Verifying that a purchasing request is legitimate

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9818094-B1
Application number	US-201313773532-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Feb 21, 2013
Priority date	Apr 4, 2011
Publication date	Nov 14, 2017
Grant date	Nov 14, 2017

Abstract

In general, the subject matter described in this disclosure can be embodied in methods, systems, and program products. A computing device provides a user interface of a third-party application program. The user interface includes an interface element that causes purchase of a product. The computing device receives an indication that the user has selected the interface element. The computing device identifies a first identity certificate that is assigned to the third-party application program from among multiple identity certificates that are assigned to multiple respective third-party application programs. The computing device sends the first identity certificate to a server system so as to cause the server system to determine whether the first identity certificate matches a second identity certificate. The computing device receives an indication that the third-party application program is able to legitimately purchase the product. The computing device sends a request for purchasing the product.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
receiving, by one or more processors in response to a request to download a third-party application program, the third-party application program and a first cryptographic hash value that was previously generated from the third-party application program;
generating, by the one or more processors after receiving the third-party application program in response to the request to download the third-party application program, a second cryptographic hash value from the third-party application program, by applying a cryptographic hash function to the third-party application program;
determining, by the one or more processors, whether the first cryptographic hash value matches the second cryptographic hash value;
installing, by the one or more processors and in response to determining that the first cryptographic hash value matches the second cryptographic hash value, the third-party application program;
providing, by the one or more processors, a user interface that is specified by instructions that are included in the third-party application program and that were received in response to the request to download the third-party application program, the user interface of the third-party application program including an interface element that initiates activation of an additional feature of the third-party application when the interface element is selected with user input;
sending, by the one or more processors and for receipt by a remote computing system, a request to activate the additional feature of the third-party application program in response to user input that selects the interface element of the third-party application program, the request including the first cryptographic hash value that was previously generated from the third-party application program and that was determined to match the second cryptographic hash value that was generated by the one or more processors, so as to cause the remote computing system to determine whether a first identify certificate that includes the first cryptographic hash value matches a second identify certificate that includes a third cryptographic hash value and that the remote computing system previously assigned to the third-party application program; and
receiving, by the one or more processors in response to the remote computing system having determined that the first identify certificate that includes the first cryptographic hash value matches the second identify certificate that includes the third cryptographic hash value, an indication that the third-party application program is able to legitimately activate the additional feature of the third-party application program.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the third-party application program is a game and the additional feature includes an additional game level.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising, as a result of receiving the indication that the third-party application program is able to legitimately activate the additional feature, providing a user of the third-party application program with access to the additional feature, wherein the user of the third-party application program was unable to access the additional feature prior to being provided the access to the additional feature.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the indication that the third-party application program is able to legitimately activate the additional feature of the third-party application program includes an indication that the additional feature has been activated.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the indication that the third-party application program is able to legitimately activate the additional feature of the third-party application program includes details regarding the additional feature that were not stored by a computing system that includes the one or more processors after sending the request to activate the additional feature, wherein the details regarding the additional feature include a title of the additional feature, a description of the additional feature, or a price of the additional feature.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein:
the third-party application program and the first cryptographic hash value were received from the remote computing system or another remote computing system; and
the request to download the third-party application program was initiated by a computing system that includes the one or more processors or another computing system that is assigned to a same user account as the computing system.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the first cryptographic hash value was generated by a computing device of a developer of the third-party application program and transmitted by the computing device of the developer.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including instructions that, when executed by one or more computer processors, cause a computing system to perform operations, the operations comprising:
receiving, by the one or more processors in response to a request to download a third-party application program, the third-party application program and a first cryptographic hash value that was previously generated from the third-party application program;
generating, by the one or more processors after receiving the third-party application program in response to the request to download the third-party application program, a second cryptographic hash value from the third-party application program, by applying a cryptographic hash function to the third-party application program;
determining, by the one or more processors, whether the first cryptographic hash value matches the second cryptographic hash value;
installing, by the one or more processors and in response to determining that the first cryptographic hash value matches the second cryptographic hash value, the third-party application program;
providing, by the one or more processors, a user interface that is specified by instructions that are included in the third-party application program and that were received in response to the request to download the third-party application program, the user interface of the third-party application program including an interface element that initiates activation of an additional feature of the third-party application when the interface element is selected with user input;
sending, by the one or more processors and for receipt by a remote computing system, a request to activate the additional feature of the third-party application program in response to user input that selects the interface element of the third-party application program, the request including the first cryptographic hash value that was previously generated from the third-party application program and that was determined to match the second cryptographic hash value that was generated by the one or more processors, so as to cause the remote computing system to determine whether a first identify certificate that includes the first cryptographic hash value matches a second identify certificate that includes a third cryptographic hash value and that the remote computing system previously assigned to the third-party application program; and
receiving, by the one or more processors in response to the remote computing system having determined that the first identify certificate that includes the first cryptographic hash value matches the second identify certificate that includes the third cryptographic hash value, an indication that the third-party application program is able to legitimately activate the additional feature of the third-party application program.

9. The non-transitory compute

Assignees

• Google Inc

Inventors

• Nguyen Linda K
• Lin Jasper S

Classifications

• G06Q2220/10

  Usage protection of distributed data files · CPC title

• G06Q30/0623

  by investigating goods or services · CPC title

• G06Q30/0613

  using intermediate agents · CPC title

• G06Q20/145

  Payments according to the detected use or quantity · CPC title

• G06Q30/0641 Primary

  utilising user interfaces specially adapted for shopping · CPC title