Verification of portable consumer devices

• US 8,827,154 B2
• Filed: 01/20/2011
• Issued: 09/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hammad, Ayman
• Primary Examiner(s): HESS, DANIEL A
• Application Number:
  US13/010,564
• Publication Number:
  US 20110108623A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,328 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/379, 235/380, 235/382
• US Class Current: 235/382
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/35 communicating wirelessly
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3255 using mobile network messaging services for payment, e.g. SMS
• 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 20/425 using two different networks, one for transaction and one for security confirmation

Abstract

Apparatuses, methods, and systems pertaining to the verification of portable consumer devices are disclosed. In one implementation, a verification token is coupled to a computer by a USB connection so as to use the computer'"'"'s networking facilities. The verification token reads identification information from a user'"'"'s portable consumer device (e.g., credit card) and sends the information to a validation entry over a communications network using the computer'"'"'s networking facilities. The validation entity applies one or more validation tests to the information that it receives from the verification token. If a selected number of tests are passed, the validation entity sends a device verification value to the verification token, and optionally to a payment processing network. The verification token may enter the device verification value into a CVV field of a web page appearing on the computer'"'"'s display, or may display the value to the user using the computer'"'"'s display.

Claims

1. A verification token comprising:

a reader adapted to read identification information from a portable consumer device;

a computer-readable medium;

a data processor electrically coupled to the reader, and the computer-readable medium;

wherein the computer readable medium comprises code, executable by the data processor to implement a method comprising;

receiving identification information read from a portable consumer device by the reader;

establishing communications with an entity that can provide a verification value;

transmitting at least a portion of the received identification information to the entity; and

receiving, after transmitting said identification information, the verification value from the entity,

wherein the method further comprises;

directing the data processor to locate a browser web page on a computer that has a first form field for a dynamic account number and a second form field for a verification value, and to fill the first field with the dynamic account number, and the second field with the verification value received from the entity.

2. The verification token of claim 1, wherein the verification token further comprises a peripheral interface, wherein the peripheral interface of the verification token comprises a universal serial bus connector.

3. The verification token of claim 1, wherein the identification information is encrypted and includes the account number of the portable consumer device and at least one of the following:

a digital fingerprint of a magnetic stripe of the portable consumer device, or a variable datum that varies each time the portable consumer device is read for the identification information.

4. The verification token of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises communicating with the computer, wherein communicating comprises sending a device driver to the computer and an instruction to install the device driver in the computer'"'"'s operating system, wherein the device driver enables the computer to recognize the verification token and communicate with the verification token.

5. The verification token of claim 1 further comprising a serial number and an encryption key, and wherein the verification token transmits the serial number and a message encrypted by the encryption key to the entity, the serial number and the encryption key being uniquely assigned to the verification token.

6. The verification token of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

displaying the verification value received from the entity to the user on a display.

7. The verification token of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises receiving the verification value from the entity further directs the data processor to receive the dynamic account number from the entity.

8. The verification token of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

directing the data processor to prompt a user to enter a password on a keyboard, to read a password entered by the user, and to compare the entered password against a stored password embodied on the computer-readable medium; and

directing the data processor to prevent identification information from at least being read or sent when the read password is not the same as the stored password.

9. A verification token comprising:

a reader adapted to read identification information from a portable consumer device;

a computer-readable medium;

a data processor electrically coupled to the reader, and the computer-readable medium;

wherein the computer readable medium comprises code, executable by the data processor to implement a method comprising;

receiving identification information read from a portable consumer device by the reader;

establishing communications with an entity that can provide a verification value;

transmitting at least a portion of the received identification information to the entity; and

receiving, after transmitting said identification information, the verification value from the entity, and wherein the method further comprises

directing the data processor to display the dynamic account number, and the verification value received from the entity to the user on a display device.

10. A method comprising:

establishing a communications session between the verification token and an entity that can provide a verification value;

reading identification information from a portable consumer device into the verification token;

transmitting the read identification information from the verification token to the entity through the communications session, the read identification information being transmitted to the entity in an encrypted form; and

after transmitting the identification information, receiving, at the verification token, the verification value from the entity by way of the communications session,

and wherein the method further comprises

locating a browser web page that has a first form field for a dynamic account number and a second form field for a verification value; and

filling the first field with the dynamic account number, and the second field with the verification value received from the entity.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising encrypting, in the verification token, at least a portion of the identification information read from the portable consumer device using an encryption key stored in the verification token.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

prompting a user to enter a password into a computer;

reading a password entered by the user;

comparing the entered password against a password stored in the verification token; and

preventing identification information from at least being read or sent when the read password is not the same as the stored password.

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

transmitting from the verification token to the entity through the communications session a serial number stored in the verification token and a message encrypted by an encryption key stored in the verification token, the serial number and the encryption key being uniquely assigned to the verification token.

14. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

displaying the verification value received from the entity to the user on a display.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising, after transmitting the identification information:

receiving, at the verification token, the dynamic account number from the entity by way of the communications session.

16. A method comprising:

receiving, by a verification token, identification information read from a portable consumer device by a reader;

establishing, by the verification token, communications with an entity that can provide a verification value;

transmitting, by the verification token, at least a portion of the received identification information to the entity; and

receiving, by the verification token, after transmitting said identification information, a verification value from the entity, and

wherein the method further comprises

directing, by the verification token, the data processor to display a dynamic account number, and the verification value received from the entity to the user on a display device.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the portable consumer device is a credit card.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the verification token includes an interface that couples to a port in a computer.