Payment system and method

Abstract

Disclosed is a payment system and method. In one example, a method involves: (i) a mobile device capturing a code disposed on a medium, wherein the code encodes an identifier; (ii) the mobile device decoding the captured code to recover the identifier; (iii) the mobile device transmitting to a server via a communication network ( 116 ) the recovered identifier; (iv) the mobile device receiving from the server via the communication network ( 116 ) a fee associated with the transmitted identifier, wherein the fee is a function of at least a time period between a first time and a second time that is after the first time; and (v) the mobile device transmitting authorization to pay the received fee.

1 . A method comprising:
 a mobile device capturing a code disposed on a medium, wherein the code encodes an identifier;   the mobile device decoding the captured code to recover the identifier;   the mobile device transmitting to a server via a communication network the recovered identifier;   the mobile device receiving from the server via the communication network a fee associated with the transmitted identifier, wherein the fee is a function of at least a time period between a first time and a second time that is after the first time; and   the mobile device transmitting authorization to pay the received fee.   
     
     
         2 - 4 . (canceled) 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the code comprises a Quick Response code. 
     
     
         6 - 12 . (canceled) 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the code further encodes the first time, the method further comprising:
 the mobile device decoding the code to recover the first time; and   the mobile device transmitting to the server via the communication network the first time.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first time is proximate a time when the medium was dispensed from a dispenser terminal. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second time is proximate a time of the mobile device transmitting to the server via the communication network the recovered identifier. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 the mobile device displaying the received fee.   
     
     
         17 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 providing the code displayed on the medium to an exit terminal.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 the mobile device displaying the captured code; and   providing the code displayed on the medium to a capturing device.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 the mobile device determining that the captured code has a particular property; and   responsive to the mobile device determining that the captured code has the particular property, the mobile device launching an application to facilitate payment of the received fee.   
     
     
         24 - 25 . (canceled) 
     
     
         26 . A method comprising:
 a server receiving from a mobile device via a communication network the identifier;   responsive to the server receiving the identifier, the server determining a fee associated with the identifier, wherein the fee is a function of at least a time period between a first time and a second time;   the server transmitting to the mobile device via the communication network the determined fee;   the server receiving from the mobile device via the communication network authorization to pay the determined fee;   the server determining that the determined fee has been paid; and   responsive to the server determining that the determined fee has been paid, the server transmitting an indication that the determined fee has been paid.   
     
     
         27 - 43 . (canceled) 
     
     
         44 . A method comprising:
 a mobile device capturing a code disposed on a medium, wherein the code encodes an identifier;   the mobile device decoding the captured code to recover the identifier;   the mobile device transmitting to a server via a communication network the recovered identifier;   the mobile device receiving from the server via the communication network a fee associated with the transmitted identifier, wherein the fee is a function of at least a distance between a first location and a second location that is different from the first location; and   the mobile device transmitting authorization to pay the received fee.   
     
     
         45 - 47 . (canceled) 
     
     
         48 . The method of claim  11 , wherein the code comprises a Quick Response code. 
     
     
         49 - 55 . (canceled) 
     
     
         56 . The method of claim  11 , wherein the code further encodes the first location, the method further comprising:
 the mobile device decoding the code to recover the first location; and   the mobile device transmitting to the server via the communication network the first location.   
     
     
         57 . The method of claim  11 , wherein the first location is proximate a location of a dispenser terminal. 
     
     
         58 . The method of claim  11 , wherein the second location is proximate a location of the mobile device when transmitting to the server via the communication network the recovered identifier. 
     
     
         59 . The method of claim  11 , further comprising:
 the mobile device displaying the received fee.   
     
     
         60 - 63 . (canceled) 
     
     
         64 . The method of claim  11 , further comprising:
 providing the code displayed on the medium to an exit terminal.   
     
     
         65 . The method of claim  11 , further comprising:
 the mobile device displaying the captured code; and   providing the code displayed on the medium to a capturing device.   
     
     
         66 . The method of claim  11 , further comprising:
 the mobile device determining that the captured code has a particular property; and   responsive to the mobile device determining that the captured code has the particular property, the mobile device launching an application to facilitate payment of the received fee.   
     
     
         67 - 68 . (canceled) 
     
     
         69 . A method comprising:
 a server receiving from a mobile device via a communication network the identifier;   responsive to the server receiving the identifier, the server determining a fee associated with the identifier, wherein the fee is a function of at least a distance between a first location and a second location that is a different from the first location;   the server transmitting to the mobile device via the communication network the determined fee;   the server receiving from the mobile device via the communication network authorization to pay the determined fee;   the server determining that the determined fee has been paid; and   responsive to the server determining that the determined fee has been paid, the server transmitting an indication that the determined fee has been paid.   
     
     
         70 - 87 . (canceled)