Apparatus and method for secure downloading of files

• US 7,617,124 B1
• Filed: 01/27/2000
• Issued: 11/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Digital River Incorporated (Danube Private Holdings II, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Digital River Incorporated (Danube Private Holdings II, LLC)
• Inventors: Ronning, Joel A., Wical, Kelly J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Garg, Yogesh C
• Application Number:
  US09/492,844
• Time in Patent Office: 3,575 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/127, 705/51, 705/59, 705/54, 705/400, 705/44, 705/1, 705/27, 705/40, 705/440, 708/204, 408/30, 713/175, 713/201, 713/182, 713/193, 707/200, 707/202, 379/91.01
• US Class Current: 705/26.61
• 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 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99953 Recoverability

Abstract

A download processor for secure downloading of a digital product file when ordered by a user. The order includes a file identifier related to the file and an order identifier related to the order. The download processor performs security checks related to the file, the order, and the user. The file identifier and order identifier are verified based upon information related to the file and the order, and information related to the user is also verified. Based upon the verifications, the download processor selectively permits or denies download of the file to a user machine.

Claims

1. A method performed by an electronic commerce system having a server and an end user machine interacting through a network for secure downloading of a file from the network, the method comprising steps of:

receiving selection of a file via the network;

receiving an order from a user for download of the selected file via the network, the order including a file identifier related to the file and an order identifier related to the order;

verifying the file identifier based upon particular information related to the file;

verifying the order identifier based upon particular information related to the order, including;

determining if the order identifier is valid for the order, meaning the order identifier exists for the order;

determining if the order identifier is active, meaning the order was not canceled before the download of the file; and

determining if the order identifier is non-suppressed, meaning the order was not canceled after the download of the file; and

selectively permitting the download of the file to the end user machine based upon the verification of the file identifier, the verification of the order identifier, and a number of attempted downloads of the file by the user.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the verifying the file identifier step includes verifying one or more of the following:

a version identifier related to the file;

a uniform resource locator for the file;

or a customer identifier associated with the user.

3. The method of claim 1 further including a step of verifying a transaction identifier associated with the order, and wherein the permitting step further includes permitting download of the file based upon the verification of the transaction identifier.

4. The method of claim 1 further including a step of displaying a default identification as a file name for storing the file based upon an identification of the file.

5. The method of claim 4 further including a step of transmitting the generated file identifier for display to the user.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the permitting step includes denying the download of the file based upon a customer identifier associated with the user.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the permitting step further includes permitting download of the file based upon a number of successful downloads of the file by the user.

8. An electronic commerce system having a server and an end user machine interacting through a network for secure downloading of a file from the network, comprising:

a selection module for receiving selection of a file via the network;

a receive module for receiving an order from a user for download of the selected file via the network, the order including a file identifier related to the file and an order identifier related to the order;

a file identifier module for verifying the file identifier based upon particular information related to the file;

an order identifier module for verifying the order identifier based upon particular information related to the order, including;

a module for determining if the order identifier is valid for the order, meaning the order identifier exists for the order;

a module for determining if the order identifier is active, meaning the order was not canceled before the download of the file; and

a module for determining if the order identifier is non-suppressed, meaning the order was not canceled after the download of the file; and

a download module for selectively permitting the download of the file to the end user machine based upon the verification of the file identifier, the verification of the order identifier, and a number of attempted downloads of the file by the user.

9. The electronic commerce system of claim 8 wherein the file identifier module includes a module for verifying one or more of the following:

a version identifier related to the file;

a uniform resource locator for the file;

or a customer identifier associated with the user.

10. The electronic commerce system of claim 8 further including a module for verifying a transaction identifier associated with the order, and wherein the permission module further includes a module for permitting download of the file based upon the verification of the transaction identifier.

11. The electronic commerce system of claim 8 further including a module for displaying a default identification as a file name for storing the file based upon an identification of the file.

12. The electronic commerce system of claim 11 further including a module for transmitting the generated file identifier for display to the user.

13. The electronic commerce system of claim 8 wherein the download module includes a module for denying the download based upon a customer identifier associated with the user.

14. The electronic commerce system of claim 8 wherein the permission module further includes a module for permitting download of the file based upon a number of successful downloads of the file by the user.