Smartcard internet authorization system

• US 7,366,703 B2
• Filed: 01/04/2001
• Issued: 04/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Liberty Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. (American Express Company)
• Inventors: Peart, Lee J., Larkin, Carl, Hohle, William G., Gray, William J.
• Primary Examiner(s): HEWITT II, CALVIN L
• Application Number:
  US09/754,465
• Publication Number:
  US 20010037312A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,672 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/26, 705/64, 705/50, 705/51, 705/75, 705/76, 705/78, 705/65, 705/27
• US Class Current: 705/78
• 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 20/0855 involving a third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/105 involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/26 Debit schemes, e.g. "pay now"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/363 with the personal data of a user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/367 involving electronic purses or money safes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• 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 20/3825 Use of electronic signatures
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/389 Keeping log of transactions for guaranteeing non-repudiation of a transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4014 Identity check for transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system

Abstract

A system and method are disclosed for conducting electronic commerce such as a virtual purchase transaction with an on-line merchant. A user is provided with an intelligent token, such as a smart card containing a digital certificate. The intelligent token suitably authenticates with a wallet server on a network that conducts all or portions of the transaction on behalf of the user with out requiring changes to the merchant'"'"'s server. The wallet server interacts with a security server of a selected financial service to provide authentication of the transaction. Upon authentication, the digital wallet pre-fills forms which are transmitted to the merchant who contacts the security server for validation of the forms and upon validation, completes the transaction with the user.

Claims

1. A method for authorizing a transaction, the method comprising:

completing shopping by a user at a merchant server;

initiating a transaction based on said shopping by receiving a request over a network at a wallet server, from said user, for payment authorization, wherein said request includes smartcard information and a selection of a financial institution;

prompting said user to physically interface a smartcard with a card reader system, wherein said smartcard comprises smartcard information including a digital certificate uniquely identifying said smartcard;

receiving said smartcard information from a computer coupled to said card reader system;

sending an authentication request for said transaction to a security server of said selected financial institution and said smartcard information by said wallet server;

receiving an authentication for said transaction from said security server;

completing an authorization form for said transaction and transmitting said authorization form to said merchant server;

authenticating said authorization form by said security server using said smartcard information; and

,

receiving authorization form authentication from said security server by said merchant server, and said merchant server completing said transaction and debiting an account of said user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said wallet server is a digital wallet server.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said card reader system is a smart card reader system.

2. A method for authorizing a transaction, the method comprising:

completing shopping by a user at a merchant server;

initiating a transaction based on said shopping by receiving a request over a network at a wallet server, from said user, for payment authorization, wherein said request includes smartcard information and a selection of a financial institution;

prompting said user to physically interface a smartcard with a card reader system, wherein said smartcard comprises smartcard information including a digital certificate uniquely identifying said smartcard;

receiving said smartcard information from a computer coupled to said card reader system;

sending an authentication request for said transaction and said smartcard information by said wallet server to a security server of said selected financial institution;

receiving by the wallet server an authentication for said transaction from said security server;

completing an authorization form for said transaction by the wallet server and transmitting said authorization form to said merchant server;

requesting authorization of the authentication form from the security server by the merchant server;

authenticating said authorization form by said security server using said smartcard information; and

,

receiving authorization form authentication from said security server by said merchant server, and said merchant server completing said transaction and debiting an account of said user.

5. A system for authorizing a transaction, the system comprising:

a wallet server comprising;

a first hardware interface receiving an authorization request over a network from a user, for payment authorization, wherein said authorization request includes smartcard information from a smartcard and a selection of a financial institution;

a second hardware interface prompting said user to physically interface a smartcard with a card reader system, wherein said smartcard comprises smartcard information including a digital certificate uniquely identifying said smartcard;

memory receiving said smart card information from a computer coupled to said smart card system;

a processor sending an authentication request for said transaction and said smartcard information to a security server of said financial institution;

a first hardware module receiving an authentication for said transaction from said security server;

a second hardware module completing an authorization form for said transaction and transmitting said authorization form to said merchant server

said security server comprising;

a hardware module authenticating said authorization form by using said smartcard information;

said merchant server comprising;

a first processor requesting authorization of the authentication form from the security server;

a second processor receiving authorization form authentication from said, security server, completing said transaction and debiting an account of said user.

6. A computer-readable storage medium containing a set of instructions for a general purpose computer, wherein said set of instruction when executed by the general purpose computer cause the computer to perform the steps of:

completing shopping by a user at a merchant server;

initiating a transaction based on said shopping by receiving a request over a network at a wallet server, from said user, for payment authorization, wherein said request includes smartcard information and a selection of a financial institution;

prompting said user to physically interface a smartcard with a card reader system, wherein said smartcard comprises smartcard information including a digital certificate uniquely identifying said smartcard;

receiving said smartcard information from a computer coupled to said card reader system;

sending an authentication request for said transaction and said smartcard information by said wallet server to a security server of said selected financial institution;

receiving by the wallet server an authentication for said transaction from said security server;

completing an authorization form for said transaction by the wallet server and transmitting said authorization form to said merchant server;

requesting authorization of the authentication form from the security server by the merchant server;

authenticating said authorization form by said security server using said smartcard information; and

,

receiving authorization form authentication from said security server by said merchant server, and said merchant server completing said transaction and debiting an account of said user.