Systems and methods to route messages to facilitate online transactions

• US 8,566,188 B2
• Filed: 01/13/2010
• Issued: 10/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boku Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Boku Incorporated
• Inventors: Smith, Glyn Barry, Hirson, Ron
• Primary Examiner(s): ADE, OGER GARCIA
• Application Number:
  US12/687,075
• Publication Number:
  US 20110173106A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,378 Days
• Field of Search: 705/24
• US Class Current: 705/34
• 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 20/3255 using mobile network messaging services for payment, e.g. SMS
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/84 Types of notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/844 Message, e.g. SMS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/28 SMS billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided to facilitate online transactions via mobile communications. In one aspect, a system includes a data storage facility to store an account and a phone number associated with the account and an interchange coupled with the data storage facility. The interchange includes a common format processor and a plurality of converters to interface with a plurality of different controllers of mobile communications. The converters are configured to communicate with the controllers in different formats and to communicate with the common format processor in a common format. The common format processor is to select a first controller based at least in part on reducing cost, and to instruct the first controller of the controllers, via a first converter of the converters, to transmit a first message to a mobile device at the phone number to facilitate a transaction related to funds associated with the phone number.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a data storage facility to store an account of a user and a phone number associated with the account; and

an interchange coupled with the data storage facility, the interchange including a common format processor and a plurality of converters to interface with a plurality of controllers, the converters configured to communicate with the controllers in different formats, the converters to communicate with the common format processor in a common format, the common format processor to receive a request to collect funds for a first amount associated with a phone number, to identify a plurality of controllers capable of transmitting a message to a mobile phone at the phone number, to determine costs that are charged to a mobile phone account associated with transmitting the message to the mobile phone via different paths through the controllers, select a least cost path among the paths, to select a first controller from the plurality of controllers based at least in part on reducing a cost that is charged to a mobile phone account associated with transmitting messages from the common format processor to a mobile device at the phone number, the common format processor to instruct the first controller of the controllers, via a first converter of the converters, to transmit a first message to the mobile device at the phone number to facilitate an online transaction related to funds associated with the phone number and collecting funds for the first amount in response to the message.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of controllers include mobile carriers, aggregators and providers.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the common format processor is configured to determine a path through the first controller that has a least cost, among the plurality of controllers, for transmitting the first message to the mobile device.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the first message is a premium message;

and the funds are collected at least in part via the premium message.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the path includes more than one controller;

and the least cost includes the cost for obtaining the funds from one source selected from a plurality of funding sources.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the first message is a non-premium message sent to confirm the online transaction.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the first message is to confirm a first user request to deposit a first amount of funds into the account associated with the phone number.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein responsive to a reply to the first message, the common format processor is to calculate a set of premium messages to charge the first amount and to instruct the first controller, via the first converter, to transmit the set of premium messages to the mobile device at the phone number to bill the first amount to the mobile account.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein after a telecommunication carrier of the mobile device deducts a portion from the first amount as a fee, the common format processor is to credit the account a second amount more than a portion of the first amount received from the interchange.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the second amount is equal to the first amount.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the common format processor includes a decision engine to calculate the set of premium messages based on a set of predetermined constraints.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the common format processor further includes a mobile message generator to generate the first message and the set of premium messages.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the common format processor is to select the first controller to minimize a cost for transmitting the set of premium messages that is charged to the mobile phone account.

14. The system of claim 7, wherein responsive to a reply to the first message, the common format processor is to select a second controller different from the first controller and to calculate a set of premium messages to charge the first amount and to instruct the second controller, via one of the plurality of converters, to transmit the set of premium messages to the mobile device at the phone number to bill the first amount to the mobile phone account.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the first message is transmitted via short message service (SMS).

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the mobile device comprises a cellular phone.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the funds are collected via at least one of:

a credit card of the user, a debit card of the user, a bank account of the user, and an account identified by an email address of the user.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the first message is to confirm a payment using the funds for a purchase made on a user terminal separate from the mobile device.

19. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving, in a computer, a request to collect funds for a first amount associated with a phone number;

identifying, by the computer, a plurality of controllers capable of transmitting a message to a mobile phone at the phone number;

determining, by the computer, costs that are charged to a mobile phone account associated with transmitting the message to the mobile phone via different paths through the controllers;

selecting, by the computer, a least cost path among the paths;

transmitting, by the computer, the message to the mobile phone via the least cost path; and

collecting, by the computer, funds for the first amount in response to the message.

20. A computer-readable media storing instructions, the instructions causing a computer to perform a method, the method comprising:

receiving, in a computer, a request to collect funds for a first amount associated with a phone number;

identifying, by the computer, a plurality of controllers capable of transmitting a message to a mobile phone at the phone number;

determining, by the computer, costs that are charged to a mobile phone account associated with transmitting the message to the mobile phone via different paths through the controllers;

selecting, by the computer, a least cost path among the paths;

transmitting, by the computer, the message to the mobile phone via the least cost path; and

collecting, by the computer, funds for the first amount in response to the message.