Host computer, mobile communication device, program, and recording medium

• US 8,117,444 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2001
• Issued: 02/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kioba Processing, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Daita Frontier Fund LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Takatori, Sunao, Kiyomatsu, Hisanori
• Primary Examiner(s): Orgad, Edan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le, Canh
• Application Number:
  US10/070,221
• Publication Number:
  US 20030105960A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,883 Days
• Field of Search: 713/155, 713/161, 713168-170, 726/6, 726 17- 21, 380/229, 380/232, 380/247, 380/155, 380/161, 380168-170, 705/64, 705/75, 705/67, 705/80
• US Class Current: 713/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/33 using certificates
• 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 50/188 Electronic negotiation

Abstract

The object of the present invention is to provide an authentication system capable of achieving suitable authentication processing while guaranteeing the maximum convenience for the customer.

A first communication terminal PD1 is built into a television TV that can be connected to the Internet, and communications with an authentication control company BS are possible via the first communication terminal PD1. The authentication control company BS is, for example, a telecommunications company, and performs authentication control for a plurality of product supplier companies SP1 to SP3 according to the product purchase status on the television TV.

Furthermore, the present invention simplifies the appropriate procedures by setting authentication levels for authentication control.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a first request at a host computer, from a service device, for information regarding authentication of a user and identifying a price of a product or service to be purchased by the user, wherein the first request is in response to a transaction at the service device;

authenticating the transaction before confirming the transaction with the user in response to determining that the price is below a first threshold amount, which corresponds to a first authentication level; and

authenticating the transaction after confirming the transaction with the user in response to determining that the price is above the first threshold amount and less than or equal to a second threshold amount, which corresponds to a second authentication level, wherein the first threshold amount is less than the second threshold amount,

wherein the confirming comprises;

transmitting from the host computer to a mobile communications device a second request for user identification information in response to receiving the first request;

receiving the user identification information from the mobile communications device at the host computer in response to the second request;

comparing the user identification information and authentication information to generate comparison results; and

using the comparison results for the confirmation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein identification information of the user includes personal attributes of the user.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving from the service device information regarding current products or services provided.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining further comprises:

comparing a parameter of the transaction with a parameter of a past transaction.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the parameter is the price of service, services provision area, service provision frequency, or total sum of money for services provided.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

authenticating the transaction after confirming the transaction with the user at the mobile communications device and after confirming the transaction with the user at the service device in response to determining that the price is above the second threshold amount, which corresponds to a third authentication level.

6. A host computer, comprising:

a receiver configured to receive a first request for information from a service device regarding authorization of a user and identifying at least a price of a product or service to be purchased by the user, wherein the first request is in response to a transaction at the service device;

a transmitter configured to transmit a second request for user identification information to a mobile communications device in response to receiving the first request, such that the mobile communications device is configured to transmit, in response to the second request, user identification information to the receiver; and

a comparing device configured to compare the user identification information and authentication information to generate comparison results;

wherein authentication of the transaction is performed before confirming the transaction with the user in response to determining that the price is below a first threshold amount, which corresponds to a first authentication level,

wherein authentication of the transaction is performed after confirming the transaction with the user in response to determining that the price is above the first threshold amount and is less than or equal to a second threshold amount, which corresponds to a second authentication level, wherein the first threshold amount is less than the second threshold amount.

10. The host computer of claim 6, wherein the user identification information includes personal attributes of the user.

11. The host computer of claim 6, wherein the receiver is further operable to receive from the service device information regarding current services provided.

12. The host computer of claim 6, wherein a parameter of the transaction is the price of service, services provision area, service provision frequency, or total sum of money for services provided.

13. The host computer of claim 6, wherein the determining device is further operable to compare a parameter of the transaction with a parameter of a past transaction.

7. A communications device, comprising:

a receiver operable to receive, from a host computer, a second request for information regarding authentication of a user at a service device, wherein the second request is in response to a first request from the service device, and the first request is in response to a transaction at the service device, wherein the transaction has a numeric value associated with it;

a storage device operable to store information regarding the authentication of the user; and

a transmitter operable to transmit information regarding the authentication of the user, stored in the storage device, to the host computer in response to receiving the second request for information regarding the authentication of the user;

wherein the communications device is a mobile communications device,

wherein the second request for information is received after the transaction has been authenticated when a first one of a plurality of independent authentication levels is used for the transaction in response to determining that the numeric value is below a first threshold amount, and

wherein the second request for information is received before the transaction has been authenticated when a second one of the plurality of independent authentication levels is used for the transaction in response to determining that the numeric value is above the first threshold amount and is less than or equal to a second threshold amount, wherein the first threshold amount is less than the second threshold amount.

8. The communications device of claim 7, wherein the transmitter is further operable to selectively transmit, to the host computer, information regarding the authentication of the user based on a type of authentication requested.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions comprising:

instructions for receiving a first request at a host computer, from a service device, for information regarding authentication of a user and identifying at least a price of a product or service to be purchased by the user, wherein the first request is in response to a transaction at the service device;

instructions for authenticating the transaction before confirming the transaction with the user in response to determining that the price is below a first threshold amount, which corresponds to a first authentication level;

instructions for authenticating the transaction after confirming the transaction with the user in response to determining that the price is above the first threshold amount and is less than or equal to a second threshold amount, which corresponds to a second authentication level, wherein the first threshold amount is less than the second threshold amount;

instructions for confirming the transaction with the user by transmitting a second request for user identification information from the host computer to a mobile communications device in response to receiving the first request and receiving the user identification information from the mobile communications device at the host computer in response to the second request;

instructions for comparing the user identification information and authentication information to generate comparison results; and

instructions for using the comparison results for confirming the transaction.