Packet-based internet voting transactions with biometric authentication

• US 6,973,581 B2
• Filed: 01/21/2003
• Issued: 12/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avante International Technology
• Original Assignee: Amerasia International Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Minadeo, James Arthur, Chung, Kevin Kwong-Tai, Shi, Xiaoming
• Primary Examiner(s): Barron, Jr., Gilberto
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lanier, Benjamin E.
• Application Number:
  US10/348,433
• Publication Number:
  US 20030136835A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,050 Days
• Field of Search: 705/12, 713/202, 713/201
• US Class Current: 726/13
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/10346 the antenna being of the far field type, e.g. HF types or dipoles
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 13/00 Voting apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0861 using biometrical features, e.g. fingerprint, retina-scan cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using biological data H04L9/3231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/12 Applying verification of the received information cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for data integrity or data verification H04L9/32

Abstract

Internet voting or other Internet transaction comprises transmitting three information packets via the Internet. At least one information packet includes an identifier that is authenticated, such as a key, a biometric digitized signature or other biometric identifier. Where an information packet may include transaction information in a predetermined form, information packets including information in another form may be processed separately.

Claims

1. A method for conducting a transaction via the Internet comprising:

transmitting via the Internet a first information packet including a dynamic biometric digitized signature;

processing the dynamic biometric digitized signature for authenticating the first information packet;

if the first information packet is authenticated, transmitting a second information packet via the Internet, the second information packet including machine readable instructions for enabling transaction information including selectable predetermined transaction information to be entered and transmitted in a predetermined format in a third information packet, wherein the predetermined format includes a combination of predetermined transaction information selected from the selectable predetermined transaction information;

transmitting via the Internet the third information packet including transaction information entered therein;

whereby the third information packet includes a combination of predetermined transaction information selected from among the selectable predetermined transaction information,

validating the third information packet as relating to the second information packet;

if the third information packet is validated;

if the transaction information is in the predetermined format, processing the transaction information of the third information packet that includes a known possible combination of predetermined transaction information selected from the selectable predetermined transaction information of the predetermined format for conducting a transaction; and

if the transaction information includes information not in the predetermined format, testing the information not in the predetermined format for malicious code, and, if not including malicious code, processing the information not in the predetermined format for conducting the transaction.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the transaction includes voting and the transaction information includes voting selections, and

wherein the transaction information in the predetermined format represents voting selections selected from among predetermined voting selections of a ballot transmitted in the second information packet, and

wherein the information not in the predetermined format represents write-in voting selections.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the transaction includes registering and the transaction information includes registration information relating to a person registering; and

/or

the transaction includes voting and the transaction information includes voting selections.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the dynamic biometric digitized signature represents the person registering and/or a person voting.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said processing the dynamic biometric digitized signature for authenticating the first information packet includes comparing the dynamic biometric digitized signature with a database of registered dynamic biometric digitized signatures.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein each second information packet further includes a unique identifier, and wherein said validating the third information packet as relating to the second information packet includes comparing an identifier included in the third information packet with a database of unique identifiers included in second information packets.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

providing in the first, second and/or third information packets a PKI key of a sender thereof, and/or

encrypting one or more of the first, second and third information packets.

8. A method for conducting a voting transaction via the Internet comprising:

transmitting via the Internet a sign-in information packet including a dynamic biometric digitized signature of a person voting;

processing the dynamic biometric digitized signature of the sign-in information packet for authenticating the person voting;

if the sign-in information packet is authenticated, transmitting a ballot information packet via the Internet, the ballot information packet including machine-readable instructions for enabling voting selection information to be entered and transmitted in a predetermined format in a voted ballot information packet, wherein the voting selection information may include a selection from among predetermined selections and/or a write-in selection;

transmitting via the Internet the voted ballot information packet including voting selection information entered therein;

testing the voted ballot information packet for voting selection information representing a write-in selection; and

for voting selection information selected from among predetermined selections, counting the voting selection information of thethird information packet selected from among predetermined selections;

for voting selection information including a write-in selection, testing the write-in selection for malicious code, and, if not including malicious code, counting the write-in voting selection.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein each write in selection is limited to a predetermined number of characters and/or is limited to ASCII characters.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein voting selection information including a write-in selection is processed separately from and/or subsequently to voting selection information selected from among predetermined selections.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the steps of claim 8 are repeated for conducting a plurality of voting transactions, and wherein each voting selection information including a write-in selection is processed separately from each other voting selection information including a write-in selection.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein said processing the dynamic biometric digitized signature for authenticating the person voting includes comparing the dynamic biometric digitized signature thereof with a database of dynamic biometric digitized signatures of registered voters.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein each ballot information packet further includes a voter identifier, the method further comprising validating the voted ballot information packet as relating to the second information packet by comparing a voter identifier included in the voted ballot information packet with a database of voter identifiers included in ballot information packets.

14. A method for conducting a plurality of voting transactions in an election, at least a portion of the voting transactions being conducted via the Internet, comprising:

transmitting via the Internet a request for a ballot, the request for a ballot including voter identifying information and a biometric identifier in an information packet;

authenticating the request for a ballot by authenticating the biometric identifier as corresponding to a voter;

if the request for a ballot is authenticated, transmitting via the Internet a ballot information packet including a ballot and a voter identifier corresponding to the voter, the ballot for selecting among predetermined voting selections and for making write-in voting selections;

transmitting via the Internet a voted ballot information packet including the voter identifier corresponding to the voter and voting selections selected from among the predetermined voting selections and/or write-in voting selections;

whereby the voted ballot information packet includes, in addition to the identifier, a combination of voting selections selected from among the predetermined voting selections and optionally includes one or more write-in voting selections,

validating the voted ballot information packet by comparing the voter identifier therein with voter identifiers included in ballot information packets; and

if validated, and if the combination of voting selections thereof selected from among the predetermined voting selections are a known possible combination of the predetermined voting selections, then opening the voted ballot information packet and counting the voting selections therein that are of the combination of voting selections selected from among the predetermined voting selections; and

if validated, and if including a write-in voting selection, testing the write-in voting selection for malicious code, and, if not including malicious code, counting the write-in voting selection.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising registering voters, wherein registering voters comprises:

transmitting via the Internet a registration application including voter identifying information and a voter biometric identifier;

storing in a registration database the voter identifying information and the voter biometric identifier; and

acknowledging via the Internet the registering of the voter.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said authenticating the request for a ballot by authenticating the biometric identifier as corresponding to a voter includes comparing the biometric identifier thereof with the voter biometric identifier stored in the registration database.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein said acknowledging includes generating a voter identifier for the voter, and wherein the generated voter identifier is included in the ballot information packet as the voter identifier corresponding to the voter.

18. The method of claim 14 wherein the voted ballot information packets include regular voted ballot information packets, provisionally voted ballot information packets and/or absentee voted ballot information packets, and wherein regular voted ballot information packets, provisionally voted ballot information packets and/or absentee voted ballot information packets are validated by said validating and thereafter separately undergo said opening and counting.

19. The method of claim 14 wherein said opening and counting step for voted ballot information packets including only voting selections selected from among the predetermined voting selections is performed separately from said opening and counting step for voted ballot information packets including write-in voting selections.

20. A method for conducting a plurality of voting transactions in an election, at least a portion of the voting transactions being conducted via the Internet comprising:

transmitting via the Internet a request for a ballot, the request for a ballot including voter authenticating information in one information packet;

authenticating the request for a ballot by authenticating the voter authenticating information therein as corresponding to a voter;

if the request for a ballot is authenticated, transmitting via the Internet one ballot information packet including a ballot and an identifier, the ballot for selecting among predetermined voting selections and for making write-in voting selections;

transmitting via the Internet one voted ballot information packet including the identifier and voting selections selected from among the predetermined voting selections and/or write-in voting selections;

whereby the voted ballot information packet includes, in addition to the identifier, a combination of voting selections selected from among the predetermined voting selections and optionally includes one or more write-in voting selections,

validating the voted ballot information packet by comparing the identifier therein with identifiers included in ballot information packets; and

if validated, and if the combination of voting selections thereof selected from among the predetermined voting selections are a known possible combination of the predetermined voting selections, then opening the voted ballot information packet and counting the voting selections therein that are of the combination of voting selections selected from among the predetermined voting selections; and

if validated, and if including a write-in voting selection, testing the write-in voting selection for malicious code, and, if not including malicious code, counting the write-in voting selection.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the voter authenticating information includes one or more of a symmetric key, an asymmetric key, a public key, a private key, a biometric identifier, and/or a biometric digitized signature.

22. The method of claim 20 further comprising registering voters, wherein registering voters comprises:

transmitting via the Internet a registration application including voter identifying information and a voter identifier;

storing in a registration database the voter identifying information and the voter identifier; and

acknowledging via the Internet the registering of the voter.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the voter identifier includes one or more of a symmetric key, an asymmetric key, a public key, a private key, a biometric identifier, and/or a biometric digitized signature.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein said authenticating the request for a ballot by authenticating the voter authenticating information as corresponding to a voter includes comparing the voter authenticating information thereof with the voter identifier stored in the registration database.

25. The method of claim 22 wherein said acknowledging includes generating a voter identifier for the voter, and wherein the generated voter identifier is included in the ballot information packet.

26. The method of claim 20 wherein the voted ballot information packets include regular voted ballot information packets, provisionally voted ballot information packets and/or absentee voted ballot information packets, and wherein regular voted ballot information packets, provisionally voted ballot information packets and/or absentee voted ballot information packets are validated by said validating and thereafter separately undergo said opening and counting.

27. The method of claim 20 wherein said opening the voted ballot information packet and counting step for voted ballot information packets including only voting selections selected from among the predetermined voting selections is performed separately from said opening the voted ballot information packet and counting step for voted ballot information packets including write-in voting selections.

28. The method of claim 20 wherein the write-in voting selection is limited as to both number and type of characters that may be entered.

29. A method for conducting a plurality of voting transactions in an election, at least a portion of the voting transactions being conducted via the Internet, comprising:

transmitting via the Internet a request for a ballot, the request for a ballot including voter identifying information in an information packet;

authenticating the request for a ballot as corresponding to a voter;

if the request for a ballot is authenticated, transmitting via the Internet a ballot information packet including a ballot and an identifier, the ballot for selecting among predetermined voting selections and for making write-in voting selections, wherein each write-in selection is limited as to both number and type of characters that may be entered;

transmitting via the Internet a voted ballot Information packet including the identifier and voting selections selected from among the predetermined voting selections and/or write-in voting selections;

whereby the voted ballot information packet includes, in addition to the identifier, a combination of voting selections selected from among the predetermined voting selections and optionally includes one or more write-in voting selections,

validating the voted ballot information packet by comparing the identifier therein with identifiers included in ballot information packets; and

if validated, and if the combination of voting selections thereof selected from among the predetermined voting selections are a known possible combination of the predetermined voting selections, then opening the voted ballot information packet and counting the voting selections therein that are of the combination of voting selections selected from among the predetermined voting selections, and if including write-in voting selections, testing each write-in voting selection for malicious code.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein the write-in selections are limited to 32 or fewer ASCII characters.

31. The method of claim 29 wherein the voted ballot information packets include regular voted ballot information packets, provisionally voted ballot information packets and/or absentee voted ballot information packets, and wherein regular voted ballot information packets, provisionally voted ballot information packets and/or absentee voted ballot information packets are validated by said validating and thereafter separately undergo said opening the voted ballot information packet and counting the voting selections therein.

32. The method of claim 29 wherein said opening the voted ballot information packet and counting step for voted ballot information packets including only voting selections selected from among the predetermined voting selections is performed separately from said opening the voted ballot information packet and counting step for voted ballot information packets including write-in voting selections.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein said opening the voted ballot information packet and counting step for voted ballot information packets including write-in voting selections is performed separately for each write-in voting selection.

34. The method of claim 29 further comprising registering voters, wherein registering voters comprises:

transmitting via the Internet a registration application including voter identifying information;

storing in a registration database the voter identifying information; and

acknowledging via the Internet the registering of the voter.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein said acknowledging includes generating an identifier for the voter, and wherein the generated identifier is included in the ballot information packet as the identifier thereof.

36. A method for conducting a plurality of voting transactions in an election, at least a portion of the voting transactions being conducted via the Internet, comprising:

transmitting via the Internet a request for a ballot, the request for a ballot including voter identifying information in an information packet;

authenticating the request for a ballot by authenticating the voter identifying information as corresponding to a voter;

if the request for a ballot is authenticated, transmitting via the Internet a ballot information packet including a ballot and an identifier, the ballot for selecting among predetermined voting selections and for making write-in voting selections;

transmitting via the Internet a voted ballot information packet including the identifier and voting selections selected from among the predetermined voting selections and/or write-in voting selections;

validating the voted ballot information packet by comparing the identifier therein with identifiers included in ballot information packets;

opening the validated voted ballot packet and separating any write-in voting selections thereof from voting selections thereof selected from among the predetermined voting selections;

counting the voting selections selected from among the predetermined voting selections; and

separately opening and counting any write-in voting selection including testing each write-in voting selection for malicious code.

37. The method of claim 36 wherein said opening the validated voted ballot packet and separating any write-in voting selections thereof from voting selections thereof selected from among the predetermined voting selections comprises:

separating any voted ballot packet having a write-in voting selection therein from voted ballot packets having only voting selections thereof selected from among the predetermined voting selections,

opening the voted ballot packets having only voting selections selected from among the predetermined voting selections; and

for any voted ballot packet having a write-in voting selection therein, separating the write-in voting selection from the voting selections thereof selected from among the predetermined voting selections.

38. The method of claim 36 wherein each write-in voting selection is limited as to both number and type of characters that may be entered.

39. The method of claim 38 wherein each write-in voting selection is limited to 32 ASCII characters.

40. The method of claim 36 wherein the voted ballot information packets include regular voted ballot information packets, provisionally voted ballot information packets and/or absentee voted ballot information packets, and wherein regular voted ballot information packets, provisionally voted ballot information packets and/or absentee voted ballot information packets are validated by said validating and thereafter separately undergo said opening and separating, said counting, and said separately opening and counting.

41. A storage medium encoded with machine-readable computer instructions for conducting a transaction via the Internet comprising:

means for causing a computer to receive via the Internet a first information packet including an authenticating identifier;

means for causing a computer to process the authenticating identifier for authenticating the first information packet;

means for causing a computer to transmit a second information packet via the Internet if the first information packet is authenticated, the second information packet including machine readable instructions for enabling transaction information including selectable predetermined transaction information to be entered and transmitted in a predetermined format in a third information packet, wherein the predetermined format includes a combination of predetermined transaction information selected from the selectable predetermined transaction information;

means for causing a computer to receive via the Internet the third information packet including transaction Information entered therein;

whereby the third information packet includes a combination of predetermined transaction information selected from among the selectable predetermined transaction information,

means for causing a computer to validate the third information packet as relating to the second information packet; and

if the third information packet is validated;

means for causing a computer to process the transaction information of the third information packet that includes a known possible combination of predetermined transaction information selected from the selectable predetermined transaction information of the predetermined format for conducting a transaction; and

means for causing a computer to test information of the third information packet that is not a known possible combination of predetermined transaction information for malicious code.

42. The storage medium of claim 41 wherein said means for causing the computer to process the authenticating identifier for authenticating the first information packet includes means for causing the computer to compare the authenticating identifier with a database of registered authenticating identifiers.

43. The storage medium of claim 41 wherein each second information packet further includes a unique identifier, and wherein said means for causing the computer to validate the third information packet as relating to the second information packet includes means for causing the computer to compare an identifier included in the third information packet with a database of unique identifiers included in second information packets.

44. The storage medium of claim 41 wherein the authenticating identifier includes one or more of a symmetric key, an asymmetric key, a public key, a private key, a biometric identifier, and/or a biometric digitized signature.

45. A storage medium encoded with machine-readable computer instructions for conducting a plurality of voting transactions in an election, at least a portion of the voting transactions being conducted via the Internet comprising:

means for causing the computer to receive via the Internet a request for a ballot, the request for a ballot including voter identifying information and an authenticating identifier in an information packet;

means for causing the computer to authenticate the request for a ballot by authenticating the authenticating identifier as corresponding to a voter;

means for causing the computer to transmit via the Internet a ballot information packet including a ballot and a voter identifier corresponding to the voter if the request for a ballot is authenticated, the ballot for selecting among predetermined voting selections and for making write-in voting selections;

means for causing the computer to transmit via the Internet a voted ballot information packet including the voter identifier corresponding to the voter and voting selections selected from among the predetermined voting selections and/or write-in voting selections;

whereby the voted ballot information packet includes, in addition to the identifier, a combination of voting selections selected from among the predetermined voting selections and optionally includes one or more write-in voting selections,

means for causing the computer to validate the voted ballot information packet by comparing the voter identifier therein with voter identifiers included in ballot information packets; and

means for causing the computer to open the validated voted ballot information packet and count the voting selections therein that are a known possible combination of voting selections selected from among the predetermined voting selections; and

means for causing the computer to test write-in voting selections for malicious code.

46. The storage medium of claim 45 further comprising means for causing the computer to register voters, wherein registering voters comprises:

means for causing the computer to receive via the Internet a registration application including voter identifying information and a voter authenticating identifier;

means for causing the computer to store in a registration database the voter identifying information and the voter authenticating identifier; and

means for causing the computer to acknowledge via the Internet the registering of the voter.

47. The storage medium of claim 46 wherein said means for causing the computer to authenticate the request for a ballot by authenticating the authenticating identifier as corresponding to a voter includes means for causing the computer to compare the authenticating identifier thereof with the voter authenticating identifier stored in the registration database.

48. The storage medium of claim 46 wherein said means for causing the computer to acknowledge includes generating a voter identifier for the voter, and wherein the generated voter identifier is included in the ballot information packet as the voter identifier corresponding to the voter.

49. The storage medium of claim 46 wherein the voter authenticating identifier includes one or more of a symmetric key, an asymmetric key, a public key, a private key, a biometric identifier, and/or a biometric digitized signature.

50. The storage medium of claim 48 wherein the authenticating identifier includes one or more of a symmetric key, an asymmetric key, a public key, a private key, a biometric identifier, and/or a biometric digitized signature.

51. The storage medium of claim 45 wherein the voted ballot information packets include regular voted ballot information packets, provisionally voted ballot information packets and/or absentee voted ballot information packets, and wherein regular voted ballot information packets, provisionally voted ballot information packets and/or absentee voted ballot information packets are validated by said means for causing the computer to validate and thereafter separately undergo said means for causing the computer to open and count.

52. The storage medium of claim 45 wherein said means for causing the computer to open and count step for voted ballot information packets including only voting selections selected from among the predetermined voting selections is performed separately from said means for causing the computer to open and count step for voted ballot information packets including write-in voting selections.

53. A method for conducting a voting transaction via the Internet, comprising:

receiving via the Internet an information packet for requesting a ballot, the request for a ballot including a voter identifier,

authenticating the request for a ballot by authenticating the voter identifier as corresponding to a voter;

if the request for a ballot is authenticated, transmitting via the Internet a ballot information packet including a ballot and a ballot identifier, the ballot for selecting among predetermined voting selections and for making write-in voting selections;

receiving via the Internet a voted ballot information packet including the ballot identifier and a combination of voting selections selected from among the predetermined voting selections and optionally write-in voting selections;

validating the voted ballot information packet by comparing the ballot identifier therein with ballot identifiers included in ballot information packets;

separating any write-in voting selections of the validated voted ballot information packet from the combination of voting selections thereof selected from among the predetermined voting selections;

counting the voting selections of the combination of voting selections selected from among the predetermined voting selections; and

separately opening and counting any write-in voting selection including testing the write-in voting selection for malicious code.

54. The method of claim 53 wherein said separating any write-in voting selections from the combination of voting selections selected from among the predetermined voting selections comprises:

separating any voted ballot information packet having a write-in voting selection therein from voted ballot information packets having only voting selections thereof selected from among the predetermined voting selections,

opening the voted ballot information packets having only voting selections selected from among the predetermined voting selections; and

for any voted ballot information packet having a write-in voting selection therein, separating the write-in voting selection from the voting selections thereof selected from among the predetermined voting selections.

55. The method of claim 53 wherein each write-in voting selection is limited as to both number and type of characters that may be entered.

56. The method of claim 53 wherein each write-in voting selection is limited to 32 ASCII characters.

57. A method for conducting a voting transaction via the Internet, comprising:

receiving via the Internet an information packet for requesting a ballot, the request for a ballot including a voter identifier;

authenticating the request for a ballot by authenticating the voter identifier as corresponding to a voter,

if the request for a ballot is authenticated, transmitting via the Internet a ballot information packet including a ballot and a ballot identifier, the ballot including selectable predetermined voting selections;

receiving via the Internet a voted ballot information packet including the ballot identifier and voting selections including a combination of voting selections selected from among the selectable predetermined voting selections;

validating the voted ballot information packet by comparing the ballot identifier therein with ballot identifiers included in ballot information packets;

if the voted ballot information packet is validated, comparing the selected combination of voting selections with possible combinations of the selectable predetermined voting selections; and

if the selected combination of voting selections matches one of the possible combinations of selectable predetermined voting selections, then counting the voting selections of the selected combination of voting selections;

the method further comprising any one or more of;

if the selected combination of voting selections does not match one of the possible combinations of selectable predetermined voting selections, then testing for malicious code before counting the voting selections of the selected combination of voting selections; and

if the voted ballot information packet includes voting selections not matching any of the selectable predetermined voting selections, then testing for malicious code before counting the voting selections not matching any of the selectable predetermined voting selections.