Account authority digital signature

• US 20020032860A1
• Filed: 05/17/2001
• Published: 03/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Anne Mcafee Wheeler, Lynn Henry Wheeler
• Original Assignee: First Data Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Wheeler, Lynn Henry, Wheeler, Anne McAfee
• Granted Patent: US 8,620,814 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/170
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/00 Payment architectures, schemes or protocols apparatus for performing or posting payment transactions G07F7/08, G07F19/00; electronic cash registers G07G1/12
• 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 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3825 Use of electronic signatures
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3829 involving key management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/401 Transaction verification
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 involving digital signatures

Abstract

The reliability of electronic encoding, e.g., digital signatures, are incorporated into current business processes to identify the sender of an electronic message as well as the accuracy of the electronic message. An institution records an encoding key and associates it with account information from the sender. This initial recording may be performed using any of the validation procedures utilized today by a business institution. After the initial validation of the encoding key, validating future electronic transactions occurs by including encoding information that can be deciphered using the encoding key initially stored. To validate an electronic transaction, the sender sends the electronic transaction message, the encoding information and sender identity information to the person or institution where the sender desires validation. Having received this information, the computer system performing the validation applies the encoding key to the encoding information and analyzes the electronic transaction message to validate the identity of the sender and the reliability of the message.

Claims

1. A method of validating the identity of a sender of an electronic message comprising the steps of:

associating sender validation information with sender identity information in a computer system;

receiving into a terminal, the electronic message, encoding information derived from the electronic message and sender identity information;

sending the electronic message, the encoding information and the sender identity information to the computer system;

in the computer system, retrieving the validating information associated with the received sender identity information; and

validating the identity of the sender using the retrieved validating information and the electronic message.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the encoding information is received into the terminal by way of a smart card.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic message, the encoding information and the sender identity information is sent by way of the Internet.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the encoding information is a digital signature, the validating information is a public key from the sender and the step of validating the identity of the sender comprises the steps of:

applying a hashing algorithm to the electronic message;

applying the associated sender public key to the digital

signature; and

validating the identity of the sender by determining whether the results of applying the hashing algorithm to the electronic message match the results of applying the public key to the digital signature.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the terminal receives the digital signature by way of a smart card.

6. A computer readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the steps recited in claim 1.

7. A method of validating the identity of a sender of an electronic message comprising the steps of:

associating a sender public key with sender account information in a computer system;

receiving into a terminal, the electronic message, a digital signature derived from the electronic message and the sender account information;

sending the electronic message, the digital signature and the sender account information to the computer system;

in the computer system, retrieving the sender public key associated with the received sender account information; and

validating the identity of the sender using the sender public key, the digital signature and the electronic message.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the digital signature is received into the terminal by way of a smart card.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the electronic message, the digital signature and the sender account information is sent by way of the Internet.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the step of validating the identity of the sender comprises the steps of:

applying a hashing algorithm to the electronic message;

applying the associated sender public key to the

digital signature; and

validating the identity of the sender by determining whether the results of applying the hashing algorithm to the electronic message match the results of applying the associated sender public key to the digital signature.

11. A computer readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the steps recited in claim 7.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the encoded message is a digital signature of the sender.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the encoding key is the sender'"'"'s private key.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the encoded message, the electronic message and the sender identity information is sent via the Internet.

16. A computer readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the steps recited in claim 12.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the encoded message is a digital signature of the sender.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the encoded message, the electronic message and the sender identity information is sent via the Internet.

20. A computer readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the steps recited in claim 17.

12. A method of validating the identity of a sender of an electronic message comprising the steps of:

receiving an encoding key, an electronic message and sender identity information into a terminal;

applying the encoding key to the electronic message to create an encoded message;

sending the encoded message, the electronic message and sender identity information to a computer system for validation; and

receiving from the computer system whether the message was validated.

17. A method of validating the identity of a sender of an electronic message comprising the steps of:

receiving an encoded message, an electronic message and sender identity information into a terminal;

sending the encoded message, the electronic message and sender identity information to a computer system for validation;

receiving from the computer system whether the message was validated; and

performing an action based on the electronic message and received validation results.

21. A method of validating the identity of a sender of an electronic message comprising the steps of:

associating validation information from the sender with sender identity information;

receiving the electronic message, an encoded message and the sender identity information electronically;

retrieving the validation information associated with the received sender identity information;

applying validation information to the encoded message; and

validating the identity of the sender by comparing the results of applying the validation information to the encoded message to the electronic message.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of validating the identity of the sender comprises:

applying a hashing algorithm to the electronic message; and

comparing the results of the hashing algorithm to the results of applying the validation information to the encoded message.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the encoded message is a digital signature and the validation information is a public key from the sender.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the results of the validation is sent to a terminal.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the electronic message, the encoded message and the sender identity information is received from the Internet.

26. A computer readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the steps recited in claim 21.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the step of validating the identity of the sender comprising the steps of:

applying a hashing algorithm to the electronic message; and

comparing the results of the hashing algorithm to the results of applying the validation information to the encoded message.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the results of the validation is sent to a terminal.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein the electronic message, the digital signature and the sender account information is received from the Internet.

27. A method of validating the identity of a sender of an electronic message comprising the steps of:

associating a public key from the sender with sender account information;

receiving the electronic message, a digital signature and the sender account information electronically;

retrieving the public key associated with the received sender account information;

applying the public key to the received digital signature; and

validating identity of the sender by comparing the results of applying the public key to the digital signature to the electronic message.

31. A computer readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the steps recited in claim 27.