Method and device for end-user verification of an electronic transaction

• US 8,996,867 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2008
• Issued: 03/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Labs Incorporated (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ji, Lusheng, Bowen, Donald John, Killian, Thomas, Kormann, David, Miller, Robert R. II, Schryer, Norman L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Traore, Fatoumata
• Application Number:
  US12/072,739
• Publication Number:
  US 20090222660A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,588 Days
• Field of Search: 726/26, 726/4, 713/153, 713/169, 713/171, 713/176, 713/181
• US Class Current: 713/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3229 Use of the SIM of a M-device as secure element
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of 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 20/401 Transaction verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4014 Identity check for transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4016 involving fraud or risk level assessment in transaction processing
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1075 PIN is checked remotely
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/125 Offline card verification
• 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

The present invention provides methods and apparatuses for verifying that a transaction is legitimate. The methods and apparatuses use protected memory space, such as kernel space of an operating system, or a separate memory space, such as is available on a SIM card of a cellular phone. The method of the invention proceeds by creating a transaction identification string (TID) and associating the TID with a transaction. The TID contains data relevant to or associated with the transaction and is typically readable by an end-user. The transaction is then interrupted until a user responds in the affirmative to allow completion of the transaction. Methods and devices used in the invention are particularly well suited to M-commerce, where transactions originating from a device are typically recognized by a merchant as coming from the owner of the device without further authentication.

Claims

1. A method for verification of a transaction on an end-user device comprising:

creating a transaction identification string using data stored in a first memory space on an end-user device, wherein the transaction identification string is a unique string associated with a transaction that has been negotiated with a merchant;

interrupting an electronic communication associated with the transaction before completion of the transaction using the data stored in the first memory space on the end-user device;

exhibiting the transaction identification string to an end-user using the data stored in the first memory space on the end-user device;

receiving a response to the transaction identification string by the end user device, wherein the interrupting comprises disallowing further electronic communication associated with the transaction until the response to the transaction identification string is received by refusing a connection with the merchant based on identifying information regarding the merchant; and

carrying out an action based upon the response using data stored in a second memory space on the end-user device, the first memory space separate from the second memory space.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first memory space is selected from a group comprising a separate kernel space, a separate processor core, and a separate processor-memory environment.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the action is to cancel the transaction.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the action is to allow the transaction.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

generating a commit packet comprising the transaction identification string; and

encrypting the commit packet using a key stored in the first memory space.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the transaction identification string is readable by a user.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the transaction identification string comprises transaction information.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the transaction identification string comprises a nonce string.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is carried out in part on a mobile device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the exhibiting is carried out on a first input/output channel and the carrying out an action is carried out on a second input/output channel.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the exhibiting and the carrying out an action are carried out on a first input/output channel.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the exhibiting is carried out via a short-range communication method.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

authenticating an identity of the end-user with a server.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the authenticating comprises authentication using biometric data.

15. A device capable of interrupting an electronic transaction comprising:

an application memory space in which is stored data used to carry out an electronic transaction;

a non-transitory trusted memory space in which is stored data used to interrupt the electronic transaction,

wherein the application memory space is separate from the non-transitory trusted memory space;

a display for exhibiting a transaction identification string to an end-user, wherein the transaction identification string is a unique string associated with a transaction that has been negotiated with a merchant;

a processor communicatively coupled to the display, the application memory space and the non-transitory trusted memory space;

the application memory space and the non-transitory trusted memory space to store computer program instructions, the computer program instructions when executed on the processor cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

interrupting the electronic transaction using the stored data in the non-transitory trusted memory space;

receiving a response to the transaction identification string by the end-user, wherein the interrupting comprises disallowing further electronic communication associated with the transaction until the response to the transaction identification string is received by refusing a connection with the merchant based on identifying information regarding the merchant; and

carrying out an action based on the response using the stored data in the application memory space.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the action is to cancel the transaction.

17. The device of claim 15, wherein the action is to allow the transaction.

18. The device of claim 15, wherein the non-transitory trusted memory space is selected from a group comprising a separate kernel space, a separate processor core, and a separate processor-memory environment.

19. The device of claim 15, wherein the device is a mobile device.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the non-transitory trusted memory space is a subscriber identification module card.

21. The device of claim 15, wherein the transaction identification string is readable by a user.

22. The device of claim 21, wherein the transaction identification string comprises transaction information.

23. The device of claim 21, wherein the transaction identification string comprises a nonce string.

24. The device of claim 15, wherein the exhibiting is carried out via a short-range communication method.

25. The device of claim 15, the operations further comprising authenticating an identity of the end-user with a server.