Methods and systems for using the public switched telephone network to conduct a transaction between customer accounts

a technology of public switched telephone network and customer account, applied in the field of telecommunications and electronic commerce, can solve the problems of insufficient speed of hand delivery, insufficient student situation mail or other delivery, and inability to meet the needs of students,

USRE41488E1Inactive Publication Date: 2010-08-10HANGER SOLUTIONS LLC +1
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Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
US · United States
Patent Type
Patents(United States)
Current Assignee / Owner
Publication Date
2010-08-10
Estimated Expiration
Not applicable · inactive patent

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Abstract

Methods and systems for using a communication to execute a transaction with respect to an account. A communication is received on a calling line associated with a calling line number. An account number and a transaction amount are obtained from the communication. The account number corresponds to an account with respect to which a transaction is to be conducted. The transaction amount may be a number of units, a dollar amount, etc. A validation may be carried out to determine whether the caller or calling line number is authorized with respect to the conduct of the transaction. In an exemplary embodiment, a billing message is created to include the account number, the transaction amount, and the calling line number. The account number and the transaction amount from the billing message are used to execute the transaction with respect to the account corresponding to the account number. The transaction may be executed by crediting the account by the transaction amount such as by at least the number of units or by at least the dollar amount and by debiting the calling line number account by at least the number of units or by at least the dollar amount. The communication may be provided with an announcement regarding the execution of the transaction.
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Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] This invention generally relates to the fields of telecommunications and electronic commerce, and particularly, relates to the use of a billing message that is generated in connection with a communication in the public switched telephone network (PSTN) and that is used to provide information relating to the execution of a transaction between customer accounts.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Assume your son or daughter is away at college, and as a student usually does, runs a little short of cash. Parents generally find out about such a cash shortage in a telephone call from the student. It would be nice to fix or alleviate that cash shortage through something as easy as a telephone call such as the call that brought the news of the cash shortage. But conventional methods of funds transfer generally are not so simple.

[0003] One method a parent may use to help a student's cash flow is to hand cash directly to the student on the student's next visit home. Bu...

Examples

Embodiment Construction

[0030]The present invention includes methods and systems for using a communication in the public switched telephone network (PSTN) to conduct a transaction with respect to an account. The particular embodiments described herein are intended in all respects to be illustrative rather than restrictive. Alternative embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains without departing from its spirit and scope.

Overview of an Exemplary Embodiment—FIG. 1

[0031]Generally, the present invention provides a caller with methods and systems for a transaction service that may conduct a transaction with respect to an account through the use of a communication in the PSTN. The use of the communication may generate a billing message, which is used to provide transaction information relating to the conduct of the transaction. The transaction may include such actions as crediting an account with a number of units or with a dollar amount. The transaction ...