Method and apparatus for secure and small credits for verifiable service provider metering
AssigneeNtt Docomo, Inc.
InventorsCraig B. Gentry, Zulfikar Amin Ramzan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for obtaining access to services of service providers. In one embodiment, the method comprises requesting a desired service through a foreign service provider, generating a hash tree and generating a digital signature on a root value of the hash tree, sending the digital signature and the root value to the foreign service provider, providing one or more tokens to the foreign service provider with the next packet if the foreign service provider accepts the signature and continuing to use the service while the foreign service provider accepts tokens.
Claims6
A home service provider comprising:
- an external network interface through which a user token is received from a service provider that is different from the service provider of the user;
- a memory to store program instructions;
- a processor, coupled to the external network interface and the memory, to execute the program instructions to determine if the token is valid and to cause the user to be charged based on the token if the token is valid.
An apparatus comprising:
- means for receiving a user token from a service provider that is different from the service provider of the user;
- means for determining if the token is valid;
- and
- means for charging the user based on the token if the token is valid.
An article of manufacture having one or more recordable media storing instructions thereon which, when executed by a system, cause the system to perform a method comprising:
- receiving a user token from a service provider that is different from the service provider of the user;
- determining if the token is valid;
- and
- charging the user based on the token if the token is valid.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.