Patent ID: 8955154
Filing Date: 2015-02-10
Classification: G06F,G06Q,H04L

Abstract:
1. For an authentication system comprising at least one server device, a computer-implemented method for authenticating entities across a plurality of online service providers, the computer-implemented method comprising: receiving from an online service provider of the plurality of online service providers, an authentication request for authenticating on behalf of the online service provider, whether a particular individual purchasing a good or service of the online service provider using a code is eligible to receive a promotion associated with the code, the authentication request providing identifying information used by the particular individual; obtaining at least one qualifying parent-child relationship from the online service provider, the qualifying parent-child relationship identifying a particular parent business entity whose child entities are eligible to receive the promotion using the code; querying a database using the identifying information, the database comprising a plurality of entity records, each entity record of the plurality of entity records containing previously verified information about a different individual or business; selecting a particular entity record from the plurality of entity records containing previously verified information for the particular individual that matches the identifying information from the authentication request; generating a series of challenge questions from the previously verified information of the particular entity record; submitting the series of challenge questions from the authentication system to the online service provider for presentation to the particular individual; receiving from the online service provider, a set of answers provided by the particular individual that are responsive to the series of challenge questions; and authenticating by the authentication system on behalf of the online service provider, eligibility of the particular individual to receive the promotion associated with the code, said authenticating comprising performing a first authentication based on the set of answers correctly answering a specified number of the series of challenge questions and performing a second authentication based on the previously verified information from the particular entity record satisfying the qualifying parent-child relationship by identifying the particular individual as a child of the particular business entity, wherein said authenticating ensues from the user providing the code as part of purchasing the good or service from the online service provider and prior to the online service provider completing sale of the good or service to the entity.