Device pairing via trusted intermediary

• US 9,911,118 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2013
• Issued: 03/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.)
• Inventors: Carlson, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Obeid, Mamon
• Assistant Examiner(s): Martinez-Hernandez, Edgar R
• Application Number:
  US14/086,836
• Publication Number:
  US 20140143137A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,566 Days
• Field of Search: 705 64
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/18 involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/388 using mutual authentication without cards, e.g. challenge-response

Abstract

Embodiments are directed at systems, apparatuses, and methods for indirect device pairing through a trusted intermediary. One embodiment is directed to a method including receiving a pairing identifier associated with an untrusted device controller. The method further comprises extracting the pairing identifier from the pairing request, searching a pairing identifier database for a matching pairing identifier, determining an untrusted device controller associated with the matching pairing identifier, and sending the pairing request to the untrusted device controller. The untrusted device controller may identify the untrusted device, associate the pairing identifier with the trusted intermediary, and lock the pairing identifier. The method further comprises receiving a pairing response indicating that the untrusted device is paired with the computer. Accordingly, the trusted device is indirectly paired to the untrusted device and the trusted device is configured to complete a transaction with the untrusted device without communicating transaction information to the untrusted device.

Claims

1. A method of indirectly pairing a trusted device with an untrusted device through an untrusted device controller, the method comprising:

receiving, by an intermediary computer, a pairing identifier from the untrusted device controller;

storing, by the intermediary computer, the pairing identifier received from the untrusted device controller and an untrusted device controller identifier in a pairing identifier database, the pairing identifier database associating the pairing identifier and the untrusted device controller identifier;

receiving, by the intermediary computer, a pairing request from the trusted device, the pairing request including the pairing identifier associated with the untrusted device controller;

extracting, by the intermediary computer, the pairing identifier from the pairing request received from the trusted device;

searching, by the intermediary computer, the pairing identifier database for a matching pairing identifier that matches the pairing identifier received in the pairing request from the trusted device, the pairing identifier database associating the pairing identifier with the untrusted device controller identifier;

determining, by the intermediary computer, the untrusted device controller based on the untrusted device controller identifier associated with the matching pairing identifier in the pairing identifier database;

sending, by the intermediary computer, the pairing request to the untrusted device controller associated with the matching pairing identifier in the pairing identifier database, wherein the untrusted device controller identifies the untrusted device, associates the pairing identifier with the intermediary computer, and locks the pairing identifier;

receiving, by the intermediary computer, a pairing response from the untrusted device controller indicating that the untrusted device is paired with the intermediary computer;

sending, by the intermediary computer, a pairing confirmation to the trusted device, wherein the trusted device is indirectly paired to the untrusted device and wherein the trusted device is configured to complete a transaction with the untrusted device without communicating transaction information to the untrusted device;

receiving, by the intermediary computer, a transaction request from the trusted device; and

sending, by the intermediary computer, the transaction request to the untrusted device controller based on the trusted device being indirectly paired to the untrusted device, wherein the untrusted device controller processes the transaction request and commands the untrusted device to complete the transaction.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the transaction request to the untrusted device controller further comprises:

identifying account information associated with a consumer; and

updating the transaction request to include the account information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the pairing identifier is associated with an expiration condition and cannot be used by the untrusted device controller after the expiration condition is triggered.

4. A computer comprising:

a processor; and

a computer readable medium coupled to the processor, the computer readable medium comprising code, executable by the processor for implementing a method of indirectly pairing a trusted device with an untrusted device through an untrusted device controller, the method comprising;

receiving a pairing identifier from the untrusted device controller;

storing the pairing identifier received from the untrusted device controller and an untrusted device controller identifier in a pairing identifier database, the pairing identifier database associating the pairing identifier and the untrusted device controller identifier;

receiving a pairing request from the trusted device, the pairing request including the pairing identifier associated with the untrusted device controller;

extracting the pairing identifier from the pairing request received from the trusted device;

searching the pairing identifier database for a matching pairing identifier that matches the pairing identifier received in the pairing request from the trusted device, the pairing identifier database associating the pairing identifier with the untrusted device controller identifier;

determining the untrusted device controller based on the untrusted device controller identifier associated with the matching pairing identifier in the pairing identifier database;

sending the pairing request to the untrusted device controller associated with the matching pairing identifier in the pairing identifier database, wherein the sending of the pairing request to the untrusted device controller causes the untrusted device controller to identify the untrusted device, associate the pairing identifier with the computer, and lock the pairing identifier;

receiving a pairing response from the untrusted device controller indicating that the untrusted device is paired with the computer;

sending a pairing confirmation to the trusted device, wherein the trusted device is indirectly paired to the untrusted device and wherein the trusted device is configured to complete a transaction with the untrusted device without communicating transaction information to the untrusted device;

receiving a transaction request from the trusted device; and

sending the transaction request to the untrusted device controller based on the trusted device being indirectly paired to the untrusted device, wherein the sending of the transaction request to the untrusted device controller causes the untrusted device controller to process the transaction request and complete the transaction.

5. The computer of claim 4, wherein sending the transaction request to the untrusted device controller further comprises:

identifying account information associated with a consumer; and

updating the transaction request to include the account information.

6. A method of indirectly pairing a trusted device with an untrusted device through a trusted intermediary computer, the method comprising:

receiving, by a untrusted device controller, a pairing identifier request from the untrusted device;

determining, by the untrusted device controller, an available pairing identifier;

associating, by the untrusted device controller, the available pairing identifier with the untrusted device;

sending, by the untrusted device controller, a pairing identifier response including the pairing identifier to the untrusted device to be displayed to a consumer;

sending, by the untrusted device controller, the pairing identifier to the trusted intermediary computer, wherein the trusted intermediary computer stores the pairing identifier and associates the pairing identifier with an untrusted device controller identifier;

receiving, by the untrusted device controller, a pairing request including the pairing identifier from the trusted intermediary computer;

identifying, by the untrusted device controller, the untrusted device associated with the pairing identifier of the pairing request, the pairing identifier in the pairing request from the trusted intermediary computer matching the pairing identifier associated with the untrusted device;

associating, by the untrusted device controller, the pairing identifier with the trusted intermediary computer;

locking, by the untrusted device controller, the pairing identifier from additional pairing requests;

sending, by the untrusted device controller, a pairing notification to the untrusted device;

sending, by the untrusted device controller, a pairing response to the trusted intermediary computer, wherein the trusted intermediary computer notifies the consumer that the trusted device is paired, wherein the trusted device is indirectly paired to the untrusted device through the trusted intermediary computer and wherein the trusted device is configured to complete a transaction at the untrusted device without communicating transaction information to the untrusted device;

receiving, by the untrusted device controller, a transaction request for the transaction with the trusted device from the trusted intermediary computer;

processing, by the untrusted device controller, the transaction request;

sending, by the untrusted device controller, a transaction decision to the untrusted device, the transaction decision including a command to the untrusted device to perform the requested transaction; and

sending, by the untrusted device controller, a transaction response to the trusted intermediary computer.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising after receiving the pairing request, validating the pairing identifier against an expiration condition, wherein the pairing identifier cannot be used by the untrusted device controller after the expiration condition is triggered.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the expiration condition includes a time limit, a number of uses, and a locked status of the pairing identifier.

9. A computer comprising:

a processor; and

a computer readable medium coupled to the processor, the computer readable medium comprising code, executable by the processor for implementing a method of indirectly pairing a trusted device with an untrusted device through a trusted intermediary computer by untrusted device controller, the method comprising;

receiving a pairing identifier request from the untrusted device associated with the untrusted device controller;

determining an available pairing identifier;

associating the available pairing identifier with the untrusted device;

sending a pairing identifier response including the pairing identifier to the untrusted device to be displayed to a consumer;

sending the pairing identifier to the trusted intermediary computer, wherein the sending of the pairing identifier to the trusted intermediary computer causes the trusted intermediary computer to store the pairing identifier and associate the pairing identifier with an untrusted device controller identifier;

receiving a pairing request including the pairing identifier from a trusted intermediary computer;

identifying the untrusted device associated with the pairing identifier of pairing request, the pairing identifier in the pairing request from the trusted intermediary computer matching the pairing identifier associated with the untrusted device;

associating the pairing identifier with the trusted intermediary computer;

locking the pairing identifier from additional pairing requests;

sending a pairing notification to the untrusted device;

sending a pairing response to the trusted intermediary computer, wherein the sending of the pairing response to the trusted intermediary computer causes the trusted intermediary computer to notify the consumer that the trusted device is paired, indirectly pair the trusted device to the untrusted device through the trusted intermediary computer, and enable the trusted device to complete a transaction at the untrusted device without communicating transaction information to the untrusted device;

receiving a transaction request for the transaction with the trusted device from the trusted intermediary computer;

processing the transaction request;

sending a transaction decision to the untrusted device, the transaction decision including a command to the untrusted device to perform the requested transaction; and

sending a transaction response to the trusted intermediary computer.

10. The computer of claim 9, the method further comprising after receiving the pairing request, validating the pairing identifier against an expiration condition, wherein the pairing identifier cannot be used by the untrusted device controller after the expiration condition is triggered.

11. The computer of claim 10, wherein the expiration condition includes a time limit, a number of uses, and a locked status of the pairing identifier.

12. A system for indirectly pairing a trusted device with an untrusted device, the system comprising:

the untrusted device associated with an untrusted device controller, the untrusted device configured to request a pairing identifier from the untrusted device controller and display the pairing identifier to the consumer;

the untrusted device controller associated with the untrusted device, the untrusted device controller configured to receive a pairing identifier request from the untrusted device, identify an available pairing identifier, associate the pairing identifier with the untrusted device, send the pairing identifier to the untrusted device, send the pairing identifier to a trusted intermediary computer, receive a pairing request including the pairing identifier from the trusted intermediary computer, identify the untrusted device associated with the pairing identifier of the pairing request, the pairing identifier in the pairing request from the trusted intermediary computer matching the pairing identifier associated with the untrusted device, associate the pairing identifier with the trusted intermediary computer, and lock the received pairing identifier from additional pairing requests, send a pairing notification to the untrusted device, sending a pairing response to the trusted intermediary computer;

the trusted device, the trusted device being operated by a consumer, the trusted device configured to send the pairing identifier to the trusted intermediary computer; and

the trusted intermediary computer associated with the trusted device, the trusted intermediary computer configured to receive the pairing identifier from the untrusted device controller, associate an untrusted device controller identifier with the pairing identifier in a pairing identifier database, receive the pairing identifier from the trusted device, search the pairing identifier database for a matching pairing identifier that matches the pairing identifier received in the pairing request from the trusted device, determine the untrusted device controller based on the untrusted device controller identifier associated with the matching pairing identifier in the pairing identifier database, and send a pairing request to the untrusted device controller to indirectly pair the untrusted device with the trusted device,

wherein the trusted device is indirectly paired to the untrusted device through the trusted intermediary computer and wherein the trusted device completes a transaction at the untrusted device without communicating transaction information to the untrusted device, and

wherein the untrusted device controller is further configured to receive a transaction request from the trusted intermediary computer, process the transaction request, and send a transaction decision to the untrusted device, the transaction decision including a command to the untrusted device to perform the requested transaction, and wherein the untrusted device performs the requested transaction.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the untrusted device controller processes the transaction request through a payment processing network.