Confirming the identity of integrator applications

• US 9,852,283 B2
• Filed: 11/10/2016
• Issued: 12/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Galpin, Michael David, Boekenoogen, Jon Christian, Atwood, Scott Roy, Hamilton, Jeffrey William
• Primary Examiner(s): PEARSON, DAVID J
• Application Number:
  US15/348,944
• Publication Number:
  US 20170061118A1
• Time in Patent Office: 411 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/44 Program or device authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0807 using tickets, e.g. Kerberos cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using tickets or tokens H04L9/3213
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0876 based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/60 Scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests, e.g. requests for application data transmissions using the analysis and optimisation of the required network resources admission control or resource allocation H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3213 using tickets or tokens, e.g. Kerberos network architectures or network communication protocols for entities authentication using tickets in a packet data network H04L63/0807

Abstract

An application service system receives, from a merchant service system, an application program code comprising identifying information. The identifying information is extracted and the application is distributed for operation on a user device. A user interacts with the application, creating an access request that is transmitted to the application service system along with the extracted identifying information. The application service system transmits an access token to the user device comprising the received identifying information. The user device transmits the access token with a service request to the application service system. The application service system compares the identifying information from the access token to the identifying information extracted from the application program code received from the merchant services system. If the identifying information matches, the service request is processed. If the identifying information does not match, the service request is denied and an error message is transmitted to the user device.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method to verify identities of services making service requests, comprising:

receiving, by one or more computing devices and from a computing device operated by a user, an access request, wherein the access request comprises a request for an access token and identifying information, and wherein the computing device operated by the user extracts the identifying information from a service program code associated with a merchant service system, the service program code being resident on the computing device operated by the user, wherein the service program code comprises computer-readable instructions executable by the computing device operated by the user to perform a service, and wherein the identifying information enables the one or more computing devices to verify a service request made by the computing device operated by the user;

producing, by the one or more computing devices, an access token, wherein the access token comprises the identifying information received from the computing device operated by the user;

transmitting, by the one or more computing devices, the access token to the computing device operated by the user;

receiving, by the one or more computing devices and from the computing device operated by the user, the access token and a service request, wherein the service request comprises a request by the service to perform an action via the one or more computing devices; and

determining, by the one or more computing devices, whether to allow or deny the service request by comparing the identifying information from the access token received from the computing device operated by the user to identifying information associated with the service program code associated with the merchant service system.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to comparing the identifying information from the access token received from the computing device operated by the user to the extracted identifying information from the service program code received from the merchant service system, detecting, by the one or more computing devices, a match between the identifying information from the access token and the extracted identifying information; and

allowing, by the one or more computing devices, the service request to be processed in response to detecting the match.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to comparing the received identifying information from the access token received from the computing device operated by the user to the extracted identifying information from the service program code received from the merchant service system, detecting, by the one or more computing devices, a discrepancy between the identifying information from the access token and the extracted identifying information;

denying, by the one or more computing devices, the service request in response to detecting the discrepancy between the identifying information from the access token and the extracted identifying information; and

transmitting, by the one or more computing devices, an error message to the computing device operated by the user, wherein the error message is displayed by the computing device operated by the user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying information is required for distribution of the service program code by the one or more computing devices.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying information comprises one or more of an application identifier, a package name, and a digital signature.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the service comprises a merchant service application, a merchant service website, or a merchant shipping service.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the service request comprises a request for the processing of a financial transaction by the service, a request for shipping information, a request for information from an account of the user maintained by the one or more computing devices, or a request for offers or coupons to be redeemed.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein extracting the identifying information from the service program code received from the merchant service system comprises executing, by the one or more computing devices, a search algorithm that locates and extracts the identifying information from the service program code.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein extracting the identifying information from the service program code received from the merchant service system comprises identifying, by the one or more computing devices, a predetermined location in the service program code and extracting the identifying information form the predetermined location.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein an access request algorithm on the computing device operated by the user is activated in response to a service request being initiated on the computing device operated by the user, wherein the access request algorithm identifies and extracts the identifying information from the service program code on the computing device operated by the user and transmits the identifying information along with an access request to the one or more computing devices.

11. A computer program product, comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable program instructions embodied thereon that when executed by a computer cause the computer to verify identities of services making service requests, the computer-executable program instructions comprising;

computer-executable program instructions to receive service program code from a merchant service system, wherein the service program code comprises identifying information that enables one or more computing devices to verify a service request made by a computing device operated by a user;

computer-executable program instructions to extract the identifying information from the service program code received from the merchant service system;

computer-executable program instructions to receive an access request from a computing device operated by a user, wherein the access request comprises a request for an access token and identifying information, and wherein the computing device operated by the user extracts the identifying information from service program code resident on the computing device operated by the user;

computer-executable program instructions to transmit an access token to the computing device operated by the user, wherein the access token comprises the identifying information received form the computing device operated by the user;

computer-executable program instructions to receive from the computing device operated by the user, a service request, wherein the service request comprises a request by the service to perform an action via the one or more computing devices and the access token; and

computer-executable program instructions to determine whether to allow or deny the service request by comparing the identifying information from the access token received from the computing device operated by the user to the identifying information from the service program code received from the merchant service system.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, further comprising computer-executable program instructions to extract the identifying information from the service program code received from the merchant service system.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein extracting the identifying information from the service program code received from the merchant service system comprises computer-executable program instructions to execute a search algorithm that locates and extracts the identifying information from the service program code.

14. The computer program product of claim 11, further comprising:

in response to comparing the identifying information from the access token to the identifying information from the service program code, computer-executable program instructions to detect a match between the identifying information received form the computing device operated by the user and the identifying information received from the merchant service system; and

in response to detecting the match, computer-executable program instructions to allow the service request to be processed.

15. A system for verifying identities of services making service requests, comprising:

a non-transitory storage medium; and

a processor communicatively coupled to the storage medium, wherein the processor executes application code instructions that are stored in the storage medium to cause the system to;

receive, from a merchant system, service program code, wherein the service program code comprises identifying information that enables the system to verify a service request made by a computing device operated by a user;

extract the identifying information from the service program code received from the merchant service system;

distribute the service program code for operation on the computing device operated by the user, wherein the service program code comprises computer-readable instructions executable by the computing device operated by the user to perform a service;

receive an access request from the computing device operated by the user, wherein the access request comprises a request for an access token and identifying information, and wherein the computing device operated by the user extracts the identifying information from the service program code resident on the computing device operated by the user;

transmit the access token to the computing device operated by the user, wherein the access token comprises the identifying information received from the computing device operated by the user;

receive a service request from the computing device operated by the user, wherein the service request comprises a request by the service to perform an action via the one or more computing devices and the access token; and

determine whether to allow or deny the merchant service request by comparing the identifying information received from the service program code on the computing device operated by the user to identifying information in service program code received from the merchant system.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein extracting the identifying information from the service program code received from the merchant service system comprises processing computer-executable instructions for executing a search algorithm that locates and extracts the identifying information from the service program code.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein extracting the identifying information from the service program code received from the merchant service system comprises processing computer-executable instructions for identifying a predetermined location in the service program code and extracting the identifying information from the predetermined location.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to execute computer-executable instructions stored in the storage medium to cause the system to:

in response to comparing the received identifying information from the access token received from the computing device operated by the user to the identifying information from the service program code received from the merchant service system, detect a match between the identifying information received from the computing device operated by the user and the extracted identifying information; and

allow the service request to be processed in response to detecting the match.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to execute computer-executable instructions stored in the storage medium to cause the system to:

in response to comparing the received identifying information from the access token received from the computing device operated by the user to the identifying information from the service program code received from the merchant service system, detect a discrepancy between the identifying information received from the computing device operated by the user and the extracted identifying information;

deny the service request in response to detecting the discrepancy; and

transmit an error message to the computing device operated by the user, wherein the error message is displayed by the computing device operated by the user.