Electronic authentication system, authentication apparatus, and terminal

• US 7,571,117 B1
• Filed: 08/02/2000
• Issued: 08/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kioba Processing, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC), Keiichi Nakajima
• Original Assignee: Softbank BB Corporation (SoftBank Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Nakajima, Keiichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Pond; Robert M.
• Application Number:
  US09/630,563
• Time in Patent Office: 3,289 Days
• Field of Search: 705 26- 27, 705 40- 44, 705 35- 39
• US Class Current: 705/26.35
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 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 20/4012 Verifying personal identification numbers [PIN]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4014 Identity check for transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40145 Biometric identity checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0609 Buyer or seller confidence or verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/10 together with a coded signal , e.g. in the form of personal identification information, like personal identification number [PIN] or biometric data
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1075 PIN is checked remotely

Abstract

A simple, easy, and safe electronic settlement system is provided. A user terminal such as a cellular phone is wirelessly connected to a synchronizing server. A cashier server of a mail order retailer activates a virtual cashier terminal, and connects to the synchronizing server. The synchronizing server sets a transaction identifying number in order to identify the transaction, and sends to the user terminal information about the cashier server and the transaction identifying number. A user confirms the cashier server, and returns the transaction identifying number to the synchronizing server. The synchronizing server completes a transaction between the virtual cashier terminal and the user terminal, both of which are corresponded to each other by the transaction identification number. The user can complete a settlement of mail order without telling his or her personal information such as a credit card number or a password to a mail order retailer. A security of the system is improved.

Claims

1. An electronic system for setting up an authentication through a communication network, comprising:

a personal terminal which is operated for participating in the authentication, said personal terminal being connectable to the communication network and including an information indicating unit and an input unit for inputting an indication;

a virtual terminal which is connectable to the communication network for participating in the authentication with said personal terminal; and

a synchronizing server communicating with said personal terminal and with said virtual terminal, said synchronizing server activating the virtual terminal and setting up link information including authentication ID information in association with said virtual terminal and transmits said links information to said personal terminal upon receipt by said synchronizing server of information regarding the authentication, and said synchronizing server establishing a synchronization of communication between said personal terminal and said virtual terminal one-to-one upon receipt of both the same authentication ID information and the indication in response to the link information indicated on the indicating unit from said personal terminal,

wherein said personal and virtual terminals send and receive messages in real time via the synchronizing server during the synchronization, and the synchronizing server initiates the virtual terminal after the communication.

2. An electronic system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a cashier server connected to said synchronizing server via the communicating network, said cashier server generating said virtual terminal.

3. An electronic system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said personal terminal comprises at least one of a cellular phase, a PDA and a notebook type personal computer;

and the information regarding the authentication comprises personal terminal information including at least one of a telephone number and an e-mail address of said personal terminal.

4. An electronic system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a personal terminal database for storing personal terminal information including at least one of a telephone number and an e-mail address of the personal terminal; and

a virtual terminal database for storing virtual terminal information including at least information for identifying said virtual terminal, which information being indicated on said information indicating unit of said personal terminal;

wherein said synchronizing server identifies said personal terminal based on the information regarding the authentication transmitted from said personal terminal and the personal terminal information stored in said personal terminal database and transmits the virtual terminal information as a part of the link information to said personal terminal.

5. An electronic system as claimed in claim 4, wherein said synchronizing server transmits the virtual terminal information with an internet address to said personal terminal.

6. An electronic system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the virtual terminal information includes information relating to an item for the authentication.

7. An electronic system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the information regarding the authentication includes a number listed in at least one of a mail order advertisement and a catalog distributed to a user of said personal terminal in advance.

8. The electronic system according to claim 1, wherein the synchronizing server receives the information regarding the authentication via the virtual terminal.

9. The electronic system according to claim 1, wherein the synchronizing server receives the information regarding the authentication inputted by the input unit of the personal terminal.

10. The electronic system according to claim 1, wherein a the indication inputted by the input unit includes a confirmation indicating establishment of the synchronization.

11. An electronic server system for setting up an authentication through a communication network, which effects communication of a virtual terminal for participating in the authentication with a personal terminal including an information indicating unit and an input unit for inputting an indication, comprising,

a communicating section connected to the communication network;

and

a processing unit for communicating with the personal terminal and with the virtual terminal through said communicating section, said processing unit activating the virtual terminal and setting up link information including authentication ID information in association with the virtual terminal and transmitting said link information which is indicatable in the information indicating unit of the personal terminal upon receipt of information regarding the authentication, said processing unit establishing a synchronization of communication between the personal terminal and the virtual terminal one-to-one upon receipt of both the same authentication ID information transmitted to the personal terminal and the indication in response to the link information indicating on the indicating unit from the personal terminal,

wherein said personal and virtual terminals send and receive messages in real time via the processing unit server during the synchronization, and the processing unit initiates the virtual terminal after the communication.

12. An electronic server system as claimed in claim 11, wherein said virtual terminal connects to said processing unit via a commercial telephone line or a private line, and said personal terminal connects to said processing unit via a radio telephone communication.

13. An electronic server system as claimed in claim 11, further comprising a cashier server which includes the virtual terminal, wherein said processing unit transmits the indication for generating the virtual terminal to said cashier server through said communicating section.

14. An electronic server system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the personal terminal comprises at least one of a cellular phone, a PDA and a notebook type personal computer;

and the information regarding the authentication comprises personal terminal information including at least one of a telephone number and an e-mail address of the personal terminal.

15. An electronic server system as claimed in claim 11, further comprising:

a personal terminal database for storing personal terminal information including at least one of a telephone number and an e-mail address of the personal terminal; and

a virtual terminal database for storing virtual terminal information including at least information for identifying the virtual terminal, which information being indicated on the information indicating unit of the personal terminal;

wherein said processing unit identifies the personal terminal based on the information regarding the authentication transmitted from the personal terminal and the personal terminal information stored in said personal terminal database and transmits the virtual terminal information as a part of the link information to the personal terminal through said communicating section.

16. An electronic server system as claimed in claim 15, wherein said processing unit transmits the virtual terminal information with an internet address to the personal terminal.

17. An electronic server system as claimed in claim 15, wherein the virtual terminal information includes information relating to an item for the authentication.

18. An electronic server system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the information regarding the authentication includes a number listed in at least one of a mail order advertisement and a catalog distributed to a user of said personal terminal in advance.

19. An electronic server system as claimed in claim 11, wherein said communicating section further comprises a first communicating unit connected to the virtual terminal via a first communicating network, and a second communicating unit connected to the personal terminal via a second communicating network.

20. The electronic server system according to claim 11, wherein the processing unit receives the information regarding the authentication via the virtual terminal.

21. The electronic servicer system according to claim 11, wherein the processing unit receives the information regarding the authentication inputted by the input unit of the personal terminal.

22. The electronic server system according to claim 11, wherein the indication inputted by the input unit includes a confirmation indicating establishment of the synchronization.

23. A recording medium which stores a program executable by a computer, for setting up an authentication through a communication network, which effects communication a virtual terminal for participating in the authentication with a personal terminal including an information indicating unit and an input unit for inputting indication, comprising:

a communicating module which operates the computer to communicate with the virtual terminal and with the personal terminal through the communicating network, and

a processing module for communicating with said personal terminal and with said virtual terminal through said communicating section, said processing module activating the virtual terminal and setting up link information including authentication ID information in association with said virtual terminal and transmitting said link information which is indicatable in the information indicating unit of the personal terminal upon receipt of information regarding the authentication transmitted by said personal terminal, said processing module establishing a synchronization of communication between said personal terminal and said virtual terminal one-to-one upon receipt of both the same authentication ID information transmitted to the personal terminal and the indication in response to the link information indicated on the indicating unit from said personal terminal,

wherein said processing module controls sending and receiving of messages in real time by said personal and virtual terminals during the synchronization, and initiates the virtual terminal after the communication.

24. The recording medium according to claim 23, wherein the processing module receives the information regarding the authentication via the virtual terminal.

25. The recording medium according to claim 23, wherein the processing module receives the information regarding the authentication inputted by the input unit of the personal terminal.

26. The recording medium according to claim 23, wherein the indication inputted by the input unit includes a confirmation indicating establishment of the synchronization.

27. A electronic server system for setting up an authentication through a communication network, which communicates with a virtual terminal for participating in the authentication, a personal terminal having an information indicating unit, and an order-receiving center including an order-receiving unit for receiving the information regarding the authentication through an input unit of a communicating terminal for inputting information regarding the authentication;

comprising;

a communicating section connected to the communication network; and

a processing unit for activating the virtual terminal and setting up a link information including authentication ID information in every authentication and transmitting the link information which is indicatable in the information indicating unit of the personal terminal, upon receipt of the information regarding the authentication transmitted by the order-receiving unit through said communicating section, said processing unit establishing a synchronization of communication between the personal terminal and the virtual terminal one-to-one upon receipt of both the same authentication ID information transmitted to the personal terminal and an indication inputted by using the input unit in response to the link information indicated on the indicating unit from the personal terminal,

wherein said personal and virtual terminals send and receive messages in real time via the processing unit server during the synchronization and the processing unit initiates the virtual terminal after the communication.

28. An electronic server system as claimed in claim 27, wherein said communicating section connects to said virtual terminal via a commercial telephone line or a private line, and said communicating section connects to said personal terminal via radio telephone communication.

29. An electronic server system as claimed in claim 27, further comprising a cashier server which includes the virtual terminal, wherein said processing unit transmits an instruction for generating the virtual terminal to said cashier server through said communicating section.

30. An electronic server system as claimed in claim 27, wherein the personal terminal comprises at least one of a cellular phone, a PDA and a notebook type personal computer, and the information regarding the authentication comprises personal terminal information including at least one of a telephone number and an e-mail address of the personal terminal.

31. An electronic server system as claimed in claim 27, further comprising:

a personal terminal database for storing personal terminal information including at least one of a telephone number and an e-mail address of the personal terminal; and

a virtual terminal database for storing virtual terminal information including at least information for identifying said virtual terminal, which information being indicated on said indicating unit of the personal terminal;

wherein said processing unit identifies the personal terminal based on the information regarding the authentication transmitted from the communicating terminal and the personal terminal information stored in said personal terminal database and transmits the virtual terminal information as a part of the link information to the personal terminal through said communicating section.

32. An electronic server system as claimed in claim 31, wherein said processing unit transmits the virtual terminal information with an internet address to the personal terminal.

33. An electronic server system as claimed in claim 31, wherein the virtual terminal information includes information relating to an item for the authentication.

34. An electronic server system as claimed in claim 27, wherein the information regarding the authentication includes a number listed in at least one of a mail order advertisement and a catalog distributed to a user of said personal terminal in advance.

35. An electronic server system as claimed in claim 34, wherein said communicating section is connectable to the order-receiving center through a communicating line.

36. An electronic server system as claimed in claim 27, wherein said communicating section comprises:

a first communicating unit connected to the virtual terminal via a first communicating network; and

a second communicating unit connected to the personal terminal via a second communicating network.

37. An electronic server system as claimed in claim 27, wherein the personal terminal includes a phone and said communicating section receives information relating to the information regarding the authentication inputted from the input unit of said personal terminal with voice into the order-receiving unit.

38. An electronic server system as claimed in claim 27, wherein

the personal terminal comprises at least one of a cellular phone, a PDA and a notebook type personal computer;

and

the communicating section is connectable to the order-receiving center through a communicating line comprising at least one of a telephone line, a private line and a LAN.

39. The electronic server system according to claim 27, wherein the processing unit receives the information regarding the authentication via the virtual terminal.

40. The electronic server system according to claim 27, wherein the processing unit receives the information regarding the authentication inputted by the input unit of the communicating terminal.

41. The electronic server system according to claim 27, wherein the indication inputted by the input unit includes a confirmation indicating establishment of the synchronization.

42. A recording medium which stores a program executable by a computer, for setting up an authentication through a communication network, which effects communication with a virtual terminal for participating in the authentication, a personal terminal having an information indicating unit, and an order-receiving center including an order-receiving unit for receiving the information regarding the authentication through an input unit of a communicating terminal for inputting information regarding the authentication:

comprising;

a communicating module which operates the computer to communicate with the virtual terminal and with the personal terminal through the communicating network; and

a processing module for activating the virtual terminal and setting up a link information including authentication ID information in every authentication and transmitting the link information which is indicatable in the information indicating unit of the personal terminal upon receipt of the information regarding the authentication transmitted by the order-receiving unit through the communicating section, said processing module establishing a synchronization of communication between the personal terminal and the virtual terminal one-to-one upon receipt of both the same authentication ID information transmitted to the personal terminal and an indication inputted by using the input unit in response to the link information indicated on the indicating unit from the personal terminal,

wherein said processing module controls sending and receiving of real time messages by said personal and virtual terminals during the synchronization and initiating the virtual terminal after the communication.

43. The recording medium according to claim 42, wherein the processing module receives the information regarding the authentication via the virtual terminal.

44. The recording medium according to claim 42, wherein the processing module receives the information regarding the authentication inputted by the input unit of the communicating terminal.

45. The recording medium according to claim 42, wherein the indication inputted by the input unit includes a confirmation indicating establishment of the synchronization.