Multiple party benefit from an online authentication service

• US 8,762,283 B2
• Filed: 05/03/2004
• Issued: 06/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/03/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gerber, Gary E., Lee, Timothy Mu-Chu
• Primary Examiner(s): Augustin, Evens J
• Application Number:
  US10/838,719
• Publication Number:
  US 20050246278A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,704 Days
• Field of Search: 705/8, 705/27, 705/30, 705/39, 705/40, 705/64, 705/74
• US Class Current: 705/74
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 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

Abstract

An account authentication service where a trusted party verifies an account holder'"'"'s identity for the benefit of a requestor during an online transaction. The account authentication involves requesting a password from the account holder, verifying the password, and notifying the requestor whether the account holder'"'"'s authenticity has been verified. An alternative embodiment of the account authentication service includes a value-adding component where information about a customer is shared with a value-adding party. The customer information is rich in detail about the customer since it is collected by each of the parties in the account authentication process. The value-adding party can then use this information in various manners. All of the parties involved can benefit from sharing the customer information. The value-adding party can be, for example, a merchant, a shipper, a security organization, or a governmental organization. A transaction identifier identifies a specific transaction between a customer, a merchant, and the customer information.

Claims

1. A method of providing presenter information of high integrity to a value-adding party in the course of an online transaction between an individual presenter and a requesting party, said method comprising:

collecting presenter information pertaining to said presenter during the course of said online transaction, said presenter information being collected by said requesting party from a computing device of said presenter;

receiving, by said trusted party at an access control computer, an online authentication request message from said requesting party to authenticate the identity of said presenter during said online transaction, said request message being routed via said computing device of said presenter;

receiving, by said trusted party at said access control computer during said online transaction, an identity-authenticating token from said presenter;

comparing by said access control computer said identity-authenticating token against a token previously designated for said presenter during said online transaction;

sending an online authentication response message from said access control computer of said trusted party to said requesting party during said online transaction notifying said requestor that said presenter is authenticated when said identity-authenticating token matches said token previously designated for said presenter, said response message being routed via said computing device of said presenter; and

sending said collected presenter information from said requesting party to said value-adding party.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

evaluating, by said requesting party, said collected presenter information against a set of criteria, said criteria related to whether said value-adding party desires said collected presenter information; and

sending said collected presenter information to said value-adding party when it is determined that said presenter information satisfies said set of criteria.

3. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

collecting said presenter information over the course of multiple online transactions by said presenter, whereby said presenter information represents activity by said presenter over multiple transactions.

4. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

said value-adding party taking a specific action related to said presenter based in part upon said presenter information.

5. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein additional presenter information is included within said authentication response message that has previously been collected by said trusted party, said method further comprising:

sending said additional presenter information from said requesting party to said value-adding party.

6. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein said trusted party is an issuer that maintains an account of said presenter, said method further comprising:

verifying, by said issuer during a registration process, the identity of said presenter as the owner of said account and associating said previously designated token with said account.

7. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

generating a transaction identifier uniquely identifying said online transaction and said presenter information by said trusted party;

including said transaction identifier with said online authentication response message that is sent to said requesting party by said trusted party, whereby said transaction identifier associates said presenter information with said online transaction; and

sending said transaction identifier with said collected presenter information from said requesting party to said value adding party, said value adding party being assured of the veracity of said presenter information.

8. A method as recited in claim 7 further comprising:

sending said presenter information and said transaction identifier to a history server for storage;

retrieving said presenter information and said transaction identifier from said history server; and

using said retrieved presenter information and said transaction identifier to conclude a transaction between said requesting party and said value adding party.

9. A method as recited in claim 7 further comprising:

sending said presenter information and said transaction identifier to a history server for storage;

retrieving said presenter information and said transaction identifier from said history server; and

using said retrieved presenter information and said transaction identifier to perform dispute resolution or to perform data mining.

10. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein said presenter information includes information describing the subject matter of said online transaction.

11. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein said presenter information includes purchasing behavior information concerning said presenter.

12. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

said requesting party and said value-adding party entering into an agreement based upon said collected presenter information before said step of sending presenter information to said value-adding party.

13. A method as recited in claim 12 further comprising:

transferring a monetary value to said requesting party from said value-adding party in exchange for said presenter information.

14. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein said value-adding party is a shipping company, a follow-on merchant or a security organization.

15. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

sending said collected presenter information to a plurality of value-adding parties;

receiving a quote for a service related to said presenter from at least one of said value-adding parties; and

selecting one of said value-adding parties based at least upon said received quote.

25. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein said computing device of said presenter is a computer, a PDA or a mobile telephone.

26. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein said presenter information includes presenter contact information, presenter payment history information, or presenter shipping history information.

27. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein said request and response messages are sent via a browser of said computing device.

28. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

redirecting an Internet browser of said computing device from said requesting party to said access control computer, whereby said trusted party receives said identity-authenticating token; and

redirecting said Internet browser of said computing device from said access control computer back to said requesting party.

16. An authentication system that provides presenter information of high integrity to a value-adding party in the course of an online transaction between an individual presenter and a requesting party, said system comprising:

a computing device of a presenter, said presenter providing presenter information during the course of said online transaction to said requesting party;

a requesting party server computer of said requesting party arranged to engage in said online transaction with said computing device of said presenter, said requesting party computer arranged to send an online authentication request message to said trusted party via said computing device requesting authentication of the identity of said presenter;

an access control server of said trusted party arranged to receive an identity-authenticating token from said presenter, said access control server being further arranged to compare said identity-authenticating token against a token previously designated for said presenter and to send an online authentication response message to said requesting party via said computing device indicating that said presenter is authenticated; and

a server computer of a value-adding party arranged to receive said presenter information from said requesting party.

17. A system as recited in claim 16 wherein additional presenter information is included within said authentication response message that has previously been collected by said trusted party.

18. A system as recited in claim 16 further comprising:

a transaction identifier included within said online authentication response message uniquely identifying said online transaction and said presenter information, said transaction identifier being included with said presenter information that is sent to said value-adding party, wherein said transaction identifier associates said presenter information with said online transaction and said value-adding party is assured of the veracity of said presenter information.

19. A system as recited in claim 18 further comprising:

a history server to which is sent said presenter information and said transaction identifier for storage.

20. A system as recited in claim 16 wherein said presenter information includes information describing the subject matter of said online transaction.

21. A system as recited in claim 16 wherein said presenter information includes purchasing behavior information concerning said presenter.

22. A system as recited in claim 16 wherein said value-adding party is a shipping company, a follow-on merchant or a security organization.

23. A system as recited in claim 16 further comprising:

a plurality of value-adding parties; and

a plurality of server computers to each of which is sent said presenter information, each server computer being associated with one of said value adding parties.

24. A system as recited in claim 16 wherein said computing device of said presenter is a computer, a PDA or a mobile telephone.

29. A method as recited in claim 16 wherein said computing device includes a browser, and wherein said request and response messages are sent via said browser.

30. A method as recited in claim 16 wherein said computing device includes an Internet browser, wherein said browser is arranged to be redirected from said requesting party to said access control computer, and wherein said Internet browser is arranged to be redirected from said access control computer back to said requesting party.