Phone based rewards programs method and apparatus prepared by tellme networks, Inc

• US 20020126813A1
• Filed: 01/05/2001
• Published: 09/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Tellme Networks Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Tellme Networks Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Bottoms, David T., Pal, Gregory N., Shores, Patricia, Koh, Eugene, McCue, Michael S., Davis, Angus Macdonald, Partovi, Hadi
• Application Number:
  US09/755,872
• Publication Number:
  US 20020126813A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/114.12
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• 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 15/8083 involving reduced rates or discounts, e.g. time-of-day reductions or volume discounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0184 involving reduced rates or discounts, e.g. time-of-day reductions, volume discounts, cell discounts, group billing, frequent calling destination(s) or user history list
• 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

Abstract

A phone based loyalty rewards approach is described. The approach focuses on rewarding certain behaviors by maintaining a rewards balance usable for services such as free telephone calls. Users can be awarded some initial value of rewards balance at registration and then can earn additional rewards through their activities. Calls can be placed using voice dialing against a user supplied address book in one embodiment. Additionally, the rewards can be directly integrated with an advanced dial tone service offering and minutes spent on phone calls beyond the then available rewards balance charged to the user. The rewards are designed to encourage behaviors such as full and accurate registrations, regular usage, trying new features, etc.

Claims

1. A method for providing loyalty rewards for a phone based application system over a telephone interface using a computer system, the method comprising:

receiving a request over the telephone interface, the request corresponding to a request to register as a user with the phone based application system;

creating a user profile in response to the request, the user profile including a rewards balance set to a non-zero amount; and

permitting the user to place telephone calls over the telephone interface by consuming the rewards balance until value of the rewards balance reaches zero, the placed telephone calls at no additional cost to the user beyond any costs for accessing the phone based application system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the permitting comprises supporting voice dialing by name of call recipients from an address book associated with the user profile.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the phone based application system comprises an advanced dial tone service.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the permitting comprises distinguishing between requests to place phone calls and requests for information content.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the permitting further comprises allowing phone calls to proceed after value of the rewards balance reaches zero.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the method further comprises billing the user for placed phone calls that exceed value of the rewards balance after value reaches zero.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-zero amount determined proportionately to the quantity of information provided by the user and the non-zero amount higher for more information.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the permitting comprises decrementing a predetermined amount of value from the rewards balance per unit of time during which the user is placing a telephone call.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises permitting the user to increase value of the rewards balance by using the phone application system in one or more predetermined fashions.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the one or more predetermined fashions comprises providing additional registration information for the user profile over a web based interface.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the one or more predetermined fashions comprises referring a new user to the phone application system.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the one or more predetermined fashions comprises using the phone application system with one or more of a predetermined frequency and a predetermined amount per unit time.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the one or more predetermined fashions comprises trying a recently added feature of the phone application system.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the one or more predetermined fashions comprises a phone based treasure hunt.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the one or more predetermined fashions comprises performing a commerce transaction with one or more of operator of the phone application system and a different legal entity providing an application service on the phone application system.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the means for permitting further comprises means for supporting voice dialing by name of call recipients from an address book associated with the user profile.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the phone based application system comprises an advanced dial tone service comprising means for detecting a phone off hook condition in the telephone interface and providing voice activated dial tone services from one or more processing means remote to a telephone coupled to the telephone interface.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the phone based application system comprises means for synchronizing an address book with a handheld computer system.

16. An apparatus for providing loyalty rewards for a phone based application system over a telephone interface using a computer system, the apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a request over the telephone interface, the request corresponding to a request to register as a user with the phone based application system;

means for creating a user profile in response to the request, the user profile including a rewards balance set to a non-zero amount; and

means for permitting the user to place telephone calls over the telephone interface by consuming the rewards balance until value of the rewards balance reaches zero, the placed telephone calls at no additional cost to the user beyond any costs for accessing the phone based application system.