Patent Grant
10192407
In the mid-1990s, the first online monetary-game providers were established. These game providers gained popularity throughout the decade. Internet gaming websites increased from just 15 in 1996, to 200 in 1997. Online gaming revenues exceeded $830 million in 1998 alone. That same year, the first online poker rooms were introduced. And in 1999, multiplayer online gaming was also introduced.
By 2001, the estimated number of people who had participated in online gaming was 8 million. In 2006 the number of people who gamed online was estimated to be between 14 million and 23 million. And in 2008, worldwide online gaming revenue were estimated at $21 billion.
The Internet has allowed wider access to traditional games, has allowed for new types of gaming, and has changed betting habits. Internet gaming has become one of the most popular and lucrative business present on the Internet. This is partly due to the wide range of gaming options that are available. This wide range of gaming options includes those listed below.
Poker—Online poker includes Texas hold 'em, Omaha, Seven-card stud, razz, HORSE and other game types in both tournament and ring game structures. Players play against each other rather than the “house” with the game provider making its money through “rake” and through tournament fees.
Casinos—There are a large number of online casinos in which people can play casino games such as roulette, blackjack, pachinko, baccarat and many others. These games are played against the “house” which makes money due to the fact that the odds are in its favor.
Sports betting—Sports betting is the activity of predicting sports results and placing a wager on the outcome.
Bingo—Online bingo is the game of bingo played on the Internet.
Lotteries—Most lotteries are run by governments and are heavily protected from competition due to their ability to generate large taxable cash flows. The first online lotteries were run by private individuals or companies and licensed to operate by small governments. Most private online lotteries have stopped trading as governments have passed new laws giving themselves and their own lotteries greater protection. Government controlled lotteries now offer their games online U.S. lotteries are generally heavily regulated by individual state laws.
Horse racing betting—Horse racing betting comprises a significant percentage of online gaming wagers and all major Internet bookmakers, betting exchanges, and sports books offer a wide variety of horse racing betting markets.
Mobile gaming—Mobile gaming refers to playing games of chance or skill for money by using a remote device such as a tablet computer, smartphone or a mobile phone with a wireless internet connection.
In-Play gaming—In-Play gaming is a feature on many online sports betting websites that allows the user to bet while the event is in progress. A benefit of live in-play gaming is that there are a wide variety of markets. For example, in soccer a user could bet on which player will receive the next yellow card, or which team will be awarded the next corner kick.
Online gaming is heavily regulated in the United States. In September 2006, Congress passed the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act of 2006 (“UIGEA”) to make transactions from banks or similar institutions to online gaming sites illegal. The Act was signed into law on Oct. 13, 2006, by President George W. Bush. Subsequent bills have been introduced that would modify UIGEA by providing provisions for licensing Internet gaming facilities.
Other bills have been introduced that focus solely on online poker and would create uniform standards. Among other things, these bills would mandate steps that would limit underage access to online poker, protect consumers from fraud and preserve some state rights and revenues related to the activities. Many of these bills would prohibit the use of credit cards to fund the accounts of online poker players.
In 2010, the New Jersey expressly legalized certain forms of online gaming. New Jersey allows bets to be taken by in-State companies on poker games, casino games and slots. The law excludes sports betting but allows for sports betting to be potentially regulated separately. States including Delaware and Nevada have also taken steps to legalize forms of online gaming. All states that allow online gaming currently only allow people within their borders to use their computers to play online at state-sanctioned websites. The states that allow gaming are also exploring agreements with the other states that approve online gaming so that bettors can play the games across state lines. An important aspect of the negotiations between the states is how to track the location of the gamer and how to divide revenues between the states.
Funds for online gaming can come from credit cards, electronic checks, certified checks, money orders, or even wire transfers. Normally, gamers upload funds to an online gaming company, make bets or play the games that it offers, and then cash out any winnings. Gamers may be able to fund gaming accounts by credit card or debit card, and cash out winnings directly back to the card. Most U.S. banks, however, prohibit the use of their credit cards for Internet gaming, and attempts by Americans to use credit cards at Internet gaming sites are usually rejected. Moreover, current laws prohibit the use of credit cards to purchase state lottery tickets, and many retailers prohibit the use of debit cards to buy lottery tickets or strictly limit their use. Some electronic money services offer accounts with which online gaming can be funded; however, many such fund-transfer sites such have discontinued service for U.S. residents.
Disclosed herein are systems and methods for facilitating cash payment for online gaming. More specifically, presented herein are systems and methods for generating a player input screen for a game provider; receiving information for a player via the player input screen; presenting one or more points-of-service to the player; generating a token that is a reference to the player information; providing the token to the player; receiving a confirmation that the player presented the token and a payment having a payment amount at one of the points-of-service; receiving a portion of the payment amount received at the point-of-service; and transmitting a portion of the payment amount received at the point-of-service and a portion of the player information to the game provider.
Together with this written description, the figures further serve to explain the principles of, and to enable a person skilled in the relevant art, to make and use the claimed systems and methods.
The present invention provides systems and methods to facilitate cash payments for online gaming that overcome many of the difficulties of the current system. For example, the systems and methods of the present invention may assist a player of an online game to make cash payments to a remote game provider and may help the player and game provider comply with state and federal gaming regulations. The following is a description of one or more embodiments of the present invention, with reference to
The service provider system 102 may comprise one or more computer systems capable of carrying out the functionality described herein. For example,
Service provider system 200 also includes a main memory 208, such as random access memory (RAM), and may also include a secondary memory 210. The secondary memory 210 may include, for example, a hard disk drive 212 and/or a removable storage drive 214, representing a floppy disk drive, a magnetic tape drive, an optical disk drive, flash memory device, etc. The removable storage drive 214 reads from and/or writes to a removable storage unit 218. Removable storage unit 218 represents a floppy disk, magnetic tape, optical disk, flash memory device, etc., which is read by and written to by removable storage drive 214. The removable storage unit 218 includes a computer usable storage medium having stored therein computer software, instructions, and/or data.
In alternative embodiments, secondary memory 210 may include other similar devices for allowing computer programs or other instructions to be loaded into a service provider system 200. Such devices may include, for example, a removable storage unit 222 and an interface 220. Examples of such may include a program cartridge and cartridge interface (such as that found in video game devices), a removable memory chip (such as an erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM), or programmable read only memory (PROM)) and associated socket, and other removable storage units 222 and interfaces 220, which allow computer software, instructions, and/or data to be transferred from the removable storage unit 222 to a service provider system 200.
Service provider system 200 may also include a communications interface 224. Communications interface 224 allows computer software, instructions, and/or data to be transferred between a service provider system 200 and external devices. Examples of communications interface 224 may include a modem, a network interface (such as an Ethernet card), a communications port, a Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) slot and card, etc. Software and data transferred via communications interface 224 are in the form of signals 228, which may be electronic, electromagnetic, optical, or other signals capable of being transmitted or received by communications interface 224. These signals 228 are provided to and from the communications interface 224 via a communications path (e.g., channel) 226. This channel 226 carries signals 228 and may be implemented using wire or cable, fiber optics, a telephone line, a cellular link, a radio frequency (RF) link, a wireless communication link, and other communications channels.
Computer programs (also referred to as computer control logic) are stored in main memory 208 and/or secondary memory 210. Computer programs may also be received via communications interface 224. Such computer programs, when executed, enable the service provider system 200 to perform the features of the present invention, as discussed herein. In particular, the computer programs, when executed, enable the processor 204 to perform the features of the presented methods. Accordingly, such computer programs represent controllers of the service provider system 200. Where appropriate, the processor 204, associated components, and equivalent systems and sub-systems thus serve as “means for” performing selected operations and functions. Such “means for” performing selected operations and functions also serve to transform a general purpose computer into a special purpose computer programmed to perform said selected operations and functions.
In an embodiment implemented using software, the software may be stored in a computer program product and loaded into a service provider system 200 using removable storage drive 214, interface 220, hard drive 212, or communications interface 224. The control logic (software), when executed by the processor 204, causes the processor 204 to perform the functions and methods described herein.
In another embodiment, the methods are implemented primarily in hardware using, for example, hardware components such as application specific integrated circuits (ASICs). Implementation of the hardware state machine so as to perform the functions and methods described herein will be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art(s). In yet another embodiment, the methods are implemented using a combination of both hardware and software.
Embodiments may also be implemented as instructions stored on a machine-readable medium, which may be read and executed by one or more processors. A machine-readable medium may include any mechanism for storing or transmitting information in a form readable by a machine (e.g., a computing device). For example, a machine-readable medium may include read only memory (ROM); random access memory (RAM); magnetic disk storage media; optical storage media; flash memory devices; electrical, optical, acoustical or other forms of propagated signals (e.g., carrier waves, infrared signals, digital signals, etc.), and others. Further, firmware, software, routines, instructions may be described herein as performing certain actions. However, it should be appreciated that such descriptions are merely for convenience and that such actions in fact result from computing devices, processors, controllers, or other devices executing firmware, software, routines, instructions, etc.
Referring again to
Next, the service provider system 102 receives information about the player 108 via the player input screen. The information may come from directly from the player 108 or from the game provider 104. This player information can include the player's name, address, phone number, or other information that can be used to identify the player. Also, the player information could include a player alias or player identification number. At some point in the interaction between the service provider system 102 and the player 108, the service provider system may present one or more points-of-service 106 to the player 108. The points-of-service 106 may include establishments local to the player 108 that are equipped to accept cash payments. The points-of-service 106 presented to the player 108 may include specific locations (e.g., individual stores) and may include general store information (e.g., a retail chain name). The points-of-service 106 may include retail establishments such as convenience stores, grocery stores, gas stations, and department stores. The points-of-service 106 may also include automated equipment such as automatic teller machines (“ATMs”). The presentation of the points-of-service 106 to the player 108 may be based on the player's information. For example, if the player's information includes an address, the service provider system may 102 may present an address for a point-of-service 106 close to the player's address.
After receiving the player's information, the service provider system 102 generates a token that is a reference to the information the player 108 provided in the player input screen. This token could be an optical machine-readable representation of data like a linear barcode or geometric or two-dimensional barcode. Also, the token could be a number generated by the service provider system 102 that provides a reference to the player information. The token provides sufficient information to correlate a payment made in association with the token to the player 108 that made the payment or for whom the payment was made.
The player 108 may receive the token, for example, on a computer or mobile device. When the player 108 wants to make a payment to the game provider 104, the player 108 takes the token to point-of-service 106 and makes a payment. The point-of-service 106 at which the player 108 makes the payment may be a point-of-service presented to the player 108 by the service provider system 102. The point-of-service 106 receives the token and payment and transmits token information and payment information to the service provider system 102. The service provider system 102 receives the confirmation that the player presented the token and payment. Also, the service provider system 102 receives information about the amount of money the player 108 presented at the point-of-service 106 with the token. The service provider system 102 may send information to the point-of-service 106 in response to the information sent from the point-of-service 106, including an authorization to accept payment from the player 108.
The service provider system 102 also receives a portion of the payment amount received at the point-of-service 104 from the player 108. The amount received by the service provider system 102 may depend on the agreements between the service provider, the game provider, and the point-of-service. For example, the amount received by the service provider system 102 may be less than the amount the player 108 presented to the point-of-service 106 if, for example, the point-of-service 106 retains some of the payment. Alternatively, the amount received by the service provider system 102 may be more than the amount the player 108 presented to the point-of-service 106 if, for example, the point-of-service 106 pays the service provider to increase traffic to the point-of-service.
The service provider, the game provider, and the point-of-service may use a convenience fee model in which a fee is typically visible to the player. In a convenience fee model, the player generally pays any extra costs for the convenience of conducting the transaction. The parties may also use a fixed or variable commission model in which the fee is typically not shown to the customer. In a fixed or variable commission model, costs are typically incurred by the game provider 104. Variable commission can be established between one or more parties, and dependent on one or more factors. For example, a variable commission structure may call for percentages being paid by/to the game provider 104 and/or the point-of-service 106.
The service provider system 102 also transmits a portion of the payment amount received and a portion of the player information to the game provider 104. The game provider 104 uses the player information that the service provider system 102 transmits to correlate the payment it receives with the player 108. The amount received by the game provider 104 may depend on the agreements between the service provider, the game provider, and the point-of-service.
In another embodiment, the service provider system 102 also receives location information for the point-of-service 106 at which the payment was received and transmits the location information to the game provider 104. The service provider system 102 may receive location information for the point-of-service 106 at which the payment was received and determine if the point-of-service 106 is located in a geographic region authorized to make payments to the game provider 104 based on the location information received. Based on that determination, the service provider system 102 then notifies the point-of-sale 106 to reject the payment from the player if the point-of-service 106 is not located in a geographic region authorized to make payments to the game provider 104. This feature of the present systems and methods is beneficial for assuring compliance with state and federal gaming regulations that may depend on the location at which payment is made or the player's state of residence.
The service provider system 102 may also receive a point-of-service selection from the player and provide a token to the player 108 that further comprises a reference to the point-of-service selection from the player. Also, service provider system 102 may receive a confirmation from the game provider 104 that the game provider received the transmitted second portion of the payment amount and the portion of the player information.
The described systems and methods may also be used to facilitate cash payments to lottery providers. In this case, the game provider 104 is a lottery provider, and the service provider system 102 may receive a selection of lottery numbers from the player 108. Additionally, after receiving a selection of lottery numbers, the service provider system 102 may generate a token that further comprises a reference to the selection of lottery numbers from the player 108. In this case, the token may serve as a receipt of purchase of an entry in a lottery or as a lottery ticket.
In the lottery example, the service provider system 102 may also receive a second confirmation that the player 108 presented the token and a second payment having a second payment amount at one of the points-of-service 106; receive a first portion of the second payment amount received at the point-of-service 106; and transmit a second portion of the second payment amount received at the point-of-service 106 and a portion of the player information. With this aspect of the present systems and methods, a player 108 may re-use the token, play multiple times with the same token, or add payments to an account.
In other embodiments, the service provider system 102 may receive a spending limit associated with the player 108. The service provider system 102 may keep a record of a player's prior payment amounts and then determine if the player's prior payment amounts together with the amount most-recently received at a point-of-service 106 exceeds the spending limit Also, the service provider system 102 may transmit a notification that the spending limit has been exceeded. The service provider system 102 may send the notification to the point-of-sale 106 and/or instruct the point-of-sale 106 to reject the payment from the player 108 if the service provider system determines that the payment amount together with the prior payment amounts exceed the spending limit.
The service provider system 102 may also receive a spending limit from the game provider 104, from the player 108, or from a government entity. In some embodiments, the spending limit may be temporal, that is, based on a specific time frame. For example, the spending limit may be set by week or by month. That way, the player 108, the game provider 104, or a government entity may set a spending limit for the player 108 for a specific amount of time.
The described systems and methods may also assist in the distribution of winnings to the player 108. The service provider system 102 may receive winnings information from the game provider 104 associated with the player information. The service provider system 102 then distributes funds to the player 108 according to the winnings information and the player information. Further, the service provider system 102 may receive distribution instructions and distribute the funds to multiple accounts according to the distribution instructions.
The described systems and methods may also be used to facilitate cash payments from several players 108 for group gaming. In one embodiment, the service provider system 102 generates a player input screen for a game provider as discussed above. In this instance, the service provider system 102 receives information for a plurality of players 108 via the player input screen. The service provider system 102 may present one or more points-of-service 106 to one of the plurality of players 108. The service provider system 102 further generates a token for each of the plurality of players 108, wherein each token is a reference to the respective player's information. After generating the tokens, the service provider system 102 provides the respective token to each of the players 108. That is, the token corresponding to the information for a player is provided to that player. After the players 108 receive the tokens, they may present the tokens and payment at a point-of-service 106. The service provider system 102 then receives a confirmation from the point-of-service 106 that one or more of the players 108 presented his or her respective token and a payment at the point-of-service 106.
The service provider system 102 also receives information about the payment amount for each player 108 received at the one or more points-of-service 106. Therefore, the service provider system 102 receives information that indicates how much each player who presented his or her token at a point-of-service 106 paid in conjunction with presenting the token. The service provider system 102 then determines a total payment amount received at the one or more points-of-service 106 from the plurality of players 108. The service provider system 102 also receives a portion of the total payment amount received at the point-of-service 106 and transmits a portion of the total payment amount and a portion of the information for the plurality of players received via the player input screen to the game provider 104. The service provider system 102 transmits a portion of the players' information to allow the game provider 104 to link the payments to the players 108.
After transmitting a portion of the player's information to the game provider 104, the service provider system 102 may receive winnings information from the game provider associated with the information. The service provider system 102 then determines an allocation of the winnings among the plurality of players 108 according to the relative payments from each of the plurality of players and distributes funds to the plurality of players according to the allocation. The distribution may take place thorough a point-of-service 106 or thorough other funds distribution channels.
In other embodiments for facilitating cash payments for group gaming, the service provider system 102 generates a player input screen for a game provider 104 and receives information for a player 108 via the player input screen. The service provider system 102 may present one or more points-of-service 106 to the player. The service provider system generates a plurality of tokens that each comprise a reference to the player information and have a unique identifier distinct from the other tokens. The service provider system 102 then provides the plurality of tokens to the player 108. The player may then distribute the tokens to members of a group who wish to participate in the game provider's game. The members of the group who participate in the game also become players 108. In one embodiment, the player selects the game prior to receiving the tokens and the tokens are specific to the selected game. In this embodiment, the members of the group will all participate in the same game. The members who wish to play present the token they received and a payment at a point-of-service 106. After providing the tokens to the player, the service provider system receives a confirmation that at least one of the tokens and a payment having a payment amount were presented at a point-of-service. The service provider system 102 also receives a portion of the payment amount received at the point-of-service 106 and transmits a portion of the payment amount received at the point-of-service and a portion of the player information to the game provider 104.
After transmitting payment and player information to the game provider 104, the service provider system 102 can receive winnings information from the game provider associated with the portion of the player information transmitted to the game provider and determine an allocation of the winnings among the plurality of tokens according to the relative payments made with each token.
In some embodiments, the service provider system 102 receives a request for authorization from a point-of-service 106 and also requests authorization from a game provider 104 before facilitating a cash payment to the game provider. For example, the service provider system 102 can receive an authorization call from a point-of-service 106 and transmit the authorization call to a game provider 104. An authorization call is an electronic request for authorization to receive cash payment from a player 108. After receiving the authorization call, the game provider 104 may provide authorization and additional information to the service provider system 102 including entry numbers associated with one of the game provider's game.
Thereafter, the service provider system 102 receives one or more game entry numbers from the game provider and generates a plurality of tokens that it provides to the player 108. The service provider system 102 then receives a confirmation that at least one of the tokens and a payment having a payment amount were presented at one of the points-of-service 106, receives a portion of the payment amount received at the point-of-service 106, and transmits a portion of the payment amount received at the point-of-service and a portion of the player information to the game provider 104.
In other examples, the service provider system 102 may facilitate cash payments for recurring gaming. In this example, the service provider system generates a player input screen for a game provider and receives information for a player 108 via the player input screen. The service provider system 102 also receives wager information for the player via the player input screen. Wager information may include the amount, timing, as well as the wagered outcome (e.g., winning team, score, and point spread, etc.). As with other embodiments, the service provider system 102 may present one or more points-of-service 106 to the player. The service provider system 102 generates a token that is a reference to the player information and provides the token to the player 108. The player then takes the token to a point-of-service 106 and presents the token and payment. Thereupon, the service provider system 102 receives a confirmation that the player presented the token and payment. The service provider system further receives a portion of the payment amount received at the point-of-service, places a wager with the game provider 104 according to the wager information from the player, and transmits a portion of the payment amount received at the point-of-service and a portion of the player information to the game provider.
In this recurring gaming example, the service provider system 102 may also receive a notification of the outcome of the wager from the game provider 104 and transmit the notification of the outcome of the wager to the player 108. The wager information in the recurring gaming example may comprise a set of numbers that the player 108 wishes to play in a game or the wager information may include a sports team on which the player wishes to wager.
In further embodiments, the service provider system 102 facilitates cash payments for more than one game that may go to more than one game provider. In these embodiments, the service provider system 102 generates a player input screen for a plurality of games of a plurality of game providers 104 and receives information and wager information for a player via the player input screen. The service provider system may present one or more points-of-service to the player 108. The service provider system 102 generates a token that is a reference to the player information and provides the token to the player 108. After the player presents the token and payment at a point-of-service 106, the service provider system receives a confirmation that the player presented the token and a payment, receives a portion of the payment amount received at the point-of-service, places a wager with one or more of the game providers 104 according to the wager information from the player, and transmits a portion of the payment amount received at the point-of-service 106 and a portion of the player information to the one or more game providers 104.
The service provider system 102 for facilitating cash payments for more than one game may also receive a notification of the outcome of the wager from one or more of the game providers 104 and transmit the notification of the outcome of the wager to the player 108. The system 102 may be used to facilitate payments to a plurality lottery providers 104. In this embodiment, the service provider system 102 determines the probability of wining each of the lotteries of the plurality of lottery providers 104 and allocates a portion of the payment amount according to the probability of wining each of the lotteries. Further, the service provider system 102 may determine the payoff amount for each of the lotteries of the plurality of lottery providers 104 and allocate a portion of the payment amount according to the payoff amount for each of the lotteries. In each of these examples, the player 108 may have the option to indicate which lotteries the service provider system will include in its determination and the player 108 may indicate the criteria (e.g., highest probability of wining or highest payoff amount) that the service provider system 102 will use to determine how to allocate the payment.
The service provider system 102 of the present invention may also be configured in other ways to facilitate cash payments for lottery and raffle type games. In one example, the service provider system 102 generates a game-provider input screen and receives information for a game provider 104 via the game-provider input screen. The information may include information about the identity of the game provider and information about a game of the game provider. The service provider system 102 may present one or more points-of-service 106 to the game provider. The service provider system 102 generates a primary token that comprises a first reference to the game provider information and provides the primary token to the game provider 104. The game provider 104 may then distribute the primary token to people who wish to play a game associated with the token. The players 108 who have received the primary token may then present the primary token and payment at a point-of-service 106. At this point, the service provider system 102 receives a confirmation that the primary token and a payment were presented at a point-of-service 106 and generates one or more secondary tokens based on the amount of the payment presented. Each secondary token also comprises a reference to the game provider information. The service provider system 102 then provides the secondary tokens to the point-of-service 106 at which the payment was presented, receives a portion of the payment amount received at the point-of-service, and transmits a portion of the payment amount received at the point-of-service to the game provider 104. The point-of-service 106 provides the secondary tokens to the player 108 or players who presented the primary token and payment.
In this embodiment, the game provider 104 may be a lottery provider, and the service provider system 102 may also receive a selection of lottery numbers from the player 108. In this example, the service provider system 102 may generate secondary tokens that comprise a reference to the selection of lottery numbers from the player 108. The secondary tokens that comprise a reference to the selection of lottery numbers may serve as receipts of purchase of one or more entries in the lottery.
The service provider system embodiment that provides secondary tokens may also receive a game denomination amount from the game provider 104 and determine whether the payment amount received at the point-of-service 106 corresponds to a multiple of the game denomination amount. Based on that determination, the service provider system 102 transmits a notification to the point-of-service 106. This embodiment is useful, for example, to a game provider 104 who wants to provide tickets for a game that have a set denomination (e.g. $5 per ticket). When a player 108 presents a cash payment that is a multiple of the set denomination (e.g., $10), the service provider system 102 may notify the point-of-service 106 to accept the payment and issue tickets (e.g., 2 tickets). If the player 108 presents a cash payment that is not a multiple of the set denomination (e.g., $4), the service provider system 102 may notify the point-of-service 106 to reject the payment and/or provide a message to the player 108.
The service provider system 102 embodiment that provides secondary tokens may also receive a confirmation that one of the secondary tokens was presented at one of the points-of-service 106, receive winnings information from the game provider 104 associated with the secondary token presented at the point-of-service 106, and transmit the winnings information to the point-of-service 106 at which the secondary token was presented.
The figures included herein serve as embodiments of the presented systems and methods. Each individual process or sub-process performed within the embodiments described can be performed by one or more parties, as well as one or more computer systems. For example, in one embodiment, some or all of the communications and data transfers between game provider, service provider system, and point-of-service are performed via an automated computer-based system, such as an application program interface. As such, the embodiments presented in the figures are not intended to be limiting.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/925,957, filed Jan. 10, 2014.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4799156 | Shavit et al. | Jan 1989 | A |
| 5056019 | Schultz et al. | Oct 1991 | A |
| 5308119 | Roshkoff | May 1994 | A |
| 5310997 | Roach et al. | May 1994 | A |
| 5336870 | Hughes et al. | Aug 1994 | A |
| 5577109 | Stimson et al. | Nov 1996 | A |
| 5594226 | Steger | Jan 1997 | A |
| 5721768 | Stimson et al. | Feb 1998 | A |
| 5924080 | Johnson | Jul 1999 | A |
| 5956894 | Powell | Sep 1999 | A |
| 5970470 | Walker et al. | Oct 1999 | A |
| 6055516 | Johnson et al. | Apr 2000 | A |
| 6070798 | Nethery | Jun 2000 | A |
| 6141653 | Conklin et al. | Oct 2000 | A |
| 6185545 | Resnick et al. | Feb 2001 | B1 |
| 6260024 | Shkedy | Jul 2001 | B1 |
| 6266647 | Fernandez | Jul 2001 | B1 |
| 6356878 | Walker et al. | Mar 2002 | B1 |
| 6381582 | Walker et al. | Apr 2002 | B1 |
| 6450407 | Freeman et al. | Sep 2002 | B1 |
| 6581827 | Welton | Jun 2003 | B2 |
| 6736314 | Cooper et al. | May 2004 | B2 |
| 6745022 | Knox | Jun 2004 | B2 |
| 6837426 | Tidball et al. | Jan 2005 | B2 |
| 6938013 | Gutierrez-Sheris | Aug 2005 | B1 |
| 6971574 | Herskowitz | Dec 2005 | B1 |
| 7006983 | Packes, Jr. et al. | Feb 2006 | B1 |
| 7042992 | Falcone | Feb 2006 | B1 |
| 7035813 | Cook | Apr 2006 | B1 |
| 7100822 | Piper | Sep 2006 | B2 |
| 7243839 | Beck et al. | Jul 2007 | B2 |
| 7290704 | Ball et al. | Nov 2007 | B1 |
| 7293109 | Maximilian | Nov 2007 | B2 |
| 7296003 | Mersky et al. | Nov 2007 | B2 |
| 7344067 | Beck et al. | Mar 2008 | B2 |
| 7386485 | Mussman et al. | Jun 2008 | B1 |
| 7422153 | Cai | Sep 2008 | B2 |
| 7473179 | Xidos | Jan 2009 | B2 |
| 7611051 | Beck et al. | Nov 2009 | B1 |
| 7640193 | Crespo et al. | Dec 2009 | B2 |
| 7711639 | Reid et al. | May 2010 | B2 |
| 7729984 | Nappi | Jun 2010 | B1 |
| 7783571 | Fish et al. | Aug 2010 | B2 |
| 7797192 | Mitchell et al. | Sep 2010 | B2 |
| 7904385 | Bishop et al. | Mar 2011 | B2 |
| 7949600 | Portillo et al. | May 2011 | B1 |
| 8060382 | Lee et al. | Nov 2011 | B1 |
| 8140381 | Wu et al. | Mar 2012 | B1 |
| 8282001 | Snyder et al. | Oct 2012 | B2 |
| 8371502 | Galit et al. | Feb 2013 | B1 |
| 8392208 | Klieman et al. | Mar 2013 | B1 |
| 8605094 | Alfaro et al. | Dec 2013 | B1 |
| 8651374 | Brabson et al. | Feb 2014 | B2 |
| 8681741 | Ngo et al. | Mar 2014 | B1 |
| 20010032182 | Kumar et al. | Oct 2001 | A1 |
| 20010042042 | Stokes et al. | Nov 2001 | A1 |
| 20020002537 | Bastiansen | Jan 2002 | A1 |
| 20020010600 | Fujita | Jan 2002 | A1 |
| 20020013768 | Ganesan | Jan 2002 | A1 |
| 20020077978 | O'Leary et al. | Jun 2002 | A1 |
| 20020147689 | Falkner | Oct 2002 | A1 |
| 20020152163 | Bezos et al. | Oct 2002 | A1 |
| 20020153410 | Santini | Oct 2002 | A1 |
| 20020161644 | Duffield | Oct 2002 | A1 |
| 20020161721 | Yuan et al. | Oct 2002 | A1 |
| 20020188559 | Schultz | Dec 2002 | A1 |
| 20020195486 | Erb et al. | Dec 2002 | A1 |
| 20030046223 | Crawford et al. | Mar 2003 | A1 |
| 20030061162 | Matthews | Mar 2003 | A1 |
| 20030149632 | Walker et al. | Aug 2003 | A1 |
| 20030154165 | Horn et al. | Aug 2003 | A1 |
| 20030220862 | Kilgore et al. | Nov 2003 | A1 |
| 20040024701 | Hansen et al. | Feb 2004 | A1 |
| 20040024707 | Perre et al. | Feb 2004 | A1 |
| 20040030647 | Hansen et al. | Feb 2004 | A1 |
| 20040035922 | Cameron | Feb 2004 | A1 |
| 20040133515 | McCoy et al. | Jul 2004 | A1 |
| 20040139009 | Kozee et al. | Jul 2004 | A1 |
| 20040185869 | Lee et al. | Sep 2004 | A1 |
| 20040210476 | Blair et al. | Oct 2004 | A1 |
| 20040249705 | Spencer et al. | Dec 2004 | A1 |
| 20050108104 | Woo | May 2005 | A1 |
| 20050125345 | Miller et al. | Jun 2005 | A1 |
| 20050137970 | Houle et al. | Jun 2005 | A1 |
| 20050182684 | Dawson et al. | Aug 2005 | A1 |
| 20050256806 | Tien et al. | Nov 2005 | A1 |
| 20060054695 | Owada | Mar 2006 | A1 |
| 20060136301 | Grovit | Jun 2006 | A1 |
| 20060167791 | Hahn-Carlson | Jul 2006 | A1 |
| 20060173776 | Shalley et al. | Aug 2006 | A1 |
| 20060253335 | Keena | Nov 2006 | A1 |
| 20070016523 | Blair et al. | Jan 2007 | A1 |
| 20070016526 | Hansen et al. | Jan 2007 | A1 |
| 20070022058 | Labrou et al. | Jan 2007 | A1 |
| 20070038516 | Apple et al. | Feb 2007 | A1 |
| 20070130028 | Provinse | Jun 2007 | A1 |
| 20070150411 | Addepalli et al. | Jun 2007 | A1 |
| 20070150414 | Templeton | Jun 2007 | A1 |
| 20070174082 | Singh | Jul 2007 | A1 |
| 20070225912 | Grush | Sep 2007 | A1 |
| 20070243934 | Little | Oct 2007 | A1 |
| 20070252696 | Belisle et al. | Nov 2007 | A1 |
| 20080021841 | Rau et al. | Jan 2008 | A1 |
| 20080040233 | Wildman et al. | Feb 2008 | A1 |
| 20080097904 | Volchek et al. | Apr 2008 | A1 |
| 20080162345 | Passanha | Jul 2008 | A1 |
| 20080215475 | Ramer et al. | Sep 2008 | A1 |
| 20080275811 | Koningstein et al. | Nov 2008 | A1 |
| 20080301047 | Fish et al. | Dec 2008 | A1 |
| 20080319869 | Carlson et al. | Dec 2008 | A1 |
| 20090012862 | Pirillo et al. | Jan 2009 | A1 |
| 20090017798 | Pop | Jan 2009 | A1 |
| 20090048885 | Bishop et al. | Feb 2009 | A1 |
| 20090055266 | Brody et al. | Feb 2009 | A1 |
| 20090112662 | Mullen et al. | Apr 2009 | A1 |
| 20090112760 | Johnson et al. | Apr 2009 | A1 |
| 20090150290 | Szrek et al. | Jun 2009 | A1 |
| 20090157566 | Grush | Jun 2009 | A1 |
| 20090187492 | Hammad et al. | Jul 2009 | A1 |
| 20090204522 | John | Aug 2009 | A1 |
| 20090222317 | Allen et al. | Sep 2009 | A1 |
| 20090228336 | Giordano et al. | Sep 2009 | A1 |
| 20090234746 | Jensen et al. | Sep 2009 | A1 |
| 20090240594 | Kerner et al. | Sep 2009 | A1 |
| 20090254381 | Frederickson et al. | Oct 2009 | A1 |
| 20090313109 | Bous et al. | Dec 2009 | A1 |
| 20090327133 | Aharoni et al. | Dec 2009 | A1 |
| 20100005025 | Kumar et al. | Jan 2010 | A1 |
| 20100017279 | Connor, Jr. | Jan 2010 | A1 |
| 20100138344 | Wong et al. | Jun 2010 | A1 |
| 20100145723 | Hudson et al. | Jun 2010 | A1 |
| 20100174646 | Cole et al. | Jul 2010 | A1 |
| 20100191578 | Tran et al. | Jul 2010 | A1 |
| 20100205167 | Tunstall-Pedoe et al. | Aug 2010 | A1 |
| 20100223182 | Battaglini | Sep 2010 | A1 |
| 20100257081 | Ritchie | Oct 2010 | A1 |
| 20100268821 | Pau et al. | Oct 2010 | A1 |
| 20100276484 | Banerjee et al. | Nov 2010 | A1 |
| 20100332265 | Smith | Dec 2010 | A1 |
| 20110077073 | Gagner | Mar 2011 | A1 |
| 20110125561 | Marcus | May 2011 | A1 |
| 20110131118 | Srinivasan et al. | Jun 2011 | A1 |
| 20110145145 | Battaglini et al. | Jun 2011 | A1 |
| 20110201430 | Maribona | Aug 2011 | A1 |
| 20110208550 | Lamarche et al. | Aug 2011 | A1 |
| 20110208641 | Shader et al. | Aug 2011 | A1 |
| 20110208642 | Shader et al. | Aug 2011 | A1 |
| 20110213699 | Johnson | Sep 2011 | A1 |
| 20110225067 | Dunwoody | Sep 2011 | A1 |
| 20110238474 | Carr et al. | Sep 2011 | A1 |
| 20110258122 | Shader et al. | Oct 2011 | A1 |
| 20110258686 | Raj et al. | Oct 2011 | A1 |
| 20110276474 | Portillo et al. | Nov 2011 | A1 |
| 20120005075 | Bulawa et al. | Jan 2012 | A1 |
| 20120030110 | Prakash et al. | Feb 2012 | A1 |
| 20120041877 | Rao | Feb 2012 | A1 |
| 20120066081 | Shader et al. | Mar 2012 | A1 |
| 20120072346 | Barkan Daynovsky et al. | Mar 2012 | A1 |
| 20120084178 | Ehbauer et al. | Apr 2012 | A1 |
| 20120129552 | Skybey | May 2012 | A1 |
| 20120130797 | Shin | May 2012 | A1 |
| 20120166314 | Kimberg | Jun 2012 | A1 |
| 20120179558 | Fischer | Jul 2012 | A1 |
| 20120185317 | Wong | Jul 2012 | A1 |
| 20120209767 | Battaglini et al. | Aug 2012 | A1 |
| 20130006785 | Perkins et al. | Jan 2013 | A1 |
| 20130030995 | O'Leary et al. | Jan 2013 | A1 |
| 20130041741 | Shader et al. | Feb 2013 | A1 |
| 20130046691 | Culton | Feb 2013 | A1 |
| 20130080239 | Okerlund | Mar 2013 | A1 |
| 20130124410 | Kay et al. | May 2013 | A1 |
| 20130138563 | Gilder et al. | May 2013 | A1 |
| 20130166398 | Minde | Jun 2013 | A1 |
| 20140012688 | McGuinness et al. | Jan 2014 | A1 |
| 20140052654 | Curetti et al. | Feb 2014 | A1 |
| 20140094285 | Sanford | Apr 2014 | A1 |
| 20140095481 | Argue et al. | Apr 2014 | A1 |
| 20140108201 | Frechette et al. | Apr 2014 | A1 |
| 20140122337 | Kang | May 2014 | A1 |
| 20140279111 | Mahaffey et al. | Sep 2014 | A1 |
| 20140279509 | Khilnani et al. | Sep 2014 | A1 |
| Entry |
|---|
| MODASolutions (2007) “A Look at How Online Bill Payment Changes the eCommerce Landscape” A MODASolutionsTM White Paper, pp. 1-14. |
| “Cash payment comes to internet retailing.” Accessed at http://www.internetretailer.com/internet/marketing conference/56525-cash-payment-come, Jun. 18, 2009. (pp. 1-2). |
| “Amazon debuts Honor System.” Accessed at http://news.cnet.com/2100-1017-252122.html. Feb. 6, 2001, (pp. 1-4). |
| “Amazon Payments Account Management.” Accessed at http://payments/amazon.com/sdui/sdui/business?sn=devfps/marketplace. Jun. 18, 2009. (pp. 1-4). |
| “PayNearMe at Finovate 2010” retrieved on May 7, 2015 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-oaZpCpqk (Oct. 4-5, 2010; posted Nov. 5, 2010; see arrow on screen referring to the publication dated of this electronic reference, the publication date of Nov. 5, 2010 being a date more than one year prior to the filling of the instant application; the Presse. |
| “Inside Redbox Mobile Demo” (Feb. 1, 2009), uploaded to YouTube by habdeira, retrieved on Sep. 12, 2012 from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iron2BtzDC (hereinafter “Redbox App”). |
| “PCT Search Report and Written Opinion”, PCT/US2013/041974, (dated Aug. 14, 2013), 11 pages. |
| PayNearMe Demonstration Video; http://www.paynearme.com/greyhound; Apr. 2012. |
| “PayNearMe at FinovateFall 2010” retrieved on Sep. 12, 2012 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-oaZpCzpqk (Oct. 4-5, 2010; posted Nov. 5, 2010; the Presenters are: CEO Danny Shader and Named inventor John Minor; also found on Assignee's website of www.paynearme.com, retrieved from: http://liveweb.archive.org/http://www.paynearme.com/consumers). |
| Coggins, Wynn W. (2002), Prior Art in the Field of Business Method Patents-When is an Electronic Document a Printed Publication for Prior Art Purpose? Presented at AIPLA, Fall 2002. |
| Plymouth, K. & Martin, J. (2009). Bill Payment Trends: Major Shifts in Consumer Behavior Require Comprehensive Planning. A First Data White Paper. |
| Rao, L. (2010). PayNearMe Launches Cash Payment System With 7-Eleven; Signs up Amazon, facebook. Disrupt, TechCruch. |
| Credit Card Processing Blog (Aug. 12, 2010), How to Manage ‘Non-Matching Account Number’ Chargebacks (hereinafter “Credit Card Processing”). |
| PayNearMe at FinovateFall 2010 (2010), uploaded to youtube.com on Nov. 5, 2010 (hereinafter PayNearMe2010). |
| Dealer Incentives, by Tim Gutowski, http://www.cars.com/go/advice/Story.jsp?section=inc&story=incDealer&subject=incent, verified by internet Archive WayBack Machine Apr. 27, 2005. |
| Channel Loyalty Program, htto://www.awards.co.za/what-we-do/sale-channel-incentive-programs/channel-loyalty-program/, Achievement Awards Group. verified by internel Archive WayBack Machine May 12, 2013. |
| Dao et al. Location-Based services: technical and business issues. School of Surbeying and Spatial Information Systems, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia, GPS Solutions (2002) 6: 169-178. |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20150199873 A1 | Jul 2015 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61925957 | Jan 2014 | US |
