Data processing: financial – business practice – management – or co – Business processing using cryptography – Secure transaction
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-07
2002-01-29
Hafiz, Tariq R. (Department: 2163)
Data processing: financial, business practice, management, or co
Business processing using cryptography
Secure transaction
C705S044000, C705S052000, C705S072000, C705S077000, C705S078000, C705S079000, C713S168000, C713S176000, C713S185000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06343284
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a method, a system and a computer usable medium storing a program for billing on the Internet, and, more particularly, to a method, a system and a computer usable medium storing a program for billing for a chargeable service on the Internet.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a billing system for a chargeable service on the Internet, there have been a system using a credit card, a members-only system for a specific service and so on. For using such systems, a user must become a member of the credit card or a member of the service provider. Then, the user will be provided with service within a limited scope. Also, there have been billing systems using prepaid cards. As an example of such billing systems using prepaid cards, the Japanese laid-open patent application No.9-251494 discloses “a payment system using a virtual prepaid card.” In the following, a general outline of the steps for a payment by this system will be described.
(step 1) A general member's terminal makes a request of a payment center of the system for a virtual prepaid card. Then, the payment center provides the general member with the virtual prepaid card after acknowledging receipt of money from the general member. For adding money to the payment server of the system, the general member may use a credit card, may deposit into a predetermined bank account in connection with the payment server, or the like.
(step 2) After obtaining the virtual prepaid card, the general member selects wanted goods from a list of goods, which list is sent from a shop member's terminal via a network, and displayed on the general member's terminal. Then, the general member completes the order.
(step 3) The general member sends a payment instruction (such as a transaction number), which is signed electronically and encrypted, to the payment center from the general member's terminal.
(step 4) After the payment center receives the payment instruction, it verifies the electronic signature and checks whether the instruction is really sent from an authorized general member. Then, the payment center checks a balance of the virtual prepaid card of the general member.
(step 5) If the procedures of step 1-step 4 are complete correctly, the payment center sends a payment notice (such as a transaction number), which is signed electronically and encrypted, to the shop member's terminal. At the same time, the payment center sends an updated balance of the virtual prepaid card to the general member's terminal. As a result of this, the payment from the general member to the shop member is completed.
(step 6) The shop member's terminal which received the payment notice verifies the electronic signature and checks whether the notice is really sent from an authorized payment center. Then, the shop member sends the selected goods to the general member.
However, there are disadvantages of the above-mentioned systems. To use services provided by the above-mentioned systems, a user must become a member of the credit card or a member of the service provider. Therefore, the number of users will be limited. Also, to become a member of the credit card or the service provider, one must disclose personal information to the credit card provider or the service provider, and cannot use the service without disclosing the personal information. Further, the procedure for becoming a member is complicated and is not convenient. Furthermore, sending a credit card number on the Internet introduces a risk of interception and abuse of the credit card number by a third party.
Also, in the above-mentioned “a payment system using a virtual prepaid card,” after the completion of the order process between the general member's terminal and the shop member's terminal, the payment center performs the payment process in accordance with the instruction from the general member. Therefore, there is a disadvantage that the system receives an order from a general member's terminal without verification of the general member and balance of the virtual prepaid card. Accordingly, in the above-mentioned “a payment system using a virtual prepaid card,” a fraudulent order by an ill-intentioned third party cannot be rejected. Also, the system cannot reject an order from a general member's terminal even if the balance of the prepaid card of the member is not enough. Further, the system cannot refuse an order even if the payment center is not operating.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is a general object of the present invention to provide an Internet billing method, system and a computer usable medium which can reject invalid orders with reliability, and which can be used without a credit card.
The above object of the present invention is achieved by an Internet billing method which makes billing on the Internet possible, wherein the method includes the steps of:
making a request, by a terminal, of a content server for a chargeable service by using a prepaid information medium which has predetermined information necessary for transactions;
making a request, by the content server, of a prepaid information management server for authentication to check whether the prepaid information medium is authorized to be used for the chargeable service, and for billing for the prepaid information medium;
authenticating, by the prepaid information management server, the prepaid information medium;
performing, by the prepaid information management server, the billing for the prepaid information medium on the basis of usage of the chargeable service; and
providing the terminal, by the content server, with the chargeable service.
In the above Internet billing method, a password included in the predetermined information may be input to the terminal by a user instead of from the prepaid information medium.
The above object of the present invention is also achieved by an Internet billing method which makes billing on the Internet possible, the method including the steps of:
making a request, by a terminal, of a content server for a service menu by using a prepaid information medium which has predetermined information necessary for transactions;
sending the service menu to the terminal by the content server;
making a request, by the terminal, of the content server for a chargeable service upon selecting needed service by a user;
making a request, by the content server, of a prepaid information management server for authentication to check whether the prepaid information medium is authorized to be used for the chargeable service, and for billing for the prepaid information medium;
sending, by the terminal, to the prepaid information management server, an ID stored in the prepaid information medium upon receipt of a request from the prepaid information management server;
sending information for authentication to the terminal by the prepaid information management server;
performing a predetermined operation of concatenation of the information and a password by the terminal;
sending a result of the operation to the prepaid information management server;
performing, by the prepaid information management server, the same operation as performed in the terminal of concatenation of the information and the password of the prepaid information medium, which password is stored in a database, and authenticating the prepaid information medium by verifying a result of the operation against the result sent from the terminal;
searching the database for a balance of the prepaid card having the ID, and performing billing with reference to the balance, by the prepaid information management server;
notifying the terminal of information including the balance of the prepaid information medium by the prepaid information management server if both authentication and billing succeed; and
providing, by the content server, the chargeable service to the terminal.
In the Internet billing method, the password may be input to the terminal by a user instead of from the prepaid information medium.
The
Ishikawa Norihiro
Suguri Toshihiko
Yoshimoto Masuo
Hafiz Tariq R.
Jeanty Romain
Kenyon & Kenyon
Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation
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