JP2003514291A - How to charge for purchases made on a computer network - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] A method for selling on a computer network is provided, in which a fraud prevention function determines whether or not the user is authorized as a valid user before selling on the computer network. . Credit card information, debit card information, checking account information, telephone service account, cable television account, utility account, Internet service provider account after the user is identified as a legitimate user by the fraud prevention function Information related to the payment method such as is requested from the user. Information related to the payment method is received in real time from the user. Payment method information is communicated to a payment authorization database, which may be located locally or remotely. Payment method information includes information received relating to the payment method. Payment authorization information related to the payment method is received from the payment authorization database. When the payment permission information is positive information, the sales transaction is completed. Upon completion of the sales transaction, a bill associated with the sale made on the computer network is sent to the payment authorization database. The billing information includes billing information, a payment method, and an amount representing a fee for sale.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

This application is a continuation-in-part of US patent application Ser. No. 09 / 362,238, filed July 28, 1999. US patent application Ser. No. 09 / 362,238 is a continuation-in-part of US patent application Ser. No. 09 / 280,863, filed March 30, 1999 and now abandoned. US Patent Application No. 09 / 280,863 is a continuation-in-part application of US Patent Application No. 09 / 245,713, filed February 8, 1999, and currently abandoned. U.S. Patent Application No. 09 / 245,713
It is a continuation-in-part of US patent application Ser. No. 09 / 039,335, filed March 16, 1998 and now abandoned. U.S. Patent Application No. 09 / 039,335 is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Patent Application No. 08 / 757,563, filed November 26, 1996, and is now U.S. Patent No. 5,960,069. US patent application Ser. No. 08 / 757,563 is a continuation-in-part of US patent application Ser. No. 08 / 658,378 filed June 5, 1996 and is now US Pat. No. 5,802,156. Each of these applications is incorporated herein by reference. This application is US patent application No. (Patent Attorney Docket No. 2416.8)
4534). This is a continuation-in-part application of US patent application Ser. No. 09 / 362,239 filed July 28, 1999 and now abandoned. U.S. Patent Application No. 09 / 362,239 was filed March 30, 1999 and is now abandoned U.S. Patent Application No. 09 / 280,862.
It is a partial continuation application of the issue. US patent application Ser. No. 09 / 280,862 is a continuation-in-part application of US patent application Ser. No. 09 / 245,713, filed February 8, 1999, and now abandoned. This application is U.S. Patent Application No. (Patent Attorney Docket No. 2416.845)
Also related to 36). This is a continuation-in-part application of US patent application Ser. No. 09 / 356,572, filed July 19, 1999 and now abandoned. US patent application Ser. No. 09 / 356,572 is a continuation-in-part application of US patent application Ser. No. 09 / 039,335 filed March 16, 1998 and now abandoned. Each of these applications is incorporated herein by reference. This application also claims the benefit of US Provisional Patent Application No. 60 / 139,475, filed June 17, 1999, and incorporated herein by reference.

1. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A. TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an efficient payment authorization / billing mechanism for products and services purchased on a computer network such as the Internet. In particular, the present invention provides a method of providing a payment authorization / charging mechanism for a call or communication session to a service agent that is accessible on a communication network such as the Internet or a computer network, and a session associated with such communication session. Restriction, deterrence, fraud prevention. The present invention also relates to a method of providing a payment authorization and charging mechanism for selling products and / or services on a computer network such as the Internet.

B. Description of Related Art So-called psychic network services have been in use for several years. Service agents or agents in such services are
Fortune callers who call 800 or 900 for love and fortune. The caller can ask the service agent any question for a fee, and generally the service agent can answer the question to the caller.

Currently, the caller of the Yellow Pages fortune telling network service dials one of the multiple telephone numbers used by the network to determine the advertisement that triggered the fortune telling network service. . Each telephone number connects the caller to the same service bureau where the automatic call distribution (ACD) system distributes the call at the service agent. The caller hears a cost and fee announcement called a preamble and is often presented with a menu of options. The caller can choose whether to hear a brief history of currently available service agents. When the calling side determines a specific fortune teller (psychic), the calling side accesses the specific fortune teller by pressing the * button, for example. If the caller already knows the extension number of the fortune teller he used previously, he can enter that particular telephone number.

ACD communication devices are known to provide this type of communication service and other types of communication services. Commonly controlled ACD devices are, for example, Lucent Technologi
Commercially available from es, Inc. and other manufacturers of commonly controlled switching equipment.
Typically, the service bureau or related agency provides services through the service bureau's own ACD system. Such an ACD system directs calls from callers requesting service to the next available service agent listed in the service agent availability queue. It is always assumed that one service agent answers the call. Service agents are usually equipped with a display for hands-free operation and an operator-type headset, and typically query a database, for example to book a trip. For this purpose, the service agent accesses a large computer database of travel booking and billing information.

[0006] Such a charging mechanism for service bureau institutions is rudimentary, and service providers are required to charge the caller for the services provided.
You can rely on the 900 service. For 800 calls, the service provider must pay for the call and in some cases ensure that payment for this service is received more than for 900-based calls. The service provider manually enters a credit card or other type of payment data into the memory of the billing system to properly bill this call. Because of this procedure, many callers often inquire about their rates. Also, due to the inefficiency of conventional charging procedures, unauthorized callers are receiving toll-free calls using unauthorized payment schemes, improper transfer of credits, etc.

One way to solve these and other problems is by a company called Mile High Psychics, which uses credit cards to make advance payments for blocks of service time. It is realized by the service provided. Credit authorization is obtained well before the time the service is provided. For example, a customer may purchase a block of service for 25 minutes before a call and use a personal identification number or code (PIN) when making a call to access this service.

Another approach is presented by Biggs, Jr., US Pat. No. 5,475,740.
This patent discloses a system connected to a central distribution computer that allows a user to access and pay for amenities by entering amenity identification and billing information using a telephone. . A billing database for checking the validity of the billing information entered is connected to the central distribution computer.

Both Kight et al. US Pat. No. 5,383,113 and Anderson US Pat. No. 5,283,829 are patents relating to electronically paying fees. Kight et al., U.S. Patent No. 5,383,1
According to No. 13, consumers instruct service providers to pay various charges using a telephone, computer terminal, or other communication technology without having to write a check for each charge. A capable computerized payment system is realized. Service providers collect information from consumers, financial institutions, and sellers and coordinate payments to sellers according to each consumer's specific instructions.
Similarly, Anderson US Pat. No. 5,283,829 discloses an electronic fee payment system and method that includes a billing device that creates an authorization record and generates an authorization number for each preauthorized subscriber. The system also includes an interactive payment approval device that accepts payment approval calls from subscribers and determines whether to initiate an electronic transfer based on the collected information. A series of security checks and comparisons are made in preparation for accidental and unauthorized entry of authorization numbers.

US Pat. No. 4,908,850 to Masson et al. Discloses an information network and method for implementing a national audio text network, including electronic billing, useful in a variety of applications. This system enables interactive communication with computers that provide network information to callers 1-800. The system can authorize or charge electronic credit cards and control the routing of incoming calls to direct them to a human operator or other equipment, or to an outgoing line to any desired destination. .

In other conventional systems, credit cards are used to pay for service agent calls. In this system, each time the caller makes a call, the caller's credit account is accessed and a predetermined fee, such as $ 100, is granted and secured from the credit limit available on the caller's credit card. The caller then talks to the service agent. The actual cost of the call is determined at the end time of the call and then transferred to the credit card company in the normal procedure. This charge is then compared to the reserved amount and the difference between the reserved amount and the actual cost of the call is returned to the caller's available credit limit. Unfortunately for the caller, this process typically takes 3-4 days. As a result, the reserved portion of the caller's available credit limit is limited to approximately three to four days required by the credit card company to adjust the authorized amount to the actual amount of the call. It cannot be used for other calls or purchases.

Further, there is an increasing demand to provide a charging mechanism for selling certain items or services on computer networks. For example, Gifford, US Pat. No. 5,724,424, discloses a network sales system that allows users to purchase goods or information over a computer network such as the Internet. According to Gifford, this network sales system
Includes a plurality of buyer side computers, a plurality of seller side computers, and a payment computer interconnected by a network. The user of the buyer computer purchases the product, and the buyer computer sends a purchase message to the seller computer. The seller computer builds the payment instructions to send to the payment computer. The paying computer authorizes the purchase and sends an authorization message to the seller's computer. When the seller computer receives the authorization message, the product is sent to the buyer computer. Alternatively, the buyer's computer can send the payment instruction directly to the payment computer, in which case the payment computer sends an authorization message to the buyer's computer that includes an unforgeable certificate indicating that the instruction is valid. . The buyer computer then builds a purchase message that is sent to the seller computer.
When the seller computer receives the purchase request, the product is sent to the buyer computer based on the authorized payment order.

US Pat. No. 5,715,314 to Payne et al. Is a similar network-based sale that includes at least one buyer computer, at least one seller computer, and at least one payment computer interconnected by a computer network. The system is disclosed. According to Payne et al., The seller's computer does not have to communicate directly with the payment computer to ensure that the user is authorized to purchase the product, and which buyer is authorized to purchase which product. It is possible to respond to payment instructions from the buyer's computer without having to store information about the in a database. When the seller computer receives an access message from the seller computer that identifies the product being purchased, the seller computer examines the access message to verify that this access message was created by the paying computer, thereby , You just need to determine that the buyer is authorized to purchase this product.

Despite these conventional charging mechanisms for voice-based telephone services over circuit-switched networks and products and services purchased over computer networks such as the Internet, they are purchased over the network. There is a need for efficient authorization and billing mechanisms for products, services and telephone-based services.

II. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is directed to a communication session with a service agent that can be accessed on a circuit-switched communication network and a packet-switched communication network such as the Internet, and session restriction, blocking, and fraud prevention associated with such a communication session. Provide an efficient payment authorization / billing mechanism for The present invention also provides products and services purchased over computer networks such as the Internet, as well as efficient payment authorization and billing mechanisms for restricting, blocking, and preventing fraud associated with such purchases.

An advantage of the present invention is provided by a method of charging a communication session between a service agent and a user, where a request from the user for a communication session between the user and the service agent is received. Information related to the credit account is requested before the user is connected to the service agent, and the information related to the credit account is received in real time. According to the present invention, the information associated with a credit account is
It may be credit card information, debit card information, checking account information, wire transfer information, telephone numbers, cable television accounts, utility accounts, or internet service provider accounts. Credit account information is communicated to a payment authorization database, which may be located locally or remotely. When the credit account information is, for example, information about a credit card, it includes received information related to the credit account and a predetermined amount to be reserved in the credit account. Alternatively, the credit card information includes received information associated with the credit account and a predetermined amount to charge the credit account. Before the user is connected to the service agent, the payment authorization information associated with the credit card is received from the payment authorization database and the user is connected to the service agent when the payment authorization information is positive information. . The total amount of the communication session is calculated based on the actual time the user is connected to the service agent when the communication session ends. Preferably, the fee for the communication session is determined based on the rate per minute. Session fee information related to the communication session is sent to the payment authorization database when the communication session ends. Therefore, the session fee information includes information that charges the credit account an amount representing the fee for the communication session.

In one aspect of the invention, when the credit account information is, for example, information about a credit card, the credit account information includes a predetermined amount of authorization,
The session fee information includes information for revoking a predetermined amount of permission and information for re-authorizing the amount representing the fee for the communication session to the credit account. Alternatively, the session charge information is a credit that represents the amount obtained by subtracting the amount representing the charge of the communication session from the predetermined amount.

The present invention provides a communication session access to a service agent, where a request from the user for a communication session, such as a computer network telephone or multimedia communication session, between the user and the service agent is received. It also provides a way to control Information related to the user is also received and the database is accessed. The received information related to the user is compared with the information stored in the database, and the user determines that the received information related to the user is valid information in comparison with the information stored in the database. Will be connected to the service agent. The communication session is the frequency of communication sessions from the user during a predetermined period, the amount of money spent by the user during the predetermined period, the length of the communication session during the predetermined period, the user's ID, the user's computer network. -Can be blocked or restricted based on various criteria such as address, user credit account information, user personal information, and / or user billing address.

Another aspect of the invention provides a method of selling on a computer network in which it is determined if the user is an unauthorized user before selling on the computer network. Such as credit card information, debit card information, checking account information, telephone service accounts, cable television accounts, utility accounts, internet service provider accounts, etc. The user is requested information related to the payment method.
Payment method information is communicated to a payment authorization database, which may be located locally or remotely. Payment method information includes received information related to the payment method. Payment authorization information related to the payment method is received from the payment authorization database. The sale transaction is complete when the payment authorization information is positive information. Upon completion of the sale transaction, billing information related to the sale made on the computer network is sent to the payment authorization database. The billing information includes billing information, a payment method, and an amount representing a sales fee.

In one aspect of this aspect of the invention, whether an unauthorized user is computer network address information related to a user received from the computer network and the computer network received from the user. -It is judged based on the address information. The computer network address information received from the computer network is compared to the computer network address information received from the user before the payment method related information is requested. According to another aspect of this aspect of the invention, fraudulent users are determined based on received information associated with the users. The database is accessed and the received information related to the user is compared with the information stored in the database before the user is requested information related to the payment method. The method also compares the information associated with the user with the information stored in the database before determining whether to block, limit, or complete the sales transaction. The information received includes the user's ID
, The frequency of sales to the user during a given period, the amount spent by the user during a given period, the user's computer network address, the credit account information associated with the user, the billing address, and / or the user's May include personal information.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION FIG. 1 is an automatic call distribution (ACD) programmed to operate in accordance with the present invention.
It is a schematic block diagram of a system. An exemplary ACD system suitable for the present invention is disclosed by Felger, US Pat. No. 5,802,156, incorporated herein by reference. The ACD system allows switched network access to multiple service agents or agents. Although such ACD systems vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, according to the present invention, such ACD systems operate under the common control of controller 110. The ACD system of FIG. 1 illustrates a switch 100 connected to multiple service agents or agents operating from service agent locations 101-1 through 102-n.
Is included. The ACD 100 calls any of the service agent locations 101-1 through 102-n (
Circuit-switched voice and data).

A service agent location such as location 101-1 can include a remote dial-up terminal 101a having a caller identification display 101b. Alternatively, the service agent location may include equipment such as operator headsets, cathode ray tube displays, computer systems, automatic number identification / name displays (not shown), and conventional service agents such as location 101-2. It may be a position. Therefore, such a service agent location acts as an extension of the ACD system. Alternatively,
The service agent location may include an intelligent telephone terminal, personal computer, or other intelligent terminal known in the art (not shown).

Whether the service agent at the service agent location can provide the service to the caller by performing a login procedure as illustrated by the flow chart of FIG. 2 described herein. Indicates. The caller who requested the service is processed according to the flow chart of FIG. 3, which is also described in detail herein.

Connected to switch 100 are multiple service circuits and devices that provide various signals, data inputs, data signals, conferencing, and other services. Such service circuits and equipment include dual tone multi-frequency (DTMF) receivers.
Decoder 120, Automatic Number Identification (ANI) Circuit, Dialed Number Identification (DNI) Circuit 125, Audio Response (Message) Unit 135, Conference Bridge Circuit 130, and Modulator /
A demodulator circuit (MODEM) 140 is included, but is not limited to. One or more types of each of these service circuits and devices are provided, the number of which depends on the frequency of use of each.

Each service circuit or device is called by the controller 110 according to a call processing program and a control program stored in the memory 115. Memory 1
One control program residing at 15 is maintained accurately by, for example, regular updates by satellites and must be protected in case of loss of system local power, the actual time, day, month, and A clock that indicates the year. Another program is the conversion program needed to convert the called telephone number into an advertising source or the extension of the service agent into a remote telephone number for remote dialing.

The DTMF receiver / decoder 120 includes a postal code, an address, a credit card number, a bank account number, an entered name, at least a service providing function, a call blocking function, a call restricting function, and an illegal function. It is of particular importance in receiving information such as commands and signals for the system of the present invention relating to caller control and system control of a range of prevention functions, payment and billing functions. The audio response (message) unit 135 preferably has an audio announce function for queuing the caller and a DTMF for receiving and decoding input data entered via the telephone keypad in response to the announcement inquiry. A receiver / decoder 120. Alternatively, the DTMF receiver / decoder 120 and other input circuitry can be replaced with a speech recognizer and other automatic input devices. The modem 140 automatically transfers the payment form data to the credit company or bank under the control of the controller 110 and receives authorization for payment or billing to the account in real time. Modem 140 may comprise a network data mover (NDM) modem or a remote job entry (RJE) modem. When the call to the service agent is complete, modem 140 communicates the call billing information to a remotely located billing authority (not shown).

The calling side makes a call on the lines 110-1 and 110-2 representing the line / trunk connecting the ACD 100 to the telephone switching center. Advertising sources using several different telephone numbers identified for each line / trunk at the telephone company headquarters (not shown)
Or it can identify what triggered the caller to know the existence of a call-in service. Signaling information is typically generated prior to a call on the same or different lines. The signaling information includes the address of the calling side and may include the called address. Dialed number identification / automatic number identification (ANI / DNI) unit 125 identifies the number dialed and determines what triggered the caller to know about the service. The ANI / DNI unit 125 is later compared with the telephone number entered by the caller through the telephone keypad in response to the request generated by the audio response (message) unit 135 after the call is initiated, or Alternatively, it also indicates the calling telephone number that is later compared to the negative database described in detail herein.

Briefly, in accordance with one aspect of the present invention, charges, 800 or 900 telephone numbers, or Internet addresses are used to identify service agents available, for example, in fortune telling network services. A new caller can be connected to our single service agent. A second telephone number or internet address can be used to identify the Psychic Twins service, which allows the caller to have two service agents through the dual agent service agent availability queue. Connected at the same time. The third number or internet address is used for three-service agent calls, and other numbers or internet addresses are used as well. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the caller is processed according to the call processing algorithm shown in FIG.

Conference bridge 130 may include automatic dialing equipment to dial the telephone number of the service agent. Alternatively, an automatic dialing circuit (not shown) can be provided separately. Of course, according to the present invention, multiple service agents are simultaneously connected to a caller who desires such a service, and depending on whether the service agents are directly connected to the ACD 100, automatic dialing is performed in a particular conference call. A ring circuit may or may not be needed. A signaling circuit (not shown) sends a ringing signal towards the service agent, but according to the invention, no audible ringing is made to the calling party. The service agent is connected when he picks up the handset.

The concept of the invention is fully applicable to all forms of telephones, whether they are circuit-switched based telephones or computer network telephones such as packet-switched telephones. For example, a typical router connected to a computer network such as the Internet can process packetized telephone data in a manner similar to how the ACD system shown in Figure 1 handles circuit-switched telephones. A router provides packet-switched network access to multiple computer network addresses, similar to how an ACD system provides circuit-switched network access to multiple service agents or agents. Router
Direct Internet-type telephone and communication session data packets to the service agent location in a known manner. In addition, using the Internet address,
For example, the caller of a computer network telephone can be connected to a single service agent of the service agents available in the divination network service. Psychic Twins using a second internet address
A service can be identified whereby two service agents are simultaneously connected to the caller via a dual agent service agent availability queue. The third internet address is used for three-service agent calls, and other internet addresses are used as well. Computer network of the present invention
In the base aspect, the service agent is preferably an intelligent telephone terminal, personal computer, or other intelligent terminal known in the art.

FIG. 2 is a flow diagram of a sequence of operations controlled by controller 110 when a service agent is started and placed in a service agent availability queue in accordance with the present invention. The entire procedure of FIG. 2 is performed regardless of whether the service agent accesses the service bureau through a circuit switched network or a packet switched telephone. At step 200, the service agent calls the service bureau to indicate the availability of the service agent providing the service. Of course, when the service agent is directly connected to the switch 100, such as by a leased line, the calling service agent need only answer the phone or log on. Regardless of whether the calling service agent is connected through a leased line, the extension or telephone number is sent to the controller 1 through, for example, the automatic number identification circuit 125.
Automatically recognized by 10. In the packetized telephone-based aspect, the service agent's internet address or logon data can be compared to a database to determine the service agent's identity.

At step 210, the audio response unit 135 is connected to the service agent. Usually, the date and time are recorded in the memory 115 via the controller 110, and the date and time when the service agent attempts to start the service to the calling side are recorded. Service agent, step 21
At 0, a programmed announcement is received asking to identify certain options and preferences for recording in memory 115. For example, suppose that a pair of psychic twins together preferably service the caller. That is, service agent A can only request to be connected to a particular psychic twin service agent B in a psychic double conference call. Other preferences such as service agent name, address, billing rate, constellations, and / or other information may be predetermined or entered for the first time, preferably on the telephone keypad or voice. It can be entered automatically via recognition. In other aspects of using computer service assistance, one service agent may designate a hardware-related expert and another service agent may specify a software-related expert.

In another or packetized telephone-based aspect, the service agent is equipped with a cathode ray terminal, a printer or other display, and a complete keyboard to allow written inquiries and responses, and thus The "announcement" of step 210 may be a written announcement or a displayed announcement. However, in a preferred embodiment, the exemplary announcements or instructions provided by each embodiment include:
"Press 1 if you want to handle only one call at a time by one person. Press 2 if you want to fortune with a second fortune teller for each incoming call. For each incoming call requesting service If you want to fortune with the other two fortune tellers, please press 3, ... ". If the service agent has a computer mouse, the mouse can be used to enter selection criteria.

The flow proceeds to step 220 and a favorite selection is made. Steps 210 and 220 are repeated until the login is complete. After the response to the stage 210 inquiry is registered by the DTMF or other data receiver 120 and reported to the controller 110, the ARU135
Can validate input data and provide auditory feedback on choices. The ARU 135 may then request: "Do you use a second fortune teller? If you do, press the key on the keypad and enter the first few letters of your desired fortune teller's surname." This twin can be entered and immediately identified via a memory reference in memory 115. An audible or visual confirmation / feedback can be provided to indicate that the choice has been accepted, and an error algorithm can be provided, if necessary, to correct any incorrect choices made by the service agent.

The login process of FIG. 2 includes steps 210 and 2 depending on the desired service to be performed.
Twenty different announcements and responses can be varied. Moreover, the results may vary. In some cases, there may be an availability queue of available service agents wishing to personally occupy the caller or with other fortune tellers. In other words, the service agent may accept any request for service. In other aspects, availability queues for individual service agent calls, double calls, ie, twins calls, triplets, ie, three service agent calls, may be formed in memory 115. Alternatively, there may be a combination of such cues depending on the aspect. Therefore, in the simplest aspect of the invention, the service agent will receive the next two services available in the dual service agent availability queue when receiving a call for a special dual service agent telephone number. Log in to the dual service agent availability queue so that agents are automatically and almost simultaneously connected to callers.

The result of the login process is shown in step 230, that is, the service agent is queued in memory 115 in one or more service agent availability queues as a memory table. Of course, when the service representative gets the call and is connected to the caller (and possibly the fortune teller by one or more other service representatives), in response to the signal from the controller 110, the appropriate in memory 115. Availability table records a "busy" state for this service agent. In addition, the service agent may prefer the type of call he / she wishes to accept (eg, fortune telling personally, fortune telling with a fortune teller by another service agent, etc.), and the constellation, birthday, gender, and call. It records certain other preferences, such as other information useful for organizing. Memory for some or all of this information, depending on the service offered
It can be stored in 115. Over time, record in memory 115 the number, type, caller ID, caller preference, etc. of calls processed by each service agent,
It may be associated with a service agent, which may help provide better service to the caller and may be paid or otherwise rewarded to the service agent.

FIG. 3 shows a flow chart for processing a call received from a packet switched computer network, such as a circuit switched communication network or the Internet, for a service agent according to the present invention. The caller may define certain parameters for the ACD (Internet Router) of FIG. 1 that he follows in connecting the caller to at least one service agent. At step 305, the fortune teller network service caller calls the 800 or 900 telephone number for the service bureau on line 110-1 or the series of trunks 110-1 and 110-2, or the internet address. To access the service bureau. Second
Line or internet address or series of trunks or internet addresses may be provided independently for Twins service. In such an example, the caller may immediately move to stage 320 to register input data including, but not limited to, the caller's telephone number, address, and billing information, or internet address. be able to.

According to the invention, call restriction, call blocking, and fraud checking are automatically performed at this stage. For example, twice per day, 40 minutes per day, per week
Call restriction criteria such as 50 minutes, 85 minutes per month, and / or the amount spent by the caller during a given period of time can be established to protect the caller from excessive use and billing. The caller has a query in the database to determine the number of times the caller has been connected and the time each call has been connected to determine whether individual call restriction criteria or a combination thereof has been exceeded. Receive. If any call restriction criteria are exceeded, the caller will thank the previous call and possibly receive a message that either blocks the current call or limits the duration of the current call.

With respect to blocking calls based on input data and certain negative databases, the caller's telephone number (or internet address) and address or apartment number and / Or the first few digits of the postal code, the calling party's telephone number (obtained via ANI), the calling party's internet address (obtained via packetized data), and / or credit card Can be matched with data. Comparing the first digits of the address or apartment number and / or zip code entered by the user with credit card data downloaded from a credit institution or bank or pre-stored. In the book, it is called an address verification system. The caller may be asked to explain any differences,
And / or the call is blocked. (Obtained by caller input via ANI)
The caller's telephone number or Internet address (obtained by caller's input via packetized data) is matched against each other and payphones, prisons, schools, selected offices, and calls are switched. (Router) Phone number / Internet address negative identifying the location of another institution or telephone or Internet access device that may be blocked at 100
Can match database.

The voiceprint of the caller's voice can be recorded via message unit 135, converted to digital form, and compared to a voiceprint database to validate the caller's ID. As a security check, the caller's name may be entered into the system via the keypad of a telephone or intelligent terminal and compared to the name of a cardholder or account. When the caller is making a packet-switched call, a voiceprint,
The fingerprint image and / or the photographic image can be used to validate the caller's ID. At the very least, the calling party's address entered by the telephone keypad can be matched via AVS with the address on the card holder or account that was previously stored and downloaded from the credit institution or bank. In another aspect, a non-service agent assists or assists the automated system in restricting calls, blocking calls, fraud prevention, collecting payment information, and obtaining payment authorization, or replaces it. can do.

The caller is identified at step 325 as being a caller who is serviced by at least one service agent, and at step 330 the identified service agent listed in the service's availability queue. You will be connected immediately. If it is determined that the call blocking criteria, call restriction criteria, and fraud prevention criteria are not exceeded, the calling party
Service Agent Immediately connected to and serviced by at least one service agent listed in the availability queue.

In another preferred aspect of the present invention, steps 310 and 315 are repeated until the caller is logged in, similar to the procedure for a service agent logging in as in FIG. For example, at step 310, a service bureau side, such as a fortune telling network service, plays a caller welcome announcement. When the service agent's queue is almost full, the caller's call is important,
Announcements can indicate that the connection with the service agent will be temporarily delayed. The controller 110 may, in some cases, indicate the caller's expected latency based on the average call duration calculated by the controller itself and other calculations regarding queuing theory, during which certain service information and Start recording service agent preference information.

While the caller is waiting for the service agent, the caller may be provided with horoscope or other information of interest to the caller until the service agent is able to have a session with the caller. For example, the caller may enter birthday, gender, and service preferences (fortune teller by one or more service agents). While the caller is waiting for a service agent, this information can be used to provide horoscopes for the caller or other information that the caller may be interested in.

As steps 310 and 315 are repeated, controller 100 may
, ANI 125, and DTMF receiver / decoder 120. The controller 100 determines, among other things, the charging mechanism, such as whether the caller has ever used this service, how the caller made payments in the past, what preferences and data were accumulated at that time. The database can be queried for and the data useful for this call can be entered into the active memory.

After the call is accepted and the caller is logged in, the caller's input data is registered in active memory 115 at step 320. The data to be registered include
Caller's name, address, zip code, telephone number, credit card type and number, bank name and account number and billing data, service preferences, and usage of the caller to match service agent data. You may include data that you can. For example, the calling constellation determined from the entered birthday or entered independently may be matched with similar psychic service agent information before the call is initiated.

In this case, identifying the service agent in step 325 is as simple as selecting the next available service agent from the availability queue and associating the selected service agent with the caller. You can Call double service agent (twin
Service), the next two available service agents are selected from the availability queue for calls, and other calls are made as well. For example, a pair of psychic
The selection of service agents may be more complex when twins need to be identified and selected. Other criteria for choosing a service representative include gender, constellation,
And other preference data can be included. In selecting all such criteria and matching preferences, step 325 is important in obtaining the best service for a particular caller. The drawback of this stage is that there are not so many service agents available with the desired criteria, resulting in a long delay in clearing the call or the completion of the clearing of the call at a specific time. It can be impossible. Announcements 310 may be used adaptively to represent the actual choices that the caller may make at a particular time under the control of controller 110. Additional options may be given to the caller within the same network, or through conventional mechanisms with other psychic counseling network services, and the caller may be provided to available psychic agents associated with other fortune-telling networks. May be moved to receive the service.

When the service agent answers the call, the caller is charged for this call.
Therefore, in step 335, all caller data and service agent data are logged with date and time for calculating call duration in minutes and for logging billing and service agent compensation data. In particular, the caller may have the first service agent answer the phone or initiate an Internet phone session until the last service agent hangs up or ends the Internet phone session. You will be charged for the duration. Individual time logs are maintained for each caller (call duration) and each service agent (service duration). For example, when the first service agent hangs up, the system updates the database with the connection time and date and time of the first service agent. When the second service agent or the last service agent hangs up, the caller is charged for the total call time and the connection time and date and time of the second service agent are recorded accordingly.

After the consultant (including the calling party) completes the call, step 340 is entered. On-hook conditions and dates are registered by controller 110 so that the duration of the call can be calculated. Each service agent chooses to log off by following the log-off process complementary to the login process of Figure 2, or is returned to their respective availability queues until unavailable by accepting the service call. After the service agent logs in, the controller 110 expects the next call to the service bureau to be a logoff call, gives an appropriate announce sequence, and gets a response about the logoff. The date can be recorded to determine the time the service agent worked for the job.

When the counseling service is provided for a certain fee, the principles of the present invention are expected to provide the caller with various ways to pay for the service provided. Some payment methods such as debit cards, bank checks or bills of exchange, smart cards, electronic wallets (e-wallets), major credit cards are more reliable than others. Other forms of payment contemplated by the present invention include telephone numbers, cable television account numbers, utility accounts, or internet service provider (ISP) account numbers. The caller enters the preferred form of payment via the ARU unit 135 in response to the request. The caller may use these credit mechanisms in real-time prior to counseling services to obtain prior authorization,
Therefore, the discount according to the present invention can be realized, whereby the payment method preferred by the service vendor can be used. Payment methods and billing mechanisms are usually agreed after the call restriction, call blocking, and fraud prevention features described above,
Agree can be made before making the call or before the call is completed. Preferably, such a mechanism is automatically agreed upon by using message unit 135 and data input 120 as described above when obtaining authorization from a bank or credit institution using modem 140. It

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of a real-time charging system for circuit switched and packet switched calls according to the principles of the present invention. At logic block 401, the initial fraud prevention feature is activated. This anti-fraud feature includes verifying that the calling party is calling from a location that matches the calling party telephone number of the call, limiting the number and duration of calls made during a period of time, and / or Limiting the amount that the caller spends on a service agent call during a predetermined period can be included.

When a call is received from the circuit switched network, the system prompts the caller in logic block 401 to enter the caller's telephone number, and the caller starts from a location that matches the telephone number. Verify that you are calling from the displayed ANI. If the phone number entered does not match the phone number transferred from ANI,
The caller may be disconnected or the caller may be given another opportunity to re-enter the correct telephone number. Logical block when the call is received from the packet switched network
The 401's initial tamper-proof feature allows the caller to connect to an Internet address that matches the Internet address contained in the packetized telephone data received with the call.
Verify that you are calling from the address. The caller is also asked to enter the caller's internet address or a unique ID associated with the caller and / or terminal equipment. If the entered internet address (unique ID) does not match the internet address transferred in the packetized telephone data (unique ID), disconnect the caller or use the correct internet address or unique The caller may be given another opportunity to re-enter the ID.

The calling party's telephone number or Internet address (input from the calling side)
When it is verified that the unique ID) matches the ANI or Internet address (unique ID) that was forwarded with the call, the initial tamper protection in logic block 401 also ensures that the caller's telephone number is also on the Internet. It is verified that the address (unique ID) is also not stored in the negative database of known inappropriate phone numbers and / or internet addresses (unique ID). The negative database may be located locally in memory 115 or remotely located and accessed via a modem or the Internet. Phone numbers and / or internet addresses (unique ID) stored in the negative database are not enough for payment of telephone charges or credit card payments, or charges for previous service agent calls Telephone number and / or internet address (unique ID) stored by the caller refusing to pay in connection with the dispute. However, the present invention provides that the above criteria (a telephone number and / or an internet address (which may be disputed with regard to the charge of a service agent call or be underpaid for the call)).
It is not limited by the above-mentioned negative database that satisfies the (store unique ID)). Negatives used at this stage of the initial fraud prevention of the present invention
The database may be a shared database that stores telephone numbers and / or internet addresses (unique IDs) of callers who have credit problems with other types of telephone and / or internet-based order / payment systems. .

The system of the present invention allows a call to be made to a telephone number and / or the originating Internet
Locations where the address (unique ID) cannot be transferred, eg caller ID, or call originating from another device displaying and / or recording the telephone number or internet address (unique ID) of the incoming call. An inspection to confirm is also performed.
In particular, some parts of the United States are unable to read the ANI and calls originating from telephone numbers located in these areas are detected by the initial fraud prevention function of logic block 401. The present invention is applicable to mobile phones, numbers related to PBX systems, government facilities,
It is also possible to detect calls from specific institutions and communication devices such as toll phones, prisons, hospitals, schools, selected establishments.

The initial fraud prevention function described above is an illustrative example. Other anti-fraud features will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, and thus the invention is not limited to the anti-fraud features described above. Generally, the system may be configured to prevent unwanted telephone numbers from being entered into the system.

The calling party's telephone number or Internet address (input from the calling side)
Unique ID) is verified to match the ANI or Internet address (unique ID) transferred with the call, and the calling party's telephone number or Internet address (unique ID) is included in the negative database. If not, then the initial tamper protection function of logic block 401 checks to see if the caller has exceeded the allowed number or duration of calls made during a given time period, or the caller queries the database. Thereby inspecting the amount spent during a given period. For example, the caller may be limited to two calls per day or twice per week, and the duration of the call may be as long as the caller speaks with the service agent up to, for example, 100 minutes per month. May be restricted to be allowed. The amount that the caller can spend may be limited to, for example, $ 100 per month. The database containing this type of information may be part of the negative database, separate from the negative database, or may be a shared database.

A call determined to be an illegal call by the initial fraud prevention function of the logic block 401 is transferred to the logic block 410 and processed, and it is determined what processing is to be performed next. According to the present invention, calls can be blocked, temporarily blocked, or restricted. Blocked calls are permanently barred from connecting to service agents. For blocked calls, a message is played advising the calling party to stop the call because the calling number or internet address is blocked. Examples of calls that may be blocked include calls from telephone numbers located in the negative database or from locations where the ANI cannot be transferred.
Similarly, Internet packets that were not properly transferred with packetized telephone data.
Internet phone calls originating from the address (unique ID) can also be blocked.

Due to call restrictions, the caller may be assigned a number of calls, a call's assigned duration (in minutes, hours, or days), or a period of time due to being connected to a service agent. It is forbidden to exceed the allocated amount of expenditure in. The restrictions placed on a given caller may be removed once the caller meets the criteria for removing the restriction. Calls that are temporarily blocked may include calls where the telephone number requested by the service agent does not match the displayed ANI number or the received packetized telephone data. The caller can re-enter the correct phone number or internet address (unique ID), or place another call to enter the caller phone number or internet address (unique ID) correctly Is allowed. Therefore, the caller is temporarily prevented from connecting to the service agent. The call is disconnected when any of the call restriction function, call blocking function, and temporary call blocking function is activated.

If the call is determined to be a legitimate call by the initial fraud prevention function of logic block 401, processing proceeds to logic block 402 where a payment form is used to pay the call to the service agent. The caller is asked by a computer operated voice or operator (non-service agent) to indicate the payment form information that the caller wishes to use. The form of payment may be cash, debit card, check or electronic bill of exchange, electronic transfer, credit, major credit cards, electronic wallet, and the like. For this particular aspect of the invention, preferred forms of payment include credit cards, debit cards and the like.

Alternatively, if the caller is already serviced, the payment form information is automatically accessed from the payment form / credit data in a known manner based on the ANI and / or other information provided by the caller. You may. Preferably, the payment form / credit data is stored locally, but may be located remotely. The already used payment form information stored in the payment form / credit database is presented to the caller in a known manner as a possible option for the caller to pay for the current call.

Voice activated by an operator or computer may present a discount to the calling party when the payment form selected by the calling party is convenient for the billing system, and the calling party may make a defined call or spend. Additional discounts may be given to frequent callers who have not exceeded their amount allowance. Of course, any other form of preferred processing may be initiated. In the exemplary aspect described in FIG. 4, the caller provides payment form information to the operator or enters this information via the telephone keypad or keyboard. Credit or debit card number, card expiration date, address including postal code, billing address,
The caller can be requested to enter or provide information such as birthday, driver's license number, etc. The call is disconnected when the payment form is not successfully communicated to the operator or when the caller fails to enter the payment form via the telephone keypad or keyboard. Alternatively, the caller may be temporarily blocked and / or given another opportunity to enter the correct information. It may completely prevent the caller from calling the system again.

Once the information has been successfully communicated or entered, flow proceeds to logic block 404, where
Additional fraud prevention features are implemented. Such additional fraud prevention features may include, for example, comparing the information provided by the caller with information stored in a database of information about each caller, and / or the credit card or debit of the caller. • Includes verifying that the card number is not in the negative database of outstanding payments. The information stored in this database includes the calling party's telephone number and / or internet address (unique
It may be a part of the negative database of (ID), may be separated from the negative database, or may be a shared database.

The information entered or conveyed by the caller is determined by whether the caller has exceeded the allowed number or duration of calls made during a given time period, or by the caller querying a database. It is also used to determine the amount of money spent during a given period. The database queried may be the same database used in step 401 to determine if the caller has exceeded any of the same criteria.

If the call is determined to be a fraudulent call by the additional fraud prevention functionality of logic block 404, it may be forwarded to logic block 410 and selectively or temporarily blocked or restricted. Calls that are blocked include calls that have expired or invalid credit or debit cards. Restricted calls include calls where the credit or debit card exceeds the monthly / weekly quota of the call or exceeds the time allowance for a period of time.
Calls that are temporarily blocked include calls for which the postal code or other information provided by the caller does not match the appropriate information stored in the database. In addition, calls that are classified as blocked may be classified as temporarily blocked when the caller is authorized by the system to provide information such as the correct expiration date of the charge card. The system can be configured as follows. A call may be classified as a temporarily blocked call when the caller is allowed to pay the lending agency to activate a credit or debit card.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, if the call is determined to be a legitimate call by the additional fraud prevention feature, then at a logical block 405, the credit card account information or debit card account information obtains authorization. Forwarded to the remote site for The remote sites used for authorization may include, for example, credit bureaus, banking institutions, third party billing agencies, and the like. The remote site verifies if this credit or debit card is valid. When the card is valid, at logic block 406, the credit card account or debit
A predetermined amount will be charged to the card account. According to another aspect of the invention, if the call is determined to be a legitimate call by an additional fraud prevention feature, the credit card account information or debit card account information is transferred to a local database for credit card or Confirm that the debit card is valid. When the card is valid, logic block 406 charges the credit or debit card account a predetermined amount.

Billing the credit account for a predetermined amount can be done in several ways. For example, a portion of the available credit limit of the calling account equal to a predetermined amount may be allowed or reserved for making this call. Alternatively, a predetermined amount may be entered in the account debit. In either case, the predetermined amount charged to the account is preferably higher than the possible charges for telephone calls to ensure that the charges incurred during the telephone call are paid. If the given request for the account is approved or rejected, the remote site sends an approval or rejection notification back to the system at logic block 406. If the remote site accepts the call, the call is forwarded to a service agent such as a psychic counselor. If the call is not authorized, it is blocked or temporarily blocked until information about the credit bureau or banking agency is processed by the caller.

At logic block 407, the call is directed to the service agent, at which point the charging process begins as shown at logic block 408. Calls are charged from the time the call is directed to one or more service agents to the time the last service agent hangs up. The caller is billed in minutes in real time only for the actual time connected to the service agent.

When the call ends, the system calculates the total chargeable amount for this call. The system then sends this chargeable amount to the remote site at logic block 410.
The system may send credit or debit card account information or some other identifying information to the remote site along with the chargeable amount. The remote site then cancels the previous charge on the account for a predetermined amount and, at logic block 408, the account is recharged with the actual chargeable amount for this call.

This authorization revocation routine is implemented in several ways, and the invention is not limited to the following example. First, the initial authorization to secure a predetermined amount of available credit is revoked, thereby returning the reserved amount to the available credit limit. A second authorization is then made to reserve a portion of the available credit limit equal to the actual cost of the call. In another aspect of the invention, the account may receive a predetermined amount of credit and invalidate a predetermined amount of the initial bill. The credit card account is then charged a new amount for the actual cost of the call. Alternatively, the account may only receive a predetermined amount of credit initially reserved minus the actual chargeable amount of the call, the difference amount of credit. Furthermore, if the caller is not connected to the service agent and the call does not start when the call ends, the caller is not billed for this call and the initial billing is completely void. Of course, when the credit account information is information about a checking account or electronic money transfer, the permission revocation function of the present invention is not used.

The present invention may be configured to provide video conferencing services to callers equipped with video cameras. Moreover, the service agent does not necessarily have to rely on the central controller 110 for database maintenance services for caller / service agent data. Such data may be maintained and updated in a personal computer on the premises of the service agent. Other modifications and improvements can be adaptively made to the present invention to provide services other than those described, such as medical consultation, suicide hotlines, and other services.

The present invention also implements a callout function in which the selected caller is called by the system in a known manner. After the call is connected to the caller, the message unit 135 plays an announcement for the callee presenting the services and / or merchandise that may be accepted. If the offer of services and / or merchandise is accepted by the call recipient, the message unit 135 issues an auditory prompt and asks the call recipient for a form of payment. Thus, payment forms already in use can be accessed from the payment form / credit database, allowing selection by the call recipient. The fraud prevention function of the present invention is optional.
It can be used with the payment form query function to access the payment form database. Once the form of payment is selected, fraud protection for the form of payment made by the present invention is initiated before the service and / or the goods are provided.

FIG. 5 is a schematic block diagram of a system 500 for charging communication sessions conducted over a packetized digital data computer network 501, such as the Internet, in accordance with the present invention. In FIG. 5, the Internet 501 and a plurality of Internet service providers (ISPs) 502 that enable access to resources connected to the Internet 501 are connected to the Internet 501. Each of the plurality of user terminals 503 is connected to the Internet 501 through the ISP 502. User terminal 503 typically uses an automatic dialing modem to form a circuit-switched data link with ISP 502. Alternatively, user terminal 503 may access ISP 502 through a cable link or high speed digital link. The ISP forms the packet-switched data link with the desired address on the Internet 502 in a known manner. Also connected to the Internet 501 are a number of servers, which may include routers, that allow web pages and other data to be accessed in a known manner. Only three such servers 504, 505, and 506 are shown in FIG. 5 for clarity of illustration.

The server 504 is connected to a computer system 507 used to provide service agent-based services, eg, psychic counseling network services. Other computer systems (not shown) may be connected to server 504. Preferably, computer system 507 is the only computer system connected to Internet 501 through server 504 so that the user requesting the service receives an optimal level of performance. A plurality of service agent terminals 508 can be locally connected to the computer system 507 so that the service agent can connect to the user for a counseling communication session from a central location. Additionally or alternatively, the service agent may be located remotely from the computer system 507 via a link via the Internet 501. For example, user terminals 503a and 503b can be operated by a service agent associated with a service agent-based service provided through computer system 507 in a manner transparent to the user requesting the service.

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram for using a communication session over a computer network to start a service agent and put it in a service agent availability queue in accordance with the present invention. Such a communication session may be a data only session or a multimedia session including any combination of audio, video and data. At step 600, the service agent indicates that the service bureau at the computer system 507 can be contacted via the Internet 501 to provide the service. At step 610, the service agent may, for example, service identifying certain options and preferences for record entry into the memory of system 507, similar to the options presented in connection with the login sequence of FIG. You receive the logon page that you request from your delegate. Preferences such as service agent name and address, billing rates, constellations, and / or other information are
It may be determined in advance or input for the first time. Usually at this point the system
The date and time are recorded in the memory of 507, and the date and time when the service agent attempts to start the service to the user are recorded. When the service agent is directly connected to the computer system 507, the service agent need only initiate the logon procedure rather than logging in to the ISP and initiating a communication session with the system 507.

The flow proceeds to step 620 to enter the preference selected by the service agent and send this preference selection information to system 507. Steps 610 and 620 are repeated until the login is complete. Once the response to the inquiry of step 610 is registered, the system 507
Can validate input data and provide audible and / or visual feedback regarding selection. The system 507 can then send an additional login inquiry page, such as whether the service representative wants to divine with one or more fortune tellers. Feedback confirmation that the options have been accepted by the system 507 can optionally be performed with an error algorithm performed to correct the incorrect choice by the service agent.

In the login process of FIG. 6, the various inquiry pages and responses of steps 610 and 620 can be varied depending on the desired service to be performed. Moreover, the results may vary. In some cases, there may be an availability queue of available service agents wishing to divide the user personally, with other fortune tellers, or in a chat room environment. In other words, the service agent may accept any request for service. In other aspects, availability queues for individual service agent communication sessions, dual communication sessions, ie Twins communication sessions, triplets, ie 3 service agent communication sessions, etc., may be formed in memory 115. There may be a combination of such cues depending on the aspect. Therefore, in the simplest aspect of the invention, the service agent is
When you receive a request for a communication session on a special dual service agent website or web page, the next two service agents currently available in the dual service agent availability queue will automatically give you Log in to the Dual Service Agent Availability Queue to get connected.

The result of the login process is shown in step 630, that is, the service agent is placed in the memory of system 507 in one or more service agent availability queues as a memory table. Of course, when the service agent accepts the communication session and is connected to the caller, and possibly the fortune teller by one or more service agents, the appropriate availability table in memory of system 507 is:
Record a "busy" status for this service agent. In addition, the service agent may want to accept the type of communication session that he or she wishes to accept (eg, personal fortune telling,
Divination with a fortune teller by one or more service agents, in a chat room environment, etc.) It informs and records certain other preferences, such as information. Depending on the service offered, some or all of this information can be stored in the memory of system 507. Over time, it records the number, types, user identities, user preferences, etc. of communication sessions accepted by each service agent and associates them with the service agent, thereby providing a better service to the caller. You can help and give salaries or other rewards to service agents.

FIG. 7 shows a flow diagram for processing a service agent communication session, which may be a data only session or a multimedia session, according to the present invention. Such a communication session may be a data only session or a multimedia session including any combination of audio, video and data. At step 705, a potential user of a service bureau provided with computer system 507 accesses the login page at the service bureau's web address. For access to Twins Services, a second web address or set of web pages can be set up independently. In such an example, the user may be immediately moved to step 720 and input data may be registered including, but not limited to, the user's internet address, physical address, and billing information.

According to the present invention, at step 710, communication session restriction, session blocking, and fraud checking are automatically performed. Establish any communication session limit criteria, such as twice per day, 40 minutes per day, 50 minutes per week, 85 minutes per month, and / or the amount spent by a user during a given period. User can be protected from overuse and billing. The user queries the database to determine how many times the user has been connected and how long each session has been connected to determine if individual session limit criteria or a combination thereof has been exceeded. receive. If any session limit criteria is exceeded, the user will thank the past session and possibly receive a message that blocks the current session or limits the duration of the current session.

Regarding blocking of sessions based on input data and certain negative databases, the first few digits of the user's address or apartment number and / or zip code should be entered in order to identify security breaches in advance. It can be matched to internet address and / or credit card data (obtained via packetized data when the session was initiated). Comparing the first digits of the address or apartment number and / or zip code entered by the user with credit card data downloaded from a credit institution or bank or pre-stored is an address verification system. (AVS). The user may be asked to explain any differences,
And / or the call is blocked. Internet address (or other unique address) at which the session (obtained via packetized data) is initiated
May match toll telephones, prisons, schools, selected establishments, and other institutions or terminals or telephone locations that may block communication sessions with internet address telephone negative databases. it can.

If the session is a multimedia session involving voice communication, the voiceprint of the user's voice can be recorded by system 507 and compared to the voiceprint database to validate the user's ID. As a security check, the user's name may be entered and compared to the cardholder or account name. In addition, fingerprint images and / or photographic images can be used to validate the caller's ID. At a minimum, the user's address entered via the keyboard can be matched via AVS with the address on the card holder or account previously stored and downloaded from the credit institution or bank 511. In another aspect, a non-service agent assists or assists an automated system in restricting sessions, blocking sessions, fraud prevention, forms of collection of payment information, and obtaining authorization for payment, or replaces it. can do.

The user is identified at step 725 as being a user who is served by at least one service agent, and at step 730 a personal discussion with the service agent,
Talking with multiple service agents, immediately connected to the identified service agent listed in the service availability queue for the type of service requested by the user, such as a chat room environment. If the session blocking criteria, session limiting criteria, and fraud prevention criteria are not exceeded, the user is immediately connected to and serviced by at least one service agent listed in the service agent availability queue.

In another preferred aspect of the invention, steps 710 and 715 are performed until the user is logged in, in a similar procedure as when the service agent logs in when using the communication session as in FIG. It is executed repeatedly. For example, in step 710, a welcome announcement for the fortune telling network service is sent to the user. When the service agent's queue is nearly full, an announcement can indicate that the user's session is an important session and the connection with the service agent is temporarily delayed. The system 507 may indicate the expected latency of the user based on the calculated average session duration and other calculations related to queuing theory, during which some other service information and service agent preferences Start recording information. For example, similar to the telephone-based aspects of the present invention of FIGS. 1-4, the user inputs birthday, gender, and service preferences (fortune teller by one or more service agents, chat room environment, etc.). be able to.

As steps 710 and 715 are repeated, the system 507 determines, among other things, whether the user has used this service, how the user has paid in the past, what preferences and at that time. The database can be queried to determine the billing mechanism, such as whether data has been accumulated, and data useful for this session can be entered into active memory.

After the communication session has been accepted and the user has logged in, of course, step 72
At 0, the input data of the user is registered in the memory of the system 507. The data registered may include, among other things, the user's name, address, postal code, telephone number, credit card type and number, bank name and account number and billing data, service preferences, and the user as service agent data. It may include data that can be used to match. For example, a user's constellation determined from the entered birthday or entered independently may be matched with similar psychic service agent information before the session is initiated.

When the service agent queue is almost full and / or the user has to wait for a connection to a particular service agent, the system 507 is customized for the user or the user is interested. A page of information that you may have can be sent to the user. For example, while the user is waiting
As the user's information and killing time, horoscope information or constellation table (made for the user based on data input by the user) can be transmitted to the user. As another example, marketing information may be sent to the user, such as information about products and / or services obtained from the service bureau so that the user may spend time waiting for a service agent.

In this case, identifying the service agent in step 725 is as simple as selecting the next available service agent in the availability queue and associating the selected service agent with the user. You may In a dual service agent session (twin service), the next two available service agents are selected from the availability queue for the session and other calls are made as well. A pair of psychic
The selection of service agents may be more complex when twins need to be identified and selected. Other criteria can include gender, constellation, and other preference data. In the selection of all such criteria and the matching of preferences, steps
The 725 is important in getting the best service for a particular user. The drawback of this stage is that there are not so many service agents available with the desired criteria, which results in longer delays in organizing sessions or in completing session consolidation at specific times. It can be impossible. The announcement message of step 710 may be used adaptively to represent the actual choices the user may make at a particular time. Further, the system 507, as described above,
Send users pages of information that is customized for them or that they may be interested in, such as information about horoscopes, constellations, and / or other products and services available. be able to. When the selected service agent is available, the system 507 connects the user to the selected service agent.

When all selected service agents are connected to the session, the user is charged for this session. Therefore, in step 735, all user data and service agent data are in the system for calculating session duration in minutes and for logging billing and service agent compensation data.
It is sent to 507 and logged in with the date and time. Specifically, the user is charged for the duration from the first service agent being connected to the session until the last service agent ending the session. Individual time logs are maintained for each user (session duration) and each service agent (service duration). For example, when each service agent disconnects from the session or ends the session, the respective service agent's terminal sends the service agent's connection time and date and time to system 507. When connected to the chat room environment, the user is charged for the duration from the first connection to the chat room to the disconnection from the chat room.

After the consultant (including the user) completes the call, step 740 is entered and the total communication session time is determined and the user is charged accordingly. Each service agent chooses to log off by following the log off process complementary to the login process of FIG. 6, or is returned to their respective availability queues until unavailable by accepting the service session. After the service agent logs in, the system 507 anticipates that the next communication session to the service bureau will be a logoff session, gives the appropriate announce sequence, and gets a response regarding the logoff. The date can be recorded to determine the time the service agent worked for the job.

When the counseling service is paid for a certain fee, the principles of the present invention are expected to present the user with various ways to pay for the service provided. Some payment methods, such as debit cards, bank checks or bills of exchange, smart cards, electronic wallets, and major credit cards are more reliable than others. Other forms of payment contemplated by the present invention include telephone numbers, cable television account numbers, utility accounts, or internet service provider (ISP) account numbers. The user enters the preferred form of payment in response to the inquiry from system 507. The user may be able to use these credit mechanisms in real-time prior to the counseling service, possibly with prior authorization, thus realizing the discount according to the invention, whereby the service vendor. You can use your preferred payment method. Payment methods and billing mechanisms are typically agreed after the session restriction, session blocking, and fraud prevention functions described above, and can be agreed before the session is completed or before the session is completed.

FIG. 8 is a flow chart of a real-time charging system for charging a communication session performed on a computer network according to the present invention. In such a communication system, the communication session may be a data only session or a multimedia session including any combination of audio, video and data. In logic block 801, the initial fraud prevention feature is activated. This anti-fraud feature verifies whether a user is requesting a communication session from a location that matches the internet address and / or unique ID of the caller requesting the communication session. Limiting the number and duration of sessions that are exposed and / or limiting the amount that a user spends on a service agent communication session during a predetermined period of time can be included.

When a request for a session is received from the user, the system prompts the user at logic block 801 to enter the user's internet address or unique ID, and the user requests the session. Verify that it is requesting a session from a location that matches the Internet address or unique ID of the user and / or the user associated with the terminal device received with. If the internet address or unique ID entered does not match the internet address or unique ID transferred in the packetized data, disconnect the user or re-enter the correct internet address or unique ID The user may be given another opportunity to do so.

The sender's Internet address or unique ID entered by the user is
When it is verified that it matches the internet address or unique ID that was forwarded with the request, the initial tampering prevention function of logic block 801 determines that the user's internet address and unique ID are both known and inappropriate. Verify that the address and / or unique ID is not stored in the negative database. The negative database is located locally in the memory of system 507, but remotely located at 509 and on server 501 on Internet 501.
May be accessed through. Internet addresses and / or unique IDs stored in negative databases may be called in connection with insufficient credit card payments or service agent disputes over charges for previous communication sessions. The internet address and / or unique ID stored by the party's refusal to pay. However, the present invention is not limited to the above criteria (whether there is a dispute regarding the fee for the service agent's session,
Alternatively, it is not limited by the above-mentioned negative database that satisfies the insufficient payment for the session (storing internet address and / or unique ID). The negative database used at this stage of the initial fraud prevention of the present invention stores the internet address and / or unique ID of users with credit problems with other types of internet-based order / payment systems. It may be a shared database.

The system 507 also ensures that the session does not start from a location that cannot transfer an internet address or unique ID. System 507 is a mobile phone, P
It is also possible to detect communication sessions from specific institutions and communication devices such as numbers associated with BX systems, government facilities, toll phones, prisons, hospitals, schools, selected establishments.

The initial fraud prevention function described above is an illustrative example. Other anti-fraud features will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, and thus the invention is not limited to the anti-fraud features described above. In general, the system may be configured to prevent unwanted internet addresses and / or unique IDs from entering the system.

The sender's Internet address or unique ID entered by the user is
Initial fraud protection in logic block 801 when verified to match the internet address or unique ID forwarded with the session request, and the originating internet address or unique ID is not included in the negative database. The feature checks whether the user has exceeded the allowed number of sessions or the allowed duration of sessions during a given time period, or checks the amount spent during a given time period by querying the database by the user. To be done. For example, a user may be limited to two sessions per day or only two sessions per week, and the duration of the session may be as long as the user speaks with the service agent up to, for example, 100 minutes per month. May be restricted to be allowed. The amount of money a user can spend may be limited to, for example, $ 100 per month. The inquiry may be the user's internet address, the user's unique ID, the user's driver's license and / or social security number, the user's mother's pre-marital surname, password, and / or a digital certificate associated with the user. ,
The inquiry may be based on ID information related to the user. The database containing this type of information may be part of the negative database, separate from the negative database, or may be a shared database.

The session determined to be an invalid session by the initial fraud prevention function of the logical block 801 is transferred to the logical block 810 and processed, and it is determined what process is to be performed next. According to the present invention, sessions can be blocked, temporarily blocked, or restricted. Blocked sessions are permanently barred from connecting to service agents. For blocked sessions, a message may be sent to the user advising the user to terminate the session because the originating Internet address or unique ID has been blocked. Examples of sessions that may be blocked include sessions originating from internet addresses and / or unique identities that were not properly transferred with packetized data.

Due to session limits, a user may be assigned a number of sessions, an assigned duration of sessions (minutes, hours, or days), or for a period of time by being connected to a service agent. It is forbidden to exceed the allotted expenditure of. The restrictions placed on a given user may be removed once the user meets the criteria for removing the restriction. Sessions that are temporarily blocked may include sessions whose Internet address or unique ID does not match the packetized data received when the session was requested. The user can re-enter the correct internet address or unique ID, or the user's internet address, unique ID, or other user
Requesting another session to enter the identity information correctly is allowed. Therefore, the user is temporarily prevented from connecting to the service agent. The request ends when either the session limit function, the session block function, or the temporary session block function is activated.

When the session is determined to be a valid session by the initial fraud prevention function of the logic block 801, the process proceeds to the logic block 802, and the payment form used for payment of the session with the service agent is required. At step 802, the user is prompted, for example by a page asking the user for payment form information that the user wishes to use. Payment methods include cash, debit card, electronic bill of exchange or check, electronic transfer, credit, major credit cards,
It may be an electronic wallet or the like. However, for this particular aspect of the invention, preferred forms of payment include credit cards, debit cards, and the like.

Alternatively, if the user is already accessing the service, the form of payment may be in a known manner based on the user ID and / or other information provided by the user or by other known techniques such as cookies. / You may automatically access the payment form information from the credit data. Preferably, the payment form / credit data is stored locally, but may be located remotely. Payment form /
The already used payment form information stored in the credit database is presented to the user in a manner known as the user's possible options for payment of the current session.

The system 507 may present a discount to the user when the payment form selected by the user is convenient to the billing system. Further discounts may be given when the user is a frequent user who has not exceeded the allowed value for the defined session. Any other form of preferred treatment may be initiated. In the exemplary aspect described in FIG. 8, the user provides payment form information and sends this information to system 507 in a known manner. Checking account number, credit or debit card number, card expiration date, address including postal code, billing address, birthday, driver's license number, social security number, password, digital certificate, mother's pre-marriage The user may also be required to enter or supply information such as family name. If the user fails to communicate the payment form to system 507, the session is disconnected. Alternatively, the user may be temporarily blocked and / or given another opportunity to enter the correct information. The user may be completely prevented from accessing the system 507 again.

Once the information has been successfully communicated or entered, flow proceeds to logic block 804, where
Additional fraud prevention features are implemented. Such additional fraud prevention features may include, for example, comparing information provided by the user with information stored in a database of information about each user, and / or the user's credit or debit card number. It includes verifying that is not in the negative database of outstanding payments. The information stored in this database includes the caller's Internet address and / or the negative ID of the unique ID.
It may be a part of the database, may be separated from the negative database, or may be a shared database.

Information entered or communicated by the user is determined by determining whether the user has exceeded the allowed number or duration of sessions initiated during a given time period or by querying the database by the user. It is also used to determine the amount of money spent during the period. The database queried may be the same database used in step 801 to determine if the user has exceeded any of the same criteria.

If the session is determined to be a fraudulent session by the additional fraud prevention function of the logic block 804, it is transferred to the logic block 810 and can be selectively or temporarily blocked or restricted. Blocked sessions are associated with a user that has an expired or invalid credit or debit card and / or a user-related address such as a billing address and / or zip code. Contains a session that differs from the address in the database. Restricted sessions include sessions where the credit or debit card exceeds the monthly / weekly quota of sessions or exceeds the time allowance for a period of time. Sessions that are temporarily blocked include sessions where the zip code or other information provided by the user does not match the appropriate information stored in the database. In addition, sessions that are classified as blocked sessions can be classified as temporarily blocked sessions when the system allows the user to provide information such as the correct expiration date of the charge card. The system can be configured as follows. When a user is allowed to make a payment to a lender to activate a credit or debit card, the call can be classified as a temporarily blocked call.

According to one aspect of the invention, at block 805, the credit card account information or debit card account information obtains authorization if the session is determined to be a valid session by an additional fraud prevention feature. In order to be forwarded to the remotely located site 511. Site 511 is accessible over the Internet through server 506. Alternatively, site 511 may be accessed via modem link 512. Remote sites used for authorization include, for example, credit bureaus, banking institutions, telephone service providers, cable
Television Providers, Utilities Providers, Internet Services
It may include a third party billing institution such as a provider. The remote site 511 is
Check if this credit card, debit card, or account number is valid. In the case of a credit card, at credit block 806, the credit or debit card account is charged a predetermined amount when the credit card is valid. According to another aspect of the invention, if the session is determined to be a legitimate session by an additional fraud prevention feature, the credit card or debit card account information is transferred to a local database, the credit card or Confirm that the debit card is valid. When the card is valid, at logic block 806, the credit or debit card account is charged a predetermined amount.

Billing the credit account for a predetermined amount can be done in several ways. For example, a portion of the available credit limit of the user's account equal to a predetermined amount may be allowed or reserved to complete this session. Alternatively, a predetermined amount may be entered in the account debit. In either case, the predetermined amount charged to the account is preferably higher than the possible charges for telephone calls to ensure that the charges incurred during the telephone call are paid. If the given charge for the account is approved or rejected, the remote site 511, at logic block 806,
An approval or rejection notice is sent back to system 507. If the remote site 511 authorizes the session, the session is forwarded to a service agent such as a psychic counselor. If the session is not authorized, for example, credit
Information about bureaus, banking institutions, telephone service accounts, cable television accounts, utility accounts, internet service provider accounts is blocked or temporarily blocked until processed by the user.

At logic block 807, the session is directed to the service agent, at which point
The billing process begins as indicated by logic block 808. The session is charged from the time it is directed and connected to the service agent or the first service agent of the plurality of service agents to the time the last service agent ends the session. The user is billed in minutes in real time only for the actual time of communication with the service agent. When connected to the chat room environment, the user is charged from the time of being connected to the chat room to the time of being disconnected from the chat room.

When the session ends, the system 507 calculates the total chargeable amount for this session. The system 507 then sends this chargeable amount to the remote site 511 at logic block 810. The system 507 may send credit or debit card account information or some other identifying information to the remote site 511 along with the chargeable amount. The remote site 511 then cancels the previous charge on the account for a predetermined amount and, at logic block 808, the actual chargeable amount for this session is newly charged to the account. Alternatively, the chargeable amount is sent to a payment authorization database, which may be located locally or remotely.

As with the voice-based aspects of the present invention, the computer network of the present invention
The authorization revocation routine for the base aspect is implemented in several ways and the invention is not limited to the following examples. First, the initial authorization to secure a predetermined amount of available credit is revoked, thereby returning the reserved amount to the available credit limit. A second grant is then made to reserve a portion of the available credit limit equal to the actual cost of the session. In another aspect of the invention, the account may receive a predetermined amount of credit and invalidate a predetermined amount of the initial bill. The credit card account is then charged a new amount for the actual cost of the session. Alternatively, the account may only receive a differential amount of credit that is initially reserved minus the actual chargeable amount of the session. Further, if the user is not connected to the service agent and the call does not start when the call ends, the user is not billed for this session and the initial billing is completely void. Of course, when the credit account information is information about a checking account or electronic money transfer, the permission revocation function of the present invention is not used.

As pointed out, the present invention can be configured to provide multimedia-based conferencing services between appropriately equipped users and service agents. Moreover, the service agent does not necessarily have to rely on the system 507 for database maintenance services for user service agent data. Such data may be maintained and updated in a personal computer on the premises of the service agent.

The present invention also implements the ability for selected users to communicate with one another in a known manner by the system, such as by email, presenting services and / or products that may be accepted. Alternatively, selected users may be in contact with each other via multimedia technology in which particular services and / or merchandise are presented for purchase. If the offered service and / or merchandise is accepted by the user, the system issues an auditory prompt and asks the user for a payment form. Thus, payment forms already in use can be accessed from the payment form / credit database and given as a possible choice by the user. The fraud prevention features of the present invention can optionally be used with payment form inquiries.

The fraud prevention feature of the present invention can also be used for other forms of electronic commerce over computer networks such as the Internet. Use a browser or
Alternatively, the goods and / or other services may be sold to potential customers who access the website via computer network telephone technology. When a user visits a website using a browser, the ISP connecting the user to the website forwards the user's internet address to the visited website. That is, the accessed web site can use the identification information that uniquely identifies the user. Alternatively, the information used to uniquely identify the user can be transferred between the accessed website and the user using a mechanism called a cookie.

A user can browse various pages on a website and select an item to purchase, for example, by placing the item in a virtual shopping cart. When the user decides to purchase the selected item, he clicks the purchase button. In response to this, the system 507 enters the fraud prevention step shown in FIG. 9 and inquires the user of the information necessary to avoid fraud. FIG. 9 is a flow chart of a real-time charging system for selling on a computer network according to the present invention. According to the invention, this entire flow chart may be used, or selected aspects of the embodiment shown in FIG. 9 may be used.

In the case of the electronic commerce aspect of the present invention, the initial fraud prevention function operating in logic block 901 allows merchandise and / or products from a location where the user matches the originating Internet address and / or has a unique ID. Or it may include verifying whether you are purchasing the service and / or limiting the amount of sales that can be purchased during a period of time. When a purchase request is received from the user, the system will block 901.
Prompts the user with their internet address or unique
Prompts for an ID and verifies that the user is purchasing from a location that matches the user's internet address or unique ID associated with the user and / or the terminal device received with the purchase request. If the internet address or unique ID entered does not match the internet address or unique ID transferred in the packetized data, disconnect the user or re-enter the correct internet address or unique ID The user may be given another opportunity to do so. Alternatively, specific information that can be used to uniquely identify a user can be collected in a known manner using cookies. In such a case, the user is then prompted in logic block 901 to enter information that can be compared to the information collected by using the cookie.

The internet address or unique ID of the calling side entered by the user is
If it is verified that it matches the internet address or unique ID that was forwarded with the request, the initial tampering protection of logic block 901 determines that the user's internet address and unique ID are both known and inappropriate Verify that the address and / or unique ID is not stored in the negative database. The negative database is located locally in the memory of system 507, but remotely located at 509 and on server 501 on Internet 501.
May be accessed through. Internet addresses and / or unique IDs stored in negative databases are associated with inadequate credit card payments or dispute over fees for previous purchases of products and / or services The internet address and / or unique ID stored by the caller then refusing to pay. However, the present invention provides for the above criteria (storing internet addresses and / or unique IDs that are in disputes regarding the purchase of a product and / or service, or where the payment has been insufficient). It is not limited by the negative databases mentioned above that satisfy. The negative database used at this stage of the initial fraud prevention of the present invention stores the internet address and / or unique ID of users with credit problems with other types of internet-based order / payment systems. It may be a shared database.

The system 507 also verifies that the purchase request cannot transfer the internet address or unique ID, or does not start from a location where the internet address or unique ID is not transferred. The system 507 may also detect communication sessions from certain institutions and communication devices such as mobile phones, numbers associated with PBX systems, government facilities, toll phones, prisons, hospitals, schools, selected offices. it can.

The initial fraud prevention function described above is an illustrative example. Other anti-fraud features will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art, and thus the invention is not limited to the anti-fraud features described above. In general, the system may be configured to prevent unwanted internet addresses and / or unique IDs from making purchases.

The sender's Internet address or unique ID entered by the user is
Initial fraud protection in logic block 901 when verified to match the internet address or unique ID forwarded with the purchase request and the originating internet address or unique ID is not included in the negative database. The function checks to see if the user exceeds the allowed amount of money to spend during a given period by querying the database. The amount of money a user can spend may be limited to, for example, $ 100 per month. The inquiry may be the user's internet address, the user's unique ID, the user's driver's license and / or social security number, the user's mother's pre-marital surname, password, and / or a digital certificate associated with the user. The inquiry may be based on ID information related to the user. Databases containing this kind of information are negative
It may be part of the database, separate from the negative database, or a shared database.

The purchase request determined to be an invalid session by the initial fraud prevention function of the logic block 901 is transferred to the logic block 910 and processed, and it is determined what processing is to be performed next. Pursuant to the present invention, purchases can be blocked, temporarily blocked, or restricted. Blocked purchases are permanently barred from completing sale transactions. For blocked purchase requests, a message may be sent to the user advising the user to stop the purchase request because the originating Internet address or unique ID is blocked. Examples of purchases that may be blocked include sessions originating from internet addresses and / or unique identities that were not properly transferred with packetized data.

Purchase restrictions prohibit users from exceeding their allotted spending during a period of time by making a purchase. The restrictions placed on a given user may be removed once the user meets the criteria for removing the restriction. The temporarily blocked purchase request may include a purchase request whose internet address or unique ID does not match the packetized data received when the purchase was requested. The user may re-enter the correct internet address or unique ID, or may request another purchase to enter the user's internet address, unique ID, or other user ID information correctly. Allowed Therefore, the user is temporarily blocked from making a purchase. The request is terminated when any of the purchase request restriction function, purchase request blocking function, and temporary purchase request blocking function is activated.

When the purchase request is determined to be a valid call by the initial fraud prevention function of the logic block 901, the process proceeds to the logic block 902, and the payment form used for payment for the purchase is requested. At step 902, the user is prompted, for example by a page asking the user for payment form information that the user wishes to use. The form of payment may be cash, debit card, electronic bill of exchange or check, electronic money transfer, credit, major credit card, electronic wallet, etc., or telephone rate, cable television account, utility account, internet. -You may send the bill to your service provider account.

The system 507 may present a discount to the user when the form of payment selected by the user is convenient for the billing system. Additional discounts may be given when the user is a frequent user who has not exceeded the defined allowance for purchases. Any other form of preferred treatment may be initiated. In the exemplary aspect described in FIG. 9, the user provides payment form information and sends this information to system 507 in a known manner. Checking account number, credit or debit card number, card expiry date, telephone number, cable television account number, utility account number, internet service provider account number, postal address, including billing address , Birthday, driver's license number, social security number, password,
The user may also be required to enter or supply information such as a digital certificate, mother's pre-marital surname, and so on. If the user fails to communicate the payment form to system 507, the purchase request is disconnected. Alternatively, the user may be temporarily blocked and / or given another opportunity to enter the correct information. The user may be completely prevented from accessing the system 507 again.

Once the information has been successfully communicated or entered, flow proceeds to logic block 904.
Additional fraud prevention features are implemented. Such additional fraud prevention features include, for example, comparing the information provided by the user with information stored in a database of information about each user, and the user's credit or debit card number not yet known. Includes verifying that you are not in a payment negative database. The information stored in this database may be part of or separate from the negative database of the internet address and / or unique ID of the originator of the communication session, or may be a shared database. May be

The information entered or communicated by the user is also used by the user to query the database to determine if the amount of money the user spends during a given period exceeds an acceptable value. The database queried may be the same database used in step 901 to determine if the user has exceeded any of the same criteria.

If the purchase request is determined to be a fraudulent request by the additional fraud prevention function of the logic block 904, it is forwarded to the logic block 910 to selectively or temporarily block, or
Alternatively, it can be restricted. The blocked purchase request may include a purchase request with an expired or invalid credit or debit card, and / or an address associated with the user, such as a billing address and / or zip code. Contains a purchase request that is different from the address in the associated database. For restricted purchase requests, a credit or debit card will
Includes purchase requests that exceed quotas per month / week or exceed time tolerances for a period of time. Purchase requests that are temporarily blocked include purchase requests where the postal code or other information provided by the user does not match the appropriate information stored in the database. In addition, classify purchase requests classified as blocked purchase requests when the system allows the user to provide information such as the correct expiration date of the charge card as temporarily blocked purchase requests. The system can be configured so that it is also possible. When a user is allowed to make a payment to a lender to activate a credit or debit card, the communication session can be classified as a temporarily blocked communication session.

According to one aspect of the present invention, if the purchase request is determined to be a valid purchase request by the additional fraud prevention feature, then in a logic block 905 the credit card account information or debit card account information is authorized. Remotely located sites to get 51
Transferred to 1. Site 511 is accessible over the Internet through server 506. Alternatively, site 511 may be accessed via modem link 512. Remote sites used for authorization include, for example, credit bureaus, banking institutions, and third parties such as telephone service providers, cable television providers, utility providers, and Internet service providers. It may include a billing institution. The remote site 511 verifies if this credit card, debit card, or account number is valid. According to another aspect of the invention, if the purchase request is determined to be a valid purchase request by an additional fraud prevention feature, the credit card account information or debit card account information is transferred to the local database, and the credit card account information is transferred. Confirm that the card or debit card is valid.

If the given request for the account is approved or rejected, the remote site 511 sends an approval or rejection notification back to the system 507 at logic block 906. If remote site 511 authorizes the purchase request, the purchase request is entered into system 507 at logic block 907. If your purchase request is not granted, credit bureaus, banking institutions, telephone service accounts, cable television accounts, utility accounts,
Information about the internet service provider account is blocked or temporarily blocked until processed by the user.

When a purchase request is input to the system 507, the system 507 calculates the total chargeable amount for this session. System 507 then sends this chargeable amount to remote site 511 at logic block 908. The system 507 charges credit card account information, debit card account information, telephone service account information, cable television account information, utility account information, or internet service provider account information, or some other identifying information. Remote with possible amount
It may be sent to the site 511. The remote site 511 then charges this account for a chargeable amount, and at logic block 908, the account is recharged with the actual chargeable amount for this purchase. Alternatively, the chargeable amount is sent to a payment authorization database, which may be located locally or remotely.

10a to 10c are flowcharts schematically showing the real-time charging / fraud prevention system of the present invention. At step 1001, a customer is connected to a service provider or seller that provides telephone services or communication session services and / or provides goods and services purchased through electronic commerce. In step 1002,
The customer is queried for personal information and the payment method used by the customer.
If the customer has already purchased the service and / or merchandise, the payment method / credit based on the ANI and / or other information provided by the customer
The payment form information can be accessed from the database and presented to the customer for selection. At step 1003, the customer's personal information and payment method information used by the customer are actively and / or passively captured. The customer's personal information that is captured includes the customer's telephone number, address, DL number, social security number, mother's pre-marital surname, PI.
It may include N, passwords, digital certificates, credit card numbers, debit card numbers, banking information, voiceprints, fingerprints, photographic images, and / or computer network addresses.

In step 1004, the captured customer data is one of the external shared negative customer database 1005, the internal negative customer database 1006, the external shared positive customer database 1007, and the internal positive customer database 1008. Compared to information contained in one or more customer databases. Stage
At 1009, whether the captured customer data matches the information contained in the positive or negative customer database, or the captured data does not match the information contained in any accessed database It is determined whether or not. At step 1009, if the retrieved customer data does not match the information contained in the positive customer database, the flow proceeds to step 1010.

At step 1009, if the captured customer data matches the information contained in the negative customer database, the flow proceeds to step 1011 where the service agent intervenes to identify the goods and / or services available for purchase. You can make a final decision on blocking or limiting purchases. If the service agent decides to block the purchase based on the information available, the flow proceeds to step 1012. If the service agent decides to limit or temporarily limit the purchase based on the information available, the flow proceeds to step 1013 and then to 1010. Alternatively, in the flow, the purchase can be blocked (step 1012) or restricted (step 1013) based on the information available at the time of determining step 1009.

If, at step 1009, the retrieved customer information does not match the information contained in any of the accessed databases, then the flow proceeds to step 1014 where the ANI database, credit card agency database, credit report, At 1015, the captured information is verified using an independent source by querying at least one external database, such as a bureau database, a banking agency, a check authorization service. The flow proceeds to step 1016 to determine if the captured customer information has been verified. If not verified, the flow proceeds to step 107
A service agent may intervene and make a final decision regarding blocking or limiting the purchase of goods and / or services that may be purchased. If the service agent decides to block the purchase based on the available information, the flow proceeds to steps 1018 and 1019, where the captured information is shared with a negative customer database such as database 1005 or database 1006. If the service agent decides to authorize the purchase based on the available information, the flow proceeds to step 1010, where the customer information is compared to fraud screening criteria, sales limits are established, and further step 1010 is performed.
Proceeding to 20, the captured information is shared with positive customer databases such as database 1007 and database 1008. Alternatively, in the flow, the decision stage
The purchase can also be blocked based on the information obtained at 1016 (step 1018).

At step 1010, customer information is compared to fraud screening criteria to establish sales limits. The flow proceeds to step 1021 where customer fraud prevention screening criteria such as billing address, shipping address, purchase frequency limit, purchase limit, call origination location, customer age, customer gender are accessed. At step 1022, it is determined whether the customer has passed the fraud screening. If unsuccessful, flow is 1023
The service agent may intervene and make a final decision regarding blocking or limiting the purchase of goods and / or services that may be purchased. The service agent
If, based on the available information, you decide to block the purchase, the flow goes to Step 10.
Proceed to 24. Alternatively, in the flow, the purchase may be blocked (step 1024) based on the information obtained in decision step 1022.

In step 1022, if the customer passes the fraud screening, the flow is step 10.
Proceed to step 25 and the customer purchase limit is established. The flow proceeds to step 1026 where the established purchase limits are communicated to the appropriate internal and external databases, such as databases 1005-1008. The flow proceeds to step 1027 where it is determined whether the customer's purchase price is an authorized value. If not authorized, the flow proceeds to step 1028 where the service agent may intervene to make a final decision regarding blocking or limiting the purchase of goods and / or services on the seller's side. If the service agent decides to block the purchase based on the information available, the flow proceeds to step 1029. Alternatively, in the flow, the purchase can be blocked (step 1029) based on the information obtained in decision step 1027.

If, in step 1027, the customer's purchase value is an allowed value, then the flow proceeds to step 1030, in which the customer selects goods and / or services having a value below the determined limit. The flow proceeds to step 1031 where the customer selects an invoice, an electronic remittance or an electronic bill of exchange, a credit or debit card transaction, an internet service provider, a cable television account or other utility account, an electronic You will be charged via a payment method of your choice, such as a wallet. At step 1032, the purchase price is sent to the appropriate internal and external allowance / credit limit databases and the process ends at step 1033.

Other than the services described above, such as computer service advice, medical counseling, suicide hotlines, and other services, other services of the invention may be provided, as appropriate, to provide services on a computer network such as the Internet. Modifications and improvements can be made.

All patents and publications cited above are detailed from such sources for the purpose of describing the relevant construction and how it may be advantageously used in the present invention. Where it is deemed appropriate to obtain, it should be considered incorporated by reference with respect to the subject as a whole. The present invention should be considered limited in scope only by the claims.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 shows a schematic block diagram of an automatic call distribution system programmed to operate in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows a flowchart of an operational sequence for logging a service agent into the service agent availability queue according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram for processing a call for a service agent, according to the present invention, received from a circuit switched communication network or via a computer network telephone over a packet switched computer network such as the Internet. Indicates.

FIG. 4 shows a flow diagram of a real-time charging system for circuit-switched and packet-switched calls according to the principles of the present invention.

FIG. 5 shows a schematic block diagram of a system for charging a communication session conducted on a computer network such as the Internet according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 illustrates a flow diagram for communication for initiating and enlisting service agents on a computer network in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 7 illustrates a flow diagram for processing a communication session with a service bureau of a service agent on a computer network in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 8 shows a flow chart of a real-time charging system for charging a communication session conducted on a computer network according to the present invention.

FIG. 9 shows a flow chart of a real-time charging system for selling over a computer network in accordance with the present invention.

10a-10c show a flow chart schematically illustrating a real-time billing / fraud prevention system of the present invention.

─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── [Continued summary] Sent to. Billing information includes billing information and payment Includes the amount that represents the method and sales fee.

Claims (70)

[Claims] 1. A method of selling on a computer network, comprising the steps of determining whether the user is authorized by fraud prevention before selling on the computer network; Based on the information requested by the user regarding payment methods, receiving information related to the payment method from the user, and the information received related to the payment method if the fraud prevention recognizes the user as legitimate A step of completing a sales transaction. 2. Transmitting payment method information, including received information related to the payment method, to a payment authorization database; receiving payment authorization information related to the payment method information obtained from the payment authorization database; and payment authorization. Completing the sales transaction if the information is positive information. 3. The method further comprises the step of transmitting to a payment authorization database bill information associated with a sale made on a computer network when the sale transaction is completed, the sale bill information comprising billing information, payment. 3. The method of claim 2 including the method, an amount representing a fee for sale. 4. The method of claim 2, wherein the payment authorization database is located locally. 5. The method of claim 2, wherein the payment authorization database is located at a remote site. 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the remote site is a banking institution. 7. The method of claim 5, wherein the remote site is a credit card institution. 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the received information associated with the payment method comprises credit card information. 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the received information associated with the payment method comprises debit card information. 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the received information associated with the payment method comprises checking account information. 11. The method of claim 1, wherein the received information associated with the payment method comprises electronic money transfer information. 12. The method of claim 1, wherein the received information associated with the payment method comprises a telephone number. 13. The method of claim 1, wherein the received information associated with the payment method is a cable television account number. 14. The method of claim 1, wherein the received information related to the payment method is a utility service account number. 15. The method of claim 1, wherein the received information is associated with a payment method for an internet service provider account. 16. The method of claim 1, wherein the received information is associated with a payment method that includes payment method information selected by the user. 17. The step of determining whether the user is identified as a legitimate user by fraud prevention receives the computer network address information associated with the user from the computer network, and the computer network address information. Receiving from the user, and comparing the computer network address information received from the computer network with the computer network address information received from the user, and the computer received from the computer network. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of requesting information related to a payment method is performed if the network address information matches the computer network information received from the user. 18. The step of determining whether a user is recognized as a legitimate user by fraud prevention includes the steps of receiving information related to the user, the step of accessing a database, the received information related to the user and the database. A step of requesting information related to the payment method from the user, if the received information related to the user is stored in the database, and The method according to item 1. 19. Receiving information related to a user, accessing a database, comparing received information related to the user with information stored in the database, and comparing received information related to the user. The method of claim 1 including the step of determining whether to complete the sales transaction based on the results of the comparing with information stored in the database. 20. The method of claim 19, wherein comparing the received information associated with the user with the information stored in the database verifies the user's identity. 21. The method of claim 19, further comprising limiting sales volume based on sales frequency to users during a predetermined time period. 22. The method of claim 19, further comprising limiting sales volume based on an amount spent by a user during a predetermined period of time. 23. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of blocking sales based on an amount spent by a user during a predetermined period of time. 24. Receiving information associated with a user includes the user's computer network address, and blocking the sale based on a comparison of the user's computer network address with information stored in a database. 20. The method of claim 19, further comprising. 25. Receiving information associated with a user includes the user's computer network address, and limiting sales volume based on a comparison of the user's computer network address with information stored in a database. 20. The method of claim 19, further comprising: 26. The received information associated with the user comprises the user's credentials, further comprising the step of blocking the sale based on a comparison of the user's credentials with the information stored in the database. The method described. 27. The received information associated with a user includes the user's identification, further comprising limiting sales volume based on a comparison of the user's identification with information stored in a database. 19. Method described. 28. The received information associated with the user further comprises blocking the sale of credit account information associated with the user based on a comparison of the credit account information with information stored in a database. The method according to Item 19. 29. The method of claim 28, wherein the credit account information comprises credit card information. 30. The credit account information comprises debit card information.
28 The method described. 31. The credit account information comprises checking account information.
The method described. 32. The method of claim 28, wherein the credit account information comprises electronic money transfer information. 33. The method of claim 28, wherein the credit account information comprises a telephone number. 34. The method of claim 28, wherein the credit account information relates to a cable television account. 35. The method of claim 28, wherein the credit account information relates to a utility service account. 36. The method of claim 28, wherein the credit account information relates to an internet service provider account. 37. The received information associated with the user further comprises limiting sales volume based on a comparison of the credit account information associated with the user with the information stored in the database. 20. The method of claim 19. 38. The method of claim 37, wherein the credit account information comprises credit card information. 39. The credit account information comprises debit card information.
Method described in 37. 40. The credit account information comprises checking account information.
The method described. 41. The method of claim 37, wherein the credit account information comprises electronic money transfer information. 42. The method of claim 37, wherein the credit account information comprises a telephone number. 43. The method of claim 37, wherein the credit account information relates to a cable television account. 44. The method of claim 37, wherein the credit account information relates to a utility service account. 45. The method of claim 37, wherein the credit account information relates to an internet service provider account. 46. Blocking sales if the received information associated with the user includes a billing address and the received information associated with the user is not validated by fraud prevention based on the user billing address. 20. The method of claim 19, further comprising. 47. Limiting sales volume when the received information related to the user includes a billing address and the received information related to the user is not recognized as valid information by fraud prevention based on the user billing address. Claim 19 further comprising:
The method described. 48. The sale is blocked when the received information related to the user includes the personal information of the user and the received information related to the user is not recognized as legitimate information by fraud prevention based on the personal information of the user. 20. The method further comprising the step of:
The method described. 49. The method of claim 48, wherein the user's personal information includes a driver's license number, a social security number, a mother's unmarried surname, a password, and a digital certificate. 50. If the received information related to the user includes the personal information of the user, and the received information related to the user is not recognized as legitimate information by fraud prevention based on the personal information of the user, the sales amount is increased. The claim, further comprising the step of limiting.
19. Method described. 51. The method of claim 50, wherein the user's personal information includes a driver's license number, social security number, mother's pre-marital surname, password, and digital certificate. 52. The method of claim 19, wherein the database is a shared database. 53. The method of claim 19, wherein the database is located locally. 54. The method of claim 19, wherein the database is located at a remote site. 55. A method of selling on a computer network, the method comprising: requesting information related to a payment method from a user; receiving information related to the payment method from a user; and related to a payment method. Completing the sales transaction based on the received information. 56. Communicating payment method information, including received information related to the payment method, to a payment authorization database; receiving payment authorization information related to the payment method obtained from the payment authorization database; and the payment. 56. The method of claim 55, further comprising completing the sales transaction if the authorization information is positive information. 57. A computer when the sales transaction is completed.
57. The method further comprising the step of transmitting billing information related to sales made on the network to a payment authorization database, the sales billing information including billing information, a payment method, and an amount representing a fee for the sale. the method of. 58. The payment authorization database is located locally.
6. The method according to 6. 59. The payment authorization database is located at a remote site,
57. The method of claim 56. 60. The method of claim 56, wherein the remote site is a banking institution. 61. The method of claim 56, wherein the remote site is a credit card institution. 62. The method of claim 56, wherein the payment method-related received information comprises credit card information. 63. The method of claim 56, wherein the received information associated with the payment method comprises debit card information. 64. The method of claim 56, wherein the received information associated with the payment method comprises checking account information. 65. The method of claim 56, wherein the received information associated with the payment method comprises electronic money transfer information. 66. The method of claim 56, wherein the received information associated with the payment method comprises a telephone number. 67. The method of claim 56, wherein the received information associated with the payment method relates to a cable television account. 68. The received information relating to the payment method relates to a utility account,
57. The method of claim 56. 69. The method of claim 56, wherein the received information associated with the payment method relates to an internet service provider account. 70. The method of claim 56, wherein the received information associated with the payment method comprises payment method information selected by the user.