WO2003107696A1

WO2003107696A1 - Mobile information distribution system

Info

Publication number: WO2003107696A1
Application number: PCT/TR2003/000050
Authority: WO
Inventors: Hairy Cihan Dayi
Original assignee: Tek Dagitim Ve Iletisim Hizmetleri A.S.
Priority date: 2002-06-14
Filing date: 2003-06-10
Publication date: 2003-12-24
Also published as: AU2003245235A1

Abstract

The present invention basically relates to online-and offline-transfer of local area data processing networks to remote areas so as to provide mobile terminals of organizations with the facility of working as if they are in the central local area; to the access and broadcast of data regardless of location; and to provide this advantage to all relevant industrial sectors.

Description

MOBILE INFORMATION DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM

The present invention basically relates to online- and offline-transfer of local area data processing networks to remote areas so as to provide mobile terminals of organizations with the facility of working as if they are in the central local area; to the access and broadcast of data regardless of location; and to provide this advantage to all relevant industrial sectors.

The primary field of applications is as following:

GSM operators and the Turkish Telecom - issue invoice at subscriber address and realize relevant payments.

Banks - issue statements and credit cart password letters at subscriber address.

Traffic Polices and Gendarme - pass traffic fine and collect such fine.

Marketing and Distribution Companies engaged in Hot-Sell Business (Coca Cola, Phillsa, RJ Reynolds, Unilever, Ba§arι Holding etc.) - issue invoice at subscriber address, obtain orders, make collection.

By realizing the present invention, it shall become possible to provide controlled and swift data transfer, to speed up payments, and to establish novel check mechanisms both in selling, ordering, and in payment processes. Since the present invention shall ensure full automation under said fields, significant savings will be made both in labor force and in paper work, etc. to provide substantial contribution to the economies of nations and of organizations implementing this system. The functioning of the present invention can be described as following under the light of annexed Figures.

1. ONLINE OPERATION: As seen from the online application scheme in Figure 1 , the mobile terminals used in application field are via GSM/GPRS systems continuously connected with the relevant organization and bank through the data post server.

So an instant access to required data is provided as it is the case in local area data processing networks. Likewise each recorded data and performed operation are entered into the system of a organization's system, and the data become instantly accessible by means of mobile terminals or any of the terminal of the organization or via a media (like Internet) through which the organization wishes the broadcast the data.

The units and terms in the application scheme (Figure 1) are described hereunder according to the physical locations they are used.

1.1 FIELD: Describes a location where foresaid applications are performed. The field indicates the physical location of a subscriber or customer of an organization or a company at the time of performing of said applications.

1.1.1 PDA OR POCKET COMPUTER: Describes any portable computer with a certain operation system installed on it.

1.1.2 MOBILE PRINTER: Describes any mobile printer that can communicate with a PDA or pocket computer with wire (RS

232) or wireless, namely an infrared protocol (Irda) and that has the capability for thermal or dot matrix printing.

1.1.3 PCMCIA CARD: Describes any card that is built-in or external to the PDA or pocket computer to provide GSM/GPRS connection.

1.1.4 MOBILE TERMINAL: Covers the entire pocket computer, the mobile printer, the PCMCIA card, and the GSM/GPRS SIM card.

1.2 CENTER: Describes the physical medium of a server, entire operating mobile terminals are connected online thereto.

1.2.1 DATA POST SERVER: Describes a server, whereto mobile terminals are directly connected via GSM/GPRS protocols or indirectly connected via a leased line, for example, via a server of an operator firm providing GSM/GPRS service. 1.2.2 LEASED LINE: Describes a continuous leased data line such that Turkish Telecom Inc. is already providing in Turkey.

1.3 ORGANIZATION: Indicates an organization, where the present invention is implemented and the server exists physically.

1.3.1 ORGANIZATIONAL SERVER: Describes a server that is possessed by an organization, which implements the present invention, and that is connected to data post via a leased line.

1.3.2 BANK SERVER: Describes a server that authorizes payments by credit cards and that is directly connected with data post or with a organizational server according to the phase of an operation.

1.3.3 WWW SERVER: The relevant organization can broadcast any data including those gathered by mobile terminals through a web server in a controlled and instant manner. A World Wide Web server is given in the relevant Figure.

2. OFFLINE OPERATION: Any operational data present in a organizational server can be electronically transferred to data post server either by means of continuous connection such as leased lines or by means of discontinuous connection (Figure 2).

After operational preprocesses are performed on the data electronically transferred to data post, such data are loaded into a pocket computer to realize the required application and are thereby sent to the relevant field. Field applications are performed at the address of a subscriber, agent, or a client and such operational results are entered into the pocket computer. After such field-applications are completed, the data is electronically entered into the central server where the data post server is present.

If there are payment operations to be performed, the data post server connects to the bank server to receive payment authorizations. If a payment process is not authorized, the organization may either repeat or terminate such transaction. Once any necessary changes are processed into the data post server, it transfers the entire operational results to the organizational server and when desired, such results are broadcasted by a www server on the Internet.

2.1 ORGANIZATION: Indicates a body where the project is implemented and the server exists physically.

2.1.1 ORGANIZATIONAL SERVER: Describes a server that is connected to data post server via leased line of an organization implementing the present invention.

2.1.2 LEASED LINE: Describes a continuous leased data line such that Turkish Telecom Inc. is already providing in Turkey.

2.2 CENTER: Describes the server's physical medium, whereto all in-field mobile terminals upload their data offline.

2.2.1 DATA POST SERVER: Describes a server, whereto mobile terminals upload their data offline either by means of the cradle of pocket computers or infrared Irda protocol. This server makes also relevant data exchange between the servers of organizations and banks.

2.2.2 BANK SERVER: Describes a server that authorizes credit card payments and that is directly connected with data post or the organizational server according to the phase of an operation.

2.2.3 WWW SERVER: The relevant organization can broadcast any data including those gathered by mobile terminals through a web server in a controlled and instant manner. A World Wide Web server is given in the relevant Figure.

2.2.4 OFFLINE CONNECTION: Is the connection manner that pocket computers connects with the local area, where the server of data post is present. This is generally performed by means of the cradles built in for RS 232 connection to both charge the computer and to establish a connection with networks. Other technologies for data exchange are infrared (Irda) and Bluetooth protocols. The determining point here is that pocket computers realize such data transfer only when they are brought to centers.

5 2.3 FIELD: Describes a location where foresaid applications are performed. The field indicates the physical location of a subscriber or customer of an organization or a company at the time of performing of the operations.

2.3.1 PDA OR POCKET COMPUTER: Describes any portative touch 0 screen pocket computer with a certain operation system installed in it.

2.3.2 MOBILE PRINTER: Describes any mobile printer that can communicate with a PDA or pocket computer with wire (RS 232) or wireless, namely an infrared protocol (Irda) and that has the capability for thermal or dot matrix printing.

15 2.3.3 MOBILE TERMINAL: Covers the entire pocket computer, the mobile printer, the PCMCIA card, and the GSM/GPRS SIM card.

3. TRAFFIC FINING EXECUTION (MOBILE FINE): In Figure 3, traffic fining operations according to a data post online process shall be exemplified, and 10 the advantages of the present invention towards organizations, persons, and the states shall be claimed over the current systems.

It is the job of the police and gendarme departments to pass such traffic fines in Turkey. If drivers are available such fines are directly notified and otherwise, as in the case of parking fines, they are kept in records for the ϋ5 relevant car to be notified afterwards.

Collection of such fines is either carried out in advance, if the driver agrees so, or a written notification is sent afterwards. Then a driver receives such official notification and makes the required payment with the banks or vehicle tax departments within 10 days; otherwise such fines are three- 30 folded and are fixed at such amounts until covered. Such fines are notified by policemen charged in the police station at the address of the relevant car's license.

3.1 DRAWBACKS IN CURRENT SYSTEM:

The police and gendarme collecting such fines are sometimes 5 accused by bribery.

If a fined driver does not have adequate cash with him/her, a written notification is issued afterwards. Then he/she pays such fine at banks or vehicle tax departments, where unpleasant crowds are encountered during such operations. Afterwards, 0 he/she presents the bank receipt at the relevant vehicle tax department to make the fine cancelled. Otherwise, he/she can become liable to repeat such payment.

Overall speaking, the amount of unpaid fine largely exceeds the paid amount. Our State encounters difficulties in collecting

5 such fines under the current system. Unpaid or accumulated fines are waived after a certain time; thus both the national economy meets significant losses and such fined drivers who fail to pay are awarded somewhat.

Many paper works emerge. The official notifications are written Ϊ0 by police and gendarme. Such documents are further processed and stored in vehicle tax departments.

As such bureaucratic works are too many; the State employs a huge productive work to run the current system.

And though labor force and paper works are significantly high 5 for communicating such documents not directly notified to a driver, the success is still quite under 100%.

3.2 STEPS IN TRAFFIC FINING EXECUTION: Mobile terminals are delivered to policemen under such charge. During an application, data on the spot, relevant Article under the Law for such offence, driver's license number, and license tag are entered into the pocket computer. Such data are automatically uploaded to the server at the police headquarter via the data post server. The server at the headquarter checks such data by making a comparison with the data it stores and responds to said mobile terminal. The relevant police team passes the necessary fine, and if the driver prefers to pay such fine via credit card, the data of his/her credit card is sent to the bank server via data post in order to be authorized. The signature of the driver is taken and the results of this process are sent to the server at said headquarter via the data post to be processed there.

3.3 COMPARISON OF CURRENT SYSTEM AND DATA POST:

The data post system both eliminates foresaid drawbacks under the current system and provides some advantages we are still deprived of. These points are listed in the following table.

Reducing alleged bribery: Cash payment eliminated and fines paid either by credit card or via official notifications so as to reduce the risk of bribery on civil servants.

Payment facility for driver: Driver enabled to pay such fines via credit card as fine rates in our country are relatively high that a driver cannot be able to instantly cover such amounts.

Rate of collected/uncollected fines: Collection rate to be significantly enhanced as compared to current system. Both the driver lacking of cash is enabled to cover such amounts and if such driver has an uncollected fine from past, this fact is instantly notified to him/her and such drivers are surely be identified instantly.

Paper work burden: Since the data post operation is entirely carried out electronically, no unnecessary paper work shall be encountered.

Notification of previous fines: Since data is accessed online in a data post operation, any fine that was not previously notified becomes accessible and such fines are notified and even collected during the same fining process.

Check against previous fines: Since data is accessed online in a data post operation, a check is automatically carried out whether a possible previous fine of a car or driver was collected or not. By a legal amendment, a fined driver shall be forced to pay such amount in due time and an effective sanction shall be brought forth for the fined drivers or cars, who fail in paying such amounts.

Instantly identifying sought persons: Since the driver's license of a driver under such application is necessarily queried by the server at the headquarter according to the data post system, charged policemen or gendarme shall instantly be informed and enabled to take the necessary steps, if the identification information are nonconforming or if the holder of such a license is sought.

Instantly identifying sought cars: Since the license tag data of a car under such application is absolutely sent to the server at the headquarter according to the data post system, charged policemen or gendarme shall instantly be informed and enabled to take the necessary steps, if the license tag is nonconforming to the brand, type, or color of the car, or if such car is already being sought.

Electronic storage of documents: Entire applications are carried out electronically in the data post system. The signature of a driver is taken by the touch screen and the entire process, including this signature are stored in an electronic medium.

4. STATEMENT AND INVOICE PRINTING AT ADDRESS (MOBIL POST): There are many problems faced in our country between customers and companies that issue and deliver invoices and statements, such problems including loss and delay of such documents.

The data post project (mobile post) is arranged so as to eliminate foresaid problems, to reduce printing and delivery costs, and to minimize the present resource and paper extravagance.

The present invention shall be described below by referring to and comparing with the current system.

While carrying out the present invention, the invoice and statements shall be delivered timely to customers' address, any delays in delivery shall be eliminated, any mistakes in recipient addresses shall be removed; thus paper extravagance shall be prevented and printing and delivery costs shall be reduced so as to bring this matter for the benefit of customers.

If we consider the huge number of credit card and GSM phone holders, we can estimate how huge the population is covered under this project.

4.1 CURRENT SYSTEM: Companies dealing with a huge number of statements and invoices provide each customer with a monthly statement settlement date. The spending of such customers for the month preceding this settlement date is transferred into their invoice or statement.

Since the number of printed statements and invoices is huge, this process is carried out by computers and printers of which the initial and operational costs are too high.

Since the printing speed of printers is very fast, required papers and envelopes are produced accordingly. Therefore any means utilized under the current system bear a relatively higher cost.

And if it is considered that a secondary printing system is preferably installed for risks such as earthquakes, fires etc., the investment costs double or if such reserve systems are ignored, high risks are faced.

Printed mails are delivered by post without being registered. In other words, it is not known who receives such mails, when they are received, and even if they are received. The cause for such unregistered posting practice is obvious in that if such mails were to be sent registered, another huge cost item could have emerge.

4.2 COMPARISON OF CURRENT SYSTEM & MOBILE POST:

The mobile post system both eliminates the foresaid drawbacks in the current system and provides some advantages we are still deprived of. These matters are listed in the following table.

Initial cost: Since invoice and statement printing is performed at the customer address, it becomes unnecessary to install a reserve, or second printing facility. As for the initial investment, the cost of mobile printers is substantially lower than the cost of the current system.

Operational cost: The devices used in mobile post applications are manufactured to be used in field. Therefore, they don't require maintenance, and in case of failure, they are cheap and are also easily repaired. The operational cost of the system is proportional to the initial cost. It reduces the cost of the mobile post.

Utilized paper: Since the printing process is carried out at the address of customer under mobile post application, the number of points of such processes, and the number of mobile printers are quite high. The paper used can be thermal or normal depending on the printer to be used. Such paper choice significantly reduces the paper cost.

Installing a reserve (secondary) printing system: There is no need towards a reserve or secondary printing system against the risks of fire, earthquake, etc. under the mobile post system. Since such documents are printed at the customer's address, it becomes enough to digitally backup the relevant data.

Delivery of invoice: Since any process is carried out electronically, and since any data is accessible anytime under mobile post application, each step of the printing and delivery of such documents can be monitored.

Printing of undelivered mails: If any problems (removal, death, wrong address, etc.) are met at the address of a customer, the relevant invoice or statement is not printed. Considering the fact that address-related problems in our country vary around 5%, this amount of printing cost is saved each month.

Encrypted printing facility: Since any process is carried out electronically and since any data is accessible anytime under mobile post application, each step of printing and delivery can be controlled by encryption. If a password given by a company to its customer is not entered into the computer, no printing is carried out. 4.3 MOBILE POST OPERATION: As seen under Figure 4, mobile terminals are provided to teams carrying out data post applications. Data on the relevant zones of printing and delivery, which are acquired from the company, are entered into such terminals.

Such teams firstly arrive at the address of a customer and check its validity. If correct, the system queries whether the invoice or statement documents necessitate a password, and if yes, the validity of the password is determined. If all these conditions are met, such documents are printed and delivered. The system saves the entire steps.

A team having completed this mission returns to head office and transfers the entire results in his computer to the data post server to post such data to banks and to relevant companies.

While adding the collection application, establishing online connection with relevant offices, and instantly exchanging such data, the mobile post system turns out to be a mobile payment system.

5. MOBILE SALE: While the companies providing its agents, customers, and subscribers with services and goods have started to benefit from information technologies according to their branches, the applications performed at client addresses cannot be instantly queried as such technologies work offline. Since the interconnection is not continues, this drawback does not provide the necessary aid and even turns out to be an obstacle in developing such companies.

The mobile sale model provides data access anytime and anywhere so as to claim the elimination of foresaid drawbacks. The sectors probably to benefit from this mobile sale model are given hereunder

Insurance Companies (such as Aksigorta, Yapi Kredi Sigorta, Ba§ak Sigorta, and their agents): Issue of insurance policy, sale and payment receipt thereof.

- E-trade companies (hepsiburada.com, garantilialisveris.com, etc.): Delivery, sale of goods and services, receipt of payment, and issue of invoice at customer address,

Companies engaged in hot-sell business (companies having agency networks: cigarette companies, detergent companies, beverage companies, telephone companies, food companies, etc.): Delivery of goods, issue of invoice, and receipt of payment and returned good at customer address.

Video, audio and data communication companies (Turkcell, Telsim, Aria, Digiturk, Superonline etc.): Sale of goods and services, issue of invoice, and receipt of payment at customer address.

Groceries (Migros, Tansa§, Kopa, etc.): Sale of goods and services, issue of invoice, receipt of payment and returned goods at the customer address.

5.1 THE CURRENT SYSTEM:

Though the current system represents some varieties within different sectors, it shall be generally described hereunder with respect to operation, sales of goods and services, receipt of orders, delivery, and payment.

Supplied goods and services are either invoiced later and then paid by demanders, often after getting consumed (likewise credited systems) or are purchased during ordering by demanders or are subjected to prepayment.

All of these three trading systems lack in instant and secure data access. Such drawbacks include incorrect orders, payment risk, lack in instantly monitoring the delivery of goods or services, lack in security in ordering and paying. As a result, such matters impacts negatively the trade.

The mobile sale model is designed to minimize such drawbacks. 5.2 COMPARISON OF CURRENT SYSTEM AND MOBILE SALE: The mobile sale model both eliminates the foresaid drawbacks in the current system and provides some advantages we are still deprived of. These matters are listed in the following table.

5.3 MOBILE SALE OPERATION: This overall operation is illustrated under Figure 5. Under the mobile sale operation; teams, agents or subcontractors visiting the customer addresses of such companies are provided with mobile terminals.

The sales, order, return, and address (visit) data of the customer are entered into the pocket system during customer visit. The software operating in the system transmits such data to the data processing network and system of the company via a GSM/GPRS connection. After the validity of such data is checked, it is similarly transmitted to mobile terminals.

According to the date received from the head office, the operations of invoicing, payment, and delivery are performed. If such payment is carried out by credit card, authorization is similarly acquired from bank.

If the customer has new orders, they are taken and checked for availability in stocks and the customer is informed accordingly. The entire operations, which are carried out electronically, are instantly entered into the data processing center of the relevant head office.

Access to current data: In mobile sale applications, current data on a customer is instantly accessed at the customer address either during invoicing, delivery, or payment receipt.

Order: In mobile sale applications, current data on a customer or on the company's stock is instantly accessed at the customer address either during invoicing, delivery, or payment receipt. While receiving new orders, the customer's risk and stocks are taken into account, and new orders are instantly monitored by the company.

- Invoicing period: In mobile sale applications, current data on a customer is instantly accessed at the customer address either during delivery, or payment receipt. Then the invoicing process is carried out. This is especially advantageous for companies trading with credit cards. Shorter the invoicing period, shorter the period of a credited shopping. Thus the risk of the company is reduced.

Payment: In mobile sale applications, current data on a customer is instantly accessed at the customer address either during invoicing or delivery. Therefore payments can instantly be made with credit cards.

Payment security: In mobile sale post applications, payments are made by credit cards and the authorization process is instantly performed. Since these transactions are made by GSM or GPRS, illegal leaking into system is prevented.

- Delivery data: Since data access is instant in mobile sale applications, deliveries are also instantly monitored.

Claims

1. An electronic settlement method realized by establishing communication between a user and a server via a wireless communication line, comprising the steps of :

- establishing communication between a mobile terminal, which is used in an application field and has the capabilities of data storage, data processing, wireless communication, and printing when necessary, and a predetermined organizational server through a wireless communication line via the data post server;

- transmitting the data obtained in the application field to said organizational server by using said mobile terminal via said data post server;

transmitting the organizational server's response, produced according to the data received from said mobile terminal, from the organizational server to the mobile terminal via said data post server;

performing necessary settlement operations on the mobile terminal in the application field in accordance with the data stored in memory thereof and/or the response data received from said organizational server, and

- transmitting the data acquired during the settlement to the organizational server by using said mobile terminal via the data post server.

2. An electronic settlement method according to claim 1 , wherein said wireless communication line is GSM or GPRS line.

3. An electronic settlement method according to claim 1 , comprising the steps of :

equipping each team in charge with the mobile terminals;

loading the respective data concerning the field of application into the each team's mobile terminal;

collecting payment at the field of application and then printing out an invoice and/or statement account on the mobile terminal;

if a the payment is to be made by credit card, entering the data on the credit card of a customer into the mobile terminal and then transmitting it to the relevant bank server for authorization via the data post server, and printing out an invoice and/or account statement on the mobile terminal upon receipt of the authorization; and

- once the settlement process is completed, transmitting the entire data gathered during such delivery operation from the mobile terminal to the organizational server via the data post server,

whereby, the invoice and account statements are obtained in the application field during a delivery operation.

An electronic settlement method according to claim 3, comprising the steps of, if customer passwords are required,

determining whether a password is required or not for the specific address of application field by establishing connection between the mobile terminal and the relevant organizational server via the data post server;

if password is required, controlling the validity of the password entered by a customer by connecting to the authorized organizational server via the data post server; and

performing the 3^rd and subsequent steps of claim 2 upon authorization of the password.

5. An electronic settlement method according to claim 1 , comprising the steps of :

entering the data concerning sales, order, return and visit of a customer into the mobile terminal at the application field of sale;

transmitting said entered data to the organizational server via the data post server;

processing the transmitted data on the organizational server and sending the response data of the organizational server back to the mobile terminal;

performing invoicing, collection, and delivery operations on the mobile terminal according to the said response data transmitted from the organizational server to the mobile terminal;

if payment is to be made by credit card, entering the data on the credit card into the mobile terminal and then transmitting it to the relevant bank server for authorization via the data post server, and printing out an invoice and/or account statement on the mobile terminal upon receipt of the authorization; and

transmitting the entire data gathered during sale from the mobile terminal to the organizational server via data post server,

whereby the necessary payment and invoicing operations concerning a sale which is taking place or which has already been made are performed at the application field.

6. An electronic settlement method according to claim 5, further comprising the step of, if new orders are obtained, checking for availability in stock data on the organizational server.

7. An electronic settlement method according to claim 5, wherein said response data of the organizational server comprises the evaluation information of the data sent by the mobile terminals, current account data of customers and stock data if extra orders are received.

8. A electronic settlement method according to claim 1 , comprising the steps of,

- equipping relevant teams in charge for traffic control/fining said mobile terminals;

entering data of the venue, relevant Article under the Law for such offence, driver's license number and license tag into the mobile terminal at the application field;

- automatically uploading the entered data to the relevant server at the police headquarter via the data post server;

processing the data on the server of the headquarter by comparing it with the data stored in the headquarter server and sending a response data to the mobile terminal accordingly;

- collecting the fine according to said response data and the data already included in the mobile terminal and printing out the fine receipt on the mobile terminal;

if the payment is to be made by credit card, transmitting the data on the credit card to the relevant bank server for authorization via the data post server, and upon receipt of the authorization, printing out the fine receipt on the mobile terminal;

transmitting the entire data gathered during this application including the driver's signature to the server of the relevant police headquarter via the data post server.

whereby fining is preformed and relevant penalty fee is collected at the venue.

9. An electronic settlement method according to any of the preceding claims, further comprising the step of broadcasting all data obtained at the application field via a server for allowing all authorized individual to access said data instantly.

10. An electronic settlement method according to claim 9, wherein said server is an Internet server.

11. An electronic settlement method according to claim 9, wherein said server is the server of the relevant organization.

12. An electronic settlement system realized by establishing communication between a user and a server via a wireless communication line, comprising:

a mobile terminal for gathering data taking place at the application field, for transmitting the received data via a wireless communication line, for receiving the data from the wireless communication line and for printing the necessary documents according to the received data;

- an organizational server for receiving data from the mobile terminals and/or for transmitting the received data back to the mobile terminals after processing it;

if the payment is to be made by a credit card, a bank server for receiving the credit card data sent by the mobile terminal for authorization and for reporting the authorization result to the mobile terminal; and

a data post server for establishing wireless communication between the mobile terminal and the organizational server or the mobile terminal and the bank server

13. An electronic settlement system according to claim 12, characterized in that said wireless communication line is a GSM or GPRS line.

14. An electronic settlement system according to claim 12, characterized in that it further comprises a server to enable any authorized party to instantly access to data gathered at the application fields.

15. An electronic settlement system according to claim 14, characterized in that said server is an Internet server or a server of the relevant organization.

16. An electronic settlement system according to claim 12, characterized in that the mobile terminal comprises a pocket computer, a PCMCIA card, a GSM or GPRS SIM card to communicate via a GSM or GPRS line and a mobile printer.