Internet billing method

• US 8,019,682 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2007
• Issued: 09/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Egendorf, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Felten; Daniel S
• Application Number:
  US11/928,767
• Publication Number:
  US 20080177657A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,414 Days
• Field of Search: 705 40- 42, 235/379, 235/380
• 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 20/10 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 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/14 specially adapted for billing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/16 Payments settled via telecommunication systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

An Internet billing method comprises establishing an agreement between an Internet access provider and a customer, and an agreement between the Internet access provider and a vendor, wherein the Internet access provider agrees with the customer and the vendor to bill the customer and remit to the vendor for products and services purchased over the Internet by the customer from the vendor. The provider creates access to the Internet for the customer. When the customer orders a product or service over the Internet from a vendor, transactional information transmitted between the customer and the vendor is also transmitted to the provider. The provider then bills the transaction amount to the customer and remits a portion of the transaction amount to the vendor, keeping the differential as a fee for providing the service. As a result of this method, there is no need for any customer account numbers or vendor account numbers to be transmitted over the Internet, thereby maintaining the security of that information.

Claims

1. A method for billing for a purchase transaction over the Internet between a purchasing customer and a selling vendor by a telephone service provider which is not the selling vendor, the method comprising the telephone service provider:

providing access to the Internet for the purchasing customer using equipment of the telephone service provider and charging the purchasing customer a transaction amount for the purchase transaction by charging the transaction amount to an account of the purchasing customer.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the account of the purchasing customer is an account with the telephone service provider, and wherein the charging of the purchasing customer is performed by the equipment of the telephone service provider.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the account of the purchasing customer is a credit card account or a bank account.

4. The method according to anyone of claims 1-3, wherein the selling vendor does not receive the account number to which the transaction amount is charged before the transaction amount is charged to the account.

5. The method according to anyone of claims 1-3, wherein the equipment of the telephone service provider is notified that the customer desires to enter into the purchase transaction before equipment of the vendor is notified that the customer desires to enter into the purchase transaction.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the equipment of the telephone service provider is notified that the customer desires to enter into the purchase transaction before equipment of the vendor is notified that the customer desires to enter into the purchase transaction.

7. The method according to anyone of claims 1-3, wherein the equipment of the telephone service provider is not notified that the customer desires to enter into the purchase transaction before equipment of the vendor is notified that the customer desires to enter into the purchase transaction.

8. The method according to claim 4, wherein the equipment of the telephone service provider is not notified that the customer desires to enter into the purchase transaction before equipment of the vendor is notified that the customer desires to enter into the purchase transaction.

9. The method according to anyone of claims 1-3, wherein the telephone service provider receives authorization from the purchasing customer to charge the transaction amount to the account of the purchasing customer without previously having received authorization from the selling vendor to charge the transaction amount to the account of the purchasing customer.

10. The method according to claim 4, wherein the telephone service provider receives authorization from the purchasing customer to charge the transaction amount to the account of the purchasing customer without previously having received authorization from the selling vendor to charge the transaction amount to the account of the purchasing customer.

11. The method according to claim 5, wherein the equipment of the telephone service provider receives authorization from the purchasing customer to charge the transaction amount to the account of the purchasing customer without previously having received authorization from the equipment of the selling vendor to charge the transaction amount to the account of the purchasing customer.

12. The method according to claim 6, wherein the equipment of the telephone service provider receives authorization from the purchasing customer to charge the transaction amount to the account of the purchasing customer without previously having received authorization from the equipment of the selling vendor to charge the transaction amount to the account of the purchasing customer.

13. The method according to claim 7, wherein the equipment of the telephone service provider receives authorization from the purchasing customer to charge the transaction amount to the account of the purchasing customer without previously having received authorization from the equipment of the selling vendor to charge the transaction amount to the account of the purchasing customer.

14. The method according to claim 8, wherein the equipment of the telephone service provider receives authorization from the purchasing customer to charge the transaction amount to the account of the purchasing customer without previously having received authorization from the equipment of the selling vendor to charge the transaction amount to the account of the purchasing customer.

15. The method according to anyone of claims 1-3, wherein the telephone service provider receives authorization from the selling vendor to charge the transaction amount to the account of the purchasing customer without previously having received authorization from the purchasing customer to charge the transaction amount to the account of the purchasing customer.

16. The method according to claim 4, wherein the telephone service provider receives authorization from the selling vendor to charge the transaction amount to the account of the purchasing customer without previously having received authorization from the purchasing customer to charge the transaction amount to the account of the purchasing customer.

17. The method according to claim 5, wherein the equipment of the telephone service provider receives authorization from the equipment of the selling vendor to charge the transaction amount to the account of the purchasing customer without previously having received authorization from the purchasing customer to charge the transaction amount to the account of the purchasing customer.

18. The method according to claim 6, wherein the equipment of the telephone service provider receives authorization from the equipment of the selling vendor to charge the transaction amount to the account of the purchasing customer without previously having received authorization from the purchasing customer to charge the transaction amount to the account of the purchasing customer.

19. The method according to claim 7, wherein the equipment of the telephone service provider receives authorization from the equipment of the selling vendor to charge the transaction amount to the account of the purchasing customer without previously having received authorization from the purchasing customer to charge the transaction amount to the account of the purchasing customer.

20. The method according to claim 8, wherein the equipment of the telephone service provider receives authorization from the equipment of the selling vendor to charge the transaction amount to the account of the purchasing customer without previously having received authorization from the purchasing customer to charge the transaction amount to the account of the purchasing customer.

21. The method of claim 1, comprising the telephone service provider:

receiving information over the Internet, the information relating to the purchase transaction, wherein the transaction amount is based on the information.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the charging of the purchasing customer is performed by the equipment of the telephone service provider.

23. A method comprising:

providing access to the Internet for a purchasing customer using one or more network devices of a telephone service provider;

receiving information over the Internet using the one or more network devices of the telephone service provider, the information relating to a purchase transaction, the purchase transaction being between the purchasing customer and a selling vendor which is not the telephone service provider; and

charging the purchasing customer a transaction amount for the purchase transaction using the one or more network devices by charging the transaction amount to an account of the purchasing customer, the transaction amount being determined based on the information.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the purchase transaction is of an electronically deliverable product or service.

25. The method according to claim 23, wherein the account of the purchasing customer is an account with the telephone service provider.

26. A method comprising:

providing access to the Internet for a purchasing customer using one or more network devices of a telephone service provider;

receiving information over the Internet using the one or more network devices of the telephone service provider, the information relating to a purchase transaction, the purchase transaction being between the purchasing customer and a selling vendor which is not the telephone service provider; and

charging the purchasing customer a transaction amount for the purchase transaction using the one or more network devices by charging the transaction amount to an account of the purchasing customer, the transaction amount being determined based on the information, wherein the selling vendor does not receive an account number to which the transaction amount is charged before the transaction amount is charged to the account.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the purchase transaction is of an electronically deliverable product or service.

28. The method according to claim 26, wherein the account of the purchasing customer is an account with the telephone service provider.