Micro-payment system architecture

A computer program product comprising:

• a non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer program logic embodied therein for providing a broker that facilitates transaction between buyers and sellers in a micro-payment system, the computer program logic comprising:
• a seller access module for establishing accounts for a plurality of sellers in the micro-payment system, the sellers selling electronic content that can be purchased by buyers in micro-payment transactions wherein each seller includes a content database storing electronic content offered by the seller for purchase;
• a buyer access module for establishing accounts for a plurality of buyers in the micro-payment system, wherein the buyers can purchase electronic content offered by the sellers;
• a content indexing module for indexing the electronic content in the content databases of the sellers and storing an index of the electronic content at the broker;
• a searching interface module for receiving search queries from the buyers, searching the index for electronic content responsive to the search queries and presenting the buyers with descriptions of the electronic content offered by the sellers that are responsive to the search queries;
• an accounting module for enabling the buyers to engage in micro-payment transactions to purchase electronic content identified responsive to the search queries, for aggregating each buyer's purchases from one or more sellers and invoicing each buyer for its respective aggregate purchases from the one or more sellers, and for aggregating each seller's sales and crediting each seller for its respective aggregate sales;
• a storage system, separate from the content databases of the sellers, for storing at the broker copies of the electronic content of the sellers that has been indexed by the content indexing module;
• and
• a content proxy module for retrieving electronic content from the storage system responsive to a buyer purchasing the electronic content and providing the purchased electronic content from the broker to the buyer.

A computer-implemented method of facilitating transactions between buyers and sellers in a micro-payment system, comprising:

• receiving data, by a broker computer system, representative of requests by a plurality of sellers to establish accounts in the micro-payment system and representative of requests by a plurality of buyers to establish accounts in the micro-payment system;
• responsive to the received data, establishing, by the broker computer system, accounts for the plurality of sellers in the micro-payment system, the sellers selling electronic content that can be purchased by buyers in micro-payment transactions wherein each seller includes a content database storing electronic content offered by the seller for purchase;
• responsive to the received data, establishing, by the broker computer system, accounts for the plurality of buyers in the micro-payment system, wherein the buyers can purchase items offered by the sellers;
• indexing, by the broker computer system, the electronic content in the content databases of the sellers and storing an index of the electronic content at the broker computer system;
• receiving, by the broker computer system, search queries from the buyers;
• searching, by the broker computer system, the index for electronic content responsive to the search queries;
• presenting, by the broker computer system, the buyers with descriptions of the electronic content offered by the sellers that are responsive to the search queries;
• enabling, by the broker computer system, the buyers to engage in micro-payment transactions to purchase electronic content identified responsive to the search queries;
• aggregating, by the broker computer system, each buyer's purchases from one or more sellers and invoicing each buyer for the buyer's respective aggregate purchases from the one or more sellers;
• invoicing, by the broker computer system, each buyer for its respective aggregate purchases from the one or more sellers;
• aggregating, by the broker computer system, each seller's sales and crediting each seller for its respective aggregate sales;
• storing, by the broker computer system in a storage system separate from the content databases of the sellers, copies of the electronic content of the sellers that has been indexed;
• retrieving, by the broker computer system, electronic content from the storage system responsive to a buyer purchasing the electronic content;
• and
• providing, by the broker computer system, the purchased electronic content from the broker computer system to the buyer.