Authentication method and system
Provide herein is a method and system capable of authenticating transactions involving at least one service provider and one or more users who are each in electronic communication. This electronic communication can be, for example, SMS, MMS, e-mail, or online account messaging. It is an aspect of certain embodiments where the transaction is an authentication and/or verification of an entity. Examples of such entities are products, actions and users.
1. An operating method for a network server to perform the following acts for each client of a plurality of clients and at least one provider of goods and/or services, wherein the network server includes a set of dialog logics executed in the network server, the acts comprising:
mediating, by the network server, a set of transactions between a client of the plurality of clients and the at least one provider based on the set of dialog logics,
controlling at least one dialog using the set of dialog logics, wherein at the network server communicates over at least one communication network with a mobile terminal associated with that client using the at least one dialog,
wherein the set of transactions involves at least one electronic payment by that client to the at least one provider,
wherein the mediating of the set of transactions by the network server includes the network server transmitting identifier data other than financial data for that client over the at least one communication network such that the transmitted identifier data enables identification of the financial data for that client thereby facilitating processing of that at least one electronic payment for the client to the at least one provider, and
wherein the network server facilitates the at least one electronic payment by the client to the at least one provider based on information included in the at least one dialog which includes identifier data of the financial data for the client but not the client's financial data itself.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mediating of the set of transactions further comprises mediating a plurality of transactions for that client, each transaction plurality of the transactions involving a respective electronic payment.
3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the method further comprises the network server using one or more of that client's profile, that client's history and that client's location to determine the transactions to be mediated between that client and the at least one provider.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mediating of the set of transactions further comprises the network server negotiating with a plurality of providers on behalf of that client, unprompted by that client, to identify an optimal offer for the client.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the use of the at least one communication network to communicate with that client's mobile terminal comprises authenticating the mobile terminal using at least one dynamically variable communication parameter for communication over the at least one communication network.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the authentication of the mobile terminal comprises verifying that that mobile terminal uses the at least one dynamically variable communication parameter for a reply message sent from the mobile terminal to the network server.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the at least one dynamically variable communication parameter is a parameter that the mobile terminal uses in a reply message by using a reply function of that mobile terminal without explicit entry of the at least one dynamically variable communication parameter.
8. The method of claim 5 , wherein the network server transmits the at least one dynamically variable communication parameter in a query message over the at least one communication network to the mobile terminal and the network server positively authenticates the mobile terminal based on whether the transmitted dynamically variable communication parameter is used in a reply message sent from the mobile terminal to the network server over the at least one communication network.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the at least one dynamically variable communication parameter comprises a randomly selected communication address, wherein the network server positively authenticates that mobile terminal based on whether the at least one dynamically variable communication parameter is used in the reply message sent from the mobile terminal to the network server.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the randomly selected communication address is a recipient subscriber number in a cellular mobile network.
11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the randomly selected communication address is an e-mail address.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one dialog defines mutual relations of a plurality of query-reply pairs, wherein the plurality of query-reply pairs relate to a plurality of phases of a single transaction or to a plurality of related transactions.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the set of dialog logics control a plurality of dialogs, wherein the plurality of dialogs correspond to related transactions with a plurality of providers, and wherein a reply from that mobile terminal indicating an offer has been accepted by the client automatically triggers transmission of at least one further offer of at least one further good and/or service related to the accepted offer.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one communication network includes telecommunication connections used to communicate with the mobile terminal.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the telecommunication connections comprise cellular mobile connections.
16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the telecommunication connections comprise Internet connections.
17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identifier data includes data that is transaction-specific.
18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the identifier data includes data that is dynamic.
19. The method of claim 1 , wherein the network server mediates synchronous and asynchronous communications with the client mobile terminal and the at least one provider.
20. The method of claim 1 , wherein the network server adapts information to be included in the at least one dialog for transmission to the client's mobile terminal and the at least one provider.
21. A network server comprising a set of network interfaces for connecting with at least one provider of goods and/or services and a plurality of clients,
wherein each client is associated with a mobile terminal,
wherein the network server includes a set of dialog logics executed in the network server,
wherein the network server mediates a set of transactions between a client of the plurality of clients and the at least one provider based on the set of dialog logics,
wherein the network server controls at least one dialog using the set of dialog logics to communicate with a mobile terminal associated with the client,
wherein the set of transactions involves at least one electronic payment by the client to the at least one provider,
wherein, when mediating the set of transactions, the network server transmits identifier data other than financial data for that client over the at least one communication network such that the transmitted identifier data enables identification of the financial data for the client thereby facilitating processing of the at least one electronic payment for the client to the at least one provider, and
wherein the network server facilitates the at least one electronic payment by the client to the at least one provider based on information included in the at least one dialog which includes identifier data of the financial data for the client but not the client's financial data itself.
22. The network server of claim 21 , wherein the network server mediates synchronous and asynchronous communications with the client mobile terminal and the at least one provider.
23. The network server of claim 21 , wherein the network server adapts information to be included in the at least one dialog for transmission to the client's mobile terminal and the at least one provider.
24. The network server of claim 21 , wherein the mediating of the set of transactions further comprises mediating a plurality of transactions for that client, each transaction plurality of the transactions involving a respective electronic payment.
25. The method according to claim 24 , wherein the method further comprises the network server using one or more of that client's profile, that client's history and that client's location to determine the transactions to be mediated between that client and the at least one provider.
26. The network server of claim 21 , wherein the mediating of the set of transactions further comprises the network server negotiating with a plurality of providers on behalf of that client, unprompted by that client, to identify an optimal offer for the client.
27. The network server of claim 21 , wherein the use of the at least one communication network to communicate with that client's mobile terminal comprises authenticating the mobile terminal using at least one dynamically variable communication parameter for communication over the at least one communication network.
28. The network server of claim 27 , wherein the authentication of the mobile terminal comprises verifying that that mobile terminal uses the at least one dynamically variable communication parameter for a reply message sent from the mobile terminal to the network server.
29. The network server of claim 28 , wherein the at least one dynamically variable communication parameter is a parameter that the mobile terminal uses in a reply message by using a reply function of that mobile terminal without explicit entry of the at least one dynamically variable communication parameter.
30. The network server of claim 27 , wherein the network server transmits the at least one dynamically variable communication parameter in a query message over the at least one communication network to the mobile terminal and the network server positively authenticates the mobile terminal based on whether the transmitted dynamically variable communication parameter is used in a reply message sent from the mobile terminal to the network server over the at least one communication network.
31. The network server of claim 30 , wherein the at least one dynamically variable communication parameter comprises a randomly selected communication address, wherein the network server positively authenticates that mobile terminal based on whether the at least one dynamically variable communication parameter is used in the reply message sent from the mobile terminal to the network server.
32. The network server of claim 31 , wherein the randomly selected communication address is a recipient subscriber number in a cellular mobile network.
33. The network server of claim 31 , wherein the randomly selected communication address is an e-mail address.
34. The network server of claim 21 , wherein the at least one dialog defines mutual relations of a plurality of query-reply pairs, wherein the plurality of query-reply pairs relate to a plurality of phases of a single transaction or to a plurality of related transactions.
35. The network server of claim 21 , wherein the set of dialog logics control a plurality of dialogs, wherein the plurality of dialogs correspond to related transactions with a plurality of providers, and wherein a reply from that mobile terminal indicating an offer has been accepted by the client automatically triggers transmission of at least one further offer of at least one further good and/or service related to the accepted offer.
36. The network server of claim 21 , wherein the at least one communication network includes telecommunication connections used to communicate with the mobile terminal.
37. The network server of claim 36 , wherein the telecommunication connections comprise cellular mobile connections.
38. The network server of claim 36 , wherein the telecommunication connections comprise Internet connections.
39. The network server of claim 21 , wherein the identifier data includes data that is transaction-specific.
40. The network server of claim 21 , wherein the identifier data includes data that is dynamic.