Systems and Methods to Add Funds to an Account via a Mobile Communication Device

• US 20100312678A1
• Filed: 06/07/2010
• Published: 12/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boku Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Boku Incorporated
• Inventors: KINGSTON, Jonathan Michael, BASKERVILLE, Daniel, DAVIS, Kurt, GILLAM, Rachel Jane, MARTELL, Javier
• Granted Patent: US 9,595,028 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/14 specially adapted for billing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/16 Payments settled via telecommunication systems
• 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 20/326 Payment applications installed on the mobile devices
• 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 20/40 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 20/425 using two different networks, one for transaction and one for security confirmation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/00 Prepayment of wireline communication systems, wireless communication systems or telephone systems using a coded card to authorise calls from a telephone set H04M1/675
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/20 with provision for recharging the prepaid account or card, or for credit establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided to facilitate online transactions via mobile communications. In one aspect, a system includes an interchange coupled with a data storage facility. The interchange includes a common format processor and a plurality of converters to interface with a plurality of different controllers of mobile communications. The converters are configured to communicate with the controllers in different formats and to communicate with the common format processor in a common format. The common format processor is to instruct a first controller of the controllers, via a first converter of the converters, to communicate with a mobile phone at a mobile phone number of a user to confirm a request to add funds to an account of a user, if the user has not yet provided an advance authorization. If the user has provided the advance authorization, the interchange skips communications with the mobile phone to confirm the request.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

determining whether an account of a user with a server needs additional funds to pay for activities of the user on the server;

if the account needs additional funds, prompting the user, while the user is on the server, to accept an option to fund the account via a phone number of the user; and

if the user accepts the option, funding, by a server computer, the account using funds associated with the phone number.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user is prompted and accepts the option without leaving an experience that is provided by the server prior to the prompting.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the user accepts the option to cause the server computer to fund the account, without providing further input related to the funding of the account.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the user is authenticated by the server for an online service provided by the server.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the service comprises one of:

game, and virtual reality.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining comprises the server computer receiving a request from the server when the server determines that an amount in the account is lower than a threshold;

and the funds bring an amount in the account to a predetermined level.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the level is an upper limit for the account.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending by the server computer a message to a mobile phone at the phone number to confirm the user accepting the option;

wherein the account is funded after the user confirms, via the mobile phone, to accept the option.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising, prior to the determining:

receiving in the server computer a request to fund the account using funds associated with the phone number, the request including the phone number;

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

if the request is confirmed via the mobile phone, funding, by the server computer, the account using funds associated with the phone number.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

storing and associating the phone number with the account in a data storage facility coupled with the server computer, if the request is confirmed via the mobile phone.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

if the user accepts the option, receiving, by a server computer, an indication of the account from the server; and

determining the phone number based on data stored in the data storage facility coupled with the server computer, the data associating the phone number with the account.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if the user accepts the option, receiving, by a server computer, the phone number from the server;

wherein the server stores and associated the phone number with the account.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving in the server computer a request to pay a first amount to a payee;

transmitting one or more premium messages to a mobile phone at the phone number to collect a second amount via a telecommunication carrier of the mobile phone;

paying the payee the first amount from the second amount of funds collected via the one or more premium messages; and

funding the account using a difference between the first amount and the second amount.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the funding the account using the difference is based on a preference of the user.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the prompting comprises sending a message from the server computer to a mobile phone at the phone number to prompt the user.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the funding of the account comprises one of:

transmitting, from the server computer to a mobile phone at the phone number, one or more premium messages to collect the funds via a telecommunication carrier of the mobile phone; and

transmitting from the server computer to a mobile phone at the phone number, a message to instruct the user to send one or more premium messages to the server computer to collect the funds via a telecommunication carrier of the mobile phone.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the funding of the account comprises:

determining account information based on data stored in a data storage facility coupled to the server computer, the data associating a plurality of phone numbers with respective information of financial accounts of respective users; and

collecting the funds using the account information.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the account information comprises one of:

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

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

receiving, by the server computer, a request from a server to add funds to an account of a user of the server to pay for access to the server;

in response to the request,

determining whether the user has previously provided authorization via a mobile phone at a phone number of the user;

if the user has previously provided authorization for the request, sending one or more premium messages to the mobile phone to collect the funds to add to the account, without seeking a confirmation for the request via the mobile phone; and

if the user has not previously provided authorization for the request, sending a message to the mobile phone at the phone number to confirm the request.

20. A system, comprising:

a data storage facility to store information related to a mobile phone number of a user; 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 instruct a first controller of the controllers, via a first converter of the converters, to communicate with a mobile phone at the mobile phone number of the user to confirm a request, received from a server separate from the interchange, to add funds to an account of a user of the server to pay for activities of the user on the server, if the user has not yet provided an authorization for subsequent requests from the server, and to collect funds for the account via premium messages to or from the mobile phone at the phone number;

wherein if the user has provided the authorization prior to the request, the interchange skips communications with the mobile phone to confirm the request.