Network charge method and system

• US 5,864,829 A
• Filed: 09/13/1996
• Issued: 01/26/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi Software Engineering Co., Ltd. (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Hitachi Software Engineering Co., Ltd. (Hitachi, Ltd.)
• Inventors: Tago, Shigeru
• Primary Examiner(s): MacDonald, Allen R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Myhre, James W.
• Application Number:
  US08/712,555
• Time in Patent Office: 865 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/35, 705/39, 705/41, 705/42, 705/44, 380/24
• US Class Current: 705/39
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/64 Protecting data integrity, e.g. using checksums, certificates or signatures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2211/008 Public Key, Asymmetric Key, Asymmetric Encryption
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/085 involving remote charge determination or related payment systems
• 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 20/29 characterised by micropayments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/367 involving electronic purses or money safes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/385 using an alias or single-use codes
• 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 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes

Abstract

A user who offered the purchase of a commodity or performed down-loading through a network is charged by a safe method.

This charge is executed by sending a plurality of passwords, which can be used only once, to the commodity supplier from the user and by confirming all the passwords by both the supplier and the password maker.

Claims

1. A charge method for charging a user when the purchase of the commodity is offered or data is down-loaded through a network, comprising:

(a) the step of reading a specific password from a recording medium carried by the user in a terminal system;

(b) the step of generating one-way functions corresponding in number to the price with one one-way function as a conversion unit, on the basis of said password;

(c) the step of sending and storing said one-way functions to and in a management system at the side of the commodity supplier, and then confirming the validity of said stored one-way functions by another management system at the supplier side or in the network; and

(d) the step of executing, if the confirmation result of said step (c) is valid, the charge to the user for the sum corresponding to the number of said one-way functions.

2. A charge method for charging a user when the purchase of the commodity is offered or data is down-loaded through a network, comprising:

the step of arranging in the network;

(a) a recording medium carried by the user and recorded with a specific password, the past use counts of said password and a password identifier;

(b) a terminal system for reading said specific password from said recording medium to calculate a one-way function thereof;

(c) a first database for storing the latest calculation result of the one-way function of said specific password for each password identifier; and

(d) a second database for storing the one-way function, which is calculated and sent by said terminal system, for each password identifier;

(e) the step of reading, when the charge to the user for the price is to be executed, a specific password assigned inherently to the user, from the recording medium carried by the user;

(f) the step of;

calculating the one-way function based on said specific password, after reading at the foregoing step, in said terminal system;

comparing the calculated one-way function and the one-way function of the identical password identifier stored in said first database;

confirming whether or not the one-way function calculated this time by said terminal system is unused;

replacing, if unused, the one-way function of the identical password identifier, as stored in said first database, by the one-way function calculated this time by said terminal system;

storing the one-way function, as calculated this time by said terminal system, in said second database; and

updating the value of the use counts on said recording medium; and

(g) the step of;

repeating the decision of whether or not the one-way functions corresponding in number to said price with one one-way function as a conversion unit have been stored, and a plurality of recursive calculations of the one-way functions corresponding in number to said price, if not stored, on the basis of the preceding calculation result;

storing the one-way functions corresponding in number to said price in said second database; and

executing the charge to the user for the price which is equivalent to the number of the one-way functions stored in said second database.

3. A charge method for charging a user when the purchase of the commodity is offered or data is down-loaded through a network, according to claim 2, further comprising:

(a) the step of further storing the maximum usable counts of said specific password in said recording medium;

(b) the step of comparing the value of the past use counts and the maximum usable counts when the value of the past use counts on said recording medium is updated; and

(c) the step of interrupting the processing if the former exceeds the later at said step (b).

4. A charge method for charging a user when the purchase of the commodity is offered or data is down-loaded through a network, according to claim 3, further comprising:

(a) the step of storing only the first one-way function and the last one-way function of those corresponding in number to said price, in said second database.

5. A charge method for charging a user when the purchase of the commodity is offered or data is down-loaded through a network, according to claim 2, further comprising:

(a) the step of storing only the first one-way function and the last one-way function of those corresponding in number to said price, in said second database.

6. A charge method for charging a user when the purchase of the commodity is offered or data is down-loaded through a network, comprising:

the step of arranging in the network;

(a) a recording medium carried by the user and recorded with a specific password, the past use counts of said password and a password identifier;

(b) a terminal system for reading said specific password from said recording medium to calculate a one-way function thereof;

(c) a first database for storing the latest calculation result of the one-way function of said specific password for each password identifier; and

(d) a second database for storing the one-way function, which is calculated and sent by said terminal system, for each password identifier;

(e) the step of reading out, when the charge to the user for the price is to be executed, a specific password assigned inherently to the user, from the recording medium carried by the user; and

(f) the step of;

calculating the one-way functions, as based on said specific password, altogether corresponding in number to said price with one one-way function as a conversion unit in said terminal system;

storing a group of said calculated one-way functions in said second database;

comparing the calculated one-way function, as generated first in the group of said one-way functions, with the one-way function of the identical password identifier stored in said first database;

confirming whether or not the group of the one-way functions calculated this time by said terminal system are unused;

replacing, if unused, the one-way function of the identical password identifier, as stored in said first database, by the first one-way function calculated this time by said terminal system;

updating the value of the use counts on said recording medium, and executing the charge to the user for the price which is equivalent to the number of the one-way functions stored in said second database.