Mediation of transactions by a communications system

• US 5,329,589 A
• Filed: 06/03/1993
• Issued: 07/12/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T, Inc.
• Original Assignee: AT&T, Inc.
• Inventors: Perea, Carlos A., Fraser, Alexander G., Weber, Roy P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chan, Jason
• Application Number:
  US08/071,950
• Time in Patent Office: 404 Days
• Field of Search: 379/91, 379/92, 379/93, 379/95, 379/96, 379/97, 379/98, 379/143, 379/144, 379/201, 402/8, 402/22, 402/24, 364/401, 364/408, 325/379, 325/380, 325/381
• US Class Current: 379/91.02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• 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 20/4037 Remote solvency checks
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/08 by coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means without personal verification means G07F7/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/53 using mediation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/90 using Intelligent Networks [IN] or Advanced Intelligent Networks [AIN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/02 Coin-freed or check-freed systems , e.g. mobile- or card-operated phones, public telephones or booths
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/016 Billing using Intelligent Networks [IN] or Advanced Intelligent Networks [AIN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0172 Mediation, i.e. device or program to reformat CDRS from one or more switches in order to adapt to one or more billing programs formats
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4228 in networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13515 authentication, authorisation - fraud prevention
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13566 mediation
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for employing a communications system with actively connects communicating entities to mediate transactions. Disclosed are general methods and apparatus for mediating transactions, methods and apparatus permitting information from one transaction to be used in other transactions, and methods and apparatus for performing credit card transactions in which the vendee need not disclose his credit card to the vendor. An implementation of a system for performing credit card transactions in a stored program-controlled telephone switching network is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of employing a communications routing system of a type which functions generally to establish connections with arbitrary ones of a plurality of entities to in addition mediate a transaction involving delayed payment between certain ones of the entities including a customer, a vendor, and an approving entity which approves the transaction, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a transaction specifier from the customer in the communications routing system; and

responding in the communications routing System to the transaction specifier by performing steps including

obtaining at least an identifier known to the approving entity from the customer,

obtaining at least a debit amount from the vendor,

providing the identifier and the debit amount to the approving entity,

receiving an indication from the approving entity whether the transaction is approved, and

providing the indication to the vendor, the communications routing system functioning during the steps to establish connections with the certain ones of the entities as required for the steps.

2. The method set forth in claim 1 wherein:

the step of responding to the transaction specifier includes the step of employing the communications system to connect the customer and the vendor with each other.

3. The method set forth in claim 2 wherein:

the step of employing the communications system to connect the customer and the vendor occurs before the step of obtaining a debit amount from the vendor.

4. The method set forth in claim 1 wherein:

the method does not include any step in which the identifier is disclosed to the vendor.

5. The method set forth in claim 1 wherein:

the communications routing system is a switching portion of a telephone system; and

the step of receiving a transaction specifier includes the steps of;

receiving a special telephone number in the switching portion; and

using the special telephone number to derive the transaction specifier.

6. The method set forth in claim 5 wherein:

the step of receiving a transaction specifier further includes the step of using the special telephone number to derive a telephone number of the vendor and

the step of responding to the transaction specifier includes the step of using the telephone number to obtain transaction information concerning the transaction from or provide transaction information to the vendor.

7. The method set forth in claim 5 wherein:

the switching portion retains the telephone number from which the special telephone number was called; and

the step of responding to the transaction specifier includes obtaining the telephone number from which the special telephone number was called from the telephone system as part of the transaction information.

8. The method set forth in any one of claims 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7 wherein:

the steps performed in response to the transaction specifier include entering information concerning the transaction in a transaction record.

9. The method set forth in claim 8 wherein:

the method further includes the steps of

receiving a further transaction specifier in the communications system; and

responding to the further transaction specifier by performing a further transaction as specified by the further transaction specifier and the transaction record.

10. A method of employing a telephone system including a switching portion to mediate a transaction involving delayed payment between a customer, a vendor, and an approving entity which approves the transaction, the telephone system being able to establish connections to the customer, the vendor, and the approving entity and the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a call in the switching portion which employs a special telephone number specifying the transaction; and

responding in the switching portion to the special telephone number by performing steps including

determining a telephone number for the vendor;

causing the telephone system to request an identifier known to the approving entity from the customer;

causing the telephone system to receive and store the identifier;

causing the telephone system to use the telephone number for the vendor to connect the customer with the vendor;

receiving a transaction amount in the telephone system from the vendor;

providing the identifier and the transaction amount to the approving entity; and

responding to an indication by the approving entity whether the transaction is approved by providing the indication to the vendor.

11. A method of employing a communications routing system of a type which functions generally to establish connections with arbitrary ones of a plurality of entities to in addition mediate a plurality of types of transactions involving certain ones of the entities which have between them transaction information other than the information required by the communications system to establish communications between the entities, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a transaction type specifier specifying one of the types of transactions in the communications routing system;

in the communications routing system, responding to the transaction type specifier by activating a transaction manager within the communications routing system; and

in the transaction manager, selecting a transaction algorithm corresponding to the transaction type specified by the transaction type specifier from a set of transaction algorithms; and

in the transaction manager, performing as required by the transaction algorithm the steps of

employing the communications routing system to obtain first transaction information from at least one of the entities involved in the transaction and

employing the communications routing system to provide second transaction information to at least one of the entities involved in the transaction, the communications routing system functioning during the steps to establish connections with the certain ones of the entities as required for the steps.

12. The method set forth in claim 11 wherein:

for a first set of at least one of the transaction types, the step of providing second transaction information provides second transaction information including less than all of the first transaction information.

13. The method set forth in claim 12 wherein:

for at least one of the first set of transaction types, the step of obtaining first transaction information includes the step of obtaining an entity identifier for at least one of the entities as part of the first transaction information; and

for the at least one transaction type, the step of providing second transaction information provides second transaction information which does not include the entity identifier.

14. The method set forth in claim 13 wherein:

the step of obtaining first transaction information further includes the steps of

obtaining a transaction amount from at least one of the entities as at least part of the first transaction information; and

including an indication of the capability of the entity identified by the entity identifier to perform a transaction in the mount of the transaction amount as part of the second transaction information.

15. The method set forth in claim 11 wherein:

the steps performed as required by the transaction algorithm include the step of employing the communications system to connect entities with each other as required by the transaction.

16. The method set forth in claim 11 wherein:

the communications routing system is a switching portion of a telephone system; and

the step of receiving a transaction specifier includes the steps of;

receiving a special telephone number in the switching portion; and

using the special telephone number to derive the transaction specifier.

17. The method set forth in claim 16 wherein:

the step of receiving a transaction specifier further includes the step of using the special telephone number to derive a telephone number of one of the entities and

the step of responding to the transaction specifier includes the step of using the telephone number to obtain transaction information from or provide transaction information to the entity reachable by the telephone number.

18. The method set forth in claim 16 wherein:

the switching portion retains the telephone number from which the special telephone number was called; and

the step of responding to the transaction specifier includes obtaining the telephone number from which the special telephone number was called from the switching portion as part of the first transaction information.

19. The method set forth in any one of claims 11 through 18 wherein:

the steps performed in the transaction manager further include the step of entering information concerning the transaction in a transaction record.

20. The method set forth in claim 19 wherein:

the method further includes the steps of

receiving a further transaction type specifier in the communications system; and

in the transaction manager, performing a further transaction as required by the transaction record and the transaction algorithm corresponding to the further transaction type specifier.

21. A method of employing a communications routing system of a type which functions generally to establish connections with arbitrary ones of a plurality of entities to in addition mediate transactions involving certain ones of the entities, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a transaction specifier specifying a first one of the transactions from one of the entities in the communications routing system;

responding in the communications muting system to the transaction specifier by performing steps including

obtaining transaction information from at least one of the entities as required by the first one of the transactions,

entering the transaction information in a transaction record for the first one of the transactions stored in the communications routing system, and

ending the first one of the transactions;

receiving a further transaction specifier from one of the entities in the communications system; and

responding to the further transaction specifier by performing a further transaction as specified by the further transaction specifier and the transaction record, the communications routing system functioning during the steps to establish connections with the certain ones of the entities as required for the steps.

22. The method set forth in claim 21 wherein:

the step of ending the first one of the transactions is performed as a result of an interruption of the first one of the transactions; and

the step of performing the further transaction consists of continuing the interrupted first one of the transactions.

23. The method set forth in claim 22 wherein:

the step of ending the first one of the transactions is performed when the first one of the transactions is interrupted by one of the participants.

24. The method set forth in claim 21 wherein:

the first transaction and the further transaction are stages of a larger transaction which involves more stages than the first transaction and the further transaction.

25. The method set forth in claim 21 wherein:

the further transaction is a separate transaction which requires the transaction information in the transaction record.

26. The method set forth in any one of claims 21, 22, 24, or 25 wherein:

the step of responding to the transaction specifier includes the steps of associating a transaction identifier with the transaction record and providing the transaction identifier to at least one of the entities; and

the step of responding to the further transaction specifier includes the steps of

receiving the transaction identifier from the at least one entity and

employing the transaction identifier to locate the associated transaction record.

27. The method set forth in any one of claims 21, 22, 24, or 25 wherein:

the step of responding to the transaction specifier includes the step of placing the transaction record in a predetermined order with respect to any other transaction records for transactions involving the entities; and

the step of responding to the further transaction identifier includes the step of

employing the predetermined order to locate the transaction record.

28. A method of employing a communications system to mediate a transaction involving delayed payment between a customer, a vendor, and an approving entity which approves the transaction, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a transaction specifier from the customer in the communications system; and

responding to the transaction specifier by performing steps in the communications system including

obtaining at least an identifier known to the approving entity from the customer,

obtaining at least a debit amount from the vendor,

providing the identifier and the debit amount to the approving entity,

receiving an indication from the approving entity whether the transaction is approved, and

providing the indication to the vendor without providing the identifier to the vendor.