Consolidated Payment and Bank Error Correction

• US 20120023015A1
• Filed: 07/21/2010
• Published: 01/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Mathai, Aji, Gray, Eric John, Smith, Sean K., Bhatnagar, Aloke, Cortes, Ricardo D., Shih, Amy, Baily, John
• Application Number:
  US12/841,082
• Publication Number:
  US 20120023015A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03

Abstract

Improved techniques are disclosed for payment of accrued moneys via a third party intermediary. In one embodiment, a consolidated royalty can be provided for online sales of digital assets of a digital asset provider. Since the online sales can be from various different countries, the online sales can be in a plurality of different currencies. The royalties due a digital asset provider from online sales in the different currencies can be consolidated at appropriate times into a single currency and then disbursed to the digital asset provider. In another embodiment, royalty disbursement management can be provided to alert a digital asset provider that an attempted distribution has failed and to facilitate the digital asset provider in correcting appropriate banking information to assist in obviating the distribution failure.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for controlling services of an online store, the method comprising:

generating royalties currently due to a digital asset provider for online store sales in a plurality of different currencies;

initiating consolidation of the royalties currently due to the digital asset provider into a consolidated payment in a single currency; and

initiating disbursement of the consolidated payment.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising receiving at least one digital asset submitted to the online store for electronic distribution in countries using different currencies.

3. A method as recited in claim 2 wherein the digital asset comprises media content.

4. A method as recited in claim 2 wherein the digital asset comprises an application program.

5. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising authorizing the digital asset provider to access the online store for submitting at least one digital asset to distribution by the online store.

6. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising transmitting to the digital asset provider a report of the royalties currently due to the digital asset provider in the plurality of different currencies.

7. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising transmitting a report of consolidated payment information to the digital asset provider.

8. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

using an estimate of at least one currency conversion value to generate an estimate of the consolidated payment in the single currency; and

transmitting a report of the estimate of the consolidated payment in the single currency to the digital asset provider.

9. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising transmitting to the digital asset provider a report of an estimate of the date for the disbursement of the consolidated payment.

10. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising transmitting a report of at least one currency conversion value to the digital asset provider, wherein the currency conversion value substantially corresponds to the consolidation of the royalties currently due in the plurality of currencies into the consolidated payment in the single currency.

11. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the consolidation comprises consolidation of royalties currently due to the digital asset provider for online store sales with at least one payment currently due to the digital asset provider for advertising.

12. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising transmitting to the digital asset provider a report of at least one payment currently due to the digital asset provider for advertising.

13. A method as recited in claim 1 further comprising transmitting to the digital asset provider a report of a return of failed disbursement.

14. A computer readable medium including at least computer program code stored thereon for providing a consolidated royalty for sales of digital assets via at least one online store, said computer readable medium comprising:

computer program code for generating royalties currently due to a digital asset provider for online store sales in a plurality of different currencies;

computer program code for initiating consolidation of the royalties currently due to the digital asset provider into a consolidated payment in a single currency; and

computer program code for initiating disbursement of the consolidated payment.

15. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 14 wherein the consolidation comprises consolidation of royalties currently due for online store sales with at least one payment currently due for advertising.

16. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 14 further comprising computer program code for reporting of the royalties currently due to the digital asset provider in the plurality of different currencies.

17. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 14 further comprising computer program code for reporting consolidated payment information.

18. A computer readable medium as recited in claim 14 further comprising computer program code for reporting at least one currency conversion value, wherein the currency conversion value substantially corresponds to the consolidation of the royalties currently due in the plurality of currencies into the consolidated payment in the single currency.

19. A computer-implemented method for facilitating royalty disbursement, the method comprising:

generating royalties currently due to a digital asset provider;

transmitting to the digital asset provider a report of a return of failed disbursement; and

authorizing the digital asset provider to correct at least one record of incorrect banking information, which is at least one cause of the failed disbursement.

20. A method as recited in claim 19 wherein the incorrect banking information comprises at least one of:

an incorrect bank name, an incorrect bank address;

an incorrect local clearing code;

an incorrect SWIFT code;

an incorrect IBAN;

an incorrect account number; and

incorrect account holders name;

an incorrect checking account designation;

an incorrect savings account designation; and

an incorrect country currency designation.

21. A method as recited in claim 19 further comprising advising the digital asset provider, while correcting the at least one record of the incorrect banking information, by online validation of at least one of:

bank address;

clearing code format;

SWIFT code format;

IBAN format;

account number format;

account holders name;

checking account designation;

savings account designation; and

country currency designation.

22. A method producing a payment report, the method comprising:

generating amounts payable to a payee, the amounts payable in different currencies;

transmitting the amounts payable to an intermediary, wherein the amounts payable are converted to one or more predetermined currencies, and paid to the payee;

receiving from the intermediary a transaction record indicating the converted amount and an associated exchange rate; and

providing a report to the payee of the converted amount paid and associated exchange rate.

23. A digital asset submission and distribution system for providing a consolidated royalty for online store sales, the digital asset submission and distribution system comprising:

a digital asset storage for storing digital assets submitted to the system by digital asset providers;

an online store server for coordinating distribution of the digital assets and collection of royalties currently due to a digital asset provider for online store sales in a plurality of different currencies; and

a payment consolidation processor for initiating consolidation of the royalties currently due to the digital asset provider in the plurality of different currencies into a consolidated payment in a single currency, and initiating disbursement of the consolidated payment.

24. A digital asset submission and distribution system as recited in claim 23 further comprising an authorization processor for authorizing the digital asset provider to receive reporting of consolidated payment information.

25. A digital asset submission and distribution system as recited in claim 23 further comprising a report generator for generating a report of consolidated payment information.