Patent application number | Description | Published |
20080200225 | METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR FACILITATING GAME PLAY AND GENERATING AN AUTHENTICATABLE AUDIT-TRAIL - A remote gaming systems whereby a player can gamble against a wagering establishment or state-run lottery from a remote location on a personal computer or portable computer device where it is unnecessary to establish an on-line connection with a host computer associated with the wagering establishment, the gaming computer having associated gaming software for providing at least one wagering opportunity and enabling the player to obtain gambling credit and cash-out any resulting winnings, the host computer enabling the player to purchase and redeem gambling credit at the remote location in one embodiment of the invention using cryptographic protocols such as through a series of authenticatable message exchanges between the player and the wagering establishment, the gaming computer and the host computer directly on-line, or the gaming computer having a detachable tamper-resistant or tamper-evident credit module associated therewith or for use with a personal computer being provided to the player with preinstalled or preloaded gambling credit, the gaming system also enabling participation in future events of which the outcome is uncertain such as, for example, a lottery whereby the player makes selections on a gaming computer at a remote location. | 08-21-2008 |
20090170058 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR EDUCATIONAL TESTING - Methods and apparatuses are disclosed for computer-based evaluation of a test-taker's performance with respect to a reward threshold. A performance assessment of the test taker can be standardized or customized, as well as relative or absolute. The system allows a parentally-controlled reward system such that children who reach specified objectives can claim an award that parents are confident was fairly and honestly earned without the parent being required to proctor the testing. | 07-02-2009 |
20090271317 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR A CRYPTOGRAPHICALLY ASSISTED COMMERCIAL NETWORK SYSTEM DESIGNED TO FACILITATE BUYER-DRIVEN CONDITIONAL PURCHASE OFFERS - The present invention is a method and apparatus for effectuating bilateral buyer-driven commerce. The present invention allows prospective buyers of goods and services to communicate a binding purchase offer globally to potential sellers, for sellers conveniently to search for relevant buyer purchase offers, and for sellers potentially to bind a buyer to a contract based on the buyer's purchase offer. In a preferred embodiment, the apparatus of the present invention includes a controller which receives binding purchase offers from prospective buyers. The controller makes purchase offers available globally to potential sellers. Potential sellers then have the option to accept a purchase offer and thus bind the corresponding buyer to a contract. The method and apparatus of the present invention have applications on the Internet as well as conventional communications systems such as voice telephony. | 10-29-2009 |
20090313473 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SECURE MEASUREMENT CERTIFICATION - The invention relates to methods and apparatuses for acquiring a physical measurement, and for creating a cryptographic certification of that measurement, such that its value and time can be verified by a party that was not necessarily present at the measurement. | 12-17-2009 |
20100023357 | Conditional Purchase Offer Management System - A conditional purchase offer (CPO) management system is disclosed for receiving CPOs from one or more customers, such as airline passengers, and for evaluating the received CPOs against a number of CPO rules defined by a plurality of sellers, such as airlines, to determine whether any seller is willing to accept a given CPO. A CPO is a binding offer containing one or more conditions submitted by a customer for purchase of an item, such as airline travel, at a customer-defined price. A CPO rule is a set of restrictions defined by a given seller, such as an airline, to define a combination of restrictions for which the seller is willing to accept a predefined price. The CPO rules may be securely stored by one or more servers. The CPO management system permits a seller to correct for forecasting errors, if necessary, or other competitive forces which have produced excess capacity, by providing inventory for sale to CPO customers. | 01-28-2010 |
20100094669 | Conditional Purchase Offer Management System - A conditional purchase offer (CPO) management system is disclosed for receiving CPOs from one or more customers, such as airline passengers, and for evaluating the received CPOs against a number of CPO rules defined by a plurality of sellers, such as airlines, to determine whether any seller is willing to accept a given CPO. A CPO is a binding offer containing one or more conditions submitted by a customer for purchase of an item, such as airline travel, at a customer-defined price. A CPO rule is a set of restrictions defined by a given seller, such as an airline, to define a combination of restrictions for which the seller is willing to accept a predefined price. The CPO rules may be securely stored by one or more servers. The CPO management system permits a seller to correct for forecasting errors, if necessary, or other competitive forces which have produced excess capacity, by providing inventory for sale to CPO customers. | 04-15-2010 |
20100293101 | METHOD AND DEVICE FOR GENERATING A SINGLE-USE FINANCIAL ACCOUNT NUMBER - A device for facilitating financial account transactions is described which includes a processing unit including a cryptographic processor. The device also includes an input unit, a display unit and a memory device connected to the processing unit. The memory device contains a private cryptographic key, a first data element and a second data element. The processing unit encrypts the first data element using the private cryptographic key and the second data element, modifies the second data element, combines the encrypted first data element and the second data element to generate a single-use financial account identifier, and displays the single-use financial account identifier. This identifier is then transmitted to a central processor for authorization of the transaction. The central processor extracts and decrypts data elements from the transmitted identifier using the private cryptographic key, compares those data elements with data elements stored in a memory, and verifies the single-use financial account identifier in accordance with the comparison. | 11-18-2010 |
20100299259 | METHOD AND DEVICE FOR GENERATING A SINGLE-USE FINANCIAL ACCOUNT NUMBER - A device for facilitating financial account transactions is described which includes a processing unit including a cryptographic processor. The device also includes an input unit, a display unit and a memory device connected to the processing unit. The memory device contains a private cryptographic key, a first data element and a second data element. The processing unit encrypts the first data element using the private cryptographic key and the second data element, modifies the second data element, combines the encrypted first data element and the second data element to generate a single-use financial account identifier, and displays the single-use financial account identifier. This identifier is then transmitted to a central processor for authorization of the transaction. The central processor extracts and decrypts data elements from the transmitted identifier using the private cryptographic key, compares those data elements with data elements stored in a memory, and verifies the single-use financial account identifier in accordance with the comparison. | 11-25-2010 |
20100306105 | METHOD AND DEVICE FOR GENERATING A SINGLE-USE FINANCIAL ACCOUNT NUMBER - A device for facilitating financial account transactions is described which includes a processing unit including a cryptographic processor. The device also includes an input unit, a display unit and a memory device connected to the processing unit. The memory device contains a private cryptographic key, a first data element and a second data element. The processing unit encrypts the first data element using the private cryptographic key and the second data element, modifies the second data element, combines the encrypted first data element and the second data element to generate a single-use financial account identifier, and displays the single-use financial account identifier. This identifier is then transmitted to a central processor for authorization of the transaction. The central processor extracts and decrypts data elements from the transmitted identifier using the private cryptographic key, compares those data elements with data elements stored in a memory, and verifies the single-use financial account identifier in accordance with the comparison. | 12-02-2010 |
20110017837 | Method And Apparatus For Promoting The Selection And Use Of A Transaction Card - One embodiment of the present invention provides for detecting a physical change at a transaction card, and, in response to detecting the physical change outputting content to attract the attention of a user. | 01-27-2011 |
20110289005 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR EXECUTING CRYPTOGRAPHICALLY-ENABLED LETTERS OF CREDIT - A method and apparatus for executing electronic transactions using cryptographically-enabled accounts stores cryptographically-enabled account information and instructions, receives a cryptographically-encoded permission certificate, and processes the received permission certificate to execute the transactions. | 11-24-2011 |
20120088223 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR EDUCATIONAL TESTING - Methods and apparatuses are disclosed for computer-based evaluation of a test-taker's performance with respect to a reward threshold. A performance assessment of the test taker can be standardized or customized, as well as relative or absolute. The system allows a parentally-controlled reward system such that children who reach specified objectives can claim an award that parents are confident was fairly and honestly earned without the parent being required to proctor the testing. | 04-12-2012 |
20120089476 | Conditional Purchase Offer Management System - A conditional purchase offer (CPO) management system is disclosed for receiving CPOs from one or more customers, such as airline passengers, and for evaluating the received CPOs against a number of CPO rules defined by a plurality of sellers, such as airlines, to determine whether any seller is willing to accept a given CPO. A CPO rule is a set of restrictions defined by a given seller, such as an airline, to define a combination of restrictions for which the seller is willing to accept a predefined price. The CPO rules may be securely stored by one or more servers. The CPO management system permits a seller to correct for forecasting errors, if necessary, or other competitive forces which have produced excess capacity, by providing inventory for sale to CPO customers. | 04-12-2012 |
20120123946 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR A CRYPTOGRAPHICALLY ASSISTED COMMERCIAL NETWORK SYSTEM DESIGNED TO FACILITATE BUYER-DRIVEN CONDITIONAL PURCHASE OFFERS - The present invention is a method and apparatus for effectuating bilateral buyer-driven commerce. The present invention allows prospective buyers of goods and services to communicate a binding purchase offer globally to potential sellers, for sellers conveniently to search for relevant buyer purchase offers, and for sellers potentially to bind a buyer to a contract based on the buyer's purchase offer. In a preferred embodiment, the apparatus of the present invention includes a controller which receives binding purchase offers from prospective buyers. The controller makes purchase offers available globally to potential sellers. Potential sellers then have the option to accept a purchase offer and thus bind the corresponding buyer to a contract. The method and apparatus of the present invention have applications on the Internet as well as conventional communications systems such as voice telephony. | 05-17-2012 |
20120286035 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROMOTING THE SELECTION AND USE OF A TRANSACTION CARD - Some embodiments of the present invention provide for detecting a physical change (e.g., via a sensor of a transaction card), and, in response to detecting the physical change, producing an output signal promoting use of a financial account. | 11-15-2012 |
20130132280 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR EXECUTING CRYPTOGRAPHICALLY-ENABLED LETTERS OF CREDIT - A method and apparatus for executing electronic transactions using cryptographically-enabled accounts stores cryptographically-enabled account information and instructions, receives a cryptographically-encoded permission certificate, and processes the received permission certificate to execute the transactions. | 05-23-2013 |
20130151860 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SECURE MEASUREMENT CERTIFICATION - The invention relates to methods and apparatuses for acquiring a physical measurement, and for creating a cryptographic certification of that measurement, such that its value and time can be verified by a party that was not necessarily present at the measurement. | 06-13-2013 |
20140106873 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SECURING ELECTRONIC GAMES - According to some embodiments, a method, apparatus and computer readable medium are provided for facilitating play of a game utilizing an encoded player number and a decoding key for decoding the encoded player number. | 04-17-2014 |
20140279172 | Conditional Purchase Offer Management System - A conditional purchase offer (CPO) management system is disclosed for receiving CPOs from one or more customers, such as airline passengers, and for evaluating the received CPOs against a number of CPO rules defined by a plurality of sellers, such as airlines, to determine whether any seller is willing to accept a given CPO. A CPO is a binding offer containing one or more conditions submitted by a customer for purchase of an item, such as airline travel, at a customer-defined price. A CPO rule is a set of restrictions defined by a given seller, such as an airline, to define a combination of restrictions for which the seller is willing to accept a predefined price. The CPO rules may be securely stored by one or more servers. The CPO management system permits a seller to correct for forecasting errors, if necessary, or other competitive forces which have produced excess capacity, by providing inventory for sale to CPO customers. | 09-18-2014 |
20140298044 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SECURE MEASUREMENT CERTIFICATION - The invention relates to methods and apparatuses for acquiring a physical measurement, and for creating a cryptographic certification of that measurement, such that its value and time can be verified by a party that was not necessarily present at the measurement. | 10-02-2014 |