JP2011221589A - Charging management device and charging management program - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a charging management device or the like capable of surely collecting contents utilization fees in a cellular phone in a short time.SOLUTION: Credit card information specified by a cellular phone user and a password determined by the user are registered in a database corresponding to a terminal ID for uniquely specifying the respective cellular phones, that is attached to the cellular phone. The terminal ID of the cellular phone is received from the cellular phone, a the registration request of content utilization is received. The charging management device includes: first password reception means for authenticating the terminal ID received by utilization request reception means by referring to the database, and when the authentication is possible, receiving the password from the cellular phone; password authentication means for authenticating the password received by the first password reception means by referring to the database; and registration notification means for notifying the device of the content provider of a registration request destination of a registration notification when the authentication is made possible by the password authentication means.

Description

  The present invention relates to a charge management apparatus for a mobile phone, and more particularly to a charge management apparatus in a charge management system suitable for collecting charges for pay content used on a mobile phone.

  Conventionally, various contents for mobile phones have been provided by content providers (content providers). Some of these contents are charged for providing information. When a user uses the content on a mobile phone, the mobile phone carrier company charges the content usage fee and monthly fee for the content provision service. Collected on behalf of (telecom carrier).

  The content usage fee collected on behalf of the mobile phone carrier company pays each content provider to the provider at a later date. According to such proxy collection, there is an advantage that the provider that provides the content does not need to independently construct a charging system.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a technique related to a method for collecting a usage fee for information used in a mobile communication terminal or the like.

JP 2003-123016 A

  Mobile phone carrier companies often collect content usage fees in a manner that accompanies the mobile phone usage fees that must be generated each month. Therefore, it takes time for the user to use the content, the mobile phone carrier company collects the content usage fee and pays it to each content provider. From the content provider side, the content is provided to the user and the cost is recovered. The problem is that it takes several months to complete the process. In addition, there may be expiration dates for content usage fees held by carrier companies, and if the expiration date is passed for various reasons such as payment delay by the user, the agency company's agency collection stops. There is also a problem that the content provider cannot recover the cost.

  Recently, a number portability system has been built that can continue to be used without changing the mobile phone number even if the contracted carrier is changed. Since then, the number of users who change carriers has been increasing. However, since the collection of the content usage fee depends on the agency collection by the carrier, if the user wants to continue to use the paid content even after changing the carrier, the user again becomes a member of the paid content from the mobile phone of the new carrier. There is a trouble of having to register. In addition, for example, when the content usage fee is monthly, and the carrier is changed within the same month, there may be a problem that the monthly content usage fee is charged from both the old carrier and the new carrier.

  In view of such problems and the like, an object of the present invention is to provide a charge management apparatus and a charge management program capable of easily and reliably collecting a content usage fee in a mobile phone.

  The billing management apparatus of the present invention associates the credit card information specified by the mobile phone user and the password determined by the user with the terminal ID that uniquely identifies each mobile phone attached to the mobile phone. Registration means for registering in the database, use registration request accepting means for receiving a registration request for content use by receiving the mobile phone terminal ID from the mobile phone, and use registration request accepting means with reference to the database. A terminal ID authenticating means for authenticating the received terminal ID, a first password receiving means for receiving a password from the mobile phone when authentication is permitted by the terminal ID authenticating means, and referring to the database Password authentication means for authenticating the password received by the first password receiving means, and the password authentication means When more authentication is a variable, and having a registration notification unit for performing registration notification to the registration request destination content provider devices, the.

  The registration unit registers the user ID determined by the user in the database in association with the terminal ID, and the charging management device, when the authentication is denied by the terminal ID authentication unit, Second password receiving means for receiving a user ID and password from a mobile phone; and re-authentication means for authenticating the user ID and password received by the second password receiving means with reference to the database; The registration notification unit may notify the registration request destination content provider device of registration when authentication is permitted by the re-authentication unit.

  A confirmation means for confirming the validity of the credit card information related to the mobile phone user registered in the database when authentication is permitted by the password authentication means or the re-authentication means; The notification unit may perform the registration notification when the validity of the credit card information is permitted by the confirmation unit.

  The billing management program of the present invention uses a terminal ID that uniquely identifies each mobile phone attached to the mobile phone using a credit card information designated by the mobile phone user and a password determined by the user. A registration means for registering in the database in association with the mobile phone, a usage registration request receiving means for receiving a content usage registration request by receiving the mobile phone terminal ID from the mobile phone, and referring to the database for the usage registration request receiving means A terminal ID authenticating means for authenticating the received terminal ID, a first password receiving means for receiving a password from the mobile phone when authentication is permitted by the terminal ID authenticating means, and referring to the database Password authenticating means for authenticating the password received by the first password receiving means; and If the authentication is a variable by password authentication means, characterized in that to function as a registration notification unit for performing registration notification to the registration request destination content provider devices.

  According to the present invention, the credit card information designated by the mobile phone user and the password determined by the user are associated with the terminal ID attached to the mobile phone 2. Thereby, a user can be specified by terminal ID, and it can be settled by credit card payment, ensuring security by password authentication. In addition, the mobile phone user can use the content only by notifying the terminal ID without being forced to input complicated information when using the content.

It is a block diagram which shows the structural example of the charge management system S provided with the charge management apparatus of this invention. (A) is an example of the system member DB 121, (B) is an example of the CP-specific DB 122, and (C) is an example of the temporary registration DB 123. It is a flowchart which shows a member registration process. 4 is a display screen example of the mobile phone 2; It is a flowchart which shows an authentication process.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below. Here, a case where the charge management apparatus of the present invention is applied to the charge management apparatus provided in the charge management system will be described.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a charging management system S including a charging management apparatus according to the present invention. The billing management system S includes a billing management device 1, a mobile phone 2, and a CP (Contents Provider) server 3.

  The charge management device 1 is a device provided in a charge management business operator. The charge management apparatus 1 includes a CPU 11 having a calculation function, a working RAM, a ROM for storing various data and programs (including a charge management program of the present invention), etc., and a hard disk as a computer of the present invention. A storage unit 12 having a drive or the like, a display unit 13 having a display screen such as a monitor, and an input unit (for example, a keyboard, etc.) that receives an instruction from the charge management company and gives an instruction signal corresponding to the instruction to the control unit 11 And a communication unit 15 for communicating with the cellular phone 2 and the CP server 3 provided in the content provider via various networks (including a LAN (Local Area Network)). Has been. Each component is connected to each other via a bus.

  The storage unit 12 stores a system member database 121, a CP database 122, a temporary registration database 123, and the like. Hereinafter, the system member database 121 will be referred to as a system member DB 121, the CP database 122 as a CP DB 122, and the temporary registration database 123 as a temporary registration DB 122.

  In the system member DB 121, member registration information of the charge management system S is registered. FIG. 2A is an example of the system member DB 121. In the case of the example shown in FIG. 2A, the “user mail address” (user mail address information) of the mobile phone and the mobile phone user are identified. The “user ID”, the “password” determined by the mobile phone user, the “credit card information” designated by the mobile phone user, and the unique “identification ID” generated and assigned at the time of information registration are “ It is registered in association with “terminal ID”. The “terminal ID” is identification information for uniquely identifying a mobile phone, and is given by a mobile communication carrier (hereinafter referred to as a carrier) with which the mobile phone is contracted. Different terminal IDs are assigned to all the mobile phones 2. Each time communication is performed from the mobile phone 2, the terminal ID is automatically notified to the communication destination. Here, “automatically” means that the terminal ID is transparently transmitted from the mobile phone 2 to the communication destination without performing an input operation by the mobile phone user.

  The CP-specific DB 122 is for registering and managing users for each content provider indicated by a broken line in FIG. FIG. 2B is an example of the CP-specific DB 122. In the example shown in FIG. 2B, the “identification ID” is registered for each “CP name” that identifies the content provider. For example, the identification ID “ID1”, the identification ID “ID2”, and the identification ID “ID5” of the three mobile phones 2 are registered in “CP1”.

  The temporary registration DB 123 is for temporarily registering information of the mobile phone 2 before the main registration in the system member registration DB 121 during the member registration process (described in detail later). In the member registration process, the mail address information transmitted from the mobile phone 2 and the temporary registration ID are stored in association with each other. FIG. 2C is an example of the temporary registration DB 123. In the case of the example shown in FIG. 2C, two mobile phones 2 having a temporary registration ID “temporary ID1” and a temporary registration ID “temporary ID2”. Terminal IDs are registered.

  The control unit 11 cooperates with other members to register the present invention, use registration request accepting means, terminal ID authenticating means, first password receiving means, password authenticating means, registration notifying means, confirmation means, and second password. Functions as receiving means, re-authentication means, and updating means.

  The CP server 3 is a device provided in a content provider that is a provider that provides paid content. Sites provided by content providers include sites that are registered for official services provided by carriers and sites that are not officially registered by carriers, so-called self-directed sites. Note that a plurality of CP servers 3 exist in the charging management system S, but are omitted here for simplicity of illustration and description.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the member registration process. The member registration process is a member registration process to the billing management system S, and is a process executed by the control unit 11 when a member registration request is received from the mobile phone 2. FIG. 4 is a display screen example of the mobile phone 2.

  The mobile phone 2 selects “free membership registration” from the display screen of the mobile phone 2 shown in FIG. 4A and transmits a member registration request to the billing management apparatus 1. “Free” means that the membership registration of the billing management system S is free. Upon receiving the member registration request, the billing management apparatus 1 transmits a blank email transmission request message for member registration to the mobile phone 2. Then, on the mobile phone 2, a display screen (FIG. 4B) related to the empty mail transmission request message is displayed, and the mobile phone user operates the mobile phone 2 to send an empty mail to the billing management apparatus 1. Send. When the charge management apparatus 1 receives this empty mail, the execution of the process is started.

  First, the control unit 11 of the charge management apparatus 1 generates a temporary registration ID (step S1). Then, the control unit 11 temporarily stores the mail address of the sender of the empty mail as user mail address information in the storage unit 12 in association with the generated temporary registration ID. (Step S2).

  Next, the control part 11 produces | generates URL based on ID for temporary registration (step S3). At this time, for example, a URL is generated such that the end of the URL is a temporary registration ID. And the control part 11 transmits this registration induction message containing the produced | generated URL to the mobile telephone 2 of a blank mail transmission origin (step S4). Then, the mobile phone 2 receives the mail from the charge management device 1, and the display screen (FIG. 4C) related to the main registration guidance message is displayed on the display screen of the mobile phone 2. When the mobile phone user operates the mobile phone 2 to select a URL, the temporary registration ID and the terminal ID are transmitted from the mobile phone 2 to the billing management apparatus 1.

  And the control part 11 receives ID for temporary registration and terminal ID from the mobile telephone 2 (step S5).

  Subsequently, the control unit 11 extracts the user mail address information associated with the received temporary registration ID from the user mail address information temporarily stored in the storage unit 12 (step S6). Next, the control unit 11 registers the extracted mail address information in the temporary registration DB 123 (FIG. 2C) in association with the received temporary registration ID (step S7). The mail address information and temporary registration ID temporarily stored in step S2 are preferably configured to be deleted from the storage unit 12 when a predetermined period has elapsed. This is to reduce the load on the storage unit 12 by organizing (deleting) information of the mobile phone 2 that transmits only empty mail and does not perform subsequent processing.

  On the other hand, on the mobile phone 2, after the URL is selected, a user information registration screen (FIG. 4D) provided by the charge management apparatus 1 is displayed. This user information registration screen is a screen associated with a URL, in other words, a screen associated with a temporary registration ID. When the mobile phone user operates the mobile phone 2 to input user information (user ID, password, credit card information) and press the registration button, the user information and the temporary registration ID are sent to the billing management apparatus 1. Then, the terminal ID of the mobile phone 2 is transmitted. When receiving the user information, the terminal ID, and the temporary registration ID from the mobile phone 2 (Step S8), the control unit 11 generates an identification ID (Step S9).

  As described above, after the mobile phone user operates the mobile phone 2 to select the URL, the mobile phone user inputs and transmits the user information, and the control unit 11 receives the user information and the like. An identification ID is generated.

  And the control part 11 extracts corresponding user e-mail address information from temporary registration DB123 based on ID for temporary registration received by step S8. Then, the control unit 11 associates the user mail address information extracted from the temporary registration DB 123, the user information received in Step S8, and the identification ID generated in Step S9 with the terminal ID in the system member registration DB 121 ( 2A) (step S10), and the process is terminated.

  As described above, the billing management apparatus 1 registers the user information of the mobile phone 2 and the mail address information in the system member DB 121 in association with the terminal ID, and performs the member registration process.

  Note that the temporary registration ID and user mail address information of the mobile phone 2 registered in the system member DB 121 are preferably deleted from the temporary registration DB 123. This is to use the temporary registration DB 123 efficiently with a low load.

  Moreover, before registering user information in system member DB121 in step S10, you may comprise so that the validity of the credit card information contained in user information may be confirmed. For example, the credit card company indicated by the credit card information is inquired of validity. Then, only when it is confirmed to be valid, it is registered in the system member DB 121, and when it is not valid, an error message such as “credit card cannot be used” is transmitted to the mobile phone 2. .

  In the above description, the billing management apparatus 1 receives the user ID, password, and credit card information as user information from the mobile phone 2 and registers them in the system member DB 121. At this time, the billing management apparatus 1 further provides the mobile phone 2 with the name of the mobile phone user and other attribute information (for example, the mobile phone user's address, age, hobbies, preferences, occupation, annual income, assets, The user may be prompted to input information on the family structure, hometown, etc., and registered in the system member DB 121.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the authentication process. The authentication process is a process executed by the control unit 11 when a use registration request for content provided by a content provider is received from the mobile phone 2.

  When the control unit 11 receives the terminal ID together with the content use registration request from the mobile phone 2, the control unit 11 refers to the system member DB 121 to authenticate the terminal ID (step S11).

  The control unit 11 determines whether or not terminal ID authentication is possible (step S12). If the terminal ID is registered in the system member DB 121 as a result of the authentication (step S12: Yes), the control unit 11 is a mobile phone. A password request message for requesting a password is transmitted to 2 (step 13). Then, on the mobile phone 2, a display screen (FIG. 4E) related to the password request message is displayed, and the mobile phone user operates the mobile phone 2 to input the password. Then, the mobile phone 2 transmits a password to the charge management device 1.

  When the control unit 11 receives the password from the mobile phone 2, the control unit 11 refers to the system member DB 121 and compares the received password with the password associated with the terminal ID received in step S11 to perform authentication processing (step S11). S14).

  The control unit 11 determines whether or not password authentication is possible (step S15), and in the case of authentication NG (step S15: No), transmits a re-input request message to the mobile phone 2 (step 16). Then, the mobile phone 2 displays a display screen (FIG. 4F) related to the re-input request message, and the mobile phone user operates the mobile phone 2 to re-enter the password. Then, the mobile phone 2 transmits a password to the charge management device 1.

  The control part 11 transfers to step S14, receives a password again, and authenticates. Even if the limit number of password re-inputs is set in advance and the limit number is exceeded (when the processes in steps S14 to S16 are performed more than the limit number), the process proceeds to a password forgotten handling process (not shown). Good. The forgotten password handling process may be performed, for example, by transmitting the password re-registration method or the information of the password itself to the user mail address associated with the terminal ID received in step S11 in the system member DB 121.

  On the other hand, in the case of authentication OK (step S15: Yes), the validity of the credit card is confirmed (step S17). It is confirmed whether or not the credit card information associated with the system member DB 121 is valid. For example, an inquiry is made to a credit card company indicated by the credit card information.

  When the validity of the credit card is OK (step S17: Yes), the control unit 11 transmits a registration notification to the CP server 3 (step S18). At this time, the control unit 11 transmits the terminal ID received in step S11 to the CP server 3. On the other hand, when the validity of the credit card is NG (step S17: No), the control unit 11 transmits an error message to the mobile phone 2 (step S23) and ends the process. The error message here is, for example, “Credit card cannot be used”.

  Next, the control unit 11 determines whether or not the notification to the CP server 3 is successful (step S19). If the notification is successful (step S19: Yes), the registration completion notification is received from the CP server 3. (Step S20). The CP server 3 registers the terminal ID received from the charge management apparatus 1 in its own DB. After registration, a registration completion notification is transmitted to the charge management apparatus 1.

  On the other hand, when the notification to the CP server 3 fails (step S19: No), the control unit 11 transmits an error message to the mobile phone 2 (step S23), and ends the process. The error message here is, for example, “The server is busy and registration is not possible right now. Please register again after a while.”

  Subsequently, the control unit 11 registers the identification ID corresponding to the terminal ID received in step S11 in the CP-specific DB 122 in association with the CP name that identifies the CP server 3 (step S21), and carries the registration completion message as a mobile phone. It transmits to the telephone 2 (step S22), and a process is complete | finished.

  If it is determined in step S12 that the terminal ID received in step S11 is not registered in the system member DB 121 (step S12: Yes), the control unit 11 provides a usage guide to the mobile phone 2. A message is transmitted (step 24). Then, on the mobile phone 2, a display screen (FIG. 4G) related to the usage guidance message is displayed, and whether the mobile phone user operates the mobile phone 2 and inputs login information (user ID and password). Alternatively, the member registration button is selected. When the login information is input, the cellular phone 2 transmits the login information to the accounting management device 1. When the member registration button is selected, the cellular phone 2 transmits the registration request information to the accounting management device 1. To do.

  In the accounting management apparatus 1, when the control unit 11 receives the information (step S25), the control unit 11 determines whether the received information is login information or registration request information (step S25). If it is determined that the received information is login information (step S25: login information), the control unit 11 refers to the system member DB 121 and authenticates the login information (step S26). Here, authentication is performed based on whether or not a set of user ID and password as login information is registered in the system member DB 121.

  As a result of authentication, when a set of user ID and password is registered in the system member DB 121 (step S26: Yes), the terminal ID registered in the system member DB 121 is set to the terminal ID received in step S11. Update (step S27), the process proceeds to step S13.

  On the other hand, when the information received in step S25 is registration request information (step S25: registration request information), or as a result of authentication in step S26, the combination of the user ID and password included in the login information is registered in the system member DB 121. If not (step S26: No), the process proceeds to the member registration process, the process of FIG. 3 is executed (step S28), and the process is terminated.

  As described above, according to the billing management system S of the present embodiment, the billing management apparatus 1 sends the credit card information designated by the mobile phone user and the password determined by the user to the mobile phone 2. A system member DB 121 associated with the attached terminal ID is provided. Thereby, a user can be specified by terminal ID, and it can be settled by credit card payment, ensuring security by password authentication. In addition, when registering the use of the content, since the terminal ID of the mobile phone 2 for which the authentication processing of the billing management apparatus 1 has been properly performed is notified to each CP server 3, the mobile phone 2 stores the content. It is not necessary to input information for use, and the content can be used only with the terminal ID that is automatically notified by access to the CP server 3 (A1 in FIG. 1).

  As a result, content usage fees that could not be collected with the fee collection system attached to communication charges from carriers until now, and content usage fees provided by sites with immature fee collection systems such as self-contained sites, can be shortened in a short period of time. It can be reliably recovered. Regardless of the official carrier site or arbitrary site, billing management can be performed collectively via the billing management system S. Further, since the payment system itself depends on a system provided by a credit card company, a highly reliable payment method can be secured. In addition, many credit card companies have age restrictions. Therefore, there is an advantage that access to a pay harmful site such as an adult site can be restricted by using a credit card settlement.

  Further, even if the user ID determined by the mobile phone user is registered in advance in the system member DB 121 and the authentication of the terminal ID becomes NG in step S12, the login information (user ID and user ID) is determined in step S26. Password)). In FIG. 1, information exchange between the mobile phone 2 and the charge management device 1 and the mobile phone 2 and the CP server in the case of carrier change is indicated by a one-dot chain line. Even when the terminal ID is changed due to the carrier change, the mobile phone user can continue to use the content used before the carrier change only by inputting the login information without going through complicated procedures. Even when the mobile phone user changes the carrier, the user can use the content only with the terminal ID automatically notified by access to the CP server 3 (A2 in FIG. 1).

  In addition, when the mobile phone 2 performs the non-notification setting of the terminal ID, the billing management apparatus 1 cannot acquire the terminal ID from the mobile phone 2. In this case, the control unit 11 detects that the terminal ID has not been received at the timing at which it should be received, and the control unit 11 indicates that “the customer's terminal ID is set to non notification. A notification promoting message such as “Please notify the terminal ID of the user and retry registration” is generated and transmitted to the mobile phone 2 to prompt the user of the mobile phone 2 to change the setting. For example, in the authentication process, when the terminal ID cannot be received in step S11, a notification promotion message is transmitted from the charge management device 1 to the mobile phone 2. Further, in the member registration process, for example, when the terminal ID cannot be received in step S5 or step S8, a notification promotion message is transmitted from the charge management apparatus 1 to the mobile phone 2. In addition, the notification promotion message may be configured to be transmitted when the terminal ID cannot be received at the timing to be received.

  As a modification, attention was paid to the fact that the number of digits of the terminal ID differs depending on the carrier. For example, a terminal ID is composed of several digits of characters and numbers in a certain carrier, while a terminal ID is composed of characters of ten to several tens of digits and numbers in another carrier. That is, the carrier of the mobile phone 2 can be specified by the configuration of the terminal ID. Therefore, when the terminal ID is received, the billing management apparatus 1 is configured to specify a carrier, transmit display screen information corresponding to the carrier to the mobile phone 2, and set a content usage fee corresponding to the carrier. May be.

  The scope of application of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. The present invention can be widely applied to a content usage fee collection system using the mobile phone 2.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Charge management apparatus 11 Control part 12 Storage part 121 System member DB
122 DB by CP
123 Temporary registration DB
13 Display unit 14 Input unit 15 Communication unit 2 Mobile phone 3 CP server

Claims (4)

Registration means for registering the credit card information designated by the mobile phone user and the password determined by the user in the database in association with a terminal ID that uniquely identifies each mobile phone attached to the mobile phone; ,
Usage registration request accepting means for receiving a mobile phone terminal ID from the mobile phone and accepting a content usage registration request;
Terminal ID authenticating means for authenticating the terminal ID received by the use registration request accepting means with reference to the database;
A first password receiving means for receiving a password from the mobile phone when authentication is permitted by the terminal ID authenticating means;
Password authentication means for authenticating the password received by the first password receiving means with reference to the database;
A registration notifying unit for notifying the registration requesting device of the content provider when registration is permitted by the password authenticating unit;
An accounting management apparatus comprising: The registration means registers the user ID determined by the user in the database in association with the terminal ID,
The billing management device comprises:
A second password receiving means for receiving a user ID and password from the mobile phone when the terminal ID authenticating means rejects the authentication;
Re-authentication means for authenticating the user ID and password received by the second password receiving means with reference to the database;
Have
2. The charge management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the registration notifying unit notifies the registration requesting device of the content provider of registration when the re-authentication unit permits authentication. A confirmation means for confirming the validity of the credit card information relating to the mobile phone user registered in the database when authentication is permitted by the password authentication means or the re-authentication means;
3. The charge management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the registration notification unit performs the registration notification when the validity of credit card information is accepted by the confirmation unit. Computer
Registration means for registering credit card information designated by a mobile phone user and a password determined by the user in a database in association with a terminal ID that uniquely identifies each mobile phone attached to the mobile phone;
Usage registration request accepting means for receiving a mobile phone terminal ID from the mobile phone and accepting a content usage registration request;
Terminal ID authenticating means for authenticating the terminal ID received by the use registration request accepting means with reference to the database;
First password receiving means for receiving a password from the mobile phone when authentication is permitted by the terminal ID authenticating means;
A password authenticating unit for authenticating the password received by the first password receiving unit with reference to the database; and when the authentication is permitted by the password authenticating unit, to the content provider device of the registration request destination A charge management program which functions as a registration notification means for performing registration notification.

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