System, method and article of manufacture for network electronic payment instrument and certification of payment and credit collection utilizing a payment

• US 6,016,484 A
• Filed: 04/26/1996
• Issued: 01/18/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Verifone, Inc. (Verifone Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hughes, Kevin, Parmar, Bipinkumar G., Williams, Humphrey
• Primary Examiner(s): Cosimano, Edward R.
• Application Number:
  US08/639,880
• Time in Patent Office: 1,362 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27, 705/39, 705/1, 380/23, 380/24, 235/375, 235/380, 235/381, 340/825.3, 340/825.35, 345/326, 345/333, 345/334, 345/340
• US Class Current: 705/39
• 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 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/24 Credit schemes, i.e. "pay after"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/26 Debit schemes, e.g. "pay now"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/38215 Use of certificates or encrypted proofs of transaction rights
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3829 involving key management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03

Abstract

An electronic monetary system provides for transactions utilizing an electronic-monetary system that emulates a wallet or a purse that is customarily used for keeping money, credit cards and other forms of payment organized. Access to the instruments in the wallet or purse is restricted by a password to avoid unauthorized payments. A certificate form must be completed in order to obtain an instrument. The certificate form obtains the information necessary for creating a certificate granting authority to utilize an instrument, a payment holder and a complete electronic wallet. Electronic approval results in the generation of an electronic transaction to complete the order. If a user selects a particular certificate, a particular payment instrument holder will be generated based on the selected certificate. In addition, a default bitmap for the instrument associated with a particular certificate is defined by the issuing agent for the certificate, and the default bitmap will be displayed when the certificate definition is completed. Finally, the number associated with a particular certificate will be utilized to determine if a certificate can be issued by a particular party.

Claims

1. A method for obtaining a certificate for a payment instrument by using a first computer with an attached display connected by a network to a second computer, comprising the steps of:

(a) displaying a certificate request form for the payment instrument on the display of the first computer for entry of one or more data elements;

(b) detecting completion of data entry into the certificate request form;

(c) assembling a request for the certificate using the one or more data elements;

(d) transmitting the request for the certificate to the second computer;

(e) creating the certificate for the payment instrument at the second computer;

(f) generating a payment instrument holder containing the payment instrument at the second computer; and

(g) delivering the certificate and the payment instrument holder to the first computer.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the payment instrument is represented in accordance with a bitmap selected based on the one or more data elements.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, including the step of determining if the certificate for the payment instrument should be granted.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, including the step of providing linkages in the payment instrument holder to other displays providing additional functions associated with processing payment information.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, including the step of prompting for an authorization code to authenticate the payment instrument.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, including the step of defining a payment method based on the one or more data elements.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the payment instrument is represented in accordance with preferences of an issuer of the payment instrument.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the payment instrument is represented in accordance with a bank'"'"'s preference.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of customizing the payment instrument holder using the one or more data elements.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of customizing the payment instrument holder using one or more user preferences.

11. An apparatus for obtaining a certificate for a payment instrument by using a first computer with an attached display connected by a network to a second computer, comprising:

(a) the first computer under the control of software for displaying a certificate request form for the payment instrument on the display of the first computer for the entry of one or more data elements;

(b) the first computer under the control of software for detecting completion of data entry into the certificate request form;

(c) the first computer under the control of software for assembling a request for the certificate using the one or more data elements;

(d) the first computer under the control of software for transmitting the request for the certificate to the second computer;

(e) the second computer under the control of software for creating the certificate for the payment instrument;

(f) the second computer under the control of software for generating a payment instrument holder containing the payment instrument; and

(g) the second computer under the control of software for delivering the certificate and the payment instrument holder to the first computer.

12. The apparatus as recited in claim 11, wherein the payment instrument is represented in accordance with a bitmap selected based on the one or more data elements.

13. The apparatus as recited in claim 11, wherein the payment instrument is represented in accordance with user defined preferences.

14. The apparatus as recited in claim 11, wherein the payment instrument is represented in accordance with preferences of an issuer of the payment instrument on the display.

15. The apparatus as recited in claim 11, further comprising the first computer under the control of software for customizing the payment instrument holder using the one or more data elements.

16. The apparatus as recited in claim 11, further comprising the first computer under the control of software for customizing the payment instrument holder using one or more user preferences.

17. A computer program embodied on two computer-readable mediums for obtaining a certificate for a payment instrument by using a first computer with an attached display connected by a network to a second computer, comprising:

(a) a code segment on the first computer for displaying a certificate request form for the payment instrument on the display of the first computer for entry of one or more data elements;

(b) a code segment on the first computer for detecting completion of data entry into the certificate request form;

(c) a code segment on the first computer for assembling a request for the certificate using the one or more data elements;

(d) a code segment on the first computer for transmitting the request for the certificate to the second computer;

(e) a code segment on the second computer for creating the certificate for the payment instrument at the second computer;

(f) a code segment on the second computer for generating a payment instrument holder containing the payment instrument at the second computer; and

(g) a code segment on the second computer for delivering the certificate and the payment instrument holder to the first computer.

18. The computer program embodied on two computer-readable mediums as recited in claim 17, wherein the payment instrument is generated in accordance with a bitmap selected based on the one or more data elements.

19. The computer program embodied on two computer-readable mediums as recited in claim 17, further comprising a code segment on the first computer for customizing the payment instrument holder using the one or more data elements.

20. The computer program embodied on two computer-readable mediums as recited in claim 17, further comprising a code segment on the first computer for customizing the payment instrument holder using one or more user preferences.

21. A method for obtaining a certificate for a payment instrument by using a first computer with an attached display connected by a network to a second computer, comprising the steps of:

(a) displaying a certificate request form for the payment instrument on the display of the first computer for entry of one or more data elements;

(b) detecting completion of data entry into the certificate request form;

(c) assembling a request for the certificate using the one or more data elements;

(d) transmitting the request for the certificate to the second computer;

(e) creating the certificate and a bitmap for the payment instrument at the second computer; and

(f) delivering the certificate and the bitmap to the first computer.