Method and system for product restocking using machine-readable codes

• US 9,565,186 B1
• Filed: 06/05/2015
• Issued: 02/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2011
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Miller, Kevin C., Doane, Andrew J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Thien M
• Application Number:
  US14/731,941
• Time in Patent Office: 613 Days
• Field of Search: 235/380, 235/379, 235/492, 235/493, 235/486, 235/487
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3276 using a pictured code, e.g. barcode or QR-code, being read by the M-device
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/34 using cards, e.g. integrated circuit [IC] cards or magnetic cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/348 Single-use cards, i.e. without possibility of recharging
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/18 for washing or drying persons
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a number of systems and associated processes for using machine-readable codes to perform a transaction. Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a system and associated processes for consolidating and replacing various forms of payment (e.g. credit cards, debit cards, and cash) with a single payment system. Further, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a system and associated processes for reordering a product provided by a product provider. Moreover, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a system and associated processes for accepting a gift, or gift transaction, associated with a gift card. In addition, embodiments of the present disclosure provide a system and associated processes for performing an Automatic Teller Machine (ATM) transaction using a machine-readable code.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

an electronic data store configured to store authentication tickets corresponding to one or more users;

an interactive computing system comprising computer hardware in communication with the electronic data store, the interactive computing system configured to execute specific computer-executable instructions to at least;

access security credentials of a user;

validate the security credentials to determine whether the user is authorized to access a plurality of computing devices within a networked computing environment of an entity, the networked computing environment including the interactive computing system; and

responsive to successful validation of the security credentials;

generate an authentication ticket corresponding to the user, the authentication ticket comprising a substitute for authentication information used to access the plurality of computing devices;

providing the user, via the authentication ticket, with access to computing resources at a plurality of computing devices during a time period corresponding to when the user is scheduled to be within a physical environment associated with the entity, wherein the access to the computing resources at the plurality of computing devices occur without performing a second validation of the security credentials;

store a copy of the authentication ticket at the electronic data store;

encode at least a portion of the authentication ticket to obtain a machine-readable code; and

output a copy of the machine-readable code to the user, enabling the user to access the plurality of computing devices using the machine-readable code without providing the authentication information to the plurality of computing devices,

wherein the interactive computing system further comprises a biometric interface that obtains biometric information from the user, and wherein validating the security credentials comprises validating the biometric information enabling each of the plurality of computing devices to use biometric verification to authenticate the user without at least some of the plurality of computing devices including a biometric interface.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the interactive computing system is further configured to output the copy of the machine-readable code by causing a physical representation of the machine-readable code to be output.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the interactive computing system is further configured to output the copy of the machine-readable code by providing a digital representation of the machine-readable code to a mobile computing system associated with the user.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the authentication ticket expires after a period of time preventing the user from accessing the computing device using the machine-readable code.

5. Non-transitory physical computer storage comprising computer-executable instructions that implement a method of performing network authentication, the method comprising:

receiving one or more security credentials of a user at a first time period;

generating a security token in response to receiving the one or more security credentials, the security token configured to provide access to a plurality of computing systems within a physical environment of an entity, the security token comprising a substitute for the one or more security credentials used to access the plurality of computing devices;

providing the user, via the security token, with access to multiple computing sessions with at least one of the plurality of computing devices during a particular time period without requesting the one or more security credentials during a second time period;

encoding the security token to produce a machine-readable code; and

providing the machine-readable code to the user, thereby enabling the user to obtain access to the plurality of computing systems,

wherein at least one of the one or more security credentials comprise biometric information obtained from the user enabling the at least one of the plurality of computing devices to use biometric verification to authenticate the user without including a biometric interface.

6. The non-transitory physical computer storage of claim 5, wherein the method further comprises enabling a second authentication factor to be used to provide the user with access to the plurality of computing systems.

7. The non-transitory physical computer storage of claim 5, wherein the method further comprises digitally signing the security token to thereby enable the plurality of computing systems to authenticate the user without accessing an authentication server over a network.

8. The non-transitory physical computer storage of claim 5, wherein the machine-readable code comprises a two-dimensional barcode.

9. The non-transitory physical computer storage of claim 5, wherein receiving the one or more security credentials of the user comprises receiving biometric information from the user enabling the user to access a computing system that uses biometric authentication from the plurality of computing systems without providing the biometric information to the computing system.

10. The non-transitory physical computer storage of claim 5, wherein the method further comprises associating the security token with an expiration time.

11. A computer-implemented method comprising:

as implemented by one or more computing devices configured with specific computer-executable instructions,

receiving security credentials of a user;

validating the security credentials to determine whether the user is authorized to access a computing device within a location of an entity; and

responsive to determining that the user is authorized to access the computing device,

generating an authentication token associated with the user, the authentication token comprising a substitute for at least some of the security credentials;

providing the user, via the authentication token, with access to computing resources at a second computing device without validating the security credentials a second time during a particular time period associated with a shift of the user at the location of the entity;

storing a copy of the authentication token at an authentication system;

encoding at least a portion of the authentication token to obtain a machine-readable code; and

providing the user with access to a copy of the machine-readable code,

wherein validating the security credentials comprises validating biometric information obtained from the user enabling the second computing device to use biometric verification to authenticate the user without including a biometric interface.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, further comprising:

accessing the copy of the machine-readable code from an identification medium associated with the user;

decoding the machine-readable code;

determining whether the decoded machine-readable code corresponds to the copy of the authentication token at the authentication system; and

in response to determining that the decoded determining machine-readable code corresponds to the copy of the authentication token, providing the user with access to the computing device.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, wherein the identification medium comprises one of a mobile computing device associated with the user or an identification badge of the user.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein providing the user with access to the copy of the machine-readable code comprises sending the copy of the machine readable code to a mobile computing device of the user.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein providing the user with access to the copy of the machine-readable code comprises causing a physical representation of the machine-readable code to be generated.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the authentication token expires after a period of time preventing the user from accessing the computing device using the machine-readable code.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein receiving the security credentials of the user comprises receiving biometric credentials corresponding to the user.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving access to the machine-readable code at the second computing device, the second computing device configured to authenticate users via biometric credentials; and

providing the user with access to the second computing device without receiving the biometric credentials at the second computing device in response to successfully validating the machine-readable code.