Patent ID: 6076078
Filing Date: 2000-06-13
Classification: G06Q,H04L

Abstract:
A fault-tolerant method of purchasing digital goods with a digital token in which the token's value resides either with a customer or with a merchant, comprising the steps of:initiating a transaction with a merchant for a digital good;sending a merchant-signed invoice and the digital good in encrypted form from the merchant to a customer;signing the invoice with the customer's signature to produce a countersigned invoice;sending the countersigned invoice, a token, and identifying information for the token from the customer to the merchant;sending the countersigned invoice, the token, and the identifying information for verification;verifying the token with the identifying information and verifying the other information in the countersigned purchase order;committing the transaction when the token and other information in the countersigned purchase order are verified such that the value of the token is transferred from the customer to the merchant;completing the transaction by making a key for decrypting the digital good available to the customer; andretaining records of the transaction.