Use of Fingerprint with an On-Line or Networked Auction

• US 20100332396A1
• Filed: 06/02/2010
• Published: 12/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Uniloc 2017 LLC (SoftBank Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Uniloc Luxembourg S.à r.l. (f/k/a Uniloc Luxembourg S.A.) (Uniloc Corporation Pty. Limited)
• Inventors: Etchegoyen, Craig Stephen
• Granted Patent: US 9,075,958 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/50
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/57 Certifying or maintaining trusted computer platforms, e.g. secure boots or power-downs, version controls, system software checks, secure updates or assessing vulnerabilities
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/73 by creating or determining hardware identification, e.g. serial numbers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• 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

Abstract

A method for selectively allowing participation in an auction, implemented at one or more servers, includes steps for receiving a request to participate in the auction, receiving machine fingerprint data related to the request to participate in the auction, saving the machine fingerprint data in a memory, comparing the machine fingerprint data with previously stored machine fingerprint data, and determining, using the machine fingerprint data, whether to allow the participation in the auction.

Claims

1. A method, at one or more servers, for selectively allowing participation in an auction, comprising:

receiving a request to participate in the auction;

receiving machine fingerprint data related to the request to participate in the auction;

saving the machine fingerprint data in a memory;

comparing the machine fingerprint data with previously stored machine fingerprint data;

determining, using the machine fingerprint data, whether to allow the participation in the auction.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising decrypting machine fingerprint data related to the request to participate in the auction.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein decrypting comprises using an asymmetrical public-private encryption method using a private key for encryption and a public key for decryption.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether to allow participation in the auction comprises disallowing participation in the auction if the machine fingerprint data is associated with data indicating the machine did not satisfactorily complete a prior auction.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether to allow participation in the auction comprises allowing participation in the auction if the machine fingerprint data is not associated with data indicating the machine did not satisfactorily complete a prior auction.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether to allow participation in the auction comprises disallowing participation in the auction if the machine fingerprint data is not associated with data indicating the machine did not satisfactorily complete a prior auction.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether to allow participation in the auction comprises allowing participation in the auction if the machine fingerprint data has not previously been stored.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether to allow participation in the auction comprises disallowing participation in the auction if the machine fingerprint data has not previously been stored.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the steps are performed by one server.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the previously stored machine fingerprint data is associated with data providing an indication regarding whether a prior auction has been satisfactorily completed.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the indication regarding whether a prior auction has been satisfactorily completed is a quantized indication.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the data providing an indication regarding whether a prior auction has been satisfactorily completed may be modified

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising transmitting the data providing an indication regarding whether a prior auction has been satisfactorily completed.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising transmitting the data providing an indication regarding whether a prior auction has been satisfactorily completed when such data has been modified.

15. A method, at a client device, comprising:

generating machine fingerprint data by reading configuration data indicating non-user-configurable settings for different hardware components of the client device, and by aggregating the configuration data to create a defined data series;

transmitting to a server the machine fingerprint data and a request to participate in an auction;

receiving, in response to the machine fingerprint data and the request to participate in an auction, permission to participate in the auction; and

in response to receiving the permission, participating in the auction.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising receiving selection criteria from the server, and wherein generating machine fingerprint data further comprises selecting data from the defined data series according to the selection criteria to generate the machine fingerprint data.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising encrypting the machine fingerprint data.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising storing the machine fingerprint data in a buffer of the client device before transmitting the machine fingerprint data to the server, and deleting the machine fingerprint data from the client device after transmitting the machine fingerprint data to the server.