Patents by Inventor John F. Sheets

John F. Sheets has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11470475
    Abstract: A method by an access device comprising obtaining a first biometric sample of a user; generating a first biometric template or a derivative thereof from the first biometric sample; transmitting the first biometric template or the derivative thereof to a mobile device, wherein the mobile device or the user determines if the access device is an authentic access device; receiving a confirmation of a match between the first biometric template and a second biometric template on the mobile device; and conducting a transaction between the access device and the mobile device, after the mobile device or the user determines that the access device is authentic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: Visa International Service Association
    Inventors: Kim R. Wagner, John F. Sheets, Mark Nelsen
  • Patent number: 11451394
    Abstract: Methods and systems for performing demographics filtering based on biometric information are disclosed. An access terminal can capture a biometric instance corresponding to a user, such as a fingerprint scan, iris scan, etc. The access terminal can determine demographics information from the biometric instance, such as the age, biological sex, or ethnicity of the user. The access terminal can compare the demographics information to demographics information stored on a group of mobile devices corresponding to a group of users, in order to identify candidate user mobile devices. Once candidate user mobile devices are identified, the access terminal can perform a biometric match between the biometric instance corresponding to the user and biometric instances stored on the candidate user mobile devices. Once a biometric match and the corresponding mobile device are determined, the access terminal can conduct a further interaction with the mobile device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 27, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: Visa International Service Association
    Inventors: Sunpreet Singh Arora, Kim Wagner, John F. Sheets
  • Patent number: 11431504
    Abstract: The invention is directed to a system that enables an authentication process that involves secure multi-party computation. The authentication process can be performed between a user device operated by a user and an access device. The user device and the access device may conduct the authentication process such that enrollment information and authentication information input by the user is not transmitted between the devices. Instead, the user device may determine and utilize obfuscated values associated with the authentication information. The user device may also determine an obfuscated authentication function that can be utilized to determine an authentication result without revealing enrollment information and authentication information associated with the user. The user can be authenticated based on the authentication result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: Visa International Service Association
    Inventors: Kim R. Wagner, John F. Sheets
  • Publication number: 20220217141
    Abstract: Techniques for intelligently deciding the optimal authenticator(s) from amongst those supported by an electronic device are described. The authentication system according to some embodiments may include a dynamic machine learner that incorporates the attributes of: (i) user behavior attributes (e.g., preferred authenticator); (ii) device attributes (e.g., hardware and software specifications, applications, etc.); and (iii) operating environment attributes (e.g., ambient light, noise, etc.), as well as the interplay between the aforementioned attributes over time to make the decision. In some embodiments, the authentication activities and patterns of other users of similar type (e.g., users exhibiting similar behavior across different operating environments) can also be learned and employed to improve the decision making process over time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 28, 2022
    Publication date: July 7, 2022
    Inventors: Sunpreet Singh Arora, Kim R. Wagner, John F. Sheets, Lacey Best-Rowden
  • Patent number: 11368457
    Abstract: Techniques for intelligently deciding the optimal authenticator(s) from amongst those supported by an electronic device are described. The authentication system according to some embodiments may include a dynamic machine learner that incorporates the attributes of: (i) user behavior attributes (e.g., preferred authenticator); (ii) device attributes (e.g., hardware and software specifications, applications, etc.); and (iii) operating environment attributes (e.g., ambient light, noise, etc.), as well as the interplay between the aforementioned attributes over time to make the decision. In some embodiments, the authentication activities and patterns of other users of similar type (e.g., users exhibiting similar behavior across different operating environments) can also be learned and employed to improve the decision making process over time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2022
    Assignee: Visa International Service Association
    Inventors: Sunpreet Singh Arora, Kim R. Wagner, John F. Sheets, Lacey Best-Rowden
  • Publication number: 20220191014
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention involve using biometric templates to wirelessly authenticate individuals. In one embodiment, a mobile device may generate a first biometric template and a first public value from a first biometric sample of a user and generate a first cryptographic key by passing the first biometric template to a fuzzy extractors generate function. An access device may generate a second biometric template from a second biometric sample of the user, generate a second secret cryptographic key by passing the second biometric template and the first public value to the fuzzy extractors reproduce function, encrypt the second biometric template with the second secret cryptographic key, and broadcast the encrypted template to a plurality of nearby mobile devices including the mobile device. If the mobile device is able to decrypt the encrypted template with the first cryptographic key, the access device can associate the user with the mobile device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 1, 2022
    Publication date: June 16, 2022
    Inventors: Kim R. Wagner, John F. Sheets, Mark Allen Nelsen
  • Patent number: 11314966
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are directed to a system and methods for determining a likelihood that an image that includes a user is a spoof or fake. In some embodiments, focus values are determined for various parts of the image during a focus sweep. The focus values may represent a focus point at which a particular part of the image is sharp. In some embodiments, the focus values may be determined only for the sections of the image that correspond to a face within the image. From the focus values, the system may determine a relative depth of various parts of the image. Using the relative depths, the system may generate a rough depth map for the image. The depth map may be analyzed to determine a likelihood that the image is authentic.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2022
    Assignee: Visa International Service Association
    Inventors: John F. Sheets, Sunpreet Singh Arora, Lacey Best-Rowden, Kim R. Wagner
  • Publication number: 20220122081
    Abstract: When a user enters a resource provider location with a portable communication device, the portable communication device provides an indication to a transaction processing system that the portable communication device is currently at the resource provider location. At a later time when the user conducts a transaction with a portable transaction device, the fact that the user's portable communication device had been detected at the resource provider a short time ago is taken into account as a positive indicator that the transaction is not fraudulent. By verifying that both the portable communication device and the portable transaction device are present at the resource provider, the risk of approving a fraudulent transaction from a stolen portable transaction device can be reduced.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2021
    Publication date: April 21, 2022
    Inventors: Kim Wagner, John F. Sheets, Mark Nelsen, Jing Jin
  • Patent number: 11303435
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention involve using biometric templates to wirelessly authenticate individuals. In one embodiment, a mobile device may generate a first biometric template and a first public value from a first biometric sample of a user and generate a first cryptographic key by passing the first biometric template to a fuzzy extractors generate function. An access device may generate a second biometric template from a second biometric sample of the user, generate a second secret cryptographic key by passing the second biometric template and the first public value to the fuzzy extractors reproduce function, encrypt the second biometric template with the second secret cryptographic key, and broadcast the encrypted template to a plurality of nearby mobile devices including the mobile device. If the mobile device is able to decrypt the encrypted template with the first cryptographic key, the access device can associate the user with the mobile device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: Visa International Service Association
    Inventors: Kim R. Wagner, John F. Sheets, Mark Allen Nelsen
  • Publication number: 20220108323
    Abstract: Provided is a computer-implemented method for authenticating a customer during payment transactions based on biometric identification parameters of the customer that includes receiving image data associated with an image template for identification of a customer, receiving image data associated with an image of a biometric identification parameter of the customer during a payment transaction between the customer and a merchant, establishing a short-range communication connection with a user device associated with the customer during the payment transaction between the customer and the merchant, authenticating an identity of the customer for the payment transaction via the short-range communication connection, determining an account identifier of an account of the customer based on authenticating the identity of the customer for the payment transaction, and processing the payment transaction using the account identifier of the account of the customer. A system and computer program product are also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2021
    Publication date: April 7, 2022
    Inventors: Elianna Starr, Dennis Franklin Olson, Amy Dawson, Andres Jimenez, Jiayun He, Amisha Sisodiya, Jorge Andre Torres Perez Palacios, Binoy Parag Parikh, Saloni Vijaykumar Mahajan, Sowmya Vuddaraju, Sneha Sri Tadepalli, Lacey Best-Rowden, Kim R. Wagner, Sunpreet Singh Arora, Sunit Lohtia, John F. Sheets
  • Patent number: 11276058
    Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed in which data associated with a transaction are protected with encryption. At an access device, a PIN associated with a payment account may be encrypted with a first key derived from an initial key of the access device and sensitive data associated with the payment account may be encrypted with a second key derived from the initial key. At a secure module associated with a host server encrypted sensitive data of an authorization request message may be decrypted. The secure module associated with the host server can re-encrypt the sensitive data using a zone encryption key associated with a payment processing network. A translated authorization request message including the re-encrypted sensitive data can be transmitted by the merchant server to the payment processing network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2022
    Assignee: Visa International Service Association
    Inventors: Glenn Powell, John F. Sheets, Paul Tait, Kim Wagner, Krishna Koganti, Marc Perl, Hector Rodriguez, Susan Zloth
  • Patent number: 11238457
    Abstract: When a user enters a resource provider location with a portable communication device, the portable communication device provides an indication to a transaction processing system that the portable communication device is currently at the resource provider location. At a later time when the user conducts a transaction with a portable transaction device, the fact that the user's portable communication device had been detected at the resource provider a short time ago is taken into account as a positive indicator that the transaction is not fraudulent. By verifying that both the portable communication device and the portable transaction device are present at the resource provider, the risk of approving a fraudulent transaction from a stolen portable transaction device can be reduced.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: Visa International Service Association
    Inventors: Kim Wagner, John F. Sheets, Mark Nelsen, Jing Jin
  • Patent number: 11232450
    Abstract: Provided is a computer-implemented method for authenticating a customer during payment transactions based on biometric identification parameters of the customer that includes receiving image data associated with an image template for identification of a customer, receiving image data associated with an image of a biometric identification parameter of the customer during a payment transaction between the customer and a merchant, establishing a short-range communication connection with a user device associated with the customer during the payment transaction between the customer and the merchant, authenticating an identity of the customer for the payment transaction via the short-range communication connection, determining an account identifier of an account of the customer based on authenticating the identity of the customer for the payment transaction, and processing the payment transaction using the account identifier of the account of the customer. A system and computer program product are also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 25, 2022
    Assignee: Visa International Service Association
    Inventors: Elianna Starr, Dennis Franklin Olson, Amy Dawson, Andres Jimenez, Jiayun He, Amisha Sisodiya, Jorge Andre Torres Perez Palacios, Binoy Parag Parikh, Saloni Vijaykumar Mahajan, Sowmya Vuddaraju, Sneha Sri Tadepalli, Lacey Best-Rowden, Kim R. Wagner, Sunpreet Singh Arora, Sunit Lohtia, John F. Sheets
  • Publication number: 20210367786
    Abstract: Described herein are a system and techniques for enabling biometric authentication without exposing the authorizing entity to sensitive information. In some embodiments, the system receives a biometric template from a user device which is encrypted using a public key associated with the system. The encrypted biometric template is then provided to a second entity along with a biometric identifier. Upon receiving a request to complete a transaction that includes the biometric identifier and a second biometric template, the second entity may encrypt the second biometric template using the same public key associated with the system and perform a comparison between the two encrypted biometric templates. The resulting match result data file is already encrypted and can be provided to the system to determine an extent to which the two biometric templates match.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2018
    Publication date: November 25, 2021
    Inventors: John F. Sheets, Kim R. Wagner, Sunpreet Singh Arora, Lacey Best-Rowden, Chunxi Jiang
  • Publication number: 20210166228
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described for provisioning access credentials to a mobile device using device and authorization codes. Once provisioned, a mobile device can be used to conduct a transaction.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 4, 2021
    Publication date: June 3, 2021
    Inventors: Kim R. Wagner, John F. Sheets, Glenn Powell
  • Patent number: 11017402
    Abstract: A merchant computer generates a token including a “pay-me” merchant account identifier and transaction data for a transaction conducted by a consumer. The merchant token can be obtained by a mobile communication device and transmitted to a payment processing network along with a device identifier for the mobile communication device and an authentication token provided by the consumer. The payment processing network can authenticate the device using the authentication token, retrieve a consumer account number based on the device identifier, and complete the transaction by pushing money into the merchant “pay-me” account from the consumer account.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: VISA INTERNATIONAL SERVICE ASSOCIATION
    Inventor: John F. Sheets
  • Publication number: 20210090074
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are directed to methods, apparatuses, computer readable media and systems for providing, along with a token, a token assurance level and data used to generate the token assurance level. At the time a token is issued, one or more Identification and Verification (ID&V) methods may be performed to ensure that the token is replacing a PAN that was legitimately used by a token requestor. A token assurance level may be assigned to a given token in light of the type of ID&V that is performed and the entity performing the ID&V. Different ID&Vs may result in different token assurance levels. An issuer may wish to know the level of assurance and the data used in generating the level of assurance associated with a token prior to authorizing a payment transaction that uses the token.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2020
    Publication date: March 25, 2021
    Inventors: Glenn Leon Powell, John F. Sheets, Bruce Rutherford, Gregory Williamson, James Anderson
  • Patent number: 10959093
    Abstract: A method and system for provisioning access data in a second application on a mobile device using a first application on the mobile device. Authentication data may be input into the first application, and an authentication code may be requested from a remote server. The authentication code may include access data to be provisioned, in encrypted form. After the authentication code is received by the first application in the mobile device, it can pass the authentication code to a second application that initiates an access data provisioning process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: Visa International Service Association
    Inventors: Glenn Powell, John F. Sheets, Kim R. Wagner
  • Patent number: 10949841
    Abstract: Systems and methods are described for provisioning access credentials to a mobile device using device and authorization codes. Once provisioned, a mobile device can be used to conduct a transaction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2021
    Assignee: Visa International Service Association
    Inventors: Kim R. Wagner, John F. Sheets, Glenn Powell
  • Publication number: 20210044974
    Abstract: A method and system for provisioning access data in a second application on a mobile device using a first application on the mobile device. Authentication data may be input into the first application, and an authentication code may be requested from a remote server. After the authentication code is received by the first application in the mobile device, it can pass the authentication code to a second application that initiates an access data provisioning process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2020
    Publication date: February 11, 2021
    Inventors: Glenn Powell, John F. Sheets