Authenticated checkin via passive NFC
View Patent ↗The present disclosure involves a method of verifying user check-ins to a venue. The method includes initializing a digital check-in chain for a venue. The method includes expanding, electronically by a processor, the check-in chain with a plurality of check-in entries that each correspond to a visit to the venue by a respective user. Each check-in entry on the check-in chain is generated in response to one or more preceding check-in entries on the check-in chain. The method includes detecting fraudulent check-in entries in response to a split in the check-in chain. The method includes removing the fraudulent check-in entries from the check-in chain.
1. A method, comprising:
initializing a digital check-in chain for a venue;
expanding, electronically by a processor, the check-in chain with a plurality of check-in entries that each correspond to a visit to the venue by a respective user;
detecting a branching of the check-in chain into at least two branched check-in chains; and
determining that one of the at least two branched check-in chains is fraudulent.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising monitoring at least one characteristic of the two branched check-in chains.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the at least one characteristic comprises at least one of a volume of check-ins, a rate of check-ins, or a variety of unique user identifications.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising removing entries from the fraudulent check-in chain.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein each check-in entry includes a cryptographic signature of its corresponding user.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein each cryptographic signature is generated as a function of every other existing cryptographic signature on the check-in chain.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the expanding the check-in chain comprises:
receiving a check-in request from a user, the check-in request containing information that is signed with a private key associated with the user; and
validating the check-in request using a public key associated with the user.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein each check-in entry is generated using a Near Field Communication (NFC) technology.
9. A tangible, non transitory computer-readable medium including instructions that, when executed by a processor of a server, cause the server to perform a method comprising:
initializing a digital check-in chain for a venue;
expanding the check-in chain with a plurality of check-in entries that each correspond to a visit to the venue by a respective user;
detecting a branching of the check-in chain into at least two branched check-in chains; and
determining that one of the at least two branched check-in chains is fraudulent.
10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the method further comprises monitoring at least one characteristic of the two branched check-in chains.
11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the at least one characteristic comprises at least one of a volume of check-ins, a rate of check-ins, or a variety of unique user identifications.
12. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the method further comprises removing entries from the fraudulent check-in chain.
13. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein initializing the digital check-in chain comprises generating a check-in seed that contains information about the venue.
14. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein each check-in entry includes a cryptographic signature of its corresponding user.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein each cryptographic signature is generated as a function of every other existing cryptographic signature on the check-in chain.
16. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein expanding the check-in chain comprises:
receiving a check-in request from a user, the check-in request containing information that is signed with a private key associated with the user; and
validating the check-in request using a public key associated with the user.
17. A tangible, non transitory computer-readable medium including instructions that, when executed by a processor of a server, cause the server to perform a method comprising:
generating a check-in seed for a venue;
sending the generated check-in seed to the venue;
verifying a first check-in entry received from the venue, the first check-in entry being a function of the generated check-in seed
forming a check-in chain by appending the first check-in entry after the check-in seed when the first check-in entry is successfully verified;
verifying a second check-in entry from the venue, the second check-in entry being a function of the generated check-in seed and the first check-in entry;
expanding the check-in chain by appending the second check-in entry after the first check-in entry if the second check-in entry is successfully verified;
detecting a branching of the check-in chain into at least two branched check-in chains; and
determining that one of the at least two branched check-in chains is fraudulent.
18. The computer-readable medium of claim 17 , the method further comprising monitoring at least one characteristic of the two branched check-in chains.
19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the at least one characteristic comprises at least one of a volume of check-ins, a rate of check-ins, or a variety of unique user identifications.
20. The computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein:
the first check-in entry and the second check-in entry include a first cryptographic signature and a second cryptographic signature, respectively;
verifying the first check-in entry comprises verifying the first cryptographic signature; and
verifying the second check-in entry comprises verifying the second cryptographic signature.