Billing system and method for micro-transactions

• US 20060276171A1
• Filed: 06/06/2006
• Published: 12/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SMS AC Incorporated
• Original Assignee: SMS AC Incorporated
• Inventors: Pousti, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,073,774 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/405
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/085 involving remote charge determination or related payment systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/14 specially adapted for billing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/29 characterised by micropayments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1446 inter-operator billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1453 Methods or systems for payment or settlement of the charges for data transmission involving significant interaction with the data transmission network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/48 Secure or trusted billing, e.g. trusted elements or encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/73 Validating charges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/844 Message, e.g. SMS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0156 Secure and trusted billing, e.g. trusted elements, encryption, digital signature, codes or double check mechanisms to secure billing calculation and information
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7072 Validate charges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/8137 Message, e.g. alphanumeric text, SMS, MMS, EMS or www-based messaging service
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 705/902 Licensing digital content

Abstract

Billing a customer through an intermediary billing system for a transaction by receiving, at the intermediary billing system, a transaction request associated with a transaction amount and a customer identification code, validating, in the intermediary billing system, the transaction request by determining whether the customer identification code corresponds to a customer that is registered with the intermediary billing system, and sending, in the case that the transaction request is valid, a billing event trigger associated with the customer identification code to an external billing mechanism, the billing event trigger representing the transaction amount.

Claims

1. A method for billing a customer for a transaction between the customer and a third party provider, the method including:

a registration request receipt step of receiving, at the intermediary billing system, a registration request to register the customer;

a customer registration step of registering the customer in the intermediary billing system by providing a mobile phone number of the customer to the intermediary billing system, assigning a customer identification code to the customer, the customer identification code being shared with the third party provider, and associating the mobile phone number of the customer with the customer identification code assigned to the customer;

a billing request receipt step of receiving, at the intermediary billing system, a billing request from the third party provider, the billing request including a product identification code corresponding to a product associated with the transaction between the customer and the third party provider, a customer identification code assigned to the customer and a provider identification code corresponding to the third party provider;

a billing validation step of validating, in the intermediary billing system, the billing request by determining whether the customer identification code corresponds to a customer that is registered with the intermediary billing system, and by determining whether the provider identification code corresponds to a valid third party provider; and

a billing step of sending, in the case that the billing request is validated, at least one message from the intermediary billing system to a mobile phone number associated with the customer identification code, the at least one message representing a billing value that corresponds to the product identification code.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, in the registration request receipt step, the registration request is received from the third party provider and includes a customer identification code generated by the third party provider.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein, in the registration request receipt step, the registration request is received from the customer, and, in the customer registration step, the customer identification code is generated by the intermediary billing system.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the customer registration step further includes the steps of assigning the customer identification code included in the registration request to the customer in a database of the intermediary billing system, along with the customer'"'"'s mobile phone number, activating the customer'"'"'s mobile phone number for billing in the intermediary billing system, and sending a unique verification code from the intermediary billing system to the third party provider.

5. The method according to claim 4, the customer registration step further including a verification code validation step in which the intermediary billing system receives a verification code validation request containing a returned verification code from the third party provider, the intermediary billing system validates whether the returned verification code is the same as the unique verification code sent from the intermediary billing system to the third party provider, and, in the case that the returned verification code is not valid, an error message is returned to the third party provider, and in the case that the returned verification code is valid, a validity confirmation message is returned to the third party provider.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the third party provider is a third party website offering the product for a predetermined transaction amount, and the registration request is sent from the third party provider to the intermediary billing system in response to a selection of the product by the customer on the third party website, wherein, in the registration request receipt step, the customer is directed to a registration website of the intermediary billing system to provide the customer'"'"'s mobile phone number to the intermediary billing system for registration and activation, and the intermediary billing system then directs the customer back to the third party website along with a verification code from the intermediary billing system.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the third party provider is a third party website offering the product for a predetermined transaction amount, and the transaction is initiated by the customer upon a selection of the product by the customer on the third party website.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the billing request further includes a provider password corresponding to the third party provider, and a message text string which is set by the third party provider for inclusion in the at least one message sent from the intermediary billing system in the billing step.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein, in the billing validation step, an error message is sent by the intermediary billing system to the third party provider in the case that the billing request is not valid, and a billing confirmation message is sent to the third party provider in the case that the billing request is valid.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein, in the billing step, a confirmation message is sent from the intermediary billing system to the third party provider to confirm that the customer was billed in accordance with the billing request.

11. A method for billing a customer for a transaction, the method including:

a transaction request step of receiving, at an intermediary billing system, a transaction request associated with a transaction amount and a customer identification code;

a validation step of validating, in the intermediary billing system, the transaction request by determining whether the customer identification code corresponds to a customer that is registered with the intermediary billing system; and

a billing step of sending, in the case that the transaction request is valid, a billing event trigger associated with the customer identification code to an external billing mechanism, the billing event trigger representing the transaction amount.

12. A method for billing a customer for a transaction between the customer and a third party provider, the method including:

a transaction activation step of receiving, at the intermediary billing system, a transaction activation request from the third party provider to activate a customer for the transaction associated with a product offered by the third party provider, the customer being automatically directed from the third party provider to the intermediary billing system;

a confirmation step of prompting, by the intermediary billing system, the customer to confirm an instruction to proceed with the transaction;

a billing step of sending, in the case that the customer confirms the instruction to proceed with the transaction, at least message from the intermediary billing system to a mobile phone number associated with a customer identification code for the customer, the at least one message representing a billing value that corresponds to the product;

a verification code step of generating, in the intermediary billing system, an encrypted verification code in association with the customer identification code for the customer, installing the encrypted verification code on a web browser application of the customer, and automatically directing the customer from the intermediary billing system to the third party provider;

a validation step of receiving, at the intermediary billing system, a verification code validation request containing a returned encrypted verification code and a customer identification code from the third party provider, and validating, in the intermediary billing system, whether the returned encrypted verification code is the same as the encrypted verification code sent from the intermediary billing system to the third party provider for that customer identification code; and

a validation response step of sending, from the intermediary billing system, a validation response to the third party provider, the validation response containing an error code in the case that the returned encrypted verification code is not valid, and containing a valid confirmation code in the case that the returned encrypted verification code is valid,

wherein the third party provider enables the customer to access the product on the basis of the validation response received by from the intermediary billing system.

13. An intermediary billing system for billing a customer for a transaction between the customer and a third party provider, comprising:

at least one processor;

an interface having access to the internet; and

a computer readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for billing a customer for the transaction between the customer and a third party provider, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by the one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of;

a registration request receipt step of receiving, at the intermediary billing system, a registration request to register the customer;

a customer registration step of registering the customer in the intermediary billing system by providing a mobile phone number of the customer to the intermediary billing system, assigning a customer identification code to the customer, the customer identification code being shared with the third party provider, and associating the mobile phone number of the customer with the customer identification code assigned to the customer;

a billing request receipt step of receiving, at the intermediary billing system, a billing request from the third party provider, the billing request including a product identification code corresponding to a product associated with the transaction between the customer and the third party provider, a customer identification code assigned to the customer and a provider identification code corresponding to the third party provider;

a billing validation step of validating, in the intermediary billing system, the billing request by determining whether the customer identification code corresponds to a customer that is registered with the intermediary billing system, and by determining whether the provider identification code corresponds to a valid third party provider; and

a billing step of sending, in the case that the billing request is validated, at least one message from the intermediary billing system to a mobile phone number associated with the customer identification code, the at least one message representing a billing value that corresponds to the product identification code.

14. The intermediary billing system according to claim 13, wherein, in the registration request receipt step, the registration request is received from the third party provider and includes a customer identification code generated by the third party provider.

15. The intermediary billing system according to claim 13, wherein, in the registration request receipt step, the registration request is received from the customer, and, in the customer registration step, the customer identification code is generated by the intermediary billing system.

16. The intermediary billing system according to claim 13, wherein the customer registration step further includes the steps of assigning the customer identification code included in the registration request to the customer in a database of the intermediary billing system, along with the customer'"'"'s mobile phone number, activating the customer'"'"'s mobile phone number for billing in the intermediary billing system, and sending a unique verification code from the intermediary billing system to the third party provider.

17. The intermediary billing system according to claim 16, the customer registration step further including a verification code validation step in which the intermediary billing system receives a verification code validation request containing a returned verification code from the third party provider, the intermediary billing system validates whether the returned verification code is the same as the unique verification code sent from the intermediary billing system to the third party provider, and, in the case that the returned verification code is not valid, an error message is returned to the third party provider, and in the case that the returned verification code is valid, a validity confirmation message is returned to the third party provider.

18. The intermediary billing system according to claim 13, wherein the third party provider is a third party website offering the product for a predetermined transaction amount, and the registration request is sent from the third party provider to the intermediary billing system in response to a selection of the product by the customer on the third party website, wherein, in the registration request receipt step, the customer is directed to a registration website of the intermediary billing system to provide the customer'"'"'s mobile phone number to the intermediary billing system for registration and activation, and the intermediary billing system then directs the customer back to the third party website along with a verification code from the intermediary billing system.

19. The intermediary billing system according to claim 13, wherein the third party provider is a third party website offering the product for a predetermined transaction amount, and the transaction is initiated by the customer upon a selection of the product by the customer on the third party website.

20. The intermediary billing system according to claim 13, wherein the billing request further includes a provider password corresponding to the third party provider, and a message text string which is set by the third party provider for inclusion in the at least one message sent from the intermediary billing system in the billing step.

21. The intermediary billing system according to claim 13, wherein, in the billing validation step, an error message is sent by the intermediary billing system to the third party provider in the case that the billing request is not valid, and a billing confirmation message is sent to the third party provider in the case that the billing request is valid.

22. The intermediary billing system according to claim 13, wherein, in the billing step, a confirmation message is sent from the intermediary billing system to the third party provider to confirm that the customer was billed in accordance with the billing request.

23. An intermediary billing system for billing a customer for a transaction, comprising:

at least one processor;

an interface having access to the internet; and

a computer readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for billing a customer for the transaction, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by the one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of;

a transaction request step of receiving, at an intermediary billing system, a transaction request associated with a transaction amount and a customer identification code;

a validation step of validating, in the intermediary billing system, the transaction request by determining whether the customer identification code corresponds to a customer that is registered with the intermediary billing system; and

a billing step of sending, in the case that the transaction request is valid, a billing event trigger associated with the customer identification code to an external billing mechanism, the billing event trigger representing the transaction amount.

24. An intermediary billing system for billing a customer for a transaction between the customer and a third party provider, comprising:

at least one processor;

an interface having access to the internet; and

a computer readable medium carrying one or more sequences of instructions for billing a customer for the transaction between the customer and a third party provider, wherein execution of the one or more sequences of instructions by the one or more processors causes the one or more processors to perform the steps of;

a transaction activation step of receiving, at the intermediary billing system, a transaction activation request from the third party provider to activate a customer for the transaction associated with a product offered by the third party provider, the customer being automatically directed from the third party provider to the intermediary billing system;

a confirmation step of prompting, by the intermediary billing system, the customer to confirm an instruction to proceed with the transaction;

a billing step of sending, in the case that the customer confirms the instruction to proceed with the transaction, at least message from the intermediary billing system to a mobile phone number associated with a customer identification code for the customer, the at least one message representing a billing value that corresponds to the product;

a verification code step of generating, in the intermediary billing system, an encrypted verification code in association with the customer identification code for the customer, installing the encrypted verification code on a web browser application of the customer, and automatically directing the customer from the intermediary billing system to the third party provider;

a validation step of receiving, at the intermediary billing system, a verification code validation request containing a returned encrypted verification code and a customer identification code from the third party provider, and validating, in the intermediary billing system, whether the returned encrypted verification code is the same as the encrypted verification code sent from the intermediary billing system to the third party provider for that customer identification code; and

a validation response step of sending, from the intermediary billing system, a validation response to the third party provider, the validation response containing an error code in the case that the returned encrypted verification code is not valid, and containing a valid confirmation code in the case that the returned encrypted verification code is valid,

wherein the third party provider enables the customer to access the product on the basis of the validation response received by from the intermediary billing system.