Location-based payer charging system

• US 9,183,551 B2
• Filed: 07/26/2011
• Issued: 11/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Nuzzi, Frank Anthony, Amin, Farah Naz
• Primary Examiner(s): Zeender, F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rojas, H
• Application Number:
  US13/191,166
• Publication Number:
  US 20130030965A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,568 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/0457 the tickets being sent electronically
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/145 Payments according to the detected use or quantity
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3224 Transactions dependent on location of M-devices

Abstract

A method for charging a payer includes detecting a payer device, which is associated with a payer account, entering an event area. The payer device is then associated with an event invoice in a database. When the payer device is determined to have been involved in at least one payer charging event while being located in the event area, a charge is associated with the event invoice in the database for each payer charging event the payer device has been involved in. When the payer device is detected leaving the event area, a payment is charged to the payer account for the event invoice.

Claims

1. A method for charging a payer, comprising:

automatically detecting, by a provider computing device, a payer mobile phone entering an event area, wherein the payer mobile phone is associated with a payer account;

associating the payer mobile phone with an event invoice in a database by the provider computing device;

receiving an identification of an associated mobile phone over a network by the provider computing device from the payer mobile phone, wherein the identification of the associated mobile phone includes a phone number of the associated mobile phone;

associating the associated mobile phone with the event invoice in the database by the provider computing device;

determining, by the provider computing device, that the payer mobile phone has been involved in at least one payer mobile phone charging event while being located in the event area and that the associated mobile phone has been involved in at least one associated mobile phone charging event while being located in the event area and, in response, associating, by the provider computing device, a charge with the event invoice in the database for each payer mobile phone charging event the payer mobile phone has been involved in and for each associated mobile phone charging event the associated mobile phone has been involved in;

receiving an identification of a secondary payer mobile phone over the network by the provider computing device from the payer mobile phone;

detecting the payer mobile phone leaving the event area by the provider computing device;

associating the secondary payer mobile phone with the event invoice in the database by the provider computing device in response to detecting the payer mobile phone leaving the event area;

detecting the secondary payer mobile phone leaving the event area following the detecting of the payer mobile phone leaving the event area and, in response, charging, by the provider computing device, the payer account for the event invoice including the charges for each payer mobile phone charging event and each associated mobile phone charging event.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an authorization, over the network by the provider device from the payer mobile phone, to associate the payer mobile phone and the associated mobile phone with the event invoice.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the payer mobile phone has been involved in at least one payer mobile phone charging event includes determining the payer mobile phone is located in a first pay area that is located within the event area, and wherein the determining the associated mobile phone has been involved in at least one associated mobile phone charging event includes determining the associated mobile phone is located in a second pay area that is located within the event area and that is different from the first pay area.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving an authorization, over the network by the provider computing device from the payer mobile phone, to associate a first pay area charge for the first pay area with the event invoice;

retrieving a first pay area ticket image for the first pay area by the provider computing device; and

providing the first pay area ticket image over the network from the provider computing device to the payer mobile phone and a first pay area computing device that is located in the first pay area, wherein the first pay area ticket image for the first pay area is configured to be displayed on a display of the payer mobile phone and a display of the first pay area computing device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the provider computing device, that the secondary payer mobile phone has been involved in at least one secondary payer mobile phone charging event while being located in the event area and, in response, associating, by the provider computing device, a charge with the event invoice in the database for each secondary payer mobile phone charging event the secondary payer mobile phone has been involved in, wherein the provider computing device charges the payer account for the event invoice for each payer mobile phone charging event, each associated mobile phone charging event, and each secondary payer mobile phone charging event.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a spending limit from the payer mobile phone by the provider computing device over the network;

associating the spending limit with the event invoice in the database by the provider computing device;

determining, by the provider computing device prior to detecting the payer mobile phone leaving the event area, a current event invoice amount using the charges for each payer mobile phone charging event and each associated mobile phone charging event associated with the event invoice; and

sending an event invoice warning over the network to the payer mobile phone by the provider device in response to the current event invoice amount exceeding the spending limit.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the payer mobile phone has been involved in at least one payer mobile phone charging event includes determining an amount of time the payer mobile phone has been located in the event area, and wherein the associating the charge with the event invoice includes multiplying the amount of time by a charge rate to determine a charge and associating the determined charge with the event invoice.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing an entry ticket to each of the payer mobile phone and the associated mobile phone over the network by the provider computing device, wherein the entry tickets are configured to be displayed on a display of each the payer mobile phone and the associated mobile phone.

9. A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising a plurality of machine-readable instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, are adapted to cause the one or more processors to perform a method comprising:

automatically detecting a payer mobile phone entering an event area, wherein the payer mobile phone is associated with a payer account;

associating the payer mobile phone with an event invoice in a database;

receiving an identification of an associated mobile phone from the payer mobile phone over a network, wherein the identification of the associated mobile phone includes a phone number of the associated mobile phone;

associating the associated mobile phone with the event invoice in the database;

determining that the payer mobile phone has been involved in at least one payer mobile phone charging event while being located in the event area and that the associated mobile phone has been involved in at least one associated mobile phone charging event while being located in the event area and, in response, associating a charge with the event invoice in the database for each payer mobile phone charging event the payer mobile phone has been involved in and for each associated mobile phone charging event the associated mobile phone has been involved in;

receiving an identification of a secondary payer mobile phone from the payer mobile phone over the network;

detecting the payer mobile phone leaving the event area;

associating the secondary payer mobile phone with the event invoice in the database in response to detecting the payer mobile phone leaving the event area;

detecting the secondary payer mobile phone leaving the event area following the detecting of the payer mobile phone leaving the event area and, in response, charging the payer account for the event invoice including the charges for each payer mobile phone charging event and each associated mobile phone charging event.

10. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving an authorization, over the network from the payer mobile phone, to associate the payer mobile phone and the associated mobile phone with the event invoice.

11. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the determining the payer mobile phone has been involved in at least one payer mobile phone charging event includes determining the payer mobile phone is located in a first pay area that is located within the event area, and wherein the determining the associated mobile phone has been involved in at least one associated mobile phone charging event includes determining the associated mobile phone is located in a second pay area that is located within the event area and that is different from the first pay area.

12. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving an authorization, over the network from the payer mobile phone, to associate a first pay area charge for a first payer area with the event invoice;

retrieving a first pay area ticket image for the first pay area; and

providing the first pay area ticket image over the network to the payer mobile phone and a first pay area device that is located in the first pay area, wherein the first pay area ticket image for the first pay area is configured to be displayed on a display of the payer mobile phone and a display of the first pay area device.

13. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises:

determining that the secondary payer mobile phone has been involved in at least one secondary payer mobile phone charging event while being located in the event area and, in response, associating a charge with the event invoice in the database for each secondary payer mobile phone charging event the secondary payer mobile phone has been involved in, wherein the payer account is charged for the event invoice for each payer mobile phone charging event, each associated mobile phone charging event, and each secondary payer mobile phone charging event.

14. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving a spending limit from the payer mobile phone over the network;

associating the spending limit with the event invoice in the database;

determining, prior to detecting the payer mobile phone leaving the event area, a current event invoice amount using the charges for each payer mobile phone charging event and each associated mobile phone charging event associated with the event invoice; and

sending an event invoice warning over the network to the payer mobile phone in response to the current event invoice amount exceeding the spending limit.

15. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the determining the payer mobile phone has been involved in at least one payer mobile phone charging event includes determining an amount of time the payer mobile phone has been located in the event area, and wherein the associating the charge with the event invoice includes multiplying the amount of time by a charge rate to determine a charge and associating the determined charge with the event invoice.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises:

providing an entry ticket to each of the payer mobile phone and the associated mobile phone over the network, wherein the entry tickets are configured to be displayed on a display of each of the payer mobile phone and the associated mobile phone.

17. A location-based payer charging system, comprising:

a non-transitory memory storing instructions;

one or more hardware processors coupled to the memory and configured to read the instructions from the memory and execute the instructions to perform the steps of;

automatically detecting a payer mobile phone entering an event area, wherein the payer mobile phone is associated with a payer account;

associating the payer mobile phone with an event invoice;

receiving an identification of an associated mobile phone from the payer mobile phone, wherein the identification of the associated mobile phone includes a phone number of the associated mobile phone;

associating the associated mobile phone with the event invoice;

determining that the payer mobile phone has been involved in at least one payer mobile phone charging event while being located in the event area and that the associated mobile phone has been involved in at least one associated mobile phone charging event while being located in the event area and, in response, associating a charge with the event invoice for each payer mobile phone charging event the payer mobile phone has been involved in and each associated mobile phone charging event the associated mobile phone has been involved in;

receiving an identification of a secondary payer mobile phone from the payer mobile phone;

detecting the payer mobile phone leaving the event area;

associating the secondary payer mobile phone with the event invoice in response to detecting the payer mobile phone leaving the event area;

detecting the secondary payer mobile phone leaving the event area following the detecting of the payer mobile phone leaving the event area and, in response, charging the payer account for the event invoice including the charges for each payer mobile phone charging event and each associated mobile phone charging event.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the determining the payer mobile phone has been involved in at least one payer device charging event includes determining the payer mobile phone is located in a first pay area that is located within the event area, and wherein the determining the associated mobile phone has been involved in at least one associated mobile phone charging event includes determining the associated mobile phone is located in a second pay area that is located within the event area and that is different from the first pay area.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the one or more hardware processors are configured to read the instructions from the memory and execute the instructions to perform the steps of:

determining that the secondary payer mobile phone has been involved in at least one secondary payer mobile phone charging event while being located in the event area and, in response, associating a charge with the event invoice for each secondary payer mobile phone charging event the secondary payer mobile phone has been involved in, wherein the payer account is charged for the event invoice for each payer mobile phone charging event, each associated mobile phone charging event, and each secondary payer mobile phone charging event.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the one or more hardware processors are configured to read the instructions from the memory and execute the instructions to perform the steps of:

receiving a spending limit from the payer mobile phone;

associating the spending limit with the event invoice;

determining, prior to detecting the payer mobile phone leaving the event area, a current event invoice amount using the charges for each payer mobile phone charging event and each associated mobile phone charging event associated with the event invoice; and

sending an event invoice warning to the payer mobile phone in response to the current event invoice amount exceeding the spending limit.