US 7,734,924 B2Granted

System and method for transparently providing certificate validation and other services within an electronic transaction

AssigneeIdentrust, Inc.

InventorsLawrence R. Miller, Guy S. Tallent, Jr., Khaja E. Ahmed

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A system and method are disclosed for transparently providing certificate validation and other services without requiring a separate service request by either a relying customer or subscribing customer. In a preferred embodiment, after the subscribing customer digitally signs a document (e.g., a commercial document such as a purchase order), it forwards the document to a trusted messaging entity which validates the certificates of both the subscribing customer and relying customer and the respective system participants of which they are customers. If the certificates are valid, the trusted messaging entity appends a validation message to the digitally-signed document and forwards the document to the relying customer. A validation message is also preferably appended to a digitally-signed receipt from the relying customer and transmitted to the subscribing customer. In this way, both the relying customer and subscribing customer obtain certification of their respective counterparty to the transaction.

Claims2

Dependent claims

A method for providing at least one service via a communications network, said method comprising the steps of a trusted messaging entity:

receiving a first certificate that names a first participant and a second certificate that names a second participant, wherein a four-corner trust model comprises the first participant, the second participant and a root entity, said root entity being separately disposed from said first participant and said second participant, and comprising a root certification authority that issues digital certificates to the first participant and the second participant;
creating a first message, the first message comprising a validation request;
signing the first message with a private key associated with the first certificate;
transmitting the first message via the communications network to the second participant and the root entity, whereby the trusted messaging entity acts as an agent for the first participant, said first participant being a first disclosed principal of said agent;
creating a second message, the second message comprising a validation request;
signing the second message with a private key associated with the second certificate;
transmitting the second message via the communications network to the first participant and the root entity, whereby the trusted messaging entity acts as an agent for the second participant, said second participant being a second disclosed principal of said agent;
and
receiving, from the root entity, at least one validation response to the first validation request.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 11/341,078Filed 26 Jan 2006 · continuation
Priority: 8 Sep 2000
Published: US 2006/0123227 A18 Jun 2006
Granted: 8 Jun 2010
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification10 codes

G06Q 20/3829
Insuring higher security of transaction: involving key management
G06Q 20/02
Payment architectures, schemes or protocols: involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
G06Q 20/367
Using electronic wallets or electronic money safes: involving electronic purses or money safes
G06Q 20/38215
Electronic credentials: use of certificates or encrypted proofs of transaction rights

Family

Application60/231,317Us provisional application · filed 8 Sep 2000
Application09/950,315Parent of this continuation · filed 10 Sep 2001
US 2006/0123227 A1Pre-grant publication · published 8 Jun 2006
US 7,000,105 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2002/0111913 A1Published application
US 7,734,924 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.