CENTRALIZED IDENTITY AUTHENTICATION FOR ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION NETWORKS

• US 20140020076A1
• Filed: 09/13/2013
• Published: 01/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CardinalCommerce Corporation (Visa, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CardinalCommerce Corporation (Visa, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bhagavatula, Ravishankar S., Balasubramanian, Chandra, Sherwin, Francis M., Keresman, Michael A. III, Bowman, Jeffry J.
• Granted Patent: US 10,032,166 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/7
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/445 by mutual authentication, e.g. between devices or programs
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4014 Identity check for transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226

Abstract

A method of centralized identity authentication for use in connection with a communications network includes registering users of the communications network such that each registered user'"'"'s identity is uniquely defined and determinable, and registering a plurality of vendors having a presence on the communications network. The registered vendors selectively transact with registered users, wherein the transactions include: (i) the registered vendor selling goods and/or services to the registered user; (ii) the registered vendor granting the registered user access to personal records maintained by the registered vendor; and/or (iii) the registered vendor communicating to the registered user personal information maintained by the registered vendor. The method also includes each user'"'"'s identity being authenticated over the communications network prior to completion of transactions between registered vendors and registered users.

Claims

1. A system operative to perform centralized identity authentication for transactions conducted over the Internet, said system comprising:

registration means for registering a plurality of users with a centralized agent such that each registered user is associated with an account record including at least one set of authentication data from which that user can be authenticated, said registration means being further arranged to register a plurality of different vendors having a presence on the Internet, said registered vendors selectively transacting with registered users;

receiving means for receiving a registered user directed thereto from a registered vendor over the Internet; and

,

authenticating means for authenticating the received user'"'"'s identity over the Internet prior to completion of a transaction between the registered vendor and the registered user, wherein said authenticating means compares a provided authentication data to data in the account holder records, said provided authentication data including at least one of a user name, a password, a personal identification number and a dynamically changing non-predictable code, wherein the received user is identified as an account holder when there is a sufficient match resulting from the comparison, and is not identified as an account holder when there is no sufficient match resulting from the comparison;

wherein a given registered user employs the same authentication data to transact with multiple different registered vendors.