Verifiable electronic journal for a point of sale device and methods for using the same

• US 6,199,049 B1
• Filed: 09/30/1998
• Issued: 03/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions Holdings Corporation (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Fortenberry, Robert Scott, Conde, Alberto Gustavo Gonzalez, Hucaby, Wayne Roger
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hess, Richard W.
• Application Number:
  US09/164,215
• Time in Patent Office: 888 Days
• Field of Search: 705/19, 705/21, 705/24, 705/16, 705/75, 705/76, 380/30, 713/168, 713/170, 713/173, 713/175, 713/176, 713/180, 713/181
• US Class Current: 705/24
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/209 Specified transaction journal output feature, e.g. printed receipt or voice output
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/12 electronically operated digital data processing aspects G06Q20/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 5/00 Receipt-giving machines cash registers giving receipts G07G1/00

Abstract

A point of sale device having a verifiable electronic journal system which maintains an electronic journal file in lieu of using a journal print station. Transaction information is first stored in a non-volatile random access memory. A data signature is determined based on the contents of the random access memory for a journal. Both the transaction information and the data signature are transferred to the separate journal memory. The journal memory may, for example, reside on the point of sale terminal and tampering with the journal transaction information may be detected by reference to the data signature which is also transferred and maintained in the electronic journal file. Preferably, the data signature is encrypted such as by a shared key encryption scheme and the associated public key is also transferred and stored in the electronic journal file from the device, such as a fiscal base, which is tracking the transaction information as it is created. A hashing technique is preferably used so that a comparatively small NVRAM may be utilized to support generation of a transaction information set for an electronic journal file for a journal period. Accordingly, the data signature is an encrypted version of a message digest which is a running value reflecting the total of transaction information passed to the electronic journal file during a journal period.

Claims

1. A method for providing a verifiable electronic journal system for a point of sale device comprising:

receiving transaction information related to a plurality of sales transactions;

storing the transaction information in a random-access memory;

determining a data signature based on the transaction information contained in the random access memory and a previously determined data signature responsive to a journal update event;

transferring the transaction information contained in the random-access memory to a first portion of a journal memory separate from the random-access memory responsive to the journal update event; and

transferring the data signature to a second portion of the journal memory responsive to the journal update event.

2. A method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of transmitting the transaction information to a printer for printing.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein the transaction information includes sales amount information on transactions and wherein the receiving step is followed by the step of calculating a tax clue based on the sales amount information.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein the transaction information includes a tax due.

5. A method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of generating the journal update event responsive to completion of a journal period.

6. A method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of generating the journal update event when a predetermined amount of transaction information is stored in the random access memory and wherein the step of transferring the transaction information is followed by the step of reusing the random-access memory to store additional transaction information by overwriting previously stored transaction information.

7. A method according to claim 6 wherein the step of generating the journal update event comprises the step of generating a plurality of journal update events during a journal period and wherein the steps of storing the transaction information, determining a data signature, transferring the transaction information, transferring the data signature and reusing the random-access memory are repeated for each of the journal update events during the journal period according to a hashing technique thereby periodically transferring a block of transaction information stored in the random-access memory to the journal memory while determining the data signature as a running value associated with the transaction information received during the journal period wherein the previously determined data signature comprises a running value associated with the transaction information received during the journal period up to a last generated one of the plurality of journal update events.

8. A method according to claim 7 wherein the step of determining a data signature is followed by the steps of:

encrypting the data signature using a shared key; and

transferring the shared key to a third portion of the journal memory responsive to at least one of the plurality of journal update events.

9. A method according to claim 8 wherein th e step of transferring the shared key is followed by the step of auditing the verifiable electronic journal system.

10. A method according to claim 9 wherein the step of auditing the verifiable electronic journal system comprises the steps of:

decrypting the data signature in the second portion of the journal memory using the shared key in the third portion of the journal memory;

determining a verification data signature from the transaction information in the first portion of the journal memory using the hashing technique; and

comparing the verification data signature to the decrypted data signature to determine if the transaction information in the first portion of the journal memory has been modified from the transaction information transferred from the random-access memory during the journal period.

11. A method according to claim 1 wherein the step of determining a data signature is followed by the steps of:

encrypting the data signature using a shared key; and

transferring the shared key to a third portion of the journal memory responsive to at least one of the plurality of journal update events.

12. A method according to claim 11 wherein the step of transferring the shared key is followed by the step of auditing the verifiable electronic journal system.

13. A method according to claim 12 wherein the step of auditing the verifiable electronic journal system comprises the steps of:

decrypting the data signature in the second portion of the journal memory using the shared key in the third portion of the journal memory;

determining a verification data signature from the transaction information in the first portion of the journal memory; and

comparing the verification data signature to the decrypted data signature to determine if the transaction information in the first portion of the journal memory has been modified from the transaction information transferred from the random-access memory during the journal period.

14. A point of sale device having a verifiable electronic journal system comprising:

means for receiving transaction information related to a plurality of sales transactions;

means for determining a journal update event;

a random-access memory coupled to the means for receiving and configured to store the transaction information;

means responsive to the journal update event for determining a data signature based on the contents of the random access memory and a previously determined data signature;

a journal memory having a first portion configured to store the transaction information and a second portion configured to store the data signature; and

means responsive to the journal update event for transferring transaction information from the random-access memory to the first portion of the journal memory and the data signature from the means for determining a data signature to the second portion of the journal memory.

15. A system according to claim 14 further comprising interface means for connecting the point of sale device to a point of sale printer configured to print information on the plurality of transactions.

16. A system according to claim 14 wherein the programable journal memory is contained within the point of sale device.

17. A system according to claim 14 wherein the programable journal memory is located on a computer remote from the point of sale device and wherein said means for transferring further comprises network interface means for communicatively connecting the point of sale device to the computer remote from the point of sale device.

18. A system according to claim 14 wherein the transaction information includes a tax due.

19. A system according to claim 14 wherein the means for generating a journal update event comprises means for generating a journal update event responsive to the completion of a journal period.

20. A system according to claim 14 wherein the means for generating a journal event comprises means for generating the journal update event when a predetermined amount of transaction information is stored in the random access memory and further comprising hashing means for reusing the random-access memory to store additional transaction information by overwriting previously stored transaction information.

21. A system according to claim 14 wherein the means for generating a journal event comprises means for generating a plurality of journal update events during a journal period and further comprising hashing means for transferring a block of transaction information stored in the random-access memory to the journal memory responsive to each of the plurality of journal update events while determining the data signature as a running value associated with the transaction information received during the journal period wherein the previously determined data signature comprises a running value associated with the transaction information received during the journal period up to a last generated one of the plurality of journal update events.

22. A system according to claim 21 further comprising means for encrypting the data signature using a shared key and wherein the programable journal memory further has a third portion configured to store the shared key and further comprising means for transferring the shared key to the third portion of the journal memory responsive to at least one of the plurality of journal update events during the journal period.

23. A system according to claim 22 further comprising interface means for allowing access to the journal memory wherein the journal memory may be verified by a user auditing the verifiable electronic journal system using the shared key to decrypt the data signature and comparing the decrypted data signature to a verification data signature generated from transaction information in the first portion of the journal memory.

24. A system according to claim 14 further comprising means for encrypting the data signature using a shared key and wherein the programable journal memory further has a third portion configured to store the shared key and further comprises means for transferring the shared key to the third portion of the journal memory.

25. A system according to claim 24 further comprising interface means for allowing access to the journal memory wherein the journal memory may be verified by a user auditing the verifiable electronic journal system using the shared key to decrypt the data signature and comparing the decrypted data signature to a verification data signature generated from transaction information in the first portion of the journal memory.

26. A system according to claim 14 wherein the journal memory is an electronically programmable read only memory device and wherein the random-access memory is a non-volatile random-access memory device.

27. A computer program product for maintaining a verifiable journal system for a point of sale device, the computer program product comprising a computer usable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied in the medium, the computer readable program code comprising:

computer readable program code that receives transaction information related to a plurality of sales transactions;

computer readable program code that determines a journal update event;

computer readable program code that stores the transaction information in a random-access memory;

computer readable program code that determines a data signature based on the transaction information contained in the random-access memory and a previously determined data signature responsive to the journal update event;

computer readable program code that transfers the transaction information contained in the random-access memory to a first portion of a journal memory separate from the random access memory responsive to the journal update event;

computer readable program code that transfers the data signature to a second portion of the journal memory responsive to the journal update event.

28. A computer program product according to claim 27 further comprising computer readable program code that transmits the transaction information to a printer for printing.

29. A computer program product according to claim 27 wherein the transaction information includes sales amount information on transactions and further comprising computer readable program code that calculates a tax due based on the sales amount information.

30. A computer program product according to claim 27 wherein the transaction information includes a tax due.

31. A computer program product according to claim 27 further comprising computer readable program code that generates the journal update event responsive to completion of a journal period.

32. A computer program product according to claim 27 wherein the computer readable program code that generates a journal event comprises computer readable program code that generates the journal update event when a predetermined amount of transaction information is stored in the random access memory and further comprising computer readable program code that reuses the random-access memory to store additional transaction information by overwriting previously stored transaction information.

33. A computer program product according to claim 27 wherein the computer readable program code that generates a journal event comprises computer readable program code that generates a plurality of journal update events during a journal period and further comprising computer readable program code that transfers a block of transaction information stored in the random-access memory to the journal memory responsive to each of the plurality of journal update events while determining the data signature as a running value associated with the transaction information received during the journal period wherein the previously determined data signature comprises a running value associated with the transaction information received during the journal period up to a last generated one of the plurality of journal update events.

34. A computer program product according to claim 33 further comprising computer readable program code that encrypts the data signature using a shared key and and further comprising computer readable program code that transfers the shared key to a third portion of the journal memory responsive to at least one of the plurality of journal update events during the journal period.

35. A computer program product according to claim 34 further comprising computer readable program code that allows access to the journal memory wherein the journal memory may be verified by a user auditing the verifiable electronic journal system using the shared key to decrypt the data signature and comparing the decrypted data signature to a verification data signature generated from transaction information in the first portion of the journal memory.

36. A computer program product according to claim 27 further comprising computer readable program code that encrypts the data signature using a shared key and further comprising computer readable program code that transfers the shared key to a third portion of the journal memory.

37. A computer program product according to claim 36 further comprising computer readable program code that allows access to the journal memory wherein the journal memory may be verified by a user auditing the verifiable electronic journal system using the shared key to decrypt the data signature and comparing the decrypted data signature to a verification data signature generated from transaction information in the first portion of the journal memory.

38. A computer program product according to claim 27 wherein the journal memory is an electronically programmable read only memory device and wherein the random-access memory is a non-volatile random-access memory device.

39. A verifiable electronic journal system for a point of sale device, the system comprising:

an interface circuit that receives transaction information related to a plurality of sales transactions;

a random-access memory coupled to the interface circuit and configured to store the transaction information;

a hash function, that determines a data signature based on the contents of the random access memory and a previously determined data signature responsive to a journal update event;

a journal memory having a first portion configured to store the transaction information and a second portion configured to store the data signature; and

a transmit circuit that transmits transaction information from the random-access memory to the first portion of the journal memory and the data signature from the hash circuit to the second portion of the journal memory responsive to the journal update event.

40. A system according to claim 39 further comprising an encryption function that encrypts the data signature using a shared key and wherein the programmable journal memory further has a third portion configured to store the shared key and wherein the transmit circuit is further configured to transfer the shared key to the third portion of the journal memory responsive to at least one of a plurality of journal update events during a journal period.