Anne Valerie Wheeler

US Patent:

6978369, Dec 20, 2005

Filed:

Aug 6, 2001

Appl. No.:

10/343678

Inventors:

Lynn Henry Wheeler - Denver CO, US
Anne M. Wheeler - Denver CO, US

Assignee:

First Data Corporation - Greenwood Village CO

International Classification:

H04L009/00

US Classification:

713170, 713175, 713176, 713200, 380282, 380285, 705 57, 705 64, 705 67

Abstract:

In a method of managing a database of existing accounts () for account holders (), each account holder () has multiple accounts with one or more account authorities () for use of a single device with multiple accounts, with each account of each account holder being associated with a public key of a public-private key pair of that account holder. A record of information pertaining to all accounts of a particular account holder is maintained in a central location by a central key authority. The information for that account includes the public keys of that account holder. The central key authority transfers information from the record for an account holder to a new account authority for which that account holder desires to establish a new account; the central key authority also receives information from account authorities for inclusion in the record centrally maintained for that account holder.

US Patent:

6981154, Dec 27, 2005

Filed:

Dec 5, 2001

Appl. No.:

10/011496

Inventors:

Anne Mcafee Wheeler - Denver CO, US
Lynn Henry Wheeler - Denver CO, US

Assignee:

First Data Corporation - Greenwood Village CO

International Classification:

H04L009/00

US Classification:

713200, 713175, 713176, 380282, 380285, 705 64, 705 67, 705 71

Abstract:

A method of managing accounts by an account authority for the same account holder includes associating identity information for each account with the same public key. A method for establishing a new account for the same account holder with each one of a plurality of account authorities includes associating respective identity information for each account with the same public key of the account holder. A method of setting up an account with account authorities for the later process of validating the identity of a sender of electronic communications representing requests for performance of actions regarding the accounts, each electronic communication including a digital signature and respective sender identity information, includes associating a public key with the account such that the public key later is retrievable following receipt of a communication based on the respective sender identity information in the communication, the public key being the same for each account authority.

US Patent:

6983368, Jan 3, 2006

Filed:

Aug 6, 2001

Appl. No.:

10/343656

Inventors:

Lynn Henry Wheeler - Denver CO, US
Anne M. Wheeler - Denver CO, US

Assignee:

First Data Corporation - Greenwood Village CO

International Classification:

H04L 9/00

US Classification:

713170, 713175, 713176, 713200, 380282, 380285, 705 57, 705 64, 705 71

Abstract:

A method in which information pertaining to a device () generating digital signatures () is reliably identified includes manufacturing () devices in a secure environment () and for each device () before it is released from the secure environment: creating a public-private key pair (); storing the private key () within the device () for utilization in generating a digital signature () for a message (); and linking the public key () to a Security Profile () of the device (). The devices () then are released from the secure environment () and a digital signature () is received from somewhere () in the world (). The message () is authenticated using a suspect public key () and the suspect public key () is compared with the linked public keys (). A Security Profile () of the genuine device () to which belongs the private key () used in generating the digital signature () is identified when the public key () matches a linked public key (). A risk that the message () is fraudulently signed is determined.

US Patent:

7082533, Jul 25, 2006

Filed:

Feb 1, 2003

Appl. No.:

10/248623

Inventors:

Lynn Henry Wheeler - Denver CO, US
Anne M. Wheeler - Denver CO, US

Assignee:

First Data Corporation - Greenwood Village CO

International Classification:

H04L 9/00
G06F 11/30

US Classification:

713155, 713156, 713157, 713176, 713194, 380282, 380284, 705 57, 705 63

Abstract:

A system for communicating electronically over a communications medium regarding an account includes (a) maintaining information pertaining to the account in a database such that the information is retrievable by a unique identifier, the information including security features of a device that generates digital signatures using a private key of a public-private key pair, (b) associating the public key of the device with the unique identifier in the database, (c) receiving an electronic communication including the unique identifier and a digital signature for a message generated by a suspect device (d) authenticating the message using the public key associated with the unique, (e) upon successful authentication of the message, identifying the security features retrievable by the unique identifier as being the security features of the genuine device, and (f) gauging the risk that said generated digital signature was fraudulently sent based on said identified security features of the genuine device.