Telephone service method and telephone service apparatus

• US 20030063721A1
• Filed: 03/26/2002
• Published: 04/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Hirose, Yuichi
• Granted Patent: US 6,937,708 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/93.12
• 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 15/8083 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/14 Billing aspects relating to the actual charge
• 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 3/42017 Customized ring-back tones
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4211 where the identifier is used to access a profile
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4878 Advertisement messages

Abstract

A telephone service method and apparatus for providing a business advertisement to a caller of a telephone, comprising receiving a request for line connection from a phone of a caller, determining an identifier of the phone of a called party for which line connection is requested, judging whether the identifier of the called party is registered in a management table linking called party identifiers and business advertisements, and, when judging that the identifier of the called party is registered, sending a business advertisement linked with that identifier from business advertisements stored in a content database to the phone of the caller.

Claims

1. A telephone service method for providing a business advertisement to a caller of a telephone comprising:

receiving a request for line connection from a phone of a caller,

determining an identifier of the phone of a called party for which line connection is requested,

judging whether the identifier of the called party is registered in a management table linking called party identifiers and business advertisements, and,

when judging that the identifier of the called party is registered, sending a business advertisement linked with that identifier from business advertisements stored in a content database to the phone of the caller.

2. A telephone service method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising sending said business advertisement in place of an audible ringing signal indicating to the calling phone that the called phone is being called.

3. A telephone service method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising sending said business advertisement in place of an announcement message informing the caller that the called phone cannot be connected to and prompting the caller to record a message.

4. A telephone service method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising

providing a plurality of content for said business advertisement,

setting a switching code showing a timing for switching between said content,

judging whether content should be switched based on said switching code at the time of said request for line connection, and

switching to other content different from that currently set when judging that switching is necessary.

5. A telephone service apparatus for providing a business advertisement to a caller of a telephone, comprising:

means for receiving a request for line connection from a phone of a caller,

means for determining an identifier of the phone of a called party for which line connection is requested,

means for judging whether the identifier of the called party is registered in a management table linking called party identifiers and business advertisements, and,

means, when judging that the identifier of the called party is registered, for sending a business advertisement linked with that identifier from business advertisements stored in a content database to the phone of the caller.

6. A telephone service apparatus as set forth in claim 5, said apparatus sending said business advertisement in place of an audible ringing signal indicating to the calling phone that the called phone is being called.

7. A telephone service apparatus as set forth in claim 5, said apparatus sending said business advertisement in place of an announcement message informing the caller that the called phone cannot be connected to and prompting the caller to record a message.

8. A telephone service apparatus as set forth in claim 5, said apparatus

providing a plurality of content for said business advertisement,

setting a switching code showing a timing for switching between said content,

judging whether content should be switched based on said switching code at the time of said request for line connection, and

switching to other content different from that currently set when judging that switching is necessary.