Electronic payment system, a recording medium recording an electronic payment program and an electronic payment apparatus

• US 20050038742A1
• Filed: 08/06/2004
• Published: 02/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Frontech Limited (Fujitsu Limited)
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Frontech Limited (Fujitsu Limited)
• Inventors: Kashiwada, Takeshi
• Granted Patent: US 7,788,185 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/027 involving a payment switch or gateway
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/085 involving remote charge determination or related payment systems
• 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 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3821 Electronic credentials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3829 involving key management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/42 for ticket printing or like apparatus , e.g. apparatus for dispensing of printed paper tickets or payment cards

Abstract

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a highly secure payment system in electronic commerce. The computer of a relay agency holds the money which a buyer pays for a commodity in a relay account. Then, the computer of the relay agency makes a payment transfer card and a notification card, and sends the notification card together with the request of purchase of the commodity to a seller. The relay agency sends the payment transfer card to the buyer. The buyer, after receiving the commodity, inserts the payment transfer card and the notification card into an automated teller machine of a bank, etc. and gives instructions on the payment transaction to the computer of the relay agency. The computer of the relay agency transfers the money for the commodity from the relay account to the seller'"'"'s account.

Claims

1. In an electronic payment system in which a buyer of a commodity pays money for the commodity to a seller of the commodity via a relay agency, a computer of the relay agency comprises:

a holding unit holding the money for the commodity that the buyer has paid in a relay account to be established every time a transaction is conducted;

a card issue unit issuing a payment transfer card and a notification card in which information necessary to implement the transfer of the money for the commodity by the payment transfer card is recorded;

a receiving unit receiving the information recorded on the payment transfer card which is sent to the buyer or a recipient designated by the buyer from the relay agency and the information recorded on the notification card which is sent from the seller to the buyer or the recipient; and

a payment unit paying the money for the commodity from the relay account to the seller'"'"'s account based on the information of the payment transfer card and notification card which are received by the receiving unit.

3. In the electronic payment system according to claim 1, the electronic payment system comprises the computer of the relay agency and an automated teller machine;

the automated teller machine has a transmission unit reading the information stored in the payment transfer card and the notification card when the buyer or a recipient designated by the buyer inserts the payment transfer card and the notification card into the automated teller machine, and transmitting the read information to the computer of the relay agency; and

the receiving unit of the computer in the relay agency receives the information in the payment transfer card and the notification card which is transmitted from the automated teller machine.

5. In the electronic payment system according to claim 1, when the seller sends a transaction nonperformance notification to the relay agency, the payment unit cancels the repayment of the money for the commodity to the buyer or the payment on credit from the relay account.

6. In the electronic payment system according to claim 1, when the payment unit receives the suspension of a transaction from the buyer before the buyer receives a commodity dispatch notification from the seller, the payment unit repays the money for the commodity from the relay account to the buyer'"'"'s account or cancels the payment on credit.

7. In the electronic payment system according to claim 1, when the payment unit does not receive a commodity dispatch notification from the seller by a designated date, the payment unit automatically repays the money for the commodity to the buyer'"'"'s account from the relay account, or cancels the payment on credit.

8. In the electronic payment system according to claim 1, the payment unit automatically transfers the money for the commodity from the relay account to the seller'"'"'s account in a specific period of time after the commodity is sent.

9. In the electronic payment system according to claim 1, when the payment unit receives a commodity return notification from the buyer or the recipient, the payment unit suspends the payment of the money for the commodity from the relay account to the seller'"'"'s account, and when the return of the commodity to the seller is confirmed, the payment unit repays the money for the commodity from the relay account to the buyer'"'"'s account, or cancels the payment on credit.

10. In the electronic payment system according to claim 1, the electronic payment system has a unit which sends the notification card to the seller, and which sends the payment transfer card to the buyer or the recipient.

2. In an electronic payment system in which a buyer of a commodity pays the money for the commodity to a seller of the commodity via a relay agency, a computer of the relay agency comprises:

a holding unit holding the money for the commodity that a buyer has paid in a relay account to be established every time a transaction is conducted;

a transmission unit transmitting the payment transfer information which makes the transfer of the money for the commodity from the relay account to the seller'"'"'s account possible to the terminal of the buyer or a recipient designated by the buyer via a communication line and transmitting information necessary to implement the transfer of the money for the commodity to the seller via a communication line; and

a payment unit paying the money for the commodity from the relay account to the seller'"'"'s account when the payment unit receives the payment transfer information and information necessary to implement the transfer of the money for the commodity to the seller'"'"'s account from the terminal of the buyer or the recipient.

4. In the electronic payment system according to claim 2, the electronic payment system comprises the computer of the relay agency and an automated teller machine;

the automated teller machine has a transmission unit reading the information stored in the payment transfer card and the notification card when the buyer or a recipient designated by the buyer inserts the payment transfer card and the notification card into the automated teller machine, and transmitting the read information to the computer of the relay agency; and

the receiving unit of the computer in the relay agency receives the information in the payment transfer card and the notification card which is transmitted from the automated teller machine.

11. A computer readable recording medium which records an electronic payment program by which the buyer pays the money for the commodity to the seller via the relay agency, and the electronic payment program

holds the buyer'"'"'s money for the commodity in the relay account to be established every time a transaction is conducted;

issues a payment transfer card which is sent to the buyer and a notification card in which information necessary to implement the transfer of the money for the commodity by the payment transfer card is recorded;

receives information read from the payment transfer card which is sent from the seller to the buyer or a recipient designated by the buyer and the notification card;

pays the money for the commodity from the relay account to the seller'"'"'s account based on the received information of the payment transfer card and the notification card.

12. A computer readable recording medium which records an electronic payment program by which the buyer pays the money for the commodity to the seller via the relay agency, wherein the electronic payment program

holds the buyer'"'"'s money for the commodity in the relay account;

transmits the payment transfer information which makes the transfer of the money for the commodity from the relay account to the seller'"'"'s account possible to the terminal of the buyer or a recipient designated by the buyer via a communication line and transmits information necessary to implement the payment transfer transaction to the seller via a communication line; and

transfers the money for the commodity from the relay account to the seller'"'"'s account when the electronic payment program receives the payment transfer information and information necessary to implement the payment transfer transaction from the terminal of the buyer or a recipient designated by the buyer.

13. The computer readable recording medium according to claim 12, wherein

the payment transfer information comprises at least an account number of the relay account which is necessary to implement payment processing and an account number of a transferee;

and

the information necessary to implement the payment transfer transaction is the starting data for starting the electronic payment program.

14. A computer data signal which is realized by a carrier signal and which provides an electronic payment program by which a buyer of a commodity pays the money for the commodity to a seller of the commodity via a relay agency, wherein the electronic payment program

holds the money for the commodity that the buyer has paid in a relay account to be established every time a transaction is conducted;

issues a payment transfer card and a notification card in which information necessary to implement the transfer of the money for the commodity by the payment transfer card is recorded;

receives the payment transfer card which is sent to the buyer or a recipient designated by the buyer from the relay agency and the information recorded on the notification card which is sent from the seller to the buyer or the recipient; and

pays the money for the commodity from the relay account to the seller'"'"'s account based on the information of the payment transfer card and notification card which are received by the receiving unit.

16. The electronic payment program provided by the computer data signal according to claim 14 reads the information stored in the payment transfer card and the notification card when the payment transfer card and the notification card are inserted by the buyer or a recipient designated by the buyer, transmits the read information from an automated teller machine to the computer of the relay agency, and receives the information in the payment transfer card and the notification card which is transmitted from the automated teller machine.

15. A computer data signal which is realized by a carrier signal and which provides an electronic payment program by which a buyer of a commodity pays the money for the commodity to a seller of the commodity via a relay agency, wherein the electronic payment program

holds the money for the commodity that a buyer has paid in a relay account to be established every time a transaction is conducted;

transmits the payment transfer information which makes the transfer of the money for the commodity from the relay account to the seller'"'"'s account possible to the terminal of the buyer or a recipient designated by the buyer via a communication line, and transmits information necessary to implement the transfer of the money for the commodity to the seller via a communication line; and

pays the money for the commodity from the relay account to the seller'"'"'s account when the payment unit receives the payment transfer information and information necessary to implement the transfer of the money for the commodity to the seller'"'"'s account from the terminal of the buyer or the recipient.

17. An electronic payment apparatus used for an electronic payment system in which a buyer of a commodity pays the money for the commodity to a seller of the commodity via a relay agency, comprising:

a holding unit holding the money for the commodity that the buyer has paid in a relay account;

a transmission unit transmitting the payment transfer information which makes the transfer of the money for the commodity from the relay account to the seller'"'"'s account possible to the terminal of the buyer or a recipient designated by the buyer via a communication line and transmitting information necessary to implement the transfer of the money for the commodity to the seller via a communication line; and

a payment unit paying the money for the commodity from the relay account to the seller'"'"'s account when the payment unit receives the payment transfer information and information necessary to implement the transfer of the money for the commodity to the seller'"'"'s account from the terminal of the buyer or a recipient designated by the buyer.

18. An electronic payment apparatus used for an electronic payment system in which a buyer of a commodity pays the money for the commodity to a seller of the commodity via a relay agency, comprising:

a holding unit holding the money for the commodity that the buyer has paid in a relay account to be established every time a transaction is conducted;

a card issue unit issuing a payment transfer card and a notification card in which information necessary to implement the transfer of the money for the commodity by the payment transfer card is recorded;

a receiving unit receiving the tinformation recorded on the payment transfer card which is sent to the buyer or a recipient designated by the buyer from the relay agency and the information recorded on the notification card which is sent from the seller to the buyer or the recipient; and

a payment unit paying the money for the commodity from the relay account to the seller'"'"'s account based on the information of the payment transfer card and notification card which are received by the receiving unit.

19. An electronic payment apparatus used for an electronic payment system in which a buyer of a commodity pays the money for the commodity to a seller of the commodity via a relay agency, comprising:

a holding unit holding the money for the commodity that the buyer has paid in a relay account;

a transmission unit transmitting the payment transfer information which makes the transfer of the money for the commodity from the relay account to the seller'"'"'s account possible to the terminal of the buyer or a recipient designated by the buyer via a communication line and transmitting information necessary to implement the transfer of the money for the commodity to the seller via a communication line; and

a payment unit paying the money for the commodity from the relay account to the seller'"'"'s account when the payment unit receives the payment transfer information and information necessary to implement the transfer of the money for the commodity to the seller'"'"'s account from the terminal of the buyer or a recipient designated by the buyer.