Method and system for short message service (SMS) transactions for wireless devices

• US 7,318,098 B2
• Filed: 04/22/2003
• Issued: 01/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ebm/Ip, Llc
• Original Assignee: Inphonic Incorporated (Simplexity)
• Inventors: Steinberg, David A., Landry, Kenneth D., Miller, Mark T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Donaghue, Larry D.
• Application Number:
  US10/420,074
• Publication Number:
  US 20040006538A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,722 Days
• Field of Search: 709/227, 709/246, 455/466
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3255 using mobile network messaging services for payment, e.g. SMS
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/00 Wireless network protocols or protocol adaptations to wireless operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/12 Application layer protocols, e.g. WAP [Wireless Application Protocol]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/24 between backbone network devices

Abstract

A short message transaction system has a computer that communicates in an online Internet protocol that forms active sessions. A wireless device communicates in a protocol that transmits and receives messages that have a maximum size limit of a predetermined number of alphanumeric characters substantially smaller than the number of alphanumeric characters transmitted in a communication of the computer. A database is also provided. A surrogate communicates with the wireless device and the computer. The surrogate collects data from a plurality of messages from the wireless device and provides the data for storage in the database. The computer then runs online sessions using the stored data.

Claims

1. A system for performing transactions between a short message service enabled wireless device and transaction server on a computer network performing financial transactions, comprising:

an application server interacting with said transaction server;

a database for storing at least ongoing transaction information;

an SMS surrogate configured for submitting a transaction request on behalf of a user of said wireless device to said application server for ultimate transmission to said transaction server, and for creating an SMS message for transmission to said wireless device and corresponding to a transaction information message received from said application server,

said application server interacting with said wireless device and having an SMS handler for creating said transaction information message for transmission to said SMS surrogate and based on information received from said transaction server, and for forming database entries for storing information regarding a transaction in said database,

wherein transaction option(s) are displayed on said wireless device and indication of a chosen option is transmitted back to said SMS surrogate for conducting a financial transaction with said transaction server.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a push trigger initiator for receiving a message in either XML or email format including information to initiate a transaction, and for sending a transmission to said SMS handler.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said database has tables including data to be placed in said original message that indicates to a user that receives said original SMS message on said SMS wireless device that a response must include specific type of information.

3. An SMS transaction system, comprising:

an application server having an application with a handler, said application having active online sessions for performing a transaction;

an SMS surrogate communicating with at least one SMS wireless device by transmitting and receiving SMS messages including an original SMS message transmitted from said SMS surrogate to said SMS wireless device and a reply SMS message from said SMS wireless device to said SMS surrogate, said original SMS message including a request for transaction user data, and said reply SMS message including said transaction user data, said SMS surrogate transmitting an HTTP-URL query communications including said transaction user data to said handler; and

a database accessible by said application, said handler and said SMS surrogate for storing and retrieving said transaction user data from said database,

wherein said transaction is performed online by said application on behalf of said user by obtaining said transaction user data from said database.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said transaction receives a transaction ID number, said transaction ID number being used in a SMS message address field of said SMS messages as an address for said SMS surrogate.

6. A short message transaction system, comprising:

a computer that communicates in an online internet protocol that forms active sessions;

a wireless device that communicates in a protocol that transmits and receives messages that have a maximum size limit of a predetermined number of alphanumeric characters smaller than a number of alphanumeric characters transmitted in a communication of said computer;

a database; and

a surrogate that communicates with said wireless device and said computer, said surrogate collecting data from a plurality of messages from said wireless device and providing said data for storage in said database,

wherein said computer runs online sessions with said stored data.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said computer protocol is hypertext transfer protocol.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein said wireless device protocol is short message service (SMS).

9. The system of claim 6, wherein said computer has an application for performing said active session, said application having a handler for storing said data in said database and for receiving said data from said surrogate in the form of an http protocol message.

10. A method of transacting with an online transaction server from an SMS wireless device, comprising the steps of:

receiving a request to perform an online transaction;

determining what data is needed from a user of an SMS wireless device;

transmitting original SMS messages to said SMS wireless device requesting missing data;

receiving reply SMS messages from said SMS wireless device including said missing data;

forwarding said missing data to a computer having an application that conducts online transactions;

storing said missing data in a database; and

performing an online transaction using said missing data.

11. The method of claim 10, when said transmitting SMS messages further includes the steps of:

transmitting a plurality of original SMS messages to said SMS wireless device, each said original SMS message requesting less than all of a plurality of missing elements that make up said missing data, and

collecting missing elements obtained from a plurality of said reply SMS messages to form a single communication to provide said missing data to a computer that performs said online transactions.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said single message is in the form of an HTTP communication.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein a computer performs said online transaction after all reply SMS messages for a particular transaction provide all missing data necessary for said transaction, and wherein the time it takes for said user with said SMS wireless device to reply to said original SMS messages is received on said SMS wireless device does not affect the computer'"'"'s ability to maintain an online communication for said online transaction.

14. A short message surrogate, comprising:

means for receiving text messages from users'"'"' wireless devices communicating with short text messages limited to a certain number of alphanumeric characters per message;

means for collecting data from a plurality of said short messages;

means for forming a single HTTP message that includes said data from said plurality of said short messages; and

means for transmitting said HTTP to a computer that communicates on online active sessions,

wherein said computer performs said online active sessions on behalf of said user by using said data.