secured host server to the company subscriber unit.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the step of forwarding the PGP encrypted commercial information includes the step of:

utilizing unsecured commercial electronic mail.