Anonymous online payment systems and methods

• US 8,666,905 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2008
• Issued: 03/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bryan Taylor, Robert Bourne
• Original Assignee: Bryan Taylor, Robert Bourne
• Inventors: Wang, Yilei, Wiechers, Xavier
• Primary Examiner(s): Coppola, Jacob C.
• Application Number:
  US12/127,814
• Publication Number:
  US 20080319913A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,107 Days
• Field of Search: 705/74
• US Class Current: 705/74
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/367 involving electronic purses or money safes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/385 using an alias or single-use codes
• 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 2220/00 Business processing using cryptography
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/002 Vending machines being part of a centrally controlled network of vending machines
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/50 using hash chains, e.g. blockchains or hash trees

Abstract

In various embodiments, a central server grants access to a plurality of anonymous one-time-usable, time-sensitive encrypted tokens that identify consumer purchase orders. A plurality of certified merchant servers are certified by being provided with an application to securely connect the certified merchant servers to the central server for, among other things, transmitting purchase order data to the central server for use in generating the tokens. A plurality of financial institution servers can also be certified by being configured for use with an application that enables secure connection to the central server for, among other things, requesting the tokens.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method executed by a central server in communication with a merchant, financial institution, and consumer, for executing a secure online transaction comprising:

receiving purchase order data for a purchase order from a merchant, the purchase order having been initiated by a consumer;

issuing a token to the consumer in response to receiving the purchase order data, the token being associated with the purchase order data and not containing any personally identifying information regarding the consumer;

receiving a request for the token from a financial institution as a result of a request to view orders, wherein the request to view orders is provided by the consumer while using a system of the financial institution;

retrieving the token from the consumer in response to the request from the financial institution and transmitting the token to the financial institution;

transmitting at least part of the purchase order data associated with the token for display to the consumer;

receiving an authorization to pay for the purchase order from the financial institution as a result of the consumer transmitting an authorization to the financial institution;

transmitting the authorization to the merchant;

receiving notification from the merchant regarding execution of a transaction based on the purchase order; and

informing the financial institution of the execution of the transaction based on the purchase order whereby the financial institution can pay the merchant.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein no consumer identifying information or access code information is transmitted to or from the merchant throughout the recited steps of claim 1.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein a processor of a central server carries out the recited steps of claim 1 and wherein no consumer identifying information or access code information is transmitted to or from the central server throughout the recited steps of claim 1.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the token expires in a pre-determined time period if an associated purchase order is not authorized.