Patent Application Titled “Multi-Purpose Device Having Multiple Certificates Including Member Certificate” Published Online (USPTO 20200410602)

2021 JAN 20 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- According to news reporting originating from Washington, D.C., by NewsRx journalists, a patent application by the inventor Hurry, Simon (Foster City, CA), filed on September 14, 2020, was made available online on December 31, 2020.

The assignee for this patent application is Visa International Service Association (San Francisco, California, United States).

Reporters obtained the following quote from the background information supplied by the inventors: “Fraud in the medical service industry is a problem, both in the private and public sector. For instance, a plastic card is commonly used to verify the benefits associated with an individual for medical services. The patient arrives at the medical clinic or pharmacy with a plastic card bearing the insurance provider’s name, the name of the person receiving the medical service and in some cases the co-payment requirement. However, a forger can duplicate an insurance card allowing an individual seeking medical service to associate themselves with a set of benefits that they may not be entitled to.

“Additionally, inconvenience and inefficiency are other problems in the medical industry. A typical patient carries with them multiple cards for different benefits (medical, dental, vision, medicine, etc.) and yet more cards to make payments for the co-payments or remaining balances for the medical services.

“Furthermore, when requesting service, the patient has little understanding of the ultimate financial responsibility from the transaction until much later. Usually, the medical service provider or the patient calls the medical insurer to discuss the coverage further adding to the inefficiency. In many instances, the billing for the medical service provided begins long after the medical services are provided to the patient. The billing is usually accomplished by a long back and forth discourse through mail between the medical service provider, the medical insurer and the patient that usually includes statements, reminders, insurance benefit explanations and appeals. This process of operating with non-verified and incomplete information leads to dissatisfaction and inefficiencies in the system.

“Embodiments of the invention address these and other problems.”

In addition to obtaining background information on this patent application, NewsRx editors also obtained the inventor’s summary information for this patent application: “Embodiments of the invention broadly described, allow members of an organization to integrate member attributes with payment attributes on a multi-purpose device whose security is provided by a public-key infrastructure system.

“Embodiments of the invention relate to systems and methods for provisioning and using a multi-purpose device. The device contains information regarding a plurality of memberships associated with a user and a payment account associated with the user. The device contains one or more membership certificate chains, comprising multiple certificates, wherein a membership provider certificate is signed by a private key associated with a membership root certificate authority, and wherein a member certificate is signed by a private key associated with the membership provider certificate. The member certificate includes member attributes regarding the user, such as member benefit information. The device may optionally include data which is signed by a private key stored on the device and associated with the member certificate. The device also includes a payment certificate chain, comprising multiple certificates, wherein a payment provider certificate is signed by a private key associated with a payment root certificate authority, and wherein a payment certificate is signed by a private key associated with the payment provider certificate. The payment certificate includes payment attributes regarding the user, such as a payment account.

“A user may present the multi-purpose device to a service provider in order to prove membership benefits. The service provider may authenticate the device by verifying the signatures in the membership certificate chain. The service provider may also read from the device member benefit information associated with the user. The service provider may calculate a final billing amount based on the member benefit information, and bill the user for the amount using the payment attributes stored on the multi-purpose device. As a result, the service provider is assured of the authenticity of the user and the member attributes, and can quickly determine the amount to be billed to the user. The user is made aware of the final cost of a service at the time they present the device to the service provider.

“One embodiment of the invention discloses a computer implemented method for verifying benefits associated with a multi-purpose device, comprising: electronically receiving, at a terminal, a member certificate comprising member attributes from a multi-purpose device, wherein the member certificate is signed by a membership provider certificate authority associated with a payment processing network; digitally verifying the contents of the member certificate; and determining from the member attributes member benefit information for a member.

“One embodiment of the invention discloses a computer-implemented method for providing certificates to a membership provider and payment provider, comprising: electronically receiving, from a membership provider server computer, a membership provider public key and a first request to generate a membership provider certificate; generating the membership certificate using the membership provider public key and a first private key, wherein the membership provider certificate is stored on a device; electronically receiving, from an payment provider server computer, a payment provider public key and a second request to generate a payment provider certificate; and generating the payment provider certificate using the payment provider public key and a second private key, wherein the payment provider certificate is stored on the device.

“One embodiment of the invention discloses a multi-purpose device, comprising: a root certificate; a membership provider certificate, wherein the membership provider certificate is signed by a private key associated with the root certificate; a member certificate, wherein the member certificate is signed by a private key associated with the membership provider certificate; a payment provider certificate, wherein the payment provider certificate is signed by the private key associated with the root certificate; and a payment certificate, wherein the payment certificate is signed by a private key associated with the payment provider certificate.

“Further details regarding embodiments of the invention can be found in the Detailed Description and the Figures.”

The claims supplied by the inventors are:

“1. A multi-purpose device comprising a computer-readable storage medium, wherein the computer-readable storage medium comprises: a root certificate; a membership provider certificate, wherein the membership provider certificate is signed by a root private key associated with the root certificate; a member certificate, wherein the member certificate is signed by a membership provider private key associated with the membership provider certificate, wherein the member certificate is stored on a membership certification chain of the multi-purpose device, wherein the member certificate includes member attributes indicating member benefit information; a payment provider certificate, wherein the payment provider certificate is signed by the root private key associated with the root certificate; and a payment certificate, wherein the payment certificate is signed by a payment provider private key associated with the payment provider certificate, wherein the payment certificate is stored on a payment certificate chain of the multi-purpose device, wherein the payment certificate includes payment attributes for payment of a transaction associated with a member benefit.

“2. The multi-purpose device of claim 1, wherein the computer-readable storage medium further comprises member data signed by a member private key associated with the member certificate.

“3. The multi-purpose device of claim 1, wherein the member certificate comprises identification attributes, wherein the identification attributes include a password or biometric data.

“4. The multi-purpose device of claim 1, wherein the membership provider certificate and the member certificate are provided by a medical insurer, and wherein the payment provider certificate and the payment certificate are provided by an issuing bank.

“5. The multi-purpose device of claim 1, wherein the computer-readable storage medium further comprises member data signed by a member private key associated with the member certificate, wherein the member certificate includes a member public key, the member public key and the member private key forming a fourth cryptographic key pair, and wherein the member data includes one or more of medical records, allergy information, procedure information, test results, blood pressure readings, immunization status, prescriptions, and healthcare progress notes.

“6. The multi-purpose device of claim 1, wherein the computer-readable storage medium further comprises member second data received from a terminal, the member second data signed by a member private key associated with the member certificate.

“7. The multi-purpose device of claim 1, wherein the member certificate comprises member attributes for a member, wherein the member attributes include one or more of a benefit associated with the member, an activity associated with the member, a role of the member, member benefit information benefit information indicating a cost adjustment for a transaction, an approved procedure, a co-pay associated with a procedure, and an approved healthcare provider.

“8. The multi-purpose device of claim 1, wherein the payment certificate comprises payment attributes for processing a transaction, wherein the payment attributes include one or more of an account number, an expiration date, a card verification value, and a routing number.

“9. The multi-purpose device of claim 1, wherein the payment provider certificate includes payment provider attributes indicating one or more of an account number prefix, a routing number, a classification of a payment method, an interchange rate, and contact information for an issuer.

“10. The multi-purpose device of claim 1, further comprising a contactless element capable of sending the member certificate and the payment certificate to a terminal.

“11. A system comprising: a memory; one or more processor; and a multi-purpose device comprising a computer-readable storage medium, wherein the computer-readable storage medium comprises: a root certificate; a membership provider certificate, wherein the membership provider certificate is signed by a root private key associated with the root certificate; a member certificate, wherein the member certificate is signed by a membership provider private key associated with the membership provider certificate, wherein the member certificate is stored on a membership certification chain of the multi-purpose device, wherein the member certificate includes member attributes indicating member benefit information; a payment provider certificate, wherein the payment provider certificate is signed by the root private key associated with the root certificate; and a payment certificate, wherein the payment certificate is signed by a payment provider private key associated with the payment provider certificate, wherein the payment certificate is stored on a payment certificate chain of the multi-purpose device, wherein the payment certificate includes payment attributes for payment of a transaction associated with a member benefit.

“12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the computer-readable storage medium further comprises member data signed by a member private key associated with the member certificate.

“13. The system according to claim 11, wherein the member certificate comprises identification attributes, wherein the identification attributes include a password or biometric data.

“14. The system according to claim 11, wherein the membership provider certificate and the member certificate are provided by a medical insurer, and wherein the payment provider certificate and the payment certificate are provided by an issuing bank.

“15. The system according to claim 11, wherein the computer-readable storage medium further comprises member data signed by a member private key associated with the member certificate, wherein the member certificate includes a member public key, the member public key and the member private key forming a fourth cryptographic key pair, and wherein the member data includes one or more of medical records, allergy information, procedure information, test results, blood pressure readings, immunization status, prescriptions, and healthcare progress notes.

“16. The system according to claim 11, wherein the computer-readable storage medium further comprises member second data received from a terminal, the member second data signed by a member private key associated with the member certificate.

“17. The system according to claim 11, wherein the member certificate comprises member attributes for a member, wherein the member attributes include one or more of a benefit associated with the member, an activity associated with the member, a role of the member, member benefit information benefit information indicating a cost adjustment for a transaction, an approved procedure, a co-pay associated with a procedure, and an approved healthcare provider.

“18. The system according to claim 11, wherein the payment certificate comprises payment attributes for processing a transaction, wherein the payment attributes include one or more of an account number, an expiration date, a card verification value, and a routing number.

“19. The system according to claim 11, wherein the payment provider certificate includes payment provider attributes indicating one or more of an account number prefix, a routing number, a classification of a payment method, an interchange rate, and contact information for an issuer.

“20. The system according to claim 11, further comprising a contactless element capable of sending the member certificate and the payment certificate to a terminal.”

For more information, see this patent application: Hurry, Simon. Multi-Purpose Device Having Multiple Certificates Including Member Certificate. Filed September 14, 2020 and posted December 31, 2020. Patent URL: http://appft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PG01&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.html&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=%2220200410602%22.PGNR.&OS=DN/20200410602&RS=DN/20200410602

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