Method and system for ensuring the security of the remote supply of services of financial institutions

• US 6,704,715 B1
• Filed: 05/20/1999
• Issued: 03/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fintel SA
• Original Assignee: Fintel SA
• Inventors: Rosset, Franck, Moulin, Jean, Gayet, Alain
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): GREENE, DANIEL L
• Application Number:
  US09/269,079
• Time in Patent Office: 1,755 Days
• Field of Search: 705/70-76, 705/41, 705/42, 705/44, 705/64-67, 713/184, 713/185, 235/379, 235/382
• US Class Current: 705/72
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4012 Verifying personal identification numbers [PIN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3226 using a predetermined code, e.g. password, passphrase or PIN network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using passwords in a packet data network H04L63/083
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/275 implemented by means of portable electronic directories
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/16 with lock-out or secrecy provision in party-line systems

Abstract

The invention concerns a method and a system enabling the customers (11) of a bank or an insurance company (12), remotely located, to accede safely and rapidly, by means of a microphone (17) connected to a communication network (15), to the services offered by this bank or insurance company (12). The method consists in the following steps: The bank or insurance company (12) provides each of its customers (11) with a personalised card (10) formatted like a credit card; the said card emits (13) brief identifying sound signals (20), of the DTMF type, at least partly encrypted, varying with each operation, when it is actuated by the customer (11); said sound signals are received by the microphone (17) and transmitted by the communication network (15) to the computer service (18) of the bank or insurance company; the transmitted signals and identification data of the customer and the card in the possession (23) of the computer service (18), are electronically processed (24) and compared (25) by the computer service (18) of the bank or insurance company; such that in the event of coincidence, the customer (11) can immediately be put through to the services (30) which the bank or insurance company (12) offers to its customers.

Claims

1. Method enabling customers of a bank or insurance company to securely and quickly access, using a microphone connected to a communications network, services offered by the bank or insurance company to customers thereof, from a remote location, the method comprising the following steps:

providing customers with a card, said card having a length and width substantially the same as a length and width of a credit card, said card being customized by identifiers specific to each card, and to each customer,

emitting from said card acoustic DTMF identification signals, said acoustic signals being at least partly encrypted and varying for each operation, when the customer uses said card,

counting a number of times C(p,n) that said card has emitted said acoustic signals at a time of a current-operation, and

emitting from said card acoustic signals representing the number of times C(p,n) that it has been used,

encrypting said acoustic signals into a function S(p,n) as a function of said number of times C(p,n) that said card has emitted said acoustic signals,

receiving said acoustic signals with said microphone and transmitting said acoustic signals through said communications network to a computer,

processing and electronically comparing said transmitted signals and said customer and card identifiers with the computer,

storing in the computer a number of times C(p,m) that said card has been used at a time of a last validated operation,

comparing in the computer said number of times C(pn) that said card has been used at the time of the current operation with said number of times C(p,m) that said card has been used at the time of the last validated operation,

refusing the current operation if C(p,n) is less than or equal to C(p,m) and continues verifying the current operation if C(p,n) is greater than C(p,m),

calculating electronic signals S′

(p,n) as a function of said identifiers and the number of times C(p,n) that said card has been used at the time of the current operation, and compares said signals S′

(p,n) with said signals S(p,n), and

if said signals S′

(p,n) conform with said signals S(p,n), connecting the customer to the services offered by the bank or insurance company to their customers.

2. Method according to claim 1, also comprising the following steps:

transmitting a pin code sent by the customer through said communications network to said computer, processing and comparing said transmitted pin code in said computer with a stored pin code.

3. Method according to claim 1, also comprising the following steps:

emitting from said card an encrypted acoustic validation signal, and recording said validation signal in said computer.

4. Method according to claim 3, also comprising the following step:

transmitting an acknowledgment of said validation signal to the customer.

5. System enabling customers of a bank or insurance company to securely and quickly access services offered by the bank or insurance company to customers thereof, from a remote location, the system comprising:

a card, said card having a length and width substantially the same as a length and width of a credit card, said card being customized by identifiers specific to each card and to each customer, and provided to customers;

said card comprising;

emission means for emitting short acoustic DTMF identification signals, said emission means being activatable by the customer with an activation element accessible from an outside of said card,

encryption means for at least partly encrypting said acoustic signals and varying said acoustic signals each time said signals are emitted,

an incremental counter interconnected to said emission means and said encryption means, said incremental counter being incremented by at least one unit whenever said card emits said acoustic signals,

a telephone handset comprising a microphone for receiving said acoustic signals and said acoustic signals into electronic signals that can be transmitted through a communications network,

wherein a state of said incremental counter is sent to computer means, and said acoustic signals are encrypted as a function of said state of said incremental counter,

said computer means being connected to said communications network and being remote from said card, said computer means comprising;

a database containing said identifiers specific to each said card and each said customer,

means for storing a state C(p,m) of said incremental counter at a time of a last validated operation,

means for comparing a state C(p,n) of said incremental counter emitted during a current operation with said state C(p,m) of said memorized incremental counter,

such that said computer means refuses the current operation if C(p,n) is less than or equal to C(p,m), and continues the current operation if C(p,n) is greater than C(p,m)

processing means and comparison means for comparing said electronic signals with said identifiers contained in said database,

said processing means and said comparison means including means for calculating expected electronic signals as a function of said state C(p,n) of said incremental counter and said identification data, and comparing said expected electronics signals with said transmitted electronic signals,

wherein if said transmitted electronic signals conform with said expected electronic signals, the customers may then immediately be connected to the services offered by the bank or insurance company.

6. System according to claim 5, computer means also comprising:

means for comparing a customer'"'"'s pin code contained in said database with a pin code sent by the customer and transmitted to said computer means through said communications network.

7. System according to claim 5, said card also emitting an encrypted acoustic validation signal, said computer means also comprising:

means for detecting and recording said validation signal.

8. System according to claim 7, said computer means also comprising:

means for printing an acknowledgment.