System and method for secure network purchasing

Abstract

There is disclosed a method for performing secure electronic transactions on a computer network, the network comprising a buyer's computer, a vendor server, a creditor server and a security server. The buyer's computer has a fingerprint file stored in the memory thereof. The method includes the steps of: i) the buyer computer requesting to purchase merchandise to the vendor server, the purchase request including said buyer computer's IP address; ii) the buyer computer selecting a predetermined form of secured payment method; iii) the payment method selection causing the vendor server to transmit to the security server a request for confirmation of the buyer computer's identity at the buyer computer's IP address; iv) the confirmation request causing the security server to send a retrieval request to the IP address, the retrieval request including a retrieval program for detecting and retrieving the buyer's computer's fingerprint file, and the retrieval request further comprising a response request asking for confirmation of the purchase request; whereby a positive response from the buyer's computer to the security server accompanied by the fingerprint file causes the security server to confirm the buyer computer's identity to the vendor server and to approve the purchase.

I claim:  
     
         1 ) In a computer network, a system for performing a secured transaction between a buyer's PC, a vendor server, a creditor server and a security server, wherein said buyer's PC has received fingerprint programming from said security server.  
     
     
         2 ) A system for performing a secured transaction according to  claim 1 , wherein said buyer's PC has received encryption programming and decryption programming from said security server.  
     
     
         3 ) A method for performing secure electronic transactions on a computer network, said network comprising a buyer's computer, a vendor server, a creditor server and a security server, said buyer's computer having a fingerprint file stored in the memory thereof, including the steps of: 
 i) said buyer computer requesting to purchase merchandise to said vendor server, said purchase request including said buyer computer's IP address;    ii) said buyer computer selecting a predetermined form of secured payment method;    iii) said payment method selection causing said vendor server to transmit to said security server a request for confirmation of said buyer computer's identity at said buyer computer's IP address;    iv) said confirmation request causing said security server to send a retrieval request to said IP address, said retrieval request including a retrieval program for detecting and retrieving said buyer's computer's fingerprint file, and said retrieval request further comprising a response request asking for confirmation of said purchase request; whereby a positive response from said buyer's computer to said security server accompanied by said fingerprint file causes said security server to confirm said buyer computer's identity to said vendor server and to approve said purchase.    
     
     
         4 ) A method of performing secure electronic transactions on a computer network, said network comprising a buying computer, an ISP computer and a vendor computer, including the steps of: 
 said ISP computer assigning to buying computer a Buyer-ID code and IP address;    said buying computer communicating via said ISP computer with said vendor computer and allowing an operator to select merchandise or services for purchase;    said Buyer-ID and buyer computer's IP address are provided to vendor computer programmed to request and receive said information;    vendor computer is programmed to use Buyer-ID and BC's current IP address along with information such as desired Item ID, cost and name for generating an electronic purchase inquiry which is transmitted to ISP computer;    ISP is programmed such that upon receipt of purchase inquiry from MC, ISP uses combination of IP address and Buyer-ID to determine within ISP's internal network whether Buyer is in fact still online at the address assigned at the beginning of the online session;    whereby if buyer computer is determined to be connected to ISP computer at correct address, ISP computer then generates and transmits Transaction Confirmation Number and instructs MC to generate and forward invoice to ISP computer.    sending at least one verification response, based upon the comparing of the first fingerprint file against the second fingerprint file and upon the comparing of the first identification for the user against the second identification for the user.    
     
     
         6 . The method according to claim  5  wherein the verification computer is a clearinghouse computer.  
     
     
         7 . The method according to claim  5  wherein the verification computer is a vendor computer.  
     
     
         8 . A method according to claim  5 , wherein said step of sending at least one request to a user computer includes: 
 sending a first request to the user computer for the first fingerprint file; and    sending a second request to the user computer for the first identification for the user.    
     
     
         9 . A method according to claim  5 , wherein said step of receiving at least one response from the user computer includes: 
 receiving a first response from the user computer including the fingerprint file; and    receiving a second response from the user computer including the first identification for the user.    
     
     
         10 . A method according to  claim 9 , wherein the second response from the user computer is received prior to first response from the user computer.  
     
     
         11 . A method according to claim  5 , wherein said steps of comparing the first fingerprint file against a second fingerprint file, and comparing the first identification for the user against a second identification for the user are not performed simultaneously.  
     
     
         12 . A method according to  claim 7 , wherein said step of sending at least one response to the vendor computer, based upon the comparing of the first fingerprint file against the second fingerprint file and upon the comparing of the first identification for the user against the second identification for the user includes sending a confirmation only when both the first fingerprint file and the first identification of the user match the second fingerprint file and the second identification for the user respectively.  
     
     
         13 . A method according to  claim 8 , wherein said step of receiving at least one response from the user computer includes: 
 receiving a first response from the user computer including the first fingerprint file; and    receiving a second response from the user computer including the first identification for the user.    
     
     
         14 . A method according to  13 , wherein the second response from the user computer is received prior to first response from the user computer.  
     
     
         15 . A method according to claim  5 , wherein the first identification for the user includes a password.  
     
     
         16 . A method according to claim  5 , wherein the first fingerprint file includes information based upon an identification number of a CPU of the user computer.  
     
     
         17 . A method according to claim  5 , wherein the first fingerprint file includes information based upon a MAC address associated with the user computer.  
     
     
         18 . A method according to claim  5 , wherein prior to the step of receiving the first request from the verification computer, 
 storing the second fingerprint file in a first data base accessible by verification computer, and    storing the second identifications for the user in a second database accessible by the verification computer.    
     
     
         19 . A method according to  claim 7 , wherein prior to the step of receiving the first request from the vendor computer, 
 storing the second fingerprint file in a first data base accessible by a clearinghouse computer, and    storing the second identifications for the user in a second database accessible by a clearinghouse computer.    
     
     
         20 . A method according to  claim 17 , wherein the first database and second database are the same.  
     
     
         21 . A method according to  claim 7 , wherein the step of receiving a request from a vendor computer includes receiving an internet address of the user computer.  
     
     
         22 . A method according to  claim 21 , wherein prior to the step of sending the at least one request to the user computer, identifying the user computer based upon the internet address received from the vendor computer.  
     
     
         23 . A clearinghouse computer comprising: 
 a storage unit for storing information received from a user computer; the information including a second fingerprint file and a second identification for a user;    a memory unit for receiving information indicative of first fingerprint file and a first identification for the user; and    a processor for communicating with the storage unit and the memory unit for comparing information indicative of the second fingerprint file and the second identification for the user with information indicative of the first fingerprint file and first identification for the user, and causing a message to be generated based upon the comparing.    
     
     
         24 . A clearinghouse computer according to  claim 23 , wherein the storage unit includes: 
 a first storage location for storing the second fingerprint file, and    a second storage location for storing the second identification for the user.    
     
     
         25 . A clearinghouse computer according to  claim 23 , wherein the memory unit includes: 
 a first memory location for storing, at least temporarily, the first fingerprint file, and    a second memory location for storing, at least temporarily, the first identification for the user.    
     
     
         26 . A clearinghouse computer according to  claim 23 , further including: 
 an output for receiving the message to be generated based upon the comparison, and    the output further capable of communicating with a vendor computer.    
     
     
         27 . A clearinghouse computer according to  claim 23 , wherein the second identification for the user includes a password.  
     
     
         28 . A clearinghouse computer according to  claim 23 , wherein the second fingerprint file includes information based upon an identification number of a CPU of the user computer.  
     
     
         29 . A method for verifying a user and a user computer comprising: 
 receiving at a first server at least one first message from the user computer, the at least one first message including a first fingerprint file;    comparing the first fingerprint file against a second fingerprint file to verify the user computer, the second fingerprint file accessible by the first server;    receiving at a second server at least one second message from the user computer, the at least one second message including a first identification for the user; and    comparing the first identification for the user against a second identification for the user to verify the user, the second identification for the user accessible by the second server.    
     
     
         30 . A method according to  claim 29  where at least one server is a mini-server  
     
     
         31 . The method according to  claim 30  where the first and second servers are mini-servers.  
     
     
         32 . A method according to  claim 31 , wherein the first mini-server is associated with a first clearinghouse computer and the second mini-server is associated with a second clearinghouse computer.  
     
     
         33 . A method according to  claim 31 , wherein the first mini-server is associated with a first clearinghouse computer and the second mini-server is associated also with the clearinghouse computer.  
     
     
         34 . A method according to  claim 29 , wherein: 
 after the step of comparing the first fingerprint file against the second fingerprint file to verify the user computer, generating a first-mini-server message at the first mini-server based upon the results of said comparison; and    after the step of comparing the first identification for the user against the second identification for the user to verify the user, generating a second-mini-server message at the second mini-server based upon the results of said comparison.    
     
     
         35 . A method according to  claim 34 , further including: 
 sending the first-mini-server message to a vendor computer; and    sending the second-mini-server message to the vendor computer.    
     
     
         36 . A method according to  claim 35 , further including: 
 authorizing an action by the vendor computer only if both the first-mini-server message contains information indicating the user computer was verified and the second-mini-server message contains information indicating the user was verified.    
     
     
         37 . A vendor computer comprising: 
 a first input for communicating with a first mini-server for receiving a first-mini-server message containing information indicating if a user computer was verified;    a second input for communicating with a second mini-server for receiving a second-mini-server message containing information indicating if a user was verified;    a processor for receiving the first-mini-server message from the first output and the second mini-server message from the second output and authorizing an action only if both the first-mini-server message contains information indicating the user computer was verified and the second-mini-server message contains information indicating the user was verified.    
     
     
         38 . A vendor computer according to  claim 37 , wherein the first input and the second input are the same.