1. A method for detecting fraud in a transaction between a consumer and a merchant over the Internet, wherein the transaction involves the consumer purchasing a product from the merchant using a credit card, the method comprising the steps of:
receiving, from the merchant, transaction information that identifies the consumer and the product, including an Internet address of the consumer;
receiving, from the merchant, credit card information associated with the consumer that identifies the credit card to be used in the transaction;
verifying the credit card information based upon a consistency check that determines whether the credit card information matches the consumer;
verifying the credit card information based upon a history check that determines whether the credit card information is consistent with the transaction information;
verifying the credit card information based upon an automatic verification system;
verifying the credit card information based upon an Internet identification system that determines whether a physical address specified in the transaction information is consistent with other physical addresses that have been specified in a database of records of other transaction information for other transactions that are associated with the Internet address of the consumer;
creating and storing a fraud score value based on the verifying steps that provides the merchant with a quantifiable indication of whether the credit card transaction is fraudulent.
2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of verifying the credit card information based upon an Internet identification system comprises the step of:
receiving, from the merchant, transaction information that identifies the consumer and the product, including an Internet address of the consumer and a shipping address for the product;
retrieving, from the database of the Internet identification system, a plurality of records of other transaction information that are associated with the Internet address of the consumer;
determining whether a physical address contained in each of the plurality of records matches the shipping address in the transaction information;
verifying the credit card information when the physical address matches the shipping address in the transaction information.
3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of verifying the credit card information based upon an Internet identification system comprises the step of:
verifying the credit card information based upon an Internet identification system that determines whether a physical address specified in the transaction information is consistent with other physical addresses that have been specified in other transaction information for other transactions associated with an Internet email address of the consumer.
4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of verifying the credit card information based upon an Internet identification system comprises the step of:
retrieving a plurality of records of other transactions from an Internet identification system that associates the credit card number with other physical addresses that have been specified in other transaction information for other transactions associated with an Internet address of the consumer;
creating and storing a map of the other transactions;
verifying the credit card information based upon the map of other transactions, by determining whether a physical address specified in the transaction information is consistent with the other physical addresses in the other transaction information.
5. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the step of:
weighting each of the verifying steps according to an importance as determined by the merchant of each verifying step to the credit card transaction.
6. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of verifying the credit card information based upon a history check comprises the step of:
receiving, from other merchants, records of other transactions involving the other merchants and the consumer;
storing the records of other transactions in a transaction history database that can be accessed and supplemented by other merchants with information about other credit card transactions with the consumer and such other merchants;
verifying the credit card information based upon the transaction history database by determining whether the credit card information is consistent with the records of other transactions in the transaction history database.
7. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of verifying the credit card information based upon an Internet identification system comprises the step of:
receiving, from other merchants, records of other transactions involving the other merchants and the consumer;
storing the records of other transactions in an Internet identification database that can be accessed and supplemented by other merchants with information about other credit card transactions with the consumer and such other merchants;
verifying the credit card information based upon the Internet identification database by determining whether a physical address specified in the transaction information is consistent with other physical addresses that have been specified in records of the Internet identification database for other transactions associated with an Internet address of the consumer.
8. A method for detecting fraud in a credit card transaction between a consumer and a merchant over the Internet comprising the steps of:
receiving, from the consumer, credit card information relating to the transaction;
creating and storing a consistency check mechanism, a transaction history check mechanism, an automatic verification mechanism and an Internet identification mechanism, each of which may indicate whether the credit card transaction is fraudulent based on transaction information, in combination with information that identifies the consumer, in which the transaction information provides the merchant with a quantifiable indication of whether the credit card transaction is fraudulent;
receiving from the merchant and storing a weight value associated with each of the mechanisms and storing the weight value in association with information that identifies the mechanisms, wherein each of the weight values signifies an importance to the merchant of the value to the credit card transaction of the associated mechanism;
weighting each value of the plurality of parameters according to the weight values;
verifying the credit card information based upon an Internet identification system that determines whether a physical address specified in the transaction information is consistent with other physical addresses that have been specified in a database of records of other transaction information for other transactions that are associated with the Internet address of the consumer;
creating and storing a fraud score value based on the verifying steps that provides the merchant with a quantifiable indication of whether the credit card transaction is fraudulent.
9. A method as recited in claim 8 wherein the steps of creating and storing further include:
creating and storing a transaction history check mechanism that includes a transaction history database which can be accessed and supplemented by other merchants with information about transactions of the consumer with such other merchants.
10. A method as recited in claim 8 wherein the steps of creating and storing further include:
creating and storing an Internet identification verification system (IIS) mechanism that includes an Internet address database that can be accessed and supplemented with new Internet addresses as Internet address expansion occurs.
11. A method as recited in claim 8 wherein the steps of creating and storing further include:
obtaining other transactions utilizing an Internet address that is identified with the credit card transaction;
constructing a map of credit card transactions based upon the other transactions;
utilizing the map of credit card transactions to determine if the credit card transaction is valid.
12. An integrated verification system for determining whether a transaction between a merchant and consumer over the Internet is fraudulent, wherein the transaction involves the consumer purchasing a product from the merchant using a credit card, the system comprising:
means for receiving, from the merchant, transaction information that identifies the consumer and the product;
means for receiving, from the merchant, credit card information associated with the consumer that identifies the credit card to be used in the transaction;
means for verifying the credit card information based upon a consistency check that determines whether the credit card information matches the consumer;
means for verifying the credit card information based upon a transaction history check that determines whether the credit card information is consistent with the transaction information;
means for verifying the credit card information based upon an automatic verification system;
verifying the credit card information based upon an Internet identification system that determines whether a physical address specified in the transaction information is consistent with other physical addresses that have been specified in a database of records of other transaction information for other transactions that are associated with the Internet address of the consumer;
means for creating and storing a fraud score value based on the verifying steps that provides the merchant with a quantifiable indication of whether the credit card transaction is fraudulent.
13. A computer readable medium containing program instructions for detecting fraud in a credit card transaction between a consumer and a merchant over the Internet, wherein the transaction involves the consumer purchasing a product from the merchant using a credit card, wherein execution of the program instructions by one or more processors of a computer system causes the one or more processors to carry out the steps of:
receiving, from the merchant, transaction information that identifies the consumer and the product;
receiving, from the merchant, credit card information associated with the consumer that identifies the credit card to be used in the transaction;
verifying the credit card information based upon a consistency check that determines whether the credit card information matches the consumer;
verifying the credit card information based upon a transaction history check that determines whether the credit card information is consistent with the transaction information;
verifying the credit card information based upon an automatic verification system;
verifying the credit card information based upon an Internet identification system that determines whether a physical address specified in the transaction information is consistent with other physical addresses that have been specified in a database of records of other transaction information for other transactions that are associated with the Internet address of the consumer;
creating and storing a fraud score value based on the verifying steps that provides the merchant with a quantifiable indication of whether the credit card transaction is fraudulent.
14. A method for detecting fraud in a transaction between a consumer and a merchant over the Internet, wherein the transaction involves the consumer purchasing a product from the merchant using a credit card, the method comprising the steps of:
receiving, from the merchant, transaction information that identifies the consumer and the product;
receiving, from the merchant, credit card information associated with the consumer that identifies the credit card to be used in the transaction;
verifying the credit card information based upon a consistency check that determines whether the credit card information matches the consumer, a transaction history check that determines whether the credit card information is consistent with the transaction information, and an automatic verification system;
verifying the credit card information based upon an Internet identification system that determines whether a physical address specified in the transaction information is consistent with other physical addresses that have been specified in a database of records of other transaction information for other transactions that are associated with the Internet address of the consumer;
creating and storing a fraud score value based on the verifying steps that provides the merchant with a quantifiable indication of whether the credit card transaction is fraudulent.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A bicycle drive unit, comprising:
a case frame having a forward portion and a rearward portion, the forward portion being arranged and configured for mounting to a bicycle frame and the rearward portion arranged and configured for supporting a rear wheel of a bicycle, the case frame including first and second case components defining an internal space therebetween, the case frame extending in lengthwise in a first direction, and having a width that extends in a second direction that is generally perpendicular to the first direction;
a crank shaft having first and second rotation supporting portions and first and second crank carrier portions, the first and second rotation supporting portions being spaced apart from one another, the first and second crank carrier portions being located on outward sides of the first and second rotation supporting portions respectively, the crank shaft extending generally in the second direction and supported by the first and second case components in a freely rotatable manner, the first and second rotation supporting portions of the crank shaft being supported within the forward portion of the case frame, the first and second crank carrier portions extending outward from opposite sides of the case frame generally in the second direction;
a front sprocket non-rotatably mounted on the crank shaft within the case frame between the first and second rotation supporting portions;
a rear hub shaft having third and fourth rotation supporting portions and a wheel support portion, the third and fourth rotation supporting portions being spaced apart from one another and installed within the rearward portion case frame extending generally in the second direction, the third and fourth rotation supporting portions being supported by the first and second case components in a freely rotatable manner, the wheel support portion extending outwardly from one of the third and fourth supporting portions and further extending outward from the first case component, the wheel support portion arranged and configured to support the rear wheel;
a rear sprocket mounted on the rear hub shaft in a freely rotatable manner and having one sprocket gear ring;
a one-way clutch that is arranged and configured to transmit rotational power from the rear sprocket to the rear hub shaft in one rotational direction only; and
a chain installed on the front and rear sprockets for transmitting rotational power therebetween.
2. The bicycle drive unit as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:
an undulation supporting bracket installed proximate the forward portion of the case frame, the undulation supporting bracket being arranged and configured for coupling the bicycle drive unit to a bicycle frame.
3. The bicycle drive unit as set forth in claim 2, further comprising:
a suspension unit having a bicycle frame mounting end and a bracket mounting end, the bracket mounting end being mounted to a distal end of the undulation supporting bracket, the bicycle frame mounting end being arranged and configured for mounting to the bicycle frame to dampen undulating movement between the bicycle drive unit and the bicycle frame.
4. The bicycle drive unit as set forth in claim 3, wherein
the rear sprocket is mounted to the rear hub shaft between the third rotation supporting portion and the fourth rotation supporting portion.
5. The bicycle drive unit as set forth in claim 3, wherein
the rear sprocket comprises a plurality of axially spaced gears, and a chain guide derailleur, each of the axially spaced gears having a differing number of gear teeth and the chain guide derailleur being installed within an interior of the case frame.
6. The bicycle drive unit as set forth in claim 5, further comprising:
a chain tension assembly installed within the interior of the aforementioned case frame for retaining the chain on the rear sprocket and the front sprocket.
7. The bicycle drive unit as set forth in claim 1, wherein
the rear sprocket is mounted to the rear hub shaft between the third rotation supporting portion and the fourth rotation supporting portion.
8. The bicycle drive unit as set forth in claim 1, wherein
the rear sprocket comprises a plurality of axially spaced gears, and a chain guide derailleur, each of the axially spaced gears having a differing number of gear teeth and the chain guide derailleur being installed within an interior of the case frame.
9. The bicycle drive unit as set forth in claim 8, further comprising:
a chain tension assembly installed within the interior of the aforementioned case frame for retaining the chain on the rear sprocket and the front sprocket.
10. The bicycle drive unit as set forth in claim 9, wherein
the rear hub shaft is further formed with a rotor support portion that is arranged and configured to non-rotatably support a disk rotor at a position between the third rotational supporting portion and the rear wheel support portion.
11. The bicycle drive unit as set forth in claim 10, wherein
the case frame formed with a caliper support portion on an outer surface of the rearward portion, the caliper support portion being arranged and configured to support a brake disk caliper that selectively engages the disk rotor.
12. The bicycle drive unit as set forth in claim 1, wherein
the rear hub shaft is further formed with a rotor support portion that is arranged and configured to non-rotatably support a disk rotor at a position between the third rotational supporting portion and the rear wheel support portion.
13. The bicycle drive unit as set forth in claim 12, wherein
the case frame formed with a caliper support portion on an outer surface of the rearward portion, the caliper support portion being arranged and configured to support a brake disk caliper that selectively engages the disk rotor.
14. The bicycle drive unit as set forth in claim 3, further comprising:
a generator installed on the rear hub shaft within the case frame for generating electricity from rotation of the rear hub shaft.
15. The bicycle drive unit as set forth in claim 3, further comprising:
a drive mechanism installed on the crank shaft within the case frame selectively providing rotational power to the crank shaft.
16. The bicycle drive unit as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:
a generator installed on the rear hub shaft within the case frame for generating electricity from rotation of the rear hub shaft.
17. The bicycle drive unit as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:
a drive mechanism installed on the crank shaft within the case frame selectively providing rotational power to the crank shaft.