Information processing system

Abstract

To improve the convenience of the SF charging operation. [Solution] The information processing system according to this embodiment is an information processing system for charging SF to a mobile terminal having an IC chip. The mobile terminal has a payment service application called a Pay app, which is a payment service application that supports cashless payments and is provided by a different service provider than the issuer of SF, and has a cooperation function unit provided in the Pay app that cooperates with the SF issuer server. The information processing system has a charge determination step in which a charge request for SF and the result of the charge request are exchanged between the Pay app and the payment server of the same business operator as the Pay app, a step in which the determination result of the charge determination step is coordinated with the SF issuer server through the cooperation function unit and the SF is charged to the mobile terminal, and a notification step in which the result of the charge in the charge execution step is notified to the Pay app.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing system.

Background Art

[0002] At present, cashless payment using a smartphone or the like with an IC card or an IC chip built in has become common, and cashless operators are also expanding. Along with this, especially in smartphone payment, each operator provides its own application to provide a highly convenient service.

[0003] Also, today, it is common to use an IC card to ride a train. However, when using a train, it is necessary to use a specific IC card or electronic money. Therefore, when using a portable terminal to ride a train, it is required to install an application for so-called transportation electronic money and charge the SF (Stored Fare).

[0004] In such a situation, it is common for users to make daily payments using the applications they often use in their daily lives as main applications. However, when using other services, the hurdle of installing and using a new application is high, which has been an opportunity loss for the application providers.

[0005] As a prior art related to a payment system, in the use of an online shopping application, a technology is known that can access an IC chip without switching between the online shopping application and an application for accessing the IC chip for payment (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Thereby, payment can be made by the online shopping application without using an application for payment.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006]

Patent Document 1

[0007] However, conventional technology has room for improvement in terms of the convenience of charging SF (Secure Value). For example, conventional technology only identifies existing payment service provider servers, and the service provider server cannot directly create or access secure information. Therefore, charging SF requires installing a dedicated application and coordinating with the server, and it is not possible to charge SF without installing a dedicated application for managing SF. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the objective, the present invention provides an information processing system for charging SF to a mobile terminal having an IC chip, wherein the mobile terminal is provided by a different service provider than the issuer of SF, and includes a payment service application that supports cashless payments, and a cooperation function unit provided in the payment service application that cooperates with the SF issuer server, and is characterized by having a charge determination step in which a charge request for SF and the result of the charge request are exchanged between the payment service application and a payment server of the same business operator as the payment application, a step in which the determination result of the charge determination step is communicated with the SF issuer server through the cooperation function unit and the SF is charged to the mobile terminal, and a notification step in which the result of the charge in the charge execution step is notified to the payment service application. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] The present invention has the effect of improving the convenience of charging operations for SF. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] Figure 1 shows an example of the overall configuration of an information processing system according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating the processing related to the payment application according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating the processing related to the collaborative function unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating the processing related to the linked server according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] Figure 5 shows an example of the overall processing of the information processing system according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the overall processing flow of the information processing system according to the embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] The embodiments of the information processing system according to the present application will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Note that the information processing system according to the present application is not limited by these embodiments. Furthermore, in the drawings, the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations are omitted as appropriate.

[0012] [Overall structure] First, the overall configuration of the information processing system 10 according to this embodiment will be described. Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of the information processing system according to this embodiment. As shown in Figure 1, the information processing system 10 includes a mobile terminal 100, a linked server 200, a payment server 300, and an SF issuing server 400.

[0013] Furthermore, regarding the network configuration of the information processing system 10 shown in Figure 1, each device may communicate via any communication network, whether wired or wireless, such as the Internet, LAN (Local Area Network), or VPN (Virtual Private Network). Note that the configuration shown in Figure 1 is merely an example, and the specific configuration and the number of devices are not particularly limited.

[0014] The mobile terminal 100 is a mobile device having an IC chip, and is implemented as an information processing terminal such as a smartphone or tablet. For example, the mobile terminal 100 is a smartphone having an IC chip that is subject to writing of charge information by a chip writing server, such as a cloud system, and has an application pre-installed that manages the settings for cashless payments using electronic money.

[0015] Furthermore, the mobile terminal 100 has a different service provider than the issuer of the SF (Service Firmware) described later, and has a payment service application called PayApp 110 (hereinafter simply referred to as PayApp) installed, which supports cashless payments. For example, the mobile terminal 100 has PayApp 110 pre-installed, which is provided by a business operator that has a linked server 200, described later.

[0016] Furthermore, the aforementioned payment application 110 includes a cooperation function unit 111 that performs the SF charge processing according to this embodiment in cooperation with the SF issuing server 400. The cooperation function unit 111 is implemented, for example, by a program provided by a business operator that owns the SF issuing server 400.

[0017] The linked server 200 is an information processing device that sends and receives information with the settlement server 300 and the SF issuing server 400 in response to instructions from the pay app 110 for charging SF, and is implemented by a server device or a cloud system. For example, the linked server 200 receives instructions from the pay app 110 to perform an SF charge, sends and receives information regarding credit authorization for the payment with the settlement server 300, and sends and receives information regarding confirmation of the charge request with the SF issuing server 400.

[0018] The settlement server 300 is an information processing device that enables the charging of SF to a predetermined application pre-installed on the mobile terminal 100, and is realized by a server device, a cloud system, or the like. For example, the settlement server 300 enables the charging of electronic money to the pay app 110 pre-installed on the mobile terminal 100 by performing, for example, an answer to a credit request for settlement related to charging transmitted by the cooperation destination server 200.

[0019] The SF issuing source server 400 is an information processing device that performs charging to a predetermined application installed on the mobile terminal 100 by an SF charging execution operation from a user, and is realized by a server device, a cloud system, or the like. For example, the SF issuing source server 400 performs an answer to an execution request or the like related to the charging of SF transmitted by the cooperation function unit 111, and issues an SF charging execution instruction to the chip writing server.

[0020] In the information processing system 10 shown in FIG. 1, for example, a specific operator (hereinafter referred to as a cooperation destination operator) that manages the pay app 110, the cooperation destination server 200, and the settlement server 300, and an operator (hereinafter referred to as an SF issuing source operator) that manages the cooperation function unit 111 and the SF issuing source server 400 are assumed to be different operators.

[0021] 〔Processing content of the information processing system 10〕 Next, the processing content of the information processing system 10 will be described. The information processing system 10 is an information processing system that charges SF to a mobile terminal having an IC chip. The mobile terminal has a service provider different from the SF issuing source, a settlement service application that supports cashless settlement, and a cooperation function unit provided in the settlement service application and cooperating with the SF issuing source server.

[0022] The information processing system 10 includes a charge determination step in which a charge request for SF and the result of that charge request are exchanged between the payment service application and the payment server of the same business operator as the payment application; a step in which the determination result of the charge determination step is communicated with the SF issuing server through the cooperation function unit to perform the charge of SF to the mobile terminal; and a notification step in which the result of the charge in the charge execution step is notified to the payment service application.

[0023] For example, the information processing system 10 is a system that charges stored value (SF) used on railways, buses, etc., to a mobile terminal 100 equipped with an IC chip that enables the use of various electronic money, in response to user operations, and includes a pay app 110 that supports payment services of a different business operator than the issuer of the SF, and a cooperation function unit 111 provided within the pay app 110 that cooperates with the SF issuer server 400.

[0024] For example, the information processing system 10 determines whether or not to process the SF charge by sending a credit authorization request related to the charge request from the payment app 110 to the settlement server 300, and the settlement server 300 sending a credit authorization response related to the charge request to the payment app 110. The information processing system 10 then executes the charge process from the SF issuing server 400 via the cooperation function unit 111 according to the determination result for the SF charge process. The information processing system 10 then notifies the payment app 110 of the result of the charge process.

[0025] As a result, the information processing system 10 includes a cooperation function unit 111 that instructs the payment application 110 of the partner carrier installed on the mobile terminal 100 to write the SF value to the IC chip. This enables SF charging without requiring significant functional modifications to the payment application 110 itself, such as instructing the payment application 110 to write to the IC chip. In other words, the information processing system 10 can charge SF to the mobile terminal without installing a new application dedicated to SF management or making significant modifications to the existing application, thus improving the convenience of SF charging operations.

[0026] [Processing details of Pay App 110] Next, the processing details of the pay application 110 in the processing of the information processing system 10 according to this embodiment will be described. Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating the processing related to the pay application according to this embodiment. For example, as shown in Figure 2, the pay application 110 is a payment service application that receives a charge operation from a user and performs payment-related processing in cooperation with the payment server 300.

[0027] For example, the payment app 110 first requests a credit authorization from the payment server 300 regarding the payment of the SF charge in response to a user's SF charge operation. The payment app 110 then performs credit checks with the card company and bank balances, and receives a credit authorization result response from the payment server 300 approving the credit authorization request for the charge process.

[0028] The payment app 110 determines that the SF charge has been authorized, for example, if the credit request with the payment server 300 is authorized. The payment app 110 determines that the SF charge has been rejected, if the credit request with the payment server 300 is denied.

[0029] Furthermore, if a credit request is approved, for example, the payment app 110 requests the SF issuing server 400 to process a charge for the amount desired by the user, and receives a response indicating whether or not the charge process related to the request is possible.

[0030] Furthermore, the payment application 110 determines that the charge process is complete when it receives the charge linkage result from the linkage function unit 111 (described later), and displays the remaining SF balance after the charge when the application is used.

[0031] [Processing details of the linkage function unit 111] Next, the processing content of the collaboration function unit 111 in the processing of the information processing system 10 according to this embodiment will be described. Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating the processing related to the collaboration function unit according to this embodiment. For example, as shown in Figure 3, the collaboration function unit 111 is provided within the payment application 110 by adding a program to the payment application 110 provided by the collaborating business operator.

[0032] For example, when the aforementioned credit request is approved and the payment application 110 accepts a charge linkage request, the linkage function unit 111 cooperates with the SF issuing server 400 to appropriately reflect the amount of SF corresponding to the user's SF charge operation in the charge result.

[0033] To explain with a specific example, when the linkage function unit 111 receives a charge linkage request for SF from the pay application 110, it sends information such as the charge execution amount to the SF issuing server 400, causing the SF issuing server 400 to perform the charge execution process and write the information such as the charge execution amount for SF to the IC chip of the mobile terminal 100. Then, when the linkage function unit 111 receives the charge execution result from the SF issuing server 400, it notifies the pay application 110 of the charge linkage result indicating that the charge process has been completed.

[0034] [Processing details when there is a linked server 200] Here, the processing of the payment application 110 described above is carried out by direct cooperation between the payment application 110 and the settlement server 300. However, if the information processing system 10 has a partner server 200, the processing between the payment application 110 and the settlement server 300, or the processing between the payment application 110 and the SF issuing server 400, may be carried out via the partner server 200. Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating the processing related to the partner server according to the embodiment.

[0035] As shown in Figure 4, the linked server 200 receives a SF charge request from the pay app 110. The linked server 200 then makes a credit authorization request to the settlement server 300 regarding the received charge request and receives a response.

[0036] Then, when the linked server 200 receives a response approving the credit request, it requests the SF issuing server 400 to process a charge for the amount desired by the user and receives a response to that request. Then, when the processing related to the charge request is carried out appropriately, the linked server 200 notifies the pay application 110 that the processing related to the charge request has been completed.

[0037] Furthermore, if the linked server 200 receives a notification from the pay app 110 that the charge execution process has been completed, for example, it registers the details of the charge execution process and notifies the pay app 110 of the registered details. In addition, after registering the details of the charge execution process, the linked server 200 can notify the user of the completion result of the SF charge process via email or other means, or make a sales request to the settlement server 300.

[0038] [Overall processing example] Next, a specific example of the overall processing in the information processing system 10 will be described. Figure 5 is a diagram showing an example of the overall processing of the information processing system according to the embodiment. Note that each process shown in Figure 5 is performed sequentially from top to bottom, and it shows a series of processes from receiving a charge application from a user to displaying the processing result.

[0039] First, the payment app 110 installed on the mobile terminal 100 accepts a request from the user to charge SF (Stored Value). The payment app 110 then notifies the linked server 200 that it has started processing the charge request (Figure 5(1)). The linked server 200 then requests a credit authorization from the settlement server 300 (Figure 5(2)) and receives a response indicating that the credit authorization has been approved (Figure 5(3)). The linked server 200 then requests a charge from the SF issuing server 400 (Figure 5(4)) and receives a response indicating that the amount and other settings from the charge request have been registered (Figure 5(5)).

[0040] Then, upon receiving a response from the SF issuing server 400 indicating that the processing details related to the charge request have been registered, the linked server 200 determines that the charge request processing has been completed appropriately and notifies the pay application 110 that the charge request processing has been completed (Figure 5(6)).

[0041] Subsequently, the payment application 110 requests a charge linkage from the linkage function unit 111 to actually write the SF deposit amount to the IC chip (Figure 5(7)), and the linkage function unit 111 issues a charge execution instruction to the SF issuing server 400 (Figure 5(8)). Upon receiving the charge execution instruction, the SF issuing server 400 issues a write request to the IC chip to the chip writing server (Figure 5(9)) and receives the chip writing result (Figure 5(10)).

[0042] The SF issuing server 400 then registers the chip writing result as a charge execution result and notifies the cooperation function unit 111 of the charge execution result (Figure 5(11)). When the cooperation function unit 111 receives the charge execution result, it determines that the charge execution process has been completed appropriately and notifies the pay application 110 of the charge cooperation result (Figure 5(12)).

[0043] The payment app 110 then notifies the linked server 200 to register the charge completion according to the received charge linkage result (Figure 5(13)), and after receiving the registration result (Figure 5(14)), displays the remaining SF amount after the charge processing related to the registration details. After registering the charge completion, the linked server 200 notifies the user of the completion result by email or other means, or makes a sales request to the payment server 300 (Figure 5(15)).

[0044] Through the series of processes described above, the information processing system 10 includes a cooperation function unit 111 that instructs the payment application 110 of the partner carrier installed on the mobile terminal 100 to write the SF value to the IC chip. This enables SF charging without requiring significant functional modifications to the payment application 110 itself, such as instructing it to write to the IC chip. In other words, the information processing system 10 can charge SF to the mobile terminal without installing a new application dedicated to SF management or making significant modifications to the existing application, thus improving the convenience of SF charging operations.

[0045] 〔flowchart〕 Next, with reference to Figure 6, the overall processing flow of the information processing system 10 according to the embodiment will be described. Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the overall processing flow of the information processing system according to the embodiment. Note that each step in the flowchart shown in Figure 6 can be executed in a different order, and additional or omitted processes may be included.

[0046] First, the payment application 110 determines whether or not it has received a request from the user to charge its stored value (SF) (S101). If it has received a request from the user to charge its SF (S101; Yes), the payment application 110 notifies the linked server 200 to start processing the charge request (S102). On the other hand, if it has not received a request from the user to charge its SF (S101; No), the payment application 110 waits until it receives a request from the user to charge its SF.

[0047] After processing in S102, the linked server 200 makes a credit request to the settlement server 300 (S103). The settlement server 300 then responds to the linked server 200 with the result of the credit request (S104). The linked server 200 then makes a charge request to the SF issuing server 400 (S105). Subsequently, the SF issuing server 400 responds to the linked server 200 with the charge registration details (S106).

[0048] Then, the linked server 200 notifies the pay application 110 that the charge request processing has been completed (S107). The pay application 110 then makes a charge linkage request to the linkage function unit 111 (S108). The linkage function unit 111 then issues a charge execution instruction to the SF issuing server 400 (S109). The SF issuing server 400 then notifies the linkage function unit 111 of the charge execution result (S110). The linkage function unit 111 then notifies the pay application 110 of the charge linkage result (S111), and the information processing system 10 terminates the process.

[0049] 〔effect〕 The information processing system 10 according to this embodiment is an information processing system that charges SF (Stored Value) to a mobile terminal having an IC chip. The mobile terminal has a different service provider from the issuer of SF, and includes a payment service application 110 which supports cashless payments, and a cooperation function unit 111 provided in the payment application 110 which cooperates with the SF issuer server 400.

[0050] The information processing system 10 includes a charge determination step, a step to execute SF charging, and a notification step. The charge determination step involves the exchange of SF charging requests and the results of those requests between the pay application 110 and the settlement server 300 of the same business operator as the pay application 110. The SF charging execution step involves coordinating the determination result from the charge determination step with the SF issuing server 400 via the cooperation function unit 111 and executing the SF charging to the mobile terminal. The notification step notifies the pay application 110 of the charging result in the charging execution step.

[0051] As a result, the information processing system 10 includes a cooperation function unit 111 that instructs the payment application 110 of the partner carrier installed on the mobile terminal 100 to write the SF value to the IC chip. This enables SF charging without requiring significant functional modifications to the payment application 110 itself, such as instructing the payment application 110 to write to the IC chip. In other words, the information processing system 10 can charge SF to the mobile terminal without installing a new application dedicated to SF management or making significant modifications to the existing application, thus improving the convenience of SF charging operations.

[0052] Furthermore, when the linkage function unit 111 determines that SF charging is to be performed, it instructs the SF issuing server 400 to perform the SF charging. As a result, the information processing system 10 can exchange information with the SF issuing server via the linkage function unit provided in the payment application and appropriately perform the charging process on the mobile terminal.

[0053] 〔others〕 Furthermore, among the processes described in the above embodiments, all or part of those described as being performed automatically may be performed manually. Conversely, all or part of those described as being performed manually may be performed automatically by known methods. In addition, the processing procedures, specific names, and various data and parameters shown in the above documents and drawings may be changed at will unless otherwise specified.

[0054] Furthermore, each component of the illustrated device is a functional concept and does not necessarily have to be physically or functionally configured as shown. In other words, the specific forms of distribution and integration of each device and functional configuration are not limited to those shown, and all or part of them can be functionally or physically distributed and integrated in any unit according to various loads and usage conditions. In addition, the embodiments described above and the processes carried out in each embodiment may be combined as appropriate, as long as the processing content is not contradictory.

[0055] 〔program〕 Furthermore, the mobile terminal 100 and server devices such as the linked server 200 according to the above-described embodiment are implemented by a computer having the following functions, for example. The computer is connected to output devices and input devices, and has a configuration in which a central processing unit, memory, storage, output interface, input interface, and communication interface are connected by a bus.

[0056] The central processing unit (CPA) operates based on programs stored in memory and storage, as well as programs read from input devices, and executes various processes. Memory, such as RAM, is a memory device that temporarily stores data used by the CPA for various calculations. Storage is a storage device where data used by the CPA for various calculations and various databases are registered, and is implemented using ROM (Read Only Memory), HDD (Hard Disk Drive), flash memory, etc.

[0057] The output interface is an interface for transmitting information to be output to output devices such as monitors and printers, and is implemented by connectors conforming to standards such as USB (Universal Serial Bus), DVI (Digital Visual Interface), and HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface). The input interface is an interface for receiving information from various input devices such as mice, keyboards, and cameras, and is implemented by USB, for example. The input device may be a device that reads information from optical recording media, magneto-optical recording media, tape media, magnetic recording media, or semiconductor memory, or an external storage medium such as a USB memory stick.

[0058] The communication interface receives data from other devices via network N and sends it to the central processing unit (CDA), and also transmits data generated by the CDA to other devices via network N. The CDA controls output and input devices via output and input interfaces. For example, the CDA loads programs from input devices and storage into memory and executes the loaded programs.

[0059] Although some embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the drawings, these are illustrative examples, and the present invention may be implemented in other forms by various modifications and improvements based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art, starting with the embodiments described in the disclosure section of the invention. Furthermore, the terms "section, module, unit" used above can be read as "means" or "circuit," etc. For example, the "applying part" can be read as the "applying means" or "applying circuit." [Explanation of Symbols]

[0060] 10. Information Processing Systems 100 mobile devices 110 Pay apps 111 Collaboration Function Unit 200 Partner Servers 300 Payment Servers 400 SF Publisher Server

Claims

1. An information processing system for charging SF (Stored Fare) to a mobile terminal having an IC chip, The aforementioned mobile terminal is The issuer of the aforementioned SF is different from the service provider, and it is a payment service application that supports cashless payments. The payment service application includes a cooperation function unit that interacts with the issuing server of the SF, It has, A charge determination step in which a charge request for the SF and the result of that charge request are exchanged between the payment service application and the payment server of the same business operator as the payment service application, The process involves coordinating the determination result of the charge determination step with the issuing server of the SF through the cooperation function unit, and performing the charge of the SF to the mobile terminal. A notification step in which the result of the charge in the step of performing the charge is notified to the payment service application, An information processing system characterized by having the following features.

2. The information processing system according to claim 1, characterized in that the cooperation function unit instructs the issuing server of the SF to perform the charge of the SF when it is determined that the charge of the SF is to be performed.

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