Method and system for validating a transaction, corresponding transactional terminal and program

• US 8,380,574 B2
• Filed: 03/22/2011
• Issued: 02/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Banks And Acquirers International Holding
• Original Assignee: Compagnie Industrielle et Financiere D'Ingenierie "Ingenico"
• Inventors: Naccache, David, Brier, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Frenel, Vanel
• Application Number:
  US13/069,035
• Publication Number:
  US 20110238513A1
• Time in Patent Office: 700 Days
• Field of Search: 705/18, 705/67, 705/44, 713/193, 380/258, 709/219, 709/225
• US Class Current: 705/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/107 wherein the security policies are location-dependent, e.g. entities privileges depend on current location or allowing specific operations only from locally connected terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/18 using different networks or channels, e.g. using out of band channels cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving distinctive intermediate devices or communication paths H04L9/0827; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for authentication using a plurality of channels H04L9/3215
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3226 using a predetermined code, e.g. password, passphrase or PIN network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using passwords in a packet data network H04L63/083
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication

Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided for validating a transaction on a transactional terminal, the transaction being associated with a user. The method includes a step of decoding a validation code preliminarily generated and displayed by the transactional terminal, entered by the user in a validation message, and transmitted by a mobile device of the user to an entity of a telecommunications network to which the mobile device and said transactional terminal are connected.

Claims

1. A method for validating a transaction made on a transactional terminal, said transaction being associated with a user, wherein the method comprises:

receiving a validation message from a mobile device of a user, containing a validation code for the transaction, which comprises at least one piece of information representing an identifier of the transactional terminal and was preliminarily displayed on the transactional terminal entered by the user of the mobile device and transmitted with the validation message by the mobile device to an entity of a telecommunications network to which said mobile device and said transactional terminal are connected;

identifying a base station of the telecommunications network to which the mobile device of the user is connected;

decoding the validation code for the transaction from the validation message to deliver the at least one piece of information representing the identifier of the transactional terminal; and

validating the transaction based on whether the identified transactional terminal is in a zone of coverage of the identified base station to which the mobile device of the user is connected.

2. The method for validating according to claim 1, wherein said validation message is of the SMS or MMS type.

3. The method for validating according to claim 1, wherein said decoding step also delivers a piece of information representing said transaction.

4. The method for validating according to claim 1, wherein said identifier of the transactional terminal corresponds to the result of a function ƒ

(x,y) enabling a unique identifier to be associated with a transactional terminal as a function of a location (x,y) of the transaction terminal.

5. The method for validating according to claim 4, wherein said function comprises:

ƒ

(x,y)=a×

v+u, with;

a and b being two integers such that b≧

a, and n =a×

b, where n represents the number of different identifiers to be allotted to the transactional terminal;

w =E[x/a] mod 2;

u =x mod a;

v =(y+w×

E[b/2]) mod b, with E[.] being the integer part; and

6. The method for validating according to claim 1, wherein the method also comprises receiving a confidential code, preliminarily entered by said user into said transactional terminal and transmitted by said transactional terminal concomitantly with the transmission of said validation code by said mobile device of said user.

7. The method for validating according to claim 1, wherein said validation message includes a confidential code.

8. The method for validating according to claim 1, wherein the method comprises selecting a telephone operator with which the mobile device of said user is registered.

9. The method for validating according to claim 1, wherein the transactional terminal comprises a mobile payment terminal connected to said telecommunications network.

10. The method for validating according to claim 1, wherein said transaction terminal is connected to said base station.

11. The method for validating according to claim 1, wherein the method comprises transmitting said validation code by said entity of the telecommunications network to said transactional terminal, and wherein decoding said validation code is implemented within said transactional terminal.

12. A system for validating a transaction made on a transactional terminal, said transaction being associated with a user, wherein the system comprises:

means for receiving a validation message from a mobile device of a user containing a validation code for the transaction, which comprises at least one piece of information representing an identifier of the transactional terminal and was preliminarily displayed on the transactional terminal, entered by the user of the mobile device and transmitted with the validation message by the mobile device to an entity of a telecommunications network to which said mobile device and said transactional terminal are connected;

means for identifying a base station of the telecommunications network to which the mobile device of the user is connected;

means for decoding the validation code for the transaction from the validation message to deliver the at least one piece of information representing the identifier of the transactional terminal; and

means for validating the transaction based on whether the identified transactional terminal is in a zone of coverage of the identified base station to which the mobile device of the user is connected.

13. A transactional terminal comprising:

means for generating a validation code associated with a transaction made on the transaction terminal and a user based on at least one piece of information representing an identifier of said transactional terminal; and

means for displaying said validation code generated on a display device of said transactional terminal.

14. The transactional terminal of claim 13, and further comprising:

means for receiving the validation code from an entity of a telecommunications network to which said transactional terminal and a mobile device associated with the user are connected, subsequently to displaying the validation code, and for decoding said validation code.

15. A computer program product recorded on a non-transitory computer-readable carrier, wherein the product comprises program code instructions to implement a method of validating a transaction when executed by a processor, the method comprising:

receiving a validation message from a mobile device of a user, containing a validation code for the transaction, which comprises at least one piece of information representing an identifier of the transactional terminal and was preliminarily displayed on the transactional terminal, entered by the user of the mobile device and transmitted with the validation message by the mobile device to an entity of a telecommunications network to which said mobile device and said transactional terminal are connected;

identifying a base station of the telecommunications network to which the mobile device of the user is connected;

decoding the validation code for the transaction from the validation message to deliver the at least one piece of information representing the identifier of the transactional terminal; and

validating the transaction based on whether the identified transactional terminal is in a zone of coverage of the identified base station to which the mobile device of the user is connected.

16. A method for validating a transaction made on a transactional terminal, said transaction being associated with a user, wherein the method comprises:

displaying a validation code on the transactional terminal;

entering the displayed validation code into a mobile device that is associated with the user;

transmitting a validation message containing the validation code by the mobile device to an entity of a telecommunications network to which said mobile device and said transactional terminal are connected; and

decoding the validation code from the received validation message.