DE10002881A1 - Method of paying for services of diverse value in multi-user data transmission network requires inclusion of inseparable validity data in voucher data which is inspected before providing service. - Google Patents

Abstract

The voucher data includes inseparable validity data. Validity of voucher data is inspected, before opening the service to the user.

Description

The invention relates to a method for paying for offers in a data transmission network to which several users and several providers are connected, of which the Providers provide various paid offers that a user can look for Transmission of a voucher record representing a monetary value has access, the Users previously requested the voucher record via a special connection and received and recorded the costs for the voucher record via the special connection and billed to the user.

Such a method is known from CA patent application 2 195 968. This well known The procedure allows you to make paid offers about a certain group of dialers make numbers accessible via which the costs can be recorded according to the offer. The connection to providers is established through organizations, generally under the designation "Provider" known, made for registered users, a data transfer is used, the operator of which the user directly for the use of the network charged with costs. So the user who accesses a paid offer will charged in principle in the same way as when using the data transmission network for free offers, however, additionally with those over the specific ones Dialing numbers recorded costs with a higher amount of money. At least the provider will some of the money received via the specific dialing numbers is credited, so that the provider in this way for the use of his fee-based offer will be paid.

Instead of paying directly via the specific dial numbers, the known one Procedures also indicated the possibility of a paid offer through a Pay stamp record, which the user previously requested and paid to him is transmitted. This stamp of value record, hereinafter also the voucher record or Simply called a voucher, corresponds to a paid offer, because its Transmission to the user also takes place via dialing numbers, the special costs can be recorded, in this case the cost of the voucher. A voucher can only partially consumed so that with a voucher corresponding value one after the other offers from the same provider can be accessed.

Such a voucher from a provider can be used by the user for an unlimited period of time Use offers from this provider. However, this is not always satisfactory for the provider. So it may be favorable for the provider for internal billing reasons that a  Coupon can only be used for a limited time. This is useful, for example, if the offer is the current issue of a magazine. It is also possible that the Voucher record should be usable a certain number of times. This is among other things for the same use case makes sense. This is not provided for in the known method.

The object of the invention is to provide a method of the type mentioned, with which it it is possible to limit the validity of the voucher.

This object is achieved in that the voucher data record with data provided that determine its validity and that are inseparable from the other data connected and that the validity of the voucher record before approval of the offer is checked to the user.

In this way, the provider can limit the validity of the voucher without the User can remove or change this restriction. The inseparable connection of the Validity-determining data can in particular take place in that this data with the other data of the voucher, which among other things indicate the value of the voucher and further Mark the voucher individually as a coherent data record after one Secret code, in particular only known to the provider or a service provider encrypted and / or supplemented by a test data record generated by such a code become. The encryption or such a test data record is then used each time the voucher at an appropriate point that checks the validity of the voucher, mandatory checked.

It is possible for a user to misuse a voucher in order to duplicate it use. In order to prevent this, it is useful that the voucher record uniquely identifying data are stored in a location that is independent of the user and each voucher record transmitted by the user for access with them stored data is compared and this stored data after consumption of the Vouchers can be marked accordingly or deleted. The identifying data can be parts of the data record itself in the simplest case. This does require a certain amount Administrative burden on the provider or a service provider, which is inevitable, if misuse with vouchers is to be prevented.

A voucher record can contain various information about its validity. That's the way it is possible that the voucher record contains an indication of a date after which it appears at Verification is found to be invalid. This is useful if, for example  Offer is the current issue of a magazine, the one included in the voucher record Date that could be the next issue of this magazine. It is also possible that the voucher record contains information for a number of times and after use this number of times is found to be invalid when checked. This is among other things for the same use case makes sense. Also, several such details can be in the Voucher records are available, which are then combined. For example, a Voucher record with higher value with a date after which it no longer is valid even if it has not yet been completely used up. Other combinations are also makes sense. For example, a type of voucher may be appropriate, on which the Provider amounts can be credited and preferably no date for contains a period of validity, ie represents a "permanent voucher". In such a voucher can also be given by the provider a disposition framework, this voucher can also have a negative balance. When this balance is reached, the voucher invalid, which means that he is not eligible for paid offers can be used. As such, the voucher can still remain and again become valid if, in particular, an amount of money is credited to it, while others Types of vouchers that are finally used up, expediently automatically by the user should be deleted.

In the known method mentioned at the beginning, the voucher can have its value in the form of Fractions included when accessing an offer with time-dependent costs consecutively. For this, the provider must have one after each time unit Request or debit another fraction of the voucher. However, this requires one increased processing costs for both the provider and the user, in particular If the fractions are very small, an exact payment of offers with essential to allow different costs. According to one embodiment of the invention, it is therefore expedient that after transmission of a voucher record by the user with a Monetary value representing the cost of the accessed offer or the sum of the costs of several a session of consecutively accessed, even differently expensive offers exceeds, a new voucher record is transmitted to the user. The value of the The new voucher then corresponds to the value of the old voucher minus the costs of the accessed paid offer. This option can also be used for offers are used for the duration of use, i.e. the duration of access, must be paid. A voucher with a sufficiently high value is sent to the Transfer provider, and this transfers a new voucher when the access is completed with a corresponding residual value to the user.  

In principle, requesting a voucher record can also be accessed paid offer, because a voucher can be considered as such an offer be considered. For this z. B. the user preferably a start program automatically started, which was started in a startup Data record can be included and installed automatically or already at the user is available. This program then ends the existing connection and builds one Special connection via a corresponding number. Such a number can For example, start with the numbers 0190 in Germany. Generate such numbers in particular a faster fee cycle, taking different of these numbers cause differently fast fee cycles and these flexible z. B. from the provider can be adjustable. The voucher does not necessarily have to be created by the provider and transmitted, but the provider can also determine that, for. B. a service provider Voucher generated and transmitted to the user. Such a service provider can preferably be an organization that organizes the payment of paid offers by it registers the fees arising under the numbers mentioned and for which Load through to the user, for example in cooperation with the provider. The Service providers can therefore be identical to the provider, but need not be. In The term "service provider" has been used up to now and will continue to be used in this sense.

Recently it is also planned that the discussions or the transmitted information after the billed data volume. In this case the special fees would be different amounts per unit volume of data. In the following description however, for the sake of simplicity, a faster fee cycle is always assumed.

It should be noted that vouchers can be paid in any other way can, for example, as previously known payments of fee-based offers by means of Credit cards.

Access to a paid offer via an automatically triggered start program and a special connection is basically already known, for example from the in the Service designated "eCharge" in the United States. However, no vouchers are used.

The start program or the establishment of the special connection can also be done from the provider be solved so that the charge units for the voucher accrue. The The user's provider must then charge the user accordingly, i.e. H. except with the normal time-dependent fees additionally with those generated via the special connection Fee units. This is possible because the respective provider always knows which one is used  User he is currently communicating with. He can do this service with any of his customers agree if the latter concludes the contract as a provider. However, it can also suffice if the provider gives the user before switching to the special connection informed and asks for his consent. This will transfer the startup program from the provider to the user, it is sufficient if the provider Program. Even users with a dedicated line to their provider or in one Intranet can then use this service.

Typically, a user is connected to the data transmission network via his own connection access offers. However, it also happens that a user disconnects from a another person or another facility, such as B. kiosks or cafes on a want to access a paid offer, but the cost of this access itself wants to take over by using a voucher. In this case it is advisable that the user with the operator of the data transmission network with a personal code, who identifies his own connection, is registered and that when requesting a Coupons by the user from a third party connection from the personal code is transmitted, whereby the fee units contained in the personal code Connection is assigned. However, the registration of the user is necessary here otherwise it is too easy to misuse such a procedure. One is also optional additional user authentication can be used.

Exemplary embodiments of the invention are explained in more detail below with reference to the drawing.

Show it

Fig. 1 shows schematically a data communications network with connected users and providers,

Fig. 2 is a flowchart for the execution of the steps in accessing a fee-based service,

Fig. 3 shows an example of the structure of a voucher record.

Fig. 1 shows schematically two users 10 and 12, 22 can be connected to a two-party 14 or 16 each of which is a transmission network data. This dial-up connection is made via at least one exchange 20 . In fact, there are normally more users and more providers, and the data transmission network has several switching centers, which has been omitted in FIG. 1 for reasons of clarity.

The network 22 is coupled via the or an exchange 20 also via a connection 24 to a connection computer 30 , the connection 24 also being able to be regarded as part of the data transmission network 22 . The switching center 20 establishes a connection to the connection computer 30 if, for example, a user dials a number from a specific group of numbers, for example in Germany a number beginning with the number sequence 0190.

The connection 24 also leads to a security server 34 , which itself is coupled to the connection computer 30 . It should be noted that the connection computer and the security server can be formed together by a single, larger computer system.

The connection computer 30 , on the other hand, is connected to the providers 14 and 16 via a special connection network 32 . The special connection network 32 can also be part of the data transmission network 22 and represent connections established therein by specific numbers and is only shown separately here for the sake of clarity.

It should be noted that both the data transmission network 22 and the special connection network 32 and the connection 24 are bidirectional, so that data can be transmitted in both directions.

The process when a user accesses a chargeable offer from a provider, in particular by means of a voucher, is now explained below together with the flowchart shown in FIG. 2.

The symbol 40 marks the start of the process, whereby there is a connection between the user and the provider via a provider, through which the user can access various offers, usually shown as pages. The user finds an offer from the provider that he wants to access and sends a corresponding request or request to the provider. This is indicated by block 41 .

The provider then transmits an information record from which the user can recognize further details of the offer, in particular also the costs for using the offer. This is indicated by block 42 .

The user is understood with the further details of the offer and also with its costs and now triggers access. This is indicated by block 43 . Here, the user specifies whether he wants to pay for the offer with a voucher or, for example, via a faster fee cycle, as indicated by block 45 , provided that this option is preferably provided by the provider in the information data record.

It is now assumed that the user indicates with his access that he wants to pay with a voucher. If the user already has a voucher with sufficient credit, the voucher, ie the corresponding voucher data record, is then transmitted to the provider, as indicated by block 46 . The voucher record is preferably transmitted using a program which was transmitted to the user when the voucher was purchased. As soon as this voucher data record has been received by the provider or by a contracted service provider, it is checked for validity, which is indicated by block 47 . This check is expediently carried out as a function of the type of voucher and is explained below on the basis of the structure of a voucher data record shown in FIG. 3, for example.

This contains a number of sections 71 to 77 , which have different, essentially defined meanings. Section 71 may contain unique identification of the provider. Section 72 contains an identification code which uniquely identifies the voucher and which is generated when the voucher is purchased and is transmitted to the user.

Section 73 contains data which indicate the type of voucher and determine the meaning of the data contained in section 74 . The simplest type is a voucher with no validity. In this case, the data contained in section 74 are irrelevant or this section is not available. Another type is that this section contains an expiry date and can be used as often as required up to this date, ie it is not marked as used after use. In a further type, section 74 contains an indication of how often it may be used, the number of uses already made being registered by the provider and expediently also by the user. A combination of the various options can also be expedient, for example that the voucher may be used a predetermined number of times within a predetermined period of time or up to a specific date.

A "permanent voucher" can also be provided that does not expire and not only that Partial amounts are debited, but also on the amounts in the sense of a good font can be added and also in one from the provider in the voucher predefined planning framework can have a negative balance. With a credit would then, analogous to debiting partial amounts, a new voucher for the user issued and the old voucher become invalid. Furthermore, in the voucher record Information about a disposition framework can be included so that the user can get a voucher  with a negative balance, provided that this is within the range specified by the provider Disposition framework lies. The permanent voucher is assigned to a provider and can be like a Account. The provider could e.g. B. Offer services as they are about normal checking accounts are common, e.g. B. transfers. Since the provider always has a copy of the Vouchers and thus a "shadow account" for the user, he can for the user also perform services, e.g. B. the execution of standing orders without the User is currently in the access. The voucher can be compared the next time the User. A possible application for this is e.g. B. a permanent lottery ticket. Periodically, the game fees would be debited and winnings credited to the voucher.

Section 75 may include an indication of the current value of the voucher, if such an indication is necessary. In the case of a voucher, which may be used as often as desired within a period of time specified on it, there is no need to provide a value.

Section 76 may contain further information requested by the provider, for example for statistical or similar purposes, or this section may be missing entirely.

Section 77 finally contains a test data record which has been formed from at least some information from the preceding sections according to a secret code. It is therefore not possible for a fraudulent user to change the data of these sections without being noticed. However, if the essential details of the voucher are transmitted to the user in encrypted form according to a secret code, preferably as a coherent data record, this section need not be present either.

The check of the voucher data set transmitted by the user is expediently carried out at the point which had previously generated the voucher data set, that is to say e.g. B. at the provider or at a service provider. When checking a voucher, this section 77 is preferably first checked whether it corresponds to the information in the corresponding other sections, or an encrypted voucher is decrypted and, for. B. checked for plausible information. This is possible because the secret code for this test record or for the encryption is known to the issuing body. Then section 71 is checked whether this voucher is suitable or intended for the provider for whom the user is using the voucher. The provider can also be an operator of another payment system. In this case, the voucher would be issued by the provider or a service provider, for example, and the costs to be borne by the user for this voucher would be transferred by the issuer of the voucher to the operator of the other payment system.

Next, the identity code in section 72 is checked for the following reasons. When using a voucher, it should automatically be deleted by the user as used up. In order to prevent a previous fraudulent duplication by a fraudulent user, a record identifying him must be saved for each voucher at the issuing body or a service provider, i.e. this record itself or a part thereof or a record derived from this record. If this voucher, ie the voucher data record, is transferred when accessing a chargeable offer, it is checked by the issuer of the voucher or by the suggested service provider as to whether it has already been used, ie has been used up. If this is the case, the transfer of the paid offer will be refused.

Section 73 and, if applicable, section 74 are now checked as to whether the voucher can still be used according to the information contained therein. B. the expiry date has already passed or the number of times has already been fulfilled, provided that in the latter case the voucher has not already been deleted from the user when it was last used.

Finally, section 75 is checked whether the monetary value specified therein is sufficient for access to the desired offer, provided that the value specification is required for the offer in question. It is also possible that the valid voucher transferred has a value that exceeds the cost of the offer for which it was transferred. In this case, a new voucher will be transferred with the transfer of the offer, the value of which will be reduced according to the cost of the offer. This transfer of the offer takes place after successful verification of the voucher, as indicated by block 48 .

So far it has been assumed that the user already has a voucher with which he wants to access the desired offer. The purchase of a voucher is basically the same as accessing another fee-based offer. The user does this in the following way. First, in accordance with block 41 , he selects the "voucher" offer from the offers of the provider in question, whereby, as described above, the provider transmits, in accordance with block 42, an information record from which the user can recognize further details of this offer, in particular what type he wants to purchase a voucher from a number of different types specified by the provider in order to pay for the actually desired offer. The type of voucher can be, for example, a selectable value, a date for the period of validity, a predetermined number of times of use or combinations thereof. If the user has decided on one of these predefined types of vouchers, after triggering the access according to block 43, the query in block 45 is skipped, since this makes no sense when requesting a voucher, and a start is made according to block 50 -Transfer data record that contains more information about the voucher, for example also an indication of the choice of the value of the voucher. This start data set essentially contains a start program, provided that this is not already done e.g. B. is available to the user, and possibly an access authorization code, hereinafter also called access code. This serves to ensure that the user can only receive the desired voucher from a provider with the appropriate fee cycle, and is beforehand, for example when setting up the offer for the voucher by the provider, from the security server 34 using an identifier for the person concerned Provider and a special dial number. However, the access code can also be generated by the provider if he so wishes and is then also transmitted to the security server.

All previous transmissions have been carried out via the data transmission network 22 and the connection point or connection points contained therein. The start program is now started at the user, if necessary after prior installation, from the start data record, for example automatically without the user's participation, and has the effect that the existing connection to the provider via the data transmission network 22 is terminated. Likewise, automatically a new connection is then established from the special dialing number from a special group of numbers, which is referred to here as a special connection and which is established by the switching center 20 via the connection 24 and the connection computer 30 via the connection network 32 to the provider 16 becomes. This is indicated by block 51 . However, if the voucher is issued by a contracted service provider who is preferably connected to the connection computer 30 or operates it, the special connection need not be established via the connection network 32 to the provider.

When this special connection is set up, the access code may be transmitted by the user, and the security server 34 checks whether the access code is correct. This is expediently encrypted according to a secret method or with a secret key, so that it can practically not be misused by the user. The connection via the connection network 32 to the provider 16 is therefore only established when the security server has successfully completed the test, which is reported to the connection computer 30 . This checking of the access code is indicated by block 52 . In addition, when the special connection is established, authentication can additionally be carried out between the provider and the security server 34 or connection computer 30 . This can in particular prevent a user from misusing the normally protected number of the connection between the connection computer and the provider, bypassing the connection computer.

After the special connection to the provider has been set up via the connection network 32 , the provider transmits the voucher data record to the user. During this transmission, the operator of the data transmission network 22 and the switching centers 20 generates a faster charge cycle, specifically because of the corresponding special dialing number via which the special connection was set up via the connection computer 30 . This special dialing number preferably also determines the clock rate of the faster fee clock. This faster rate of charges is counted on the one hand in the customary manner on the user's charge account and on the other hand preferably fed to a credit account of the provider in question in the security server. This is indicated by block 53 . In addition, other data relevant to this process can be saved so that any complaints can be tracked.

As soon as the transfer of the voucher has ended, the start program z. B. at the user who has set up the special connection, this also ended again, so that no faster charge cycle is generated. This is indicated by block 54 . Thereafter, if the user has previously specified this request, for example, the original connection can be automatically re-established, as indicated by block 55 . The process then goes to the end symbol 60 , which indicates that the further process takes place in the usual way, the user accessing the original offer of the provider by means of the previously purchased voucher or ending his session.

Claims (12)

1. A method of paying for offers in a data transmission network to which several users and several providers are connected, of which the providers provide various chargeable offers to which a user has access after transmission of a voucher data record representing a monetary value, the user beforehand has requested and received the voucher record and the costs for the voucher record are recorded and billed to the user, characterized in that the voucher record is provided with validity data that determine the validity of the voucher and is inseparable from it and that the validity of the voucher record is checked before the offer is released to the user. 2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the validity data with at least parts of the voucher record as a coherent record encrypted with a secret code and / or around a code generated by such a code Check data record can be added. 3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the voucher record uniquely identifying data are stored in a location that is independent of the user and each voucher record transmitted by the user for access with them stored data is compared and the stored data after consumption of the Vouchers can be marked accordingly or deleted. 4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the voucher Record contains an indication of a validity date, after which it is checked as is found to be invalid. 5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the voucher Record contains an indication for a number of times and after using this number Maie is found to be invalid upon review. 6. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the validity of the Voucher record by increasing the value by means of a credit note from the provider is expanded. 7. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the validity of the  Voucher record is limited by a negative value. 8. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that after Transfer of a voucher record from the user with a monetary value representing the cost of the accessed offer exceeds a new voucher record to the user is transmitted. 9. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that when requesting a voucher Record a launcher is preferably started automatically, the connection from the user to the point issuing the voucher record on a special connection toggles through which special fee units are generated for the user stored and serve as the basis for a credit note from the provider. 10. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the payment of the voucher Prepaid data record in a conventional manner, especially via credit / debit cards Cards (e.g. electronic wallets) or direct debit / direct debit. 11. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one user at the Operator of the data transmission network with a personal code of his own Connection is identified, registered and that when accessing a paid offer through the user is transmitted from a foreign connection from the personal code, whereby fee units incurred when transferring a voucher record to the user assigned to the connection contained in the personal code. 12. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the voucher by a Access to the provider controlling body is issued and / or checked.