Method and system for multi-provider competitive telecommunications services
First Claim
1. A system for enabling users of telecommunications devices to request a communications session comprising:
- an interface for receiving from the users communications request messages in a specified format;
a communications queue master adapted to assign a respective communications service provider identifier selected from a master rate table to a communications request received from the interface, in accordance with criteria specified in the communications request; and
a communications request queue to which the communications request messages with assigned identifiers are posted for retrieval by a communications service provider identified by the identifier.
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Abstract
A system for enabling competitive bidding for provision of telecommunications services provides an interface for initiating communications sessions, a communications request queue, a management application for managing the communications request queue, and a communications service provider interface for providing the communications service providers with selective access to communications request messages received through the session initiation interface. The communications service providers are permitted to post rates for respective communications services in a rates database. The rates are used to select a least cost communications service provider for each communications request message received. Scheduled communications request messages are displayed for any communications request message that they are qualified to serve.
46 Citations
27 Claims
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1. A system for enabling users of telecommunications devices to request a communications session comprising:
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an interface for receiving from the users communications request messages in a specified format;
a communications queue master adapted to assign a respective communications service provider identifier selected from a master rate table to a communications request received from the interface, in accordance with criteria specified in the communications request; and
a communications request queue to which the communications request messages with assigned identifiers are posted for retrieval by a communications service provider identified by the identifier. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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14. A method for providing a marketplace for competitive bidding on communications services, comprising steps of:
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accepting communications request messages from a plurality of communications device users;
receiving rate tables from the communications service providers, for respective types of services; and
selecting for each communications request, a respective communications service provider having a best current rate for effecting the respective communications request messages; and
posting the communications request messages with an identifier of respective selected communications service providers and associated rates to a communications request queue, where the respective communications service providers can retrieve their communications request messages to effect the respective requested communications services.
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Specification