Service activation by virtual prepaid card

• US 20030014360A1
• Filed: 07/25/2002
• Published: 01/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Orange S.A.
• Original Assignee: Orange S.A.
• Inventors: Mouton, Dimitri, Macario-Rat, Gilles, Arditti, David, Bugault, Nicolas
• Granted Patent: US 7,003,499 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/39
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/027 involving a payment switch or gateway
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/0855 involving a third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/28 Pre-payment schemes, e.g. "pay before"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/305 using wired telephone networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/341 Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/342 Cards defining paid or billed services or quantities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/355 Personalisation of cards for use
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/367 involving electronic purses or money safes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3821 Electronic credentials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/383 Anonymous user system
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/401 Transaction verification
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/025 by means, e.g. cards, providing billing information at the time of purchase, e.g. identification of seller or purchaser, quantity of goods delivered or to be delivered
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system

Abstract

In order to prevent the use of a virtual prepaid card illegitimately acquired and transmitting only one identification code, for example read after the card has been scratched, to a service provision server, a second code is delivered on paying for the card, and the two codes have to be authenticated so that the user-purchaser of the card can subsequently use the service concerned in the server still using only the first code.

Claims

1. A method of activating a service using a prepaid card (CP) in service provision means (SFS) from user terminal means (TE), a first code (CI) necessary to use the service being associated with the card and stored in the service provision means prior to payment for the card, which method is characterized in that it comprises the steps of:

delivering (E2) a second code (CA) associated with the card on paying for the card,

authenticating (E3) one of the first and second codes (CI, CA),

authenticating (E4) the other of the first and second codes when said one of the codes has been authenticated, and

activating (E47) the service in the service provision means (SFS) at least in response to the authenticated first code (CI) after said other of the codes has been authenticated.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the second code (CA) comprises at least one of the following parameters:

a validity limit of the prepaid card, a time band or period of operation of the service to be activated, a value (F, DM) of the prepaid card (CP), a prepaid card receipt number, an identifier of the type of the service to be activated, an identifier of the provider of the service to be activated, and an identifier of the issuer of the card.

3. A method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each step (E3, E4) of authenticating one code (CA, CI) comprises the steps of:

transmitting (E33;

E42) the code from the terminal means (TE) to authentication means (SV, SA) having a prestored list of codes,

searching (E34;

E43) for the transmitted code in the authentication means, and

deleting (E35, E44) the prestored code in response to the transmitted code and found in the authentication means, and continuing the method.

4. A method according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the step (E3) of authenticating the second code (CA) precedes the step (E4) of authenticating the first code (CI), which can be executed only if the second code has been authenticated.

5. A method according to any of claims 1 to 4, wherein the steps (E4, E3) of authenticating the first and second codes (CI, CA) are respectively executed in first and second servers (SIC, SA) communicating with the terminal means (TE) via a server (SV) of at least voice message.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein the second server (SA) transmits (E35) a service identifier (IDS), which is preferably all or part of the second code (CA), to the service provision means (SFS), and the service is activated (E47) if the authenticated first code (CI) transmitted by the first server (SIC) to the service provision means is found (E45, E46) in correspondence with the service identifier in a prestored table of the service provision means (SFS).

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein the service provision means (SFS) is designated by an address (ASFS) in correspondence with the first and second codes (CI, CA) authenticated in the first and second servers (SIC, CA) in order to transmit the authenticated first code (CI) and the service identifier (IDS) therefrom to the service provision means.

8. A method according to any of claims 1 to 7, wherein the service is deemed to be activated when the service provision means (SFS) deletes (E47) a service identifier (IDS), which is preferably all or part of the authenticated second code (CA), or changes the state of a service activation indicator (BAS), in a prestored table of the service provision means, after the authenticated first code (CI) is found (E45) in correspondence with the service identifier or with the service activation indicator in a predetermined state.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein, when the card (CP) is used, the service provision means (SFS) authorizes (U5) access to the activated service only in response to the first code (CI) transmitted by the terminal means (TE) and to a verification of the absence of a service identifier (IDS) or another predetermined state of the service activation indicator (BAS) in correspondence with the first code (CI) in the table.

10. A method according to any of claims 1 to 9, including a step (E5) of configuring the activated service by collecting parameters and/or designations of functions from the terminal means (TE) for programming said service in the service provision means (SFS).

11. A method according to any of claims 1 to 9, wherein the prepaid card (CP) is a non-material virtual prepaid card on which the first code (CI) is readable or a material virtual prepaid card in which the first code (CI) is prestored and the second code (CA) is stored (E2) on paying for the card.

12. A method according to any of claims 1 to 10, wherein the service consists in dedicating an answering and recording equipment to a fixed telephone line selected (E5) after activating the service (E47).