Method of authenticating an application program and a system therefor

• US 6,202,924 B1
• Filed: 03/26/1999
• Issued: 03/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NCR Corporation (NCR Voyix Corporation)
• Original Assignee: NCR Corporation (NCR Voyix Corporation)
• Inventors: Saunders, Keith A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Frech, Karl D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): St. Cyr, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US09/276,979
• Time in Patent Office: 725 Days
• Field of Search: 235/379, 235/380, 235/382, 235/382.5, 235/487, 235/492, 902/4, 902/5, 902/8, 902/14
• US Class Current: 235/379
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/20 Automatic teller machines [ATMs]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/201 Accessories of ATMs
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/207 Surveillance aspects at ATMs

Abstract

An unattended system, such as a self-service terminal or an automated teller machine, includes a memory unit which stores a number of application programs, and a register unit which stores a number of signatures associated with the application programs. The system further includes a processing unit which obtains a signature associated with a particular application program, compares the signature with the signatures stored in the register unit, and authenticates the application program only when the signature matches at least one of the signatures stored in the register unit.

Claims

1. A method of authenticating an executable application program which has a unique signature associated therewith and which has been previously installed in a memory of a self-service terminal by a non-customer of the self-service terminal, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) retrieving the unique signature of the executable application program from the memory of the self-service terminal when a customer of the self-service terminal requests a desired self-service transaction to be carried out;

(b) comparing the unique signature retrieved in step (a) with a number of signatures stored in a look-up table to determine if the unique signature matches one of the signatures stored in the look-up table; and

(c) authenticating the executable application program to allow the executable application program to be executed only when a match occurs in step (b) and thereby to allow the self-service customer to complete the desired self-service transaction.

2. A method of safeguarding an executable application program which has a unique signature associated therewith and which has been previously installed in a memory of a self-service terminal by a non-customer of the self-service terminal, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) retrieving the unique signature of the executable application program from the memory of the self-service terminal when a customer of the self-service terminal requests a desired self-service transaction to be carried out;

(b) comparing the unique signature retrieved in step (a) with a number of signatures stored in a look-up table to determine if the unique signature matches one of the signatures stored in the look-up table;

(c) allowing the executable application program to be executed when a match is found in step (b) to allow the self-service customer to complete the desired self-service transaction; and

(d) disallowing the executable application program to be executed when a match is unable to be found in step (b) to prevent the self-service customer from completing the desired self-service transaction.

3. A self-service terminal comprising:

a register storing a number of signatures associated with a number of executable application programs;

a memory storing an executable application program which has a unique signature associated therewith and which has been previously installed in the memory by a non-customer of the self-service terminal;

means for retrieving the unique signature of the executable application program from the memory when a customer of the self-service terminal requests a desired self-service transaction to be carried out;

means for comparing the retrieved unique signature with the signatures stored in the register to determine if the retrieved unique signature matches one of the signatures stored in the register; and

means for authenticating the executable application program to allow the executable application program to be executed only when the retrieved unique signature matches one of the signatures stored in the register and thereby to allow the self-service customer to complete the desired self-service transaction.

4. A self-service terminal comprising:

a register storing a number of signatures associated with a number of executable application programs;

a memory storing an executable application program which has a unique signature associated therewith and which has been previously installed in the memory by a non-customer of the self-service terminal;

means for retrieving the unique signature of the executable application program from the memory when a customer of the self-service terminal requests a desired self-service transaction to be carried out;

means for comparing the retrieved unique signature with the signatures stored in the register to determine if the retrieved unique signature matches one of the signatures stored in the register;

means for allowing the executable application program to be executed when the retrieved unique signature matches one of the signatures stored in the register to allow the self-service customer to complete the desired self-service transaction; and

means for disallowing the executable application program to be executed when the retrieved unique signature is unable to be matched with any one of the signatures stored in the register to prevent the self-service customer from completing the desired self-service transaction.

5. A self-service terminal for enabling a self-service customer to carry out a desired self-service transaction, the self-service terminal comprising:

a user interface for accepting a request from the self-service customer that the desired self-service transaction be carried out;

a register unit for storing a number of signatures associated with a number of executable application programs;

a memory unit for storing an executable application program which has been previously installed by a non-customer of the self-service terminal and which, when executed, allows the self-service customer to complete the desired self-service transaction; and

a processing unit for executing the executable application program stored in the memory unit, the processing unit including (i) means for retrieving from the memory unit a unique signature associated with the executable application program, (ii) means for comparing the unique signature associated with the executable application program with the signatures stored in the register unit, and (iii) means for authenticating the application program to allow the executable application program to be executed only when the unique signature associated with executable application program matches one of the signatures stored in the register unit and thereby to allow the self-service customer to complete the desired self-service transaction.

6. A self-service terminal according to claim 5, wherein the memory unit and the register unit comprise separate storage media.

7. A self-service terminal according to claim 5, wherein the user interface comprises a front panel of an automated teller machine (ATM) to allow an ATM customer to carry out a desired self-service financial transaction.

8. A self-service terminal according to claim 7, wherein the front panel of the ATM includes (i) means for verifying the identity of the ATM customer, and (ii) means for allowing the ATM customer to input data to complete the desired self-service financial transaction after the identity of the ATM customer has been verified.