US6236981B1
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Transaction system
Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC
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Filing: 1997-11-17
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Granted: 2001-05-22
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Expires: 2017-11-17
Abstract
Abstract In a digital payment system, a sequence of random numbers is stored at a payment service. A set of digitally encoded random numbers derived from the stored sequence is issued to the user in return for payment. The tokens are stored in a Carnet. The user can then spend the tokens by transferring tokens to a merchant, for example, to an on-line service provider. The merchant returns each token received to the payment server. The payment server authenticates the token and transmits an authentication message to the merchant. The merchant, payment server and user may be linked by internet connections.
Inventors
- 👤 Jake Hill
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-28 10:19
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06Q; G06Q20/00; G06Q20/38; G06Q20/385; G06Q20/02; G06Q20/04; G06Q20/06; G06Q20/08; G06Q20/12; G06Q20/22; G06Q20/29; G06Q20/30; G06Q20/36; G06Q20/367; G06Q20/3674; G06Q20/40; G06Q20/403
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
166 words
A method of operating a digital payment transaction system, said method comprising: a) storing at a payment server a sequence of random numbers; b) issuing to a user a set of digital payment tokens comprising a sequence of digitally encoded random numbers, said set of digital payment tokens being derived from the stored sequence of random numbers by selecting part of said stored sequence and encoding said part of said stored sequence with a key which is specific to the user; c) transferring a payment token from the user to a merchant platform; d) transferring from the merchant platform to the payment server the payment token received from the user in step (c); e) at the payment server, authenticating the token by comparing the value of the random number of the token from the merchant platform and a value derived from a corresponding position in the stored sequence of random numbers; and f) subsequently communicating an authentication message from the payment server to the merchant platform.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
166 words
A method of operating a digital payment transaction system, said method comprising: a) storing at a payment server a sequence of random numbers; b) issuing to a user a set of digital payment tokens comprising a sequence of digitally encoded random numbers, said set of digital payment tokens being derived from the stored sequence of random numbers by selecting part of said stored sequence and encoding said part of said stored sequence with a key which is specific to the user; c) transferring a payment token from the user to a merchant platform; d) transferring from the merchant platform to the payment server the payment token received from the user in step (c); e) at the payment server, authenticating the token by comparing the value of the random number of the token from the merchant platform and a value derived from a corresponding position in the stored sequence of random numbers; and f) subsequently communicating an authentication message from the payment server to the merchant platform.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method according to claim 1 , in which the payment server is remote from the merchant platform and the merchant platform communicates over a communications network with payment server.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method according to claim 1 , in which the part of the said sequence is encoded by a symmetric block cipher.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
33 words
A method according to claim 1 , in which the user is remote from the merchant platform and in step (c) transfers the payment token to the merchant platform via a communications network.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
112 words
A method according to claim 1 , in which the step of authenticating the digital payment token comprises: i) attempting to authenticate the digital payment token against a value at a position in the sequence of random numbers stored at the payment server; and ii) when the token is not authenticated in step i), attempting to authenticate the digital payment token against one or more other values in the stored sequence, which other values fall within a predetermined maximum distance from the said position; and in which in step (f) the authentication message indicates that the authentication is successful when the token is successfully authenticated in either step (i) or step (ii).
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
34 words
A method according to claim 1 , in which in step (d) the merchant communicates together with the payment token an authentication token from a sequence of authentication tokens issued by the payment server.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
32 words
A method according to claim 6 , in which the payment server automatically updates a merchant account record after authenticating a validated payment token and authentication token received from the merchant platform.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
71 words
A method according to claim 1 further comprising: f) maintaining at the payment server a record of the current state of the set of digital payment tokens; and g) when the digital payment tokens issued to the user are lost or corrupted, communicating data from the payment server to the user and thereby updating the set of digital payment tokens to a state corresponding to that recorded at the payment server.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
51 words
A method according to claim 1 further comprising: issuing the user an identification number (PIN); modifying, using the identification number, the numbers derived from the said stored sequence of random numbers; and further modifying, using the identification number, the digital payment token which is transferred to the merchant in step (c).
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
44 words
A method according to claim 9 , in which, in the steps of modifying and further modifying the digital payment token, the digitally encoded value derived from the stored sequence of random numbers is combined with the identification number using a Boolean logic operation.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
54 words
A method according to claim 10 , in which the said Boolean logic operation is XOR, and, when the same identification number is used in the steps of modifying and future modifying, the step of further modifying the digitally encoded value recreates the original value derived from the said stored sequence of random numbers.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
110 words
A method of operating a digital payment transaction system comprising: a) issuing to a user a set of digital payment tokens comprising a sequence of digitally encoded random numbers b) issuing to a merchant a set of authentication tokens comprising a sequence of digitally encoded of random numbers; c) transferring a digital payment token from the user to a merchant; d) transferring the said digital payment token, and with the digital payment token transferring an authentication token, from the merchant to a payment server; e) authenticating the digital payment token and the authentication token against records stored at the payment server; and f) returning an authentication message to the merchant.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
110 words
A method of operating a digital payment transaction system comprising: a) issuing to a user a set of digital payment tokens comprising a sequence of digitally encoded random numbers b) issuing to a merchant a set of authentication tokens comprising a sequence of digitally encoded of random numbers; c) transferring a digital payment token from the user to a merchant; d) transferring the said digital payment token, and with the digital payment token transferring an authentication token, from the merchant to a payment server; e) authenticating the digital payment token and the authentication token against records stored at the payment server; and f) returning an authentication message to the merchant.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
112 words
A method according to claim 12 , in which the step of authenticating the digital payment token comprises: i) attempting to authenticate the digital payment token against a value at a position in a sequence of random numbers stored at the payment server; and ii) when the token is not authenticated in step i), attempting to authenticate the digital payment token against one or more other values in the stored sequence, which other values fall within a predetermined maximum distance from the said position; and in which in step (f) the authentication message indicates that the authentication is successful when the token is successfully authenticated in either step (i) or step (ii).
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method according to claim 1 , in which an authentication token is returned by the payment server with the authentication message.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
27 words
A method according to claim 14 , in which the said authentication token corresponds to one of a plurality of authentication tokens previously issued to the merchant.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
65 words
A merchant platform for use in method according to claim 1 , the merchant platform comprising: means for receiving from a user a digital payment token which comprises a digitally encoded random number means for transferring the digital payment token to a payment server; and means responsive to an authentication signal issued by the payment server when the said digital payment token is successfully authenticated.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
40 words
A merchant platform according to claim 16 , further comprising a store programmed with a sequence of authentication tokens issued by the payment server, in use an authentication token being returned to the payment server with each digital payment token.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
80 words
A payment server for use in a method according to claim 1 , the payment server comprising a data store programmed with a sequence of random numbers means for issuing digital payment tokens which comprise a sequence of digitally encoded random numbers derived from the sequence in the data store means for receiving digital payment tokens returned by a merchant platform; means for authenticating the returned digital payment tokens; and means for outputting an authentication message to the merchant platform.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
67 words
A client platform for use in a method according to claim 1 , the client platform comprising; means for receiving from a payment server which is remote from the client platform digital payment tokens which comprise a sequence of digitally encoded random numbers; a token store for storing the said digital payment tokens; and payment means for issuing a token from the sequence to a merchant platform.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
138 words
A communications network including one or more of a merchant platform according to claim 16 , said payment server comprising: a data store programmed with a sequence of random numbers; means for issuing digital payment tokens which comprise a sequence of digitally encoded random numbers derived from the sequence in the data store; means for receiving digital payment tokens returned by a merchant platform; means for authenticating the returned digital payment tokens; and means for outputting an authentication message to the merchant platform, and said client platform comprising: means for receiving from a payment server which is remote from the client platform digital payment tokens which comprise a sequence of digitally encoded random numbers; a token store for storing the said digital payment tokens; and payment means for issuing a token from the sequence to a merchant platform.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2004-05-21 | 2004-11-20 | 2005-05-22 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2008-05-21 | 2008-11-20 | 2009-05-22 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2012-05-21 | 2012-11-20 | 2013-05-22 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |