Validation gateway

• US 6,160,874 A
• Filed: 10/21/1997
• Issued: 12/12/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MCI Communications Corporation (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Kult, George M., Dickerman, Robert Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BARNIE, REXFORD N
• Application Number:
  US08/956,220
• Time in Patent Office: 1,148 Days
• Field of Search: 379/112, 379/113, 379/144, 379/115, 379/91.01, 379/114, 379/265, 379/266, 379/309, 455/405
• US Class Current: 379/114.19
• 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 17/00 Prepayment of wireline communication systems, wireless communication systems or telephone systems using a coded card to authorise calls from a telephone set H04M1/675
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/106 using commercial credit or debit cards
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/20 with provision for recharging the prepaid account or card, or for credit establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/204 on-line recharging, e.g. cashless
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2017/14 using commercial credit/debit cards, e.g. VISA, AMEX
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2017/24 with on-line recharging of an account or card, e.g. cashless

Abstract

Communication between telecommunications networks and computer systems used by financial institutions to allow processing customer requests to pay for telecommunication services with credit cards is described. In particular, communication that allows both real-time authorization and settlement of charges needed to bill the customer is explained. In addition, a system and method for protocol conversion between a client server protocol used by telecommunications networks and a packet switching network protocol used by financial institutions is provided. Client server protocols include protocols used by caller interaction processes such as UDP/IP. Packet switching network protocols include protocols used by financial processors such as X.25. The system method of the present invention may be used for communication between other networks and computer systems that use UDP/IP in X.25.

Claims

1. A method for billing a customer credit card account, comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving by a validation gateway a validation request message containing transaction data from a caller interaction processor;

(b) converting said validation request message from a client server protocol to a packet switching network protocol;

(c) sending a card request message from said validation gateway to a financial processor for authorization to charge to said customer credit card account;

(d) receiving by said validation gateway a card reply message from said financial processor;

(e) converting from said packet switching network protocol to said client server protocol;

(f) sending a validation response message from said validation gateway to said caller interaction processor;

(g) writing by said validation gateway a billing data record; and

(h) sending said billing data record from said validation gateway to a network information distribution service database server, including sending by a validation module of a validation computer program on said validation gateway a billing data record write request to a non-blocking application modules, sending by said non-blocking application module said billing data record write request to a client process module, sending by said client process module a billing data record write request to a billing data record service, sending by said billing data record service a billing data record write response to a demultiplex process module, sending by said demultiplex process module a billing data record write response to said client process, sending by said client process module a billing data record write response to said non-blocking application module, and sending by said non-blocking application module a billing data record write response to said validation module.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) comprises:

obtaining by a caller interaction processor said validation request to bill said customer credit card account;

collecting transaction data by an operator;

entering said transaction data into said caller interaction processor;

sending by said caller interaction processor said validation request message to bill to said customer credit card account; and

receiving by said validation gateway a validation request message containing transaction data;

wherein said caller interaction processor comprises a manual operator console.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) comprises:

obtaining by a caller interaction processor said validation request to bill to said customer credit card account;

collecting transaction data by said caller interaction processor;

sending by said caller interaction processor said validation request message to bill to said customer credit card account; and

receiving by said validation gateway a validation request message containing transaction data;

wherein said caller interaction processor comprises a service switching control point or an automated response unit.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) comprises:

populating by said caller interaction processor one or more validation request fields in said validation request message with said transaction data obtained by said caller interaction processor from a customer or customer credit card; and

sending by said caller interaction processor said validation request message to said validation gateway.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) comprises:

populating by said caller interaction processor a merchant identifier field in said validation request message with a merchant identifier associated with a service provider and a customer credit card account identifier obtained from a customer or a customer credit card;

populating by said caller interaction processor an authorization amount field in said validation request message with an authorization amount provided by said customer to be billed to said customer credit card account;

populating by said caller interaction processor one or more validation request fields in said validation request message with additional transaction data; and

sending by said caller interaction processor said validation request message to said validation gateway;

wherein said validation request message is in a request information format.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein step (b) comprises:

receiving by said validation gateway from said caller interaction processor said validation request message;

retrieving transaction data from said validation request message;

storing said transaction data in a local message pending list; and

building a card request message using said transaction data received in said validation request message.

7. The method of claim, 1 wherein step (b) comprises:

receiving by a client receive module of said validation computer program on said validation gateway from said caller interaction processor said validation request message;

sending said validation request message from said client receive module to a validation module of said one or more validation computer programs on said validation gateway;

retrieving transaction data from said validation request message by said validation module;

storing by said validation module said transaction data in a local message pending list;

building by said validation module said card request message from said transaction data in said validation request message; and

sending said card request message from said validation module to a communications module of said validation computer program on said validation gateway.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) comprises:

sending said card request message from a communications module of a validation computer program on said validation gateway to said financial processor.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein step (d) comprises:

receiving by a communications module of a validation computer program on said validation gateway a card reply message from said financial processor.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein step (e) comprises:

receiving by said validation gateway from said financial processor said card reply message;

retrieving reply data from said card reply message;

mapping said reply data to an response code;

retrieving transaction data from a local message pending list; and

building a validation response message using said transaction data from said local message pending list and said response code.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein step (e) comprises:

receiving by a communications module of a validation computer program on said validation gateway from said financial processor said card reply message;

sending said card reply message from said communications module to a validation module of said validation computer program on said validation gateway;

retrieving authorization data from said card reply message by said validation module;

mapping said authorization data from said card reply message;

retrieving transaction data from a local message pending list;

building by said validation module a validation response message using said transaction data in said local message pending list and said response code; and

sending said validation response message from said validation module to a client send module of said validation computer program on said validation gateway.