Payment System and Method

• US 20090063353A1
• Filed: 08/31/2007
• Published: 03/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Skype S.Ã R.L. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Ondeck, Kristen, Viidu, Siim, Coenen, Edith, Kutt, Andres
• Granted Patent: US 8,660,966 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/75
• 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 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/16 Payments settled via telecommunication systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/26 Debit schemes, e.g. "pay now"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3255 using mobile network messaging services for payment, e.g. SMS
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/386 using messaging services or messaging apps using mobile network messaging services for payment, e.g. SMS G06Q20/3255
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/401 Transaction verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03

Abstract

In one embodiment, transferring payment between a first user and a second user of a communication system includes displaying a contact list in a user interface of a client executed at a user terminal of the first user, the contact list including the second user. The client retrieves and displays at least one page from a payment provider responsive to the first user selecting the second user from the contact list. The client transmits, to the payment provider, information related to the payment entered into the page by the first user, which causes the payment provider to transfer the payment from an account of the first user to an account of the second user.

Claims

1. A method of transferring a payment between a first user of a communication system and a second user of the communication system, comprising:

displaying a contact list in a user interface of a client executed at a user terminal of the first user, said contact list comprising said second user;

said client retrieving and displaying at least one page from a payment provider responsive to said first user selecting the second user from the contact list and receiving information related to said payment entered into said at least one page by said first user; and

said client transmitting said information related to said payment to said payment provider to cause said payment provider to transmit a message to a user terminal of the second user over the communication system and transfer said payment from an account of the first user to an account of the second user.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the communication system is a voice over internet protocol communication system.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the communication system is an instant messaging communication system.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of said first user selecting the second user comprises detecting the activation by the first user of a displayed name of the second user displayed in the user interface of the client.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the client is a computer program downloaded and executed on the user terminal of the first user.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein said step of retrieving said at least one page from the payment provider comprises downloading said at least one page over the Internet.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein said downloading of said at least one page over the Internet uses a secure protocol.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein said step of displaying said at least one page from the payment provider comprises said client triggering the display of a pop-up window, wherein said at least one page is displayed in said pop-up window.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein said information related to said payment is transmitted to said payment provider over the Internet.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein said information related to said payment is transmitted over the Internet using a secure protocol.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein said information related to said payment comprises payment provider authorisation information for the first user.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein said payment provider authorisation information for the first user comprises a payment provider username and a payment provider password.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein the username is an email address for the first user.

14. A method according to claim 1, wherein said information related to said payment comprises an identity of the second user in the communication system.

15. A method according to claim 14, wherein the identity of the second user in the communication system comprises a communication system username of the second user.

16. A method according to claim 1, wherein said information related to said payment comprises at least one of a payment amount, a currency, and a message.

17. A method according to claim 1, wherein said message transmitted by said payment provider is transmitted to a secure interface of a messaging system over the Internet, and forwarded by said messaging system over said communication system to the user terminal of the second user.

18. A method according to claim 1, wherein said message transmitted by said payment provider is an email message transmitted to an email address of the second user.

19. A method according to claim 1, wherein said message transmitted by said payment provided is an SMS message transmitted to a telephone number of said second user.

20. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of said user terminal of the second user receiving said message in a client program executed at the user terminal of the second user.

21. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of authorising said second user with the communication system, authorising said second user with the payment provider, and transmitting an acceptance message from said user terminal of said second user to said payment provider to initiate the transfer of said payment.

22. A method according to claim 21, further comprising the step of linking authorisation information of the second user in the communication system with authorisation information of the second user in the payment provider, such that, for subsequent payments, the steps of authorising said second user with the communication system and authorising said second user with the payment provider are not required, and the step of transferring said payment is initiated without transmitting an acceptance message from the user terminal of the second user.

23. A method according to claim 22, wherein the step of linking comprises storing the authorisation information of the second user in the communication system and the authorisation information of the second user in the payment provider at a network node.

24. A method according to claim 23, wherein the authorisation information of the second user in the communication system is a communication system username of the second user, and the authorisation information of the second user in the payment provider is a payment provider username of the second user.

25. A method according to claim 1, wherein the communication system is a peer-to-peer communication system.

26. A computer program product comprising program code means which when executed by a computer implement the steps according to the method of claim 1.

27. A system for transferring a payment between a first user of a communication system and a second user of the communication system, comprising;

a user terminal of said first user arranged to execute a client and display a contact list in a user interface of said client, said contact list comprising said second user; and

a payment provider;

said client configured to retrieve and display at least one page from the payment provider responsive to said first user selecting the second user from the contact list, receive information related to said payment entered into said at least one page by said first user, and transmit said information related to said payment to said payment provider; and

the payment provider arranged to transmit a message from said payment provider to a user terminal of the second user over the communication system responsive to receiving said information related to said payments, and transfer said payment from an account of the first user to an account of the second user.

28. A system according to claim 27, wherein the communication system is a voice over internet protocol communication system.

29. A system according to claim 27, wherein the communication system is an instant messaging communication system.

30. A system according to claim 27, wherein the client is configured to detect the selection by the first user of a displayed name of the second user displayed in the user interface of the client.

31. A system according to claim 27, wherein the client is a computer program downloaded and executed on the user terminal of the first user.

32. A system according to claim 27, wherein said client is arranged to download said at least one page over the Internet.

33. A system according to claim 32, wherein said client is configured to use a secure protocol to download said at least one page over the Internet.

34. A system according to claim 27, wherein said client is further configured to trigger the display of a pop-up window, wherein said at least one page is displayed in said pop-up window.

35. A system according to claim 27, wherein said information related to said payment is transmitted to said payment provider over the Internet.

36. A system according to claim 35, wherein said information related to said payment is transmitted over the Internet using a secure protocol.

37. A system according to claim 27, wherein said information related to said payment comprises payment provider authorisation information for the first user.

38. A system according to claim 27, wherein said payment provider authorisation information for the first user comprises a payment provider username and a payment provider password.

39. A system according to claim 38, wherein the username is an email address for the first user.

40. A system according to claim 27, wherein said information related to said payment comprises an identity of the second user in the communication system.

41. A system according to claim 40, wherein the identity of the second user in the communication system comprises a communication system username of the second user.

42. A system according to claim 27, wherein said information related to said payment comprises at least one of a payment amount, a currency, and a message.

43. A system according to claim 27, further comprising a messaging system, wherein said payment provider is configured to transmit said message to a secure interface of said messaging system over the Internet, and said messaging system is arranged to forward said message over said communication system to the user terminal of the second user.

44. A system according to claim 27, wherein said user terminal of the second user comprises a client program executed at the user terminal of the second user and configured to receive said message.

45. A system according to claim 27, further comprising a first network node arranged to authorise said second user with the communication system, a second network node arranged to authorise said second user with the payment provider, and wherein said user terminal of said second user is arranged to transmit an acceptance message from said user terminal of said second user to said payment provider to initiate the transfer of said payment.

46. A system according to claim 45, further comprising a third network node arranged to link authorisation information of the second user in the communication system with authorisation information of the second user in the payment provider, such that, for subsequent payments, the transfer of said payment is initiated without transmitting an acceptance message from the user terminal of the second user.

47. A system according to claim 46, wherein the third network node comprises a storage device for storing the authorisation information of the second user in the communication system and the authorisation information of the second user in the payment provider.

48. A system according to claim 47, wherein the authorisation information of the second user in the communication system is a communication system username of the second user, and the authorisation information of the second user in the payment provider is a payment provider username of the second user.

49. A system according to claim 27, wherein said message transmitted by said payment provider is an email message transmitted to an email address of the second user.

50. A system according to claim 27, wherein said message transmitted by said payment provided is an SMS message transmitted to a telephone number of the second user.

51. A system according to claim 27, wherein the communication system is a peer-to-peer communication system.

52. A user terminal for transferring a payment between a first user of a communication system and a second user of the communication system, comprising:

a processor arranged to execute a client; and

a display arranged to display a contact list to said first user in a user interface of said client, said contact list comprising said second user;

wherein said client is configured to retrieve and display at least one page from a payment provider responsive to said first user selecting the second user from the contact list, receive information related to said payment entered into said at least one page by said first user, and transmit said information related to said payment to said payment provider to cause said payment provider to transmit a message to a user terminal of the second user over the communication system responsive to receiving said information related to said payments and transfer said payment from an account of the first user to an account of the second user.