Electronic transaction method using an electronic coupon

• US 20040128241A1
• Filed: 12/05/2003
• Published: 07/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Akama, Katsuaki
• Granted Patent: US 7,979,353 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/39
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/12 Hotels or restaurants

Abstract

In an electronic transaction on the Internet, an electronic coupon having pecuniary value information usable in the electronic transaction and owner identification information based on information characteristic of an information terminal is issued to the information terminal, the pecuniary value information and the owner identification information of the electronic coupon are recorded and managed as coupon management information in a transfer management memory, and the owner identification information in the transfer management memory is changed according to a transferee apparatus of the electronic coupon, whereby a settlement in the electronic transaction can be made simply and safely.

Claims

1. An electronic transaction method using an electronic coupon in an electronic transaction system comprising an electronic shop server opening an electronic shop site on Internet to operate and manage said electronic shop site, a coupon issuance/management server issuing and managing an electronic coupon having pecuniary value information usable in a settlement of an electronic transaction for said electronic shop site, and an information terminal being able to access to said electronic shop to carry out an electronic transaction, said electronic transaction method comprising the steps of:

requesting said coupon issuance/management server to issue said electronic coupon from said information terminal;

when said coupon issuance/management server receives the issue request, issuing, from said coupon issuance/management server, said electronic coupon having said pecuniary value information and owner identification information based on information characteristic of said information terminal to said information terminal;

recording, by said coupon issuance/management server, said owner identification information of said electronic coupon as coupon management information in a transfer management memory of said coupon issuance/management server and managing said owner identification information by said coupon issuance/management server; and

changing, by said coupon issuance/management server, said owner identification information in said transfer management memory according to a transferee apparatus of said electronic coupon.

2. The electronic transaction method according to claim 1, wherein said information terminal transfers said electronic coupon to said electronic shop server being as said transferee apparatus due to an electronic transaction in said electronic shop site, and notifies said coupon issuance/management server of the transfer;

and

in response to the notice, said coupon issuance/management server changes said owner identification information in said transfer management memory to information characteristic of said electronic shop server.

3. The electronic transaction method according to claim 1, wherein said information terminal transfers said electronic coupon to another information terminal being as said transferee apparatus and notifies said coupon issuance/management server of the transfer;

and

in response to the notice, said coupon issuance/management server changes said owner identification information in said transfer management memory to information characteristic of said another information terminal.

4. The electronic transaction method according to claim 3, wherein said another information terminal transfers said electronic coupon to said electronic shop server being as said transferee apparatus due to an electronic transaction in said electronic shop site and notifies said coupon issuance/management server of the transfer;

and

in response to the notice, said coupon issuance/management server changes said owner identification information in said transfer management memory to information characteristic of said electronic shop server.

5. The electronic transaction method according to any one of claims 1 through 4, wherein said coupon issuance/management server affixes electronic signatures on said pecuniary value information and said owner identification information of said electronic coupon with different encryption keys.

6. The electronic transaction method according to claim 5, wherein said coupon issuance/management server affixes said electronic signatures on said pecuniary value information and said owner identification information with a server private key characteristic of said coupon issuance/management server and a user private key characteristic of a user of said information terminal, respectively.

7. The electronic transaction method according to claim 5 or 6, wherein said transferee apparatus transferred said electronic coupon sends said electronic coupon to said coupon issuance/management server to request said coupon issuance/management server to verify validity of said electronic coupon;

said coupon issuance/management server verifies the validity of said electronic coupon on the basis of said electronic signatures affixed on said electronic coupon and notifies said transferee apparatus of a result of the verification;

when the validity of said electronic coupon is confirmed on the basis of a result of the verification, said transferee apparatus requests said coupon issuance/management server to change an owner of said electronic coupon; and

in response to the owner change request, said coupon issuance/management server confirms said information terminal, which is a transferor of said electronic coupon, that said information terminal has transferred said electronic coupon, and changes said owner identification information.

8. The electronic transaction method according to claim 1, wherein said coupon issuance/management server sets a term of validity to said electronic coupon, and records and manages information on said term of validity as a part of said coupon management information in said transfer management memory.

9. The electronic transaction method according to claim 1, wherein said coupon issuance/management server records and manages progress information on a status of progress of issuance and transfer of said electronic coupon as a part of said coupon management information in said transfer management memory, and carries out a process according to said progress information in said transfer management memory.

10. The electronic transaction method according to claim 2 or 3, wherein said coupon issuance/management server reads said coupon management information from said transfer management memory in response to the notice, and carries out a charging procedure for charging a user of said information terminal, which is a transferor, identified by said owner identification information an amount corresponding to said pecuniary value information.

11. The electronic transaction method according to claim 10, wherein said coupon issuance/management server generates charge information of an amount corresponding to said pecuniary value information and accumulates said charge information in a charge information memory, periodically reads said charge information from said charge information memory, and totalizes said charge information to periodically carry out said charging procedure.

12. The electronic transaction method according to claim 11, wherein in response to a value conversion notice about said electronic coupon from said information terminal, said coupon issuance/management server reduces an amount corresponding to said pecuniary value information of said electronic coupon from said charge information in said charge information memory when said charge information is negative at the time of the totaling, and carries out a procedure of transferring an amount corresponding to said charge information to a user of said information terminal identified by said owner identification information.

13. The electronic transaction method according to claim 1, wherein said information terminal holds said electronic coupon in a terminal-side memory, to which an access is inhibited or allowed by inputting password information, and inhibits an access to said electronic coupon by inputting said password information.

14. The electronic transaction method according to claim 13, wherein, when transferring said electronic coupon to said transferee apparatus, the information terminal allows an access to said terminal-side memory by inputting said password information, reads said electronic coupon from said terminal-side memory, and sends said electronic coupon to said transferee apparatus.

15. The electronic transaction method according to claim 13 or 14, wherein said information terminal holds said electronic coupon in an IC card, an access to said IC card being inhibited by inputting a personal identification number (PIN) as said password information, and allowed by inputting a PIN block as said password information.

16. The electronic transaction method according to claim 13, wherein said information terminal has a displaying means, and records and manages information on a status of progress of transfer of said electronic coupon in said terminal-side memory, and can display said information on said displaying means.

17. An electronic transaction system using an electronic coupon comprising:

an electronic shop server opening an electronic shop site on Internet, and operating and managing said electronic shop site;

a coupon issuance/management server issuing and managing an electronic coupon having pecuniary value information usable in a settlement of an electronic transaction for said electronic shop site;

an information terminal being able to access to said electronic shop to carry out an electronic transaction;

said information terminal comprising;

a coupon issuance requesting means requesting said coupon issuance/management server to issue said electronic coupon;

said coupon issuance/management server comprising;

a coupon issuing means issuing an electronic coupon having pecuniary value information and owner identification information based on information characteristic of said information terminal to said information terminal in response to a request from said information terminal;

a transfer management memory recording pecuniary value information and owner identification information of said electronic coupon as coupon management information; and

a coupon owner changing means changing said owner identification information in said transfer management memory according to a transferee apparatus of said electronic coupon.

18. A coupon issuance/management server for use in an electronic transaction system using an electronic coupon comprising an electronic shop server opening an electronic shop site on Internet, and operating and managing said electronic shop site, a coupon issuance/management server issuing and managing an electronic coupon having pecuniary value information usable in a settlement of an electronic transaction for said electronic shop site, and an information terminal being able to access to said electronic shop site to carry out an electronic transaction, said coupon issuance/management server comprising:

a coupon issuing means issuing an electronic coupon having pecuniary value information and owner identification information on said information terminal to said information terminal in response to a request for issuance of said electronic coupon from said information terminal;

a transfer management memory recording said pecuniary value information and said owner identification information of said electronic coupon as coupon management information; and

a coupon owner changing means changing said owner identification information in said transfer management memory according to a transferee apparatus of said electronic coupon.

19. The coupon issuance/management server according to claim 18, wherein said coupon owner changing means comprises a terminal-to-electronic shop owner changing means changing said owner identification information in said transfer management memory to information characteristic of said electronic shop server when receiving a notice from said information terminal or another information terminal that said electronic coupon has been transferred to said electronic shop server due to an electronic transaction in said electronic shop site.

20. The coupon issuance/management server according to claim 18, wherein said coupon owner changing means comprises a terminal-to-terminal owner changing means changing said owner identification information in said transfer management memory to information characteristic of said another information terminal when receiving a notice from said information terminal that said electronic coupon has been transferred to said another information terminal.

21. The coupon issuance/management server according to any one of claims 18 through 20, wherein said coupon issuing means comprises an electronic signature means affixing electronic signatures on said pecuniary value information and said owner identification information of said electronic coupon with different encryption keys.

22. The coupon issuance/management server according to claim 21, wherein said electronic signature means comprises:

a server private key signature means affixing said electronic signature on said pecuniary value information of said electronic coupon with a server private key characteristic of said coupon issuance/management server; and

a user private key signature means affixing said electronic signature on said owner identification information of said electronic coupon with a user private key characteristic of a user of said information terminal.

23. An information terminal for use in an electronic transaction system using an electronic coupon comprising an electronic shop server opening an electronic shop site on Internet, and operating and managing said electronic shop site, a coupon issuance/management server issuing and managing an electronic coupon having pecuniary value information usable in a settlement of an electronic transaction for said electronic shop site, and an information terminal being able to access to said electronic shop site to carry out an electronic transaction, said information terminal comprising:

a coupon issuance requesting means requesting said coupon issuance/management server to issue said electronic coupon;

an electronic coupon receiving means receiving an electronic coupon issued from said coupon issuance/management server in response to the request, said electronic coupon having said pecuniary value information and owner identification information based on information characteristic of said information terminal;

a terminal-side memory holding said electronic coupon received by said electronic coupon receiving means;

a displaying means; and

a record/display controlling means recording information on a status of progress of transfer of said electronic coupon in said terminal-side memory and managing said information therein, and being able to read out contents of record in said terminal-side memory to display said contents on said displaying means.

24. The information terminal according to claim 23, wherein an access to said terminal-side memory is inhibited or allowed by inputting password information.

25. A managing apparatus comprising:

a receiving means receiving, via a mobile exchange, an issue request including first information for identifying a portable terminal which can access to a mobile communication network from said portable terminal;

a transmitting means transmitting fourth information having second information representing a value and third information for identifying information representing said value to said portable terminal, provided that said portable terminal is charged;

a storing means relating said first information with said third information and storing said first information and said third information therein, when receiving a notice including said first information, said third information and fifth information for identifying a terminal of a transferee from said portable terminal, relating said fifth information with said third information and storing said fifth information therein; and

a determining means, when receiving said third information and sixth information for identifying another terminal which differs from said portable terminal from said another terminal, determining whether or not said sixth information coincides with said fifth information related with said third information and stored in said storing means, determining that said another terminal is valid as an owner of said fourth information when said sixth information coincides with said fifth information, and determining that said another terminal is not valid as an owner of said fourth information when said sixth information does not coincides with said fifth information.

26. The managing apparatus according to claim 25, wherein said managing apparatus is connected to Internet via a gateway apparatus, and said terminal of a transferee is another server connected to said Internet.

27. A portable terminal comprising:

a transmitting means transmitting an issue request including first information for identifying said portable terminal to an issuing/managing apparatus via a mobile exchange;

a receiving means receiving fourth information having second information representing a value and third information for identifying information representing said value, provided that said portable terminal is charged; and

a transmitting means transmitting said fourth information to another terminal, and transmitting said first information, said third information and sixth information for identifying said another terminal to said issuing/managing apparatus via said mobile exchange.