Internet payment, authentication and loading system using virtual smart card

• US 8,175,973 B2
• Filed: 02/07/2011
• Issued: 05/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.)
• Inventors: Davis, Virgil M., Cutino, Suzanne C., Reid, Margaret, Hoffman, Steve R.
• Primary Examiner(s): RANKINS, WILLIAM E
• Application Number:
  US13/022,431
• Publication Number:
  US 20110125638A1
• Time in Patent Office: 456 Days
• Field of Search: 705/41
• US Class Current: 705/41
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/105 involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/351 Virtual cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0225 Avoiding frauds
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0233 Method of redeeming a frequent usage reward

Abstract

A system loads, authenticates and uses a virtual smart card for payment of goods and/or services purchased on-line over the Internet. An online purchase and load (OPAL) server includes a virtual smart card data base that has a record of information for each smart card that it represents for a user at the behest of an issuer. The server includes a smart card emulator that emulates a smart card by using the card data base and a hardware security module. The emulator interacts with a pseudo card reader module in the server that imitates a physical card reader. The server also includes a client code module that interacts with the pseudo card reader and a remote payment or load server. A pass-through client terminal presents a user interface and passes information between the OPAL server and a merchant server, and between the OPAL server and a bank server. The Internet provides the routing functionality between the client terminal and the various servers. A merchant advertises goods on a web site. A user uses the client terminal to purchase goods and/or services from the remote merchant server. The payment server processes, confirms and replies to the merchant server. The payment server is also used to authenticate the holder of a virtual card who wishes to redeem loyalty points from a merchant. To load value, the client terminal requests a load from a user account at the bank server. The load server processes, confirms and replies to the bank server.

Claims

1. A computer server operable to perform online payment transactions over a network, comprising:

a database operable to store information representing a plurality of virtual smart cards, wherein the information representing each of the plurality of virtual smart cards includes a record of information;

a smart card emulator operably coupled to the database, the smart card emulator configured to both fetch data associated with the record of information from the database and store data associated with the record of information to the database;

a client code module operable to provide card reader commands; and

a pseudo card reader operably coupled to the client code module and to the smart card emulator, the pseudo card reader formatting the card reader commands for enabling communication with the smart card emulator,

wherein the smart card emulator parses the card reader commands in order to fetch a record of information associated with any one of the plurality of virtual smart cards from the data base.

5. The computer server according to claim 1, further comprising:

a security module coupled to the smart card emulator, wherein the security module, the smart card emulator, the pseudo card reader, and the database emulate a physical smart card.

6. The computer server according to claim 1, wherein the security module comprises encryption algorithms for facilitating cryptographic processing in association with the smart card emulator and the database.

7. The computer server according to claim 1, wherein the client code module comprises an application program interface (API).

8. The computer server according to claim 1, wherein the pseudo card reader and the smart card emulator comprise an integrated function block.

9. The computer server according to claim 1, further comprising:

a user verification module operable to facilitate a login procedure for a user in order to identify, within the database, one record of information that represents one of the plurality of virtual smart cards associated with the user.

10. The computer server according to claim 1, wherein the record of information comprises load and purchase key identifiers.

11. The computer server according to claim 1, wherein the record of information comprises purchase algorithms.

12. The computer server according to claim 1, wherein the record of information comprises purchase key versions.

13. The computer server according to claim 1, wherein the record of information comprises at least one of a bank identification number, a transaction counter, a currency and exponent, an expiration date, and a maximum balance.

14. The computer server according to claim 1, further comprising:

A transaction database coupled to the smart card emulator, wherein the transaction database includes recorded information associated with transactions that occur as a debit and a load.

15. The computer server according to claim 14, wherein the transaction database comprises:

a purchase table; and

a load table.

2. A computer server operable to perform online payment transactions over a network, comprising:

a client code module operable to emulate a plurality of security card commands associated with a security card; and

a pseudo card reader operably coupled to the client code module, the pseudo card reader, in response to receiving the plurality of security card commands from the client code module, generating a plurality of responses,

wherein the client code module transmits the plurality of responses over the network to a payment server as a draw request message.

3. The computer server according to claim 2, wherein the draw request message comprises at least one of:

a draw request token, state information, a merchant identifier, a transaction identifier, security information, a purse provider identifier, an intersector electronic purse (IEP) identifier, an algorithm used by a card, an expiry date, a balance corresponding to the card, a balance corresponding to the card, a currency code, a currency exponent, an authentication mode for the intersector electronic purse (IEP) identifier, a transaction number for the intersector electronic purse (IEP) identifier, and a purchase amount.

4. The computer server according to claim 2, wherein the draw request message comprises a packaged draw request including a packaging of:

a response of a virtual card to a reset command;

a response to an initiate IEP for purchase command;

at least one public key certificate;

total cost; and

transaction currency.