System and method for paying a merchant by a registered user using a cellular telephone account

• US 20110047045A1
• Filed: 07/20/2010
• Published: 02/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Payfone Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Payfone Incorporated
• Inventors: Kim, Sung, Desai, Rodger, Brody, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 8,606,640 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26.41
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/0655 e-cash managed centrally
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/16 Payments settled via telecommunication systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/26 Debit schemes, e.g. "pay now"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/28 Pre-payment schemes, e.g. "pay before"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/32 using wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3224 Transactions dependent on location of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3226 Use of secure elements separate from M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3229 Use of the SIM of a M-device as secure element
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/326 Payment applications installed on the mobile devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/349 Rechargeable cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4014 Identity check for transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4016 involving fraud or risk level assessment in transaction processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted
• 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 15/68 Payment of value-added services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/103 using SIMs (USIMs) or calling cards
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/20 with provision for recharging the prepaid account or card, or for credit establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2017/12 using calling, telephone credit/debit cards
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0196 Payment of value-added services, mainly when their charges are added on the telephone bill, e.g. payment of non-telecom services, e-commerce, on-line banking
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 : Accounting or billing

Abstract

A system and method allows users to make purchases by charging or funding a prepaid debit card with their cell phone accounts by simulating a user roaming with their mobile device.

Claims

1. A method of paying for a product or service, comprising:

at a first time, receiving from a merchant by a payment processor that is a sineroaming roaming services provider, an account identifier for a user at that merchant, and a telephone number of the user as a request for payment to the merchant by the sineroaming roaming services provider;

verifying that the user has possession of the telephone corresponding to the telephone number received;

associating the telephone number with the account identifier responsive to the verifying that the user has possession of said telephone;

at a second time, subsequent to the first time, receiving by the payment processor an amount from the merchant for the product or service, other than roaming or another mobile-related product or service and at least one selected from the account identifier and the telephone number;

responsive to the account identifier or telephone number or both received at second time, determining whether the telephone number was associated with the account identifier;

generating, to a mobile telephone account corresponding to the telephone number received, a roaming charge responsive to the amount without verifying that said user has possession of said telephone between the second time and the generating step;

causing the merchant to perform a goods or services action without verifying that said user has possession of said telephone between the second time and the causing the merchant to perform step; and

causing the merchant to be provided funds responsive to the amount without verifying that said user has possession of said telephone between the second time and the causing the merchant to be provided step.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one selected from the generating and both causing steps are responsive to the determining step.

3. The method of claim 1, additionally comprising associating an identifier of the merchant with at least one selected from the telephone number and the account identifier.

4. The method of claim 1, additionally comprising, at the merchant, at each of the first time and the second time:

receiving a user identifier from the user;

converting the user identifier received into the account identifier, the user identifier received from the user being different from the account identifier; and

providing the account identifier to a payment processor.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein at the first time, the merchant indicates that the user is being registered.

6. The method of claim 1:

additionally comprising;

obtaining a first international mobile subscriber identity code responsive to the telephone number received at the first time;

obtaining a second international mobile subscriber identity code responsive to the telephone number received at the second time; and

comparing the first international mobile subscriber identity code and the second international mobile subscriber identity code; and

wherein at least one selected from the generating and both causing steps are responsive to the comparing step.

7. The method of claim 2:

additionally comprising;

obtaining a first international mobile subscriber identity code responsive to the telephone number received at the first time;

obtaining a second international mobile subscriber identity code responsive to the telephone number received at the second time; and

comparing the first international mobile subscriber identity code and the second international mobile subscriber identity code; and

wherein at least one selected from the generating and both causing steps are responsive or additionally responsive to the comparing step.

8. A system for paying for a product or service, comprising:

a user interface manager having at input for receiving, at a first time, from a merchant requesting payment from a payment processor that is a sineroaming roaming services provider, an account identifier for a user at that merchant, and a telephone number of the user, the user interface manager for providing at an output the telephone number received at the first time and the account identifier received at the first time;

a challenge response manager having an input coupled to the user interface manager output for receiving the telephone number received at the first time, the challenge response manager for verifying via an input/output that the user has possession of the telephone corresponding to the telephone number received at the first time and for, responsive to the user having possession of said telephone, associating, via an input/output, the telephone number received at the first time with the account identifier received at the first time;

wherein the user interface manager is additionally for, at a second time, subsequent to the first time, receiving via the user interface manager input, the account identifier and an amount from a merchant for the product or service, other than roaming or another mobile-related product or service, and additionally for outputting the amount, and account identifier or telephone number or both, received at the second time;

wherein the challenge response manager input is additionally for receiving the account identifier, telephone number or both, received at the second time, and the challenge response manager is additionally for determining via the challenge response manager input/output whether the telephone number was associated with the account identifier, at least one of which was received at the second time, and for providing at the challenge response manager output an indication responsive to said determining;

a settlement manager having an input coupled to the user input manager output for receiving the telephone number and the amount, the settlement manager for generating at an output, to a mobile telephone account corresponding to the telephone number received at the settlement manager input, a roaming charge responsive to the amount, without the system verifying that said user has possession of said telephone between the second time and a time corresponding to the generating of the roaming charge, and for causing via the settlement manager output, the merchant to perform a goods or services action, without the system verifying that said user has possession of said telephone between the second time and a time corresponding to the causing the merchant to perform, and for causing via the settlement manager output, the merchant to be provided funds responsive to the amount, without the system verifying that said user has possession of said telephone between the second time and a time corresponding to the causing the merchant to be provided.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein:

the user interface manager input is additionally coupled to the challenge response manager output for receiving the indication; and

the user interface manager provides the amount and account identifier, telephone number or both, to the settlement manger responsive to the indication.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein:

the user interface manager additionally receives an identifier of the merchant at the user interface manager input;

the user interface manager is additional for providing the merchant identifier at the user interface manager output;

the challenge response manager input is additionally for receiving the merchant identifier; and

the challenge response manager additionally associates an identifier of the merchant with at least one selected from the telephone number and the account identifier.

11. The system of claim 8, additionally comprising, a merchant system having an input for receiving a user identifier from the user near each of the first time and the second time, the merchant system for converting the user identifier received at each of the first time and the second time into the account identifier, the user identifier received from the user being different from the account identifier, and for providing the account identifier at an output coupled to the user interface manager input, at each of the first time and the second time.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the merchant system is additionally for providing at the merchant system output at the first time, an indication that the user is being registered.

13. The system of claim 8:

additionally comprising an account information retriever having an input coupled to the user interface manager output for receiving the telephone number, the account information retriever for obtaining via an input/output a first international mobile subscriber identity code responsive to the telephone number received at the first time and for obtaining a second international mobile subscriber identity code responsive to the telephone number received at the second time and for providing the first international mobile subscriber identity code and the second international mobile subscriber identity code at an output; and

wherein;

the challenge response manager input is additionally coupled to the account information retriever output for receiving the first international mobile subscriber identity code and the second international mobile subscriber identity code;

the challenge response manager is additionally for comparing the first international mobile subscriber identity code and the second international mobile subscriber identity code; and

the challenge response manager provides the indication additionally responsive to said comparing.

14. The system of claim 9:

additionally comprising an account information retriever having an input coupled to the user interface manager output for receiving the telephone number, the account information retriever for obtaining via an input/output a first international mobile subscriber identity code responsive to the telephone number received at the first time and for obtaining a second international mobile subscriber identity code responsive to the telephone number received at the second time and for providing the first international mobile subscriber identity code and the second international mobile subscriber identity code at an output; and

wherein;

the challenge response manager input is additionally coupled to the account information retriever output for receiving the first international mobile subscriber identity code and the second international mobile subscriber identity code;

the challenge response manager is additionally for comparing the first international mobile subscriber identity code and the second international mobile subscriber identity code; and

the challenge response manager provides the indication additionally responsive to said comparing.

15. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein for paying for a product or service, the computer program product comprising computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer system to:

at a first time, receive by a payment processor that is a sineroaming roaming services provider from a merchant different from, not under control of and not controlled by the payment processor, an account identifier for a user at that merchant, and a telephone number of the user as a request for payment to the merchant by the payment processor;

verify that the user has possession of the telephone corresponding to the telephone number received;

associate the telephone number with the account identifier responsive to the verifying that the user has possession of said telephone;

at a second time, subsequent to the first time, receive by the payment processor an amount from the merchant for the product or service, other than roaming or another mobile-related product or service and at least one selected from the account identifier and the telephone number;

responsive to the account identifier or telephone number or both received at second time, determine whether the telephone number was associated with the account identifier;

generate, to a mobile telephone account corresponding to the telephone number received, a roaming charge responsive to the amount without verifying that said user has possession of said telephone between the second time and operation of the computer readable program code devices configured to cause the computer system to generate;

cause the merchant to perform a goods or services action without verifying that said user has possession of said telephone between the second time and operation of the computer readable program code devices configured to cause the computer system to cause the merchant to perform; and

cause the merchant to be provided funds responsive to the amount without verifying that said user has possession of said telephone between the second time and operation of the computer readable program code devices configured to cause the computer system to cause the merchant to be provided.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein at least one selected from the computer readable program code devices configured to cause the computer system to generate and both computer readable program code devices configured to cause the computer system to cause are responsive to the computer readable program code devices configured to cause the computer system to determine.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, additionally comprising associating an identifier of the merchant with at least one selected from the telephone number and the account identifier.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, additionally comprising, computer readable program code devices configured to cause the computer system to, at the merchant, at each of the first time and the second time:

receive a user identifier from the user;

convert the user identifier received into the account identifier, the user identifier received from the user being different from the account identifier; and

provide the account identifier to a payment processor.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, additionally comprising computer readable program code devices configured to cause the computer system to, at the first time, indicate at the merchant that the user is being registered.

20. The computer program product of claim 15:

additionally comprising computer readable program code devices configured to cause the computer system to;

obtain a first international mobile subscriber identity code responsive to the telephone number received at the first time;

obtain a second international mobile subscriber identity code responsive to the telephone number received at the second time; and

compare the first international mobile subscriber identity code and the second international mobile subscriber identity code; and

wherein at least one selected from the computer readable program code devices configured to cause the computer system to generate and both of the computer readable program code devices configured to cause the computer system to cause are responsive to the comparing step.

21. The computer program product of claim 16:

additionally comprising computer readable program code devices configured to cause the computer system to;

obtain a first international mobile subscriber identity code responsive to the telephone number received at the first time;

obtain a second international mobile subscriber identity code responsive to the telephone number received at the second time; and

compare the first international mobile subscriber identity code and the second international mobile subscriber identity code; and

wherein at least one selected from the computer readable program code devices configured to cause the computer system to generate and both of the computer readable program code devices configured to cause the computer system to cause are responsive or additionally responsive to the computer readable program code devices configured to cause the computer system to compare.