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US 2007/0299684 A1Published application
Secure on-line ticketing
AssigneeStamps.com Inc.
InventorJonathan Goodwin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for generating a Value Bearing Indicium (VBI) for on-line ticketing applications. A VBI may be generated by hashing user information to create a message digest that is used to create a digital signature. The digital signature is combined with the user information to create a VBI that can be validated by a variety of stand-alone or on-line methods. An on-line ticketing application using the VBI is described.
Claims20
A method of providing a ticket to an end-user via a computer network, the method comprising:
- providing a ticket server, the ticket server coupled to a database;
- receiving by the ticket server validation information based on a ticket request from an end-user machine and a link to an indicium graphic, from the end-user machine via the computer network;
- generating by the ticket server an indicium graphic, using the validation information and the link to the indicium graphic;
- generating by the ticket server a ticket using the indicium graphic and the validation information;
- storing the indicium graphic and the validation information in the database, before the ticket is validated;
- transmitting the ticket by the ticket server to the end-user machine, wherein the ticket includes a copy of the indicium graphic and the validation information;
- receiving scanned information from a printed copy of the ticket from a remote terminal including a scanning machine, by the ticket server via the computer network;
- determining a validity status for the ticket by the ticket server using the received indicium graphic data and the validation information in the ticket, and the database;
- and
- transmitting the validity status to the remote terminal by the ticket server via the computer network.
7 more elements
A method of providing a value bearing indicium to an end-user via a computer network, the method comprising:
- providing an indicium server, the indicium server coupled to a database;
- generating a web interface by a distributor server coupled to the computer network;
- receiving by the indicium server validation information responsive to a value bearing indicium request from an end-user machine and a link to an indicium graphic, from the end-user machine via the computer network;
- generating by the indicium server a digital signature, using the validation information and the link to the indicium graphic;
- generating by the indicium server the value bearing indicium using the digital signature;
- storing the digital signature in the database;
- receiving a scanned copy of a printed value bearing indicium from a remote terminal including a scanning machine, by the indicium server via the computer network;
- determining a validity status for the value bearing indicium by the indicium server using the received digital signature in the scanned value bearing indicium, and the database;
- and
- transmitting the validity status to the remote terminal by the indicium server via the computer network.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.