System and method for confirming electronic transactions

• US 7,003,497 B2
• Filed: 12/31/2001
• Issued: 02/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Uniloc 2017 LLC (FIG LLC (d/b/a Fortress Investment Group LLC))
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Maes, Stephane H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Worjloh, Jalatee
• Application Number:
  US10/038,987
• Publication Number:
  US 20020178122A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,513 Days
• Field of Search: 705 50- 80, 713/150, 713/200, 713/201, 709/203, 709/206, 709/207
• US Class Current: 705/64
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/24 Credit schemes, i.e. "pay after"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/383 Anonymous user system
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/401 Transaction verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/425 using two different networks, one for transaction and one for security confirmation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing user-confirmation of an electronic transaction and in particular, protocols for enabling electronic signatures and confirmation of electronic documents and transactions such as electronic financial transactions and credit card payment. In one aspect, a method for confirming an electronic transaction, comprises the steps of: performing an electronic transaction between a first party and a second party; sending, by the second party, a request for confirmation of the electronic transaction to a predetermined, private mailbox associated with the first party; accessing the private mailbox by the first party; and sending, by the first party, a reply message to the request for confirmation to thereby confirm authorization of the electronic transaction.

Claims

1. A method for confirming an electronic transaction, comprising the steps of:

performing an electronic transaction between a first party and a second party;

providing, by the first party to the second party, contact information of a third party service provider associated with the first party;

contacting, by the second party, the third party service provider to obtain a location of a predetermined, private mailbox associated with the first party;

sending, by the second party, a request for confirmation of the electronic transaction to the predetermined, private mailbox associated with the first party;

accessing the private mailbox by the first party; and

sending, by the first party, a reply message to the request for confirmation to thereby confirm authorization of the electronic transaction,

wherein information regarding the private mailbox is not communicated to the second party during the electronic transaction.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of sending notification to the first party of a pending request for confirmation.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the notification comprises a confirmation code to be provided in the reply message.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of sending notification comprises sending a notification message by the second party to a predetermined messaging location of the first party other than the private mailbox of the first party.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of sending a reply message comprises sending an e-mail message to a predetermined location.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the e-mail message comprises a confirmation code provided in the notification message.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of sending a reply message comprises forwarding the confirmation message to a predetermined location.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of imposing a time period in which the first party must confirm authorization of the electronic transaction.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising confirming the electronic transaction if the first party does not confirm authorization of the electronic transaction within the predetermined period of time.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising voiding the electronic transaction if the first party does not confirm authorization of the electronic transaction within the predetermined period of time.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of accessing the private mailbox comprises authenticating the identity of the first party to access the private mailbox.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of authenticating the identity of the first party comprises performing biometric authentication of the first party.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of authenticating the identity of the first party comprises providing a predetermined PIN (personal identification number) or password of the first party.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of encoding the confirmation request and reply message.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the private mailbox comprises a messaging system.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the messaging system comprises one of an e-mail, short messaging, multimedia messaging, instant messaging, voice mail, and universal messaging system.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the private mailbox comprises a post office box and the confirmation is sent via snail mail.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the private mailbox comprises a facsimile number and the confirmation message comprises a facsimile message.

19. A method for confirming an electronic transaction, comprising the steps of:

performing an electronic transaction between a first party and a second party;

providing, by the first party to the second party, contact information of a third party service provider associated with the first party;

providing, by the second party to the third-party service provider, a request for confirmation of the electronic transaction;

sending, by the third party service provider, the request for confirmation of the electronic transaction to a predetermined, private mailbox associated with the first party;

accessing the private mailbox by the first party; and

sending, by the first party to the third-party service provider, a reply message to the request for confirmation to thereby confirm authorization of the electronic transaction,

wherein information regarding the private mailbox is not communicated to the second party during the electronic transaction.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of sending, by the third party service provider, notification to the first party of a pending request for confirmation.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the step of notifying comprises sending a notification message to a predetermined messaging location of the first party other than the private mailbox of the first party.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of imposing a time period in which the first party must confirm authorization of the electronic transaction.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising confirming the electronic transaction if the first party does not confirm authorization of the electronic transaction within the predetermined period of time.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising voiding the electronic transaction if the first party does not confirm authorization of the electronic transaction within the predetermined period of time.

25. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of accessing the private mailbox comprises authenticating the identity of the first party to access the private mailbox.

26. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of encoding the confirmation request and reply message.

27. The method of claim 19, wherein the second party and third party service provider are the same entity.