Method and system for resolving disputes between service providers and service consumers

US7577990B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Microsoft Corporation · US

Inventors

• Michael D. Smith · Seattle, US
• Miller Thomas Abel · Mercer Island, US
• Max G. Morris · Redmond, US
• John A. Maffei · Bellevue, US
• Bruce E. Johnson · Bellevue, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Feb 27, 2004
• Grant date: Aug 18, 2009
• Expiry date: Aug 20, 2025

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G06Q20/389
• WIPO field: IT methods for management
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A dispute resolution system for requesting a service provider to provide services so that the service provider can demonstrate to a service intermediary that a service consumer requested services. A service consumer that wants to start requesting services of the service provider registers with the service intermediary an end code of a sequence of code generated using a one-way function. The service intermediary provides the end code to the service provider. The service consumer can then using codes of the sequence requests the service provider to provide services. When the service provider receives a request, it verifies that the code of the request can be used to derive the end code. If the verification is successful, then the service provider can provide the verified code to the service intermediary as non-repudiatable evidence of the services requested by the service consumer.