Method and system for distributing electronic tickets with data integrity checking

Abstract

This invention discloses a novel system and method for distributing electronic ticketing to mobile devices such that the ticket stored on the device is checked for its integrity from tampering and the device periodically reports on ticket usage with a central server.

What is claimed: 
     
         1 . A mobile ticketing system comprising a server computer sub-system adapted to receive from a device via a data network, authentication data for a user account, and in dependence thereon, transmit to the device data embodying a pass; where the system is further adapted to determine the occurrence of fraudulent activity associated with the user account in connection with the ticketing system and in response thereto, store in a data record associated with the user a data value indicating the fraudulent activity. 
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  where the server sub-system is further adapted to detect fraudulent activity by detecting behavioral anomalies associated with the user's account. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2  where the behavioral anomaly is the condition of one or more attempts to improperly use a pass originally associated with the user account. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1  where the device is further adapted to check the integrity of the pass data stored on the device. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4  where the integrity check is to determine whether there is a mismatch of a hash value. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 4  where the integrity check is to determine whether a time stamp associated with stored pass data is inconsistent with other storage time stamp data. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1  where the server sub-system is further adapted to receive a command to cause deactivation of a pass stored on the device, receive from the device usage data associated with the deactivated pass, update, using the received usage data, the pass usage data comprising a data record stored on the server system associated with the deactivated pass and in dependence on the updated usage data, transmit to a new device pass data for the same pass. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1  where the server sub-system is further adapted to transmit to the device data representing purchased passes associated with the user account and the device is further adapted to combine the received data with pass data stored on the device in order to output on a graphical user interface operated by the device a list of all available passes. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1  where the device is further adapted to receive from the server sub-system an expiration time value for an activated pass and, in dependence thereon, deactivate the pass when the device detects the condition that the time passed since activating the pass for use equals or exceeds the time value. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9  where for a plurality of passes stored on the device, each expiration time is unique. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1  where the device is further adapted to detect the condition that the device has not connected to the server system for a predetermined period of time and in dependence on such detection, erase the data associated with at least one pass stored on the device. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1  where the detection of fraudulent activity occurs as the result of receiving a data message from the device representing the detection of fraudulent activity on the device. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12  where the device is adapted to erase data stored on the device associated with the passes stored on the device when the condition of fraudulent activity has been detected. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 1  where the device is adapted to erase data stored on the device associated with the passes stored on the device when the condition of fraudulent activity has been detected by the device, and to transmit a data message to the server sub-system representing the detection of fraudulent activity on the device. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 1  where the server sub-system is adapted to receive a command to set a status bit associated with the user account to indicate fraudulent activity and the device is adapted to receive a data message representing the condition that the fraudulent activity bit is set, and in dependence thereon, disable the pass functionality on the device. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15  where the device is further adapted to disable the pass functionality by erasing the pass data stored on the device.