Electronic ticket vending system

• US 7,478,239 B1
• Filed: 05/19/1999
• Issued: 01/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Citibank NA (Citigroup Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Citibank NA (Citigroup Incorporated)
• Inventors: Rosen, Sholom S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barron, Jr.; Gilberto
• Application Number:
  US09/314,738
• Time in Patent Office: 3,527 Days
• Field of Search: 705/39, 705/41, 705 65- 69, 705 77- 79, 705/75, 705/17, 713/172, 713/171
• US Class Current: 713/172
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/06 Private payment circuits, e.g. involving electronic currency used among participants of a common payment scheme
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/085 involving remote charge determination or related payment systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/0855 involving a third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/105 involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/209 Specified transaction journal output feature, e.g. printed receipt or voice output
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/26 Debit schemes, e.g. "pay now"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/367 involving electronic purses or money safes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3676 Balancing accounts
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3678 e-cash details, e.g. blinded, divisible or detecting double spending
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3821 Electronic credentials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3829 involving key management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/383 Anonymous user system
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/401 : Transaction verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 : Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 : Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/188 : Electronic negotiation
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/16 : for devices exhibiting advertisements, announcements, pictures or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0866 : by active credit-cards adapted therefor G07F7/1008 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/42 : Anonymization, e.g. involving pseudonyms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 : Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 : received data contents, e.g. message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3213 : using tickets or tokens, e.g. Kerberos network architectures or network communication protocols for entities authentication using tickets in a packet data network H04L63/0807
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 : involving digital signatures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3263 : involving certificates, e.g. public key certificate [PKC] or attribute certificate [AC]; Public key infrastructure [PKI] arrangements network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using certificates in a packet data network H04L63/0823

Abstract

A system for open electronic commerce having a customer trusted agent securely communicating with a first money module, and a merchant trusted agent securely communicating with a second money module. Both trusted agents are capable of establishing a first cryptographically secure session, and both money modules are capable of establishing a second cryptographically secure session. The merchant trusted agent transfers electronic merchandise to the customer trusted agent, and the first money module transfers electronic money to the second money module. The money modules inform their trusted agents of the successful completion of payment, and the customer may use the purchased electronic merchandise.

Claims

1. An electronic ticket vending system comprising:

an electronic ticket vending device that generates an electronic ticket and executes at least one of vending and refunding by exchanging the generated electronic ticket with electronic money;

a communication line connected to said vending device;

at least one host processor connected to said communication line that executes input, output, transmission and reception for executing at least one of vending and refunding of an electronic ticket; and

an electronic ticket storage device, having an interface that electronically connects to said host processor, where said electronic ticket storage device stores electronic money, an electronic ticket, and a transaction history including transactions of electronic money and electronic tickets, and where said transaction history is updated, by a program stored in said electronic ticket storage device, after a transfer of either electronic money or an electronic ticket;

where in response to an electronic ticket purchase request or an electronic ticket refund request, by at least said host processor or said electronic ticket storage device, at least said electronic ticket or said electronic money is sent from said electronic ticket vending device via said communication line.

2. The electronic ticket vending system of claim 1, wherein said electronic ticket vending device further comprises:

a processor that executes a software protocol that produces an electronic ticket from at least data indicating a ticket publication source and data indicating the price of a ticket;

an interface for transmission and reception of an electronic ticket, an interface for transmission and reception of electronic money; and

wherein said electronic ticket vending device stores an encryption key, electronic money, and a transaction history of transmitting or receiving electronic money or an electronic ticket.

3. The electronic ticket vending system of claim 2, wherein said electronic ticket vending device stores a secret key of an asymmetric encryption algorithm which varies with each merchant and a public key forming a counterpart to said secret key.

4. The electronic ticket vending system of claim 1, wherein said electronic ticket storage device further comprises a processor for controlling transmission and reception of an electronic ticket and electronic money, and storage of said transaction history.

5. The electronic ticket vending system of claim 4, wherein said electronic ticket storage device stores an electronic signature which is produced by digitally signing ticket data.

6. An electronic ticket vending method in a system comprising an electronic ticket vending device, at least one host processor, and a communication line connecting said electronic ticket vending system and said at least one host processor, said method comprising:

a step of sending a request to purchase an electronic ticket to said electronic ticket vending device from at least one of said host processors connected to an electronic ticket storage device having an interface that electronically connects to said host processor, where said electronic ticket storage device stores electronic money, an electronic ticket, and a transaction history including transactions of electronic money and electronic tickets, and where said transaction history is updated by a program stored in said electronic ticket storage device after a transfer of either electronic money or an electronic ticket;

a step of sending a request for ticket payment to said electronic ticket storage device, when said electronic ticket can be vended from said electronic ticket vending device;

a step of sending electronic money, in an amount consistent with said request, to said electronic ticket vending device from said electronic ticket storage device via said communication line;

a step of sending said electronic ticket to said electronic ticket storage device from said electronic ticket vending device after said electronic money is received; and

a step of receiving said sent electronic ticket via said host processor and storing it in said electronic ticket storage device connected to said host processor.

7. The electronic ticket vending method of claim 6, further comprising:

a step of receiving said electronic money from said electronic ticket storage device by said electronic ticket vending device;

a step of recording that said electronic money was received from said electronic ticket storage device; and

a step of sending said electronic ticket to said electronic ticket storage device; and

a step of recording that said electronic ticket was sent to said electronic ticket storage device.

8. The electronic ticket vending method of claim 7, further comprising:

a step of receiving said electronic ticket to be refunded from said electronic ticket storage device by said electronic ticket vending device;

a step of recording that said electronic ticket to be refunded was received from said electronic ticket storage device;

a step of sending said electronic money to said electronic ticket storage device; and

a step of recording that said electronic money was sent to said electronic ticket storage device.

9. The electronic ticket vending method of claim 8, further comprising:

a step of sending said electronic money to said electronic ticket vending device from said electronic ticket storage device;

a step of recording that said electronic money was sent to said electronic ticket vending device;

a step of receiving said electronic ticket by said electronic ticket storage device; and

a step of recording that said electronic ticket storage device received said electronic ticket.

10. The electronic ticket vending method of claim 9, further comprising:

a step of sending said electronic ticket to be refunded to said electronic ticket vending device from said electronic ticket storage device;

a step of recording that said electronic ticket to be refunded was sent;

a step of receiving said electronic money from said electronic ticket vending device by said electronic ticket storage device; and

a step of recording that said electronic ticket storage device received said electronic money.

11. An electronic ticket vending system comprising:

an electronic ticket vending device having a processor programmed to generate an electronic ticket and execute at least one of vending and refunding by exchanging the generated electronic ticket with electronic money;

a communication line connected to said vending device;

at least one host processor connected to said communication line programmed to execute input, output, transmission and reception for executing at least one of vending and refunding of an electronic ticket; and

an electronic ticket storage device having an interface that electronically connects to said host processor, where said electronic ticket storage device has a processor programmed to store electronic money, an electronic ticket, and a transaction history including transactions of electronic money and electronic tickets, and where said processor is programmed to update said transaction history after a transfer of either electronic money or an electronic ticket;

where in response to receiving an electronic ticket purchase request or an electronic ticket refund request, said electronic ticket vending device is programmed to send at least said electronic ticket or said electronic money to said electronic ticket storage device via said communication line.