Systems and Methods to Process Transactions Based on Social Networking

• US 20100306099A1
• Filed: 05/27/2009
• Published: 12/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boku Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Boku Incorporated
• Inventors: REIDY, Nicholas, HIRSON, Ron
• Granted Patent: US 8,224,727 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/38
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/32 using wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/384 using social networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1881 with schedule organisation, e.g. priority, sequence management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/18 using different networks or channels, e.g. using out of band channels cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving distinctive intermediate devices or communication paths H04L9/0827; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for authentication using a plurality of channels H04L9/3215
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

Systems and methods to authenticate and process requests received via social networking websites. In one aspect, a system includes a data storage facility to store data associating a first phone number of a user with an identification of the user in a social networking website; and an interchange coupled with the data storage facility. The interchange includes a common format processor and a plurality of converters to interface with a plurality of controllers of mobile communications. The converters communicate with the controllers in different formats and with the common format processor in a common format. The common format processor receives a request including the identification of the user, identifies the first phone number of the user based on the data stored on the data storage facility, and uses the converters to communicate with a mobile phone at the first phone number to confirm the request.

Claims

1. A method implemented on a data processing system, the method comprising:

receiving, at a server computer, a request from a user authenticated by a social networking website;

identifying a first phone number of the user;

communicating by the server computer with a mobile phone at the first phone number to confirm the request; and

in response to the request being confirmed via the mobile phone at the first phone number, processing the request using funds associated with the mobile phone at the first phone number.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the request includes an identification of the user in the social networking website;

and wherein the identifying of the first phone number comprises identifying the first phone number based on association between the first phone number and the identification of the user in the social networking website.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein when there is no data stored in a data storage facility of the server computer to associate the first phone number and the identification of the user in the social networking website, the method further comprises:

prompting the user to provide the first phone number; and

storing data associating the first phone number and the identification of the user in the social networking website in the data storage facility.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the request is to purchase or access a virtual object or a service hosted on a website.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the website is different from the social networking website.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein to purchase or access the virtual object or the service, the user is prompted to authenticate with the social networking website for payment processing.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the social networking website forwards the request to the server computer after the user is authenticated.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

computing a score based on social network data about the user in the social networking website; and

determining, by the server computer, whether to reject the request based at least in part on the score.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the score is further based on records of past transactions processed for the user by the server computer.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the user is a first user, the request comprises a transaction between the first user and a second user, and the score is further based on social network data representing a relationship between the first user and the second user in the social network.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the relationship comprises one of:

a social distance between the first user and the second user;

a number of common friends shared between the first user and the second user in the social networking website; and

a degree of separation in geographical location between the first user and the second user, as indicated in profile data maintained on the social networking website.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

extending credit to the user based on the score.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the processing of the request using the funds associated with the mobile phone comprises:

communicating at least one premium message with the mobile phone to collect the funds via a telecommunication carrier of the mobile phone.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the processing of the request using the funds associated with the mobile phone comprises:

identifying an account number associated with the first phone number; and

charging an account identified by the account number to collect the funds.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the account is one of:

a credit card account, a debit card account, and a bank account.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the social networking website is a first social networking website;

and the method further comprises;

receiving a second request from the user authenticated by a second networking website, the second request including an identification of the user in the second social networking website;

prompting the user to provide the first phone number in connection with the second request;

storing data associating the first phone number and the identification of the user in the second social networking website; and

connecting a social network hosted on the first social networking website and a social network hosted on the second social networking website via at least the first phone number associated with both the identification of the user in the first social networking website and the identification of the user in the second social networking website.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a first social network via connecting second social networks of a plurality of social networking websites based at least in part on common telephone numbers of members of the social networking websites.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the common telephone numbers are obtained at the server computer when members of the second social networks use the telephone numbers to process payments and when corresponding members are identified to the server computer by identifications of the corresponding members in the second social networks.

19. A computer-readable storage media storing instructions, the instructions causing a server computer to perform a method, the method comprising:

receiving, at the server computer, a request from a user authenticated by a social networking website;

identifying a first phone number of the user;

communicating by the server computer with a mobile phone at the first phone number to confirm the request; and

in response to the request being confirmed via the mobile phone at the first phone number, processing the request using funds associated with the mobile phone at the first phone number.

20. A system, comprising:

a data storage facility to store data associating a first phone number of a user with an identification of the user in a social networking website; and

an interchange coupled with the data storage facility, the interchange including a common format processor and a plurality of converters to interface with a plurality of controllers, the converters configured to communicate with the controllers in different formats, the converters to communicate with the common format processor in a common format, the common format processor to receive a request from a user authenticated by the social networking website, the request identifying the user using the identification of the user in the social networking website, the common format processor to determine the first phone number of the user based on the data associating the first phone number with the identification of the user, the common format processor to instruct a first controller of the controllers, via a first converter of the converters, to communicate with a mobile phone at the first phone number to confirm the request;

wherein in response to a confirmation of the request, confirmed via the mobile phone at the first phone number, the common format processor is to instruct the first controller, via the first converter, to communicate at least one premium message to the mobile phone at the first phone number to collect funds via a telecommunication carrier of the mobile phone.