System and method for conducting an electronic commercial transaction

• US 20040107146A1
• Filed: 02/06/2003
• Published: 06/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Alfano, Nicholas P.
• Granted Patent: US 7,478,057 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• 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 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/16 Payments settled via telecommunication systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0609 Buyer or seller confidence or verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes

Abstract

A method for conducting an e-commerce transaction between a user and a merchant is disclosed. The user has a customer account with a communication provider operating a first communication network. The customer account includes personal information about the user. The method includes the steps of: a) establishing communication between the user and the communication provider over the first communication network; b) authenticating the user to the communication provider; c) selecting a product from the merchant for the e-commerce transaction; d) retrieving the personal information about the user from the customer account; and e) completing the e-commerce transaction.

Claims

1. A method for conducting an e-commerce transaction between a user and a merchant, the user having a customer account with a communication provider operating a first communication network, the customer account having personal information about the user therein, the method comprising:

a) establishing communication between the user and the communication provider over the first communication network;

b) authenticating the user to the communication provider;

c) selecting a product from the merchant for the e-commerce transaction;

d) retrieving the personal information about the user from the customer account; and

e) completing the e-commerce transaction.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein step (e) comprises authenticating the user to the merchant by confirming that the user has been authenticated by the communication provider.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein step (e) comprises paying for the product using the personal information, wherein the personal information comprises financial instrument information.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the financial instrument information comprises credit card information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises communicating to the communication provider a payment amount for the commercial transaction.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the merchant communicates the payment amount to the communication provider.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the communication provider debits the payment amount from the customer account of the user.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the communication provider remits the payment amount to the merchant.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the merchant and communication provider communicate over a second communication network.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first communication network comprises a wireless network.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the second communication network comprises the Internet.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the wireless network comprises a GSM network.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the wireless network supports GPRS.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the user establishes communication with the communication provider using a mobile device.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the merchant comprises a merchant server.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the merchant server comprises one or more members selected from the group consisting of a web server and an application server.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the user requests the commercial transaction.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein step (c) further comprises sending identification information to the merchant.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the identification information comprises a telephone number for the user and an identity of the communication provider.

20. A method for conducting an e-commerce transaction between a user and a merchant, the user having a customer account with a communication provider operating a first communication network, the customer account having personal information about the user therein, the user being authenticated by the communication provider, the method comprising:

a) selecting a product from the merchant for the e-commerce transaction;

b) retrieving the personal information about the user from the customer account; and

c) completing the e-commerce transaction.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein step (a) further comprises a mobile device operated by the user sending a request via the first communication network, wherein the first communication network forwards the request to a merchant server operated by the server via a second communication network.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the first communication network is a wireless network and the second communication network is the Internet.

23. A system for conducting an e-commerce transaction comprising:

a) a mobile device adapted for operation by a user;

b) a wireless network adapted for communication with the mobile device, the wireless network being operated by a communication provider, the user having a customer account with the communication provider, the customer account comprising personal information about the user;

c) a credential verification server adapted for access to the personal information; and

d) a merchant server adapted for communication with the credential verification server via the Internet;

wherein, upon request from the merchant server, the credential verification server is adapted to provide the personal information from the customer account to the merchant server to complete the e-commerce transaction.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the mobile device is adapted to send a request to the merchant server for the e-commerce transaction, wherein the request comprises identification information.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the merchant server is adapted to determine from the identification information that the personal information is available from the credential verification server.

26. The system of claim 23, wherein the credential verification server is a part of the wireless network.

27. The system of claim 23, wherein the credential verification server caches the personal information of the user thereon.

28. The system of claim 23, wherein the credential verification server retrieves the personal information of the user from the wireless network upon request from the merchant server.

29. The system of claim 23, further comprising a consolidation server adapted for communication with the merchant server, wherein the credential verification server comprises a plurality of credential verification servers operated by plurality of communication providers, wherein the consolidation server is adapted to select one of said plurality of credential verification servers adapted to provide the personal information of the user.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein, upon request from the merchant server, the consolidation server is adapted to retrieve the personal information from the one of the plurality of credential verification servers operated by a selected one of the communication providers having the customer account.

31. A computer readable medium including a computer program that conducts an e-commerce transaction between a user and a merchant, the user having a customer account with a communication provider operating a first communication network, the customer account having personal information about the user therein, the computer program causing the computer to perform the steps of:

a) establishing communication between the user and the communication provider over the first communication network;

b) authenticating the user to the communication provider;

c) selecting a product from the merchant for the e-commerce transaction;

d) retrieving the personal information about the user from the customer account; and

e) completing the e-commerce transaction.