Method and apparatus to validate a subscriber line

• US 8,379,815 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2010
• Issued: 02/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Jolly Seven, Series 70 of Allied Security Trust I (Allied Security Trust)
• Original Assignee: Paymentone Corporation
• Inventors: Truitt, Jennifer R., Lynam, Joseph M., Dawson, Ken R., Philbin, M. Brendan
• Primary Examiner(s): ADDY, THJUAN KNOWLIN
• Application Number:
  US12/916,891
• Publication Number:
  US 20110187494A1
• Time in Patent Office: 841 Days
• Field of Search: 379/220.01, 379/127.01, 379/127.02, 379/127.04, 379/127.05, 379/114.27, 379/127.06, 379/207.15, 705/44
• US Class Current: 379/127.01
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/305 using wired telephone networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3224 Transactions dependent on location of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/325 using wireless networks
• 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 20/4014 Identity check for transactions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/41 Billing record details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure of call data record [CDR]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/51 for resellers, retailers or service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/68 Payment of value-added services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/70 Administration or customization aspects; Counter-checking correct charges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/73 Validating charges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/88 Provision for limiting connection, or expenditure
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0116 Provision for limiting expenditure, e.g. limit on call expenses or account
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0164 Billing record, e.g. Call Data Record [CDR], Toll Ticket[TT], Automatic Message Accounting [AMA], Call Line Identifier [CLI], details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure
• 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 2215/54 Resellers-retail or service providers billing, e.g. agreements with telephone service operator, activation, charging/recharging of accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/70 Administration aspects, modify settings or limits or counter-check correct charges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7072 Validate charges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/38 Graded-service arrangements, i.e. some subscribers prevented from establishing certain connections queuing arrangements H04Q3/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42068 where the identifier is used to access a profile

Abstract

The computer-implemented method includes receiving a first request via the Internet for a first transaction between a user and a vendor for goods or services. A billing telephone number of the user is then obtained, and the first transaction automatically charged to a subscriber account associated with the billing telephone number. Sometime later, a second request is received via the Internet for a second transaction between the user and a vendor for goods or services. If the second transaction cannot be billed to the subscriber account, an alternative payment method is automatically used.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, the method comprising:

receiving a first request via the Internet for a first transaction for goods or services between a user and a vendor;

obtaining a billing telephone number of the user;

automatically, utilizing an application programming interface, charging the first transaction to a subscriber account associated with the billing telephone number;

receiving a second request via the Internet for a second transaction for goods or services between the user and a vendor;

automatically, using one or more processors, detecting that charging to the account associated with the billing telephone number has not occurred;

automatically, in response to an event indicative of an option to charge the second transaction to the user, using an alternative payment method, the event being subsequent to the charging of the first transaction to the subscriber account associated with the billing telephone number; and

completing the second transaction using the alternative payment method and not billing the subscriber account.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the alternative payment method is a credit card payment method.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the alternative payment method is a debit card payment method.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the subscriber account is a telephone account.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the charging has not occurred as the subscriber account has been blocked from further billing.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the telephone number is associated with a wireless device.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the telephone number is associated with a landline device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first request and the second request are received from a device operatively connected to the Internet.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first transaction for goods or services is associated with an online game.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the billing telephone number is sourced from the user.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first transaction for goods or services is associated with an online game.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first transaction for goods or services is associated with an online game.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the receiving of the first request is from a first vendor computer system, the first vendor computer system being controlled by a first vendor; and

the receiving of the second request is from a second vendor computer system, the second vendor computer system being controlled by a second vendor.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving of the second request is from a user device, the user device being controlled by the user.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining off the billing telephone number of the user comprises utilizing an automatic number identification service.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting that billing to the subscriber account associated with the billing telephone number has not occurred includes detecting a response code associated with a telephone number associated with a wireless service provider.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a PIN number from a user device.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the charging to the subscriber account does not occur in the event of a threshold for bad PIN attempts being exceeded.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving location data from a user and selectively denying charging to the subscriber account associated with the billing telephone number based on reference location data.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a ZIP code associated with the user.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising processing the received ZIP code and denying billing to the account associated with the billing telephone number in the event of the received ZIP code not matching a ZIP code provided in a database.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the telephone number is associated with a cellular telephone.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein the first transaction for goods or services is for music or software.

24. A system comprising:

means for receiving a first request via the Internet for a first transaction for goods or services between a user and a vendor;

means for obtaining a billing telephone number of the user;

means for automatically, utilizing an application programming interface, charging the first transaction to a subscriber account associated with the billing telephone number;

means for receiving a second request via the Internet for a second transaction for goods or services between the user and a vendor;

means for automatically, using one or more processors, detecting that charging to the subscriber account associated with the billing telephone number has not occurred;

means for automatically, in response an event indicative of an option to charge the second transaction to the user, using an alternative payment method, the event being subsequent to the charging of the first transaction to the subscriber account associated with the billing telephone number; and

means for completing the second transaction using the alternative payment method and not billing the subscriber account.

25. A computer-implemented system comprising:

memory;

at least one processor; and

at least one program stored in the memory and executed by the at least one processor, the at least one program including;

a receiving module configured to receive a first request via the Internet for a first transaction for goods or services between a user and a vendor and a second request via the Internet for a second transaction for goods or services between the user and a vendor;

a billing telephone number module to obtain a billing telephone number of the user;

a first charging module to charge, automatically, utilizing an application programming interface, the first transaction to a subscriber account associated with the billing telephone number;

a first detector to detect, automatically, using one or more processors, that charging to the subscriber account associated with the billing telephone number has been not occurred;

a second detector to detect, automatically, an event indicative of an option to charge the second transaction to the user using an alternative payment method, the event being subsequent to the charging of the first transaction to the account associated with the billing telephone number; and

a second charging module to complete the second transaction using the alternative payment method and not debiting the subscriber account.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein one or more of the modules are combined into a software program.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the alternative payment method is a credit card payment method.

28. The system of claim 25, wherein the alternative payment method is a debit card payment method.

29. The system of claim 25, wherein the subscriber account is a telephone account.

30. The system of claim 25, wherein the charging to the subscriber account does not occur as the subscriber account has been blocked from further billing.

31. The system of claim 25, wherein the telephone number is associated with a wireless device.

32. The system of claim 25, wherein the telephone number is associated with a landline device.

33. The system of claim 25, wherein the first and second requests are received from a device operatively connected to the Internet.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the first transaction for goods or services is associated with an online game.

35. The system of claim 25, wherein the billing telephone number is sourced from the user.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein the first transaction for goods or services is associated with an online game.

37. The system of claim 25, wherein the first transaction for goods or services is associated with an online game.

38. The system of claim 25, wherein:

the first request is from a first vendor computer system, the first vendor computer system being controlled by a first vendor; and

the second request is from a second vendor computer system, the second vendor computer system being controlled by a second vendor.

39. The system of claim 25, wherein the second request is from a user computer system, the user computer system being controlled by the user.

40. The system of claim 25, wherein the billing telephone number of the user is obtained utilizing an automatic number identification service.

41. The system of claim 25, wherein detecting that charging to the account associated with the billing telephone number has not occurred includes detecting a response code associated with telephone number associated with a wireless service provider.

42. The system of claim 25, further comprising receiving a PIN number from a user device.

43. The system of claim 42, wherein the charging to the subscriber account does not occur in the event of a threshold for bad PIN attempts being exceeded.

44. The system of claim 25, further comprising receiving location data from a user and selectively denying charging to the subscriber account associated with the billing telephone number based on reference location data.

45. The system of claim 25, further comprising receiving a ZIP code associated with the user.

46. The system of claim 45, further comprising processing the received ZIP code and denying billing to the subscriber account associated with the billing telephone number in the event of the received ZIP code not matching a ZIP code provided in a database.

47. The system of claim 25, wherein the billing telephone number is associated with a cellular telephone.

48. The system of claim 25, wherein the first transaction for goods or services is for music or software.

49. A machine-readable non-transitory medium having instruction data to cause a machine to:

receive a first request via the Internet for a first transaction for goods or services between a user and a vendor;

obtain a billing telephone number of the user;

automatically, utilizing an application programming interface, charge the first transaction to a subscriber account associated with the billing telephone number;

receive a second request via the Internet for a second transaction for goods or services between the user and a vendor;

automatically, using one or more processors, detecting that charging to the account associated with the billing telephone number has not occurred;

automatically in response an event indicative of an option to charge the second transaction to the user using an alternative payment method, the event being subsequent to the charging of the first transaction to the subscriber account associated with the billing telephone number; and

complete the second transaction using the alternative payment method and not billing the subscriber account.