Secure transfer of value via electronic stamp

• US 8,452,715 B2
• Filed: 05/13/2011
• Issued: 05/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kount Incorporated (Equifax, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Kount Incorporated (Equifax, Inc.)
• Inventors: Barber, Timothy P.
• Primary Examiner(s): FELTEN, DANIEL S
• Application Number:
  US13/107,803
• Publication Number:
  US 20110218917A1
• Time in Patent Office: 746 Days
• Field of Search: 705/400, 705/401, 705/402, 705/403
• US Class Current: 705/401
• 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 30/0235 constrained by time limit or expiration date
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

A method of providing for a money transfer over a network includes the steps of: providing a stamp having a face value and a lifespan both indicated on the stamp, the stamp being a string that is a concatenation of two or more fields including the face value and the lifespan, with at least one of the fields calculated according to a prescription involving a hashing or encryption of a concatenation of others of the fields or of some other field not part of the stamp; affixing the stamp to an e-mail; and allowing the recipient of the e-mail to obtain value for the stamp if the stamp is presented to a predetermined entity (such as a stamp issuer) for the stamp value within the lifespan indicated on the stamp. The stamp may comprise a concatenation of a set of fields, including a lifespan, a stamp value; and hash/encryption.

Claims

1. A method for enabling electronic transfer of value, the method comprising:

generating a stamp by a processor, the stamp containing a face value, a lifespan, and a code comprising a hash or encryption of information other than the face value and the lifespan, wherein the stamp facilitates electronic fund transfer from the sender to a recipient, which is not specified in the stamp;

storing the code in connection with a record for the stamp;

electronically transmitting the stamp to a recipient;

receiving from a recipient information about the stamp to be redeemed;

determining whether the stamp is valid based on the lifespan and based on comparing the stored code with the code from the received stamp; and

when the stamp is valid, crediting a value associated with the stamp to the recipient.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the stamp comprises a character string that can be added to an electronic message.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein electronically transmitting the stamp to the recipient comprises sending the stamp via the Internet.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein electronically transmitting the stamp to the recipient comprises sending the stamp via post mail.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein electronically transmitting the stamp to the recipient comprises sending the stamp to a mobile communications device associated with the sender.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the stamp comprises an identifier other than an email address.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

recording the identification of the recipient of the stamp in a record associated with the stamp.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

responsive to receiving from the recipient the information of the stamp to be redeemed, determining whether the recipient matches the recorded recipient in the record associated with the stamp; and

crediting the value associated with the stamp to the recipient when the recipient matches the recorded recipient.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

crediting the value associated with the stamp to the recipient when the recipient is the first to redeem the stamp.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a registration from the recipient, and maintaining an account for the recipient.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

validating the stamp using the hash or encryption of information of the stamp; and

crediting the value associated with the stamp to the recipient when the stamp is validated, for prevention of fraudulent redemption.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

communicating with a remote process to validate the stamp to block fraudulent redemption.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the recipient operates a device that includes stamp value detection software capable of reading the stamp and outputting an indication of the value associated with the stamp.

21. The method of claim 7, the computer-readable storage medium further containing computer program code for:

responsive to receiving from the recipient the information of the stamp to be redeemed, determining whether the recipient matches the recorded recipient in the record associated with the stamp; and

crediting the value associated with the stamp to the recipient when the recipient matches the recorded recipient.

14. A computer program product for enabling electronic transfer of value, the computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium containing computer program code for:

generating a stamp by a processor, the stamp containing a face value, a lifespan, and a code comprising a hash or encryption of information other than the face value and the lifespan, wherein the stamp facilitates electronic fund transfer from the sender to a recipient, which is not specified in the stamp;

storing the code in connection with a record for the stamp;

electronically transmitting the stamp to a recipient;

receiving from a recipient information about the stamp to be redeemed;

determining whether the stamp is valid based on the lifespan and based on comparing the stored code with the code from the received stamp; and

when the stamp is valid, crediting a value associated with the stamp to the recipient.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the stamp comprises a character string that can be added to an electronic message.

16. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein electronically transmitting the stamp to the recipient comprises sending the stamp via the Internet.

17. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein electronically transmitting the stamp to the recipient comprises sending the stamp via post mail.

18. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein electronically transmitting the stamp to the recipient comprises sending the stamp to a mobile communications device associated with the sender.

19. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the stamp comprises an identifier other than an email address.

20. The computer program product of claim 14, the computer-readable storage medium further containing computer program code for:

recording the identification of the recipient of the stamp in a record associated with the stamp.

22. The computer program product of claim 14, the computer-readable storage medium further containing computer program code for:

crediting the value associated with the stamp to the recipient when the recipient is the first to redeem the stamp.

23. The computer program product of claim 14, the computer-readable storage medium further containing computer program code for:

receiving a registration from the recipient, and maintaining an account for the recipient.

24. The computer program product of claim 14, the computer-readable storage medium further containing computer program code for:

validating the stamp using the hash or encryption of information of the stamp; and

crediting the value associated with the stamp to the recipient when the stamp is validated, for prevention of fraudulent redemption.

25. The computer program product of claim 14, the computer-readable storage medium further containing computer program code for:

communicating with a remote process to validate the stamp to block fraudulent redemption.

26. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the recipient operates a device that includes stamp value detection software capable of reading the stamp and outputting an indication of the value associated with the stamp.