Method for controlling transaction management server, transaction management server and program

• US 20070022030A1
• Filed: 09/08/2005
• Published: 01/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitsui-Soko Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Mitsui-Soko Company Limited
• Inventors: Fujioka, Kei, Natori, Hiroki
• Granted Patent: US 8,417,647 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/35
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/14 specially adapted for billing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes

Abstract

A control method, for a transaction management server of a transaction administrator administrating commodity transactions between a seller and a buyer, comprises transmitting to a forwarder terminal an instruction to transport a commodity received along with price information of the commodity from a seller terminal; writing the price information into a database; receiving from the forwarder terminal and writing into the database the number of the waybill issued when the commodity is loaded into transportation by the forwarder; transmitting to the seller terminal information indicating that the transaction administrator has made an alternative payment for the commodity; receiving from the forwarder terminal and writing into the database the number of the waybill put on the commodity having arrived at a destination and commodity identification information; receiving the commodity identification information of the commodity delivered to the buyer from the forwarder terminal, and transmitting to a buyer terminal a payment request based on the price information stored in association with the commodity identification information.

Claims

1. A control method for a transaction management server of a transaction administrator administrating commodity transactions between a seller and a buyer, the transaction management server being communicatively connected to a seller terminal of the seller of a commodity, to a buyer terminal of the buyer of the commodity and to a forwarder terminal of a forwarder to transport the commodity, the control method comprising the steps of the transaction management server:

receiving a transportation instruction to transport the commodity along with information indicating a price of the commodity from the seller terminal;

writing into a database the information indicating the price of the commodity in association with the received transportation instruction;

transmitting the transportation instruction to the forwarder terminal;

receiving from the forwarder terminal, identification information of a waybill issued when the commodity is loaded into transportation means by the forwarder according to the transportation instruction;

writing into the database the received identification information of the waybill in association with the transportation instruction;

transmitting to the seller terminal, information indicating that the transaction administrator has made a payment for the commodity to the seller on behalf of the buyer;

receiving from the forwarder terminal, commodity identification information assigned to the commodity by the forwarder when the commodity has arrived at a destination along with the identification information of the waybill put on the commodity;

writing into the database the received commodity identification information in association with the transportation instruction stored in association with the received identification information of the waybill;

receiving a commodity delivery request from the buyer terminal;

transmitting the commodity delivery request to the forwarder terminal;

receiving from the forwarder terminal the commodity identification information of the commodity delivered by the forwarder to the buyer; and

transmitting to the buyer terminal a payment request asking the payment for the commodity paid by the transaction administrator on behalf of the buyer, based on the information indicating the price of the commodity stored in the database in association with the received commodity identification information.

2. The control method for a transaction management server of claim 1,

wherein the waybill is a document of value assuring exchange for the commodity, and

wherein the transaction management server transmits to the seller terminal, information indicating that the payment for the commodity to the seller has been made on behalf of the buyer by the transaction administrator financed by a finance institution on security of receivables based on the waybill.

3. The control method for a transaction management server of claim 1,

wherein the transportation instruction is a shipping instruction,

wherein the transportation means is a vessel or an airplane, and

wherein the waybill is a bill of lading or an air waybill.

4. The control method for a transaction management server of claim 1,

wherein the database stores information indicating a difference between a money amount paid by the transaction administrator to the seller and a money amount paid by the buyer to the transaction administrator.

5. A transaction management server of a transaction administrator administrating commodity transactions between a seller and a buyer, the transaction management server being communicatively connected to a seller terminal of the seller of a commodity, to a buyer terminal of the buyer of the commodity and to a forwarder terminal of a forwarder to transport the commodity, the transaction management server comprising:

a transportation instruction receiver that receives a transportation instruction to transport the commodity along with information indicating a price of the commodity from the seller terminal;

a commodity price writer that writes into a database the information indicating the price of the commodity in association with the received transportation instruction;

a transportation instruction transmitter that transmits the transportation instruction to the forwarder terminal;

a waybill identification information receiver that receives from the forwarder terminal, identification information of a waybill issued when the commodity is loaded into transportation means by the forwarder according to the transportation instruction;

a waybill identification information writer that writes into the database the received identification information of the waybill in association with the transportation instruction;

a payment information transmitter that transmits to the seller terminal, information indicating that the transaction administrator has made a payment for the commodity to the seller on behalf of the buyer;

a first commodity identification information receiver that receives from the forwarder terminal, commodity identification information assigned to the commodity by the forwarder when the commodity has arrived at a destination along with the identification information of the waybill put on the commodity;

a commodity identification information writer that writes into the database the received commodity identification information in association with the transportation instruction stored in association with the received identification information of the waybill;

a commodity delivery request receiver that receives a commodity delivery request from the buyer terminal;

a commodity delivery request transmitter that transmits the commodity delivery request to the forwarder terminal;

a second commodity identification information receiver that receives from the forwarder terminal the commodity identification information of the commodity delivered by the forwarder to the buyer; and

a payment request transmitter that transmits to the buyer terminal a payment request asking the payment for the commodity paid by the transaction administrator on behalf of the buyer, based on the information indicating the price of the commodity stored in the database in association with the received commodity identification information.

6. A program for a transaction management server of a transaction administrator administrating commodity transactions between a seller and a buyer, the transaction management server being communicatively connected to a seller terminal of the seller of a commodity, to a buyer terminal of the buyer of the commodity and to a forwarder terminal of a forwarder to transport the commodity, the program causing the transaction management server to execute the steps of:

receiving a transportation instruction to transport the commodity along with information indicating a price of the commodity from the seller terminal;

writing into a database the information indicating the price of the commodity in association with the received transportation instruction;

transmitting the transportation instruction to the forwarder terminal;

receiving from the forwarder terminal, identification information of a waybill issued when the commodity is loaded into transportation means by the forwarder according to the transportation instruction;

writing into the database the received identification information of the waybill in association with the transportation instruction;

transmitting to the seller terminal, information indicating that the transaction administrator has made a payment for the commodity to the seller on behalf of the buyer;

receiving from the forwarder terminal, commodity identification information assigned to the commodity by the forwarder when the commodity has arrived at a destination along with the identification information of the waybill put on the commodity;

writing into the database the received commodity identification information in association with the transportation instruction stored in association with the received identification information of the waybill;

receiving a commodity delivery request from the buyer terminal;

transmitting the commodity delivery request to the forwarder terminal;

receiving from the forwarder terminal the commodity identification information of the commodity delivered by the forwarder to the buyer; and

transmitting to the buyer terminal a payment request asking the payment for the commodity paid by the transaction administrator on behalf of the buyer, based on the information indicating the price of the commodity stored in the database in association with the received commodity identification information.