Abstract:
Systems and methods for managing the identity of a user, for managing the identity of the user in a public storage facility, and for certifying pending transactions for a user are disclosed. One example method includes receiving, at an input device, personal data that identifies the user. The personal data is represented as input data. The input device is configured to process a hashing function to provide a hash value and user accessible interface for transmitting the hash value and a public key of the user to the public storage facility, e.g., block chain, and for receiving back from the public storage facility a transaction number corresponding to the hash value and the public key. In one example, the input device is configured to encrypt the hash value, a time stamp and the transaction number with a public key of a certification entity to provide user certifiable data to the certification entity. The certification entity is configured to access the public storage facility to verify the user. Also provided are systems and methods for certifying pending financial transactions, pending debit and/or credit card transactions, and other pending transactions are also disclosed. Systems and methods signing and certifying documents are also disclosed.

Description:
CLAIM OF PRIORITY 
     This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/157,256 entitled “A User Identification Management System and Method” filed on May 5, 2015, which is incorporated herein for all purposes. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     The present invention generally relates to systems and methods for managing the identity of users and of identifying those users to third parties. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Identity theft causes tens of billions of dollars in losses every year. In an effort to combat identity theft, systems and methods for identifying users to third parties have been developed. In a common two factor application, a user presents a bank card or credit card in addition to the personal identification number (“PIN”) corresponding to the card. In other systems, a user provides a password to identify himself or herself. In still other systems, a user may be given challenge questions to verify their identity. Each of these systems, however, is subject to attack and ultimate defeat from a basic security breach. 
     It would be advantageous to have a more secure system and method for managing the identity of users and of identifying users to third parties. 
     SUMMARY 
     Systems and methods for managing the identity of a user, for managing the identity of the user in a public storage facility, and for certifying pending transactions for a user are disclosed. One example method includes receiving, at an input device, personal data that identifies the user. The personal data is represented as input data. The input device is configured to process a hashing function to provide a hash value and user accessible interface for transmitting the hash value and a public key of the user to the public storage facility, e.g., block chain, and for receiving back from the public storage facility a transaction number corresponding to the hash value and the public key. In one example, the input device is configured to encrypt the hash value, a time stamp and the transaction number with a public key of a certification entity to provide user certifiable data to the certification entity. The certification entity is configured to access the public storage facility to verify the user. 
     In one embodiment, the certification entity uses a device to decrypt the user certifiable data with a private key of the certification entity to recover the hash value, the time stamp and the transaction number. The device of the certification entity is configured to retrieve the hash value from the public storage facility corresponding to the transaction number, compare the recovered hash value to the retrieved hash value, and certify the identity of the user as a function of the recovered hash value being the same as the retrieved hash value. 
     In some embodiments, the device of the certification entity is further adapted to encrypt the transaction number and the second transaction number with the public key of the certification entity to provide an encrypted certification record. Then, transmit the encrypted certification record to the public storage facility and receive back from the public storage facility a certification transaction number corresponding to the encrypted certification record. 
     In another embodiment, a system for verifying identity of a user is provided. The system includes an input device for receiving the personal data identifying the user from an identification card to define input data. The input device is configured to execute an encrypting machine that encrypts the input data using a public key of the user, the public key of the user being paired with a private key of the user. The input device is configured to execute a hashing machine for hashing the encrypted input data to provide a hash value. The input device is configured to execute a user accessible interface for transmitting the hash value and the public key to a public storage facility and for receiving back from the public storage facility a transaction number corresponding to the hash value and the public key. 
     In some embodiments, the encryption machine is adapted to encrypt the hash value, a time stamp and the transaction number with a public key of a certification entity to provide user certifiable data to the certification entity. The certification entity is adapted to decrypt the user certifiable data with a private key of the certification entity to recover the hash value, the time stamp and the transaction number, then retrieve the hash value from the public storage facility corresponding to the transaction number, then compare the recovered hash value to the retrieved hash value, and then certify the identity of the user as a function of the recovered hash value being the same as the retrieved hash value. If the recovered hash value is not the same as the retrieved hash value, then the identity of the user is not certified by the certification entity. In one embodiment, the certifying entity can be a third part that verifies identity data of a user, e.g., the input data. The certifying entity can be a public entity or a private entity. 
     In some embodiments, the input device is configured to execute an RSA encryption module. 
     In some embodiments, the identification card is one of a driver license, or a passport, or an employee badge, or a military identification, or a political identification. 
     In some embodiments, the input device receives the personal data using one of a digital camera, or a scanner, or a smartphone, or a keyboard, or a touchscreen, or voice recognition, or handwriting recognition, or a combination of two or more thereof. 
     In some embodiments, at least a part of the personal data is coded in a barcode or QR code. 
     In some embodiments, the input device communicates over a communication link with the public storage facility, the public storage facility being a block chain system that is configured to generate the transaction number. 
     In some embodiments, the input device is configured to share the transaction number to a certifying machine to enable the certifying machine to perform verification of the identity of the user. 
     In some embodiments, the certifying machine is configured to transact with the public storage facility to complete at least one operation to process the verification of the identity of the user. 
     In some embodiments, the input device is configured to receive certification of identify of the user from one or more certifying entities, each certifying entity is configured to perform at least one verification operation against data stored to the public storage facility. 
     In some embodiments, the input device is one of a smartphone, or a tablet, or an electronic device. 
     In some embodiments, the public key and the private key are generated using an RSA encryption algorithm or an Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (ECDSA). 
     In some embodiments, the user accessible interface is controllable by the user to provide the transaction number, public key and hash value to a third party. 
     In some embodiments, the public storage facility is adapted to communicate over the Internet, and the public storage facility comprises a block chain of a bitcoin online payment system. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  shows a simplified block diagram of a system and method for sealing an identity of a person in a public storage facility. 
         FIG. 2  shows a simplified block diagram of a system and method for certifying an identity of a person. 
         FIG. 3  shows a simplified block diagram of a system and method for certifying a transaction for a person. 
         FIG. 4  shows a simplified block diagram of a system and method for signing and certifying a document. 
     
    
    
     Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       FIG. 1  shows a simplified block diagram for a system  100  and method for managing the identity of a user in a public storage facility  128 . An identification card  102  contains personal data  104  identifying the user. The personal data can include a photo  106  of the user; the user&#39;s name, address and driver license number  108 , and/or a bar code  110  or similar computer code for storing, scanning and/or retrieving additional data. Such coding can include PDF417 codes, QR-Codes, and other such codes. 
     The identification card  102  can be a government issued form of identification such as a driver license, passport, employee badge, military identification, political documentation, or the like. The identification card  102  can also be a privately issued form of identification such as a student ID, library card, social club, or any other form of identification. 
     As indicated by triangle  114 , an input device  112  is used to input such personal data from the identification card  102  to provide input data. Input device  112  can take many forms. For example, input device  112  can be a digital scanner, digital camera or smartphone (include the camera commonly found in smartphones) for reading data from the identification card  102  including any codes appearing on the card  102 . 
     The input device  112  can also be a device for manually inputting personal data such as a keyboard, touchscreen, voice recognition, handwriting recognition, or other manual input device. The input data collected from the input device  112  is passed to an encryption machine  118  coupled to the input device  112  via a line  116 . Encryption machine  118  encrypts the input data with a public key to provide encrypted data. A private key is paired with an associated public key as in conventional when generating such keys using an RSA encryption algorithm, an Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (ECDSA), or other encryption algorithm known to those skilled in the art. 
     A hashing machine  120  is coupled to the encryption machine  118  via a line  122  for hashing the encrypted data to provide a hash value. Hashing machine  120  is also coupled to a user accessible interface  126  via a line  124  and thereby passes the hash value to interface  126 . User accessible interface  126  can be any suitable remote device, a smartphone, a tablet, any suitable electronic device, any suitable device connected via a landline, or such other electronic equipment known to those skilled in the art for providing such an interface for accessing the hash value, the public key and the transaction number  132 . 
     The user accessible interface  126  transmits the hash value and the public key to a public storage facility  128  via a line  130 , and receives back from the public storage facility  128  a transaction number  132  corresponding to the transmitted hash value and public key. The user accessible interface  126  can be controllable by the user to provide the transaction number  132 , public key and hash value to a third party to, for example, establish the identity of the user as more fully explained herein. 
     The public storage facility  128  is connected to a communication link  134  via a line  136  and can be adapted to communicate over a public computer network, the internet, an intranet, an extranet or any private communication network. The public storage facility  128  can take the form of the block chain in a bitcoin online payment system. The user accessible interface  126  is thus adapted to seal the hash value and public key in the public storage facility  128 . 
       FIG. 2  shows a simplified block diagram for a certification system  200  and method for managing the identity of a user in a public storage facility  228 . Again, an identification card  202  contains personal data  204  identifying the user. The personal data can include a photo  206  of the user; the user&#39;s name, address and driver license number  208 , and/or a bar code  210  or similar computer code for storing, scanning and/or retrieving additional data. Such coding can include PDF417 codes, QR-Codes, and other such codes. 
     The identification card  202  can be a government issued form of identification such as a driver license, passport, employee badge, military identification, political documentation, or the like. The identification card  202  can also be a privately issued form of identification such as a student ID, library card, social club, or any other form of identification. As indicated by triangle  214 , an input device  212  is used to input such personal data from the identification card  202  to provide input data. Input device  212  can take many forms. 
     For example, input device  212  can be a digital scanner, digital camera or smartphone (include the camera commonly found in smartphones) for reading data from the identification card  202  including any codes appearing on the card  202 . The input device  212  can also be a device for manually inputting personal data such as a keyboard, touchscreen, voice recognition, handwriting recognition, or other manual input device. 
     The input data collected from the input device  212  is passed to an encryption machine  218  coupled to the input device  212  via a line  216 . Encryption machine  218  encrypts the input data with a public key of the user to provide encrypted data. A private key is paired with an associated public key as in conventional when generating such keys using an RSA encryption algorithm, an Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (ECDSA), or other encryption algorithm known to those skilled in the art. 
     A hashing machine  220  is coupled to the encryption machine  218  via a line  222  for hashing the encrypted data to provide a hash value. Hashing machine  220  is also coupled to a user accessible interface  226  via a line  224  and thereby passes the hash value to interface  226 . 
     User accessible interface  226  can be any suitable remote device, a smartphone, a tablet, any suitable electronic device, any suitable device connected via a landline, or such other electronic equipment known to those skilled in the art for providing such an interface for accessing the hash value, the public key and the transaction number  232 . The user accessible interface  226  transmits the hash value and the public key to a public storage facility  228  via a line  230 , and receives back from the public storage facility  228  a transaction number  232  corresponding to the transmitted hash value and public key. 
     The user accessible interface  226  can be controllable by the user to provide the transaction number  232 , public key and hash value to a third party to, for example, establish the identity of the user as more fully explained herein. The public storage facility  228  is connected to a communication link  234  via a line  236  and can be adapted to communicate over a public computer network, the internet, an intranet, an extranet or any private communication network. 
     The public storage facility  228  can take the form of the block chain in a bitcoin online payment system. The user accessible interface  226  is thus adapted to seal the hash value and public key in the public storage facility  228 . As seen in box  238 , the encryption machine  218  is also adapted to encrypt the hash value, a time stamp and the transaction number  232  with the public key of the certification machine  242  to provide a user certifiable data  240 . The encryption machine  218  is adapted to transmit the user certifiable data  240  to a certification machine  242  via lines  244  and  246 . 
     The certification machine  242  is adapted to decrypt the user certifiable data  240  with the private key of the certification machine  242  to recover the hash value, the time stamp and the transaction number that were initially provided as shown by box  238 . The certification machine  242  also uses the recovered transaction number to retrieve the hash value from the public storage facility  228  via a line  248 . The certification machine  242  then compares the recovered hash value to the retrieved hash value and certifies the identity of the user as a function of the recovered hash value being the same as the retrieved hash value. 
     Alternatively, the certification machine  242  could output the recovered hash value and the retrieved hash value to allow a person to make the decision whether to certify the identity of the user. The certification machine  242  may have its own corresponding second private key and public key pair and a second transaction number. The certification machine  242  may then be further adapted to encrypt the transaction number  232  and the second transaction number with the public key of the user to provide an encrypted certification record. 
     The certification machine  242  may be further adapted to transmit the encrypted certification record to the public storage facility  228  and receive back from the public storage facility  228  a certification transaction number corresponding to the encrypted certification record. 
       FIG. 3  shows a simplified block diagram for a system and method for certifying a pending transaction. Again, an identification card  302  contains personal data  304  identifying the user. The personal data can include a photo  306  of the user; the user&#39;s name, address and driver license number  308 , and/or a bar code  310  or similar computer code for storing, scanning and/or retrieving additional data. Such coding can include PDF417 codes, QR-Codes, and other such codes. 
     The identification card  302  can be a government issued form of identification such as a driver license, passport, employee badge, military identification, political documentation, or the like. The identification card  302  can also be a privately issued form of identification such as a student ID, library card, social club, or any other form of identification. As indicated by triangle  314 , an input device  312  is used to input such personal data from the identification card  302  to provide input data. Input device  312  can take many forms. For example, input device  312  can be a digital scanner, digital camera or smartphone (include the camera commonly found in smartphones) for reading data from the identification card  302  including any codes appearing on the card  302 . 
     The input device  312  can also be a device for manually inputting personal data such as a keyboard, touchscreen, voice recognition, handwriting recognition, or other manual input device. The input data collected from the input device  312  is passed to an encryption machine  318  coupled to the input device  312  via a line  316 . Encryption machine  318  encrypts the input data with a public key of the user to provide encrypted data. A private key is paired with an associated public key as in conventional when generating such keys using an RSA encryption algorithm, an Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (ECDSA), or other encryption algorithm known to those skilled in the art. 
     A hashing machine  320  is coupled to the encryption machine  318  via a line  322  for hashing the encrypted data to provide a hash value. Hashing machine  320  is also coupled to a user accessible interface  326  via a line  324  and thereby passes the hash value to interface  326 . User accessible interface  326  can be any suitable remote device, a smartphone, a tablet, any suitable electronic device, any suitable device connected via a landline, or such other electronic equipment known to those skilled in the art for providing such an interface for accessing the hash value, the public key and the transaction number  332 . 
     The user accessible interface  326  transmits the hash value and the public key to a public storage facility  328  via a line  330 , and receives back from the public storage facility  328  a transaction number  332  corresponding to the transmitted hash value and public key. The user accessible interface  326  can be controllable by the user to provide the transaction number  332 , public key and hash value to a third party to, for example, establish the identity of the user as more fully explained herein. 
     The public storage facility  328  is connected to a communication link  334  via a line  336  and can be adapted to communicate over a public computer network, the internet, an intranet, an extranet or any private communication network. The public storage facility  328  can take the form of the block chain in a bitcoin online payment system. The user accessible interface  326  is thus adapted to seal the hash value and public key in the public storage facility  328 . 
     A certification machine  342  is adapted to retrieve the public key from the public storage facility  328  via a line  348  as a function of the transaction number  332 . The certification machine  342  is further adapted to transmit a notification  350  to the user (shown in block  352 ) of the pending transaction. The user prepares a response  354  and encrypts the response with the certification machine  342  public key. The certification machine  342  receives the response  354  back from the user via a line  356  and decrypts the user&#39;s encrypted response with the private key associated with the certification machine  242 . 
     In this manner and given a successful decryption, the certification machine can certify the pending transaction as a function of said decryption. Alternatively, the certification machine  342  could be set up to allow a person to make the decision whether to certify the transaction. The pending transaction to be certified can be any type of personal, professional, financial, or other type of transaction. For example, the pending transaction can comprise a pending transaction with a financial institution, and the notification can comprise notification to the user of a pending transaction at the financial institution. 
     The pending transaction can comprise a pending purchase with a credit card or a debit card, and the notification can comprise notification to the user of a pending credit card or debit card transaction. It is seen that the system  300  can comprise an abbreviated system for certifying a pending transaction for a user where the user has a corresponding public key and private key encryption pair. 
     The system uses the interface  326  for transmitting the public key to the public storage facility  328  and receives back from the public storage facility  328  a transaction number  332  corresponding to the public key. The certification machine  342  is then adapted to retrieve the public key from the public storage facility  328  as a function of the transaction number  332 . The certification machine  342  then transmits the notification  350  of the pending transaction to the user  352 . The certification machine  342  then receives back from the user a response  354  encrypted with the certification machine  342  public key and decrypts the user&#39;s encrypted response with the certification machine  342  private key. 
     The pending transaction can again be certified as a function of said decryption by either the certification machine  342  or by a person suitably set up to make the decision whether to certify the transaction. Again, the pending transaction to be certified by the abbreviated system can be any type of personal, professional, financial, or other type of transaction. For example, the pending transaction can comprise a pending transaction with a financial institution, and the notification can comprise notification to the user of a pending transaction at the financial institution. 
     The pending transaction can comprise a pending purchase with a credit card or a debit card, and the notification can comprise notification to the user of a pending credit card or debit card transaction. 
       FIG. 4  shows a simplified block diagram for a system and method for signing and certifying a document, the document comprising digital data. Again, an identification card  402  contains personal data  404  identifying the user. The personal data can include a photo  406  of the user; the user&#39;s name, address and driver license number  408 , and/or a bar code  410  or similar computer code for storing, scanning and/or retrieving additional data. Such coding can include PDF417 codes, QR-Codes, and other such codes. The identification card  402  can be a government issued form of identification such as a driver license, passport, employee badge, military identification, political documentation, or the like. 
     The identification card  402  can also be a privately issued form of identification such as a student ID, library card, social club, or any other form of identification. As indicated by triangle  414 , an input device  412  is used to input such personal data from the identification card  402  to provide input data. Input device  412  can take many forms. For example, input device  412  can be a digital scanner, digital camera or smartphone (include the camera commonly found in smartphones) for reading data from the identification card  402  including any codes appearing on the card  402 . 
     The input device  412  can also be a device for manually inputting personal data such as a keyboard, touchscreen, voice recognition, handwriting recognition, or other manual input device. The input data collected from the input device  412  is passed to an encryption machine  418  coupled to the input device  412  via a line  416 . Encryption machine  418  encrypts the input data with a public key of the user to provide encrypted data. A private key is paired with an associated public key as in conventional when generating such keys using an RSA encryption algorithm, an Elliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm (ECDSA), or other encryption algorithm known to those skilled in the art. 
     A hashing machine  420  is coupled to the encryption machine  418  via a line  422  for hashing the encrypted data to provide a hash value. Hashing machine  420  is also coupled to a user accessible interface  426  via a line  424  and thereby passes the hash value to interface  426 . User accessible interface  426  can be any suitable remote device, a smartphone, a tablet, any suitable electronic device, any suitable device connected via a landline, or such other electronic equipment known to those skilled in the art for providing such an interface for accessing the hash value, the public key and the transaction number  432 . 
     The user accessible interface  426  transmits the hash value and the public key to a public storage facility  428  via a line  430 , and receives back from the public storage facility  428  a transaction number  432  corresponding to the transmitted hash value and public key. The user accessible interface  426  can be controllable by the user to provide the transaction number  432 , public key and hash value to a third party to, for example, establish the identity of the user as more fully explained herein. The public storage facility  428  is connected to a communication link  434  via a line  436  and can be adapted to communicate over a public computer network, the internet, an intranet, an extranet or any private communication network. 
     The public storage facility  428  can take the form of the block chain in a bitcoin online payment system. The user accessible interface  426  is thus adapted to seal the hash value and public key in the public storage facility  428 . Box  460  includes the document to be certified and includes the digital data that comprises the document. The document in the form of such digital data can be provided to the hashing machine  420  directly over a line  462 . Alternatively, the document in the form of such digital data can be provided to the hashing machine  420  indirectly over lines  464  and  424  via the user accessible interface  426 . 
     The hashing machine  420  is further adapted to hash the digital data to provide a document hash value. As shown, the encryption machine  418  is further adapted to encrypt the document hash value  466  and the transaction number in box  432  with the public key of the third party to provide an encrypted document value  468 . The user accessible interface  426  is further adapted to transmit the encrypted document value  468  to the public storage facility  428  and to receive back from the public storage facility  428  a document transaction number (shown in box  432 ) corresponding to the encrypted document value  468 . 
     The user accessible interface  426  is still further adapted to transmit the document  460  and the document transaction number  432  to a third party. The third party can thereby use the document transaction number  432  and the private key of the third party to retrieve and decrypt the encrypted document value  468  to recover the document hash value  466  and to thereafter compare the retrieved document hash value against a hash value obtained by hashing the digital data comprising the transmitted document. 
     A match between the retrieved document hash value and the hash value obtained by hashing the digital data comprising the transmitted document shows that no changes have been made to the transmitted document. In an abbreviated form, the system  400  and method for signing and distributing a document to a third party where the document comprises digital data comprises a hashing machine  420  adapted to hash the digital data  460  to provide a document hash value  466 . 
     Encryption machine  418  is adapted to encrypt the document hash value  466  with a public key of the third party to provide an encrypted document value  468 . A user accessible interface is adapted to transmit the encrypted document value  468  to the public storage facility  428  and to receive back from the public storage facility  428  a document transaction number  432  corresponding to the encrypted document value  468 . The user accessible interface can transmit the document  460  and the document transaction number  432  to a third party. 
     The third party can again use the document transaction number  432  and obtain the public key of the user, and decrypt the encrypted document value  468  using the private key of the third party to recover the document hash value  466  and to thereafter compare the retrieved document hash value against a hash value obtained by hashing the digital data comprising the distributed document. Having provided this detailed description, it will be apparent that modifications and variations are possible without departing from the scope of the invention defined in the appended claims. 
     When introducing elements of the present invention or the preferred embodiments(s) thereof, the articles “a”, “an”, “the” and “said” are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. The terms “comprising”, “including” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements. In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained. As various changes could be made in the above systems without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description and shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. 
     With the above embodiments in mind, it should be understood that the inventions might employ various computer-implemented operations involving data stored in computer systems. Any of the operations described herein that form part of the inventions are useful machine operations. The inventions also relate to a device or an apparatus for performing these operations. The apparatus may be specially constructed for the required purposes, such as the carrier network discussed above, or it may be a general purpose computer selectively activated or configured by a computer program stored in the computer. In particular, various general purpose machines may be used with computer programs written in accordance with the teachings herein, or it may be more convenient to construct a more specialized apparatus to perform the required operations. 
     The inventions can also be embodied as computer readable code on a computer readable medium. The computer readable medium is any data storage device that can store data, which can thereafter be read by a computer system. Examples of the computer readable medium include hard drives, network attached storage (NAS), read-only memory, random-access memory, CD-ROMs, CD-Rs, CD-RWs, DVDs, Flash, magnetic tapes, and other optical and non-optical data storage devices. The computer readable medium can also be distributed over a network coupled computer systems so that the computer readable code is stored and executed in a distributed fashion. 
     Although example embodiments of the inventions have been described in some detail for purposes of clarity of understanding, it will be apparent that certain changes and modifications can be practiced within the scope of the following claims. For example, the website might host an online retailer or an online publication, instead of a connected-television service. Moreover, the operations described above can be ordered, modularized, and/or distributed in any suitable way. Accordingly, the present embodiments are to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive, and the inventions are not to be limited to the details given herein, but may be modified within the scope and equivalents of the following claims. In the following claims, elements and/or steps do not imply any particular order of operation, unless explicitly stated in the claims or implicitly required by the disclosure.