Credit based telephony service facilitation

• US 20020024948A1
• Filed: 09/28/2001
• Published: 02/28/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: ITXC IP Holdings SARL (Tata Sons Pvt Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: ITXC IP Holdings SARL (Tata Sons Pvt Ltd.)
• Inventors: Pendse, Ajit B.
• Application Number:
  US09/967,507
• Publication Number:
  US 20020024948A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/146 using digital cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0192 Sponsored, subsidised calls via advertising, e.g. calling cards with ads or connecting to special ads, free calling time by purchasing goods
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2026 Wireless network, e.g. GSM, PCS, TACS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2218 Call detail recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/36 Statistical metering, e.g. recording occasions when traffic exceeds capacity of trunks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4878 Advertisement messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

Advertisement consumption activities of a user are monitored. The user is credited with telephony service credits in accordance with observed advertisement consumption activities. In turn, telephony service for the user is facilitated. The facilitation is based at least in part on the amount of telephony service credits credited to the user.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

monitoring advertisement consumption activities of a user;

crediting said user with telephony service credits in accordance with observed advertisement consumption activities; and

facilitating telephony service for said user based at least in part on said telephony service credits credited to said user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said monitoring comprises monitoring for number of banner advertisements displayed.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said monitoring further comprises monitoring for number of banner advertisements clicked.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises reporting observed advertisement consumption activities of said user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said advertisements are on-line advertisements, and at least a selected on of said monitoring and said reporting is performed locally on a client computer on which the on-line advertisements are rendered.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said crediting comprises determining whether observed advertisement consumption activities of the user are advertisements of sponsors, and said crediting is made proportional to the amount of the observed advertisement consumption activities being associated with advertisements of sponsors.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said crediting is performed by a selected one of an advertisement server and a telephony server.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said facilitating comprises informing the user of the amount of telephony service credits available.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said informing comprises causing a meter-like icon depicting the amount of telephony service credits available to be rendered.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said informing includes dynamically updating the user in real time on the amount of telephony service credits available.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said dynamic updating comprises causing a meter-like icon depicting the amount of telephony service credits available to be refreshed.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said facilitation further comprises determining whether the user is a pay subscriber when the user exhausted his telephony service credits.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said monitoring comprises monitoring for number of banner advertisements displayed.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said monitoring further comprises monitoring for number of banner advertisements clicked.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein said monitoring includes monitoring advertiser identities of the advertisements consumed by the user, and said periodic reporting includes reporting said advertiser identities of the advertisements consumed by the user.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said programming instructions are designed to monitor for number of banner advertisements displayed.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said programming instructions are designed to monitor for number of banner advertisements clicked.

20. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said programming instructions are designed to monitor for advertiser identities of the advertisements consumed by the user, as well as reporting observed advertiser identities of the advertisements consumed by the user.

13. A method comprising:

monitoring advertisement consumption activities of a user; and

periodically reporting observed advertisement consumption activities of the user to a telephony service provider to facilitate crediting the user with telephony service credits in accordance with the observed advertisement consumption activities.

17. An apparatus comprising:

a storage medium having stored therein a plurality of programming instructions designed to monitor advertisement consumption activities of a user of the apparatus, when the programming instructions are executed, and to periodically report observed advertisement consumption activities of the user to a telephony service provider to facilitate crediting the user with telephony service credits in accordance with the observed advertisement consumption activities; and

a processor coupled to the storage medium to execute the programming instructions.

21. A method comprising:

receiving report on advertisement consumption activities of a user;

crediting the user with telephony service credits in accordance with the reported advertisement consumption activities; and

facilitating telephony service for said user based at least in part on the telephony service credits credited to said user.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said crediting comprises determining whether the reported advertisement consumption activities of the user are advertisements of sponsors, and said crediting is made proportional to the amount of the reported advertisement consumption activities of the user being advertisements of sponsors.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein said facilitating comprises informing the user of the amount of telephony service credits available.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein said informing comprises causing a meter-like icon depicting the amount of telephony service credits available to be rendered for the user.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein said informing includes dynamically updating the user in real time on the amount of telephony service credits available.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein said dynamic updating comprises causing a meter-like icon depicting the amount of telephony service credits available to be refreshed.

27. The method of claim 21, wherein said facilitation further comprises determining whether the user is a pay subscriber when the user exhausted his telephony service credits.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein said programming instructions are designed to determine whether the reported advertisement consumption activities of the user are advertisements of sponsors, and make said crediting proportional to the amount of the reported advertisement consumption activities of the user being advertisements of sponsors.

30. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein said programming instructions are designed to inform the user of the amount of telephony service credits available.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein said programming instructions are designed to cause a meter-like icon depicting the amount of telephony service credits available to be rendered for the user.

32. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein said programming instructions are designed to dynamically update the user in real time on the amount of telephony service credits available.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein said programming instructions are designed to cause a meter-like icon depicting the amount of telephony service credits available to be refreshed.

34. The apparatus of claim 28, wherein said programming instructions are designed to determine whether the user is a pay subscriber when the user exhausted his telephony service credits.

28. An apparatus comprising:

a storage medium having stored therein a plurality of programming instructions designed to receive report on advertisement consumption activities of a user, when the programming instructions are executed, and to credit the user with telephony service credit in accordance with the reported advertisement consumption activities, as well as to facilitate telephony service for said user based at least in part on the telephony service credit credited to said user; and

at least one processor coupled to the storage medium to execute the programming instructions.