Patent ID: 6560581
Filing Date: 2003-05-06
Classification: G06Q,H04N

Abstract:
A method for conducting an electronic transaction involving at least a document related to the transaction and at least an instrument describing a mode of payment for the transaction, the method comprising:encrypting the document and the instrument at a first participant; sending the encrypted document and the encrypted instrument from the first participant to a second participant; and decrypting only one of the document or the instrument at the second participant; wherein said encrypting further comprises: supplying the document and the instrument to a cryptographic application program interface (CAPI) resident at the first participant; selecting a cryptography service provider (CSP) for encrypting the document and the instrument; establishing communication between the CAPI and the CSP; verifying, at the CAPI, an authenticity of the CSP; passing the document and the instrument from the CAPI to the CSP; encrypting the document and the instrument at the CSP using at least one encryption key maintained by the CSP to produce an encrypted document and an encrypted instrument; and passing the encrypted document and the encrypted instrument from the CSP back to the CAPI without exposing the encryption key in its non-encrypt form.