Service System and Method for Mobile Payment of Small Amount Using Virtual Caller Id

• US 20080243650A1
• Filed: 03/29/2005
• Published: 10/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2004
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: RealNetworks Asia Pacific Co., Ltd. (RealNetworks, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: RealNetworks Asia Pacific Co., Ltd. (RealNetworks, Inc.)
• Inventors: Yoon, Sahng Ho
• Application Number:
  US11/547,065
• Publication Number:
  US 20080243650A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/16 Payments settled via telecommunication systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/29 characterised by micropayments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3255 using mobile network messaging services for payment, e.g. SMS
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/68 Payment of value-added services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0196 Payment of value-added services, mainly when their charges are added on the telephone bill, e.g. payment of non-telecom services, e-commerce, on-line banking
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2026 Wireless network, e.g. GSM, PCS, TACS
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

The present invention relates to a mobile micropayment service system and method using a virtual caller ID. According to a micropayment service system and method of the present invention, a user can use mobile micropayment service not only without providing the personal information of the user to a mobile PG center but also by transmitting a short message, and each mobile network operator directly manages the bill particulars information with respect to the mobile micropayment without depending on the mobile PG center.

Claims

1. A mobile micropayment service system using a virtual caller ID, comprising:

a mobile PG center receiving mobile communication terminal number information and charge amount information of a predetermined deposit of a user from a predetermined member company server, generating and storing charge information including the mobile communication terminal number information, the charge amount information, and identification information of the member company, and transmitting the charge information to a predetermined server;

a micropayment SMS server receiving the charge information from the mobile PG center, generating a short payment request message whose calling number is a virtual caller ID including the member company identification information, the charge amount information, and predetermined identification information, wherein the identification information is predetermined number information for receiving a short message from the mobile communication terminal of the user, and transmitting the short payment request message to the mobile communication terminal of the user,

wherein when the short message whose called number is the virtual caller ID is received from the mobile communication terminal, the micropayment SMS server transmits an SMS reception acknowledgment message in response to the short message to the mobile PG center, and when the SMS reception acknowledgment message is received, the mobile PG center transmits an approval message of the approval with respect to the deposit charge to the mobile PG center.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the virtual caller ID is generated by one of the mobile PG center and the micropayment SMS server.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile PG center comprises:

a member company information database including a plurality of member company information;

a charge information database storing charge information including user mobile communication terminal number information, member company identification information, and charge amount information;

a charge information storage unit, when a user requests mobile micropayment, the charge information storage unit storing the charge information including the mobile communication terminal number information, the member company identification information, and the charge amount information received from the member company server;

an SMS transmission request unit transmitting the charge information to the micropayment SMS server to request transmitting a short message to the mobile communication terminal of user;

an approval message transmission unit, when an SMS reception acknowledgment message including the mobile communication terminal number information of the user, the member company identification information, and the charge amount information is received from the micropayment SMS server, the approval message transmission unit checking whether charge information corresponding to the SMS reception acknowledgment message exists in the charge information database and transmitting an approval message including the mobile communication terminal number information of user and the charge amount information to the member company server; and

a charge result transmission unit, when charge result information is received from the member company server, the charge result transmission unit transmitting the charge result information to the micropayment SMS server.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein:

when the mobile communication terminal number information of the user, the charge amount information, mobile communication terminal number information of a user, in which a deposit is charged, are received from the member company server, the SMS transmission request unit transmits the mobile communication terminal number information of the user, the charge amount information, the mobile communication terminal number information of the user, in which the deposit is charged, to the micropayment SMS server, and

when the mobile communication terminal number information of the user, the charge amount information, the mobile communication terminal number information of the user, in which the deposit is charged, are received from the micropayment SMS server receiving a short message from the mobile communication terminal, the approval message transmission unit transmits an approval message including the mobile communication terminal number information of the user, the charge amount information, the mobile communication terminal number information of the user, in which the deposit is charged, to the member company server.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein:

when the mobile communication terminal number information of the user, the charge amount information, charge cancellation identifier information are received from the member company, the SMS transmission request unit transmits the mobile communication terminal number information of the user, member company identification information, the charge amount information, the charge cancellation identifier information to the micropayment SMS server, and

when an SMS reception acknowledgment message including the mobile communication terminal number information of the user, the member company identification information, the charge amount information, the charge cancellation identifier information is received from the micropayment SMS server receiving the short message from the mobile communication terminal, the approval message transmission unit transmits an approval message including the mobile communication terminal number information, the charge amount information, and the charge cancellation identifier information to the member company server.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein:

the mobile PG center further includes micropayment particulars database storing micropayment particulars information including the mobile communication terminal number information, the member company identification information, and the charge amount information, and

the charge result transmission unit stores the micropayment particulars information in the micropayment particulars database according to the charge result information received from the member company.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the micropayment SMS server comprises:

a micropayment particulars database that stores micropayment particulars information including the mobile communication terminal number information, the member company identification information, and the charge amount information;

a payment request SMS transmission unit that transmits a short payment request message requesting a reply of a short message, whose calling number is a virtual caller ID, including the identifier information, the member company identification information, and the charge amount information such that the micropayment SMS server receives the short message from the mobile communication terminal when the mobile communication terminal number information, the member company identification information, and the charge amount information are received from the mobile PG center;

a payment acknowledgment SMS reception unit that acquires information of the virtual caller ID that is a calling number of a short payment acknowledgment message when the payment acknowledgment message is received from the mobile communication terminal;

an SMS reception acknowledgment message transmission unit that transmits an SMS reception acknowledgment message including the mobile communication terminal number transmitting the message, the member company identification information, and the charge amount information acquired from and the virtual caller ID to the mobile PG center, when the virtual caller ID information is received from the payment acknowledgment SMS reception unit; and

,

a micropayment particulars storage unit that receives the charge result information transmitted from the member company server via the mobile PG center and stores the micropayment particulars information in the micropayment particulars database for later bill.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein:

when the mobile communication terminal number information of the user, the member company identification information, the charge amount information, and the mobile communication terminal number information of the user, in which the deposit is charged, are received from the mobile PG center, the payment request SMS transmission unit transmits a short payment request message whose calling number is a virtual caller ID including the identifier information used such that the micropayment SMS server receives a short message from the mobile communication terminal, the member company identification information, the charge amount information, and the mobile communication terminal number information of the user, in which the deposit is charged, to the mobile communication terminal, and

when the virtual caller ID information is received from the payment acknowledgment SMS reception unit, the SMS reception acknowledgment message transmission unit transmits an SMS reception acknowledgement message including the number of the mobile communication terminal transmitting the message, the member company identification information, the charge amount information, and the mobile communication terminal number information of the user, in which the deposit is charged, acquired from the virtual caller ID to the mobile PG center.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein:

when the mobile communication terminal number information of the user, the member company identification information, the charge amount information, and charge cancellation identifier information are received from the mobile PG center, the payment request SMS transmission unit transmits a short payment request message whose calling number is a virtual caller ID including the identifier information used such that the micropayment SMS server receives a short message from the mobile communication terminal, the member company identification information, the charge amount information, and the charge cancellation identifier information to the mobile communication terminal, and

when the virtual caller ID information is received from the payment acknowledgment SMS reception unit, the SMS reception acknowledgment message transmission unit transmits an SMS reception acknowledgement message including the number of the mobile communication terminal transmitting the message, the member company identification information, the charge amount information, and the charge cancellation identification information acquired from the virtual caller ID to the mobile PG center.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein:

the micropayment SMS server further comprises a user information database storing authentication information for each user for mobile micropayment and an authentication process unit comparing authentication information included in the short payment acknowledgment message transmitted from the user mobile communication terminal and the authentication information for each user stored in the user information database to process authentication and transmitting authentication result information to the SMS reception acknowledgment message transmission unit;

the payment request SMS transmission unit transmits a short payment request message requesting the user mobile communication terminal to input the user authentication information and reply the message;

when the short payment acknowledgment message including the authentication information is received from the user mobile communication terminal, the payment acknowledgment SMS reception unit transmits the authentication information included in the payment acknowledgement short message to the authentication process unit; and

when the authentication is successively performed by the authentication process unit, the SMS reception acknowledgment message transmission unit transmits an SMS reception acknowledgment message to the mobile PG center, and when authentication performed by the authentication process unit fails, the SMS reception acknowledgment message transmission unit transmits an authentication failure message to the mobile PG center or the user mobile communication terminal.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the mobile micropayment service system further comprises a predetermined member company server, and

the member company server comprises;

a deposit account database storing deposit charge particulars information for each user and deposit account information including deposit balance information;

a deposit account opening unit opening a deposit account with respect to a user and storing opened deposit account information in the deposit account database in case that a deposit charge is initially requested from a terminal of the user connected to Internet;

a micropayment request unit transmitting mobile communication terminal number information of the user and charge amount information to the mobile PG center and requesting payment in case that the mobile communication terminal number information of the user and the charge amount information are transmitted from the user terminal and the deposit charge is requested;

a deposit charge execution unit charging charge amount in the deposit account of the user of the mobile communication terminal according to information included in an approval message in case that the approval message including the mobile communication terminal number information and the charge amount information is received from the mobile PG center; and

a charge result notice unit transmitting charge process result to the mobile PG center when the charge process is finished.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein:

when mobile communication terminal number information of the user, the charge amount information, and number information of a mobile communication terminal of another user, in which a deposit is charged, are transmitted from the user terminal and deposit presentation are requested, the micropayment request unit transmits the mobile communication terminal number information of the user, the charge amount information, and the mobile communication terminal number information of the user, in which the deposit is charged, to the mobile PG center to request payment, and

when the approval message including the mobile communication terminal number information, the charge amount information, and the mobile communication terminal number information of the user, in which the deposit is charged, is received from the mobile PG center, the deposit charge execution unit charges the charge amount in the deposit account with respect to the number of the mobile communication terminal of the user, in which the deposit is charged, according the information include in the approval message.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein:

when the mobile communication terminal number information of the user and the charge amount information are transmitted from the user terminal and deposit charge cancellation is requested, the micropayment request unit transmits the mobile communication terminal number information of the user and the charge amount information, and charge cancellation identifier information to the mobile PG center and requests payment, and

when the approval message including the mobile communication terminal number information, the charge amount information, and charge cancellation identifier information is received from the mobile PG center, the deposit charge execution unit performs charge cancellation with respect to the charge amount on the deposit account of the user according to the information included in the approval message.

14. A mobile micropayment service method for deposit charging of a mobile micropayment service system using a virtual caller ID, the system comprising a micropayment SMS server receiving a short message of a certain virtual caller ID for mobile micropayment from any one of an switch of a mobile communication system and a short message service center, a mobile PG center connected to the micropayment SMS server and a plurality of member company servers, the mobile PG center comprising a charge information database storing mobile communication terminal number information of users, member company identification information, and charge amount information, the method comprising:

a first step of transmitting mobile communication terminal number information, member company identification information, and charge amount information to the micropayment SMS server when the mobile PG center receives the mobile communication terminal number information of the user and the charge amount information from the member company server for the mobile micropayment;

a second step of transmitting a short payment request message whose calling number is a virtual caller ID, the message including the member company identification information and the charge amount information and requesting a short message replying to the mobile communication terminal by the micropayment SMS server;

a third step of transmitting an SMS reception acknowledgment message including the number information of the mobile communication terminal transmitting the short message, the member company identification information, and the charge amount information included in the virtual caller ID to the mobile PG center in case that the micropayment SMS server receives a short payment acknowledgement message transmitted from the mobile communication terminal using the virtual caller ID via the switch or short message service center; and

a fourth step of checking whether charge information including the mobile communication terminal information, the member company identification information, and the charge amount information received from the micropayment SMS server to the mobile PG center exists in the charge information database and transmitting an approval message including the mobile communication terminal number information of the user and the charge amount information to the member company server in case that the charge information exists in the charge information database,

wherein the member company server receiving the approval message from the mobile PG center charges the deposit.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein:

in the first step, when the mobile communication terminal number information of the user and charge amount information for mobile micropayment and the number information of a mobile communication terminal of a user, in which a deposit is charged, are received from the member company server, the mobile PG center further transmits the information of the mobile communication terminal in which the deposit is charged to the micropayment SMS server;

in the second step, the virtual caller ID further comprises the information of the communication terminal number in which the deposit is charged;

in the third step, when a short payment acknowledgment message transmitted using the virtual caller ID from the mobile communication terminal is received, the micropayment SMS server transmits an SMS reception acknowledgment message including the number information of the mobile communication terminal transmitting the message and the member company identification information, the charge amount information, and the information of the communication terminal number in which the deposit is charged included in the virtual caller ID to the mobile PG center; and

in the fourth step, the mobile PG center transmits an approval message including the mobile communication terminal number information of the user, the charge amount information, and the information of the mobile communication terminal number in which the deposit is charged to the member company server.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein:

in the first step, when the mobile communication terminal number of the user, the charge amount information, and the charge cancellation identifier information are received from the member company server, the mobile PG center further transmits the charge cancellation identifier information to the micropayment SMS server;

in the second step, the virtual caller ID further comprises the charge cancellation identifier information;

in the third step, when a short payment acknowledgment message transmitted using the virtual caller ID from the mobile communication terminal is received, the micropayment SMS server transmits an SMS reception acknowledgment message including the information of the mobile communication terminal number transmitting the message, member company identification information, the charge amount information, and charge cancellation identifier information included in the virtual caller ID to the mobile PG center; and

in the fourth step, the mobile PG center transmits an approval message including the mobile communication terminal number information of the user, the charge amount information, and the charge cancellation identifier information to the member company server.

17. The method of claim 14, prior to the first step, further comprising a step of generating charge information including the mobile communication terminal number information of the user, the member company identification information, and the charge amount information and storing the charge information in the charge information database in case that the mobile PG center receives the mobile communication terminal number information of the user and charge amount information from the member company server.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein:

the micropayment SMS server comprises a user information database storing authentication for each user for mobile micropayment;

in the second step, the micropayment SMS server transmits a short payment request message requesting that authentication information of the user is input to reply the message to the mobile communication terminal;

in the third step comprises;

a step of comparing the authentication information included in the short payment acknowledgment message transmitted from the mobile communication terminal with the authentication information of the user stored in the user information database to perform authentication; and

a step of transmitting the SMS reception acknowledgment message to the mobile PG center in case that the authentication is successively performed, and transmitting an authentication failure message to any one of the mobile PG center and the mobile communication terminal of the user in case that the authentication fails.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the mobile micropayment service system further comprises a member company server connected to the mobile PG center via one of Internet and a private line, the method further comprising:

before the first step, when the member company server receives the mobile communication terminal number and the charge amount information for deposit charge from a user terminal, transmitting the mobile communication terminal number of the user and the charge amount information for the deposit charge to the mobile PG center;

after the fourth step, when the member company server receives the approval message including the mobile communication terminal number of the user and the charge amount is received from the mobile PG center, charging the deposit in the deposit account of the user; and

transmitting charge process result information to the mobile PG center in case that the charge process is finished.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein:

in the step of transmitting the mobile communication terminal number information and the charge amount information by the member company server to the mobile PG center, when the mobile communication terminal number information, the charge amount information, and the mobile communication terminal number, in which the deposit is charged, for deposit presentation are received from the user terminal, the member company server further transmits the mobile communication terminal number information of the user, in which the deposit is charged, to the mobile PG center; and

in the step of charging the deposit by the member company server, when an approval message including the mobile communication terminal number information of the user, the charge amount information, and the information of the mobile communication terminal number, in which the deposit is charged, is received from the mobile PG center, the member company server charges the deposit in the deposit account of the user, in which the deposit is charged, according to the approval message.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein:

in the step of transmitting the mobile communication terminal number information and the charge amount information by the member company server to the mobile PG center, when the mobile communication terminal number information and the charge amount information for deposit charge cancellation are received from the user terminal, the member company server further transmits charge cancellation identifier information to the mobile PG center; and

in the step of charging the deposit by the member company, when an approval message including the mobile communication terminal number information of the user, the charge amount information, and the charge cancellation identifier information is received from the mobile PG center, the member company server cancels deposit charge with respect to the deposit account of the user according to the approval message.

30. The method of any one of claims 14 and 22, wherein the virtual caller ID is generated by one of the mobile PG center and the micropayment SMS server.

31. The method of any one of claims 14 and 22, wherein the step of transmitting the approval message from the mobile PG center to the member company server comprises:

a step of checking whether the charge information exists in the charge information database;

a step of transmitting an error message from the mobile PG center to the micropayment SMS server in case that the charge information does not exist in the charge information database as a result of the step of checking; and

a step of transmitting a short failure message including information on the error message received from the mobile PG center to the mobile communication terminal of the user, the step of transmitting performed by the micropayment SMS server.

32. The method of any one of claims 14 and 22, wherein the micropayment SMS server comprises a micropayment particulars database storing micropayment particulars information including mobile communication terminal number information, member company identification information, and charge amount information, after the step of transmitting the approval message from the mobile PG center to the member company server, the method further comprising:

a step of transmitting charge result information to the micropayment SMS server when the mobile PG center receives the charge result information from the member company server; and

a step of storing micropayment particulars information according to the charge result information received from the mobile PG center in the micropayment particulars database for later bill, the step performed by the micropayment SMS server.

33. The method of claim 32, after the step of storing the micropayment particulars information in the micropayment particulars database, the method further comprising a step of transmitting a short message including the micropayment particulars information from the micropayment SMS server to the mobile communication terminal of the user.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein the mobile PG center comprises a micropayment particulars database storing micropayment particulars information including the mobile communication number information, member company identification information, and the charge amount information, the method further comprising a step of storing micropayment particulars information according to received charge result information when the mobile PG center receives the charge result information from the member company.

22. A mobile micropayment service method for charging a deposit, of a mobile micropayment service system using a virtual caller ID, the system comprising a micropayment SMS server receiving a short message using a certain virtual caller ID for mobile micropayment from one of an switch of a mobile communication system and a short message service center, a mobile PG center connected to the micropayment SMS server and a plurality of member company servers, the mobile PG center comprising a charge information database storing member company identification information, mobile communication terminal number information of users, and charge amount information, the method comprising:

a first step of transmitting an SMS reception acknowledgment message including information of mobile communication terminal number transmitting a short message, member company identification information, and charge amount information and mobile communication terminal number of a user, in which a deposit is charged, included in the virtual caller ID to the mobile PG center when the micropayment SMS server receives the short message via any one of the switch and the short message service center; and

a second step of checking whether charge information including the mobile communication terminal number information, the member company identification information, and the charge amount information received from the micropayment SMS server to the mobile PG center exists in the charge information database and transmitting an approval message including the mobile communication terminal number information of the user and the charge amount information to the member company server when the charge information exists in the charge information database,

wherein the member company server receiving the approval message from the mobile PG center charges the deposit.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein:

in the first step, when a short message transmitted via virtual caller ID including the member company identification information, the charge amount information, and the information of mobile communication terminal number, in which the deposit is charged, is received from the mobile communication terminal, the micropayment SMS server transmits an SMS reception acknowledgment message including the information of the mobile communication terminal number transmitting the message, the member company identification information, the charge amount information, and the information of the mobile communication terminal number of the user, in which the deposit is charged, to the mobile PG center; and

in the second step, the mobile PG center transmits an approval message including the mobile communication terminal number information of the user, the charge amount information, and the information of the mobile communication terminal number, in which the deposit is charged, to the member company server such that the member company server receiving the approval message from the mobile PG center charges the deposit in the deposit account of the user, in which the deposit is charged.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein:

in the first step, when a short message transmitted via virtual caller ID including the member company identification information, the charge amount information, and charge cancellation identifier information is received from the mobile communication terminal, the micropayment SMS server transmits an SMS reception acknowledgment message including the information of the mobile communication terminal number transmitting the message, the member company identification information, the charge amount information, and the charge cancellation identifier information to the mobile PG center; and

in the second step, the mobile PG center transmits an approval including the mobile communication terminal number information of the user, the charge amount information, and the charge cancellation identifier information to the member company server such that the member company server receiving the approval message from the mobile PG center cancels deposit charge on the deposit account of the user, in which the deposit is charged.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein:

the micropayment SMS server comprises a user information database storing authentication information for each user for mobile micropayment; and

the first step comprises;

a step of comparing authentication information included in the short payment acknowledgment message transmitted from the mobile communication terminal with authentication information of the user stored in the user information database to perform authentication; and

a step of transmitting the SMS reception acknowledgment message to the mobile PG center by the micropayment SMS server in case that the authentication is successively performed, and transmitting an authentication failure message to any one of the mobile PG center and the mobile communication terminal of the user in case that the authentication fails.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein the mobile micropayment service system further comprises a member company server connected to the mobile PG center via any one of Internet and a private line, after the second step, the method further comprising:

a step of charging the deposit in the deposit account of the user of the mobile communication terminal when the member company server receives an approval message including the mobile communication terminal number information of the user and the charge amount information from the mobile PG center; and

a step of transmitting charge result information to the mobile PG center when the charge process is finished.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein in the step of charging the deposit, when the approval message including the mobile communication terminal number information of the user, the charge amount information, and the information of the mobile communication terminal number of the user, in which the deposit is charged, is received from the mobile PG center, the member company server charges the deposit in the deposit account with respect to the mobile communication terminal number, in which the deposit is charged.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein in the step of charging the deposit, when the approval message including the mobile communication terminal number information of the user, the charge amount information, and charge cancellation identifier information is received from the mobile PG center, the member company server cancels deposit charge in the deposit account of the user.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the step of canceling the charge comprises a step of checking whether charge cancellation is possible and transmitting a deposit charge cancellation failure message to the mobile PG center in case that the cancellation of the deposit charge is impossible, the step of checking and transmitting performed by the member company server.