Data processing: financial – business practice – management – or co – Automated electrical financial or business practice or... – Finance
Reexamination Certificate
1998-06-05
2001-05-29
Trammell, James P. (Department: 2161)
Data processing: financial, business practice, management, or co
Automated electrical financial or business practice or...
Finance
C705S032000, C705S034000, C725S001000, C725S002000, C725S004000, C725S005000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06240401
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention generally relates to a system and method for processing transactions. More particularly, the invention relates to a system and method for tracking a transaction history for such purposes as creating a billing record and detecting possible fraudulent activities. Even more particularly, the present invention relates to a system and method for processing transactions associated with viewing movies, e.g. video content distributed digitally on a digital video disc (DVD) in an scrambled format, where the video content is only viewable in conjunction with the use of a specially designed and enabled player. This method of distributing and billing movie content provides an alternative to current methods such as viewing via video tapes, open format DVDs, pay-per-view, or cable service.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
For the purposes of tracking transactions and determining billing, there are two conventional types of on-line services, each relying on an associated protocol or algorithm. In one type of service, a service provider such as an Internet service provider (ISP), charges a user a fee for the right to use the service for a limited period of time. The user may log onto the service as many times as she would like within a specified time period (e.g. one month), without being charged for each individual access. However, the ISP user is charged whether or not the service is used. In a variation of that system, a user may be charged for each access as a separate billing event.
There are also conventional tracking systems for tracking reserved access, such as, for example, a hotel room or a rental car. A customer may make a reservation with the service provider. If the customer makes but does not show up for a reservation, and has not guaranteed the reservation with pre-payment, the hotel or car rental company simply drops the reservation and the customer is not charged. Such systems typically allow the customer to reserve and to later access the room or car for specific dates, and also permits the customer to extend the time period of that access, without making another reservation. In a variation of that system, where the customer guarantees the reservation, the customer is charged for the reserved access, regardless of whether the room or car is actually used.
While such systems are adequate for tracking and billing certain types of services, there exists a need for an alternative system and method for tracking transactions and determining charges which permits a user to establish, via a single authorization, multiple access to a service during a period of time, where each event of access is not individually billed. There exists a need for a system and method which does not create a billable charge for a user authorization if the user does not actually access the service. Furthermore, there is a need for a system and method, which requires a user to initiate a new authorization after the original authorization has expired, in order to create a chain of authorization and access events. Additionally, there exists a need for a system and method that provides a plurality of devices local to the user, in order to create, store and transmit records of authorization and access to a remote central processor in a secure manner.
The following terms as used herein have the associated meanings as described below.
An authorization transaction is a record generated when a user authorizes a charge for an access right.
An access transaction is a record generated when the user exercises the right of access granted by the authorization transaction.
A matching transaction is an event that occurs when an access transaction matches an authorization transaction, which is only when they are from the same customer, for the same service, and the starting time for the access falls within the duration of the authorization. A user is charged when a matching transaction occurs.
A validated authorization is an authorization transaction with at least one matching access transaction.
A Billable Content Unit (BCU) provides access to the service, e.g., a BCU may be in the form of a digital video disc.
A Set Top Box (STB) is a device that has the capability to play a video content and to also keep a journal of billable and nonbillable activities and to transmit the journal to a central database host and transaction processor.
A journal is a log of the activities of a particular STB. It contains digital tickets (as defined below) and play records (as defined below).
A digital ticket (“ticket”) is a journal entry recording a user authorization, i.e. a user agreeing to be billed for the access rights to a BCU for a stated time interval. Every digital ticket contains a unique serial number, a start time, a duration, the account number of the STB that created it, and the serial number of the accessed BCU. A digital ticket represents an authorization transaction.
A play is a journal entry recording that the user accessed a BCU during the duration of a digital ticket. A play contains a start time, a duration, the serial number of the digital ticket that allowed the play, the account number of the STB that created it, and the serial number of the accessed BCU. A play represents an access transaction.
SUMMARY
It is an object of this invention to provide a system and method for tracking transactions and determining charges.
It is another object of this invention to provide a system and method wherein a user of a service can obtain multiple access to a service over a prescribed time interval, by establishing a single authorization.
It is yet a further object of the invention to provide a system and method wherein multiple access transactions can be charged as a single billable event.
It is still a further object of the invention to provide a system and method wherein a service user is charged only if the service authorized is actually accessed or used.
It is yet a further object of the invention to provide a system and method where a customer may access a service at any time, subject only to a prior authorization to be charged for that access.
It is still a further object of the invention to provide a system and method where a plurality of devices local to the customer can create, store, and transmit records of authorization and access to a remote central processor in a secure manner.
It is yet a further object of the invention to provide a system and method where the remote central processor does not require the plurality of devices local to the customer to transmit the records of authorization and access in the order of their creation, or in any other order.
In general, in one aspect, the invention features a computer-implemented method for processing transactions, including authorization transactions and access transactions for service, comprising the steps of creating and storing on a user device authorization transactions and access transactions having timestamp information and duration information; transmitting records of said authorization transactions and said access transactions from said user device to a remote host processing device; analyzing said authorization transactions and said access transactions to match a specific authorization transaction with a specific access transaction based on said timestamp information and duration information; and creating a billing record based on said matched authorization transactions and access transactions.
Certain implementations of the present invention may include one or more of the following features. The method of the invention further comprises the step of detecting indicia of fraud based on the results of the step of analyzing said authorization transactions and said access transactions. The method of the present invention wherein said host processing device maintains a database of said authorization transactions and said access transactions, and further comprising the step of updating said database based on the results of the step of analyzing authorization transactions and access transactions.
Among the advantages of the inven
McQueen Kevin S.
Oren Joseph Eugene
Schumann Robert W.
Walko Lisa S.
Derinsky Paul
Digital Video Express, L.P.
Hayes John W.
McDermott & Will & Emery
Trammell James P.
LandOfFree
System and method for movie transaction processing does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with System and method for movie transaction processing, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and System and method for movie transaction processing will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2527913