Systems and Methods to Accelerate Transactions

• US 20110035302A1
• Filed: 06/10/2010
• Published: 02/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boku Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Boku Incorporated
• Inventors: MARTELL, Javier, BRITTO, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 9,519,892 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/023 the neutral party being a clearing house
• 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 20/3223 Realising banking transactions through M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

Systems and methods to accelerate transactions made via mobile communications. In one aspect, a system includes: a memory to store transaction records indicating actual amounts of funds collected via a first plurality of premium messages transmitted to a first plurality of phone numbers; and a processor coupled with the memory to transmit, to a second plurality of phone numbers, a second plurality of premium messages to collect payments on behalf of a merchant. Before funds collected via the second premium messages become available, the processor identifies a portion of a total amount of funds charged via the second premium messages, based at least in part on the transaction records stored in the memory, and offers to provide the portion to the merchant.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method, comprising:

transmitting, to a plurality of first phone numbers, a plurality of first premium messages by a computer to collect payments via one or more telecommunication carriers of the first phone numbers;

storing, by the computer in a data storage facility, records of funds collected based on one or more of the first premium messages;

transmitting, to a plurality of second phone numbers, a plurality of second premium messages by the computer to collect payments on behalf of a merchant; and

prior to one or more telecommunication carriers of the second phone numbers providing funds according to the second premium messages transmitted to the second phone numbers, identifying by the computer a portion of a total amount of funds charged via the second premium messages, based at least in part on the records of funds collected based on the one or more the first premium messages, wherein the merchant is offered to receive the portion prior to the one or more telecommunication carriers of the second phone numbers providing funds according to the second premium messages transmitted to the second phone numbers.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to the one or more telecommunication carriers of the second phone numbers providing funds according to the second premium messages transmitted to the second phone numbers, providing by the computer the portion to the merchant.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

after settling payments for the second premium messages with the one or more telecommunication carriers of the second phone numbers, identifying by the computer a balance for the merchant via reconciling the portion provided to the merchant and funds collected via the second premium messages.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

informing a lender about the portion to allow the merchant to borrow the portion from the lender before funds collected via the second premium messages become available.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying the portion comprises determining a ratio between an amount collected via the first premium messages and an amount charged via the first premium messages.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first premium messages are transmitted to collect payments on behalf of the merchant.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the first premium messages are transmitted to collect payments on behalf of one or more merchants selling items in a same category as the merchant.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

identifying third premium messages, the third premium messages being transmitted to different phone numbers based on purchase requests received from a single Internet Protocol (IP) address within a predetermined period of time, at least one of the third premium messages being transmitted on behalf of the merchant;

wherein funds charged via the at least one of the third premium messages are excluded from the portion.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying the portion to the merchant; and

responsive to a request from the merchant for the portion, providing by the computer the portion to the merchant, before funds collected via the second premium messages become available to the computer.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

charging the merchant a fee based on a size of the portion.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the fee is further based on a time period between the providing of the portion to the merchant and a date on which funds collected via the second premium messages are expected to be available.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the portion is identified based on payment histories of users at the second phone numbers.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the portion is identified based on a determination whether users at the second phone numbers are under a predetermined age limit.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying third premium messages from the second premium messages, the third premium messages having higher than a predetermined threshold a risk of not being paid for;

wherein the portion excludes an amount corresponding to funds charged via the third premium messages.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying comprises:

estimating a risk of a third premium message of the second premium messages not being paid for, based on statistical data and one or more characteristics of a transaction associated with the third premium message.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the one or more characteristics of the transaction includes at least one of:

an Internet Protocol (IP) address used to initiate the transaction, a type of an item purchased in the transaction, a telecommunication carrier of a phone number to which the third premium message is transmitted, and an age of a user receiving the third premium message.

17. A machine readable medium storing instructions, the instruction causing a computer to perform a method comprising:

transmitting, to a plurality of first phone numbers, a plurality of first premium messages by the computer to collect payments via one or more telecommunication carriers of the first phone numbers;

storing by the computer records of funds collected based on one or more of the first premium messages;

transmitting, to a plurality of second phone numbers, a plurality of second premium messages by the computer to collect payments on behalf of a merchant; and

prior to one or more telecommunication carriers of the second phone numbers providing funds according to the second premium messages transmitted to the second phone numbers, identifying by the computer a portion of a total amount of funds charged via the second premium messages, based at least in part on the records of funds collected based on the one or more the first premium messages, wherein the merchant is offered to receive the portion before the one or more telecommunication carriers of the second phone numbers collect funds according to the second premium messages transmitted to the second phone numbers.

18. A system, comprising:

a memory to store transaction records indicating actual amounts of funds collected via a first plurality of premium messages transmitted to a first plurality of phone numbers; and

a processor coupled with the memory, the processor to transmit, to a second plurality of phone numbers, a second plurality of premium messages to collect payments on behalf of a merchant;

wherein before funds collected via the second premium messages become available, the processor identifies a portion of a total amount of funds charged via the second premium messages, based at least in part on the transaction records stored in the memory and offers to provide the portion to the merchant before funds collected via the second premium messages become available.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the processor comprises an interchange having a common format processor and a plurality of converters to interface with a plurality of controllers to transmit the second premium messages to the second phone numbers, the converters configured to communicate with the controllers in different formats, the converters to communicate with the common format processor in a common format to transmit the second premium messages.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the processor is configured to determine success rates in collecting funds via premium messages as functions of a number of transaction characteristics.