Canadian Patents Database

Claims page

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Patent Document Number: 2480105

(54) English Title: PAYMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD

(54) French Title: SYSTEME ET PROCEDE DE PAIEMENT

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Claims:

Note: Claims are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.




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WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. A method for facilitating payments via a
telecommunications network, comprising the steps of:
receiving a purchase request from a user;
sending a vouch for request associated with said
purchase request to a network provider associated with
said telecommunications network;
determining if said network provider vouches for
said user;
if said network provider vouches for said user,
releasing an item or service associated with said
purchase request; and
said network provider requesting payment from said
user for said released item or service associated with
said purchase request.
2. The method of Claim 1, wherein said
telecommunications network comprises an Internet.
3. The method of Claim 1, wherein said network
provider comprises an Internet Service Provider (ISP).
4. The method of Claim 1, wherein the receiving
step comprises the step of:
a content or service provider receiving said
purchase request from said user via an Internet.




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5. The method of Claim 1, wherein the sending step
comprises the steps of:
a content or service provider sending a vouch for
request associated with said purchase request to a
payment system; and
said payment system sending said vouch for request
to said network provider associated with said
telecommunications network.
6. The method of Claim 1, wherein the determining
step comprises the steps of:
a payment system determining if said user is
associated with said network provider; and
if said user is associated with said network
provider, determining if said network provider vouches
for said user.
7. The method of Claim 1, wherein the step of said
network provider requesting payment from said user
comprises the step of:
said network provider sending a bill to said user,
said bill including a charge for said released item or
service associated with said purchase request.




17


8. A method for facilitating payments via a
telecommunications network, comprising the steps of:
sending a purchase request for an item or service
via a wireless communications unit and said
telecommunications network;
determining if said User is associated with a
network provider for said telecommunications network;
if said user is not associated with a network
provider for said telecommunications network, requesting
identification information associated with said wireless
communications unit from said user;
if said user responds to said request for
identification information, allocating a transaction
phone number associated with said user and said purchase
request;
if a phone call for said transaction phone number is
received, releasing an item or service associated with
said purchase request; and
requesting payment from said user for said released
item or service associated with said purchase request.
9. The method of Claim 8, wherein the requesting
payment step comprises the step of:
a wireless communications network provider
requesting said payment from said user.
10. The method of Claim 8, wherein said
telecommunications network comprises an Internet.
11. The method of Claim 8, wherein said network
provider comprises an Internet Service Provider (ISP).




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12. The method of Claim 8, wherein the receiving
step comprises the step of:
a content or service provider receiving said
purchase request from said user via a mobile
radiotelephone network and an Internet.
13. The method of Claim 8, wherein said
identification information comprises a mobile
radiotelephone number.
14. The method of Claim 8, wherein the determining
step comprises the steps of:
a payment system determining if said user is
associated with said network provider.
15. The method of Claim 8, wherein the step of
requesting payment from said user comprises the step of:
a wireless communications network provider sending a
bill to said user, said bill including a charge for said
released item or service associated with said purchase
request.


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16. A system for facilitating payments via a
telecommunications network, comprising:
a first processing unit associated with a network
provider;
a second processing unit coupled to said first
processing unit, said second processing unit associated
with a content or service provider; and
a payment processor unit, said first and second
processing units coupled to said payment processor unit,
wherein said first and second processing units and said
payment processor unit are operable, in combination, to:
receive a purchase request from a user;
send a vouch for request associated with said
purchase request to a network provider associated with
said telecommunications network;
determine if said network provider vouches for said
user;
release an item or service associated with said
purchase request if said network provider vouches for
said user; and
request payment from said user for said released
item or service associated with said purchase request.
17. The system of Claim 16, wherein said
telecommunications network comprises an Internet.
18. The system of Claim 16, wherein said network
provider comprises an Internet Service Provider (ISP).


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19. The system of Claim 16, wherein said second
processing unit is further operable to:
receive said purchase request from said user via an
Internet.
20. The system of Claim 16, wherein said second
processing unit and said payment processor unit are
further operable to:
send a vouch for request associated with said
purchase request to said network provider associated with
said telecommunications network.
21. The system of Claim 16, wherein said payment
processor unit if further operable to:
determine if said user is associated with said
network provider; and
determine if said network provider vouches for said
user if said user is associated with said network
provider.
22. The system of Claim 16, wherein said first
processing unit is further operable to:
send a bill to said user, said bill including a
charge for said released item or service associated with
said purchase request.


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23. A system for facilitating payments via a
telecommunications network, comprising:
a wireless telecommunications network coupled to
said telecommunications network;
a first processing unit associated with said
wireless telecommunications network;
a second processing unit coupled to said first
processing unit, said second processing unit associated
with a content or service provider; and
a payment processor unit, said second processing
unit coupled to said payment processor unit, wherein said
first and second processing units and said payment
processor unit are operable, in combination, to:
send a purchase request for an item or service via
said first processing unit and said telecommunications
network;
determine if said user is associated with a network
provider for said telecommunications network;
request identification information associated with
said wireless communications unit from said user if said
user is not associated with a network provider for said
telecommunications network;
allocate a transaction phone number associated with
said user and said purchase request if said user responds
to said request for identification information;
release an item or service associated with said
purchase request if a phone call for said transaction
phone number is received; and
request payment from said user for said released
item or service associated with said purchase request.


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24. The system of Claim 23, wherein said second
processing unit is further operable to:
request said payment from said user.
25. The system of Claim 23, wherein said
telecommunications network comprises an Internet.
26. The system of Claim 23, wherein said network
provider comprises an Internet Service Provider (ISP).
27. The system of Claim 23, wherein said second
processing unit is further operable to:
receive said purchase request from said user via a
mobile radiotelephone network and an Internet.
28. The system of Claim 23, wherein said
identification information comprises a mobile
radiotelephone number.
29. The system of Claim 23, wherein said payment
processor unit is further operable to:
determine if said user is associated with said
network provider.
30. The system of Claim 23, further comprising:
a wireless communications network operable to:
send a bill to said user, said bill including a
charge for said released item or service associated with
said purchase request.


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31. Software for facilitating payments via a
telecommunications network, the software embodied in
computer-readable media and when executed operable to:
receive a purchase request from a user;
send a vouch for request associated with said
purchase request to a network provider associated with
said telecommunications network;
determine if said network provider vouches for said
user;
release an item or service associated with said
purchase request if said network provider vouches for
said user; and
request payment from said user for said released
item or service associated with said purchase request.


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32. Software for facilitating payments via a
telecommunications network, the software embodied in
computer-readable media and when executed operable to:
send a purchase request for an item or service via a
wireless communications unit and said telecommunications
network;
determine if said user is associated with a network
provider for said telecommunications network;
request identification information associated with
said wireless communications unit from said user if said
user is not associated with a network provider for said
telecommunications network;
allocate a transaction phone number associated with
said user and said purchase request if said user responds
to said request for identification information;
release an item or service associated with said
purchase request if a phone call for said transaction
phone number is received; and
request payment from said user for said released
item or service associated with said purchase request.