Method and apparatus using digital credentials and other electronic certificates for electronic transactions

• US 6,125,349 A
• Filed: 06/30/1998
• Issued: 09/26/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Maher, David P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Chinor M.
• Application Number:
  US09/107,785
• Time in Patent Office: 819 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/26, 705/35, 705/37, 705/38, 705/39, 705/53, 705/36, 705/59, 705/75, 705/76, 380/24
• US Class Current: 705/1.1
• 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 20/04 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 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3821 Electronic credentials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/38215 Use of certificates or encrypted proofs of transaction rights
• 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 20/4016 involving fraud or risk level assessment in transaction processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/403 Solvency checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/128 Check-book balancing, updating or printing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3268 using certificate validation, registration, distribution or revocation, e.g. certificate revocation list [CRL]

Abstract

A method for performing electronic transactions, comprising receiving a long-term certificate, authenticating a user associated with the long-term certificate, and then sending a short-term certificate to the authenticated user. In addition, risk associated with the user can be evaluated, and this risk information, as well as other information, can be included in the short-term certificate.

Claims

1. A method for performing an electronic transaction, comprising:

(a) receiving a long-term certificate;

(b) authenticating a user associated with the long-term certificate;

(c) sending a short-term certificate to the user authenticated in (b), the short-term certificate containing authorization to perform commerce over a network.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(d) evaluating a risk associated with the user; and

(e) including in the short-term certificate information about the risk associated with the user.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the risk associated with the user is reflected in an upper limit on the short-term certificate'"'"'s value.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(d) receiving information about the user'"'"'s spending history; and

(e) including in the short-term certificate information based on the user'"'"'s spending history.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the information about a user'"'"'s spending history includes marketing offers.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(d) receiving from a market partner information about the market partner'"'"'s needs; and

(e) including in the short-term certificate information about the market partner'"'"'s needs.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the information about a market partner'"'"'s needs includes marketing offers.

8. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

(f) receiving, information about the user'"'"'s spending habits; and

(g) including in the short-term certificate information about the user'"'"'s spending habits.

9. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

(f) receiving from a market partner information about the market partner'"'"'s needs; and

(g) including in the short-term certificate information about the market partner'"'"'s needs.

10. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

(f) receiving from a market partner information about the market partner'"'"'s needs; and

(g) including in the short-term certificate information about the market partner'"'"'s needs.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

(h) receiving from a market partner information about the market partner'"'"'s needs; and

(i) including in the short-term certificate information about the market partner'"'"'s needs.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(d) billing the user through a regular billing channel between the certifier and the user.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the regular billing channel is a telephone bill.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the regular billing channel is a credit-card bill.

15. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

(h) billing the user through a regular billing channel between the certifier and the user.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

(j) billing the user through a regular billing channel between the certifier and the user.

17. An apparatus for practicing commerce on a network, comprising:

(a) a processor;

(b) a port coupled to said processor; and

(c) a memory, also coupled to said processor, storing instructions adapted to be executed by said processor to

(i) receive a long-term certificate;

(ii) authenticate a user associated with the long-term certificate; and

(iii) send short-term certificates to the user authenticated in (ii), the short-term certificate containing authorization to perform commerce over a network.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising:

(d) a memory storing instructions adapted to be executed by said processor to

(i) evaluate the risk associated with the user; and

(ii) include in the short-term certificate information about the risk associated with the user.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the risk associated with the user is reflected in an upper limit on a value of the short-term certificate.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising:

(d) a memory storing instructions adapted to be executed by said processor to

(i) receive information about the user'"'"'s spending history; and

(ii) include in the short-term certificate information based on the user'"'"'s spending history.

21. The apparatus in claim 20, wherein the information about the user'"'"'s spending habits includes marketing offers.

22. The apparatus of claim 17, further comprising:

(d) a memory storing instructions adapted to be executed by said processor to

(i) receive from a market partner information about the market partner'"'"'s needs; and

(ii) include in the short-term certificate information about the market partner'"'"'s needs.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the information about the market partner'"'"'s needs includes marketing offers.

24. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising:

(e) a memory storing instructions adapted to be executed by said processor to

(i) receive information about the user'"'"'s spending habits; and

(ii) include in the short-term certificate information about the user'"'"'s spending habits.

25. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising:

(e) a memory storing instructions adapted to be executed by said processor to

(i) receive from a market partner information about the market partner'"'"'s needs; and

(ii) include in the short-term certificate information about the market partner'"'"'s needs.

26. The apparatus of claim 20, further comprising:

(e) a memory storing instructions adapted to be executed by said processor to

(i) receive from a market partner information about the market partner'"'"'s needs; and

(ii) include in the short-term certificate information about the market partner'"'"'s needs.

27. The apparatus of claim 24, further comprising:

(e) a memory storing instructions adapted to be executed by said processor to

(i) receive from a market partner information about the market partner'"'"'s needs; and

(ii) include in the short-term certificate information about the market partner'"'"'s needs.

28. A computer-readable medium that stores instructions adapted to be executed by a processor to perform the steps of:

(a) receiving a long-term certificate;

(b) authenticating a user associated with the long-term certificate;

(c) sending a short-term certificate to the user authenticated in (b), the short-term certificate containing authorization to perform commerce over a network.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 28, further comprising

(d) evaluating the risk associated with the user;

and

(e) including in the short-term certificate information about the risk associated with the user.

30. The computer-readable medium of claim 28, further comprising:

(d) receiving information about the user'"'"'s spending history; and

(e) including in the short-term certificate information about the user'"'"'s spending history.

31. The computer-readable medium of claim 28, further comprising:

(d) receiving from a market partner information about the market partner'"'"'s needs'"'"'

(e) including in the short-term certificate information about the market partner'"'"'s needs.