Charging system and charging method

• US 7,603,313 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2001
• Issued: 10/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Asano, Tomoyuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Nga B.
• Application Number:
  US09/880,558
• Publication Number:
  US 20040015448A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,044 Days
• Field of Search: 705/16, 705/17, 705/26, 705/27, 705 39- 43
• 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 20/027 involving a payment switch or gateway
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/085 involving remote charge determination or related payment systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/0855 involving a third party
• 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 20/108 Remote banking, e.g. home banking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1085 involving automatic teller machines [ATMs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3821 Electronic credentials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/389 Keeping log of transactions for guaranteeing non-repudiation of a transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/401 Transaction verification
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0014 for vending, access and use of specific services not covered anywhere else in G07F17/00 meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas or electricity G07F15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1403 Architecture for metering, charging or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1439 time-based
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1453 Methods or systems for payment or settlement of the charges for data transmission involving significant interaction with the data transmission network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1457 : using an account
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1464 : using a card, such as credit card, prepay card or SIM
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/102 : applying security measure for e-commerce
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/12 : Applying verification of the received information cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for data integrity or data verification H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 : Network security protocols

Abstract

A user sends data for requesting a service provider to provide predetermined service and signature data created based upon the data to the service provider, the service provider calculates a fee based upon this data and requests a bank to collect the fee from the user. The bank informs the user of the fee requested from the service provider. When the user protests against the amount of the fee, the service provider discloses the data and signature data received from the user to the bank and when the bank judges based upon this signature data that this data is valid, it calculates a proper fee based upon this data and collects it from the user. As described above, it is enabled to collect a proper fee for service.

Claims

1. A system for collecting a fee for a service of a service provider comprising:

a request receiving unit which receives a request from said service provider to collect the fee from a user, said request including the amount of the fee;

an IC card receiving unit which receives an IC card from the user, said IC card including service request data and digital signature data stored thereon, said IC card receiving unit being a physical device configured to read information stored on said IC card;

a reading unit associate with said IC card receiving unit which reads said service request data and said digital signature data stored on said IC card;

a determining unit which determines whether said service request data and said digital signature data are valid, said determining unit being a physical unit configured to conduct an electronic comparison being different items of electronic data; and

a calculating unit which calculates the fee using the service request data on said IC card when it is determined that said service request data and said digital signature data are valid;

wherein,

said service request data is stored on said IC card in a physical way such that it cannot be modified using only a read and write process of a computer program, and

said digital signature data is a function of said service request data.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein said IC card stores said specific information which is used to generate said digital signature data.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein said specific information includes personal information of the user.

4. The system according to claim 3 wherein said personal information includes a user name and a bank account number of the user.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein said IC card is can be coupled to a user terminal, and said service request data and said digital signature data stored in said IC card are sent to the service provider after said IC card is presented to said user terminal.