Systems and methods to process transactions based on social networking

• US 8,224,727 B2
• Filed: 05/27/2009
• Issued: 07/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boku Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Boku Incorporated
• Inventors: Hirson, Ron, Reidy, Nicholas
• Primary Examiner(s): Monfeldt, Sarah
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ziegle, Stephanie M
• Application Number:
  US12/473,217
• Publication Number:
  US 20100306099A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,147 Days
• Field of Search: 705 35- 45
• US Class Current: 705/35
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/32 using wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/384 using social networks
• 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 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• 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 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1881 with schedule organisation, e.g. priority, sequence management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/18 using different networks or channels, e.g. using out of band channels cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving distinctive intermediate devices or communication paths H04L9/0827; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for authentication using a plurality of channels H04L9/3215
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34

Abstract

Systems and methods to authenticate and process requests received via social networking websites. In one aspect, a system includes a data storage facility to store data associating a first phone number of a user with an identification of the user in a social networking website; and an interchange coupled with the data storage facility. The interchange includes a common format processor and a plurality of converters to interface with a plurality of controllers of mobile communications. The converters communicate with the controllers in different formats and with the common format processor in a common format. The common format processor receives a request including the identification of the user, identifies the first phone number of the user based on the data stored on the data storage facility, and uses the converters to communicate with a mobile phone at the first phone number to confirm the request.

Claims

1. A method implemented on a data processing system, the method comprising:

receiving, at a server computer of a mobile phone exchange, a request from a first user authenticated by a social networking website of a social networking system;

identifying a first phone number of the first user;

communicating by the server computer of the mobile phone interchange with the social networking website of the social network system to identify a second user based on data stored in a social network database of the social network system coupled to the social networking database, the data including a social distance between the first and second users;

communicating by the server computer of the mobile phone interchange with a mobile phone at the first phone number to confirm the request;

determining whether the second user is within a predetermined social distance from the first user;

in response to the request being confirmed via the mobile phone at the first phone number, processing, by the server computer of the mobile phone interchange to the request using funds associated with the mobile phone at the first phone number, wherein the processing of funds is in response to a determination that the second user is within a predetermined social distance from the second user in the social network of the second user;

Wherein the social distance is the smallest number of direct connections between the two users in a collection of connections stored in the social network database; and

Wherein said direct connections are friend connections.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the request includes an identification of the user in the social networking website;

and wherein the identifying of the first phone number comprises identifying the first phone number based on association between the first phone number and the identification of the user in the social networking website.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein when there is no data stored in a data storage facility of the server computer to associate the first phone number and the identification of the user in the social networking website, the method further comprises:

prompting the user to provide the first phone number; and

storing data associating the first phone number and the identification of the user in the social networking website in the data storage facility.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the request is to purchase or access a virtual object or a service hosted on a website.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the website is different from the social networking website.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein to purchase or access the virtual object or the service, the user is prompted to authenticate with the social networking website for payment processing.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the social networking website forwards the request to the server computer after the user is authenticated.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the processing of the request using the funds associated with the mobile phone comprises:

communicating at least one premium message with the mobile phone to collect the funds via a telecommunication carrier of the mobile phone.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the processing of the request using the funds associated with the mobile phone comprises:

identifying an account number associated with the first phone number; and

charging an account identified by the account number to collect the funds.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the account is one of:

a credit card account, a debit card account, and a bank account.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the social networking website is a first social networking website;

and the method further comprises;

receiving a second request from the user authenticated by a second networking website, the second request including an identification of the user in the second social networking website;

prompting the user to provide the first phone number in connection with the second request;

storing data associating the first phone number and the identification of the user in the second social networking website; and

connecting a social network hosted on the first social networking website and a social network hosted on the second social networking website via at least the first phone number associated with both the identification of the user in the first social networking website and the identification of the user in the second social networking website.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a first social network via connecting second social networks of a plurality of social networking websites based at least in part on common telephone numbers of members of the social networking websites.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the common telephone numbers are obtained at the server computer when members of the second social networks use the telephone numbers to process payments and when corresponding members are identified to the server computer by identifications of the corresponding members in the second social networks.

14. A tangible non-transitory computer-readable storage media storing instructions, the instructions causing a server computer to perform a method, the method comprising:

receiving, at a server computer of a mobile phone exchange, a request from a first user authenticated by a social networking website of a social networking system;

identifying a first phone number of the first user;

communicating by the server computer of the mobile phone interchange with the social networking website of the social network system to identify a second user based on data stored in a social network database of the social network system coupled to the social networking database, the data including a social distance between the first and second users;

communicating by the server computer of the mobile phone interchange with a mobile phone at the first phone number to confirm the request;

determining whether the second user is within a predetermined social distance from the first user;

in response to the request being confirmed via the mobile phone at the first phone number, processing, by the server computer of the mobile phone interchange the request using funds associated with the mobile phone at the first phone number, wherein the processing of funds is in response to a determination that the second user is within a predetermined social distance from the second user in the social network of the second user;

Wherein the social distance is the smallest number of direct connections between the two users in a collection of connections stored in the social network database; and

Wherein said direct connections are friend connections.

15. A method implemented in a data processing system, the method comprising:

calculating, with a processor of a social network system, a score to indicate credit worthiness of a buyer in a social network database of the social network system, the score being based on data of the buyer in the social network database;

extending, using at least one processor of a computer system, credit to the buyer based on the score;

wherein the user is a buyer within the social network database and the said social network database includes a seller, the score being based on past transactions between the buyer and the seller;

wherein the score is based on a social distance between the buyer and the seller;

Wherein the social distance is the smallest number of direct connections between the two users in a collection of connections stored in the social network database; and

Wherein said direct connections are friend connections.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the score increases credit worthiness if there are more transactions rather than fewer transactions between the buyer and the seller.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the score increases credit worthiness if geographical locations of the buyer and seller are within a predetermined limit.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the score increases credit worthiness of the buyer if interests of the buyer match interests the seller.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the score increases credit worthiness of the buyer if the buyer and seller have more shared friends rather than fewer shared friends.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the score relies on profile data of the buyer.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the score is based on transaction records of the buyer.

22. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

closing, with a processor of a computer system, a transaction involving the buyer, wherein the extending of the credit to the buyer allows the buyer to close a transaction faster than if the processor had to wait for funds collected via a different source.

23. A tangible non-transitory computer-readable storage media storing instructions, the instructions causing a server computer system to perform a method, the method comprising:

calculating, with a processor of a social network system, a score to indicate credit worthiness of a buyer in a social network database of the social network system, the score being based on data of the buyer in the social network database; and

extending, using at least one processor of a computer system, credit to the buyer based on the score;

wherein the user is a buyer within the social network database and the said social network database includes a seller, the score being based on past transactions between the buyer and the seller;

wherein the score is based on a social distance between the buyer and the seller;

Wherein the social distance is the smallest number of direct connections between the two users in a collection of connections stored in the social network database; and

Wherein said direct connections are friend connections.