Device and Process for Purchasing Electronic Content Using Multimedia Messaging Service Messaging

• US 20160019527A1
• Filed: 07/20/2015
• Published: 01/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TracFone Wireless, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: TracFone Wireless, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Miqueo, Jackie
• Granted Patent: US 11,416,841 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/16 Payments settled via telecommunication systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3255 using mobile network messaging services for payment, e.g. SMS
• 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

Abstract

Using multimedia messaging service (“MMS”) messaging to facilitate a transaction for purchasing electronic content on a wireless device is disclosed. Initially, an indication that a user of the wireless device has selected to purchase the electronic content from among a plurality of electronic content available for purchase is received from a wireless device over a wireless network. An MMS message including payment information for the purchase of the selected electronic content is then received from the wireless device. The purchase of the selected electronic content is authorized based on the payment information included in the MMS message and the wireless device is then enabled to download the selected electronic content in response to the authorization of the purchase of the selected electronic content.

Claims

1. A method for purchasing electronic content for a wireless device, the method comprising:

receiving, from a wireless device over a wireless network, an indication that a user of the wireless device has selected to purchase electronic content from among a plurality of electronic content available for purchase;

receiving, from the wireless device, a multimedia messaging service message including payment information for the purchase of the selected electronic content;

authorizing the purchase of the selected electronic content based on the payment information included in the multimedia messaging service message; and

enabling, in response to the authorization of the purchase of the selected electronic content, the wireless device to download the selected electronic content.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising forwarding, from an electronic content server to the wireless device, information regarding the plurality of electronic content available for purchase.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the multimedia messaging service message is encrypted.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the authorizing of the purchase of the selected electronic content comprises decrypting the encrypted multimedia messaging service message to extract the payment information for the purchase of the selected electronic content.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the payment information comprises a current account balance of the user of the wireless device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the authorizing of the purchase of the selected electronic content comprises determining that the current account balance is greater than a purchase price of the selected electronic content.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the payment information comprises an identifier of an account associated with the user of the wireless device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the authorizing of the purchase of the selected electronic content comprises determining that the user of the wireless device is permitted to purchase the selected electronic content.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the enabling of the wireless device to download the selected electronic content comprises forwarding a multimedia messaging service message including authorization information to the wireless device.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising forwarding the selected electronic content to the wireless device.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling an electronic content server to forward the selected electronic content to the wireless device over the wireless network.

12. A method for purchasing electronic content for a wireless device, the method comprising:

receiving, at the wireless device and from an electronic content server over a wireless network, information regarding a plurality of electronic content available for purchase;

forwarding, from the wireless device, an indication that a user of the wireless device has selected to purchase electronic content from among the plurality of electronic content available for purchase;

forwarding, from the wireless device, a multimedia messaging service message including payment information for the purchase of the selected electronic content; and

downloading, in response to authorization of the payment information, the selected electronic content.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein forwarding the multimedia messaging service message comprises forwarding the multimedia messaging service message to an authorization server that is different from the electronic content server.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the multimedia messaging service message is encrypted.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the payment information comprises a current account balance of the user of the wireless device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the authorization of the payment information comprises a determination that the current account balance is greater than a purchase price of the selected electronic content.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the payment information comprises an identifier of an account associated with the user of the wireless device.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the authorization of the payment information comprises a determination that the user of the wireless device is permitted to purchase the selected electronic content.

19. The method of claim 12, further comprising receiving a multimedia messaging service message including authorization information.

20. A system comprising at least one processor connected to at least one memory for purchasing electronic content for a wireless device, wherein the at least one processor is configured to:

receive, from a wireless device over a wireless network, an indication that a user of the wireless device has selected to purchase electronic content from among a plurality of electronic content available for purchase;

receive, from the wireless device, a multimedia messaging service message including payment information for the purchase of the selected electronic content;

authorize the purchase of the selected electronic content based on the payment information included in the multimedia messaging service message; and

enable, in response to the authorization of the purchase of the selected electronic content, the wireless device to download the selected electronic content.