System and method for implementing frictionless micropayments for consumable services

• US 20030126079A1
• Filed: 11/12/2002
• Published: 07/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Roberson, James A., Greene, William Sprott
• Application Number:
  US10/292,118
• Publication Number:
  US 20030126079A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/00 Payment architectures, schemes or protocols apparatus for performing or posting payment transactions G07F7/08, G07F19/00; electronic cash registers G07G1/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/29 characterised by micropayments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4016 involving fraud or risk level assessment in transaction processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/403 Solvency checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a system, method and software program product for implementing a policy payment agent which, based on policy thresholds set by the consumer, determines whether or not to autonomously issue a payment. Initially, the consumer sets the payment policy through the selection of payment parameters such as the type of consumable or transaction, maximum one-time payment amount, and recent spending rate. If the payment request meets the payment policy criteria, then the payment agent autonomously issues a payment. Otherwise, the request is passed to the user for manual intervention.

Claims

1. A method for handling payment requests without user intervention by implementing a payment policy comprising:

retaining payment policy criteria, said payment policy criteria describing the user'"'"'s consumption persona for authorizing payments from the user, without intervention from the user;

receiving a payment request from a payment requester;

accessing the payment policy criteria;

analyzing the payment request using the payment policy criteria; and

autonomously authorizing a payment based on the analysis of the payment request under the payment policy criteria.

2. The method recited in claim 1 above, wherein the payment policy criteria includes a maximum payment amount threshold and the method further comprises:

extracting a requested payment amount from the payment request; and

analyzing the payment request using the payment policy criteria further comprises;

comparing the requested payment amount with the maximum payment amount threshold.

4. The method recited in claim 1 above, wherein the payment policy criteria includes a service type identifier criterion and the method further comprises:

extracting a service type identifier from the payment request; and

analyzing the payment request using the payment policy criteria further comprises;

comparing the service type identifier from the payment request with the service type identifier criterion.

5. The method recited in claim 1 above, wherein the payment request is a first payment request and the payment requestor is a first payment requestor and the method further comprises:

receiving a second payment request from a second payment requester;

analyzing the second payment request using the payment policy criteria; and

soliciting a response from the user based on the analysis of the second payment request under the payment policy criteria.

6. The method recited in claim 5 above, wherein the payment policy criteria includes a maximum payment amount threshold and the method further comprises:

extracting an amount requested from the second payment request; and

analyzing the second payment request using the payment policy criteria further comprises;

comparing the amount requested with the maximum payment amount threshold.

7. The method recited in claim 5 above, wherein the payment policy criteria includes a maximum pay out rate threshold and the method further comprises:

calculating a pay out rate for the user; and

analyzing the second payment request using the payment policy criteria further comprises;

comparing the pay out rate for the user with the maximum pay out rate threshold.

8. The method recited in claim 5 above, wherein the payment policy criteria includes a service type identifier criterion and the method further comprises:

extracting a service type identifier from the second payment request; and

analyzing the second payment request using the payment policy criteria further comprises;

comparing the service type identifier from the second payment request with the service type identifier criterion.

9. The method recited in claim 5 further comprises:

receiving the response from the user; and

authorizing a payment to the payment requester based on the response from the user.

11. The method recited in claim 1, wherein autonomously authorizing a payment to the payment requestor further comprises:

requesting a payment voucher from a banking service.

12. The method recited in claim 1 further comprises:

directing the payment voucher to the payment requestor.

13. The method recited in claim 1 further comprises:

directing the payment voucher to a third party.

14. The method recited in claim 1, further comprises:

storing the payment policy criteria on a connectable storage.

15. The method recited in claim 1, further comprises:

inviting an application into a local process space, wherein the application is controlled by the payment requestor.

25. The computer program product recited in claim 15, wherein the instructions for implementing a payment agent further comprise:

instructions for communicating with an application running in local process space, wherein the application is controlled by the payment requestor.

3. The method recited in claim I above, wherein the payment policy criteria includes a maximum pay out rate threshold and the method further comprises:

calculating a pay out rate for the user; and

analyzing the payment request using the payment policy criteria further comprises;

comparing the pay out rate for the user with the maximum pay out rate threshold.

10. The method recited in claim I further comprises:

receiving a notification of insufficient available funds to cover a requested payment amount; and

informing the user of the receipt of the notification of insufficient available funds.

16. A computer program product stored on a computer readable medium for implementing a policy based payment agent for handling payment requests without user intervention comprising:

instructions for retaining payment policy criteria, said payment policy criteria describing a user'"'"'s consumption persona for authorizing payments from the user, without intervention from the user; and

instructions for implementing a payment agent comprising;

instructions for receiving a payment request from a payment requestor;

instructions for accessing the payment policy criteria;

instructions for analyzing the payment request using the payment policy; and

instructions for autonomously authorizing a payment based on the analysis of the payment request under the payment policy criteria.

17. The computer program product recited in claim 16 above, wherein the instructions for implementing a payment agent further comprise:

instructions for extracting a requested payment amount requested from the payment request; and

instructions for comparing the requested payment amount requested with the maximum payment amount threshold.

18. The computer program product recited in claim 16 above, wherein the instructions for retaining payment policy criteria further comprise instructions for retaining a maximum pay out rate threshold and the instructions for implementing a payment agent further comprise:

instructions for calculating a pay out rate for the user; and

instructions for comparing the pay out rate for the user with the maximum pay out rate threshold.

19. The computer program product recited in claim 16 above, wherein the instructions for retaining payment policy criteria further comprise instructions for retaining a service type identifier criterion and the instructions for implementing a payment agent further comprise:

instructions for extracting a service type identifier from the payment request; and

instructions for comparing the service type identifier from the payment request with the service type identifier criterion.

20. The computer program product recited in claim 16 above, wherein the instructions for implementing a payment agent further comprise:

instructions for soliciting a response from the user based on the analysis of the second payment request under the payment policy criteria.

21. The computer program product recited in claim 20 further comprises:

instructions for receiving the response from the user; and

instructions for authorizing a payment to the payment requester based on the response from the user.

22. The computer program product recited in claim 16, wherein the instructions for implementing a payment agent further comprise:

instructions for receiving a notification of insufficient available funds to cover a requested payment amount; and

instructions for informing the user of the receipt of the notification of insufficient available funds.

23. The computer program product recited in claim 16, wherein the instructions for implementing a payment agent further comprise:

instructions for requesting a payment voucher from a banking service.

24. The computer program product recited in claim 23 further comprises:

instructions for directing the payment voucher to the requester.

26. The computer program product recited in claim 16, wherein the instructions for implementing a payment agent are stored remotely from the user, the computer program product further comprises:

instructions for finding the payment agent.

27. The computer program product recited in claim 16, wherein the instructions for implementing a payment agent are stored remotely from the user, the computer program product further comprises:

instructions for calling the payment agent.

28. The computer program product recited in claim 16, wherein the instructions for implementing a payment agent are stored remotely from the user, the computer program product further comprises:

instructions for remotely executing the payment agent.

29. The computer program product recited in claim 16, wherein the instructions for retaining payment policy criteria are stored remotely from the user, the instructions for implementing a payment agent further comprise:

instructions for retrieving a remotely located payment policy criterion.

30. An apparatus for handling payment requests without user intervention by implementing a payment policy comprising:

retaining means for retaining payment policy criteria, said payment policy criteria describing the user'"'"'s consumption persona for authorizing payments from the user, without intervention from the user;

receiving means for receiving a payment request from a payment requestor;

accessing means for accessing the payment policy criteria;

analyzing means for analyzing the payment request using the payment policy criteria; and

authorizing means for autonomously authorizing a payment based on the analysis of the payment request under the payment policy criteria.

31. The apparatus recited in claim 30 above, wherein the payment policy criteria includes a maximum payment amount threshold and the apparatus further comprises:

extracting means for extracting a requested payment amount from the payment request; and

comparison means for comparing the requested payment amount with the maximum payment amount threshold.

32. The apparatus recited in claim 30 above, wherein the payment policy criteria includes a maximum pay out rate threshold and the apparatus further comprises:

calculation means for calculating a pay out rate for the user; and

comparison means for comparing the pay out rate for the user with the maximum pay out rate threshold.

33. The apparatus in claim 30 above, wherein the payment policy criteria includes a service type identifier criterion and the apparatus further comprises:

extracting means for extracting a service type identifier from the payment request; and

comparison means for comparing the service type identifier from the payment request with the service type identifier criterion.

34. The apparatus in claim 30 above further comprises:

solicitation means for soliciting a response from the user based on the analysis of a payment request under the payment policy criteria.