Mobile-To-Mobile Payment System And Method

• US 20080133403A1
• Filed: 11/14/2007
• Published: 06/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apptech Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: Globaltel Media Inc.
• Inventors: Hamzeh, Mehrak
• Granted Patent: US 8,369,828 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 20/223 based on the use of peer-to-peer networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3223 Realising banking transactions through M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes

Abstract

A mobile-to-mobile payment method and system are presented. One or more payor messages are received at a payment server from a mobile device associated with a payor. The one or more payor messages include an identifier of a payee and an amount. The identifier of the payee is associated with a payee account, and the mobile device is associated with a payor account. The payment server executes a transfer of fluids of the amount from the payor account to the payee account.

Claims

1. A mobile-to-mobile payment method comprising:

receiving at a payment server one or more payment messages from a mobile device associated with a payor, the one or more payment messages including an identifier of a payee and an amount;

associating the identifier of the payee with a payee account;

associating the mobile device with a payor account; and

the payment server executing a transfer of finds of the amount from the payor account to the payee account.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a confirmation message of the executed transfer.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising transmitting the confirmation message to the mobile device associated with the payor.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the payment messages are SMS messages.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the payment messages are generated by a client application on the mobile device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier of the payee is a cell phone number of a mobile device associated with the payee.

7. The method of claim 3, further comprising receiving an acknowledgement message from the mobile device based on the confirmation message.

8. A mobile-to-mobile payment system comprising:

a communications network having at least one wireless link to communicate with a plurality of mobile devices; and

a payment server adapted to receive one or more payment messages from a payor'"'"'s mobile devices, the one or more payor messages including an identifier of a payee and an amount, the payment server further adapted to associate the identifier of the payee with a payee account, associate the payor'"'"'s mobile device with a payor account, and execute a transfer of funds of the amount from the payor account to the payee account.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein payment server is further adapted to generate a confirmation message of the executed transfer.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the payment server is further adapted to transmit the confirmation message to the payor'"'"'s mobile device.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the payment messages are SMS messages.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the payment messages are generated by a client application on the payor'"'"'s mobile device.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the identifier of the payee is a cell phone number of a mobile device associated with the payee.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the payment server is further adapted to receive an acknowledgement message from the mobile device based on the confirmation message.

15. A mobile device comprising:

a user interface for receiving instruction data for a mobile-to-mobile payment process;

a translator to translate the instruction data to one or more payment messages to control a payment server that executes the mobile-to-mobile payment process, the payment messages including an identifier of a payee and an amount of a payment; and

a messaging service adapted to transmit the payment messages to a payment server via a communications network having at least one wireless link.

16. The mobile device of claim 15, further comprising a display for displaying confirmation messages received from the payment server.

17. A mobile messaging service for a mobile device, comprising:

an outbound messaging component for sending payment messages from the mobile device to a payment server, the payment messages including an identifier of a payee and an amount of a payment; and

an inbound messaging component for receiving confirmation messages from the payment server to the mobile device, the confirmation messages including prompts for further information and/or prompts for an acknowledgement to be sent on the outbound messaging component.

18. The mobile messaging service of claim 17, wherein the outbound messaging component includes an SMS service.

19. The mobile messaging service of claim 17, further comprising a translation component for translating the confirmation messages from text-based messages to graphical elements.

20. The mobile messaging service of claim 19, wherein the translation component is further adapted to translate the payment messages into text-based messaged.