Virtual security device

A system for conducting transactions with select ones of a plurality of processor-based systems in response to requests by ones of the plurality of processor-based systems, wherein said transactions are associated with amounts of value credit available to said select ones of said plurality of processor-based systems, said system comprising:

• a server system;
• an unsecure memory coupled to said server system;
• at least one secure memory coupled to said server system;
• a plurality of user data files including independent value credit information stored in said unsecure memory, wherein at least a portion of ones of said user data files are loaded into said secure memory to thereby configure said secure memory for use in conducting a transaction serving a request;
• a protocol for accepting a request for a selected transaction from a particular one of said plurality of processor-based systems via a data communication link between said server system and said particular one of said processor-based systems and for identifying a particular user data file for use in serving said request;
• and
• a protocol for retrieving said particular user data file and configuring said at least one secure memory for performing said selected transaction and for restoring said particular user data file in said unsecure memory after completion of said selected transaction.

A system for providing a plurality of virtual secure user devices configured for particular entities, wherein ones of said virtual secure user devices are independently operable on a common secure device to accommodate interaction with said particular entities, said system comprising:

• a storage device providing bulk storage of information;
• a virtual user device data structure suitable for storage on said storage device, wherein said virtual user device data structure includes an entity information portion, a secret information portion, and an information integrity portion;
• and
• a secure device coupled to said bulk storage device configurable to operate as a particular user device through use of a corresponding data set of said virtual user device data structure, wherein said secure device is operable to accept at least a portion of said particular data set, verify integrity of data of said user information portion utilizing said secret information portion and said information integrity portion, and utilize data of said entity information portion to configure said secure device as said particular entity device.

A method operable on a remote processor-based system for securely storing amounts of value available to select ones of a plurality of systems in data communication with said remote system, said method comprising the steps of:

• initializing a secure memory device coupled to said remote system, wherein initialization of said secure memory device includes storing a private vault key therein;
• initializing a plurality of virtual user devices, wherein each said virtual user device includes data suitable for configuring said secure memory device to operate as a particular user's secure device, wherein said data includes an amount of value available to said particular user and a private virtual device key unique to said virtual user device;
• and
• storing each virtual user device of said plurality in an unsecure memory, wherein said private virtual device key is secreted prior to storage in said unsecure memory using a technique reversible only by utilizing said private vault key.

A method operable on a remote processor-based system for distributing predetermined amounts of postage to select ones of a plurality of processor-based systems in data communication with said remote system in response to purchase demands by select ones of the plurality of processor-based systems, said method comprising the steps of:

• storing a plurality of individual postage value credits in an unsecure memory in a data structure providing a plurality of virtual security device portions;
• accepting a demand for an amount of postage from a particular one of said plurality of processor systems via a data communication link between said remote system and said particular one of said processor systems, wherein said remote system is adapted to substantially simultaneously accept demands from processor systems of said plurality in addition to said particular one of said processor systems;
• identifying a proper virtual security device portion of said data structure stored in said unsecure memory to service said demand;
• loading said identified virtual security device portion into a secure memory;
• verifying the integrity of the identified portion of said data structure;
• deducting at least a portion of said amount of postage from said identified portion of said data structure as loaded into said secure memory;
• transmitting a data packet corresponding to said amount of postage to said one of said plurality of processor systems;
• and
• unloading said identified portion of said data structure from said secure memory, as manipulated by said deducting step, for storage in said unsecure memory as a virtual security device portion of said data structure.