System and method for internet cash payment

• US 20020174064A1
• Filed: 05/17/2001
• Published: 11/21/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hong Li
• Original Assignee: Hong Li
• Inventors: Li, Hong
• Application Number:
  US09/860,160
• Publication Number:
  US 20020174064A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/39
• 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 20/385 using an alias or single-use codes

Abstract

An internet-cash payment system comprises the internet-cash, a telecommunication network, and computers with special software for payers, payees, and issuers of the internet-cash. The internet-cash comprises codes, which are different from each other, and for onetime use only. A bill of the internet-cash to be paid is an icon on a computer screen, and contains its issuer'"'"'s email address for an online transaction. A payer can use a computer to send the internet-cash by dropping a bill icon to a cash collection icon at a payee'"'"'s website. The collection icon automatically forwards the internet-cash to its issuer'"'"'s computer to check in the computer record. If the internet-cash matches the record for the first time, the issuer'"'"'s computer will automatically deposit the cash to the payee'"'"'s account, and send a receipt to the payee and the payer. If the internet-cash is rejected, the issuer'"'"'s computer will send a rejection notice to the payee and the payer. This internet-cash payment system is very convenient for small transactions such as pay-per-view of internet news, internet search engines and other internet websites, since there is no need for a payer to type in any private information such as a credit card number, a home address, a phone number and so on for a transaction.

Claims

1. An internet-cash system for payments among computers through a telecommunication network, a bill of the internet-cash to be paid appearing as an icon on a computer screen, the internet-cash system comprising codes manageable by a computer.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein each one of the codes is for only one bill of the internet-cash.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein each one of the codes comprises the following information set by an issuer:

a) the issuer'"'"'s online contact information selected from the group consisting of an email address and a phone number;

b) a value of the bill;

c) an identification portion of the code to be different than any other codes of the internet-cash issued.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein each one of the codes comprises a user'"'"'s email address.

5. An internet-cash payment system comprises:

a) the internet-cash for online payment;

c) at least one computer with a software for a payer to use for a payment of the internet-cash;

d) at least one payee'"'"'s computer with a software to receive a payment of the internet-cash;

e) at least one issuer'"'"'s computer with a software for issuing, identifying and depositing the internet-cash;

f) a telecommunication network connecting together the payer'"'"'s computer, the issuer'"'"'s computer and the payee'"'"'s computer;

whereby the internet-cash purchased can be sent by the payer'"'"'s computer to the issuer'"'"'s computer via the payee'"'"'s computer to deposit the internet-cash to the payee'"'"'s account in the issuer'"'"'s computer.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the internet-cash comprises codes which are manageable by a computer and transferable through a telecommunication network.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein each one of the codes is only for one bill of the internet-cash, which is one-code bill.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein each one of the codes comprises information set by an issue:

a) the issuer'"'"'s online contact information selected from the group consisting of an email address and a phone number;

b) a value of the bill;

c) an identification portion of the code to be different than any other codes of the internet-cash issued.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein each one of the codes comprises a user'"'"'s email address.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein a bill of the internet-cash can comprise more than one of the one-code bills, which is a multi-code bill with a total value equivalent to the sum of all the one-code bills in it.

11. The system of claim 5, wherein the computer software on a payee'"'"'s computer has automatic online functions including:

a) receiving the internet-cash;

b) forwarding the internet-cash received from a payer to its issuer'"'"'s computer to deposit the cash in the payee'"'"'s account;

c) recording transactions;

d) keeping receipts and notices from the issuer.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the automatic online functions further including:

a) sending a receipt to the payer right after receiving a confirmation from the issuer;

b) forwarding to the payer a rejection notice from the issuer;

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the functions of receiving and forwarding the internet-cash is provided by a collection icon on the payee'"'"'s website.

14. The system of claim 5, wherein the computer software on an issuer'"'"'s computer has automatic online functions including:

a) issuing new bills of the internet-cash;

b) receiving the internet-cash;

c) recording transactions, issued bills and deposited bills;

d) accepting and depositing the internet-cash received when it matches its record in the issuer'"'"'s computer for the first time;

e) rejecting the internet-cash received when it is not matched, or not matched for the first time with a record in the issuer'"'"'s computer.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the automatic online functions further including:

a) creating an account;

b) closing an account;

c) sending a receipt to a payee and a payer;

d) sending a rejection notice to a payee and a payer;

e) sending a warning message to a payer and a payee when an invalid bill of the internet-cash is used.

16. The system of claim 5, wherein the computer software on a payer'"'"'s computer has functions including:

a) adjusting an amount of the internet-cash for a payment;

b) paying the internet-cash to a payee;

c) showing a balance of the internet-cash.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the functions further including:

a) providing at least one icon of the internet-cash to be paid on a computer screen;

b) providing an icon of the software on a computer screen.

c) selecting sizes and issuers of bills of the internet-cash;

d) recording transactions;

e) keeping receipts;

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the function of paying the internet-cash to a payee is done by dropping the internet-cash icon to an collection icon on a payee'"'"'s website

20. The method of the claim 19 further comprising the steps of:

a) the issuer'"'"'s computer sending a receipt to the payer and the payee;

b) the issuer'"'"'s computer sending a rejection and warning letter to the payer and the payee.

19. A method of paying an internet-cash online, each bill of the internet-cash comprising at least one code, each code including an identification portion of the code to be different from any other codes issued, a value of the bill, and an issuer'"'"'s online contact information selected from the group consisting of an email address and a phone number, the method comprising the following steps:

a) a payer purchasing the internet-cash from an issuer;

b) the payer sending the internet-cash to a payee'"'"'s computer;

c) the payee'"'"'s computer automatically forwarding the internet-cash to its issuer'"'"'s computer;

d) the issuer'"'"'s computer automatically depositing the received internet-cash in the payee'"'"'s account when the internet-cash matches for the first time its record in the issuer'"'"'s computer;

e) the issuer'"'"'s computer automatically reject the internet-cash received when the internet-cash does not match a record in the issuer'"'"'s computer for the first time.