System, method and article of manufacture for exchanging software and configuration data over a multichannel, extensible, flexible architecture

• US 6,253,027 B1
• Filed: 06/17/1996
• Issued: 06/26/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP (Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Company (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Weber, Jay C., Kramer, Glenn A., Rowney, Kevin T. B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gregory, Bernarr E.
• Application Number:
  US08/664,814
• Time in Patent Office: 1,835 Days
• Field of Search: 380/4, 380/9, 380/23, 380/24, 380/25, 380/28, 380/29, 380/49, 380/50, 380/59, 380/255, 380/259-266, 380/277-285, 380/287, 705/26, 705/27, 705/50-59, 379/91.02, 379/93.12, 348/7, 713/150-181, 713/200, 713/201, 713/202
• US Class Current: 380/287
• 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 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4037 Remote solvency checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/08 by coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means without personal verification means G07F7/02

Abstract

Secure transmission of data is provided between a plurality of computer systems over a public communication system, such as the Internet. Secure transmission of data is provided from a customer computer system to a merchant computer system, and for the further secure transmission of payment information regarding a payment instrument from the merchant computer system to a payment gateway computer system. The payment gateway system evaluates the payment information and returns a level of authorization of credit via a secure transmission to the merchant which is communicated to the customer by the merchant. The merchant can then determine whether to accept the payment instrument tendered or deny credit and require another payment instrument. An architecture that provides support for additional message types that are not SET compliant is provided by a preferred embodiment of the invention. A server communicating bidirectionally with a gateway is disclosed. The server communicates to the gateway over a first communication link, over which all service requests are initiated by the server. The gateway uses a second communication link to send service signals to the server. In response to the service signals, the server initiates transactions to the gateway or presents information on an a display device.

Claims

1. A computerized method for communicating between a server and a gateway, comprising the steps of:

(a) establishing a communication link between the server and the gateway;

(b) transferring configuration information from the server to the gateway;

(c) transferring software embodied on a first computer-readable medium on the gateway to a second computer-readable medium on the server; and

(d) installing the transferred software at the server.

2. The method of claim 1, including the steps of:

encrypting the configuration information; and

encrypting the software.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication link operates under a HTTP protocol.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the configuration information and the transferred software are formatted using a MIME-encapsulated PKCS-7 protocol.

5. The method of claim 1, including the steps of:

authenticating the configuration information at the gateway; and

authenticating the transferred software at the server.

6. The method of claim 5, including the step of accepting the transferred software if the transferred software is digitally signed by an approved entity.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the determination of whether an approved entity is authorized is embedded in the server.

8. A system for communicating between a server and a gateway, said system comprising:

(a) the server;

(b) the gateway;

(c) a communication link between the server and the gateway;

(d) a module to transfer configuration information from the server to the gateway;

(e) a module to transfer software from the gateway to the server; and

(f) a software module to install the transferred software at the server.

9. A system as recited in claim 8, including;

a module to encrypt the configuration information; and

a module to encrypt the transferred software.

10. The system as recited in claim 8, wherein the communication link operates under a HTTP protocol.

11. The system as recited in claim 8, wherein the configuration information and the transferred software are formatted using a MIME-encapsulated PKCS-7 protocol.

12. The system as recited in claim 8, including:

information at the gateway to authenticate the configuration information; and

information at the server to authenticate the transferred software.

13. The system as recited in claim 12, including a module to accept the transferred software if the transferred software is digitally signed by an approved entity.

14. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein indicia of whether an approved entity is authorized is embedded in the server.

15. A computer program embodied on a computer-readable medium, the computer program for enabling communication between a server and a gateway, comprising:

(a) a code segment embodied on a computer-readable medium on the server to establish a communication link between the server and the gateway;

(b) a code segment embodied on a computer-readable medium on the server to transfer configuration information from the server to the gateway;

(c) a code segment embodied on a computer-readable medium on the gateway to transfer software embodied on a first computer-readable medium on the gateway to a second computer-readable medium on the server; and

(d) a code segment embodied on a computer-readable medium on the server to install the transferred software at the server.

16. A computer program as recited in claim 15, including:

a software module embodied on a computer-readable medium on the server to encrypt the configuration information; and

a software module embodied on a computer-readable medium on the gateway to encrypt the software.

17. A computer program as recited in claim 15, wherein the communication link operates under a HTTP protocol.

18. A computer program as recited in claim 15, wherein the configuration information and the transferred software are formatted using a MIME encapsulated PKCS-7 protocol.

19. A computer program as recited in claim 15, including:

information at the gateway to authenticate the configuration information; and

information at the server to authenticate the transferred software.

20. A computer program as recited in claim 19, including a software module embodied on a computer-readable medium on the server to accept the transferred software if the transferred software is digitally signed by an approved entity.

21. A computer program as recited in claim 20, wherein indicia of whether an approved entity is authorized is embedded in the server.