Method and system for controlling certificate based open payment transactions

• US 9,928,491 B1
• Filed: 02/14/2017
• Issued: 03/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Citicorp Credit Services Incorporated (Citigroup Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Citicorp Credit Services Incorporated (Citigroup Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kawan, Joseph C., Chu, Ronald King-Hang, Golvin, Charles, Tompkins, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Hamilton, Lalita M
• Application Number:
  US15/432,676
• Time in Patent Office: 406 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/105 Arrangements for software license management or administration, e.g. for managing licenses at corporate level
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/107 License processing; Key processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/121 Restricting unauthorised execution of programs
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/145 Payments according to the detected use or quantity
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/38215 Use of certificates or encrypted proofs of transaction rights
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3829 involving key management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/405 Establishing or using transaction specific rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 2220/18 Licensing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes

Abstract

Methods and systems for controlling certificate-based open payment transactions involving a merchant and a customer utilizing various types of networks and terminals. Prior to accessing a merchant POS terminal or, for example, a merchant website, a customer obtains a certificate from a service provider (SP), such as a bank, certifying his identification (ID) and his relevant financial information, in a form that is understandable by the SP. The SP is capable of performing multiple functions. For example, the SP is capable of acting as a certificate authority when it issues the customer'"'"'s certificates, an authenticator when it receives private-key encrypted certificates from the customers to be decrypted using the corresponding public-key, and an authorizing authority when it checks the value available in a customer'"'"' chosen payment account against the requested purchase or transfer amount.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

unlocking, by a computer, a programmable memory device with a user'"'"'s predetermined personal identification number;

wherein the programmable memory device is configured to formulate payment instructions, and

the programmable memory device comprising network address instructions for an issuer of the programmable memory device, a user'"'"'s financial account information, and an encryption program;

generating, by the computer, a private/public key pair using a software module of a service provider server;

generating, by the computer, an identification profile that is encrypted with a digital signature based on the private key;

transmitting, by the computer, the encrypted identification profile to the service provider server along with the attached public key for formation of a service provider-backed certificate;

loading, by the computer, the service provider-backed certificate onto the programmable memory device;

attaching, by the computer, the service provider-backed certificate from the programmable memory device to payment information using at least one of the user'"'"'s financial accounts;

encrypting, by the computer, the payment information and the attached service provider-backed certificate using the software module; and

receiving, by the computer, information from the service provider server authorizing payment using the programmable memory device from at least one of the user'"'"'s financial accounts.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the identification profile comprises name, address, social security number, and birthdate of the user.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the programmable memory device is a smart card.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the network is Internet.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein authorizing the payment includes requesting via a network authorization from a user'"'"'s financial institution that maintains the user'"'"'s financial account information.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein authorizing the payment amount is read from payment instructions.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the payment instructions include an encrypted personal identification number recognizable by the user'"'"'s financial institution for accessing the user'"'"'s financial account information.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the user'"'"'s financial account information includes user'"'"'s financial institution routing number.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the user'"'"'s financial account information includes the user'"'"'s account identifier.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the user'"'"'s account identifier includes at least one of an account type and an account number.

11. A system for facilitating a financial transaction comprising:

a programmable memory device comprising at least one processor, the user'"'"'s financial account information, network addressing instructions for at least the issuer of the programmable memory device, and an encryption program, the programmable memory device configured to unlock with a user'"'"'s predetermined personal identification number;

a private/public key pair generated using a software provided by a service provider;

an identification profile that is encrypted with a digital signature based on the private key, wherein the encrypted identification profile is transmitted to the service provider along with the attached public key for formation of a service provider-backed certificate, and wherein the service provider-backed certificate is loaded onto the programmable memory device;

a terminal configured for reading information from the programmable memory device to facilitate a payment from at least one of a user'"'"'s financial accounts; and

a server configured for receiving information from the terminal read from the programmable memory device and authorizing payment from at least one of the user'"'"'s financial accounts.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the identification profile comprises name, address, social security number, and birthdate of the user.

13. The system according to claim 11, wherein the programmable memory device is a smart card.

14. The system according to claim 11, wherein the network is Internet.

15. The system according to claim 11, wherein authorizing the payment includes requesting via a network authorization from a user'"'"'s financial institution that maintains the user'"'"'s financial account information.

16. The system according to claim 11, wherein authorizing the payment amount is read from payment instructions.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein the payment instructions include an encrypted personal identification number recognizable by the user'"'"'s financial institution for accessing the user'"'"'s financial account information.

18. The system according to claim 11, wherein the user'"'"'s financial account information includes user'"'"'s financial institution routing number.

19. The system according to claim 11, wherein the user'"'"'s financial account information includes the user'"'"'s account identifier.

20. The system according to claim 19, wherein the user'"'"'s account identifier includes at least one of an account type and an account number.