METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PAYMENT AND/OR ISSUANCE OF CREDITS VIA A MOBILE DEVICE

• US 20110173053A1
• Filed: 03/25/2011
• Published: 07/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CVON
• Original Assignee: CVON
• Inventors: Aaltonen, Janne, Saru, Sami
• Granted Patent: US 8,195,547 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/105 involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/2295 Parent-child type, e.g. where parent has control on child rights
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/325 using wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/327 Short range or proximity payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3276 using a pictured code, e.g. barcode or QR-code, being read by the M-device
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/349 Rechargeable cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/363 with the personal data of a user
• 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 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0222 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0225 Avoiding frauds
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0273 Determination of fees for advertising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 : Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 : Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 : Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/146 : using digital cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 : Accounting or billing

Abstract

System and method for delivering upon request credits having monetary value to a mobile device using a communications network. An account of available credit for the user of the mobile device is maintained and authorization to issue credit is generated when a request for credit for the mobile device is received and there is available credit in the account associated with the mobile device equal to or greater than the requested credit. Credit may be sponsored by one or more sponsors and issued to the user, upon authorization, to enable the user to use the mobile device to purchase items, e.g., at a point of sale terminal.

Claims

1. A system for issuing credits having monetary value to a mobile device using a communications network, comprising:

maintaining means for maintaining an account of available credit for a user of the mobile device, and for generating an authorization to issue credit upon request if there is available credit in the account associated with the mobile device equal to or greater than the requested credit; and

issuing means operatively coupled to said maintaining means for receiving authorization to issue credit from said maintaining means and issuing credits,

wherein the user of the mobile device is notified via the communications network upon receiving notification of issuance of credit.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said means for maintaining an account of available credit comprises one of a billing system, a bank, or a credit card company.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said maintaining means are arranged to at least one of maintain an account of pre-paid credit and an account of post-paid credit, and manage the account such that the account is reduced by each amount of authorized credit.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising delivery coordination means comprising a wallet service server arranged to deliver credit to the mobile device, and

said delivery coordination means are arranged to receive a request from the mobile device for credit and notify said maintaining means of the request for credit such that said maintaining means determine whether to generate an authorization to issue credit.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one mobile device selected from a group consisting of a mobile telephone, a multimedia computer, a personal digital assistant, a laptop computer and a personal computer.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one sponsor for providing credit.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein at least one of:

said at least one sponsor is an advertiser which provides credit for the user of the mobile device in exchange for requiring the user to be exposed to an advertisement via their mobile device,

said at least one sponsor is operatively coupled to said maintaining means and said maintaining means manages payments from each of said at least one sponsor for credits they have provided,

said at least one sponsor is arranged to communicate with said issuing means to enable said at least one sponsor to authorize issuance of credits to the user'"'"'s mobile device, and

said at least one sponsor is operatively coupled to the user'"'"'s mobile device and receives requests for credit from the mobile device, said at least one sponsor being arranged to decide whether to provide credit to the requester'"'"'s account at said maintaining means and if so, providing credit to the requester'"'"'s account at said maintaining means.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said at least one sponsor is arranged to receive the request for credit in association with an identification of an item sought to be purchased by the user of the mobile device using the credit.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the item is identified using at least one of a bar code, key word, picture or link to a web site.

10. The system of claim 6, wherein said maintaining means are arranged to await approval from said at least one sponsor prior to generating the authorization to issue credit.

11. The system of claim 1, further comprising delivery coordination means operatively coupled to said maintaining means for coordinating delivery of the credits, wherein said issuing means are arranged to issue a code indicative of the issuance of a specific amount of credit which is delivered via said delivery coordination means to the mobile device, said code being usable by a point of sale terminal to communicate with said issuing means in order to verify the amount of credit associated with said code.

12. A computer program resident on non-transient computer-readable media and arranged to issue credits having monetary value to a mobile device using a communications network, the computer program being arranged to:

maintain an account of available credit for a user of the mobile device;

ascertain whether there is available credit in the account associated with the mobile device equal to or greater than a requested credit;

generate an authorization to issue credit when there is available credit in the account; and

issue credit in response to the authorization.

13. The computer program of claim 12, wherein the computer program is further arranged to at least one of:

maintain at least one of an account of pre-paid credit,

manage the account such that the account is reduced by each amount of authorized credit,

enable at least one sponsor to provide available credit into the account,

manage payments from each of the at least one sponsor for credits they have provided, and

issue a code indicative of the issuance of a specific amount of credit and coordinate delivery of the code to the mobile device, the code being usable by a point of sale terminal in order to verify the amount of credit associated with the code.

14. A method for issuing credits having monetary value to a mobile device using a communications network, comprising:

maintaining an account of available credit for a user of the mobile device;

ascertaining whether there is available credit in the account associated with the mobile device equal to or greater than a requested credit;

generating an authorization to issue credit when there is available credit in the account; and

issuing credit in response to the authorization.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of maintaining an account comprises maintaining at least one of an account of pre-paid credit and an account of post-paid credit.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising at least one of:

managing the account such that the account is reduced by each amount of authorized credit,

enabling at least one sponsor to provide available credit into the account, and

managing payments from each of the at least one sponsor for credits they have provided.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the step of issuing credit comprises issuing credit in exchange for requiring the user to be exposed to at least one advertisement from the at least one sponsor, and

wherein the step of receiving the request for credit comprises receiving the request at the at least one sponsor, the at least one sponsor deciding whether to provide credit to the requester'"'"'s account and if so, providing credit to the requester'"'"'s account.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising delivering the request for credit to the at least one sponsor in association with an identification of an item sought to be purchased using the credit, and

identifying the item using a bar code, key word, picture or link to a web site.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising requiring approval from the at least one sponsor prior to generating the authorization to issue credit.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

delivering at least one advertisement to the mobile device; and

exposing the user of the mobile device to the at least one advertisement in exchange for issuance of credit,

wherein the step of issuing credit comprises issuing a code indicative of the issuance of a specific amount of credit and delivering the code to the mobile device, the code being usable by a point of sale terminal in order to verify the amount of credit associated with the code.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

generating the request for credit at the mobile device; and

transmitting a request for credit via the communications network,

wherein the request is received via a short message service, and

wherein the request is received at a wallet service server and the account is maintained in a billing system, the step of ascertaining whether there is available credit in the account associated with the mobile device equal to or greater than the requested credit comprising directing a request from the wallet service center to the billing system to analyze the account, the authorization to issue credit when there is available credit in the account being made by the billing system.

22. A system for conducting a mobile advertising campaign in which credits having monetary value are issued to a mobile device using a communications network in exchange for exposure to at least one advertisement, comprising:

maintaining means for maintaining an account of available credit for the user of the mobile device, and for generating an authorization to issue credit upon request if there is available credit in the account associated with the mobile device equal to or greater than the requested credit;

enabling means for enabling at least one advertiser to provide advertisements and credit into the account in said maintaining means; and

issuing means operatively coupled to maintaining means for receiving authorization to issue credit from said maintaining means and issuing credits,

wherein the user of the mobile device is notified via the communications network upon receiving notification of issuance of credit, and

wherein the mobile device being operatively arranged to require exposure to delivered advertisements in order to enable use of the credit.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein said means for maintaining an account of available credit comprise at least one of a billing system, a bank, or a credit card company.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein said maintaining means are arranged to at least one of:

maintain at least one of an account of pre-paid credit and an account of post-paid credit, and

manage the account such that the account is reduced by each amount of authorized credit.

25. The system of claim 22, further comprising delivery coordination means which comprise a wallet service server arranged to deliver credit to the mobile device,

wherein said delivery coordination means are arranged to receive a request from the mobile device for credit and notify said maintaining means of the request for credit such that said maintaining means determine whether to generate an authorization to issue credit.

26. The system of claim 22, wherein each mobile device is selected from a group consisting of a mobile telephone, a multimedia computer, a personal digital assistant, a laptop computer and a personal computer.

27. The system of claim 22, wherein said at least one advertiser is coupled to said maintaining means and said maintaining means manages payments from each of said at least one advertiser for credits they have provided,

wherein said at least one advertiser is arranged to communicate with said issuing means to enable said at least one advertiser to authorize issuance of credits to the user'"'"'s mobile device, and

wherein said at least one advertiser is operatively coupled to the user'"'"'s mobile device and receives requests for credit from the mobile device, said at least one advertiser being arranged to decide whether to provide credit to the requester'"'"'s account at said maintaining means and if so, providing credit to the requester'"'"'s account at said maintaining means.

28. The system of claim 22, wherein said issuing means are arranged to issue a code indicative of the issuance of a specific amount of credit which is delivered via said delivery coordination means to said mobile device, said code being usable by a point of sale terminal to communicate with said issuing means in order to verify the amount of credit associated with said code.

29. The system of claim 22, wherein said enabling means are arranged to provide data about the user of the mobile device to said at least one advertiser to enable said at least one advertiser to consider such data when deciding whether to provide credit to the user.