US 2016/0261999 A1Published application

Exchange service for wireless communication pricing accessible by wallet applications

AssigneeRfco LLC

InventorAnthony HARPER

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Abstract

A system and method may provide an exchange service for providing the price of wireless minutes to wallet applications and other client applications. The system may obtain pricing information for the wireless minutes and provide the pricing information to a wallet application. The pricing information may be provided through a rate server that subscribed to receive the pricing information. The rate server typically also provides exchange rates for currencies for use at wallet applications that are communicably coupled to the rate server. By providing the pricing information to wallet applications, wireless service providers may variably price their wireless services. End users may be able to obtain real-time prices of the wireless services and purchase such services directly using payment accounts associated with a wallet application. For example, a Bitcoin wallet may be used to obtain real-time prices of the wireless services and purchase such services using Bitcoins.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A computer implemented method of providing price information for wireless communication units, the method being implemented in a computer system having one or more physical processors programmed with computer program instructions that, when executed by the one or more physical processors, cause the computer system to perform the method, the method comprising:

obtaining, by the computer system, from a pricing provider, price information for a wireless communication unit that represents an increment of usage of a wireless service;
identifying, by the computer system, a rate server that is subscribed to receive the price information;
causing, by the computer system, the price information for the wireless communication unit to be transmitted to a wallet application of a client device via the rate server;
causing, by the computer system, at least a portion of the price information to be displayed on the client device;
receiving, by the computer system, a payment related to a purchase of one or more wireless communication units, the payment originating from the wallet application for facilitating payment through at least one payment processor;
identifying, by the computer system, a subscriber account related to the payment;
and
causing, by the computer system, the subscriber account to be updated based on the one or more wireless communication units.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 14/970,276Filed 15 Dec 2015
Priority: 6 Mar 2015
Published: 8 Sep 2016
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification16 codes

H04W 4/24
Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor: accounting or billing
G06Q 20/065
Private payment circuits, e.g. involving electronic currency used among participants of a common payment scheme: using e-cash
G06Q 20/36
Characterised by the use of specific devices or networks: using electronic wallets or electronic money safes
G06Q 20/3678
Involving electronic purses or money safes: e-cash details, e.g. blinded, divisible or detecting double spending

Family

Application14/640,922Continuation · filed 6 Mar 2015
Application14/970,276Continuation
US 9,219,824 B1Related patent
US 2016/0261999 A1This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

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