System and method for providing certification-related and other services

• US 20040111379A1
• Filed: 05/20/2003
• Published: 06/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IdenTrust, Inc. (Assa Abloy AB)
• Original Assignee: IdenTrust, Inc. (Assa Abloy AB)
• Inventors: Kupres, Kristin, Tallent, Guy, Freudenstein, Allen, Seiler, Regina, Hicks, Mack
• Granted Patent: US 9,684,889 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/76
• 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 20/3821 Electronic credentials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/38215 Use of certificates or encrypted proofs of transaction rights
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3829 involving key management

Abstract

Disclosed is a system for warranting the identity of a party over an electronic network. The system comprises a root entity and a plurality of additional entities. Each additional entity is admitted to the system after agreeing to abide by a plurality of operating rules promulgated by the root entity. The additional entities may comprise level-one participants and level-two participants. Certificate authorities maintained by level-one participants issue digital certificates to their customers. The digital certificates bind the customers to their public keys. System customers are also provided with a warranty request formatter which is adapted to formulate a request for a warranty as to the veracity of information contained in a digital certificate. The warranty request formatter is also adapted to transmit the request for the warranty to the customer'"'"'s level-one participant. The level-one participants maintain an intelligent messaging gateway which is adapted to receive messages from their customers and to transmit messages to appropriate system entities. Warranty offers are issued by the participant that issued the digital certificate identified in the warranty request. The participants are required to maintain collateral with a collateral custodian.

Claims

1. A system for warranting the identity of a party over an electronic network, comprising:

a root entity;

a plurality of additional entities, each additional entity being admitted to the system after agreeing to abide by a plurality of operating rules promulgated by the root entity;

the plurality of additional entities comprising a first level-one participant and a second level-one participant;

a first certificate authority maintained by the first level-one participant and adapted to issue a first digital certificate to a first customer, the first customer being a customer of the first level-one participant, the digital certificate binding the first customer to a first public key;

a second customer, the second customer being a customer of the second level-one participant;

a warranty request formatter maintained by the second customer and adapted to formulate a request for a warranty from the first level-one participant as to the veracity of information contained in the first digital certificate, the warranty request formatter being adapted to transmit the request for the warranty to the second level-one participant;

a first intelligent messaging gateway maintained by the second level-one participant adapted to receive the warranty request and forward the request to the first level-one participant;

a second intelligent messaging gateway maintained by the first level-one participant adapted to transmit a warranty offer to the first intelligent messaging gateway, the warranty offer constituting a promise by the first level-one participant to pay money to the second customer if information in the first digital certificate is incorrect.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the warranty further includes a promise by the first level-one participant to pay money to the second customer if a signed message received by the second customer was not authorized by the first customer.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a second certificate authority maintained by the second level-one participant and adapted to issue a second digital certificate to the second customer, wherein the warranty request transmitted to the intelligent messaging gateway of the second level-one participant includes the second digital certificate.

4. The system of claim 3, further comprising:

a third certificate authority maintained by the root entity and adapted to issue a digital certificate to each additional entity, wherein the warranty request forwarded to the intelligent messaging gateway of the first level-one participant includes the digital certificate of the second level-one participant.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the additional entities comprise a level-two participant.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a collateral custodian, the collateral custodian maintaining a collateral account for the first level-one participant.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the first level-one participant is required to maintain a minimum balance in the collateral account.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the minimum balance is a function of the warranties that the first level-one participant has issued.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the minimum balance is a function of the amount of warranties that the first level-one participant has issued to a subset of its customers.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the subset is the three customers as to whose digital certificates the first level-one participant has issued the most warranties in dollars.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the minimum balance is a function of the total amount of outstanding warranties issued by the first level-one participant.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the minimum balance is a function of value of outstanding claims made by system customers against the first level-one participant.

13. The system of claim 7, wherein a portion of the minimum balance is a fixed amount.

14. A method of warranting the identify of an individual within the context of a certificate authority system, the system comprising a root certificate authority, the root certificate authority adapted to issue a first certificate to an issuing participant and a second certificate to a relying participant;

the issuing participant adapted to issue a third certificate to a subscribing party;

the relying participant adapted to issue a fourth certificate to a relying party;

comprising;

transmitting first information from the subscribing party to the relying party, the first information comprising transaction information, the third certificate, and the first certificate;

transmitting second information from the relying party to the relying participant, the second information comprising a request for a warranty as to the identity of the entity named in the third certificate and the fourth certificate, the request for warranty constituting a request for a binding promise from the issuing participant to the relying party to pay damages or submit to arbitration if the entity named in the third certificate did not authorize the digital signature;

transmitting third information from the relying participant to the issuing participant, the third information comprising a request for the warranty and the second certificate;

at the issuing participant, determining whether to issue the warranty, the step of determining comprising the step of determining whether the requested warranty would cause the issuing participant to exceed one of the issuing participant'"'"'s warranty cap or collateral cap;

transmitting fourth information from the issuing participant to the relying participant, the fourth information comprising an offer to issue the warranty to the relying party;

transmitting fifth information from the relying participant to the relying party, the fifth information comprising the offer to issue the warranty to the relying party;

transmitting sixth information from the relying party to the relying participant, the sixth information comprising an acceptance of the offer;

transmitting seventh information from the relying participant to the issuing participant, the seventh information comprising the acceptance of the offer;

whereby a warranty is established in which the promisor is the issuing participant and the promisee is the relying party.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the relying party has no recourse against the issuing participant unless the warranty is established.

16. A system for providing a plurality of services over a closed network comprising:

a root entity;

at lease one issuing participant;

at least one relying participant;

at least one relying customer;

wherein one of the plurality of services is a warranty from the issuing participant to the relying customer and wherein each of the plurality of services is made available to the relying customer via the relying participant.

17. A system for providing a plurality of services over a closed network comprising:

a root entity;

at least one level one participant;

at least one level two participant, the level two participant acting as a relying participant with respect to its customers;

at least one relying customer, the relying customer being a customer of the level two participant, wherein each of the plurality of services is made available to the relying customer via the level two participant.

18. A system for providing dispute resolution to entities belonging to a closed network, comprising:

a root entity;

at lease one issuing participant;

at least one relying participant;

at least one relying customer, wherein the relying customer transmits messages relating to a dispute with the issuing participant via the relying participant.

19. A system for providing certificate warranties over a closed network comprising:

a root entity;

at lease one issuing participant , the issuing participant being required to post collateral with a collateral custodian in accordance with requirements established by the root entity, the amount of the collateral being based on the issuing participant'"'"'s credit rating and the issuing participants prior claim and loss history;

at least one relying participant;

at least one relying customer, the relying customer receiving a certificate warranty from the issuing participant;

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the root entity may direct the collateral custodian to pay the relying customer.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the root entity is not responsible to pay valid claims made by relying customers in the that exceed the available collateral.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the root entity pays valid claims made by relying customers on a first-come, first-served basis.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein if the issuing participant is terminated, the issuing participant must post collateral covering all anticipated claims, based on historical experience for the warranties outstanding.

24. The system of claim 19, wherein the root entity determines the required collateral of each participant daily.

25. The system of claim 19, wherein the root entity receives frequent reports from participants on warranties approved claims filed.

26. A method for initializing a level one participant for providing a plurality of services over a closed network comprising the following steps:

applying for admission to the network;

agreeing to be bound by the network rules;

agreeing to act as an issuing participant before being permitted to act also as a relying participant;

receiving a maximum warranty cap from the root entity;

establishing an internal certificate authority;

opening a collateral account with a collateral custodian;

depositing the amount of collateral in a collateral account;

requesting a digital certificate from the root entity; and

receiving a digital certificate from the root entity.

27. A method for providing an identity warranty service over a closed network comprising the following steps:

a subscribing customer initiating a transaction with a relying customer;

the relying customer requesting an identification validation with warranty from the relying participant;

the relying participant checking with a root entity as to the validity of an issuing participant'"'"'s certificate;

the relying participant receiving a response to the check from the root entity;

the relying participant checking with the issuing participant as to the validity of the subscribing customer'"'"'s certificate;

the relying participant conveying the warranty request to the issuing participant;

the issuing participant checking the validity of the subscribing customer'"'"'s certificate;

if the issuing participant decides not to issue the warranty;

the issuing participant transmitting a negative message to the relying participant;

the relying participant forwarding the message to the relying customer; and

if the issuing participant decides to issue the warranty;

the issuing participant updating its total outstanding issuance against its warranty cap;

the issuing participant updating its collateral;

the issuing participant reporting the status of its warranty cap to the root entity and the collateral custodian;

the issuing participant transmitting its acceptance of the warranty request to relying participant;

the relying participant pricing the warranty;

the relying participant transmitting the terms of the warranty to the relying customer;

if the relying customer decides not to purchase the warranty at the price and terms communicated;

the relying customer notifying the issuing participant; and

if the relying customer decides to purchase the warranty at the price and terms communicated;

the relying customer returning an acceptance of the terms of the warranty to the relying participant; and

the relying participant notifying the root entity and the issuing participant; and

the relying participant billing the relying customer'"'"'s account for the warranty price.

28. A method for providing dispute resolution over a closed network comprising the following steps:

a relying customer filing a claim with a relying participant;

the relying participant notifying an issuing participant, a root entity, and a collateral custodian of the filed claim and the amount of claim;

if the issuing participant decides not to pay the claim;

the issuing participant informing the relying participant of its decision not to pay the claim;

initiating a dispute resolution proceeding if the relying customer is dissatisfied with the issuing participant'"'"'s decision;

if the issuing participant decides to pay the claim;

the issuing participant informing the relying participant of the decision;

the issuing participant paying the claim to the relying customer;

the collateral custodian monitoring that the issuing participant has paid the claim, and decreasing the amount of collateral by the amount paid and also by the amount of the claim.