System, method, and article of manufacture for secure payment utilizing a computer network

Abstract

The present invention is a system or method and device useful for the secure electronic payment of consumer debts over a publicly accessible computer network. The preferred form of the present invention uses at least two separate, but compatible, software packages. Security server software that continuously runs on a security server and payor software that runs on demand on a payor computer system. The payor computer system communicates via the payor software with the security server via the security server software. The communication, or transaction. session operates under the secure communication protocol described below. A payee computer system may also communicate via payee software with the security server. Additionally, a version is provided that utilizes smart card technology and a remote kiosk computer that communicates with the security server.

1 . A method for a secure transaction over a multi-computer network comprising the steps of: 
 a. providing at least two separate computer programs that are designed to communicate with each other over a multi-computer network, each separate computer program resident and runnable on a separate computer of the multi-computer network, at least one of the at least two separate computer programs further being a security server program for receiving and processing the secure transaction and at least one of the at least two separate computer programs further being a customer program;    b. running the security server program on a substantially continuous basis thereby making it available to receive secure transactions;    c. running the customer program on an as needed basis for communicating with the security server program with the customer program across a first communication port:    d. receiving a dynamically assigned port address from the security server program:    e. switching the customer program to the second port address for further communications with the security server program:    sending transaction information to the security server program using the second port address:    CY having the security server program process the transaction.    
   
   
       2 . The method according the  claim 1  further including the step of having the customer computer program send customer profile information to the security server program for comparison with customer profile information previously stored on a computer memory accessibly by the security server program, thereby verifying the identity of the customer.  
   
   
       3 . The method according to  claim 2  wherein the customer profile information comprises a pass phrase that may have white spaces and answers to customer created personal information questions.  
   
   
       4 . The method according to claim wherein the customer profile information comprises a pass phrase that may have white spaces and answers to customer created personal information questions.