Electronic settlement system using prepaid type electronic money

• US 7,103,571 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2002
• Issued: 09/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fintegraph, LLC (Ascend Innovation Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: OKI Electric Industry Company Limited
• Inventors: Seshimo, Hiroya, Shigemi, Kazuhiko, Hasebe, Shinobu, Hatanaka, Hiroyuki, Nishio, Miwa
• Primary Examiner(s): BASHORE, ALAIN L
• Application Number:
  US10/058,312
• Publication Number:
  US 20030004869A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,679 Days
• Field of Search: 705/35, 705 40- 42, 705/44
• US Class Current: 705/39
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/105 involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes

Abstract

Even goods of a low price can be handled at a virtual shop and services to the user side are improved. When a payment instruction of certain goods is issued from a user'"'"'s terminal 1, a paying method presenting unit (21) of a virtual shop (2) presents a paying method using a prepaid type electronic money by the sale on a network (6). When the payment instruction by the prepaid type electronic money is issued from the user'"'"'s terminal, an electronic money purchasing unit (22) purchases the prepaid type electronic money by using a settlement unit on the network, subtracts a payment money amount of the goods from a money amount of the purchased prepaid type electronic money, and notifies the user'"'"'s terminal of a balance.

Claims

1. An electronic settlement system for allowing payment for a purchase from a virtual shop on a network by a purchaser using a terminal connected to said network, comprising:

a paying method presenting unit means for receiving a verification from said terminal that said purchaser would like to make the purchase, sending a message to said terminal directing said purchaser to pay using prepaid electronic money and asking whether said purchaser already owns prepaid electronic money, and if said purchaser does not already own prepaid electronic money, sending an inquiry to said terminal asking whether said purchaser would like to buy a set amount of prepaid electronic money over said network;

a settlement unit means for making a settlement via said network for a purchase price when prepaid electronic money is bought on behalf of said purchaser; and

an electronic money purchasing unit means for receiving an instruction to buy said set amount of prepaid electronic money from said purchaser via said terminal, purchasing said set amount of prepaid electronic money over said network on behalf of said purchaser aided by said settlement unit, and notifying said purchaser of an identification number allocated to the prepaid electronic money that has been purchased and reporting a balance remaining after payment for the purchase is subtracted from said set amount of prepaid electronic money.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein a prepaid electronic, money company and a settlement institution of said prepaid electronic money are connected to said network, and said settlement unit means purchases said prepaid electronic money from said prepaid electronic money company and makes a settlement of a payment charge of said prepaid electronic money with said settlement institution.

3. A system according to claim 2, wherein said settlement unit means makes the settlement in accordance with an SET (Secure Electronic Transactions).

4. A system according to claim 3, wherein a wallet service providing company for providing an electronic wallet is connected to said network, and said settlement unit means makes the settlement by using said electronic wallet.

5. A system according to claim 4, wherein said settlement is a debit settlement using the Internet.

6. A system according to claim 4, wherein said settlement is a credit settlement using the Internet.

7. A system according to claim 1, wherein said paying method presenting unit means, said electronic money purchasing unit means, and said settlement unit means are provided for said virtual shop.

9. A system according to claim 1, wherein the identification number is received by the electronic money purchasing unit means when the set amount of prepaid electronic money is purchased, and the electronic money purchasing unit means performs a subtraction operation on the basis of the identification number to determine the balance remaining.

8. A computer readable medium that stores a control program for an electronic settlement in an electronic settlement system for allowing payment for a purchase from a virtual shop on a network by a purchaser using a terminal connected to said network, wherein said control program allows a computer to execute:

a paying method presenting step which,when said shop receives verification from said terminal that said purchaser would like to make the purchase, sends a message to said terminal directing said purchaser to pay using prepaid electronic money and asking whether said purchaser already owns prepaid electronic money, and if said purchaser does not already own prepaid electronic money, sending an inquiry to said terminal asking whether said purchaser would like to buy a set amount of prepaid electronic money over said network;

a settlement step which makes a settlement via said network for a purchase price when prepaid electronic money is bought on behalf of said purchaser; and

an electronic money purchasing step which, when an instruction to buy said set amount of prepaid electronic money is received from said purchaser via said terminal, purchases said set amount of prepaid electronic money over said network on behalf of said purchaser in conjunction with said settlement step, and notifies said purchaser of an identification number allocated to the prepaid type electronic money that has been purchased and reports a balance remaining after payment for the purchase is subtracted from said set amount of prepaid electronic money.