Patent Issued for Multi-Purpose Device Having Multiple Certificates Including Member Certificate (USPTO 10,817,954)

2020 NOV 06 (NewsRx) -- By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Daily News -- A patent by the inventor Hurry, Simon (Foster City, CA), filed on March 27, 2018, was published online on November 9, 2020, according to news reporting originating from Alexandria, Virginia, by NewsRx correspondents.

Patent number 10,817,954 is assigned to Visa International Service Association (San Francisco, California, United States).

The following quote was obtained by the news editors 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 the background information obtained for this patent, NewsRx journalists also obtained the inventor’s summary information for this patent: “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:

“What is claimed is:

“1. A method, comprising: storing, by a multi-purpose device comprising a processor and a memory, a member certificate in a membership certificate chain of the multi-purpose device, wherein the member certificate includes member attributes indicating member benefit information; storing, by the multi-purpose device, a payment certificate in a payment certificate chain, wherein the payment certificate includes payment attributes for payment of a transaction associated with a member benefit; establishing, by the multi-purpose device, a connection with a terminal; sending, by the multi-purpose device, the member certificate, wherein the member certificate is signed by a membership provider private key associated with a membership provider certificate, wherein the terminal verifies the member certificate using a membership provider public key included in the membership provider certificate, the membership provider public key and the membership provider private key forming a first cryptographic key pair, and wherein the terminal determines the member benefit information based on the member attributes; and sending, by the multi-purpose device, the payment certificate to the terminal, wherein the payment certificate signed by a payment provider private key associated with a payment provider certificate, wherein the terminal verifies the payment certificate using a payment provider public key included in the payment provider certificate, the payment provider public key and the payment provider private key forming a second cryptographic key pair, wherein the terminal determines a payment balance for the transaction based on a transaction amount for the transaction and the member benefit information, the payment balance including an adjustment to the transaction amount based on the member benefit information, and wherein the transaction for the payment balance is processed using the payment attributes.

“2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: sending, by the multi-purpose device, the membership provider certificate to the terminal, the membership provider certificate signed by a root private key associated with a root certificate, wherein the terminal verifies the membership provider certificate using a root public key included in the root certificate, the root public key and the root private key forming a third cryptographic key pair.

“3. The method of claim 1, further comprising: sending, by the multi-purpose device, the payment provider certificate to the terminal, the payment provider certificate signed by a root private key associated with a root certificate, wherein the terminal verifies the membership provider certificate using a root public key included in the root certificate, the root public key and the root private key forming a third cryptographic key pair.

“4. The method of claim 1, wherein the member attributes further include one or more of a benefit associated with a member, an activity associated with the member, and a role of the member.

“5. The method of claim 1, wherein the payment attributes include one or more of an account number, an expiration date, a card verification value, and a routing number.

“6. The method of claim 1, wherein the member certificate further includes member identification attributes including member biometric data, wherein the member biometric data is verified using scanned biometric data.

“7. The method of claim 1, further comprising: sending, by the multi-purpose device, member data signed by a member private key associated with the member certificate, the member certificate further including a member public key, the member public key and the member private key forming a fourth cryptographic key pair, the member data including one or more of medical records, allergy information, procedure information, test results, blood pressure readings, immunization status, prescriptions, and healthcare progress notes.

“8. The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving, by the multi-purpose device, an encrypted random number from the terminal; decrypting, by the multi-purpose device, the encrypted random number using a member private key to obtain a random number; appending, by the multi-purpose device, member data to the random number to obtain appended data; signing, by the multi-purpose device, the appended data using a member private key associated with the member certificate to obtain signed appended data, the member certificate further including a member public key, the member public key and the member private key forming a fourth cryptographic key pair; and sending, by the multi-purpose device, the signed appended data to the terminal.

“9. The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving, by the multi-purpose device, an encrypted session key from the terminal; decrypting, by the multi-purpose device, the encrypted session key using a member private key associated with the member certificate to obtain a session key, the member certificate further including a member public key, the member public key and the member private key forming a fourth cryptographic key pair; encrypting, by the multi-purpose device, member data using the session key to obtain encrypted member data; and sending, by the multi-purpose device, the encrypted member data to the terminal.

“10. The method of claim 9, further comprising: receiving, by the multi-purpose device, encrypted member second data from the terminal; decrypting, by the multi-purpose device, the encrypted member second data using the session key to obtain member second data; signing, by the multi-purpose device, the member second data using the member private key to obtain signed member second data; and storing, by the multi-purpose device, the signed member second data.

“11. A multi-purpose device comprising: one or more processors; a memory accessible to the one or more processors, the memory comprising instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform a method comprising: storing, by the multi-purpose device, a member certificate in a membership certificate chain of the multi-purpose device, wherein the member certificate includes member attributes indicating member benefit information; storing, by the multi-purpose device, a payment certificate in a payment certificate chain, wherein the payment certificate includes payment attributes for payment of a transaction associated with a member benefit; establishing, by the multi-purpose device, a connection with a terminal; sending, by the multi-purpose device, the member certificate, wherein the member certificate is signed by a membership provider private key associated with a membership provider certificate, wherein the terminal verifies the member certificate using a membership provider public key included in the membership provider certificate, the membership provider public key and the membership provider private key forming a first cryptographic key pair, and wherein the terminal determines the member benefit information based on the member attributes; and sending, by the multi-purpose device, the payment certificate to the terminal, wherein the payment certificate signed by a payment provider private key associated with a payment provider certificate, wherein the terminal verifies the payment certificate using a payment provider public key included in the payment provider certificate, the payment provider public key and the payment provider private key forming a second cryptographic key pair, wherein the terminal determines a payment balance for the transaction based on a transaction amount for the transaction and the member benefit information, the payment balance including an adjustment to the transaction amount based on the member benefit information, and wherein the transaction for the payment balance is processed using the payment attributes.

“12. The multi-purpose device according to claim 11, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the method further comprising: sending, by the multi-purpose device, the membership provider certificate to the terminal, the membership provider certificate signed by a root private key associated with a root certificate, wherein the terminal verifies the membership provider certificate using a root public key included in the root certificate, the root public key and the root private key forming a third cryptographic key pair.

“13. The multi-purpose device according to claim 11, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the method further comprising: sending, by the multi-purpose device, the payment provider certificate to the terminal, the payment provider certificate signed by a root private key associated with a root certificate, wherein the terminal verifies the membership provider certificate using a root public key included in the root certificate, the root public key and the root private key forming a third cryptographic key pair.

“14. The multi-purpose device according to claim 11, wherein the member attributes further include one or more of a benefit associated with a member, an activity associated with the member, and a role of the member.

“15. The multi-purpose device according to claim 11, wherein the payment attributes include one or more of an account number, an expiration date, a card verification value, and a routing number.

“16. The multi-purpose device according to claim 11, wherein the member certificate further includes member identification attributes including member biometric data, wherein the member biometric data is verified using scanned biometric data.

“17. The multi-purpose device according to claim 11, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the method further comprising: sending, by the multi-purpose device, member data signed by a member private key associated with the member certificate, the member certificate further including a member public key, the member public key and the member private key forming a fourth cryptographic key pair, the member data including one or more of medical records, allergy information, procedure information, test results, blood pressure readings, immunization status, prescriptions, and healthcare progress notes.

“18. The multi-purpose device according to claim 11, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the method further comprising: receiving, by the multi-purpose device, an encrypted random number from the terminal; decrypting, by the multi-purpose device, the encrypted random number using a member private key to obtain a random number; appending, by the multi-purpose device, member data to the random number to obtain appended data; signing, by the multi-purpose device, the appended data using a member private key associated with the member certificate to obtain signed appended data, the member certificate further including a member public key, the member public key and the member private key forming a fourth cryptographic key pair; and sending, by the multi-purpose device, the signed appended data to the terminal.

“19. The multi-purpose device according to claim 11, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the method further comprising: receiving, by the multi-purpose device, an encrypted session key from the terminal; decrypting, by the multi-purpose device, the encrypted session key using a member private key associated with the member certificate to obtain a session key, the member certificate further including a member public key, the member public key and the member private key forming a fourth cryptographic key pair; encrypting, by the multi-purpose device, member data using the session key to obtain encrypted member data; and sending, by the multi-purpose device, the encrypted member data to the terminal.

“20. The multi-purpose device according to claim 19, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the method further comprising: receiving, by the multi-purpose device, encrypted member second data from the terminal; decrypting, by the multi-purpose device, the encrypted member second data using the session key to obtain member second data; signing, by the multi-purpose device, the member second data using the member private key to obtain signed member second data; and storing, by the multi-purpose device, the signed member second data.”

URL and more information on this patent, see: Hurry, Simon. Multi-Purpose Device Having Multiple Certificates Including Member Certificate. U.S. Patent Number 10,817,954, filed March 27, 2018, and published online on November 9, 2020. Patent URL: http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=10,817,954.PN.&OS=PN/10,817,954RS=PN/10,817,954

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