Payment method and system for telecommunications
First Claim
1. A payment method for a telecommunications network providing a connection between a caller and a callee, comprising the steps of:
- i) said caller indicating to said telecommunications network a desired callee to be connected to;
ii) said telecommunications network determining the status of said desired callee to determine if charges will be incurred by said caller if said connection is completed;
iii) if charges will be incurred by said caller, advising said caller of said charges and receiving input from said caller indicating an acceptance or refusal of said charges;
iv) completing said connection between said caller and said callee if said received input indicates acceptance by said caller;
v) posting the resulting charges to a billing account of said caller.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method which allows a callee and/or a caller to be billed for telecommunications and which permits notice of charges to be provided to callers, and permits acceptance of charges by callers, prior to completing a connection is disclosed. The invention allows callees to define charges to be applied to calls they receive to be credited to their billing account and/or to waive such charges for some callers and/or in some time periods. Additional information can also be supplied to a caller before the call is completed to the callee, such as an identification of a difference in time zones between the caller and the callee.
82 Citations
44 Claims
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1. A payment method for a telecommunications network providing a connection between a caller and a callee, comprising the steps of:
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i) said caller indicating to said telecommunications network a desired callee to be connected to;
ii) said telecommunications network determining the status of said desired callee to determine if charges will be incurred by said caller if said connection is completed;
iii) if charges will be incurred by said caller, advising said caller of said charges and receiving input from said caller indicating an acceptance or refusal of said charges;
iv) completing said connection between said caller and said callee if said received input indicates acceptance by said caller;
v) posting the resulting charges to a billing account of said caller. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method for allowing a caller to accept charge rates for a call before being billed said charges, in a telecommunications network consisting of a plurality of telephony devices interconnected by switching nodes, said telecommunications network being operable to determine said charge rates in advance of connecting said call, said method consisting of the following steps:
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i) a caller dialing a desired destination number;
ii) said telecommunications network checking to see if charges will be incurred;
iii) said caller being advised of said charges;
iv) said caller accepting or declining said charges, and v) if said charges are accepted, then said call to said destination number is completed. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21)
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22. A method for allowing a callee to charge a connection fee to a caller, in a telecommunications network consisting of a plurality of telephony devices interconnected by switching nodes, said telecommunications network being operable to charge said caller for calling said callee, said method consisting the following steps:
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i) a caller dialing a desired destination number;
ii) the network checking to see if a connection fee has been defined by said callee for said callee to accept the call;
iii) said caller being advised of said connection fee; and
iv) if said caller accepts said connection fee, then the call to said callee is completed and said caller is charged and said callee is credited with said connection fee. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A telecommunications network operable to collect payment from a caller upon completion of the connection to a callee, with said charges being determined by the status of said callee, consisting of:
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i) at least two switching nodes, of which at least one of said at least two switching nodes is operable to determine said status of said callee;
ii) a backbone network connecting said at least two switching nodes;
iii) at least two telephony devices operable to communicate with said at least two switching nodes; and
iv) at least one interactive voice response system, operable to notify said caller of said charges and receive acceptance of said charges by said caller. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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Specification