Recharging prepaid accounts
AssigneeSony Ericsson Mobile Communications AB
InventorSven Robert Westin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method may include reading a barcode and decoding the barcode to obtain a refill code at a user device, receiving an identification number and the refill code from the user device, determining whether the refill code is valid, and determining whether the identification number is valid when the refill code is valid. In addition, the method may include, when the identification number is valid, initiating a payment transaction to refill a prepaid card account. Further, the method may include receiving a user confirmation of the payment transaction when the application is at the network address, and completing the payment transaction and refilling the prepaid account when the user input confirms the payment transaction.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- reading a barcode and decoding the barcode to obtain a refill code at a user device;
- receiving an identification number and the refill code from the user device;
- determining whether the refill code is valid;
- determining whether the identification number is valid when the refill code is valid;
- when the identification number is valid, initiating a payment transaction to refill a prepaid card account;
- receiving a user confirmation of the payment transaction when the application is at the network address;
- and
- completing the payment transaction and refilling the prepaid account when the user input confirms the payment transaction.
A device comprising:
- a subscriber identity module (SIM) card associated with a telephone number;
- a network interface to communicate with a gateway;
- and
- a processor configured to:
- decode a barcode to obtain a refill code;
- send the telephone number and the refill code to the gateway via the network interface;
- receive, from the gateway, a network address at which a confirmation page for a payment transaction is presented when the gateway validates the refill code and a remote device validates the telephone number;
- receive, via a browser installed on the device, a request to confirm the payment transaction at the network address;
- and
- receive user input confirming the payment transaction;
- and
- relay, to the network address, the user input that completes the payment transaction and refills a prepaid account.
A device comprising:
- a network interface;
- and
- a processor to:
- receive a refill code and an identification number from a user device via the network interface;
- validate the refill code;
- send the identification number to a server device when the refill code is valid;
- receive a network address from the server device when the server device determines that identification number is valid and initiates a transaction to refill a prepaid card account, the network address being associated with a web page via which the user device confirms the payment transaction;
- and
- relay the network address to the user device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.