GB2452700A

GB2452700A - Initiating a payment service by including a scan tag in a short message

Info

Publication number: GB2452700A
Application number: GB0716572A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Jeffrey Wilson
Original assignee: Intellprop Ltd
Current assignee: Intellprop Ltd
Priority date: 2007-08-24
Filing date: 2007-08-24
Publication date: 2009-03-18
Also published as: GB0716572D0

Abstract

A GSM network 1 includes an SMS application platform 8 that is in communication with a money transfer platform 9. A first mobile user A can send a sum of money to a second mobile user B by means of a money transfer service provided by the money transfer platform 9. In order to do this, the user A composes a short message in the form of a text message that includes a particular character or characters, e.g. a scan tag, that indicates a payment service and may define the monetary amount to be transferred, and then sends (addresses) the text message to the user B. A text message router 6 identifies the relevant scan tag in the short message, and directs the text message to the SMS application platform 8, which then manages the money transfer transaction in cooperation with the money transfer platform 9.

Description

-2452700 Telecommunications Services Methods and Apparatus The present invention relates to services that may be provided in telephone systems and in particular to services that may be controlled via short messaging (e.g. text messaging) arrangements of a telephone system.

Many modern telephone systems support text messaging functions and services, whereby, for example, a user may access or instigate a service of the telephone system by sending an appropriate text message.

An example of such a service is the Paypal (RTM) system, which allows a suitably registered user to make a payment to a third party by sending, to a predefined Paypal (RTM) service number, a text message that includes syntax identifying the monetary amount and the intended recipient. In these arrangements, the intended recipient of the payment is specified in the body of the text message either by a mobile phone number or an email address.

Examples of sending money by text message in the Paypal system are: -send 10.99 to 0712345678 -send 5 to name@domain.com -s 10.99 to 0712345678 -s 5 t name@domain.com -send 10.99 USD to 0712345678 -send 5. 34 EUR to 0712345678 note Thx for dinner.

The Applicants believe that there remains scope for improved services that provide, inter alia, the ability to make payments by sending short messages in telephone systems.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of providing a service in a telephone system that supports the sending of short messages, the method comprising: a user of the system preparing a short message that includes a particular character or characters for indicating a payment service of or supported by the telephone system; the user addressing the short message to the party in respect of whom the indicated payment service is to be performed and sending the short message; and the telephone system recognising the particular character or characters in the short message and in response thereto initiating the indicated payment service in respect of the party to whom the short message is addressed.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a system for providing an electronic payment service in a telephone system that supports short messaging, the system comprising: a telephone system terminal via which a user can prepare a short message that includes a particular character or characters for indicating the payment service and can send the short message addressed to the party in respect of whom the payment service is to be performed; and means, in the telephone system infrastructure, for recognising the particular character or characters in a short message and for, in response thereto, initiating the payment service in respect of the party to whom the short message is addressed.

The present invention provides a system and method that allows a user to instigate a payment service in respect of a selected party by sending a short message.

However, in the present invention, unlike in the Paypal (RTN) scheme, the short message is itself addressed to the intended payment service recipient.

This simplifies the syntax of the message and the composing of it from the user's perspective, since it avoids, for example, the need to include the intended recipient's email address or mobile phone number in the "payment" short message (which may be inconvenient, particularly where the user's terminal does not, for example, support the ability to add a phone number from the terminal's phonebook into a short message) Furthermore, because the "payment" short message is addressed (and thus "sent") to the intended recipient of the payment function, there is no need in the present invention for the user to send their "payment" message to a special service number (nor accordingly for the user to have to remember such a number) The present invention accordingly provides a particularly straightforward, convenient, and intuitive technique for performing payment functions and services via a short messaging service of a telephone system.

The present invention also extends to the operation of the system in response to a short message in the form of the present invention, and to apparatus for carrying out such operation.

Thus, according to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of operating a telephone system that supports a short messaging service, the method comprising: the system: determining whether a short message that has been sent by a user includes a particular character or characters; and if the short message does include the particular character or characters, initiating a payment service or function of or accessible via the telephone system in respect of the party to whom the short message is addressed.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for use with a short messaging service of a telephone system, the apparatus comprising: means for recognising the presence of a particular character or characters in a short message; and means for, if a short message does include the particular character or characters, initiating a payment service or function of or accessible via the telephone system in respect of the party to whom the short message is addressed.

The payment service or function that is initiated arid performed in the present invention can comprise any desired and suitable such function or service. There may only be a single function or service available, or there may be plural such services (with, e.g., and preferably, different characters identifying which of the different services or functions is required) In a particularly preferred embodiment the payment service or function comprises a money transfer function or service, and most preferably operates to transfer money from (an account of) the short message sender to (an account of) the party to whom the short message is addressed.

In one preferred such embodiment, the payment function is to transfer money from the short message senders telephone system account to the telephone system account of the party to whom the short message is addressed. This would allow, for example, money transfers between the mobile telephone network accounts of mobile telephone network subscribers to be straightforwardly and simply achieved where the sender and recipient are subscribers of the same network, and without the need for any pre-registration of the users with a payment or money transfer service (since the subscribers should already be known to the network) It is also preferred that money transfers can take place to and from other accounts, such as and preferably bank accounts, of the sender and/or payment recipient.

For example, and preferably, money transfers can take place from the sender's telephone system account to a recipient's bank account, from the sender's bank account to a recipient's bank account, and/or from the sender's bank account to a recipient's telephone system account.

This would allow, e.g., a sender to make payments to bank accounts using their telephone system account, and/or to make payments using the telephone system but without needing to rely on credit in their telephone system account. The ability to make payments to and from bank accounts may be particularly advantageous in the case of business users.

In arrangements where payments to or from accounts that are not simply a sender's or recipient's telephone system account can be made, then in a particularly preferred embodiment the sender and/or recipient (the party whose account it is) must first be registered with the payment service, before the payment is made. This helps to ensure security of the process and also to, e.g., allow the system to identify the relevant accounts from, e.g., the sender's telephone system identity and/or the telephone number of the intended recipient (i.e. the number to which the short message is addressed) Indeed, it is in general preferred for users to register with the payment service, for example and preferably before they can make and/or receive payments (particularly, and preferably, at least in respect of their bank accounts) . Registration may also be desirable in order to facilitate payments across different communications networks (to allow cross-network operation).

Thus, in a particularly preferred embodiment, users can register with, and the system includes means for registering users with, the payment service. Such registration can take any suitable and desired form, but preferably includes at least associating a user to be registered with an account (or accounts) to be used in respect of that user for the making and receipt of payments. Such registration can be performed as desired, for example via a short message exchange with the system, via a network operator, and/or online (via a website), etc..

In one preferred embodiment, a user is unable to make or receive payments until they have registered. In another preferred embodiment, users can make or receive payment via their telephone system accounts without being registered with the service, but must be registered in order to be able to make or receive payments via other accounts.

When registration with the service is required and/or possible, then if it is determined that a payment recipient is not registered with the system, the recipient is preferably invited by the system to register with the service (in order to receive the payment) . Similarly, if a payment sender is not registered, then the sender is preferably invited by the system to register with the service (in order to send the money (make the payment)). Such "invitation" and registration is preferably carried out by sending or exchanging a short message or messages (a short message dialogue) with the relevant party (user).

It will be appreciated that in general the party to whom the short message is addressed (the intended payment service recipient) will be another user or subscriber of a or the telephone system (and, indeed, in a preferred embodiment, this is the case) . Such a user or subscriber may be an individual, or it may be a business, commercial or other enterprise that has an appropriate telephone system account or presence. The recipient may be a user or subscriber of the same telephone network (service) as the sender, or may belong to or be on a different network.

In a preferred embodiment it is also or instead possible for the short message sender to address the "payment" short message to themselves. This would then allow a user to, e.g., make payments to their telephone system account from their bank account and/or vice-versa.

The particular character or characters that trigger the payment service in the manner ot the present invention can take any suitable and desired form. It or they should comprise a suitable character or characters that can be included in the body (content) of a short message and that the system can recognise as indicating the payment service or function. The character or characters are preferably predefined. In a preferred embodiment one or more predefined arrangements or sets of characters are used for indicating the payment service.

In a particularly preferred embodiment the character or characters for identifying the payment service comprise a particular scan tag or tags that can be included in a short message for that purpose.

In one particularly preferred embodiment, there are plural different predetined characters or sets at characters (scan tags) which each represent a different monetary amount and/or payment function or service. In this case, if an exact match between a character or set of characters and characters included in a short message is found, then, e.g., a transfer of the corresponding monetary amount to party to whom the short message is addressed is preferably invoked.

In a preferred embodiment it is also or instead possible to invoke payments of variable (user-selectable) amounts. This is preferably achieved by including the amount (e.g., and preferably, in numbers) after a particular, preferably predefined, character or characters (that accordingly is or are predefined as an "amount" character or flag for the payment amount). Most preferably, the payment amount is included between two such characters or sets of characters (which are preferably the same), which characters will accordingly then identify and delimit the payment amount in the short message. The characters in these arrangements preferably comprise an appropriate currency symbol, such as � or $.

Other payment amount and payment function indicating characters could, of course, also or instead be used, if desired. For example, other characters could be used to indicate the account in respect of which a payment is to be made (as discussed above) In a preferred embodiment, it is possible to specify the payment currency in the short message, e.g., and preferably, by including the appropriate currency symbol in the message. In a preferred embodiment, the national currency of the country in which the telephone system is operating is used as the default currency.

In one preferred embodiment of the present invention, the character or characters that trigger the payment function can be included anywhere within the short message (and the system will accordingly search all of the body of (the content of) short messages to see if they include the relevant character or characters (e.g. scan tag(s)).

However, in another preferred embodiment, the payment-triggering character(s) must be included in the short message in a particular, preferably predefined, position or positions, such as, and preferably, at the beginning of the message (as the initial characters of the message), in order to trigger the payment function.

This may simplify the identification of payment" short messages by the system (as only particular positions, e.g. the initial characters, in a short message have to be checked) . It may also be necessary for the particular character or characters to appear in a particular place in the message, such as at the start of the message, in order for them to be recognised as a valid scan tag.

Thus, in a preferred embodiment, the system and apparatus of the present invention determines whether a short message includes one or more particular characters (and preferably one or more particular arrangements of one or more particular characters) in one or more particular, preferably predefined, positions in the body (content) of the short message (and if it does, then triggers the payment service of the present invention) It will be appreciated that where the particular character(s) that are included in the short message can, for example, define variable payment amounts and/or different accounts of the sender and/or intended recipient, then the system of the present invention should and will respond to and use such information from the short message appropriately when performing the payment function. Thus, iii a particularly preferred embodiment, the payment function that is attempted is based on and/or in accordance with information included in (the body (content) of) the short message, such as, and preferably a payment amount and/or a payment account(s) identifier(s), included in the message.

It will be appreciated that in the present invention, the system will, in response to recognising the particular character or characters in a short message, initiate and attempt to perform the indicated payment service or function (and will, in general, perform the indicated payment service or function) However, although the indicated payment service or function is preferably performed (and preferably completed) in response to the short message, there may be circumstances where that is not possible (e.g. because of communications system conditions, lack of funds in the sender's account, etc.). Thus the present invention should not be understood as requiring, e.g., successful completion of the payment function (although -10 -that will be attempted), but rather the important feature is that the payment function or service is initiated (attempted) in response to the short message, irrespective of its eventual outcome.

Although it would be possible in the present invention simply to perform the payment operation without further communication with the sender and recipient, in a preferred embodiment the recipient is advised of the payment service (and preferably of the payment amount and/or sender, where appropriate), and/or the sender is sent confirmation that the payment service has been performed (made) (which confirmation preferably includes, where appropriate, the payment amount and the recipient) . This information is preferably sent via or as a short message to the recipient and/or sender1 respectively. (The system can, e.g., use the sender's calling line identity (CLI) and the recipient's address used for the "payment short message to direct these messages appropriately.) It would, for example, be possible to deliver the short message from the sender triggering the payment service to the recipient in the normal way for this purpose (as well as it triggering the payment function) However, in a particularly preferred embodiment, the sender's "payment-triggering short message is not delivered to the party to whom it is addressed, and it is instead, e.g., and preferably, terminated at the payment "service" (and if a confirmation is required, a separate message is sent to the recipient) Where a "confirmation" short message or similar is sent to the sender and/or recipient, its contents is preferably based, at least in part, on the content of the payment-triggering' short message, such as the payment amount and/or account indicated in that message.

It is also preferred if, for whatever reason, the payment function cannot be completed, to at least inform -11 -the sender (and preferably only the sender) (e.g., and preferably, by short message) of this.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the system seeks confirmation from the sender before attempting the payment function (e.g. money transfer) . This is preferably done by means of a short message dialogue with the sender.

The confirmation check process could involve simply asking the sender to confirm or not their request for the payment function. However, in a particularly preferred embodiment it also involves a security query, such as, and preferably, asking the sender for a security code, such as a password or personal identification number (PIN) (which the system will then check and only make the payment if the security query is passed) . Where a security query is used, the user preferably has to first register with the system to use the service, and such registration preferably involves setting up a security code or check for use for verifying the user with the system.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the confirmation check message or messages (message exchange) are sent using unstructured supplementary services data (USSD) messaging (where such a service is available) . This has the advantage that a user's PIN will not be stored in the user's terminal as a sent message.

In arrangements where the system seeks confirmation from the sender before proceeding, the system (network) initiated confirmation request message preferably uses a special, preferably predetermined, calling line identity (CLI) , such as an alphanumeric CLI or a special number such as a virtual mobile number, a short code or 0', to help prevent spoofing and to reassure the user that the message is from his or her network. A special number is preferred, as some communications terminals may be unable to respond to alphanumeric CLIs.

-12 -In a preferred embodiment, where the system seeks confirmation from the short message sender before initiating the payment function or service, the system is configured to identify short messages addressed to the particular (special) CLI used for the system confirmation request, and to tlen, e.g., direct (groom) such messages to the relevant payment service system or apparatus.

This will then allow the system to, e.g., identify the sender's responses to confirmation requests and to then process the responses accordingly. In particular, because the sender will "reply" to the system's confirmation request message, the sender's response to the confirmation request message will have as its destination address, the "special" CLI used by the system for the confirmation request message, and so can be identified as such a response by its destination address. Moreover, the sender's CLI for their reply (response) message can then be used to associate the reply with that sender (and thus, e.g., with the sender's initial payment request message) In a preferred embodiment, a mechanism is provided whereby a user's "confirmation" responses can be correlated to the particular payment short message to which they relate. This could be done, e.g., by including appropriate identifiers in the messages. This would then allow multiple payment service requests and confirmations for the same sender (user) to be in progress at once. (Alternatively, only a single outstanding payment request for a given user (sender) could be allowed to be in progress at any one time, so as to avoid the possibility of overlapping, and thus confusing, different request and confirmation messages.) In a particularly preferred embodiment, the system uses a virtual mobile number as the CLI (calling line identity) of the confirmation request dialogue that it sends to the sender of the payment requesting short -13 -message. Preferably there is a pool of plural virtual mobile numbers that can be used for this purpose, and the confirmation request dialogue for each different payment request from a given sender is preferably allocated (and uses) a different virtual mobile number from the pool. As in this case each request and corifirmation dialogue for a given sender will then use a different virtual mobile number as the systems CLI, the system can straightforwardly correlate each confirmation dialogue (message) with its corresponding payment request. This would allow, e.g., the system straightforwardly to support multiple simultaneous payment service requests from the same user.

The short messages that are sent and used in the present invention can comprise any suitable and desired form of short messages. In a preferred embodiment they comprise text messages. Most preferably they comprise SMS messages, although other arrangements, such as the use of MJ4S (multimedia service) messages or IMS (IP multimedia subsystem) messages would be possible.

The short messages can be sent in any suitable and desired form. They are preferably sent in a standard manner(s) for the telephone system in question. In a preferred embodiment, the short message (e.g. text message) delivery is carried out, where possible, using so-called direct" delivery, i.e. in which a "direct" short message delivery attempt that does not pass the short message via a store and forward device can be made.

The present invention can similarly be implemented in any suitable and desired telephone system that can support short messaging. In a preferred embodiment it is applied to and implemented in a mobile (wireless) telephone system, such as, and preferably, a GSM or 3G mobile telephone system (network) . The telephone terminal is similarly preferably a terminal of a mobile telephone communications system, such as, and -14 -preferably, a 3G or GSM terminal, and preferably a handset.

The system of the present invention may be implemented in the telephone system, e.g., mobile telephone network, in any desired and suitable manner.

For example, and preferably, in a mobile telephone system, there may be apparatus (such as an SMS router) that recognises short messages including the particular character or characters and then directs (grooms) those messages to a suitable payment service apparatus or platform (which may be part of the telephone system (network) infrastructure or accessible via the telephone system infrastructure) where it is processed to initiate and provide the payment service. Any confirmation responses, etc., are preferably similarly identified and forwarded (groomed) to the payment service apparatus, etc..

Thus, in a particularly preferred embodiment, the system or apparatus of the present invention includes means for or a step of providing the payment service or function, and means for or a step of recognising the presence in (the body of) a short message of a particular character or characters and in response to such recognition, directing (grooming) the short message to the means for or step of providing the payment service or function.

In a GSM system, for example, where text messages are converted from a mobile originated" (MO) to a "mobile terminated" (MT) form for delivery, then it is preferably the text message MO-to--MT entity (component), such as, and preferably, an SMS router, of the network that recognises (or not) the presence of the particular character or characters that trigger the payment service of the present invention in a short message (and that then "grooms" the message accordingly) In a particularly preferred embodiment, the system includes a short message processing means (e.g. -15 -platform) that receives and processes the payment short messages, and initiates and controls any short message dialogue (e.g. confirmation dialogue) with the sender and/or recipient. This means (platform) is preferably also in communication with a payment service means (e.g. platform) that then performs the actual payment operations in response to instructions from the short message processing means. Thus, in a preferred embodiment, the overall means for providing the payment service or function includes such a short message processing means and payment service means in communication with each other. These means (e.g. platforms) could, e.g., be separate entities, or they could be integrated as the same "entity", if desired.

Indeed, it should also be noted here that the various components, etc., of the system of the present invention may in general be arranged as discrete components, in a distributed fashion, and/or across a network or networks, etc., as appropriate and desired.

There may also, e.g., be duplicate and plural sets of components, etc., if desired.

Similarly, it will be appreciated that the present invention is applicable to multiple payment requests from a given user, and can be used by, and can provide the payment service to, plural different users (both as senders and recipients), e.g., and preferably, at the same time, and can preferably provide the service across different networks, etc. In a preferred embodiment, the system of the present invention can also or instead support and trigger another service or services in respect of an intended recipient that is not the delivery of content to the intended recipient.

In this case the service that is triggered by the short message that involves something other than the delivery of content to the intended recipient can be any service or function that can be instigated in respect of -16 -the intended recipient but which is unrelated to and/or independent of the delivery of content to the intended recipient (although as in the payment service arrangements discussed above, the overall service in these arrangements could still involve the delivery of content to the intended recipient, such as a confirmation message as discussed above, in addition to the function or action in relation to the intended recipient that is not the delivery of content to the intended recipient) As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, all of the aspects and embodiments of the present inv ention described herein may and preferably do include any one or more or all of the preferred and optional features of the invention described herein, as appropriate.

The methods in accordance with the present invention may be implemented at least partially using software e.g. computer programs. It will thus be seen that when viewed from further aspects the present invention provides computer software specifically adapted to carry out a method or the methods herein described when installed on data processing means, a computer program element comprising computer software code portions for performing a method or the methods herein described when the program element is run on data processing means, and a computer program comprising code means adapted to perform all the steps of a method or of the methods herein described when the program is run on a data-processing system.

The invention also extends to a computer software carrier comprising such software which when used to operate a communications apparatus or system comprising data processing means causes in conjunction with said data processing means said system or apparatus to carry out the steps of a method or of the methods of the present invention. Such a computer software carrier -17 -could be a physical storage medium such as a ROM chip, CD ROM or disk, or could be a signal such as an electronic signal over wires, an optical signal or a radio signal such as to a satellite or the like.

A number of preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 shows schematically a telephone system in which the system of the present invention can be implemented; and Figure 2 shows schematically a sequence of messages that may be sent in a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

The present invention will be described with reference to a GSM system. Other arrangements would, of course, be possible.

Figure 1 shows schematically the arrangement of a GSM network 1 that can be operated in the manner of the present invention.

The GSM network 1 includes mobile handsets 2, 3 which are wirelessly connected via base station sub-systems (not shown) to respective mobile switching centres (MSC) 4, 5, as is known in the art. The mobile switching centres 4, 5 are in communication with an SMS (text message) router 6 which acts to deliver SMS messages using the so-called direct delivery method.

Figure 1 also shows schematically the provision of a Short Message Service Centre (SMSC) 7. This Short Message Service Centre 7 can be used in addition to the SMS router 6 for delivery of text messages via the store and forward" delivery method.

The GSM network 1 also includes an SMS application platform 8 that can, inter alia, analyse and process the content of text messages and initiate and control text message dialogues with users of the system.

-18 -The SMS application platform 8 is coupled to and in communication with a money transfer platform 9 that is external to the GSM network 1. This money transfer platform 9 controls and initiates the "money transfer" aspects of the money transfer service that is provided in the present embodiment. (The SMS application platform 8 and the money transfer platform 9 could be integrated on the same, common platform, if desired.) (The communications network shown in Figure 1 shows only a limited number of components for simplicity.

There will, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, be many other components and functions that are standard or common to such networks, and there may, for example, be many different subscribers and subscriber terminals.) In the present embodiment, a first mobile user A can send a sum of money to a second mobile user B by means of a money transfer service provided by the money transfer platform 9. In order to do this, the user A composes a short message in the form of a text message that commences with a scan tag that defines the monetary amount to be transferred, and then sends (addresses) the text message to the user B. In response to this text message the monetary amount is transferred from the mobile telephone account of the user A to the mobile telephone account of the user B. In the present embodiment, there is a predefined set of scan tags (particular characters) that each represent a fixed monetary amount that the sending user can indicate in their text message. This set comprises: $5, $10, $15, $20, . . . , $50.

If an exact match between a defined scan tag and the initial characters of a text message is found, then the money transfer service is invoked for the corresponding monetary amount.

-19 -Other arrangements for the particular character or characters (scan tag) to be included in the text message for the money transfer service are, of course, possible.

For example, the identifying character for the scan tag may be the symbol of the local currency of the operating network, or may be another convenient character. A second delimiting character could follow. For example, a variable monetary amount could be delimited by $ and $, e.g., $l0$.

Other characters (scan tags) would also or instead be possible, such as the traditional *(tag>#. It would also be possible to specify the currency in the tag or the message, and/or to have the currency of the country in which the mobile network is operating as a default currency.

When the user A sends their money transfer text message, it is received at the text message router 6 and the text message router 6 examines the body of the message to determine whether the particular scan tag (character or characters) for the money transfer service is present. If the text message router 6 identifies the relevant scan tag in a short message, it interprets the message as a money transfer request and accordingly grooms (directs) the text message to the SMS application platform B which then manages the money transfer transaction appropriately in cooperation with the money transfer platform 9 (as will be discussed further below).

In the present embodiment, the text message router 6 is configured to examine the body of each short message it receives to determine whether the particular character or characters (scan tags) indicating the money transfer service are present in the text message.

However, the router 6 could also use a source or destination address, or other information, to filter the text messages, so that only a sub-set of the messages that pass through the router 6 have to have their text -20 -content examined in this way. This may reduce the processing load on the router 6, for example in particular in situations where a proportion of text messages passing through the router 6 would clearly be for other purposes, such as certain types of SMS host applications, such as voting.

If the router 6 finds that a text message does include a predefined character or characters (scan tag) for the money transfer service, then, as discussed above, it directs (grooms) the message to the SMS application platform 8. If the particular money transfer service character or characters are not present in the body of the text message, then the message is routed on transparently to its destination, preferably via direct delivery from the router 6 to the destination MSC.

When the SMS application platform 8 receives a groomed money transfer service text message from the router 6, it first initiates a dialogue with the sending user A, in which the user is asked to confirm the transfer and to provide, for security purposes, a personal identification number.

If the confirmation request dialogue is successful, the SMS application platform 8 instructs the money transfer platform 9 to perform the indicated money transfer, and sends confirmation to the sending user A of the money transfer and a text message to the receiving user B confirming the transfer.

This exchange of messages takes place as a text message dialogue, and could comprise, for example, the following sequence of messages: User A sends to recipient 0712345678: "$10" User A receives from virtual mobile number 0787654321: -21 -To confirm transfer of $10 to 0712345678, please reply to this message with your 6-digit PIN. To cancel your request send NO.' User A replies to virtual mobile number 0787654321 with PIN: 987654" User A is debited by $10 and user B is credited with $10.

User A receives: "$10 has been sent to 0712345678." User B receives: "You have been sent $10 by 0723456789." In the present embodiment, the SMS application platform 8 uses a virtual mobile number drawn from a pool of such numbers as the CLI (Calling Line Identity) of the initiated confirmation dialogue.

The text message router 6 is configured to direct (groom) all text messages directed to this virtual mobile number to the SMS application platform 8 in the same way as it would direct a message including the particular character or characters (scan tag) that indicates the money transfer service. This allows the user A's responses to the SMS application platform's confirmation queries to be directed straightforwardly to the SMS application platform 8. The use of a virtual mobile number also facilitates correlation between the confirmation response of the user A and the corresponding money transfer request.

Other arrangements would be possible. For example, the SMS application platform 8 could use an alphanumeric CLI or a short code or 0' as its CLI on its confirmation query, and the text message router 6 could then be configured to groom (direct) all messages addressed to the alphanumeric destination address or short code or "0' to the SMS application platform 8 in the same way as it would direct a message including the -22 -particular character or characters (scan tag) that indicates the money transfer service.

Figure 2 shows in more detail an exemplary signalling arrangement when the system of Figure 1 is being operated in accordance with the present invention.

As shown in Figure 2, the first stage in the process is for the user A to send via their handset 2 a (mobile originated, MO) text message including the appropriate character or characters (scan tag) to indicate a money transfer request (step 10) . This message is received by the SMS router 6 and groomed to the SMS application platform 8 (step 11) . The SMS application platform 8 then returns an acknowledgement to the SMS router 6 and the SMS router 6 correspondingly sends an acknowledgement to the user's handset 2 (steps 12 and 13) . The user's handset 2 displays "message sent" or similar in response to this acknowledgement.

The SMS application platform 8 then initiates a confirmation dialogue with the user A by sending a (mobile terminated, MT) confirmation request text message as discussed above to the handset 2 of the user A via the SMS router 6 (steps 14 and 15) . Receipt of this message is acknowledged back to the SMS application platform 8 by the user's handset 2 (steps 16 and 17) The user A then prepares and sends from their handset 2 a text message including their PIN in response to the received confirmation request (step 18) The SMS router 6 receives this message and based on the fact that it is replied to the CLI used by the SMS application platform 8 (i.e. has the CLI used by the SMS application platform 8 as its destination address), grooms the reply message accordingly to the SMS application platform 8 (step 19) The SMS application platform 8 processes the user's confirmation response and, if it is acceptable, then signals to the external money transfer platform 9 the money transfer that is to be performed (step 20) . In -23 -response to this, the money transfer platform 9 operates to debit the indicated amount from the user AS mobile telephone network account and to credit the corresponding amount to the user B's mobile telephone network account. It also returns an acknowledgement to the SMS application platform 8 (step 21) The SMS application platform 8 sends an acknowledgement of the user A's PIN" message via the SMS router 6 to the sender's handset 2 to indicate that that message has been sent (steps 22 and 23) The SMS application platform 8 now prepares a confirmation text message to confirm the money transfer, as discussed above, for sending to the sending user A, and sends that message to the user A's handset 2 via the SMS router 6 (steps 24 and 25) . Safe receipt of this message is correspondingly acknowledged back to the SMS application platform 8 by the user's handset 2 (steps 26 and 27) The SMS application platform similarly prepares and sends to the recipient user B's handset 3 a text message confirming the money transfer (steps 28 and 29).

Finally, user B's handset 3 acknowledges receipt of that message (step 30), which acknowledgement is directed by the SMS router 6 to the SMS application platform 8 accordingly (step 31) As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, variation modifications to the above embodiments and to the present invention in general can be made as desired.

For example, the confirmation message dialogue may be by USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Data services) This would have the security advantage that the user's PIN would not inadvertently be stored in their handset as a sent message.

It would also be possible to allow or to require users to register with the money transfer service. This may be desirable in order, for example, to allow cross-network operation. For example, recipients that -24 -subscribe to other networks could be registered with a money transfer (banking) service that is associated with or supported by the sender's mobile network.

Registration could also, for example, be used to allow payments to and from accounts that are not telephone network accounts.

In arrangements where registration of users is possible or required, then if an intended payment recipient is not registered, text message dialogue could be used to ask the recipient to register in order Lo receive the payment. Similarly, if the sender is not registered, then again a text message dialogue could be used to ask the sender to register in order to be able to send the money.

As can be seen from the above, the present invention, in its preferred embodiments at least, provides a simple, secure and intuitive way to use short messaging, such as text messaging, to effect, inter alia, money transfers.

This is achieved, in the preferred embodiments of the present invention at least, by grooming short messages based on a particular character or characters (scan tags) to a money transfer service platform.

Because the recipient of the payment is the same as the recipient of the short message (the party to whom the short message is addressed), there is no service number to remember, and usage is straightforward.

Claims

-25 - CLAIMS

1. A method of providing a service in a telephone system that supports the sending of short messages, the method comprising: a user of the system preparing a short message that includes a particular character or characters for indicating a payment service of or supported by the telephone system; the user addressing the short message to the party in respect of whom the indicated payment service is to be performed and sending the short message; and the telephone system recognising the particular character or characters in the short message and in response thereto initiating the indicated payment service in respect of the party to whom the short message is addressed.

2. A method of operating a telephone system that supports a short messaging service, the method comprising: the system: determining whether a short message that has been :. sent by a user includes a particular character or * *** characters; and * if the short message does include the particular :. character or characters, initiating a payment service or *. * * function of or accessible via the telephone system in respect of the party to whom the short message is addressed.

* S. S SS * S

3. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the payment service comprises a money transfer service.

4. The method of claim 1, 2, or 3, comprising a user registering with the payment service before using the service.

-26 -

5. The method of any one of the preceding claims, wherein the character or characters for indicating the payment service comprise a particular scan tag or tags that can be included in a short message.

6. The method of any one of the preceding claims, comprising the system seeking confirmation from the short message sender before attempting the payment service.

7. A system for providing an electronic payment service in a telephone system that supports short messaging, the system comprising: a telephone system terminal via which a user can prepare a short message that includes a particular character or characters for indicating the payment service and can send the short message addressed to the party in respect of whom the payment service is to be performed; and means, in the telephone system infrastructure, for recognising the particular character or characters in a short message and for, in response thereto, initiating :. the payment service in respect of the party to whom the short message is addressed. *.S.

8. An apparatus for use with a short messaging service of a telephone system, the apparatus comprising: means for recognising the presence of a particular :. 30 character or characters in a short message; and S. * means for, if a short message does include the *SS..S particular character or characters, initiating a payment service or function of or accessible via the telephone system in respect of the party to whom the short message is addressed.

-27 -

9. The system or apparatus of claim 7 or 8, wherein the payment service comprises a money transfer service.

10. The system or apparatus of claim 7, 8, or 9, comprising means for registering a user with the payment service.

11. The system or apparatus of any one of claims 7 to 10, wherein the character or characters for indicating the payment service comprise a particular scan tag or tags that can be included in a short message.

12. The system or apparatus of any one of claims 7 to 11, wherein the system comprises means for seeking confirmation from the short message sender before attempting the payment service.

13. The system or apparatus of any one of claims 7 to 12, wherein the telephone system is a GSM or a 3G mobile telephone system.

14. The system or apparatus of any one of claims 7 to 13, comprising: means fo.r providing Lhe payment service or function; and * S SI..

means for, in response to recognising the presence in a short message of the particular character or characters, directing the short message to the means for providing the payment service or function. *IeI * S.

:..;

15. A computer program element comprising computer software code portions for performing the method of any one of claims 1 to 6 when the program element is run on data processing means.

16. A method of providing a service in, or of operating, a telephone system substantially as herein -28 -described with reference to any one of the accompanying drawings.

17. A system for providing an electronic payment service in a telephone system substantially as herein described with reference to any one of the accompanying drawings.

18. An apparatus for use with a short message service of a telephone system substantially as herein described with reference to any one of the accompanying drawings. * S * *.* *.*. * S * S.. Se.. * . S S. 5

S * S S *

S

*SSS** * .