JP5244505B2 - Real-time affiliate reward payment system - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a computer system capable of paying an affiliate reward as electronic money in real time, and more particularly, to a computer network system capable of automatically charging the user's electronic wallet when the affiliate reward is generated. .

  In recent years, affiliate programs (also called associate programs) have attracted attention as a new advertising technique.

  An affiliate program is a performance-reward-type advertisement distribution method in which an advertisement fee is paid to an affiliate only after the user generates some transaction (such as purchase of a product, filling in a questionnaire, member registration, etc.) with a browser. In the affiliate program, an individual or corporate Web site or e-mail magazine operator places an advertiser's (merchant) advertisement on his / her site, and the EC ( Electronic Commerce) is trying to guide the site. When a guided visitor proceeds to an EC site via an advertisement and achieves purchase of a service or a product, application for a member, etc., a performance reward to the guiding site is generated.

  The success fee (hereinafter referred to as “affiliate reward”) as described above is generally paid in a predetermined period, such as the end of the month and the payment on the 15th of the following month. It is. Affiliate rewards can be paid by transferring money to a bank account, paying with points that can be used to purchase products, or operating the exchange form on the point exchange site. A mechanism for exchanging money for electronic money is known. For example, as a system having an immediate payment function for an affiliate reward, an affiliate system having a function of exchanging real-time electronic money simultaneously with the generation of an affiliate reward has been proposed (see Patent Document 1 by the present applicant). .

Japanese Patent Application No. 2008-0540439

  At present, in addition to a site having an immediate payment function for affiliate rewards as described in Patent Document 2, there is a payment site that employs a form of paying affiliate rewards with a predetermined period as described above. Therefore, in order to pay out affiliate rewards in real time, factoring to cover those payment sites is required. Also, real-time payout is impossible only with the point exchange mechanism.

  The present invention has been made for the above-described circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to enable each ASP (Affiliate Service Provider) to easily construct a system that allows real-time payment of affiliate rewards using electronic money. Is to make it. Furthermore, an object of the present invention is to use a mobile device such as a mobile phone having an electronic wallet function (so-called “wallet mobile”) and various IC cards (electronic money cards) as a medium for the affiliate to receive an affiliate reward. It is another object of the present invention to provide a real-time affiliate reward payment system that can automatically receive an affiliate reward in conjunction with the occurrence of an affiliate reward.

  The present invention relates to a real-time affiliate reward payment system, and the above object of the present invention is to provide an ASP server of each operating organization that provides affiliate services, and electronic money of each management organization that manages electronic money of each user. And a gateway server that relays data communication between the ASP server and the electronic money server, and a first API that defines a communication protocol for exchanging affiliate rewards for electronic money, A second API that defines a communication protocol for charging electronic money, and when the ASP server generates an affiliate reward, it sends a real-time exchange command to the gateway server in accordance with the first API. Replacement command means for The iserver uses the ASP server of the operating organization that is the payout source of the affiliate reward as the source, the electronic wallet device that is the payout destination of the affiliate reward as the destination, and the correspondence information between the source and the destination of the affiliate reward A correspondence table stored for each affiliate who is a beneficiary; an exchange means for receiving the exchange command from the ASP server and executing the exchange process of the affiliate reward to electronic money according to the first API; and the exchange command Affiliator is specified based on the affiliate ID included in the payout destination, payout destination determination means for determining the payout destination with reference to the correspondence table, and the electronic money after the exchange processing for the determined destination Charge command concerned Charge instruction means for transmitting to a child money server, wherein the electronic money server receives the charge instruction from the gateway server according to the second API and charges the amount designated by the charge instruction to the destination. This is achieved by providing a charging means.

Also, the above object of the present invention is to
The electronic wallet device is a mobile phone having an electronic wallet function, an IC card having an electronic wallet function, or a Web server having an electronic wallet storage unit of the user;
The charge command means executes a process of transmitting the charge command to the electronic money server in real time when the exchange command is received;
The gateway server displays a setting screen for setting a correspondence between the source and the destination on a display unit of a communication terminal owned by the affiliator, and is designated by the affiliator on the setting screen. Having correspondence information registration means for executing processing for registering correspondence between a source and a destination in the correspondence table as the correspondence information;
When the second API has an API that responds to a chargeable amount to the destination in response to an inquiry from an external computer, the gateway server receives the chargeable amount via the electronic money server, and the charge Performing a process of transmitting the charge command by the charge command means with a possible amount as a maximum value to make the destination full.
If the second API does not have an API that responds to the chargeable amount to the destination in response to an inquiry from an external computer, the charge command means sends the desired charge unit amount preset by the affiliate. Executing a process of charging the electronic money for the destination by transmitting the charge command based on information;
Are more effectively achieved by each.

Furthermore, the above object of the present invention is to
The gateway server includes storage means for storing the electronic money exchanged by the exchange means, and when the electronic money cannot be charged to the destination for any reason, the electronic money is stored in the pool area by the storage means. Letting
The charge command means, when electronic money is stored in the pool area, to try to process the charge command at a certain time using the electronic money to make the destination full;
In the case where the destination includes a bank account in addition to the electronic wallet device, and the gateway server determines that the determined destination is a bank account, when the exchange instruction is received, the deposit of the affiliate reward to the bank account is performed. Having a deposit processing means for transmitting the request to the financial institution system in real time;
Are more effectively achieved by each.

  According to the present invention, the site of each operating organization providing an affiliate service is provided with means for transmitting an exchange instruction for electronic money to the gateway server at the time when the affiliate reward is generated. It is possible to realize a system that can pay out smoothly. Further, for example, it is possible to naturally realize factoring that covers an affiliate site for payment at the end of the month following the end of month.

  In addition, affiliates can use their own electronic wallet devices (so-called “wallet mobile phones” and portable devices such as various electronic money cards) as a medium for receiving affiliate rewards. It can be automatically received as electronic money.

  For this reason, mobile users who are young and young, and who are not conscious of affiliate sales, can actively participate as affiliates, thereby revitalizing affiliate sales. In addition, mobile users centered on those young and young people, for example, when they asked, “Why did you do that hairstyle? It will be possible to create a new world of mobile phone transactions, such as when there are many situations in which affiliate rewards come into your wallet in real time when using a beauty salon.

  Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  The real-time affiliate reward payment system according to the present invention (hereinafter abbreviated as “reward payment system”) automatically exchanges the affiliate reward generated at the site of each operating organization providing the affiliate service for electronic money, and the electronic money. Is a computer network system provided with a function of automatically charging the electronic wallet of the recipient of the affiliate reward (hereinafter referred to as “affiliator”). Hereinafter, each operating organization that provides an affiliate service is referred to as an ASP (Affiliate Service Provider), and a computer that executes affiliate processing in the ASP system is referred to as an ASP server.

  FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a reward payment system according to the present invention.

The compensation payment system according to the present embodiment includes an ASP (Affiliate Service Provider) system 10 (hereinafter referred to as “ASP server”) of each operating organization that provides affiliate services, and an electronic money system of each management organization that manages electronic money. 30 (hereinafter referred to as “electronic money server”) and a gateway system 20 (hereinafter referred to as “gateway server”) that relays data communication between the ASP server 10 and the electronic money server 30. In the present embodiment, the gateway server 20 is communicably connected to each ASP server 10 and each electronic money server 30 via a network, and further connected to each bank system 40 via a network. .
<About API>
Here, an API (Application Program Interface) according to the present invention will be described.

  In the present embodiment, as an interface of the application layer between the ASP server 10 and the electronic money server 30, (1) a first API (hereinafter referred to as “exchange API”) that defines a communication protocol related to exchange of affiliate rewards to electronic money. And (2) a second API (hereinafter referred to as “charge API”) that defines a communication protocol for charging electronic money, and using these APIs, each affiliate system (ASP server 10). Affiliate reward generated in the system is automatically exchanged for electronic money, and the electronic money is automatically charged to the electronic wallet device 1 of the affiliate through the electronic money server 30.

  The exchange API is an API defined between the ASP server 10 and the gateway server 20. In this example, the gateway server 20 side provides a system-wide exchange API as an API for exchanging affiliate rewards for electronic money. It should be noted that the exchange API set for each ASP may be stored on the gateway server 20 side and processed using the exchange API for each ASP. The exchange command information using the exchange API includes, for example, an affiliate ID for identifying the affiliate, value information indicating the affiliate reward (for example, information indicating the amount), and avoiding duplicate reception of the same exchange command (duplication check) Serial number). The exchange command may be performed for each affiliate reward, or a plurality of affiliate rewards may be performed once (one exchange command).

The charge API is an API defined between the gateway server 20 and the electronic money server 30 that manages the electronic money, and is converted from the gateway server 20 to the electronic money via the electronic money server 30 using the charge API. The exchanged affiliate reward is charged to the electronic wallet in the electronic wallet device 1. The content of the charge command using the charge API includes, for example, information for specifying the electronic wallet device, information indicating the charge amount, and authentication information of the owner. Is defined according to the API of the electronic wallet device (or electronic money server), and the description thereof is omitted here.
<About electronic wallet device>
Here, the electronic wallet device 1 will be described.

  An electronic wallet device 1 to which electronic money is charged using a charge API includes a mobile phone 1a having an electronic wallet function, an IC card 1b having an electronic wallet function, and a Web server having an electronic wallet storage unit of the user There is. When the affiliate wants to receive an affiliate reward with electronic money, it designates a desired electronic wallet device from among the above electronic wallet devices as a recipient. As a result, electronic money corresponding to the amount of the affiliate reward is automatically charged in the electronic wallet device 1 and can be used.

  An IC card 1b shown in FIG. 1 is an IC card capable of charging electronic money to the electronic wallet 2. For example, an Edy (registered trademark) card capable of purchasing a product in an actual store or online shopping, This is a prepaid IC card represented by a Suica (registered trademark) card or the like used as a ticket with an electronic money function.

  The mobile phone 1a is a general mobile phone on which an IC chip similar to the IC chip built in the IC card 1b is mounted. Also, a Web server (not shown) having an electronic wallet storage unit is a Web server that provides download sales of music content, for example, and generally has an electronic wallet (or electronic money account) corresponding to personal authentication information. Web server.

The aforementioned charge API is an API (or an API defined by the electronic money server 30 that manages the electronic money of the electronic wallet device 1 based on the API) of the various electronic wallet devices 1 as described above.
<About each server 10-30 and the bank system 40>
Hereinafter, the servers 10 to 30 and the bank system 40 according to the present invention will be sequentially described.
<< 1. ASP server >>
The ASP server 10 is a server in an affiliate system that executes an affiliate program, and is a core server in an affiliate site operated by each ASP represented by INFOCART and A8net (registered trademark) operated by the applicant. (One or more computer systems). The specific configuration of the ASP server differs depending on each ASP, and since only the exchange API is related to the system of the present invention, the description of the specific software configuration and the like of the ASP server will be omitted here. Means related to the exchange API between the ASP server and the gateway related to the system will be described.

  The ASP server 10 in the affiliate system operated by each ASP is provided with an exchange command means for sending an exchange instruction to the electronic money to the gateway server 20 according to the exchange API provided by the gateway server 20, thereby using the electronic money of the affiliate reward. You can get paid service. For example, if the ASP server 10 side is configured to send an exchange command to the gateway server 20 when an affiliate reward is generated due to the purchase of a service or product, application for a member, etc., the affiliate reward is sent via the gateway server 20. Real-time payout processing with electronic money is executed.

In addition, in the case of an affiliate site that performs affiliate reward payment processing by batch processing, if the exchange command is transmitted to the gateway server 20 during the payment processing, the gateway server 20 side thereafter performs electronic money payout processing ( Automatic charging processing to the electronic wallet device 1) is automatically executed.
<< 2. Gateway server
The gateway server 20 is a computer system that is the core of the reward payment system according to the present invention.

  FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the gateway server 20. The gateway server 20 includes a control unit 21 including a CPU and the like, and an affiliate reward payment processing unit 22. The affiliate reward payment processing unit 22 includes means 22a to 22g shown in FIG. 2 as main information processing means.

  In the present embodiment, the gateway server 20 connected to each ASP server 10 and each electronic money server 30 has the ASP server 10 as a source, and an electronic wallet device to which an affiliate reward is paid out as a destination. Included in the exchange command is a correspondence table 22a for storing correspondence information between the destination and the destination for each affiliator, exchange means 22b for receiving an exchange command from the ASP server 10 and executing an exchange process of affiliate rewards to electronic money Affiliator is specified based on the affiliate ID to be issued, and a payout destination determination means 22c for determining a payout destination destination by referring to the correspondence table, and an electronic money charge command after exchange processing for the determined destination Send to electronic money server It is a charge command means 22e, and at least comprises configuration of.

  Hereinafter, each means 22a-22g shown by FIG. 2 is demonstrated sequentially.

(1) Correspondence table 22a (correspondence information storage means)
The correspondence table 22a is sourced from the ASP server 10 (ASP server (a), ASP server (b), ASP server (c),...) In FIG. With the electronic wallet device 1 (the mobile phone 1a and various IC cards 1b in FIG. 1) as the payout destination as the destination, the correspondence information between the source and the destination is stored for each affiliate who is the recipient of the affiliate reward. It is a table to do. The correspondence information between the source and the destination is information registered by the correspondence information registration unit 22e described later, and details will be described later using an example of a registration screen.

(2) Exchange means 22b
The exchange unit 22b is a unit that receives an exchange command from the ASP server 10 according to the exchange API and executes an exchange process of affiliate rewards to electronic money. As described above, the exchange command information includes the affiliate ID and value information indicating the affiliate reward. In the exchange means 22b, when the exchange command is received, the affiliate reward is converted into electronic money corresponding to the reward amount, and the electronic money information is stored in the electronic money storage unit (pool area until the electronic money charging process is completed. ) Temporarily. In this embodiment, when an exchange request by the exchange API is received from the ASP server side, the electronic money is automatically charged to the electronic wallet using the charge API at the same time that the electronic money is exchanged in units of 1 yen in real time. In addition, a method of depositing in real time to a bank account (or an electronic money account of an Internet banking system) is adopted.

(3) Payment destination determination means 22c
The payout destination determination unit 22c specifies an affiliate who pays the affiliate reward based on the affiliate ID included in the exchange command, and determines the destination of the payout destination with reference to the correspondence table 22a.

(4) Charge command means 22d
The charge command means 22d is a means for transmitting an electronic money charge command to the electronic money server 30 in accordance with the charge API. In the present embodiment, an electronic money charge command for the destination (electronic wallet device 1) determined by the payout destination determination means 22c is transmitted to the electronic money server 30. The electronic money server 30 serving as a transmission destination at that time is, for example, a server that provides an electronic money transaction service using a specific electronic wallet device 1.

  When the charge command means 22d determines the transmission destination of the charge command, for example, the address information of the electronic money server registered in advance corresponding to the destination is obtained from the storage unit, and the electronic information of the transmission destination is obtained from the address information. The money server 30 is determined.

  Then, the charge command means 22d executes processing for transmitting the charge command to the electronic money server in real time when the exchange command from the ASP server 10 is received. At that time, if the exchange command from the ASP server 10 is an exchange command including a plurality of affiliate rewards, a charge command is generated for each affiliate specified by each affiliate ID included in the exchange command, and the electronic money server Execute the process to send to.

  The processing in the charge command means 22d differs depending on whether the charge API includes a chargeable amount confirmation API or not. These processes will be described later with reference to a flowchart.

(5) Correspondence information registration means 22e
The correspondence information registration means 22e is means for registering correspondence information between the source and the destination in the correspondence table 22a, and the correspondence between the source and the destination is registered by the user (an affiliator in this example). The

  FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a setting screen provided by the correspondence information registration unit 22e. In the correspondence information registration unit 22e, a setting screen (Web screen) G as shown in FIG. 3 is displayed on the display unit of the communication terminal (in this example, the mobile phone 1a) owned by the affiliator, and on the setting screen G A process of registering the correspondence between the source S and the destination D designated by the affiliator as correspondence information in the correspondence table 22a is executed.

  In FIG. 3, a source S (source corresponding to the ASP server 10) displayed on the setting screen G is, for example, the name of an affiliate system provided by the ASP. The name of each affiliate system (ASP1, ASP2, ASP3,...) Is scroll-displayed. The destination D (destination corresponding to the electronic wallet device 1) displayed on the setting screen G is, for example, a name indicating the type of the electronic wallet device 1, and in the case of an electronic money card, the name of the IC card. In the case of a mobile phone such as a name (Edy (registered trademark)), the name of the IC card mounted on the mobile phone is displayed on the setting screen G as accompanying information. As with the source S, the name of the destination D is scroll-displayed.

  Note that “bank account y” in FIG. 3 is an option for transferring an affiliate reward to the bank account. When a bank account is designated as the destination D, the affiliate reward is processed by the deposit processing means 22g described later. Is credited to the bank account in real time.

  The correspondence information registration unit 22e registers the correspondence information set using the setting screen G as described above in the correspondence table 22a.

  4A to 4C are schematic diagrams showing correspondence information registered in the correspondence table 22a. Each ID shown in the figure is an ID unique to the system, and the affiliate ID is, for example, an affiliate ID given by the gateway server 20 or an affiliate ID and a source ID managed by each source so that the ID is not duplicated. (ID for specifying the source).

  The source ID is, for example, an ID given by the gateway server 20 corresponding to the unique name of the source, and the destination ID is, for example, an ID given by the gateway server 20 corresponding to the unique name of the destination.

  The correspondence between the source and the destination is not limited to one-to-one as shown in FIG. 4A, but to n-to-one (n is an integer of 2 or more) as shown in FIG. As shown in (c), there is a correspondence with a plurality of destinations. In other words, if an affiliate is a member of multiple affiliate systems (sources) and you want to receive a single electronic wallet device 1 as a recipient of the reward, you can do so by specifying each on the settings screen. Correspondence information as shown in FIG. 4B is registered by the information registration means 22e. In addition, when the affiliate is a member of a plurality of affiliate systems (sources) and wants to separate the electronic wallet device 1 that is the recipient of the reward, for example, the reward obtained by the affiliate system a is the mobile phone 1a, the affiliate system As for the reward obtained in b, the correspondence information as shown in FIG. 4C is registered by designating each correspondence on the setting screen as the IC card 1b.

  Control information corresponding to each ID (for example, information on the exchange API between the source and the gateway server, charge API between the gateway server and the destination, and information on the deposit API) is registered in another storage unit. .

(6) Storage means 22f
The storage unit 22f is a storage unit that stores the electronic money exchanged by the exchange unit. In the storage unit 22f, when there is no response to the charge command (system down or line failure on the electronic money server side), or when the charge is unsuccessful (charge limit exceeded on the electronic wallet device side, When the electronic money is not recharged for some reason, such as when a full amount is returned from the electronic money server 10, information on the charge command (information indicating the destination, electronic money amount, etc.) is stored in the electronic money. A process of accumulating in a section (a pool area of uncharged electronic money) is executed. Electronic money or affiliate reward points (hereinafter referred to as “electronic money”) accumulated in the pool area are read out by the charge command means 22d described above, and a charge process for the destination is executed.

(7) Deposit processing means 22g
When the destination determined by the payee determination unit 22c is a bank account, the deposit processing unit 22g transmits a request for depositing an affiliate reward to the bank account in real time to the system of the financial institution when the exchange command is received. Execute the process.

Note that the names of the means in FIG. 2 are names given for convenience of explanation, and do not limit the software configuration or the processing order. In addition, a program and control data for causing a computer (CPU in the control unit 21) to execute a procedure for automatically performing the process related to the above-described affiliate reward payment is stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Yes.
<< 3. Electronic Money Server 30 >>
The electronic money server 30 is a server of each management organization that manages the electronic money of each user. The electronic money transaction terminal 2 as shown in FIG. It is a server for providing via. An electronic money transaction terminal 2 shown in FIG. 1 includes an electronic money transaction apparatus 2a installed in an actual store or a ticket gate, a PC (personal computer) 2b1 owned by a user (and a reader / writer 2b2 of an IC card 1b), etc. It is.

  The electronic money server 30 includes a charging unit that receives a charge command from the gateway server 20 according to the charge API and charges the destination (electronic wallet device 1) with the amount of electronic money specified by the charge command. . An electronic money DB (database) in FIG. 1 is a database for managing electronic money information, and stores authentication information for accessing the electronic wallet device 1 and information on uncharged electronic money.

In the present embodiment, the electronic money server 30 is an electronic money server having a general configuration, and a detailed configuration and an example of operation are not described here.
<< 4. Banking System 40 >>
The bank system 40 is a computer system of a general financial institution having means for receiving a deposit request (account transfer request including an amount and a deposit destination account) via a network, and a description of the configuration and operation examples is omitted. In the present embodiment, the bank system 40 is preferably a system having an immediate settlement request processing function. That is, a system including means for executing in real time a process of receiving the deposit request (account transfer request) network from the gateway server 20 and transferring the amount (affiliate reward) indicated in the deposit request to the specified account is preferable. .
《Operation example of reward payment system》
In the above configuration, an example of the operation of the reward payment system according to the present invention will be described with reference to a flowchart.

  As described above, the processing in the charge command unit 22d differs in processing form between the case where the charge API includes a chargeable amount confirmation API and the case where the charge API means 22d does not include the confirmation API. The charge API is preset for each destination (an electronic wallet device to which the affiliate reward is paid out), and information on the charge API is stored in the storage unit in the gateway server 20. The gateway server 20 automatically determines the presence or absence of a confirmation API using the charge API information.

Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, an example of the operation of the reward payment system according to the present invention will be described separately depending on whether or not a chargeable amount confirmation API is present.
<< 1. Example of remuneration payment system operation when there is a confirmation API >>
First, an operation example when the electronic money server side of the transfer destination is provided with an API for confirming the chargeable amount will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  The ASP server 10 has an affiliate reward due to a predetermined event, such as when a product introduced by an affiliate is purchased through a web log or SNS (Social Networking Site), or when an introducer is registered as a member. If so (step S1), an exchange command is transmitted to the gateway server 20 according to the exchange API (step S2), and the affiliate reward exchange process is terminated (step S3). The exchange API may be an API that completes the exchange process when a response to the completion of the exchange command process from the gateway server 20 is received. It may be an API.

  When the gateway server 20 receives the exchange command from the ASP server 10 (step S4), the gateway server 20 executes a process of exchanging affiliate reward (value information such as reward points, amount, etc.) included in the exchange command for electronic money (step S5). : May be executed in step S9). Along with the exchange process, the gateway server 20 refers to the correspondence table 22a registered corresponding to the affiliate ID included in the exchange command, and determines the destination (the electronic wallet device of the affiliator as the payout destination). Then, a chargeable amount confirmation API is transmitted to the electronic money server 30 managing the electronic wallet device (step S6).

  Upon receiving a chargeable amount response from the electronic money server 30 (steps S7 and S8), the gateway server 20 transmits a charge command with the chargeable amount as a maximum value (step S9). If the electronic money server 30 has a function of storing electronic money in the electronic money pool area and automatically charging the electronic wallet device, the processes in steps S6 to S7 are unnecessary. The gateway server 20 side transmits a charge command in step S8 using the electronic money exchanged in step S5 as the charge amount.

  The electronic money server 30 that has received the charge command executes processing for charging the electronic wallet device with the charge amount commanded from the gateway server 20. At that time, when the electronic wallet (electronic money storage unit) is provided outside the electronic wallet device, the electronic money is charged in real time. Further, when the electronic wallet device has an electronic wallet (electronic money storage unit), the electronic money is charged into the electronic wallet, for example, using the electronic money transaction device 2a installed in the ticket gate When the shortage amount of the electronic wallet device is automatically charged, and when the electronic money transaction device 2a for charging is used, it is the time of charge instruction by the user (step S10).

  When the gateway server 20 transmits the charge command in step S9, the gateway server 20 determines whether or not the full amount has been charged (step S11). If the full amount has not been charged, a process of storing uncharged electronic money in the pool area Execute. For example, if the chargeable amount is exceeded, the excess amount is accumulated in the pool area. Further, when the charge command is transmitted, even when the electronic money server side is not responding or error response (charging is unsuccessful) or the like cannot be charged, a process of storing the electronic money in the pool area is executed (step S12). .

  And when the affiliate reward instructed by the exchange command from the ASP server 10 is not fully charged, that is, when the uncharged portion is accumulated in the pool area, every fixed time (for example, every 10 minutes, 1 Information on electronic money for uncharged is read from the pool area every hour (every day, every day, etc.) (step S13), the process proceeds to step S6, and a chargeable amount confirmation API and charge command are sent to the electronic money scanner 30. The electronic wallet device (electronic wallet) is fully processed.

If it is determined in step S11 that the full amount has been charged, the processing of the exchange command from the ASP server 10 is terminated, and the exchange command is waited (step S14).
<< 2. Example of operation of reward payment system when there is no confirmation API >>
Next, an operation example in the case where the electronic money server side of the payout destination does not have a chargeable amount confirmation API will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. Note that the description of the same part as the operation when the confirmation API is present will be omitted or simplified.

  An affiliate reward is generated on the ASP server 10 side (steps S21 to S23), and the gateway server 20 that receives the exchange command executes an exchange process of the affiliate reward to electronic money (steps S24 to S25). The processing up to this point is the same as steps S1 to S5 described above.

  The gateway server 20 executes the exchange process and calculates a charge unit amount. The “charge unit amount” here is a “desired charge unit amount” preset by the user's affiliator. For example, the affiliator sets the correspondence between the source and the destination on the setting screen described above. This is the charge unit amount to be specified. The charge unit amount that can be specified at this time is a unit amount (for example, 1000, 2000, 5000 yen or the like) defined for each electronic wallet device by the charge API, and information on the unit amount is stored in advance in the gateway server 20. Is stored for each destination in the storage section.

  The gateway server 20 stores the setting information of the affiliator instructed by the exchange command, specifically, the setting information of the charge unit amount for the payout destination electronic wallet device preset by the affiliator corresponding to the source. To obtain the charge unit amount (step S26).

  Then, a charge command is generated based on the charge unit amount obtained in step S26, and the charge command is transmitted to the payout destination electronic wallet device via the electronic money server 30 (step S27).

  The electronic money server 30 that has received the charge command cannot charge the amount commanded by the charge command from the gateway server 20, such as when an error (exceeding chargeable amount, etc.) is returned from the electronic wallet device. Returns, for example, an error message to that effect to the gateway server 20 (step S28). On the other hand, if the charge is possible, the charge processing for the amount instructed by the charge command is executed (step S29).

In step S27, the gateway server 20 that transmitted the charge command determines whether or not the affiliate reward commanded by the exchange command from the ASP server 10 has been fully charged (step S30). Processing for accumulating uncharged electronic money in the pool area is executed (step S31). Then, after waiting for a certain time (step S32), the process proceeds to step S26, where a charge command is transmitted to the electronic money scanner 30 for each charge unit amount, and the electronic wallet device (electronic wallet) is charged until the full amount is charged. ) Is executed (steps S26 to S33).

It is a block diagram which shows an example of the whole structure of the reward payment system which concerns on this invention. It is a functional block diagram which shows an example of a structure of the gateway server which concerns on this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows an example of the correspondence setting screen of the source and the destination which concern on this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the correspondence information registered into the correspondence table which concerns on this invention. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the 1st operation example of the reward payment system which concerns on this invention. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the 2nd operation example of the reward payment system which concerns on this invention.

Explanation of symbols

1 Electronic Wallet Device 1a Mobile Phone 1b IC Card 1c Bank Account 2 Electronic Wallet 3 Affiliator 4 User (Product Purchaser)
10 Affiliate sales system (ASP server)
20 Gateway server 21 Control unit (CPU)
22 Affiliate reward payment processing unit 22a Corresponding table 22b Exchange means 22c Payout destination determining means 22d Charge command means 22e Corresponding information registering means 22f Accumulating means 22g Payment processing means 30 Electronic money server 40 Banking system

Claims (9)

An ASP server of each operating organization that provides affiliate services, an electronic money server of each management organization that manages each user's electronic money, and a gateway server that relays data communication between the ASP server and the electronic money server And a system comprising:
A first API that prescribes a communication protocol relating to exchange of affiliate rewards to electronic money, and a second API that prescribes a communication protocol relating to charging electronic money;
The ASP server is
When an affiliate reward is generated, it comprises an exchange command means for transmitting an exchange command to electronic money in real time to the gateway server according to the first API,
The gateway server is
With the ASP server of the operating organization that is the payout source of the affiliate reward as the source, the electronic wallet device that is the payout destination of the affiliate reward as the destination, the correspondence information between the source and the destination is the recipient of the affiliate reward A correspondence table to be stored for each affiliator;
In accordance with the first API, exchange means for receiving the exchange instruction from the ASP server and executing exchange processing of the affiliate reward to electronic money;
A payout destination determining means for specifying an affiliate based on an affiliate ID included in the exchange command and determining a payout destination destination with reference to the correspondence table;
Charge command means for transmitting a charge command for the electronic money after the exchange process for the determined destination to the electronic money server,
The electronic money server comprises a charging means for receiving the charge command from the gateway server according to the second API and charging the destination with the amount designated by the charge command. Reward payment system.   The real-time affiliate reward payment system according to claim 1, wherein the electronic wallet device is a mobile phone having an electronic wallet function, an IC card having an electronic wallet function, or a Web server having an electronic wallet storage unit of the user.   3. The real-time affiliate reward payment system according to claim 1, wherein the charge command means executes a process of transmitting the charge command to the electronic money server in real time when the exchange command is received. .   The gateway server displays a setting screen for setting a correspondence between the source and the destination on a display unit of a communication terminal owned by the affiliator, and is designated by the affiliator on the setting screen. 4. The real-time affiliate according to claim 1, further comprising correspondence information registration means for executing processing for registering correspondence between a source and a destination as the correspondence information in the correspondence table. Reward payment system.   When the second API has an API that responds to a chargeable amount to the destination in response to an inquiry from an external computer, the gateway server receives the chargeable amount via the electronic money server, and the charge 5. The real-time affiliate reward payment system according to claim 1, wherein the charge command means transmits the charge command with a possible amount as a maximum value to make the destination full. .   If the second API does not have an API that responds to the chargeable amount to the destination in response to an inquiry from an external computer, the charge command means sends the desired charge unit amount preset by the affiliate. 6. The real-time affiliate reward payment system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a process of transmitting the charge command based on information and charging electronic money to the destination is executed.   The gateway server includes storage means for storing the electronic money exchanged by the exchange means, and when the electronic money cannot be charged to the destination for any reason, the electronic money is stored in the pool area by the storage means. The real-time affiliate reward payment system according to claim 1, wherein:   When the electronic money is accumulated in the pool area, the charge command means transmits the charge command at regular intervals using the electronic money and tries to make the destination full. The real-time affiliate reward payment system according to claim 7.   In the case where the destination includes a bank account in addition to the electronic wallet device, and the gateway server determines that the determined destination is a bank account, when the exchange instruction is received, the deposit of the affiliate reward to the bank account is performed. 9. The real-time affiliate reward payment system according to claim 1, further comprising deposit processing means for transmitting the request to the financial institution system in real time.

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