Method and system for providing online authentication utilizing biometric data

• US 7,502,761 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2007
• Issued: 03/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Open Invention Network LLC
• Original Assignee: YT Acquisition Corp.
• Inventors: Rowell, Simon, Siegal, Jon, Hintz, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Hewitt, II, Calvin L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Qayyum, Zeshan
• Application Number:
  US11/669,530
• Publication Number:
  US 20070198435A1
• Time in Patent Office: 769 Days
• Field of Search: 705/65, 705/67
• US Class Current: 705/67
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/08 Payment architectures
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/085 involving remote charge determination or related payment systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/16 Payments settled via telecommunication systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4014 Identity check for transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0861 using biometrical features, e.g. fingerprint, retina-scan cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using biological data H04L9/3231

Abstract

A system and method for securely authenticating a user for the purpose of accessing information, such as private financial or personal information, in an online environment are disclosed. In addition, a system and method for allowing consumers to make secure payments from an electronic wallet with biometric authentication are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for providing user authentication services to an online service provider, the method comprising:

receiving biometric device identification information associated with a biometric device coupled to an online terminal;

receiving a biometric sample of a user taken by the biometric device;

retrieving at least one registered biometric sample using the biometric device identification information;

comparing the biometric sample with the at least one registered biometric sample;

determining a match with the at least one registered biometric sample;

retrieving a user identifier associated with the matched registered biometric sample;

extracting a federated identity using the user identifier and the online service provider'"'"'s identifier; and

transmitting the federated identity to the online service provider.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the biometric device identification information and the biometric sample are received through a direct connection with the online terminal.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising (a) receiving through the direct connection network identifying information relating to the online service provider, and (b) utilizing the network identifying information to transmit the federated identity to the online service provider.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprising (a) receiving through the direct connection a session ID relating to an online communication session between the user and the online service provider, and (b) transmitting the session ID to the online service provider in conjunction with the step of transmitting the federated identity to the online service provider.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving, from the online service provider, payment transaction details relating to an e-commerce purchase being conducted by the user at the online service provider;

extracting electronic wallet information relating to the user identifier;

transmitting at least a portion of the electronic wallet information and at least a portion of the payment transaction details to a payment processor; and

transmitting an approval message to the online service provider indicating whether the payment processor has authorized the e-commerce purchase.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the payment transaction details include a purchase price and merchant account information.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the electronic wallet information includes a financial account associated with the user.

8. The method of claim 5 further comprising the steps of (a) generating a transaction identifier associated with the payment transaction details, and (b) transmitting the transaction identifier to the online service provider as part of the approval message.

9. The method of claim 5 further comprising the steps of (a) establishing a direct connection with the online terminal, and (b) presenting at least a portion of the payment transaction details to the user through the direct connection with the online terminal for an approval by the user.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising the steps of (a) presenting to the user at least one financial account in the electronic wallet information through the direct connection with the online terminal, and (b) receiving a selection of the at least one financial account from the user through the direct connection.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of transmitting the federated identity to the online service provider occurs via the online terminal.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the received biometric sample corresponds to one of a fingerprint scan of the user, an iris scan of the user, a voice scan of the user, a retinal scan of the user, a facial scan of the user and a hand architecture of the user.

13. A system for providing user authentication services to an online service provider, the system comprising:

a processor;

a communications interface in communication with the processor; and

a processor-readable storage medium in communication with the processor,

wherein the processor-readable storage medium contains one or more programming instructions for causing the processor to perform the following;

receiving, via the communications interface, biometric device identification information associated with a biometric device coupled to an online terminal, receiving, via the communications interface, a biometric sample of a user taken by the biometric device,

retrieving at least one registered biometric sample using the biometric device identification information,

comparing the biometric sample with the at least one registered biometric sample,

determining a match with the at least one registered biometric sample,

retrieving a user identifier associated with the matched registered biometric sample,

extracting a federated identity using the user identifier and the online service provider'"'"'s identifier, and

transmitting, via the communications interface, the federated identity to the online service provider.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the processor-readable storage medium further contains one or more programming instructions for causing the processor to perform the following:

receiving, via the communications interface, the online service provider'"'"'s identifier; and

utilizing the online service provider'"'"'s identifier to transmit the federated identity to the online service provider.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the processor-readable storage medium further contains one or more programming instructions for causing the processor to perform the following:

receiving, via the communications interface, a session ID relating to an online communication session between the user and the online service provider; and

transmitting, via the communications interface, the session ID to the online service provider in conjunction with the federated identity.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the processor-readable storage medium further contains one or more programming instructions for causing the processor to perform the following:

receiving, via the communications interface, payment transaction details relating to an e-commerce purchase being conducted by the user at the online service provider;

extracting electronic wallet information relating to the user identifier;

transmitting, via the communications interface, at least a portion of the electronic wallet information and at least a portion of the payment transaction details to a payment processor; and

transmitting, via the communications interface, an approval message to the online service provider indicating whether the payment processor has authorized the e-commerce purchase.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the payment transaction details include a purchase price and merchant account information.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein the electronic wallet information includes a financial account associated with the user.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the processor-readable storage medium further contains one or more programming instructions for causing the processor to perform the following:

generating a transaction identifier associated with the payment transaction details; and

transmitting, via the communications interface, the transaction identifier to the online service provider as part of the approval message.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the processor-readable storage medium further contains one or more programming instructions for causing the processor to perform the following:

transmitting, via the communications interface, at least a portion of the payment transaction details to the user.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the processor-readable storage medium further contains one or more programming instructions for causing the processor to perform the following:

transmitting, via the communications interface, to the user at least one financial account in the electronic wallet information; and

receiving, via the communications interface, a selection of the at least one financial account from the user.

22. The system of claim 13, wherein the received biometric sample corresponds to one of a fingerprint scan of the user, an iris scan of the user, a voice scan of the user, a retinal scan of the user, a facial scan of the user, and a hand architecture of the user.