Secure single-use transaction numbers

• US 7,822,666 B1
• Filed: 10/31/2007
• Issued: 10/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: McAfee, LLC
• Original Assignee: McAfee, Inc. (McAfee, LLC)
• Inventors: Bursch, Todd
• Primary Examiner(s): Badii; Behrang
• Application Number:
  US11/932,753
• Time in Patent Office: 1,091 Days
• Field of Search: 705/45, 705/39, 705/44, 705/71, 705/75, 705/76, 705/37, 705/38, 705/35, 380/280, 380/45, 380/247, 235/380, 340/5.61
• US Class Current: 705/35
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/34 involving the use of external additional devices, e.g. dongles or smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 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 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3821 Electronic credentials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/385 using an alias or single-use codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/401 Transaction verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03

Abstract

Methods for producing and applications for single-use transaction numbers. The transaction numbers are single-use in that the numbers are only valid for a single transaction. The transaction numbers can be generated just prior to being used, minimizing the amount of time during which they can be lost or stolen. The transaction numbers can be generated using encryption technology such as dynamic password technology. The encryption technology makes it very difficult if not impossible to predict what the next transaction number generated will be. The transaction numbers are unique to the user and can be validated or authenticated by an issuing institution that maintains an ability to generate the same transaction numbers issued to the user.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

distributing a transaction number generator to a first user;

generating, at the transaction number generator, a plurality of single-use transaction numbers including a first single-use transaction number, wherein each single-use transaction number includes a routing number, an account number, and a one-time password, wherein the routing number and account number remain constant for each single-use transaction number in the plurality of single-use transaction numbers, wherein generating includes generating each one\-time password in the transaction number generator distributed to the first user so such that it is difficult to predict subsequent one-time passwords; and

paying for a transaction, wherein paying includes transmitting the first single-use transaction number generated by the transaction number generator from the transaction number generator over a network to a transaction number validator; and

validating, at the transaction number validator, the first single-use transaction number, wherein validating includes receiving the first single-use transaction number transmitted from the transaction number generator via the network, generating in the transaction number validator an expected one-time password and comparing the one-time password of the received first single-use transaction number with the expected one-time password, wherein the expected one-time password reflects the one-time password expected by the transaction number validator to be part of the first single-use transaction number;

wherein each single-use transaction number is formatted at the transaction number generator such that its respective routing number can be used to route the single-use transaction number to the transaction number validator and wherein generating the one-time password in the transaction number generator distributed to the first user includes receiving at the transaction number generator a first personal identification number (PIN) and slowing down generation of the one-time password if the first personal identification number received is different than expected.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein generating a plurality of single-use transaction numbers includes utilizing encryption technology to generate the one-time password.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein utilizing includes encrypting a usage count.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein generating a plurality of single-use transaction numbers includes utilizing dynamic password technology to generate the one-time password.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein generating a plurality of single-use transaction numbers includes generating the one-time password as a function of a user activation.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein generating a plurality of single-use transaction numbers includes generating the one-time password as a function of a factor selected from the group of factors including a personal identification number (PIN) and an amount.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein generating a plurality of single-use transaction numbers includes displaying the first single-use transaction number for use by a user.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the network comprises a wireless network.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein generating a plurality of single-use transaction numbers includes interleaving bits of the routing number with bits of the one-time password.

14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the transaction number generator is configured to generate a unique sequence of transaction numbers associated with the first user, wherein the unique sequence of transaction numbers is different from a sequence of transaction numbers associated with a second user.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the transaction number validator is configured to maintain and use an expected sequence of transaction numbers, wherein the expected sequence of transaction numbers is the same as the unique sequence of transaction numbers associated with the first user.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the transaction number validator is configured to compare the first single-use transaction number with each transaction number in the expected sequence of transaction numbers to validate the first single-use transaction number, wherein the first single-use transaction number is invalidated only if the first single-use transaction number does not match any one of the expected sequence of transaction numbers.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the transaction number validator is configured to put a time limit on one or more earlier-generated transaction numbers and to remove the earlier-generated transaction numbers from the expected sequence of transaction numbers if the earlier-generated transaction numbers have not been validated until the time limit expires.

9. A computer-readable medium including instructions stored therein that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform:

distributing a transaction number generator to a first user;

generating, at the transaction number generator, a plurality of single-use transaction numbers including a first single-use transaction number, wherein generating includes combining a routing number, an account number, and a one-time password to form each single-use transaction number, wherein the routing number and account number remain constant for each single-use transaction number in the plurality of single-use transaction numbers, wherein generating includes generating each one-time password in the transaction number generator distributed to the first user such that it is difficult to predict subsequent one-time passwords;

paying for a transaction, wherein paying includes transmitting the first single-use transaction number generated by the transaction number generator from the transaction number generator over a network to a transaction number validator; and

validating, at transaction number validator, the first single-use transaction number, wherein validating includes receiving the first single-use transaction number transmitted from the transaction number generator via the network, generating in the transaction number validator an expected one-time password and comparing the one-time password of the received first single-use transaction number with the expected one-time password, wherein the expected one-time password reflects the one-time password expected by the transaction number validator to be part of the first single-use transaction number;

wherein each single-use transaction number is formatted at the transaction number generator such that its respective routing number can be used to route the single-use transaction number to the transaction number validator and wherein generating the one-time password in the transaction number generator distributed to the first user includes receiving at the transaction number generator a first personal identification number (PIN) and slowing down generation of the one-time password if the first personal identification number received is different than expected.

10. The medium according to claim 9, wherein the instructions that, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to perform generating the one-time password as a function of a user activation.

11. The medium according to claim 9, wherein the instructions that, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to further perform displaying the first single-use transaction numbers for use by a user.

12. The medium according to claim 9, wherein the network comprises a wireless network.