Systems and methods to accelerate transactions

• US 9,519,892 B2
• Filed: 06/10/2010
• Issued: 12/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boku Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Boku Incorporated
• Inventors: Martell, Javier, Britto, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Obaid, Fateh M
• Application Number:
  US12/813,338
• Publication Number:
  US 20110035302A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,378 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/023 the neutral party being a clearing house
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/16 Payments settled via telecommunication systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3223 Realising banking transactions through M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

Systems and methods to accelerate transactions made via mobile communications. In one aspect, a system includes: a memory to store transaction records indicating actual amounts of funds collected via a first plurality of premium messages transmitted to a first plurality of phone numbers; and a processor coupled with the memory to transmit, to a second plurality of phone numbers, a second plurality of premium messages to collect payments on behalf of a merchant. Before funds collected via the second premium messages become available, the processor identifies a portion of a total amount of funds charged via the second premium messages, based at least in part on the transaction records stored in the memory, and offers to provide the portion to the merchant.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method, comprising:

transmitting one or more first messages by a computer to collect payments on behalf of a merchant;

storing, by the computer in a data storage facility, records of funds collected based on the one or more of the first messages;

making, by the computer in the data storage facility, a risk estimation based at least in part on the records of funds collected based on the one or more of the first messages;

transmitting one or more second messages by the computer to collect payments on behalf of a merchant;

making a further risk estimation of a third message of the second messages not being paid for, based on statistical data and one or more characteristics of a transaction associated with the third message, wherein the one or more characteristics of the transaction includes at least one of;

an Internet Protocol (IP) address used to initiate the transaction, a type of an item purchased in the transaction, a telecommunication carrier of a phone number to which the third message is transmitted, and an age of a user receiving the third message;

prior to receiving funds according to the one or more of the second messages, identifying by the computer a portion of a total amount of funds charged via the one or more of the second messages, the portion being based at least in part on the risk estimation of the records of funds collected based on the one or more the first messages and the further risk estimation of the third message;

prior to receiving funds according to the one or more of the second messages, paying, by the computer, the merchant the portion as an early partial settlement with the merchant;

after paying the merchant the portion as part of the early partial settlement, determining, by the computer, whether the funds have been received based on the transmission of the one or more second messages; and

paying, by the computer, the merchant a remainder of the total amount that excludes the portion of the early partial settlement if the funds have been received based on the transmission of the one or more second messages, wherein the one or more first and second messages are messages that are transmitted to one or more telecommunication carriers and the funds that are collected are collected from the one or more telecommunication carriers.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more first and second messages are multiple premium messages that are transmitted via one or more telecommunication carriers to the one or more phone numbers.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

informing a lender about the portion to allow the merchant to borrow the portion from the lender before funds collected via the second premium messages become available.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the identifying the portion comprises determining a ratio between an amount collected via the first premium messages and an amount charged via the first premium messages.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first premium messages are transmitted to collect payments on behalf of the merchant.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the first premium messages are transmitted to collect payments on behalf of one or more merchants selling items in a same category as the merchant.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

identifying third premium messages, the third premium messages being transmitted to different phone numbers based on purchase requests received from a single Internet Protocol (IP) address within a predetermined period of time, at least one of the third premium messages being transmitted on behalf of the merchant;

wherein funds charged via the at least one of the third premium messages are excluded from the portion.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying the portion to the merchant; and

responsive to a request from the merchant for the portion, providing by the computer the portion to the merchant, before funds collected based on the one or more of the second messages become available to the computer.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

charging the merchant a fee based on a size of the portion.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the fee is further based on a time period between the providing of the portion to the merchant and a date on which funds collected via the second messages are expected to be available.

11. The method of claim 2, wherein the portion is identified based on payment histories of users at the second phone numbers.

12. The method of claim 2, wherein the portion is identified based on a determination whether users at the second phone numbers are under a predetermined age limit.

13. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

identifying third premium messages from the second premium messages, the third premium messages having higher than a predetermined threshold a risk of not being paid for;

wherein the portion excludes an amount corresponding to funds charged via the third premium messages.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the third message is a multiple premium message that is transmitted via one or more telecommunication carriers to or from the one or more phone numbers.

15. A non-transitory machine readable medium storing instructions, the instruction causing a computer to perform a method comprising:

transmitting one or more first messages by a computer to collect payments on behalf of a merchant;

storing, by the computer in a data storage facility, records of funds collected based on the one or more of the first messages;

making, by the computer in the data storage facility, a risk estimation based at least in part on the records of funds collected based on the one or more of the first messages;

transmitting one or more second messages by the computer to collect payments on behalf of a merchant;

making a further risk estimation of a third message of the second messages not being paid for, based on statistical data and one or more characteristics of a transaction associated with the third message, wherein the one or more characteristics of the transaction includes at least one of;

an Internet Protocol (IP) address used to initiate the transaction, a type of an item purchased in the transaction, a telecommunication carrier of a phone number to which the third message is transmitted, and an age of a user receiving the third message;

prior to receiving funds according to the one or more of the second messages, identifying by the computer a portion of a total amount of funds charged via the one or more of the second messages, the portion being based at least in part on the risk estimation of the records of funds collected based on the one or more the first messages and the further risk estimation of the third message;

prior to receiving funds according to the one or more of the second messages, paying, by the computer, the merchant the portion as an early partial settlement with the merchant;

after paying the merchant the portion as part of the early partial settlement, determining, by the computer, whether the funds have been received based on the transmission of the one or more second messages; and

paying, by the computer, the merchant a remainder of the total amount that excludes the portion of the early partial settlement if the funds have been received based on the transmission of the one or more second messages, wherein the one or more first and second messages are messages that are transmitted to one or more telecommunication carriers and the funds that are collected are collected from the one or more telecommunication carriers.

16. A system, comprising:

a processor;

a computer-readable medium connected to the processor;

a network interface device connected to the processor; and

a set of instructions stored on the computer-readable medium and executable by the processor to carry out a method comprising;

transmitting one or more first messages by a computer to collect payments on behalf of a merchant;

storing, by the computer in a data storage facility, records of funds collected based on the one or more of the first messages;

making, by the computer in the data storage facility, a risk estimation based at least in part on the records of funds collected based on the one or more of the first messages;

transmitting one or more second messages by the computer to collect payments on behalf of a merchant;

making a further risk estimation of a third message of the second messages not being paid for, based on statistical data and one or more characteristics of a transaction associated with the third message, wherein the one or more characteristics of the transaction includes at least one of;

an Internet Protocol (IP) address used to initiate the transaction, a type of an item purchased in the transaction, a telecommunication carrier of a phone number to which the third message is transmitted, and an age of a user receiving the third message;

prior to receiving funds according to the one or more of the second messages, identifying by the computer a portion of a total amount of funds charged via the one or more of the second messages, the portion being based at least in part on the risk estimation of the records of funds collected based on the one or more the first messages and the further risk estimation of the third message;

prior to receiving funds according to the one or more of the second messages, paying, by the computer, the merchant the portion as an early partial settlement with the merchant;

after paying the merchant the portion as part of the early partial settlement, determining, by the computer, whether the funds have been received based on the transmission of the one or more second messages; and

paying, by the computer, the merchant a remainder of the total amount that excludes the portion of the early partial settlement if the funds have been received based on the transmission of the one or more second messages, wherein the one or more first and second messages are messages that are transmitted to one or more telecommunication carriers and the funds that are collected are collected from the one or more telecommunication carriers.