Optical memory card based e-commerce business method

• US 7,131,574 B1
• Filed: 07/19/2000
• Issued: 11/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Assa Abloy AB
• Original Assignee: LaserCard Corp. (Assa Abloy AB)
• Inventors: Haddock, Richard M., Sciupac, Louis H.
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, THIEN MINH
• Application Number:
  US09/619,028
• Time in Patent Office: 2,302 Days
• Field of Search: 235/380, 235/37, 235/382, 235/382.5, 235/383, 235/379, 235/454, 235/486, 235/375, 705/1, 705/14, 705/28, 705/26, 709/229
• US Class Current: 235/379
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0014 for vending, access and use of specific services not covered anywhere else in G07F17/00 meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas or electricity G07F15/00

Abstract

In a system for reading data encoded on a single, secure, personal, portable database of private information, such as an optical memory card, a method of interaction between an optical card user, a broker and an agency seeking a transaction with the card user. The user is provided with a blank optical memory card which he encodes with the user'"'"'s personal transactional information such as credit card numbers. The agency and user are provided with access to a transaction site. The user is able to use the single, secure medium to conduct many transactions. The user selects the encoded information that is needed to conduct the transaction with an agency. The information is read and transmitted to a broker who completes the transaction. Here, the agency is not provided with access to the information and the information is not stored in company or network database or on a network.

Claims

1. In a system of reading data encoded on a storage medium, a method of business interaction between a broker and an agency comprising:

providing a user with a secure storage medium;

recording personal transaction information and on the medium;

verifying the user identification;

reading selected portions of the information;

transmitting selected information to said broker; and

the broker using said selected information to conduct a transaction between said agency and said user without revealing said selected, transmitted information to said agency.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said storage medium is an optical memory card.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprises providing a reader/writer and reading selected portions of user information with said reader/writer.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising inserting said medium into said reader/writer before reading selected portions of user information.

5. The method of claim 1 further defined by conducting more than one transaction with more than one agency using said storage medium.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising said agency entering into an agreement with said broker wherein said agency agrees to pay to said broker a fee and said broker agrees to broker said transaction between said user and said agency.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising said agency entering into an agreement with said broker wherein said agency agrees to pay to said broker a fee and said broker agrees to provide said agency with a reader/writer.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising said broker providing confirmation to said user and said agency indicating that said transaction has been conducted.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising said broker providing on-line access through a broker'"'"'s e-commerce site.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein providing on-line access to said broker'"'"'s e-commerce site is further defined by allowing said agency to set up promotions on said site and to check customers preferences and purchasing history on-line.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein providing on-line access to said broker'"'"'s e-commerce site is further defined by allowing said user to view said agency'"'"'s promotions on-line.

12. The method of claim 9 further defined by said broker'"'"'s e-commerce site providing an administrative database and web page, an agency'"'"'s database and web page, a user'"'"'s database and web page and a middle-ware agent.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said user'"'"'s database includes said user'"'"'s password, history of transactions and purchasing preferences.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein said data is personal data.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein said data that is read is selected by the user.

16. The method claim 1 wherein transmitting selected information comprises transmitting portions of selected information.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein said data that is transmitted is selected by the user.

18. The method of claim 1 further defined by:

the user providing said broker with enrollment information; and

the broker providing said user with a password for said medium.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein providing said broker with enrollment information is further defined by downloading said information from a computer to a kiosk.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein said data encoded on said storage medium includes at least two types of personal information.

21. The method of claim 1 further comprising recording biometric data on said medium and comparing said recorded biometric data with biometric data of said user to verify said user identification.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein said biometric data comprises a picture of said user.

23. The method of claim 1 further defined by transmitting the data on-line to said broker, said user providing said broker with a digitally signed authorization giving the broker the authority to broker the transaction.

24. The method of claim 23 further defined by storing said digitally signed authorization on said broker'"'"'s database.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein brokering the transaction includes said broker relaying said user'"'"'s credit card number to a second agency.

26. The method of claim 1 further defined by storing on the storage medium any transactions conducted by said user.

27. The method of claim 1 further comprising after said transmitted information is used, destroying said transmitted information.

28. The method of claim 1 wherein after using said transmitted, selected information to conduct said transaction, further comprising destroying said transmitted, selected information.

29. The method of claim 1 wherein after transmitting selected information to said broker, failing to store said transmitted, selected information at a database of said broker.