Mobile Banking with Short Message Service

• US 20100029306A1
• Filed: 07/31/2008
• Published: 02/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sybase Incorporated (SAP SE)
• Original Assignee: Sybase Incorporated (SAP SE)
• Inventors: MURONG, Lin, HERMENS, Paul J., LEBEGUE, Hugues A., SARMAH, Dilip
• Application Number:
  US12/183,390
• Publication Number:
  US 20100029306A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/466
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/108 Remote banking, e.g. home banking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3223 Realising banking transactions through M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3255 using mobile network messaging services for payment, e.g. SMS
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]

Abstract

A system, method, and computer program product are provided for interfacing a user device to a transaction system. An instruction is received from an SMS gateway in an SMS message, and is parsed to obtain a corresponding transaction. A function on the transaction system for performing the transaction is called, and a response is received from the transaction system. The response is then transmitted to the user device in a response SMS message.

Claims

1. A method for interfacing a user device to a transaction system, the method comprising:

receiving an instruction from an SMS gateway in an SMS message, the SMS message originating from the user device;

parsing the instruction to obtain a corresponding transaction;

calling a function on the transaction system for performing the transaction;

receiving a response from the transaction system; and

transmitting the response to the user device in a response SMS message.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether authentication is needed to perform the transaction.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of determining whether authentication is needed to perform the transaction comprises:

determining an authentication level for the transaction, the authentication level selected from a set of authentication levels comprising;

no authentication,

device authentication,

user authentication, and

re-authentication.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

authenticating the user device if authentication is needed.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of authenticating the user device comprises:

authenticating the user device by comparing a unique property of the user device to a registered value for the unique property.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the user device is a phone, and further wherein the unique property is a phone number for the phone.

7. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

authenticating the user of the user device if authentication is needed.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of authenticating the user of the user device comprises:

sending a WAP Push message to the user device, the WAP Push message comprising a URL for a user authentication page.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the step of authenticating the user of the user device comprises:

sending a URL for a user authentication page to the user device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of parsing the instruction comprises:

locating a command in a command grammar corresponding to the instruction; and

generating the corresponding transaction according to the command.

11. An interface between a user device and a transaction system, the interface comprising:

a first receiving module to receive an instruction from an SMS gateway in an SMS message, the SMS message originating from the user device;

a parsing module to parse the instruction to obtain a corresponding transaction;

a service manager module to call a function on the transaction system for performing the transaction;

a second receiving module to receive a response from the transaction system; and

a transmitting module to transmit the response to the user device in a response SMS message.

12. The interface of claim 11, further comprising:

a determining module to determine whether authentication is needed to perform the transaction.

13. The interface of claim 12, wherein the determining module is configured to determine an authentication level for the transaction, the authentication level selected from a set of authentication levels comprising:

no authentication,

device authentication,

user authentication, and

re-authentication.

14. The interface of claim 12, further comprising:

an authenticating module to authenticate the user device if authentication is needed.

15. The interface of claim 14, wherein the authenticating module is configured to authenticate the user device by comparing a unique property of the user device to a registered value for the unique property.

16. The interface of claim 15, wherein the user device is a phone, and further wherein the unique property is a phone number for the phone.

17. The interface of claim 12, further comprising:

an authenticating module to authenticate the user of the user device if authentication is needed.

18. The interface of claim 17, wherein the authenticating module is configured to send a WAP Push message to the user device, the WAP Push message comprising a URL for a user authentication page.

19. The interface of claim 17, wherein the authenticating module is configured to send a URL for a user authentication page to the user device.

20. The interface of claim 11, wherein the parsing module is configured to locate a command in a command grammar corresponding to the instruction, and to generate the corresponding transaction according to the command.

21. The interface of claim 11, wherein the parsing module is configured to permit definition of new commands.

22. A computer program product comprising a computer-usable medium having computer program logic recorded thereon for enabling a processor to provide an interface between a user device and a transaction system, the computer program logic comprising:

first receiving means for enabling a processor to receive an instruction from an SMS gateway in an SMS message, the SMS message originating from the user device;

parsing means for enabling a processor to parse the instruction to obtain a corresponding transaction;

calling means for enabling a processor to call a function on the transaction system for performing the transaction;

second receiving means for enabling a processor to receive a response from the transaction system; and

transmitting means for enabling a processor to transmit the response to the user device in a response SMS message.