Computer Enabled Methods and Systems for Facilitating Micropayments via Public Networks

• US 20130290174A1
• Filed: 04/30/2013
• Published: 10/31/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Paul Wickliffe
• Original Assignee: Paul Wickliffe
• Inventors: Wickliffe, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 9,785,937 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/39
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/29 characterised by micropayments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/401 Transaction verification
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0816 Key establishment, i.e. cryptographic processes or cryptographic protocols whereby a shared secret becomes available to two or more parties, for subsequent use
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3026 details relating to polynomials generation, e.g. generation of irreducible polynomials
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3093 involving Lattices or polynomial equations, e.g. NTRU scheme
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3226 using a predetermined code, e.g. password, passphrase or PIN network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using passwords in a packet data network H04L63/083

Abstract

A computer enabled system for facilitating electronic micropayments in which an accounting application receives a vendor submission a remote vendor server via a public communications network. This includes identifiers for the vendor, the customer and an item selected by the customer. The accounting application then checks the status of the customer'"'"'s account. If it has sufficient funds, the transaction proceeds. The customer account is conditionally debited, and the vendor account conditionally credited with the transaction amount, including fees. A transaction confirmation is sent to the vendor application which then confers usage rights for the item to the customer. The accounting application periodically reconciles the vendor and customer accounts, deducts any service fees, and makes a single payment to each vendor. This single payment only incurs a single per-transaction credit-card company fee, thereby spreading it across multiple purchases and clients, making micro-transactions profitable.

Claims

1. A computer enabled method for facilitating micropayments, comprising:

providing an accounting application operable on an accounting server, said accounting application comprising instructions for enabling said accounting server to perform a multiplicity of functions comprising;

receiving and decrypting an encrypted vendor submission from a vendor application operable on a vendor server, remote from said accounting server, via a public communications network, said vendor submission comprising;

a vendor-identifier;

a customer-selected-item identifier; and

a customer-identifier obtained, via a public communications network, by said vendor application from a customer application operable on a customer device when said vendor application receives an instruction indicating an intention to obtain use of a customer-selected item, said customer device being remote from both said accounting server and said vendor server;

checking a status of a customer-account associated with a customer identified by said customer-identifier, and,

if said status of said customer-account is satisfactory, initiating actions comprising;

conditionally debiting said customer account by a first monitory amount related to said customer-selected item identified by said customer-selected-item identifier;

conditionally crediting a vendor account by a second monitory amount corresponding to said first monitory amount; and

transmitting an encrypted transaction confirmation to said vendor application, said transaction confirmation enabling said vendor application to confer pre-determined usage rights regarding said selected item to said customer;

else,

transmitting an error message to said vendor application;

periodically reconciling one or more of said customer accounts and one or more said vendor accounts; and

making periodic vendor payments in an amount inferred from said reconciled vendor accounts and appropriately adjusted by any service fees, and receiving periodic customer payments in an amount inferred said reconciled customer, thereby incurring a single transaction fee for a multiplicity of micro-transactions.

2. The computer enabled method of claim 1 wherein said periodically reconciling customer and vendor accounts occurs substantially at 24 hour intervals.

3. The computer enabled method of claim 1 wherein said periodically reconciling a customer or a vendor account only occurs when a predetermined number of transactions has occurred on said account.

4. The computer enabled method of claim 1 further comprising said customer using said pre-determined usage rights to obtain content from a content provider.

5. The computer enabled method of claim 1 wherein said vendor identifier further comprises a unique vendor identification number issued during a vendor registration process.

6. The computer enabled method of claim 1 wherein said customer-selected-item identifier further comprises one of a Uniform Resource Locator (URL), an International Standard Recording Code (ISRC), a Universal Product Code (UPC) a Stock-keeping Unit (SKU), an item price and an encrypted item price or a combination thereof.

7. The computer enabled method of claim 6 wherein said customer-selected-item identifier further comprises a matching written description.

8. The computer enabled method of claim 1 further comprising establishing a customer account by a customer providing a make and model number of said customer device.

9. The computer enabled method of claim 8 further comprising said customer account being credited with a fixed amount.

10. The computer enabled method of claim 8 further comprising said customer account being linked to an authorized source of credit and wherein said authorized source of credit is debited after said periodic reconciliation.

11. The computer enabled method of claim 1 wherein said pre-determined usage rights further include incrementally micro-charging for use of a customer-selected item based on one of an amount of time elapsed, a quantity of bandwidth consumed or a combination thereof.

12. The computer enabled method of claim 11 wherein said pre-determined usage rights further include preset further micro-charges to proceed using said customer-selected item beyond a preset pay point incorporated into said customer-selected item.

13. The computer enabled method of claim 1 wherein said customer initiates receipt of pre-determined usage rights with a single gesture.

14. The computer enabled method of claim 13 wherein said single gesture is a mouse-click.

15. The computer enabled method of claim 1 wherein said conditionally debiting a customer account by a first monitory amount is automatically calculated in a currency determined by said customer'"'"'s geographic location.

16. The computer enabled method of claim 1 further comprising storing a duplicate copy of a customer'"'"'s pre-determined usage rights on a cloud based storage facility.

17. The computer enabled method of claim 16 wherein said cloud based storage facility is controlled by said accounting application.

18. The computer enabled method of claim 1 further comprising said pre-determined usage rights further including active participation in content distribution.

19. The computer enabled method of claim 18 further comprising said accounting server conditionally debiting said customer account for content downloaded, and crediting said customer account for content uploaded.