System and method for issuing customer credits for information assistance services
First Claim
1. A method for issuing credits for services requested in information assistance calls, comprising:
- collecting records indicative of the services for billing customers for the services;
receiving from a customer a request for credit for a service in an information assistance call;
determining whether the request is received before a termination of the information assistance call;
obtaining data concerning at least an identifier identifying the information assistance call when it is determined that the request is received before a termination of the information assistance call;
identifying at least one record from the collected records, which concerns the service and contains the identifier; and
causing the services indicated in the collected records, except the service indicated in the at least one record, to be billed, thereby effecting the credit.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
In a system for providing customers with information assistance services, records are generated to register service events. In prior art, all of the records are transmitted to a billing platform for billing customers for the services. When a customer requests credit for an unsatisfactory service, the credit issuance is traditionally handled at the billing platform. However, in accordance with the invention, the credit issuance is handled by first identifying, from the records, those records of service events for which the credit is requested. All of the records, except the identified records, are then transmitted to the billing platform for completion of the billing process, thereby effecting the credit issuance.
5 Citations
41 Claims
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1. A method for issuing credits for services requested in information assistance calls, comprising:
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collecting records indicative of the services for billing customers for the services;
receiving from a customer a request for credit for a service in an information assistance call;
determining whether the request is received before a termination of the information assistance call;
obtaining data concerning at least an identifier identifying the information assistance call when it is determined that the request is received before a termination of the information assistance call;
identifying at least one record from the collected records, which concerns the service and contains the identifier; and
causing the services indicated in the collected records, except the service indicated in the at least one record, to be billed, thereby effecting the credit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method for issuing credits for services requested in information assistance calls, comprising:
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collecting records indicative of the services for billing customers for the services;
receiving from a customer a request for credit for a service in an information assistance call;
determining whether the request is received before a termination of the information assistance call;
obtaining data concerning at least an identifier associated with a communications device from which the information assistance call originated when it is determined that the request is received after a termination of the information assistance call;
identifying at least one record from the collected records which concerns the service and contains the identifier; and
causing the services in the collected records, except the service in the at least one record to be billed, thereby effecting the credit. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A system for issuing credits for services rendered in information assistance calls, comprising:
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a database for providing records indicative of the services for billing customers for the services;
an interface for receiving from a customer a request for credit for a service in an information assistance call;
a processor for determining whether the request is received before a termination of the information assistance call, data is obtained concerning at least an identifier identifying the information assistance call when it is determined that the request is received before a termination of the information assistance call; and
a mechanism for identifying at least one record from said database which concerns the service and contains the identifier, and causing the services indicated in the collected records, except the service indicated in the at least one record, to be billed, thereby effecting the credit. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A system for issuing credits for services requested in information assistance calls, comprising:
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a first database for providing records indicative of the services for billing customers for the services;
an interface for receiving from a customer a request for credit for a service in an information assistance call;
a processor for determining whether the request is received before a termination of the information assistance call, data is obtained concerning at least an identifier associated with a communications device from which the information assistance call originated when it is determined that the request is received after a termination of the information assistance call; and
a mechanism for identifying at least one record from the collected records which concerns the service and contains the identifier, and causing the services in the collected records, except the service in the at least one record to be billed, thereby effecting the credit. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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Specification