AU2016101599A4 - Method and System for an Integrated Verification and Certification System for Qualifications, Certificates, and Identification. - Google Patents

Abstract

Method and System for an Integrated Verification and Certification System for Qualifications, Certificates, and Identification A method for providing a real-time certification and identification verification system and method, and capturing the plurality of information, for the purpose of verifying the validity of government issued, industry association issued, or education entity issued trade certificates, qualifications, identification (ID) cards, driver's licences, and passports; to process at a given time, the plurality of information, for the purpose of verifying that the certifications, qualifications and ID cards belong to the ID and certificate holder. The system comprises a mobile application which can work on smartphones to facilitate the transmission of the relevant details to a remote database and the reception and display of information relating to the transmitted details which can be done through an automated process by taking a photo of the documents to be verified and uploading it into the system, which is then sent on to the third party verification process through the third party organisation which verifies the information against the government database. The verification process is based on an Optical Character Recognition method conducted by backend systems which consists of passing the grabbed text data (i.e. Driver license number, Passport number) to the third party organisation to compare it against the government database. Alternatively, the person can input the relevant details, numbers, codes, etc, of the certificate, qualification or ID card into the system directly; and through automated software driven process, the details are matched and verified against the government and association databases through the back end servers. FEATURE / MODULE Connect CO - Validation module Do Encryption (c Cofi Secure profile creation (oh (jZ:Secure -Comms .4 Integrate with [t Imagestorage ) Account check methodologies Interface with 3RD PARTIES VERIFICATION r-------- FRONT ENDINTERFACE MOBILE WEB MOBILE WEB USERS PUBLIC Figure 1

Description

AusCertified: An Integrated Verification and Certification System for Qualifications, Certificates, and Identification

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] This invention relates to the field of verification and certification of systems. In particular, this invention is drawn to a system and method for real-time verification and certification of certificates, documents, and identification. Essentially, today trade qualifications do not include a picture of the tradesperson. The resulting problem is that even when a ‘tradesperson’ shows their qualifications one cannot be sure it is that same person. Although people can check other identification this is rarely done in practice, in fact it is well known that customers very rarely if ever even check a tradesperson’s qualifications. Also ‘tradespersons’ can lend their licences to others who can work unqualified as the licences and/or qualifications do not contain photo identification. This invention relates to the field of verifying the validity of government issued, industry association issued, or education entity issued trade certificates, qualifications, identification (ID) cards, driver’s licences, passports, or any other verifiable documentation.

[0002] It is the object of the present invention to verify a tradesperson’s Qualifications and identity. A tradesperson registers on the system and both contractors and customers can access this register and hire a tradesperson knowing that they are Qualified. Moreover customers know what field the tradesperson is best at and what their competency level is at various tasks. This ensures that the tradesperson that a customer hires is qualified, and competent. The system involves the creation of a simple application that can be downloaded and accessed by contractors, and tradespersons alike. The system allows easy access to work for the tradesperson and easy access for customers and employer contractors.

[0003] A review system is part of the system so when a tradesperson completes a job the customer is encouraged to rate the job done and a rating system is therefore established so that future customers then know what each tradesperson’s competency level is based on past performance. Complaints are also recorded and the system has a ‘three strikes and you’re out’ policy.

[0004] The only downside is that for the system to be effective it needs to be taken up by the industry tradespersons and customers. The key stakeholders have a strategy they hope will ensure a high take up rate involving unions, the industry and marketing to tradespeople. Risk factors have been identified in the report and taken into account such as, 1. Tradespersons do not use AusCertified, 2. Contractors and developers do not come on board, 3. Retail clients struggle to gain traction and 4. Tradespersons are not satisfied by the amount of work traffic on AusCertified. With the following mitigations proposed for each risk factor, 1. Promote Auscertified to CFMEU and Unions, 2. Ensure larger enterprises get tailored systems and support, 3. Create a system where retail consumers are prompted to write reviews and feedback, 4. Look into an online booking system for retail clients and provide those clients with small amounts of online credit

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] An apparatus of the invention is provided for verifying the validity of government issued, industry association issued, or education entity issued trade certificates, qualifications, identification (ID) cards, driver’s licences, passports, etc, comprising: a mobile application which can work on smartphones such as an iPhones, android phones, or other phone types through the relevant operating system using the relevant language; and software developed within the mobile application to facilitate the transmission of the relevant details to a remote database and the reception and display of information relating to the transmitted details.

[0006] Another embodiment of the invention provides a method of verifying the validity of government issued, industry association issued, or education entity issued trade certificates, qualifications, identification (ID) cards, driver’s licences, passports, etc, where these details can be verified through an external third party organisation that holds details of, for example, certification and/or qualifications of industry tradespersons. The verification process will confirm the details of the certification with this third party industry association, for example, The Master Plumber’s Association of NSW (Association) in relation to a plumber’s qualifications. This is then confirmed as verified for this part of the process if a match is found in the Association’s database system. Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the accompanying drawings and from the detailed description that follows below.

[0007] Another embodiment of the invention provides an apparatus for verifying the validity of the relevant ID documents through an automated process by taking a photo of the ID documents to be verified and uploading it into the system which is then sent on to the third party verification process through the third party organisation which verifies the information against the government database. This way of verification is based on an Optical Character Recognition method conducted by the AusCertified backend systems which consists of passing the grabbed text data (i.e. Driver license number, Passport number) to the third party organisation to compare it against the government database.

[0008] Another embodiment of the invention provides an apparatus for verifying the validity of the relevant certifications and/or ID cards through an automated process where the person (example the tradesperson wanting to verify their own certification) will input the relevant details, numbers, codes, etc, of the certificate into the system directly and through an automated software driven process, the details are matched and verified against the government and association databases. This may be done for example via a wireless transceiver for transmitting messages to a remote database and receiving replies from the remote database; and displaying the information relating to the replies.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0009] In general, the present invention provides a real-time certification and identification verification system and method that can be used to verify the validity of government issued, industry association issued, or education entity issued trade certificates, qualifications, identification (ID) cards, driver’s licences, passports, etc, as well as help to verify that the ID and/or certifications belong to the ID & certificate holder. The present invention has various optional features, as well as various uses, examples of which are described below. The present invention may be used in numerous environments.

[0010] A person such as a tradesperson will gain access to the system application as described above by setting up an individual profile through the system via a mobile application as uploaded on their internet enabled smartphone. The person will begin the process by creating their profile by inputting the required information and details including their email address, their name & location, the type of work they do, addresses details, and any photos, etc. Once all the information requested has been input into the system, a confirmation email is sent to the persons email address directing the person to confirm and verify the information through a verification link allowing them to be verified on the back end. The persons email is verified by clicking the link that is sent to the persons email account to verify that it is a real account. Once verified the account is set up with the person’s individual profile which can be updated and amended as required by going through the update profile steps and menu within the mobile application.

[0011] The person’s profile includes details of their trade certificates, qualifications, drivers licence, passport, employment visa, etc, as part of the account menu. These details can then be verified through an external third party organisation that holds details of, for example certification and qualifications of industry tradespersons. The verification process will confirm the details of the certification with this third party industry association, for example, The Master Plumber’s Association in relation to a plumber’s qualifications. This is then confirmed as verified for this part if a match is found in the association’s database system. An image of the verified certification and/or qualification is then stored within the person’s profile to be viewed by authorised persons.

[0012] Driver licenses can also be verified against a third party government organisation that holds information within its database. This can be applied across the other verification processes including Australian Passports and Visas which can be verified against government databases through a third party independent organisation usually software companies authorised to perform this verification process. The system shows the level of verification completed based on the different verification procedures described above. For example, if all steps of verification processes are completed it would be shown as 100% completed.

[0013] Third party verification process workflow is as follows: a. The Tradesperson enters their information such as the details, numbers, codes, etc, of the certificate into the mobile application form (i.e. registration form). b. Alternatively, the Tradesperson can take a photo of the document to be verified and uploading it into the system. c. The Tradesperson provides explicit consent that their ID and/or document will be verified. d. The entered information is transferred to the AusCertified backend server. e. AusCertified backend server makes a call to the third party verification organisation’s server including the tradesperson’s data. f. Third party verification organisation checks the data against ID sources (i.e. government organisations). g. ID data source returns only “yes” or “no” answer. h. Third party verification organisation returns back the result to AusCertified through a secure communication channel and AusCertified displays the result to the tradesperson.

[0014] Identifiers (ID card numbers, passport numbers, etc) are not stored in AusCertified and third party verification systems. A web service API will be used to integrate with the third party verification organisation because of its ability to have full control of integration and functionality. Once the verification is submitted successfully it then becomes a matter of timeframes for the completion of the verification process. For example the process may usually be completed within a 24 hour period or may take longer. The length of time for the verification process to be completed is usually one to three days to be received from the third party organisation.

[0015] The person, or tradesperson using the system can also edit their basic details, experience, upload additional certificates and/or certification that may enhance their experience or qualifications to make them more attractive to employers or clients wishing to use their services. Some types of certificates may be additional certificates that may not be part of the industry requirements that ordinarily require verification, but are additional qualifications or certificates that the tradesperson can add into their profile. For example, a further TAFE certificate that is not necessarily required for the person’s trade profession. For example, a plumber may have a licence verified against the Master Plumbers Association of NSW database to allow them to work in the industry as a plumber, however they may have received a further TAFE certificate relatable to their job but not necessary as a requirement to work in the industry. These types of certificates would not ordinarily require verification through the system but verification, if possible, may still be gained. These are additional qualifications to add to the tradesperson’s profile to make them more attractive to clients and/or employers.

[0016] The tradesperson will log in to the system under their profile using their own individual password as set up when the profile was created. If the tradesperson forgets their password, they will have an option to select the forget password icon to have this reset by the system through an automated ‘forget password link’ to have it reset. There is an option for the person to show their availability by an available work icon which allows the person to show and highlight their availability for work and to be able to accept jobs as an example. This can be changed by the person according to their needs by selecting the icon to be on or off with an amount of time of availability if needed and as required. The system application has a messages section in the person’s profile page where they are able to check messages left for them by clients or employers similar to an email or messaging service.

[0017] The present invention has many uses. Following is one example of a use of the certification and identification verification system of the present invention. These may be modified to suit individual client preferences and may include other , additional or different menu options as may be required. In this example the system application has the means as part of the person’s profile to have several options in displaying their profile to potential clients. The several options include, 1) a full profile of the person, 2) a public profile, 3) a one time share profile, 4) a share public profile and 5) an unlock the premium account.

[0018] The full profile shows all the information of the person’s profile including all verifications achieved and identification, experience, and other certifications whether verified or not, including availability of work, and any other information that the person has included. The public profile is where the person shares a limited amount of information about their profile for example their name and some details about the person’s trade including experience and relevant industry, but the rest of the information is not available to be seen such as the certification and identification details of the person. With this profile, a user wishing to get access to the tradesperson’s details may need to request permission or authorisation to get access to the tradespersons’ certification and verification of their qualifications and identification.

[0019] The one time share profile is where the tradesperson makes available to a particular user such as a client and/or employer contractor to gain access to their full profile on a one time basis where the tradesperson makes this available to that particular user. This option allows the one time share to the full profile of the tradesperson and the tradesperson gives the required permission or authorisation for access. With this option the tradesperson will share the link via email, text, or other options provided by the default share functionality which comes with the operating system used, whereby the user will have full access to the tradesperson’s profile by clicking on the password protected shared link. The share profile option is where the tradesperson shares their public profile with others by means of email, text, or other options provided by the default share functionality which comes with the operating system used. The person receiving the shared URL link to the public profile will then have the option of requesting permission or authorisation to view the entire profile of the tradesperson.

[0020] When a person who has received a shared profile from a tradesperson clicks on the shared link, they gain access to the tradespersons’ profile, either public profile or full profile depending on which option was shared with that person including all the available information with that profile. For example, with both options there is an available option to contact the tradesperson by clicking the message icon to get into contact with the tradesperson. This requires the person to enter their name, email address, the message that they wish to send and to verify that they are a real person by using software driven tool designed to verify that they are a real human person. This then puts the person in contact with the tradesperson via the messaging service within the application. If the tradesperson has shared their full profile, the person with whom the profile has been shared will be able to get access to view the tradesperson’s certification documents and any other verified documents that the tradesperson has in their full profile and/or confirm that the tradesperson’s identity has been verified. This is done by simply clicking on the relevant tabs within the profile.

[0021] The unlock the premium account option allows the tradesperson to share their full profile with their clients by unlocking their profile account by selecting this option and where it becomes a view full profile so that their clients have access to their full profile at any time.

[0022] In another embodiment of the present invention a company or business can also register themselves as an employer for the purpose of gaining access to potential tradespersons and contractors through the system. The registration process is similar to where an individual person creates their own profile and going through the profile creation and verification process as described above. However, with a company or business, the certification and verification of qualifications part of the process is not a requirement as the purpose for this profile is to create a profile membership to gain access to tradespersons who have registered themselves within the system for employment and subcontracting purposes. A company would gain access to various membership options which gives them various benefits depending on the level of the membership they subscribe to.

[0023] Following is one example of a use of the certification and identification verification system in this embodiment of the present invention. These may be modified to suit individual client preferences and may include other, additional or different menu options as may be required. In this example, there are various membership options that are available to the organisation with various levels of access and/or limitations depending on the chosen level of access. These are not discussed in detail but are named and include the following; 1) Limited benefits membership, 2) Gold membership, 3) Platinum membership, 4) Premium membership. The organisation will also have the option of cancelling or changing their membership at any time via a link icon within their profile. The organisation will have options within their profile to edit their personal information or company information and details through icon menu options as available within the profile.

[0024] The organisation will be able to search tradespersons and/or contractors based on various search options available within the profile. These may be modified to suit individual client preferences and may include other, additional or different menu options as may be required. In this example the various search options available include, 1) people using their names, 2) the profession such as the type of tradesperson, for example an electrician, and 3) ‘available for work’ option of the tradesperson which shows the time and day availability of the tradesperson. For example, if an organisation has a need for an electrician they can search under profession for all electrician contacts or else they can use multiple search options to get the right industry tradesperson based also on their availability, experience, location, current company they are employed in, or other available search options.

[0025] Once an appropriate tradesperson is found, the organisation can display that person’s profile to receive more information and details of the tradesperson as well as the option of contacting or messaging the person. The amount of information that the organisation will get from the tradesperson selected will depend on the level of membership that the organisation has subscribed to. For example, the limited membership will only provide the tradesperson’s public profile, whereby, if the organisation requires further details such as certification and qualification & verification details of the tradesperson, they would have the option of requesting permission or authorisation to gain access to the full profile of the particular tradesperson or otherwise they would have the option of changing to a higher level membership to gain access to more details of the tradesperson.

[0026] The organisation will also be able to communicate with the selected tradesperson via the contact option and then the communication can be continued through the messaging service options within the organisation’s profile. The messaging service allows the organisation to have various options when communicating with the tradesperson or contractors that they are making contact with. They can search the history of messages sent, create new messages, add people into the conversations, mark messages as unread, forward conversations, send messages, and delete conversations as is required and needed by the organisations.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] Preferred embodiments of the invention are described with reference to the accompanying drawing within Figure 1 wherein; [0028] Figure 1 at 11 shows that the AusCertified Cloud Server is responsible for processing the data coming from the user and third party entities and also managing the automated processes. This system component has the following features and functionalities: [0029] Figure 1 at (a) shows the Validation module where this module passes the identification and certification data entered by the user to the third party verification software companies for verification and then it analyses the result returned.

[0030] Figure 1 at (b) shows the Encryption module where this module allows the system to store confidential data such as password information.

[0032] Figure 1 at (c) shows the Secure Profile Creation module where this module allows the user to create a password protected profile which can only be accessed by the user with the correct credentials.

[0031] Figure 1 at (d) shows the Secure Communication module where this module allows secure communication of the system with third parties (user, verification companies, etc.) [0032] Figure 1 at (d) shows the Secure Profile Creation module where this module allows the user to create a password protected profile which can only be accessed by the user with the correct credentials.

[0033] Figure 1 at (e) shows the Image Storage module where any qualification documents other than TAFE diplomas can be stored in the system as an image and pulled by the users by clicking the image in the profile section.

[0034] Figure 1 at (f) shows the Account Check Methodologies module where companies or contractors can have access to tradesperson’s profiles by clicking an auto-generated URL. This URL will be only active for a specific period of time and then it will expire automatically.

[0035] Figure 1 at 12 shows that the Database is the component to store the user, company and system related data used by AusCertified mobile, web and API systems.

[0036] Figure 1 at 13 shows the 3rd Parties Verification process is a method of passing the client Identification information to a 3rd party verification entity and getting the verification reply using secure communication methods for transmission.

[0037] Figure 1 at 14 shows the Front End Interface where the Mobile and Web interfaces are the main interaction point for the users of the system. Any information coming from mobile and web interfaces goes to the AusCertified Cloud Server to be processed and then the processed information will be sent back by AusCertied Cloud Server to the mobile or web interfaces as system answers or for display purposes.

Claims (5)

1. THE CLAIMS DEFINING THE INVENTION ARE AS FOLLOWS:

   1. A program or procedure, operating over a computer network or electronic transaction network, for providing a real-time certification and identification verification system and method, and capturing the plurality of information, for the purpose of verifying the validity of government issued, industry association issued, or education entity issued trade certificates, qualifications, identification (ID) cards, driver’s licences, and passports; to process at a given time, the plurality of information, for the purpose of verifying that the certifications, qualifications and ID cards belong to the ID and certificate holder.
2. 2. A program or procedure operating over a computer network or electronic transaction network as claimed in claim 1 to collect the plurality of information relating to the certification, qualifications, and ID of the relevant persons for the purpose of matching and verifying these details through an external third party organisation that holds details of the certification, qualifications and ID of the industry tradespersons;
3. 3. A program or procedure operating over a computer network or electronic transaction network according to the methods of claims 1 and 2 wherein the steps of retrieving and verifying the certification, qualifications, and ID of the relevant persons comprises a mobile application which can work on smartphones through the relevant operating system using the relevant language; and software developed within the mobile application to facilitate the transmission of the relevant details to a remote database and the reception and display of information relating to the transmitted details;
4. 4. A program or procedure operating over a computer network or electronic transaction network according to the methods of any of the above claims wherein the system for gathering and verifying the information referred to in the above claims is done through an automated process by taking a photo of the documents to be verified and uploading it into the system, which is then sent on to the third party verification process through the third party organisation which verifies the information against the government database; the verification process is based on an Optical Character Recognition method conducted by backend systems which consists of passing the grabbed text data (i.e. Driver license number, Passport number) to the third party organisation to compare it against the government database;
5. 5. A program or procedure operating over a computer network or electronic transaction network according to the methods of any of the above claims whereby the system for gathering and verifying the information referred to in the above claims is done through an automated process where the relevant person (example the tradesperson wanting to verify their own certification) will input the relevant details, numbers, codes, etc, of the certificate, qualification or ID card into the system directly; and through an automated software driven process, the details are matched and verified against the government and association databases; the verification process is performed via a wireless transceiver for transmitting messages to a remote database through the back end servers; and where the information is checked against the relevant sources such as the government database via its servers; and receiving replies from the remote database; and displaying the information relating to the replies.