ELECTRONIC SETTLEMENT SYSTEM, ELECTRONIC SETTLEMENT SERVER, MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS TERMINAL, AND ELECTRONIC SETTLEMENT METHOD

• US 20110137765A1
• Filed: 06/12/2008
• Published: 06/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Universal Entertainment Corporation
• Original Assignee: Universal Entertainment Corporation
• Inventors: Nonaka, Nobuyuki
• Granted Patent: US 8,306,879 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3265 characterised by personalisation for use
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/327 Short range or proximity payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3278 RFID or NFC payments by means of M-devices
• 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 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/72 Auxiliary equipment, e.g. for lighting cigars, opening bottles
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/38 Ball games; Shooting apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/001 Interfacing with vending machines using mobile or wearable devices

Abstract

An electronic settlement system which is similar to cash settlement and which is usable in a gaming parlor is provided. In the electronic settlement system, a mobile phone communicates with a ball lending machine using a contactless IC card to acquire a device ID from the ball lending machine, and transmits a payment request message including the device ID and a user ID to an electronic settlement server. The electronic settlement server notifies an in-store server of a transfer amount from a user account to a settlement provider account, and the in-store server stores the transfer amount as a deposit. In response to a payment request message from the mobile phone, the in-store server instructs the ball lending machine to provide gaming media corresponding to a gaming medium cost, adds an amount corresponding to the gaming medium cost to a consumed amount, and issues a transfer request to a receiving network so as to transfer the consumed amount from the settlement provider account to a gaming parlor operator account. Upon receiving a provision instruction message from the in-store server, the ball lending machine provides gaming media corresponding to the gaming medium cost.

Claims

1. An electronic settlement system comprising:

an electronic settlement server capable of requesting, via a communication network, a receiving network capable of transferring money among a user account, a settlement provider account, and a gaming parlor operator account, to make a transfer among the accounts;

an in-store server capable of communicating with the electronic settlement server via a communication network;

a negotiable value providing device capable of communicating with the in-store server; and

a mobile communications terminal capable of communicating, via a communication network, with the in-store server as well as with the negotiable value providing device, wherein

the electronic settlement server stores, for each user, a user retained amount that is an amount usable at each in-store server, transmits, to the receiving network, a transfer request message that requests a user transfer amount corresponding to a transfer amount specified by a user to be transferred from a user account of the user to the settlement provider account, and adds the user transfer amount to the user retained amount and transmits a user deposit processing request message notifying the user transfer amount to the in-store server;

the in-store server calculates and stores, according to the user deposit processing request message, a deposit that is an amount deposited by the user;

the mobile communications terminal acquires, from the negotiable value providing device, a device identification information that identifies the negotiable value providing device, generates a payment request message including the device identification information, and transmits the payment request message to the in-store server;

the in-store server transmits, to the negotiable value providing device identified by the device identification information, in response to the payment request message from the mobile communications terminal, a provision instruction message that instructs a negotiable value to be provided, subtracts an amount corresponding to a user payable amount that is a cost of provision of the negotiable value from the user deposit and adds an amount corresponding to the user payable amount to the user consumed amount, and transmits a consumed amount notification message that notifies the consumed amount to the electronic settlement server;

the negotiable value providing device provides a negotiable value corresponding to the user payable amount upon receiving the provision instruction message from the in-store server; and

the electronic settlement server adds the consumed amount to a gaming parlor operator retained amount in response to the consumed amount notification message, and transmits, to the receiving network, a transfer request message that requests the receiving network to transfer an amount corresponding to the gaming parlor operator retained amount from the settlement provider account to the gaming parlor operator account.

2. An electronic settlement server capable of requesting, via a communication network, a receiving network capable of transferring money among a user account, a settlement provider account, and a gaming parlor operator account, to make a transfer among the accounts, wherein the electronic settlement server comprises:

storage means storing a user retained amount that is an amount usable by each user at each in-store server and a gaming parlor operator retained amount of each gaming parlor operator;

a transfer request processing unit that transmits, to the receiving network, a transfer request message that requests a user transfer amount corresponding to a transfer amount specified by a user to be transferred from a user account of the user to the settlement provider account, adds the user transfer amount to the user retained amount, and transmits a user deposit processing request message notifying the user transfer amount; and

adjustment processing means which, in response to a consumed amount notification message that notifies a consumed amount that is a total amount payable by the user as a cost of provision of a negotiable value, adds the consumed amount to the gaming parlor operator retained amount, and transmits, to the receiving network, a transfer request message that requests the receiving network to transfer an amount corresponding to the gaming parlor operator retained amount from the settlement provider account to the gaming parlor operator account.

3. An in-store server capable of communicating, via a communication network, with an electronic settlement server capable of requesting, via a communication network, a receiving network capable of transferring money among a user account, a settlement provider account, and a gaming parlor operator account, to make a transfer among the accounts, wherein the in-store server comprises:

storage means that stores a deposit and a consumed amount of each user;

deposit processing means that calculates, and causes to be stored, a deposit in response to a user deposit processing request message transmitted from the electronic settlement server;

payment request processing means which, upon receiving a payment request message that requests payment of a user payable amount that is a cost of provision of a negotiable value, subtracts an amount corresponding to the user payable amount from the deposit and adds an amount corresponding to the user payable amount to the consumed amount;

provision instructing means which, according to a result of subtracting the user payable amount from the deposit, transmits a provision instruction message that instructs provision of a negotiable value; and

adjustment processing means that transmits a consumed amount notification message that notifies a consumed amount to the electronic settlement server.

4. A mobile communications terminal adapted to, by communicating with a negotiable value providing device by near field communication means, acquire device identification information that identifies the negotiable value providing device from the negotiable value providing device, generate a payment request message including the device identification information, transmit the payment request message to the in-store server, and cause the in-store server to instruct the negotiable value providing device to provide a negotiable value corresponding to a user payable amount that is a cost of provision of the negotiable value.

5. An electronic settlement method comprising the steps of:

transmitting a transfer request message that requests a receiving network to transfer a transfer amount specified by a user from a user account to a settlement provider account;

adding a user transfer amount that is an amount corresponding to the transfer amount to the user retained amount and causing the user retained amount to be stored;

transmitting a user deposit message notifying the user retained amount;

receiving the user deposit message, calculating a deposit according to the user deposit message, and causing the deposit to be stored;

receiving a payment request message including device identification information which identifies a negotiable value providing device and which is acquired by communicating with the negotiable value providing device using near field communication means;

calculating a consumed amount that is a total user payable amount that is a cost of provision of a negotiable value and causing the consumed value to be stored in response to the payment request message;

transmitting, when the deposit and the consumed amount satisfy a predetermined condition, in response to the payment request message, a provision instruction message that instructs a negotiable value providing device identified by the device identification information to provide a negotiable value corresponding to the user payable amount;

transmitting a consumed amount notification message for notifying the consumed amount;

adding an amount corresponding to the consumed amount to a gaming parlor operator retained amount and storing the same in response to the consumed amount notification message; and

transmitting a transfer request message that requests the receiving network to transfer an amount corresponding to the gaming parlor operator retained amount from the settlement provider account to the gaming parlor operator account.

6. An electronic settlement system comprising:

an electronic settlement server capable of requesting, via a communication network, a receiving network capable of transferring money among a user account, a settlement provider account, and a gaming parlor operator account, to make a transfer among the accounts;

an in-store server capable of communicating with the electronic settlement server via a communication network;

a negotiable value providing device capable of communicating with the in-store server; and

a mobile communications terminal capable of communicating, via a communication network, with the in-store server as well as with the negotiable value providing device, wherein

the electronic settlement server transmits, to the receiving network, a transfer request message that requests a user transfer amount corresponding to a transfer amount specified by a user to be transferred from the user account to the settlement provider account, transmits, to the receiving network, a transfer request message that requests an amount corresponding to a user transfer amount to be transferred from the settlement provider account to the gaming parlor operator account, and transmits, to the in-house server, a user deposit processing request message notifying the user transfer amount;

the in-house server calculates and stores a user deposit that indicates a deposit from the user in response to the user deposit processing request message;

the mobile communications terminal acquires, from the negotiable value providing device, device identification information that identifies the negotiable value providing device, generates a payment request message including the device identification information, and transmits the payment request message to the in-house server;

the in-house server transmits, in response to the payment request message from the mobile communications terminal, a provision instruction message that instructs provision of a negotiable value to a negotiable value providing device identified by the device identification information; and

the negotiable value providing device provides a negotiable value corresponding to a user payable amount that is a cost of provision of the negotiable value upon receiving the provision instruction message from the in-house terminal.

7. An electronic settlement server capable of requesting, via a communication network, a receiving network capable of transferring money among a user account, a settlement provider account, and a gaming parlor operator account, to make a transfer among the accounts, wherein the electronic settlement server:

transmits, to the receiving network, a transfer request message that requests a user transfer amount corresponding to a transfer amount specified by a user to be transferred from the user account to the settlement provider account;

transmits, to the receiving network, a transfer request message that requests an amount corresponding to the user transfer amount from the settlement provider account to the gaming parlor operator account; and

transmits a user deposit processing request message notifying the user transfer amount.

8. An in-store server capable of communicating, via a communication network, with an electronic settlement server capable of requesting, via a communication network, a receiving network capable of transferring money among a user account, a settlement provider account, and a gaming parlor operator account, to make a transfer among the accounts, wherein the in-store server comprises:

storage means that stores a deposit and a consumed amount of each user;

deposit processing means that calculates, and causes to be stored, a deposit in response to a user deposit processing request message transmitted from the electronic settlement server;

payment request processing means which, upon receiving a payment request message that requests payment of a user payable amount that is a cost of provision of a negotiable value, subtracts the user payable amount from the deposit and stores the same; and

provision instructing means which, according to a result of subtracting the user payable amount from the deposit, transmits a provision instruction message that instructs provision of a negotiable value.

9. An electronic settlement method comprising the steps of:

transmitting a transfer request message that requests a receiving network to transfer a user transfer amount corresponding to a transfer amount specified by a user from a user account to a settlement provider account;

transmitting, to the receiving network, a transfer request message that requests transfer of an amount corresponding to the user transfer amount from the settlement provider account to the gaming parlor operator account;

transmitting a user deposit message notifying a user deposit that is an amount corresponding to the transfer amount;

receiving the user deposit message, calculating a deposit according to the user deposit message, and causing the deposit to be stored;

receiving a payment request message including device identification information that identifies a negotiable value providing device that is acquired by communicating with the negotiable value providing device using near field communication means;

calculating a consumed amount that is a total user payable amount that is a cost of provision of a negotiable value and causing the consumed value to be stored in response to the payment request message; and

transmitting, when the deposit and the consumed amount satisfy a predetermined condition, in response to the payment request message, a provision instruction message that instructs the negotiable value providing device to provide a negotiable value corresponding to the user payable amount.