Telepayment method and system

• US 7,565,321 B2
• Filed: 01/16/2002
• Issued: 07/21/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Orange S.A.
• Original Assignee: France Telcom
• Inventors: Pailles, Jean-Claude
• Primary Examiner(s): Dass; Harish T.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fields; Benjamin S
• Application Number:
  US10/467,711
• Publication Number:
  US 20040083166A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,743 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/40
• 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 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/16 Payments settled via telecommunication systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/223 based on the use of peer-to-peer networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/32 using wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/68 Payment of value-added services
• 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 2215/0196 Payment of value-added services, mainly when their charges are added on the telephone bill, e.g. payment of non-telecom services, e-commerce, on-line banking
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2026 Wireless network, e.g. GSM, PCS, TACS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

After a preliminary exchange between the vendor and the purchaser with a view to completing a transaction corresponding to the payment of an amount due to the vendor for a service rendered, information is exchanged only between the purchaser and a telepayment server (T). The purchaser sends the telepayment server information (1) including data relating to the vendor and said amount. The server then authenticates the vendor'"'"'s identifier (I1) on the basis of the information received and responds by sending the purchaser a message (2) instructing payment of said amount and including at least said amount and the identifier (I1) of the vendor. The purchaser responds by sending the server confidential information (3) enabling payment of said amount, after verification by the purchaser of the identifier (I1) of the vendor.

Claims

1. A telepayment method involving a first entity comprising a vendor having an identifier, a second entity comprising a purchaser having a global system for mobile communications (GSM) type mobile equipment, and a third entity comprising a telepayment server with which the purchaser and the vendor have entered into an agreement and which is able to set up a connection at least with said mobile equipment, the method comprising:

a) executing a preliminary exchange between the vendor and the purchaser for completing a transaction corresponding to the payment of an amount due to the vendor for a service;

b) during the preliminary exchange, receiving, by the purchaser, the identifier of the vendor and non-confidential information including data relating to the vendor;

c) sending by the mobile equipment of the purchaser to the telepayment server a message including the non-confidential information and said amount for the service;

d) sending, by the server to the mobile equipment of the purchaser a message requesting the purchaser to enter a payment code, said message including at least said amount and the identifier of the vendor, said identifier being obtained by the server from the received non-confidential information;

e) comparing, by the purchaser, the identifier received in step d) with the identifier of the vendor received during the preliminary exchange;

f) sending, by the mobile equipment of the purchaser to the server, confidential information enabling payment of said amount, if the result of the comparison in step e) is positive; and

g) receiving said amount by the server after the confidential information enabling payment of said amount is sent to the server.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the non-confidential information and the identifier are supplied to the telepayment server when the agreement is first entered into.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the information sent to the server in step c) and in step f) is in the form of a numerical message.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the vendor further comprises a mobile telephone and the non-confidential data of the numerical message sent in step c) is the vendor'"'"'s mobile telephone number.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the purchaser'"'"'s mobile equipment is of the same mobile phone standard as the vendor'"'"'s mobile telephone.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the purchaser'"'"'s mobile equipment is of a different mobile phone standard than the vendor'"'"'s mobile telephone.

7. The method according to claim 3, wherein the numerical message sent in step e) is a secret payment code supplied by the purchaser to the server when the agreement is first entered into.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein step f) is followed by a step g) during which the telepayment server verifies the information received and, if the result of said verification is positive, sends to the mobile equipment of the purchaser and to equipment of the vendor respective confirmation messages that said amount has been paid.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein, on receiving the respective confirmation message, the vendor authenticates the telepayment server by means of a secret code supplied by the vendor to the telepayment server when the agreement is first entered into.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein step a) is preceded by:

calculating a first value by the mobile equipment of the purchaser, by application of a mathematical algorithm (f) to the data relating to the vendor; and

comparing the calculated first value with a second value sent by the vendor during the preliminary exchange.

11. A telepayment system comprising, mobile equipment of the GSM type used by a purchaser:

and

a telepayment server with which the purchaser and a vendor have entered into an agreement and which is able to set up a connection at least with said mobile equipment, a preliminary exchange having been established between the vendor and the purchaser for completing a transaction corresponding to the payment of an amount due to the vendor for a service;

wherein the mobile equipment comprises;

means for receiving an identifier of the vendor and non-confidential information comprising data relating to the vendor;

means for sending to the telepayment server either the non-confidential information and said amount for the service, or confidential information; and

means for receiving from the telepayment server a message requesting the purchaser to enter a payment code; and

wherein the telepayment server comprises;

means for authenticating the vendor'"'"'s identifier on the basis of the non-confidential information received from the mobile equipment of the purchaser; and

means for sending in response to the mobile equipment of the purchaser a message requesting the purchaser to enter a payment code, said message including at least said amount and the vendor'"'"'s identifier; and

means for receiving said amount by the server after the payment code has been entered.