SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR UNIFIED BILLING

• US 20110201306A1
• Filed: 02/15/2010
• Published: 08/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Samama Technologies
• Original Assignee: Samama Technologies
• Inventors: ALI AL-HARBI, MANSOUR
• Application Number:
  US12/705,661
• Publication Number:
  US 20110201306A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/42 using separate channels for security data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/32 using wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3223 Realising banking transactions through M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/385 using an alias or single-use codes
• 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 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/24 for parking meters
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/68 Payment of value-added services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

A system for unified billing combining mobile telephone and credit card services, in one example embodiment comprises a communication module to receive, from a merchant, a request to process a transaction, the request including data related to a subscriber identity module (SIM), a customer identification module to identify, based on the data, a customer associated with the subscriber identity module (SIM), a credit verification module to ascertain information related to a credit account associated with the customer, a code generating module to selectively generate a security code to be sent to the subscriber identity module (SIM), the security code to be provided to the merchant in order to complete the transaction, a code verification module to receive and verify the security code sent by the merchant, and a transaction module to selectively complete the transaction based on the security code verification.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for unified billing, the method comprising:

receiving, from a merchant, a request to process a transaction, the request including data related to a subscriber identity module (SIM);

based on the data, identifying a customer associated with the subscriber identity module (SIM);

ascertaining information related to a credit account associated with the customer;

based on the information, selectively sending a security code to the subscriber identity module (SIM), the security code to be provided to the merchant in order to complete the transaction;

receiving the security code from the merchant;

verifying the security code; and

based on the security code verification, selectively completing the transaction.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising receiving from the customer, a request to create the credit account, the request including predetermined customer data to determine a creditworthiness of the customer and based on the customer data provide the credit account and associating the subscriber identity module with the credit account.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising providing the subscriber identity module (SIM) to the customer.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising periodically providing a bill to the customer associated with the credit account.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, further comprising deducting an amount associated with the bill from a credit card or a debit card associated with the credit account.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, further comprising providing the credit or the debit card associated with the credit account.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, further comprising paying one or more merchants associated with the bill.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 4, wherein the verification code is provided to the merchant by an authorized user having no possession of the subscriber identity module (SIM), the authorized user having received the verification code from the customer.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising providing a telephone number associated with the subscriber identity module.

10. A system for unified billing, the method comprising:

a communication module to receive, from a merchant, a request to process a transaction, the request including data related to a subscriber identity module;

a customer identification module to identify, based on the data, a customer associated with the subscriber identity module (SIM);

a credit verification module to ascertain information related to a credit account associated with the customer;

a code generating module to selectively generate a security code to be sent to the subscriber identity module (SIM), the security code to be provided to the merchant in order to complete the transaction;

a code verification module to receive and verify the security code sent by the merchant; and

a transaction module to selectively complete the transaction based on the security code verification.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising a credit request accepting module to receive from the customer, a request to create the credit account, the request including predetermined customer data to determine a creditworthiness of the customer and a credit issuing module to provide the credit account and associate the subscriber identity module with the credit account based on the customer data.

12. The system of claim 10, further comprising a subscriber identity module (SIM) provider to provide the subscriber identity module (SIM) to the customer.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the subscriber identity module (SIM) provider provides a telephone number associated with the subscriber identity module (SIM).

14. The system of claim 10, further comprising a billing module to periodically provide a bill to the customer associated with the credit account.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the billing module deducts an amount associated with the bill from a credit card or a debit card associated with the credit account.

16. The system of claim 14, further comprising a payment module to pay one or more merchants associated with the bill.

17. The system of claim 16, further comprising a credit-issuing module to provide the credit or the debit card associated with the credit account.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the verification code is provided to the merchant by an authorized user having no possession of the subscriber identity module (SIM), the authorized user having received the verification code from the customer.

19. A machine-readable medium comprising instructions for unified billing, which when implemented by one or more processors, performs the following operations:

receive, from a merchant, a request to process a transaction, the request including data related to a subscriber identity module (SIM);

identify, based on the data, a customer associated with the subscriber identity module (SIM);

ascertain information related to a credit account associated with the customer;

selectively sending a security code to the subscriber identity module (SIM) based on the information, the security code to be provided to the merchant in order to complete the transaction;

receive the security code from the merchant;

verify the security code; and

based on the security code verification, selectively complete the transaction.