Escrow trade agency system

• US 20020152162A1
• Filed: 05/15/2002
• Published: 10/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Billing System Corp., Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Billing System Corp., Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Eda, Toshihiko, Kubokoya, Takashi, Setoguchi, Tatsuya
• Application Number:
  US10/129,125
• Publication Number:
  US 20020152162A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/39
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

An escrow transaction commission system 1 of the present invention is characterized by including escrow account specifying means 50 for allowing a buyer to specify an escrow account for depositing escrow money, money sending instructing means 51 for instructing a buyer specified financial institution 11 to send the escrow money to the escrow account, receipt verification transmitting means 52 for receiving verification of receipt of money from an escrow bank when the escrow cost is deposited in the escrow account, and then transmitting this receipt verification to a supplier, delivery verification receiving means 53 for receiving delivery verification of escrow target goods from the buyer when the supplier delivers the escrow target goods, and payment instruction transmitting means 54 for transmitting a payment instruction to the escrow bank to pay the escrow cost to a supplier specified financial institution 10 when the delivery verification is received.

Claims

1. An escrow transaction commission method, in which transactions are carried out between a supplier for supplying goods and a buyer for buying the goods through a portal site using a computer system, and an escrow transaction commission of processing the transfer of goods and payment of costs generated by the transaction is executed by a server,

wherein said buyer specifies an escrow account for depositing escrow cost generated by the transaction on said portal site, said server allows a buyer specified financial institution specified by said buyer to send said escrow costs to an escrow bank holding said escrow account when said buyer enters an instruction for sending said escrow costs to said escrow account,

when the deposit of said escrow costs in said escrow account is performed, said server receives a verification of the receipt of money from said escrow bank and then transmits the verification of receipt of money to said supplier, and

when said supplier having received the verification of receipt of money delivers escrow target goods to said buyer, said server allows said escrow bank to pay said escrow cost deposited in said escrow account into a supplier specified financial institution specified by said supplier.

2. An escrow transaction commission apparatus for carrying out transactions between a supplier for supplying goods and a buyer for buying the goods through a portal site by a computer system, and for executing an escrow transaction commission of processing the transfer of goods and payment of costs generated by the transaction by a server, the apparatus comprising:

an escrow account specifying means for allowing said buyer to specify an escrow account for depositing escrow costs generated by the transaction on said portal site,

a money-sending instructing means for instructing a buyer-specified financial institution specified by said buyer to send said escrow costs to an escrow bank having said escrow account when said buyer enters an instruction for sending money to said escrow account specified by said escrow account specifying means,

a receipt-verification transmitting means for receiving a verification of receipt of money from said escrow bank when said escrow costs instructed to be sent by the money sending instructing means are deposited in said escrow account, and then transmitting this verification of receipt of money to said supplier,

a delivery-verification receiving means for receiving a delivery verification for verifying the delivery of escrow target goods from said buyer when said supplier delivers said escrow target goods to said buyer based on the verification of receipt of money transmitted from the verification of receipt transmitting means, and

payment-instruction transmitting means for transmitting a payment instruction to said escrow bank to pay said escrow costs deposited in said escrow account to a supplier-specified financial institution specified by said supplier when the delivery-verification is received by the delivery-verification receiving means.

3. A recording-medium for recording an escrow transaction commission program for carrying out transactions between a supplier for supplying goods and a buyer for buying the goods through a portal site by a computer system, and for executing an escrow transaction commission of processing the transfer of goods and payment of costs generated by the transaction on said portal site, the recording-medium comprising:

an escrow account specification process for allowing said buyer to specify an escrow account for depositing escrow costs generated by the transaction;

a money-sending instruction for instructing a buyer-specified financial institution specified by said buyer to send said escrow costs to an escrow bank having said escrow account when said buyer enters an instruction for sending money to said escrow account specified by said escrow account specification;

a receipt-verification transmission process for receiving a verification of receipt of money from said escrow bank when said escrow costs instructed to be sent by the money sending instruction are deposited in said escrow account, and then transmitting this verification of receipt to said supplier;

a delivery-verification reception process for receiving a delivery verification for verifying the delivery of escrow target goods from said buyer when said supplier delivers said escrow target goods to said buyer based on the verification of receipt transmitted in the receipt-verification transmission; and

a payment-instruction transmission process for transmitting a payment instruction to said escrow bank to pay said escrow costs deposited in said escrow account to a supplier-specified financial institution specified by said supplier when the delivery-verification is received through the delivery-verification reception.

4. A buyer terminal of a buyer for buying goods by carrying out transactions with a supplier for supplying goods, and for executing an escrow transaction through a server using a computer system,

wherein said buyer is prompted to specify an escrow account for depositing escrow costs generated by the transaction with said supplier, and the specified escrow account is transmitted to the server,

said buyer is prompted to enter an instruction for sending said escrow costs to said escrow account, and the entered money sending instruction is transmitted to the server,

said supplier delivers escrow target goods to said buyer and when said buyer enters a delivery-verification for verifying delivery of said escrow target goods, this delivery-verification is transmitted to the server.

5. A supplier terminal of a supplier for carrying out transactions with a buyer to sell goods, and for executing an escrow transaction through a server by a computer system, wherein

when escrow costs generated by the transaction with said buyer are received in an escrow account for depositing said escrow costs, a verification of receipt of money transmitted from an escrow bank having said escrow account is received through the server and,

when said escrow costs are sent to a supplier-specified financial institution specified by said supplier, a notice of payment completion is received from said supplier-specified financial institution.

6. A escrow transaction commission method, in which transactions are carried out between a supplier for supplying goods and a buyer for buying the goods, and an escrow transaction commission of processing the transfer of goods and payment of costs generated by the transaction is executed through a server using a computer system,

wherein said buyer specifies an escrow account for depositing escrow costs generated by the transaction between said buyer and said supplier, the server allows a buyer-specified financial institution specified by said buyer to send said escrow costs to said escrow account when said buyer enters an instruction for sending said escrow costs to said escrow account,

when the deposit of said escrow costs to said escrow account is performed, the server receives a verification of receipt of money from an escrow firm specified financial institution having said escrow account and then transmits the verification of receipt of money to said supplier, and when said supplier having received the verification of receipt of money delivers escrow target goods to said buyer, the server allows said escrow firm specified financial institution to pay said escrow costs to a supplier-specified financial institution specified by said supplier.

7. An escrow transaction commission apparatus for carrying out transactions between a supplier for supplying goods and a buyer for buying the goods, for executing an escrow transaction commission of processing the transfer of goods and payment of costs generated by the transaction by a computer system, the apparatus comprising:

an escrow account specifying means for allowing said buyer to specify an escrow account for depositing escrow cost generated by the transaction between said buyer and said supplier,

a money-sending instructing means for instructing a buyer specified financial institution specified by said buyer to send said escrow cost to said escrow account when said buyer enters an instruction for sending money to said escrow account specified by said escrow account specifying means;

a receipt-verification transmitting means for receiving a verification of receipt of money from an escrow firm specified financial institution having said escrow account bank when said escrow cost instructed to be sent by the money sending instructing means are deposited in said escrow account, and then transmitting this verification of receipt to said supplier;

a delivery-verification receiving means for receiving delivery verification for verifying the delivery of escrow target goods from said buyer when said supplier delivers said escrow target goods to said buyer based on the verification of receipt of money transmitted by the verification of receipt transmitting means, and

payment-instruction transmitting means for transmitting a payment instruction to said escrow firm specified financial institution to pay said escrow costs deposited in said escrow account to a supplier-specified financial institution specified by said supplier when the delivery-verification is received by the delivery-verification receiving means.

8. Said escrow transaction commission apparatus according to claim 7, wherein when said escrow costs exceed an upper limit of the deposits of said escrow firm for carrying out escrow business using said escrow account, said escrow costs are deposited in a plurality of escrow forms.

9. Said escrow account specifying means according to any one of claims 7 and 8, wherein when said escrow costs exceed an upper limit of the deposits of said escrow firm for carrying out escrow business using said escrow account, a deposit transfer of said escrow costs is made to an escrow firm having an upper limit of deposit equal to/higher than said escrow costs.

10. Said escrow transaction commission apparatus of claims 7, 8, or 9, further comprising a distribution state supplying means for receiving distribution state information regarding a distribution state from a distribution company for distributing said escrow target goods, and supplying the distribution state information to said buyer and said supplier.

11. A recording-medium for recording an escrow transaction commission program for carrying out transactions between a supplier for supplying goods and a buyer for buying the goods, and for executing an escrow transaction commission of processing the transfer of goods and payment of costs generated by the transaction using a computer system, the recording-medium comprising;

an escrow account specification process for allowing said buyer to specify an escrow account for depositing escrow costs generated by the transaction between said buyer and said supplier;

a money-sending instruction for instructing a buyer-specified financial institution specified by said buyer to send said escrow costs to said escrow account when said buyer enters an instruction for sending money to said escrow account specified by said escrow account specification,

a receipt-verification of transmission process for receiving a verification of receipt of money from an escrow firm specified financial institution having said escrow account when said escrow cost instructed to be sent by the money sending instruction are deposited in said escrow account, and then transmitting this verification of receipt of money to said supplier;

a delivery-verification reception process for receiving a delivery verification for verifying the delivery of escrow target goods from said buyer when said supplier delivers said escrow target goods to said buyer based on the verification of receipt of money transmitted by the verification of receipt transmission process; and

a payment-instruction transmission process for transmitting a payment instruction to said escrow firm specified financial institution to pay said escrow costs deposited in said escrow account to a supplier-specified financial institution specified by said supplier when the delivery-verification is received by the delivery-verification reception.

12. A buyer terminal of a buyer for buying goods by carrying out transactions with a supplier for supplying goods, and for executing an escrow transaction through a server using a computer system, wherein

said buyer is prompted to specify an escrow account for depositing escrow costs generated by the transaction with said supplier, the specified escrow account is transmitted to the server,

said buyer is prompted to enter an instruction for sending said escrow costs to said escrow account, the entered money sending instruction is transmitted to the server,

said escrow costs are deposited in said escrow account, a notice of receipt of said escrow costs are received through the server, a notice of acceptance is transmitted to the server when said buyer accepts the notice of the receipt of money,

said supplier delivers escrow target goods to said buyer and when said buyer verifies that preset acceptance inspection conditions have been met for said escrow target goods, and enters delivery-verification, this delivery-verification is transmitted to the server.

13. A supplier terminal of a supplier for carrying out transactions with a buyer to sell goods, and for executing an escrow transaction through a server using a computer system, wherein

when escrow costs generated by the transaction with said buyer are received in an escrow account for depositing said escrow costs, a receipt notice transmitted from an escrow firm specified financial institution holding said escrow account is received through the server,

a shipping instruction for said escrow target goods is transmitted to a distribution company for distributing said escrow target goods when said supplier enters an acceptance of receipt notice and;

when said escrow costs are sent to a supplier-specified financial institution specified by said supplier, a notice of payment completion is received from said supplier-specified financial institution.