Secure and recoverable database for on-line value-bearing item system

• US 8,027,926 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2009
• Issued: 09/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Stamps.com, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Stamps.com, Inc.
• Inventors: Ogg, Craig L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Augustin; Evens J
• Application Number:
  US12/564,884
• Publication Number:
  US 20100070765A1
• Time in Patent Office: 735 Days
• Field of Search: 705/35, 705/52, 705/60, 713/184
• US Class Current: 705/60
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 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 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 17/0008 Communication details outside or between apparatus coin-freed apparatus for franking per se G07F17/26
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 17/00733 Cryptography or similar special procedures in a franking system
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00056 Client-server
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00064 Virtual meter, online stamp; PSD functions or indicia creation not at user's location
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00145 via the Internet
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00201 Open franking system, i.e. the printer is not dedicated to franking only, e.g. PC (Personal Computer)
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00887 using look-up tables, also called master tables with pointers
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00967 PSD [Postal Security Device] as defined by the USPS [US Postal Service]

Abstract

An on-line value bearing item (VBI) printing system that includes one or more cryptographic modules and a secure database is disclosed. The secure database includes account balances and other information for all of the on-line value-bearing item system customers and is capable of preventing access by unauthorized users. Also, a secure communication network is in operation to prevent unauthorized access to the users'"'"' data stored in the database.

A plurality of subsystems located on the server system side of the on-line VBI system provide services related to purchasing, accounting, and printing of VBI. In addition to the secure database, the server system includes one or more cryptographic modules for authenticating, processing value for the VBI, and generating indicia data for the plurality of users.

Claims

1. An on-line system for printing value bearing items (VBI) comprising:

a server sub-system configured to communicate with a plurality of users over a communication network, the server sub-system comprising;

a secure database remote from the users including a data record for each of the users, wherein each data record is protected by a key; and

a plurality of stateless cryptographic devices, each of the plurality of stateless cryptographic devices configured to perform authentication, processing value for the VBI, and generation of indicia data for the plurality of users, wherein before each of the authentication, processing value, and generation of indicia data for a given user is performed, an available cryptographic device in the server sub-system retrieves the data record for the given user directly from the database and uses the key to verify the retrieved data record, and wherein after the authentication, processing value, and generation of indicia data are performed, a printer is instructed to print the VBI.

2. The on-line system of claim 1, further comprising computer executable code for an asynchronous dynamic password verification to terminate a user session if the password authentication fails.

3. The on-line system of claim 1, wherein the database stores a first set of one or more last database transactions and each of the cryptographic devices stores a second set of one or more last database transactions for comparison with the first set of one or more last database transactions stored in the database to verify each database transaction.

4. The on-line system of claim 3, wherein each of the cryptographic devices prevents further database transactions if the second set of one or more last transaction stored in the cryptographic device does not match with the first set of one or more last transaction stored in the database.

5. The on-line system of claim 3, wherein the database stores a table including the respective information about a last transaction and a verification module to compare the information saved in the module with the information saved in the database.

6. The on-line system of claim 1, further comprising a back up database server connected to the server system for periodically backing up the data stored in the database in a back up database.

7. The on-line system of claim 6, further comprising a cryptographically protected transaction log stored in the back up database.

8. The on-line system of claim 1, wherein each of the cryptographic devices includes a data validation subsystem to verify that data is up to date and an auto-recovery subsystem for allowing the device to automatically re-synchronize the device with the data.

9. The on-line system of claim 1, wherein each of the cryptographic devices includes a computer executable code for detecting errors and preventing a compromise of data or critical cryptographic security parameters as a result of the errors.

10. The on-line system of claim 1, wherein the server system further comprises one or more of a postal server subsystem, a provider server subsystem, an e-commerce subsystem, a staging subsystem, a client support subsystem, a decision support subsystem, a SMTP subsystem, an address matching service subsystem, a SSL proxy server subsystem, and a web server subsystem.

11. The on-line system of claim 1, wherein the key is one of the group consisting of a private key, a public key, an encryption key, and a decryption key.

12. A method for securely printing value-bearing items (VBI) via a communication network and a server system including a plurality of stateless cryptographic devices, the method comprising:

interfacing with a plurality of users remote from the plurality of stateless cryptographic devices, via the communication network;

protecting a data record for each of the plurality of users using a key;

storing the protected data record for each of the plurality of users in a database remote from the plurality of users;

using the key to verify the retrieved data record;

authenticating a given user, processing value for the VBI and generating indicia data for the given user, by any available cryptographic device of the plurality of stateless cryptographic devices;

updating the data record and storing the updated data record for the given user in the database; and

transmitting an indicia over the communication network to be printed with the VBI.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising encrypting each database transaction.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

storing one or more last database transactions in the database;

storing one or more last database transactions in the cryptographic device; and

comparing the one or more last database transactions stored in the database with the one or more last database transactions stored in the available cryptographic device to verify each database transaction.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising storing one or more last database transactions in the database, storing one or more last database transactions in the available cryptographic device for comparison with the one or more last database transactions stored in the database to verify each database transaction.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising preventing further database transactions if the one or more last transaction stored in the cryptographic device does not match with the one or more last transaction stored in the database.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising storing a table including the respective information about a last transaction and comparing the information saved in the available cryptographic device with the information saved in the database.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising backing up data stored in the database in a back up database.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising recovering data from the back up database by decrypting an encrypted transaction log stored in the back up database.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the key is one of the group consisting of a private key, a public key, an encryption key, and a decryption key.