"System and Method to Facilitate Online Funds Transfer to a Mobile Phone Subscriber"

Field of the Invention

This invention relates to the fields of telecommunications and commerce. In particular, this invention provides a server, system and method for the facilitation of an online funds transfer from a payor to a mobile phone subscriber.

Background Art

The following discussion of the background art is intended to facilitate an understanding of the present invention only. The discussion is not an acknowledgement or admission that any of the material referred to is or was part of the common general knowledge as at the priority date of the application.

The onset of e-commerce has brought about the emergence of online currency exchange providers such as PayPal™, WorldPay™ and e-Gold™ which serve to mediate differing payment instruments, such as cash and credit cards, between a vendor and a purchaser.

These online currency exchange providers were developed in part to fill a need to allow vendors to accept payment online without the need to obtain the requisite regulatory approval for credit card processing, the need for high-level security systems, and to avoid the inherent complexity and risk of online credit card systems.

There are different systems by which online currency exchange providers allow for funds to be transferred from one entity to another entity. Traditional online currency exchange in services such as WorldPay™ enables a vendor to redirect a purchaser to a WorldPay™ server, whereby the WorldPay™ server accepts a variety of payment means such as a VISA™ or MasterCard™ number, and debits the payment means an amount specified by the vendor. The online currency exchange provider then extracts a commission and forwards the remaining

amount to the vendor. Upon receipt of payment, the vendor forwards the goods or provides the services in exchange for the payment by the purchaser. Under this paradigm, the implementation complexities, and responsibility and management of risk, rests with the mediating online currency provider, and the vendor and purchaser are concerned solely with the exchange of tender for goods and services.

This traditional model has several inherent problems however. Firstly, the vendor must establish the systems to .handle the passing and reception of proprietary electronic messages to and from the online currency exchange provider. Secondly, the vendor must have established an account with the online currency exchange provider prior to the purchaser being able to make a payment.

In response to this, some online currency exchange providers, such as PayPal™, have introduced a means whereby a purchaser may use a service to send funds to an email address, thus eliminating, in part, the problem of the vendor having to handle the passing and reception of proprietary electronic messages, and the need for the vendor to have established an account with the online currency exchange provider. Under this arrangement, the email address is functioning as the account.

The problem with this system is that the payee must have already established an email address. Further, the payor of the funds must grapple with the sometimes complex and lengthy email address to ensure it is accurate before making the payment.

In many economies, the rate of email usage has been outstripped by the rate of use of mobile telephones. In addition, mobile telephones are able to be authenticated more reliably, as the location of a mobile phone is known with increasingly precise accuracy, and further, upon purchasing a mobile phone, there are varying degrees of identity authentication prior to the mobile phone being permitted to be used on a given network. Currently, there is no convenient way to leverage the power and simplicity of using an online currency exchange provider to transfer funds from a payor to a payee's mobile telephone number without the

need to have previously established an email account, in addition to the other hurdles for the payee outlined above.

This invention seeks to provide a system and method to facilitate online funds transfer to a mobile phone subscriber that will overcome or ameliorate some of these problems.

Throughout the specification, unless the context requires otherwise, the word "comprise" or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising", will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or group of integers but not the exclusion of any other integer or group of integers. Further, any reference made to "domain.com" will be understood to imply a generic domain name, whereby the actual name used is not of significance.

Disclosure of the Invention

These and other problems are overcome by providing an online currency exchange service as a means of transferring currency to a mobile phone user as opposed to an existing email account or a vendor clearance account.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a server for connection to a telecommunications network having a plurality of mobile phone subscribers each having a mobile phone with an allocated mobile phone number, said server being arranged to host an internet domain" having a plurality of accounts for said mobile phone subscribers, each said account having associated therewith an email address utilising said mobile phone number as at least a part of the user portion thereof; and

said server being selectively connectable with an online currency exchange provider, and being adapted to receive notification at a said account of a deposit of funds.

Preferably, said email address utilises said mobile phone number as the user portion thereof.

Preferably, said server is adapted to send notification messages to said mobile phone subscribers to inform the subscribers of a said deposit of funds.

Alternatively, said subscribers can access their account to check for said notifications.

Preferably, said server compiles said notifications for each said subscriber into statements accessible via a web interface to said server.

In one arrangement, the subscribers may pre-register to use the funds transfer service through the server. However, preferably in the first instance of a subscriber having funds transferred to them through the server, said server is arranged to send a registration message to the subscriber to invite the subscriber to register. Once the subscriber has registered, the server can proceed as described above with respect to issuing notification messages of compilation of statements.

Preferably, said server is arranged to send a prompt in said registration message, where said mobile phone subscribers can reply to said prompt/registration message to consent to creation of said account.

If the subscriber wishes to utilise a string of text as the user name portion of their email address, preferably said server will be arranged to include prompt to offer the subscriber an alias user name in addition to their mobile telephone number.

Preferably, said alias user name is linked with said mobile telephone number.

Preferably, server is arranged to create said account upon receipt of said consent message from said subscriber.

Preferably, server creates said account using said alias user name if said registration contains the same.

Preferably, said server includes an accounting module arranged to track transferred funds from a said online currency exchange provider, and to track payments made to said subscribers.

Preferably, said server is arranged to calculate current currency exchange rates so that payments can be made in the local currency.

Preferably, said server is adapted to create a bank account using said email address.

Preferably, said server is arranged to use a said subscriber account as a bank account.

Preferably, said server is adapted to extract funds directly from a payor using traditional banking transaction systems.

Preferably, said traditional banking transaction systems include credit card and cheque payments.

Further, in accordance with the present invention there is provided a system for facilitating funds transfer to a mobile phone subscriber, said system including a server connected to a telecommunications network having a plurality of mobile phone subscribers each having a mobile phone with an allocated mobile phone number, said server being arranged to host an internet domain having a plurality of accounts for said mobile phone subscribers, each said account having associated therewith an email address utilising said mobile phone number as at least a part of the user portion thereof; and

said server being selectively connectable with an online currency exchange provider, and being adapted to receive notification at a said account of a deposit of funds.

Preferably, said email address utilises said mobile phone number as the user portion thereof.

Preferably, said server is adapted to send notification messages to said mobile phone subscribers to inform the subscribers of a said deposit of funds.

Alternatively, said subscribers can access their account to check for said notifications.

Preferably, said server compiles said notifications for each said subscriber into statements accessible via a web interface to said server.

In one arrangement, the subscribers may pre-register to use the funds transfer service through the server. However, preferably in the first instance of a subscriber having funds transferred to them through the server, said server is arranged to send a registration message to the subscriber to invite the subscriber to register. Once the subscriber has registered, the server can proceed as described above with respect to issuing notification messages of compilation of statements.

Preferably, said server is arranged to send a prompt in said registration message, where said mobile phone subscribers can reply to said prompt/registration message to consent to creation of said account.

If the subscriber wishes to utilise a string of text as the user name portion of their email address, preferably said server will be arranged to include prompt to offer the subscriber an alias user name in addition to their mobile telephone number.

Preferably, said alias user name is linked with said mobile telephone number.

Preferably, server is arranged to create said account upon receipt of said consent message from said subscriber.

Preferably, server creates said account using said alias user name if said registration contains the same.

Preferably, said server includes an accounting module arranged to track transferred funds from a said online currency exchange provider, and to track payments made to said subscribers.

Preferably, said server is arranged to calculate current currency exchange rates so that payments can be made in the local currency.

Preferably, said server is adapted to create a bank account using said email address.

Preferably, said server is arranged to use a said subscriber account as a bank account.

Preferably, said server is adapted to extract funds directly from a payor using traditional banking transaction systems.

Preferably, said traditional banking transaction systems include credit card and cheque payments.

Further, in accordance with the present invention there is provided a method of facilitating funds transfer to a mobile phone subscriber, said method including providing a server connected to a telecommunications network having a plurality of mobile phone subscribers each having a mobile phone with an allocated mobile phone number, said server being arranged to host an internet domain having a plurality of accounts for said mobile phone subscribers, each said account having associated therewith an email address utilising said mobile phone number as at least a part of the user portion thereof; and said server being selectively connectable with an online currency exchange provider, and being adapted to receive notification at a said account of a deposit of funds;

where a payor makes payment with said online currency exchange provider and provides a ^destination mobile phone number for the "payee mobile phone subscriber; and

said online currency exchange notifies said server of payment by sending an email to a said email address including said destination mobile phone number as at least a part of the user portion thereof;

Preferably, said server notifies the mobile phone subscriber said destination mobile number contained in the user portion of the email address by way of the telecommunication ^' s network of the receipt of payment from payor.

Preferably, said email address utilises said mobile phone number as the user portion thereof.

Preferably, said subscriber may access a compiled list statements via a web interface to said server.

In one arrangement, the subscribers may pre-register to use the funds transfer service through the server. However, preferably in the first instance of a subscriber having funds transferred to them through the server, said server is arranged to send a registration message to the subscriber to invite the subscriber to register. Once the subscriber has registered, the server can proceed as described above with respect to issuing notification messages of compilation of statements.

Preferably, said server sends a prompt in said registration message, where said mobile phone subscribers can reply to "said prompt/registration message to consent to creation of said account.

If the subscriber wishes to utilise a string of text as the user name portion of their email address, preferably said server includes a prompt to offer the subscriber an alias user name in addition to their mobile telephone number.

Preferably, said alias user name is linked with said mobile telephone number.

•\ Preferably, said server creates said account upon receipt of said consent message from said subscriber.

Preferably, server creates said account using said alias user name if said registration contains the same.

Preferably, said server provides an accounting module arranged to track transferred funds from a said online currency exchange provider, and to track payments made to said subscribers.

Preferably, said server calculates current currency exchange rates in order for payments to be made in the local currency.

Preferably, said server creates a bank account using said email address.

Preferably, said server may use a said subscriber account as a bank account.

Preferably, said server extracts funds directly from a payor using traditional banking transaction systems.

Preferably, said traditional banking transaction systems include credit card and cheque payments.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The accompanying drawings illustrate particular features of specific embodiments of the best mode for carrying out the present invention, wherein:

Figure 1 is a flowchart of steps taken in enabling online funds transfer to a mobile phone subscriber.

Figure 2 is a flowchart of steps taken in the registration process of a payee.

Figure 3 is a diagram showing the various entities that combine to facilitate a funds transfer.

Best Mode(s) for Carrying Out the Invention

The best mode for carrying out the invention will now be described with reference to one specific embodiment thereof. The description of the specific embodiment makes reference to Figures 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings. Accordingly reference numerals referred to herein are used in the drawings to show the corresponding feature described in the embodiment.

This embodiment utilises a mobile email gateway server 1 to facilitate the transfer of funds from a payor 3 to a payee 7, where the payee is a current mobile phone subscriber 5.

There are a number of online currency exchange providers, such as PayPal™, which enable a payor 3 to transfer funds to the email address of a payee. An email address in itself, however, is not easily and readily identifiable as belonging to a particular party. In addition, the use of a complex combinations of alphanumeric characters, in addition to the other characters available under the RFC822 standard, can increase the likelihood of error when entering the payee's email address.

The current system uses the familiar telephone number system to facilitate payment via email from the payor 3 to a mobile phone subscriber 5.

Firstly, the payor 3 provides the online currency exchange provider 9 with details of the payment 11 , which will include the source of their tender (for example a VISA™ or MasterCard™ number), the amount to be paid, and the mobile telephone number of the payee 7.

Once the details of the payment have been received, the online currency provider 9 process verifies that the payment is valid 13. This would likely include verifying that the source of the tender is valid, that a deduction from the source of tender is allowable, and finally, that the mobile telephone number is valid. At this stage of the transfer process, this may simply constitute verifying that the mobile telephone number includes a country code, the prefix following the country code

corresponds with a valid mobile phone network, and the number of numeric characters following is valid.

If verification of the payment 13 fails, the online currency exchange provider 9 returns to request details of the payment 11 until such time as a valid payment is made. If verification of the payment 13 is successful, the online currency exchange provider 9 sends a notification 15 to the mobile email gateway server 1 that a payment has been made. As a mobile phone number (including the country code) is unique, there is no risk thai duplicate payee mobile telephone numbers will exist.

The notification is made via an email message, where the user portion of the email address is the mobile telephone number specified by the payor 3, and the domain name is a domain that is hosted by the mobile email gateway server 1. While the payor 3 is ultimately using an email address to physically make payment, the inherent complexities are hidden, and the user simply needs to know the mobile phone number.

Further, there is an added security benefit in that the use of a mobile phone generates traceable logging events, as it is used on a private billable network, as opposed to the more anonymous Internet protocol, which currently utilises IPv4, and is easily 'spoofed'.

It should be noted that the notification 15 to the mobile email gateway server 1 could either be from one process to another on the same physical machine, or the two processes could located on two different machines located in different locations of a given network 17.

Upon receiving the notification 15, the mobile email gateway server 1 checks if the mobile telephone number has been previously registered 19 by accessing a table containing a list of mobile telephone number accounts that have previously been registered with the service offered by the mobile email gateway server 1.

If the mobile phone number has not been previously registered, the registration process 21 is triggered. Figure 2 outlines this process in more detail. Firstly, an alert 23 is sent to the payee 7 (by using the mobile phone number specified in the details of payment 11) via a telecommunications network 25 informing them that a deposit of funds has been made.

At this juncture, the payee 7 may register 27 by one of two means. Firstly, the payee 7 may send a text/sms to the mobile email gateway server 1 consenting to the creation of the account by supplying an identifying code and their details. Alternatively, the user may login to the mobile email gateway server 1 via a web interface, and by supplying their mobile phone number, identifying code and details, register 27 to use the service.

Upon receiving the registration details from the mobile phone subscriber 5, the mobile email gateway server 1 creates the necessary account 29 thereon. The account that is created follows the following syntax:

<mobile_number>@domain.com

For example, the mobile number 1234 would have an account of 1234@domain.com. Further, the mobile phone subscriber 5 may also create an alphanumeric sequence of characters to represent their account, in addition to their mobile telephone number account.

If the mobile phone subscriber 5does not register 27 within a prescribed period of time, a message is sent to the online currency exchange provider 9 signifying that the intended email recipient could not be reached, or by any another means specified by the online currency exchange provider 9. The payment by the payor 3 is in turn refunded 31 pursuant to the terms and conditions so agreed.

If the mobile phone subscriber 5 does register 27, or if the mobile phone subscriber 5 was previously registered when the notification 15 was received, the mobile phone subscriber 5 is notified 33 via a telecommunications network 25 that a deposit of funds has been made into their account.

A mobile phone subscriber 5 may utilise the account they have registered in any manner that the online currency exchange provider 9 allows. This may include sending funds to other parties, or transferring the funds to another account such as the account holder's VISA™ or MasterCard™ account.

It should be appreciated that changes may be made to various features in the above described embodiment without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, and that the invention is not limited to the specific embodiment described herein.