Payment system and method using tokens

• US 7,555,460 B1
• Filed: 06/05/2000
• Issued: 06/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: IQVIA, Inc. (IQVIA Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Diversinet Corporation
• Inventors: Barkan, Mordhay
• Primary Examiner(s): Dass, Harish T.
• Application Number:
  US09/586,881
• Time in Patent Office: 3,312 Days
• Field of Search: 705 39- 41, 705/54, 705/67, 705/60, 705/44, 705/34, 705/53, 705/65, 705/64, 705/1, 700/233, 709/219, 379/114.01, 713/201, 715/835, 235/492
• US Class Current: 705/39
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/06 Private payment circuits, e.g. involving electronic currency used among participants of a common payment scheme
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/0655 e-cash managed centrally
• 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 20/29 characterised by micropayments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/367 involving electronic purses or money safes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction

Abstract

A method for collecting payment over a distributed digital computerized communication environment by a third party for services using digital tokens issued by a third party. The services may be provided by the third party or another party. The tokens are acquired by the user and stored in its database. The user cancels the tokens itself as it uses the provided services. The second party can monitor and report on the cancellation of tokens by the user. Fraud is reduced or eliminated by providing an open system that permits other parties to observe the user'"'"'s cancellation of its tokens.

Claims

1. A method for collecting payments in a distributed digital computerized communication environment for services provided by a third party service provider, comprising the following steps:

a. using digital tokens issued by a second party digital tokens issuer by computerized means, during a digital communication between a user and the second party, while the third party is not part of the digital communication issuing the digital tokens; and

wherein the digital tokens can be generated by the user himself according to a special and secure digital permit from the digital tokens issuer and according to predefined criteria in different predefined values;

b. Acquiring by a user of digital tokens from the digital tokens issuer and storing the digital tokens in a user'"'"'s token database;

c. canceling the used digital tokens from the user'"'"'s tokens database, that are being used by the user according to computerized predefined criteria between the user and the digital tokens issuer, when the user uses the service provided by the third party such that there is no exchange of digital tokens between the user and the third party, wherein the digital tokens can be generated by the user himself according to a special and secure digital permit from the digital tokens issuer and according to predefined criteria in different predefined values.

2. The method of collecting payments with digital tokens according to claim 1, wherein the digital tokens can be in different predefined values.

3. The method of collecting payments with digital tokens according to claim 1, wherein the digital tokens are cryptography protected from fraud.

4. The method of collecting payments with digital tokens according to claim 1, wherein the service can be the usage of predefined software package that is in the user'"'"'s possession.

5. The method of collecting payments with digital tokens according to claim 1, wherein the service can be the usage of wireless resources or any other digital communication means to another user, while the collecting payment party is not involved in the communication.

6. A method for monitoring the proper use, in payment for services provided by a third party, of digital tokens issued by a second arty digital tokens issuer by computerized means, comprising the following steps:

a. engaging a digital communication between a user and second party, where the third party does not take part in the communication and does not participate in any exchange of digital toke with the user; and

wherein the digital tokens can be generated by the user himself according to a special and secure digital permit from the digital tokens issuer and according to predefined criteria in different predefined values;

b. The user sends to the second party a report including information relating to the digital token used and canceled by the user while using the service for which a payment by digital tokens was required;

c. The second party maintains a database of previous reports relating to digital tokens used in the past, and the report received in step (b) is added to the database;

d. The second party compares the information received in step (b) with previous reports for the same user;

e. If the comparison detects a violation of the rules for the use of digital tokens, then the second party performs one or more of;

stores that information, displays a violation report, reports that to the digital tokens issuer, sends a note to the user of such digital token,

wherein the digital tokens can be generated by the user himself according to a special and secure digital permit from the digital tokens issuer and according to predefined criteria in different predefined values.

7. The method for monitoring the proper use of digital tokens according to claim 6, wherein in step (c) the second party maintains a database of previous reports relating to digital tokens used in the past by the user.

8. The method for monitoring the proper use of digital tokens according to claim 6, wherein in step (c) the second party maintains a database of previous reports relating to digital tokens used in the past by a plurality of other users.

9. The method for monitoring the proper use of digital tokens according to claim 6, wherein in step (c) the database of previous reports is being updated to include the latest reports, and the oldest reports are deleted there from.

10. The method for monitoring the proper use of digital tokens according to claim 6, wherein in step (e) one of the rules for use of digital tokens is that no digital token is allowed to be used twice.

11. The method for monitoring the proper use of digital tokens according to claim 6, wherein in step (e) one of the rules for use of digital tokens is that the serial number of successive digital tokens should be in ascending order.

12. The method for monitoring the proper use of digital tokens according to claim 6, wherein in step (e) one of the rules for use of digital tokens is that the serial number of issued digital tokens should correspond to a digital document or digital permit issued by the third party.