MX2008004332A - Method and system for transferring funds between two phone callers - Google Patents

Abstract

A system and method for enabling transfer of funds between two people engaged in a telephone communication. The method includes monitoring for a predetermined series of key presses by an initiator that are entered during the course of the telephone communication. In one embodiment, a funds transfer initiator account is identified based on automatic number identification (AM) and a funds transfer recipient account is identified by detecting dialed number identification service (DNIS). With these accounts so identified, the initiator of the funds transfer is prompted to enter an amount of funds to be transferred and, thereafter, such funds are caused to be transferred from the initiator's account to the recipient's account, all while the initiator and the recipient are still engaged in the telephone communication.

Description

METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR TRANSFERRING FUNDS BETWEEN TWO PEOPLE CALLING BY TELEPHONE DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Modalities of the present invention relate to finances, banking activities, money transfers, and the like. More particularly, the present invention is directed to methods and systems for transferring funds between people during a telephone call in process. While there are many means to transfer funds between a business and an individual, in real time or almost real, there are some solutions for use between two individuals. Checks are a solution, but by their nature they are a rather slow means of achieving a transfer with an uncertain time frame for termination and the possibility of insufficient funds, stopped payments or counter-charges essentially reversing a transaction (risk). Cash operates in face-to-face circumstances without the aforementioned risks, but this method limits its usefulness to cash (availability, liquidity) and geography. Cash can also have the added complexity of currency exchange. Some services mid-person to person have emerged on the Internet, such as PayPal, but the Internet is increasingly a risky medium, and as successful as PayPal has been, its participation in the market is by no means permanent. Many other similar services are available on the Internet as well - each with similar risk problems. Of course, identity theft and associated fraud are real and constant risks for any system provided on the Internet. Accordingly, there is a need for improved methodologies to allow two people to agree and execute fund transfer transactions. The methods and systems described herein provide a means to achieve fast, easy, and secure funds transfers from person to person between two callers who are served. (ideally) by the same cellular telephone system, although the methods and systems described herein can be achieved with almost the same effort as long as at least one of the telephones is part of the system used to enable the transfer. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention enable transfer of funds between two people who call by telephone in the same system, for example, cellular. In one modality, a system monitors the call by keystrokes of the market by tone (DTMF - "Dual Tone by Multiple Frequency") initiated by the caller. Upon hearing the appropriate sequence, the participant initiating the transfer can be guided through the necessary steps to transfer the desired funds to the account of another participant. The other participant can attest (the instructions and confirmations) the transfer and ensures its completion. As will be explained in more detail in the following, when both telephones are part of the same system (at best), there is an increased assurance that the system has properly identified the telephone number and any associated account numbers of both participants. In the call. In addition, the system has legitimate access and control of the communication channel. These and other features of the present invention, together with their intended advantages are described in the following together with the various figures of the drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 represents a high-level system architecture for implementing embodiments of the present invention. Figure 2 is a sequence diagram illustrating an exemplary sequence of steps according to the present invention. Figure 3 represents another system architecture of high level to implement embodiments of the present invention. Figure 4 shows an exemplary flow diagram for performing the steps according to the present invention. In the ideal case, two telephone users are both served by the same cellular or mobile system, although the method and system described herein may also work when the telephones are part of different PSTN or cellular systems. It is more ideal to have the telephones in the same system since it is more likely that less fraud can take place since the simple system has more general control over the progress of a given call. For purposes of explanation, assume that the two telephones are telephone # 1 (Pl) and telephone # 2 (P2) as shown in Figure 2. Once either participant has called the other, a communication channel exists between Pl and P2. In accordance with embodiments of the present invention, the cellular system equipment monitors each outgoing channel of the telephone for keystrokes, detecting the DTMF (standard) tones generated by a key press on the audio channel. In an implementation of the present invention, a sequence of tones can be designed to indicate the beginning of a transfer, and optionally, at the same time, signal to the system NOT to forward the tones to the other participant (both for security and listening comfort). Once a sequence of key presses is detected, for example, two "*" keystrokes within 1.5 seconds, the system can direct a voice prompt to the participant initiating the call. For the following example, Pl is considered the initiator. Optionally, P2 can hear indications that are information by nature when the transaction progresses. Optionally, Pl and P2 can continue talking to each other when the DTMF tones are not present - possibly to confirm the necessary information or even cancel the transaction. Having initiated the transfer, PI is now preferably driven through a series of indications to achieve the transfer. Where appropriate, P2 is allowed to hear those indications, and where appropriate, P2 may be allowed to hear Pl's response or Pl's 'one voice' response (for example, text to conversation) so that P2 does not have to "translate" DTMF to know what is happening. The following provides a preliminary design for the methodology just described: 1. The sending participant (or initiator), implicitly, it is Pl, because Pl initiated the transfer using (in the present example) "**". 2. The participant that receives (or receives), implicitly is P2. 3. Pl is given an amount. 4. Pl is asked to confirm the amount. 5. Optionally, P2 can be indicated with an offer to accept a transfer (the amount could be "expressed" using text to conversation) to your account, and if this option is used, you can initially be instructed to accept or reject the transfer. 6. If Pl, and optionally P2, accept the transfer, a transfer of funds is initiated from the associated account of the issuer or initiator (Pl) to the associated account of the receiver (P2). 7. With the confirmation or rejection of the offer to transfer fund, the system can reproduce an appropriate message for Pl and P2 indicating either a successful or canceled transaction. At this point, the normal conversation can continue. In the case where only one telephone is part of the "system" (for example, Pl), the telephone "in the system" can be allowed to initiate the transfer and all other steps can be applied normally.

If the operators of the mediated system were willing to accept the risk, or with the addition of a stage to confirm the identity of the participant outside the system (P2), such as a password or PIN, etc., the version of a telephone could provide securely transfers in any direction. An almost identical means to implement this method may be to allow participants of any telephone system to request a "fund transfer conference system" and achieve the transfer in the form of a conference call, with the added requirement to improve security at the request confirmation of identity of all participants who are not in the system. Returning now to Figure 1, a high level architecture of a system for implementing embodiments of the present invention is shown. As shown, a consumer 100 is a telephone user and has a certain type of account (for example, credit card, debit card, checking account, etc.) and can interact with or make use of a cellular phone 102 or a mobile phone. 103 regular phone. The telephones 102 and 103 communicate with a public switched telephone network (PSTN) or cellular system 110. As is well known to those skilled in the art, part of the fundamental telephone signaling includes ANI (Automatic Identification Number) and DNIS (Service Marked Number Identification), which identify the calling party and the named participant. By having the ability to automatically identify the caller and the caller, the system of the present invention is also capable of associating both of these participants with accounts belonging to the participants. This can be achieved by a database resident in the PSTN / cellular system 110 or alternatively, with an associated access and database system 120 as shown in Figure 1. As further shown in Figure 1, the system 110 of PSTN / cellular interacts with the consumer 100 using, for example, dial tones (DTMF). These tones after this become a standard message format for use by a issuing financial institution and an authorization processing system 130, which performs the current funds transfer transaction. Simply established, a consumer 100, who uses a telephone 102 or 103 and the PST / cellular system 110 has access to an access system 120 through which commands can be sent to a financial institution, which thereby enables a participant of the telephone call to transfer funds from an account belonging to that participant to an account belonging to a second participant of the telephone call. Figure 3 also represents, in a manner of a certain different form, what is described in the foregoing. Where a fund transfer conference system is implemented, the access system 120 can act as such a system. Figure 2 shows an exemplary sequence diagram for implementing an embodiment of the present invention. As shown generally on the left side of Figure 2, participant # 1 is a telephone call in process with participant # 2. Participant # 1 initiates a transfer using for example two asterisks (**) in step 201, which are detected by the cellular provider 110. In response, the cellular provider passes the ANI and DNIS data to the access system 120, in step 203. (It is noted that it is also possible to pass, in the case of a mobile telephone system, the electronic identification number (EIN). ) or the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) of the telephone of one or both participants for the identification processes). The ANI and DNIS information is then validated by an authorization system 130 (step 205) and a confirmation message or "OK" is returned to the access system 120 from the authorization system 130, in step 207. In that point, in step 209, a message such as "transfer in progress" (to one or both participants) and request the participant who initiates in this case, Participant # 1, to enter a personal identification number or PIN (step 211). The PIN is then sent by the Participant # 1 (step 213) and then, preferably, validated by the authorization system 130 (step 215). A confirmation message or "OK" can then be returned to the access system 120 (step 217). The access system 120 then, in step 219, requests the entrant to initiate an amount for the transfer of funds. In response, Participant # 1, in this case, enters an amount which is passed to access system 120 (step 221). In turn, the access system 120 requests confirmation of the amount of this form entered (step 223). When a confirmation is received from the participant initiating in the access system 120 (225), the access system 120 then generates a message that is sent to the authorization system 130 for carrying out the transfer of funds (step 227). The accounts among which funds are transferred preferably are previously associated with the telephone numbers of the participants (which, as previously observed were captured with ANI and DNIS, or other identification data). Of course, those with experience in the art will appreciate that an account number of which and / or to which the funds in fact will be transferred it could be entered by either Participant # 1 or Participant # 2, instead of relying on an automated association of an account with one or both participants. After the transfer is completed (or at least recorded for later execution), a confirmation message or "OK" is preferably returned by the authorization system 130 to the access system 120 (step 229), and the messages Audio confirmation are preferably sent to each of the participants involved in the transfer of funds (stages 231, 233). Figure 4 illustrates a similar series of steps as described above with respect to the sequence diagram of Figure 2, but is performed in the form of a flow diagram. More specifically, step 401 shows a call in progress between two participants. In step 403, ANI and DNIS are detected. If an error is found, for any number of reasons (for example, the connection is lost, ANI or DNIS could not be established with certainty, the keystrokes were inconclusive, etc.), the process stops and passes to the stages 404 and 405 where the process ends effectively. At step 407, the initiator is instructed or asked to transfer an amount and then at step 409, the initiator is asked to confirm that amount. If the quantity is not confirmed, then the routine returns to the stage 407 to ask again for the transfer amount. Assume that the transfer amount was confirmed in step 409, the transfer is executed in step 413, and a preference confirmation message is reproduced for one or both participants in step 414. The process is completed by steps 404 and 405 The above description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms described. Many variations and modifications of the embodiments described herein will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art in view of the foregoing description. For example, the "accounts" described herein should also be understood to broadly include debit cards, check cards (open circuit), and even closed circuit cards. In addition, in describing representative embodiments of the present invention, the specification may have presented the method and / or process of the present invention as a particular sequence of steps. However, to the extent that the method or process is not based on the particular order of steps set forth herein, the method or process should not be limited to the particular sequence of steps described. According to someone with ordinary experience in the technique can appreciate, other sequences of stages may be possible. Therefore, the particular order of the steps set forth in the specification should not be construed as limitations in any of the claims.

Claims (22)

1. CLAIMS 1. A method for enabling transfer of funds between two people linked in a telephone communication, characterized in that it comprises: monitoring a predetermined series of keystrokes by an initiator; identify a first account associated with the initiator; identify a second account associated with a receiver; indicate to the initiator, in response to the predetermined series of keystrokes, that it enters a quantity of funds to be transferred; and cause the amount of funds to be transferred from the first account to the second account while the originator and the receiver are still linked in the telephone communication. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the keystrokes are Dual Tone by Multiple Frequency (DTMF) tones. 3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the telephone communication occurs over a mobile telephone network. 4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that the initiator and the receiver are served by the same mobile phone service provider. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the first account is associated with the initiator by detecting the mobile identification data associated with the initiator. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that the mobile identification data comprises a telephone number belonging to the initiator that is detected using automatic number identification (ANI). The method according to claim 5, characterized in that the mobile identification data comprises at least one of an Electronic Identification Number (EIN) and an International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI). The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the second count is associated with the receiver when detecting the mobile identification data associated with the receiver. 9. The method of compliance with the claim 7, characterized in that the mobile identification data comprises a telephone number belonging to the initiator that is detected using the service of identification of dialed number (DNIS). 10. The method of compliance with the claim 8, characterized in that the mobile identification data comprises at least one of an Electronic Identification Number (EIN) and an International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI). 11. The method according to the claim 1, further characterized in that it comprises allowing the receiver to listen to the indication stage. The method according to claim 1, further characterized by comprising indicating the initiator to confirm the amount of funds to be transferred. The method according to claim 1, further characterized in that it comprises providing an audio confirmation of the transfer of funds to at least one of the initiator and the receiver. 14. A method for enabling transfer of funds between two people linked in a telephone communication, characterized in that it comprises: monitoring a predetermined series of keystrokes by an initiator; identify a first account associated with the initiator when detecting automatic number identification (ANI); identify a second account associated with a receiver when detecting the number identification service marked (DNIS); tell the initiator to enter a quantity of funds that will be transferred; and cause the amount of funds to be transferred from the first account to the second account while the originator and the receiver are still linked in the telephone communication. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that the keystrokes are Dual Tone by Multiple Frequency (DTMF) tones. 16. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that telephone communication occurs over a mobile telephone network. 17. The method according to claim 16, characterized in that the initiator and the receiver are served by the same mobile telephone service provider. 18. The method according to claim 14, further characterized by comprising instructing the initiator to confirm the amount of funds to be transferred. The method according to claim 14, further characterized in that it comprises providing an audio confirmation of the transfer of funds to at least one of the initiator and the receiver. 20. A method to enable transfer of funds between two people linked in a telephone communication, characterized in that it comprises: receiving, in a fund transfer conference system, a telephone call from an initiator and a telephone call from a receiver; identify a first account associated with the initiator when detecting automatic number identification (ANI); identify a second account associated with a receiver when detecting ANI; monitor a predetermined series of keystrokes by the initiator to initiate a process to transfer funds; tell the initiator to enter a quantity of funds that will be transferred; and cause the amount of funds to be transferred from the first account to the second account while the initiator and receiver are still linked to the fund transfer conference system. 21. The method according to the claim 20, characterized in that telephone communication occurs over a mobile telephone network. 22. The method of compliance with the claim 21, characterized in that the initiator and the receiver are served by the same mobile telephone service provider.