WO2001086871A2

WO2001086871A2 - Method for billing chargeable services on the internet

Info

Publication number: WO2001086871A2
Application number: PCT/DE2001/001786
Authority: WO
Inventors: Olaf Scharmann; Markus Löcker; Mirko Czesla
Original assignee: Olaf Scharmann; Loecker Markus; Mirko Czesla
Priority date: 2000-05-11
Filing date: 2001-05-11
Publication date: 2001-11-15
Also published as: AU6577501A; DE10191883D2; DE10022934A1; WO2001086871A3

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for billing chargeable services on the internet via a customer who is connected to the internet by means of a terminal. The inventive method comprises the following steps: establishing a telecommunications connection (DIALTAN) from the terminal (ISURF) to a database server (DB); identifying, in the database server (DB), an amount of money to be paid by the customer; generating at least one data packet (TAN), whereby, in all, one significance corresponding to the amount of money to be paid is given to the data packets; transmitting the data packets to the terminal; terminating the telecommunications connection; transmitting the request for the service and the data packets from the terminal to the server of a service provider via an internet connection, and; transmitting the service to the terminal.

Description

Procedure for billing paid services on the Internet

The invention relates to a method for billing fee-based services on the Internet by a customer who participates in the Internet by means of a terminal.

Services on the Internet are paid for by credit card billing, direct debit or billing, for example. In particular with direct debit and invoicing, the customer usually has to register with the service provider, which is not always in the customer's interest. All procedures require a not inconsiderable effort on the part of the service provider, so that the billing of his services is ensured for him.

With net90 (http://www.in-media-res.com) and X-diver (http://www.x-diver.de) payment systems have become known in which redirection to a chargeable phone number. They are billed via the telephone bill. The problem with the chargeable phone numbers is that a time-dependent amount is also payable for the duration of the connection. This will usually billed to the line provider, so that they receive a fixed amount for a call, for example, depending on how long the customer is on the line, an amount will be deducted.

It is the object of the invention to provide a method for the billing of chargeable services on the Internet by a customer which is secure and requires little effort on the part of the customer and the service provider.

This object is achieved by a method according to claim 1. Advantageous refinements are the subject of the dependent claims.

According to the invention, the method comprises the following steps:

• Establishing a telecommunication connection from the terminal to a database server (DB);

• Detect in the database server (DB) an amount to be paid by the customer;

• Generating at least one data packet, the data packets overall having a value which corresponds to the amount to be paid;

• transmission of the data packets to the terminal;

• disconnect the telecommunication connection;

• transmission of the request for the service and the data packets from the terminal to the server of a service provider via an Internet connection; and

• Transfer of the service to the terminal.

The data packets thus represent a kind of virtual wallet on the customer's computer. The data packets are stored on the hard drive of the customer's computer, so that the data packets can in principle be obtained separately from the payment of a fee-based content.

The method uses a special protocol to identify the content that is subject to a charge and the respective costs. As an extension of the HTML <embed> tag the keywords name, url, tariff and dm are used to indicate the name of the paid content, the web address and the costs. These keywords are recognized and evaluated by the software on the computer of the internet surfer.

A database manages all data packets. This ensures that only paid data packets can be redeemed and that each data packet is used only once. The administration does not necessarily have to take place in a central database, the data packets can also be stored and checked by several networked databases. For this purpose, the data packets are provided with an identifier of the respective database server so that they are clearly assigned. This enables a load distribution to several servers. The databases can also be used to log payment transactions. The identifier of the content provider and the number and value of the redeemed data packets are saved for each transaction. In this way, detailed sales statistics can be created.

The advantage of the invention is that. That. Although the data packets can certainly be purchased via a chargeable telephone line, the duration of such a call can be set to a maximum value, since in contrast to other systems, the chargeable service is not carried out via the telecommunication line after block tariffing, but via a normal Internet connection. Only the data packets are transmitted over the chargeable telephone line, a process that only takes a few seconds with a currently available modem. Even taking into account the establishment and disconnection of the connection, it can be assumed that this process does not exceed one minute.

The method according to the invention is based on basic services of the telecommunications network operators. No special functions are necessary in the telecommunications network. The existence of chargeable phone numbers is sufficient to carry out the method according to the invention but not a mandatory requirement, since the data packets can also be acquired in other ways. For example, it is possible to offer free phone numbers and only hand out the data packages to registered users against invoicing.

The concept of data packets also bridges the time between payment and redemption of the data packets against chargeable content. If the web server of the content provider cannot be reached at short notice or the paid content can be delivered at the moment or not at all. If the data packets are returned to the customer and can be used for other paid content. This option would not be possible if the fee-based content was transmitted directly via a fee-based telephone line, since the fees are due immediately when the connection is established.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, each data packet contains a transaction number (TAN), the value of which corresponds to a fixed amount of money or a fixed denomination. These transaction numbers are designed so that they can be considered tamper-proof. For this purpose, the length of the transaction numbers is expediently adjusted. Assuming an alphabet with, for example, 50 characters and a length of the transaction number of 30

Asking is the probability of "guessing" a transaction number, 1: 50 ³⁰ .

For security reasons, the transaction numbers can be protected against unauthorized access, for example, by means of symmetrical encryption. This prevents unauthorized persons who have physical access to the computer from accessing paid content. On the other hand, the transaction numbers are protected from this. That hackers can spot them on the Internet by accessing the hard drive of the computer concerned. The customer can choose any password that will be used for encryption.

This eliminates the need for complex encryption when transferring transaction numbers on the Internet. A mere spying on the Transaction numbers are useless, because immediately afterwards the transaction numbers are already considered used up and have thus become worthless. This makes implementation on the side of the service provider very easy.

A simple script is expediently used, which uses a defined protocol to make a request to the acceptor of the transaction number, who in turn confirms the validity of the transmitted transaction numbers positively or negatively. Every transaction number or data packet should therefore have an identification of its validity.

In the following the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

It shows:

Figure 1 highly systematized an example of a system structure with which a

Method according to the present invention is to be carried out; Figure 2 shows the process of a payment process;

Figure 3 shows the sequence of transmission of the transaction numbers;

Figure 4 shows a variant of the system structure similar to Figure 1.

Figure 1 shows an example of a system structure. A personal computer serves as the end device for the customer, via which both an Internet connection via a dial-up connection or network and a dial-up connection can be established via a telecommunications network. The special communication link DIALTAN serves, as will be explained in more detail later, to acquire the data packets, it being assumed in the present case that these are used as transaction numbers TAN. The administration of the TAN database is carried out via the database server DB, the TAN server TANSVR and TAN acceptor TANA, the exact function of which is explained in more detail below. The servers DB, TANA and TANSVR do not necessarily have to be physically divided between the computers, they can be listed on the same computer, but it is useful for security reasons a distribution to different computers (firewalls). If the system is under high load, the number of TANSVRs can be increased. Redundancy also increases the system's reliability.

The internet surfer or customer has now established an internet connection to the web server of the content provider CONTSVR.

The course of the payment process is explained in connection with Figure 2. FIG. 3 shows the sequence of the transfer of the TANs from the TAN server to the customer's personal computer.

The internet surfer or customer is in the free internet offer. If he encounters a fee-based offer with his PC (ISURF), the software on his computer recognizes this and informs him of the amount to be paid and requests confirmation from him. If the amount is to be paid, a special software uses the available telecommunication device (e.g. modem or ISDN card) to set up a direct connection to the TAN server (TANSVR) via the telecommunication network. If ISURF only has one telecommunication line available through which the Internet connection was previously established, then this is temporarily disconnected. The phone number dialed by the software depends on the amount to be paid. The TAN server (TANSVR) is connected to the telecommunication network via a correspondingly powerful hardware (e.g. active ISDN card with several SO connections or a primary multiplex card). The TAN server (TANSVR) uses the dialed number to recognize the amount that the telecommunications company will charge the caller. This results in the total value of the TANs to be issued.

A possible simplification with this system is that all the TANs in circulation have the same value and thus the level of totality is only controlled by the number of TANs. On the one hand, this has the disadvantage that all amounts to be paid on the Internet must be a multiple of this value. On the other hand, however, the number of chargeable phone numbers to be set up can be limited if a maximum amount that can be paid through this system is also set. For example, if the value of a TAN is always EUR 0.25 and the maximum amount is set at EUR 2.50, 10 numbers with block tariffs are sufficient to cover all possible amounts.

In this case, the TAN server (TANSVR) uses the dialed number to determine how many TANs are to be transferred to the computer of the Internet surfer (ISURF). With the help of the database server (DB), these TANs are generated by the TANSVR via a random generator and written to the database. This ensures that no duplicate TANs are produced. The TANs are only stored in the database with their value and marked as valid and are transferred to ISURF. After the transmission, the TANSVR can disconnect the telecommunications line to ISURF. This ensures that this line is no longer maintained than is absolutely necessary. If the internet connection was disconnected from the software on ISURF before paying, it will now be re-established. TANs that correspond in their overall value to the amount to be paid are now transmitted to the service provider's web server (CONTSVR) together with the request for the desired service. This can be done either via the POST or GET method of the web browser of the Internet surfers. A script on CONTSVR now establishes a connection via the Internet to the TAN acceptor (TANA) of the system and transmits the TANs just received to it, along with an indication of how high their total value should be, so that the service provider is ready for the desired service to provide. The TANA can now use the database server (DB) to determine whether the TANs received are valid and their total value corresponds to the target value. If both are the case, DB is prompted to set the TANs to used and thus to invalid. Likewise, positive feedback is given to CONTSVR in this case, who in turn can continue to perform the fee-based service. Any content provider who offers payment processing via this system wants, is registered in the system with a unique number. The moment the TANA sets a TAN to invalid, it is also saved which content provider has submitted this TAN. This information can then be used to subsequently distribute the funds received by the telecommunications network operator and paid to the system operator to the content providers.

If the total value of the TANs transferred from CONTSVR to TANA does not match the target value, the TANA returns a corresponding error message to CONTSVR and the TANs remain marked as valid in the database. In this case CONTSVR does not output the desired performance and the software on ISURF registers that the last used TANs have not been used and can continue to be used.

FIG. 4 shows a modification of the system structure according to FIG. 1, which provides a mobile radio connection as an add-on for the DIALTAN connection. The advantage here is that the mobile phone has a mobile payment function. It can be built on existing technology, and it addresses those Internet surfers who have a direct connection to the Internet, for example via company networks or publicly accessible surf stations. The method according to the invention can be carried out as described above, except that the personal billing is carried out via the mobile phone bill.

The software described above, which is installed on the ISURF personal computer, can also be easily modified and used to cause the surfer's computer to disconnect from the existing Internet connection and to gain access to the Internet or an intranet via another telecommunications connection. This is suitable for connecting the surfer to an intranet via a chargeable telephone number with time-based tariffing, where he is offered a service, the payment of which should depend on the duration of use. In particular, the computer of the Internet surfer can be connected to the Internet via one of the numerous Internet-by-Call (IBC) providers. So there is the opportunity for the Internet surfer on a website list all IBC providers with the different tariffs. With a click of the mouse, the Internet surfer can then connect to the currently cheapest IBC provider without having to make any settings on his computer himself.

The features of the invention disclosed in the above description, in the drawing and in the claims can be essential for realizing the invention both individually and in any combination.

Claims

Procedure for billing paid services on the Internet

1. A method for billing fee-based services on the Internet by a customer who participates in the Internet using a terminal, with the steps:

Establishing a telecommunications connection (DIALTAN) from the terminal (ISURF) to a database server (DB);

• Detect in the database server (DB) an amount to be paid by the customer;

• Generating at least one data packet (TAN), the data packets overall having a value which corresponds to the amount to be paid;

• transmission of the data packets to the terminal;

• disconnect the telecommunication connection;

• Transfer of the service to the terminal.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that each data packet contains a transaction number (TAN), the value of which corresponds to a fixed amount of money or a fixed denomination.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that each data packet has an identification of its validity.