Granted Patent B2

US 6,904,418 · App. 10/253,192 · Granted Jun 7, 2005

Abstract

Claims (49)

1. A method comprising:

transmitting a verification authority permission certificate from a trusted agent to a verification authority;

signing the transmitted verification authority permission certificate;

transmitting the signed verification authority permission certificate from the verification authority to the trusted agent to verify that a seller has performed conditions of a contract;

electronically transmitting a withdrawal permission certificate from the trusted agent to the seller in response to receipt of the signed verification authority permission certificate,

thereby permitting the seller to withdraw an amount of funds from a bank; and

transmitting the withdrawal permission certificate from the seller to the bank.

2. A computer readable medium storing instructions configured to direct a processor to perform the method of:

transmitting a verification authority permission certificate from a trusted agent to a verification authority;

signing the transmitted verification authority permission certificate;

transmitting the signed verification authority permission certificate from the verification authority to the trusted agent to verify that a seller has performed conditions of a contract;

transmitting a withdrawal permission certificate from the trusted agent to the seller in response to receipt of the signed verification authority permission certificate,

thereby permitting the seller to withdraw an amount of funds from a bank; and

transmitting the withdrawal permission certificate from the seller to the bank.

3. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a computer readable medium in communication with the processor,

the computer readable medium storing instructions configured to direct the processor to perform the method of:

transmitting a verification authority permission certificate from a trusted agent to a verification authority;

signing the transmitted verification authority permission certificate;

transmitting the signed verification authority permission certificate from the verification authority to the trusted agent to verify that a seller has performed conditions of a contract;

transmitting a withdrawal permission certificate from the trusted agent to the seller in response to receipt of the signed verification authority permission certificates,

thereby permitting the seller to withdraw an amount of funds from a bank; and

transmitting the withdrawal permission certificate from the seller to the bank.

4. A method comprising:

transmitting a verification authority permission certificate from a trusted agent to a verification authority;

receiving the verification authority permission certificate from the verification authority,

in which the verification authority permission certificate is signed by the verification authority, and

in which the received signed verification authority permission certificate verifies that a seller has performed conditions of a contract; and

electronically transmitting a withdrawal permission certificate from the trusted agent to the seller in response to receipt of the signed verification authority permission certificate,

thereby permitting the seller to withdraw an amount of funds from a bank,

in which the withdrawal permission certificate is for transmitting from the seller to the bank.

5. The method of claim 4 , in which the bank is the trusted agent.

6. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:

providing to the bank a contract that has been digitally signed by the seller, a buyer and the trusted agent; and

storing the transmitted contract in a contract terms database at the bank.

7. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:

establishing at the bank a cryptographically-enabled account that corresponds to the stored contract.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:

depositing funds in the cryptographically-enabled account.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

placing a cryptographic lock on the cryptographically-enable account.

10. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:

using a permission certificate calculation program to generate the verification authority permission certificate and the withdrawal permission certificate.

11. The method of claim 4 , further comprising transmitting funds from the bank to the seller in response to the bank receiving the withdrawal permission certificate.

12. A computer readable medium storing instructions configured to direct a processor to perform the method of claim 4 .

13. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

the computer readable medium of claim 12 in communication with the processor.

Assignments (8)