Method for charging on-line directory assistance services

• US 20020029178A1
• Filed: 04/17/2001
• Published: 03/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/17/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Business Global LLC (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Gunasekar, Duraisamy, Moore, Richard G., Wiederin, Shawn E., Hogue, Kolin G., Mumford, Gregory, Abel, Jon, Clabaugh, Lonnie S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,640,166 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• 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 15/43 Billing software details
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/51 for resellers, retailers or service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/56 for VoIP communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/68 Payment of value-added services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/745 Customizing according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. friends or family
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/83 Notification aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0108 Customization according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. customer preferences, friends and family, selecting services or billing options, Personal Communication Systems [PCS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0168 On line or real-time flexible customization or negotiation according to wishes of subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0176 Billing arrangements using internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0196 Payment of value-added services, mainly when their charges are added on the telephone bill, e.g. payment of non-telecom services, e-commerce, on-line banking
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/202 VoIP; Packet switched telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/22 Bandwidth or usage-sensitve billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/54 Resellers-retail or service providers billing, e.g. agreements with telephone service operator, activation, charging/recharging of accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/82 Advice-of-Charge [AOC], i.e. notify subscriber of charges/cumulative charge; meter at the substation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4931 Directory assistance systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0036 where the data service is an information service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0042 where the data service is a text-based messaging service H04M7/0054 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1235 where one of the core networks is a wireless network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/128 : Details of addressing, directories or routing tables

Abstract

An approach for providing an on-line directory assistance service system for charging for directory assistance services that are provided over a packet switched network is disclosed. The system includes a server that tracks the number of directory listings that are transmitted to and displayed on a client access device (e.g., non-PC devices) and to prepare billing information based upon the number of directory listings. The system also includes a database that is coupled to the server and that stores the directory listings.

Claims

1. A method of charging for directory assistance services that are provided over a packet switched network, the method comprising:

tracking number of directory listings that are transmitted to and displayed on a client access device; and

preparing billing information based upon the number of directory listings.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request for the billing information from the client access device; and

transmitting the billing information to the client access device.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting the billing information according to a predetermined delivery mechanism, wherein the delivery mechanism includes at least one of e-mail, facsimile, and paging.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the client access device in the tracking step includes at least one of a personal computer (PC), a PDA (personal digital assistant), a web-appliance, an e-mail client, a web-enabled cell phone, and non-PC device.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the directory listings in the tracking step include a name, an address, and a directory number, the enhanced content data including at least one of a mobile number, a pager number, a facsimile number, a voice-mail, an e-mail address, and a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) identifier.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the packet switched network is an Internet Protocol (IP) network, and the client access device employs the IP protocol.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the preparing step comprises:

determining a billing arrangement of a customer; and

computing an invoice amount based upon the billing arrangement, wherein the billing arrangement includes at least one of a transactional based fee arrangement, per seat arrangement, flat rate fee arrangement, and volume based fee arrangement.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the directory listings in the tracking step are based upon data that is supplied from a Regional Bell Operating Company (RBOC).

9. A server apparatus for charging for directory assistance services that are provided over a packet switched network, the server apparatus comprising:

a processor configured to track number of directory listings that are transmitted to and displayed on a client access device and to prepare billing information based upon the number of directory listings; and

a memory coupled to the processor configured to store the number of directory listings.

10. The server apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising:

a communication interface configured to receive a request for the billing information from the client access device, and to transmit the billing information to the client access device over the packet switched network.

11. The server apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising:

a communication interface configured to transmit the billing information according to a predetermined delivery mechanism, wherein the delivery mechanism includes at least one of e-mail, facsimile, and paging.

12. The server apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the client access device includes at least one of a personal computer (PC), a PDA (personal digital assistant), a web-appliance, an e-mail client, a web-enabled cell phone, and non-PC device.

13. The server apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the directory listings include a name, an address, and a directory number, the enhanced content data including at least one of a mobile number, a pager number, a facsimile number, a voice-mail, an e-mail address, and a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) identifier.

14. The server apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the packet switched network is an internet Protocol (IP) network, and the client access device employs the IP protocol.

15. The server apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the processor is configured to determine a billing arrangement of a customer, and to compute an invoice amount based upon the billing arrangement, wherein the billing arrangement includes at least one of a transactional based fee arrangement, per seat arrangement, flat rate fee arrangement, and volume based fee arrangement.

16. The server apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the directory listings are based upon data that is supplied from a Regional Bell Operating Company (RBOC).

18. The server apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising:

means for receiving a request for the billing information from the client access device; and

means for transmitting the billing information to the client access device.

19. The server apparatus according to claim 17, further comprising:

means for transmitting the billing information according to a pre-determined delivery mechanism, wherein the delivery mechanism includes at least one of e-mail, facsimile, and paging.

20. The server apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the client access device includes at least one of a personal computer (PC), a PDA (personal digital assistant), a web-appliance, an e-mail client, a -veb-enabled cell phone, and non-PC device.

21. The server apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the directory listings include a name, an address, and a directory number, the enhanced content data including at least one of a mobile number, a pager number, a facsimile number, a voice-mail, an e-mail address, and a Uniform Resources Locator (URL) identifier.

22. The server apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the packet switched network is an Internet Protocol (IP) network, and the client access device employs the IP protocol.

23. The server apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the preparing means comprises:

means for determining a billing arrangement of a customer; and

means for computing an invoice amount based upon the billing arrangement, wherein the billing arrangement includes at least one of a transactional based fee arrangement, per seat arrangement, flat rate fee arrangement, and volume based fee arrangement.

24. The server apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the directory listings are based upon data that is supplied from a Regional Bell Operating Company (RBOC).

26. The system according to claim 25, wherein the server is configured to receive a request for the billing information from the client access device, and to transmit the billing information so the client access device over the packet switched network.

27. The system according to claim 25, wherein the server is configured to transmit the billing information according to a pre-determined delivery mechanism, wherein the delivery mechanism includes at least one of e-mail, facsimile, and paging.

28. The system according to claim 25, wherein the client access device includes at least one of a personal computer (PC), a PDA (personal digital assistant), a web-appliance, an e-mail client, a web-enabled cell phone, and non-PC device.

29. The system according to claim 25, wherein the directory listings include a name, an address, and a directory number, the enhanced content data including at least one of a mobile number, a pager number, a facsimile number, a voice-mail, an e-mail address, and a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) identifier.

30. The system according to claim 25, wherein the packet switched network is an Internet Protocol (IP) network, and the client access device employs the IP protocol.

31. The system according to claim 25, wherein the server is configured to determine a billing arrangement of a customer, and to compute an invoice amount based upon the billing arrangement, wherein the billing arrangement includes at least one of a transactional based fee arrangement, per seat arrangement, flat rate fee arrangement, and volume based fee arrangement.

32. The system according to claim 25, wherein the directory listings are based upon data that is supplied from a Regional Bell Operating Company (RBOC).

17. A server apparatus for charging for directory assistance services that are provided over a packet switched network, the server apparatus comprising:

means for tracking number of directory listings that are transmitted to and displayed on a client access device; and

means for preparing billing information based upon the number of directory listings.

25. An on-line directory assistance service system for charging for directory assistance services that are provided over a packet switched network, the system comprising:

a server configured to track number of directory listings that are transmitted to and displayed on a client access device and to prepare billing information based upon the number of directory listings; and

a database coupled to the server and configured to store the directory listings.

33. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions for charging for directory assistance services that are provided over a packet switched network, the one or more sequences of one or more instructions including instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of.

tracking number of directory listings that are transmitted to and displayed on a client access device;

and

preparing billing information based upon the number of directory listings.

34. The computer-readable medium according to claim 33, wherein the one or more processors further perform the steps of:

receiving a request for the billing information from the client access device; and

transmitting the billing information to the client access device.

35. The computer-readable medium according to claim 33, wherein the one or more processors further perform the steps of:

transmitting the billing information according to a pre-determined delivery mechanism, wherein the delivery mechanism includes at least one of e-mail, facsimile, and paging.

36. The computer-readable medium according to claim 33, wherein the client access device in the tracking step includes at least one of a personal computer (PC), a PDA (personal digital assistant), a web-appliance, an e-mail client, a web-enabled cell phone, and non-PC device.

37. The computer-readable medium according to claim 33, wherein the directory listings in the tracking step include a name, an address, and a directory number, the enhanced content data including at least one of a mobile number, a pager number, a facsimile number, a voice-mail, an e-mail address, and a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) identifier.

38. The computer-readable medium according to claim 33, wherein the packet switched network is an Internet Protocol (IP) network, and the client access device employs the IP protocol.

39. The computer-readable medium according to claim 33, wherein the preparing step comprises:

determining a billing arrangement of a customer; and

computing an invoice amount based upon the billing arrangement, wherein the billing arrangement includes at least one of a transactional based fee arrangement, per seat arrangement, flat rate fee arrangement, and volume based fee arrangement.

40. The computer-readable medium according to claim 33, wherein the directory listings are based upon data that is supplied from a Regional Bell Operating Company (RBOC).