Electronic commerce methods and apparatus

• US 20040225617A1
• Filed: 06/16/2004
• Published: 11/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/1998
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Carolyn Baser, Olivier Gorostis
• Original Assignee: Carolyn Baser, Olivier Gorostis
• Inventors: Baser, Carolyn, Gorostis, Olivier
• Application Number:
  US10/869,330
• Publication Number:
  US 20040225617A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/78
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/0855 involving a third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/14 specially adapted for billing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/28 Pre-payment schemes, e.g. "pay before"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/29 characterised by micropayments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/342 Cards defining paid or billed services or quantities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• 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: H04M 15/8038 Roaming or handoff
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/00 Prepayment of wireline communication systems, wireless communication systems or telephone systems using a coded card to authorise calls from a telephone set H04M1/675
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/10 Account details or usage
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/34 Roaming
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7442 Roaming

Abstract

An object-oriented, distributed architecture provides a suite of applications supporting prepaid electronic commerce on internet, intranet or extranet, including roaming transactions and transaction shipping involving more complex configurations. A service request is received from a user, creating a transaction instance. Information relating to the user'"'"'s PIN and remaining balance are retrieved to determine whether or not the transaction can take place given the user'"'"'s remaining balance and, if the user'"'"'s PIN is sufficiently funded, the transaction proceeds, rendering the requested service. An unrated service data record is returned, and the end user purchase price of the requested goods or services is calculated based upon the service data record. The PIN balance updated, and a transaction data record is generated as well. A typical roaming situation involves two transaction servers, called TxS devices. The first device, identified as a foreign TxS, is the place where the end user initiates the transaction. The second device, identified as the home TxS, holds the business information such as PIN funding for the prepaid account. The use of transaction shipment is not restricted to a typical roaming situation, but also applies to more complex roaming situations. An input device is employed for receiving a request for a service from an end user through a business application, forming part of an internet web page, for example, or through the use of a virtual Payment Portal™, which is manifest as an expandable widget/icon.

Claims

1. A method of performing a prepaid electronic-commerce transaction over a computer network, comprising the steps of:

receiving user identification and account balance information at a centralized transaction server interfaced to the network;

receiving a request for goods or services at the centralized transaction server from the user through an input device;

creating a transaction instance at the centralized transaction server in response to the user request;

retrieving account information at the centralized transaction server relating to the user, the account information including the user'"'"'s remaining balance;

determining whether or not the transaction can take place as a function of the user'"'"'s remaining balance;

proceeding with the transaction and servicing the request if the user'"'"'s account is sufficiently funded;

calculating the purchase price of the goods or services based on information contained in the user request using a rating device; and

updating user'"'"'s remaining balance at the centralized transaction server.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the transaction occurs over the internet.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the transaction occurs over an intranet.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the transaction occurs over an extranet.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the request is received through a point-of-sale (POS) terminal.

6. The method of claim 1, further including the step of:

denying further service requests when a predetermined spending threshold is reached.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the input is received through a web page.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of calculating the purchase price of the requested goods or services occurs substantially in real time.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the purchase price is a dollar or less.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the steps associated with receiving the request from the user and servicing the request are performed at different locations.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein one of the different locations is associated with requesting a payment, and wherein that location passes accounting and rating information to the first location.

12. The method of claim 1, further including the step of providing the user with an estimated purchase price over the network before a purchase is made.

13. The method of claim 1, further including the step of providing the user with a history of payments over the network.

14. The method of claim 1, further including the step of allowing the user to move funds from a bank or credit card account to the centralized transaction server to increase the remaining balance.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the input device forms part of a personal digital assistant.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of calculating the cost of the requested goods or services is based upon the amount of time spent in using the goods or services.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the goods or services involve downloading reading material.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the goods or services involve a form of entertainment.

19. A method of performing a prepaid electronic-commerce transaction for a user having an account, comprising the steps of:

receiving a request from a user over a computer network, thereby creating a transaction instance;

calculating the cost of the transaction based on information contained in the user request; and

debiting the user'"'"'s account in accordance with the cost upon termination of the transaction.

20. The method of claim 19, further including the steps of:

retrieving account information at least including the user'"'"'s remaining balance;

determining whether or not the transaction can take place as a function of the user'"'"'s remaining balance;

proceeding with the transaction if the user'"'"'s account is sufficiently funded; and

updating the user'"'"'s remaining balance upon termination of the transaction.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the computer network is the internet, an intranet, or extranet.