Generation, management, and tracking of digital credentials

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10033536-B2
Application number	US-201615081173-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 25, 2016
Priority date	Mar 25, 2016
Publication date	Jul 24, 2018
Grant date	Jul 24, 2018

Abstract

Techniques described herein relate to generating and managing digital credentials using a digital credential platform in communication with various digital credential template owners and digital credential issuers. In some embodiments, a digital credential platform server may receive and coordinate requests and responses between the digital credential template owners and a set of digital credential issuers, to determine which digital credential issuers are authorized to issue digital credential based on which digital credential templates. The digital credential platform server may provide the authorized issuers with access to particular digital credential templates and the functionality to issue digital credentials to users based on any of the particular digital credential templates. Additional techniques described herein relate to tracking, analyzing, and reporting data metrics for issued digital credentials.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A digital credential issuance system comprising:
a digital credential template owner device, comprising:
a processing unit comprising one or more processors;
one or more network interfaces configured to transmit secure data to a digital credential platform server; and
memory coupled with and readable by the processing unit and storing therein a set of instructions which, when executed by the processing unit, causes the digital credential template owner device to:
transmit one or more digital credential templates to the digital credential platform server;
receive requests from the digital credential platform server to confirm authorized issuers of digital credentials based on one or more of the digital credential templates; and
in response to said requests, transmit secure data confirming one or more digital credential issuers as authorized issuers of digital credentials based on one or more of the digital credential templates;

a digital credential issuer device, comprising:
a processing unit comprising one or more processors;
one or more network interfaces configured to transmit secure data to the digital credential platform server; and
memory coupled with and readable by the processing unit and storing therein a set of instructions which, when executed by the processing unit, causes the digital credential issuer device to:
transmit requests to the digital credential platform server to request permission to issue digital credentials based on one or more of the digital credential templates associated with one or more digital credential template owners;
receive responses to said requests from the digital credential platform server, said responses confirming a digital credential issuer associated with the digital credential issuer device as an authorized issuer of digital credentials based on one or more of the digital credential templates associated with one or more digital credential template owners;
access, from the digital credential platform server, a first digital credential template for which the digital credential issuer is authorized to issue digital credentials;
determine that a first credential receiver is eligible to receive a digital credential based on the first digital credential template;
receive user data for the first credential receiver;
generate a first digital credential based on the first digital credential template and the received user data; and
transmit data confirming the issuance of the first digital credential to the first credential receiver, to the digital credential platform server; and

a digital credential platform server, comprising:
a processing unit comprising one or more processors;
one or more network interfaces configured to transmit secure data to the digital credential platform server; and
memory coupled with and readable by the processing unit and storing therein a set of instructions which, when executed by the processing unit, causes the digital credential platform server to:
receive one or more digital credential templates, including the first digital credential template, from the digital credential template owner device associated with a digital credential template owner, the first digital credential template corresponding to an educational or training certification defined by the digital credential template owner;
store the received one or more digital credential templates in a secure storage of the digital credential platform server;
receive a first request from the digital credential issuer device associated with the digital credential issuer, the first request requesting to issue digital credentials based on the first digital credential template;
transmit, to the digital credential template owner device, a request corresponding to the first request from the digital credential issuer to issue digital credentials based on the first digital credential template;
receive, in response to said transmitted request, from the digital credential template owner device, authorization data permitting the digital credential issuer to issue digital credentials based on the first digital credential template;
in response to the received authorization data, grant the digital credential issuer device access to the first digital credential template;
receive, from the digital credential issuer device, the data confirming the issuance of the first digital credential to the first credential receiver, the first digital credential representing completion of the educational certification or training course by the first credential receiver;
transmit a communication to a first receiver device associated with the first credential receiver, in response to receiving the data from the digital credential issuer device confirming the issuance of the first digital credential;
output a user interface during a network session with the first credential receiver device, the user interface including at least a first option to accept the first digital credential and a second option to reject the first digital credential;
receive, during the network session with the first credential receiver device, a selection of the first credential receiver, either of the first option to accept the first digital credential or the second option to reject the first digital credential; and
store the data corresponding to the first digital credential, including data indicating either the acceptance or the rejection of the first digital credential by the first credential receiver, in the secure storage of the digital credential platform server.

2. The digital credential issuance system of claim 1 , the memory of the digital credential platform server storing therein further instructions which, when executed by the processing unit, causes the digital credential platform server to:
receive, from the digital credential template owner device, additional authorization data permitting the digital credential issuer to be named as a providing entity within digital credentials issued by the digital credential issuer based on the first digital credential template;
store, in association with the first digital credential, data indicating that the digital credential issuer was the provider of the first digital credential;
receive a request for the first digital credential from a client device; and
retrieve and output the data corresponding to the first digital credential, including the data indicating that the digital credential issuer was the provider of the first digital credential, in response to the request.

3. The digital credential issuance system of claim 1 , the memory of the digital credential platform server storing therein further instructions which, when executed by the processing unit, causes the digital credential platform server to:
receive, from a credential endorser device, additional authorization data permitting a first a credential endorser to be named as an endorsing entity for digital credentials issued based on the first digital credential template;
store, in association with the first digital credential, data indicating that the endorsing entity endorses the first digital credential;
receive a request for the first digital credential from a client device; and
retrieve and output the data corresponding to the first digital credential, including the data indicating that the endorsing entity endorses the first digital credential, in response to the request.

4. The digital credential issuance system of claim 1 , wherein the received selection of the first credential receiver is a selection to accept the first digital credential, and wherein the memory of the digital credential platform server stores further instructions which, when executed by the processing unit, causes the digital credential platform server to:
in response to the acceptance of the first digital crede

Assignees

• Pearson Education Inc
• Credly Inc

Inventors

• Mercury Mark Thomas
• Schmidt Kurt Jarin

Classifications

• H04L9/3226

  using a predetermined code, e.g. password, passphrase or PIN (network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using passwords in a packet data network H04L63/083) · CPC title

• H04L63/083

  using passwords (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226) · CPC title

• H04L63/0823 Primary

  using certificates (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263) · CPC title

• H04L9/3263

  involving certificates, e.g. public key certificate [PKC] or attribute certificate [AC]; Public key infrastructure [PKI] arrangements (network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using certificates in a packet data network H04L63/0823) · CPC title

• H04L9/3247 Primary

  involving digital signatures · CPC title