SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING COMMERCIAL SERVICES OVER A WIRELESS COMMUNICATION NETWORK

• US 20090069040A1
• Filed: 11/17/2008
• Published: 03/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Syniverse ICX LLC
• Original Assignee: VeriSign, Inc.
• Inventors: Tschaickner, Reinhard, Langmeier, Alois, Wiesmuller, Andreas, Goodspeed, Ben
• Granted Patent: US 10,332,163 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/045 using payment protocols involving tickets
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3255 using mobile network messaging services for payment, e.g. SMS
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/326 Payment applications installed on the mobile devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0625 Directed, with specific intent or strategy
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/188 Electronic negotiation
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/42 for ticket printing or like apparatus , e.g. apparatus for dispensing of printed paper tickets or payment cards
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/58 Message adaptation for wireless communication

Abstract

The inventive system provides real-time commercial services to users of mobile communication devices (MCDs) over a wireless communication network utilizing the short message service protocol (SMS). The inventive system establishes a dialog with a user of an MCD utilizing SMS to present the user with commercial service options and to allow the user to quickly and easily purchase the services by sending minimal SMS responses during the dialog process. Preferably, prior to utilization of the inventive system, the user subscribes with a service provider to pre-arrange payment options for purchased services, to provide information helpful in tailoring offered services and service options to the user, and optionally to receive enhanced services (such as discounted and/or last minute offers, etc.). Utilization of the inventive system occurs in three phases: trigger, purchase and claim. During the trigger phase (user or service provider initiated), the service to be purchased is selected. During the purchase phase, the user selects the grade and quantity of services to be purchased and authorizes payment which is processed by the service provider and thereafter receives a unique service code. During the claim phase, the user presents the service code at the service location, which is then verified using a local terminal, and the service is then delivered to the user. The inventive dialog process can be advantageously and readily configured for a wide variety of commercial services, including, but not limited to entertainment site admissions and travel.

Claims

1. A data processing and communication method for providing commercial services over a wireless communication network to at least one user utilizing a mobile communication device (MCD), the method comprising:

(a) at a service control system, receiving subscription information, from the at least one user, wherein the subscription information includes an agreement to receive offers at the mobile communication device;

(b) providing, to the MCD, a message including an offer for one or more services offered by a service provider, wherein providing the offer is not in response to a request, selection, or identification for a service that was received from the MCD;

(c) at the service control system from the MCD, receiving an acceptance of the offer;

(d) obtaining, by the service control system, payment for said service from the at least one user; and

(e) transmitting a unique confirmation code to the at least one user confirming purchase of said service;

wherein, when performing at least steps (b), (c), and (e), the service control system communicates with the mobile device using at least one of a short message service (SMS) protocol and a multimedia message service (MMS) protocol.

2. The data processing and communication method of claim 1, wherein the offer is provided to the MCD in response to a physical location of the MCD.

3. The data processing and communication method of claim 1, wherein (a) further comprises:

providing user information representative of the at least one user to the service control system.

4. The data processing and communication method of claim 1, wherein (a) further comprises:

selecting of at least one payment type by the at least one user such that payment is obtained at said step (c) utilizing one of said selected at least one payment type.

5. The data processing and communication method of claim 1, wherein (a) further comprises:

selecting of at least one default preference for said service program.

6. The data processing and communication method of claim 5, wherein the at least one default preference includes a specification of whether or not the control system should request identity verification prior to processing a purchase of said service.

7. The data processing and communication method of claim 1, wherein said step (e) further comprises:

transmitting to the at least one user, information representative of said purchased service and instructions for claiming said purchased service.

8. The data processing and communication method of claim 1, further comprising:

after said step (e), and when the at least one user decides to claim said purchased service, presenting said confirmation code by the at least one user to a service representative at a service claim location so that the service representative using a local communication device communicating with said service control system, can;

verify validity of said confirmation code; and

if said confirmation code is valid, provide the purchased service to the user.

9. The data processing and communication method of claim 8, wherein the same unique confirmation code is used by the user for claiming two or more different services.

10. The data processing and communication method of claim 1, wherein said service comprises at least one service selected from the following group:

movies, concerts, cultural events (theater, opera, museums, performance art), sporting events, zoos, amusement parks, premium speaking engagements, travel tickets (airline, train, bus, ship), car rentals, hotel rooms, and parking.

11. The data processing and communication method of claim 1, wherein the control system receives the acceptance of the offer via a first message sent to a first phone number associated with the control system, and wherein the unique confirmation code is sent via a second message transmitted to a second phone number associated with the user.

12. The data processing and communication method of claim 1, further comprising:

advertising, in media or online, a keyword for specific services for the user to use in sending subscription information.

13. The data processing and communication method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing to the user a readable information device identifying the user as subscribing to a particular service; and

linking information to the readable information device.

14. The data processing and communication method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting, to the user, a time until which the selected service is valid.

15. A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium encoded with program code for controlling operation of a computer system to provide commercial services over a wireless communication network to at least one user utilizing a mobile communication device, the program code including:

code for receiving, at a service control system, subscription information, from the at least one user, wherein the subscription information includes an agreement to receive offers at the mobile communication device;

code for providing, to the MCD, a message including an offer for one or more services offered by a service provider, wherein providing the offer is not in response to a request, selection, or identification for a service that was received from the MCD;

code for receiving, at the service control system from the MCD, an acceptance of the offer;

code for obtaining, by the service control system, payment for said service from the at least one user; and

code for transmitting a unique confirmation code to the at least one user confirming purchase of said service;

wherein, when performing at least steps (b), (c), and (e), the service control system communicates with the mobile device using at least one of a short message service (SMS) protocol and a multimedia message service (MMS) protocol.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the program code further includes:

code for receiving said confirmation code from the at least one user to a service representative at a service claim location when the at least one user decides to claim said purchased service code for verifying, by the service representative using a local communication device communicating with said service control system, validity of said confirmation code; and

code providing the purchased service to the user when said confirmation code is valid.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the program code further includes:

code for marking, at the service control system, the confirmation code as claimed to prevent future utilization of said confirmation code to claim said purchased service.

18. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the program code further includes code for receiving the same unique confirmation code from the user for claiming two or more different services.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the program code further includes code for transmitting, to the user, a time until which the selected service is valid.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the program code further includes:

code for receiving a subscription, by the at least one user, to a service program offered by said service provider prior to receiving, at a service control system, a selection of a service

wherein the subscription information further includes at least one default preference, and wherein the at least one default preference includes a specification of whether or not the control system should request identity verification prior to processing a purchase of said service.

21. A data processing and communication method for providing commercial services over a wireless communication network to at least one user utilizing a mobile communication device (MCD), the method comprising:

(a) providing, to a service control system, subscription information, by the at least one user, wherein the subscription information includes an agreement to receive offers at the mobile communication device;

(b) receiving, at the mobile communication device, a message including an offer for one or more services offered by a service provider, wherein the offer is not received in response to a request, selection, or identification for a service that was sent from the MCD;

(c) providing, to the service control system from the mobile communication device, an acceptance to the offer;

(d) receiving, by the at least one user, a unique confirmation code confirming purchase of said service subsequent to the service control system obtains payment for said service from the at least one user,

wherein, when performing at least steps (a) and (d), the service control system communicates with the mobile device using at least one of a short message service (SMS) protocol and a multimedia message service (MMS) protocol.

22. The data processing and communication method of claim 21, further comprising selecting, by the at least one user, at least one service parameter for said service.

23. The data processing and communication method of claim 22, wherein said at least one service parameter comprises at least one of:

grade of service, and quantity of service.

24. The data processing and communication method of claim 21, wherein the offer is received by the MCD in response to a physical location of the MCD.