System, method and computer program of managing subscription-based services

• US 8,458,051 B1
• Filed: 03/30/2007
• Issued: 06/04/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Saltzman, Brian J., Roseman, Neil C., Docktor, J. Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): FADOK, MARK A
• Application Number:
  US11/731,779
• Time in Patent Office: 2,258 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14.26, 705/26.7
• US Class Current: 705/26.7
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/10 Services

Abstract

A method of managing subscription-based services is disclosed and includes receiving configuration data from a third-party service provider at a subscription service management system, where the configuration data indicates details of a subscription-based service plan to be fulfilled by the third-party service provider. The method also includes receiving a request from a consumer to receive a service corresponding to the subscription-based service plan, where the request is received at the subscription service management system via an online site. The method also includes activating the service on behalf of the consumer, wherein the consumer is to receive the service during the subscription period. Further, the method includes sending at least one message to the third-party service provider during the subscription period, wherein the at least one message is related to a time-based trigger event associated with the subscription-based service plan.

Claims

1. A method of managing subscription-based services, the method comprising:

receiving, by a computing device, configuration data from a third-party service provider at a subscription service management system, the configuration data indicating details of a subscription-based service plan to be fulfilled by the third-party service provider;

receiving, by the computing device, a request from a consumer to receive a service corresponding to the subscription-based service plan, the request being received at the subscription service management system via an online site;

initiating, by the computing device, a query for data indicating whether the third-party service provider, the consumer, the subscription-based service plan, and details of the subscription-based service plan are known to be associated with fraudulent activity, the query being associated with one or more fraud check procedures that include verifying a reputation associated with the third-party service provider and a reputation associated with the consumer;

provided that no fraudulent activity is identified, activating, by the computing device, the service on behalf of the consumer, the consumer to receive the service during a subscription period; and

sending, by the computing device, at least one message to the third-party service provider during the subscription period, the at least one message being related to a time-based trigger event associated with the subscription-based service plan.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the configuration data from the third-party service provider via the online site.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the consumer is to receive the service in a plurality of service increments during the subscription period and wherein the time-based trigger event is related to a next one of the plurality of service increments.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the at least one message includes a service increment message that indicates a date, a time, or any combination thereof, at which the next one of the plurality of service increments is to be provided to the consumer.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

placing a plurality of service increment messages in a time-based queue at the subscription service management system, each of the plurality of service increment messages indicating a date, a time, or any combination thereof, at which one of the plurality of service increments is to be provided to the consumer; and

automatically sending each of the plurality of service increment messages from the time-based queue to the third-party service provider.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the querying further requests data indicating an accuracy of identification data or financial account information received at the subscription service management system.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

performing the one or more fraud check procedures associated with the third-party service provider, the consumer, and the subscription-based service plan; and

activating the service based at least in part on data resulting from the one or more fraud check procedures.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the one or more fraud check procedures include verifying identities and other attributes associated with the third-party service provider and the consumer.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the one or more fraud check procedures include querying for data indicating an accuracy of identification data or financial account information associated with the third-party service provider and the consumer and received at the subscription service management system.

10. A subscription service management system to manage subscription-based services, the subscription service management system comprising:

a server system having logic and memory accessible to the logic, wherein the memory includes instructions executable by the logic to;

receive configuration data from a third-party service provider, the configuration data indicating details of a subscription-based service plan to be fulfilled by the third-party service provider;

receive a request from a consumer for a service corresponding to the subscription-based service plan;

perform one or more fraud check procedures prior to activating a subscription period associated with the consumer, the one or more fraud check procedures including verifying a reputation of the third-party service provider, a reputation of the consumer, and a reputation of the subscription-based service plan;

activate the subscription period when it is determined that no fraudulent activity is identified during the one or more fraud check procedures, the consumer to receive the service in a plurality of service increments during the subscription period; and

provide at least one message to the third-party service provider during the subscription period, the at least one message being related to a time-based trigger event associated with the subscription-based service plan.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more fraud check procedures include:

verifying identities, reputations, and other attributes of the third-party service provider and the consumer;

or

querying for data indicating an accuracy of identification data and financial account information associated with the third-party service provider and the consumer.

12. Computer-readable storage media having computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, perform operations comprising:

receiving, from a consumer and by a subscription service management system, a request for a service associated with a subscription-based service plan provided by a third-party service provider;

determining that identification data or financial account information associated with the consumer and the third-party service provider is accurate;

performing one or more fraud check procedures associated with the third-party service provider and the consumer, the one or more fraud check procedures including verifying a reputation of the third-party service provider and a reputation associated with the consumer;

at least partly in response to determining that the identification data or the financial account data is accurate, and based at least partly on the one or more fraud check procedures, activating a subscription period corresponding to the service; and

in response to detecting a time-based trigger event associated with the subscription-based service plan, providing the service during the subscription period.

13. The computer-readable storage media of claim 12, wherein the service is based on configuration data provided by the third-party service provider.

14. The computer-readable storage media of claim 13, wherein the configuration data indicates details of the subscription-based service plan to be fulfilled by the third-party service provider.

15. The computer-readable storage media of claim 12, wherein the one or more fraud check procedures include verifying identities associated with the third-party service provider and the consumer.

16. The computer-readable storage media of claim 12, wherein the one or more fraud check procedures include querying for data indicating whether the third-party service provider, the consumer, the subscription-based service plan, and details of the subscription-based service plan are known to be associated with fraudulent activity.

17. The computer-readable storage media of claim 12, wherein the consumer does not receive the service if it is determined that the third-party service provider, the consumer, or the subscription-based service plan is associated with fraudulent activity.