Fee-based message delivery system

• US 20060041505A1
• Filed: 10/11/2002
• Published: 02/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: 900email Incorporated, Seagate Technology LLC (Seagate Technology Holdings Plc)
• Original Assignee: 900email Incorporated
• Inventors: Enyart, Robert A.
• Application Number:
  US10/269,385
• Publication Number:
  US 20060041505A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1403 Architecture for metering, charging or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1421 Indication of expected costs
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1467 involving prepayment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system and method for fee-based messaging over a global communication network. A method is disclosed wherein a prospective recipient of messages establishes prices for a variety of services and for various tiers of senders. Generally, all messages to a recipient pass to a service provider which informs the sender of the price for a set of possible services, one example of which is the reading of an email text message. The sender then generally pays the price corresponding to the service requested, and the message is transmitted to the recipient.

Claims

1. A method for conducting fee-based email messaging comprising:

establishing by a prospective recipient of an email message a price for transmission of said email message;

collecting a non-zero fee equal to said established price from a sender of said email message; and

transmitting said email message to said recipient.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising paying at least a portion of said collected fee to an entity designated by said recipient.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said entity is said recipient.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said message is an electronic text message.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said message is an email voice message.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said message includes audio-visual information.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said collecting comprises receiving, along with said transmitted message, electronic postage corresponding to said established price.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said collecting comprises debiting a private account of said sender an amount corresponding to said established price.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said collecting comprises debiting said collected price from a credit card account of said sender.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said establishing comprises:

providing a plurality of sender tiers, each said tier corresponding to a different category of senders and each said tier having a separate established price; and

determining the tier of said sender.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said price for one of said plurality of tiers is zero.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein:

said establishing further comprises establishing by said prospective recipient of a client service price for performing a client service related to said email message;

said method further includes performing said client service; and

said collecting further includes collecting a client service fee corresponding to said client service price from said sender of said email message.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said service comprises a service selected from the group consisting of reading said message, responding to said message, and forwarding said message within a defined time period.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein said service further includes reading said message, responding to said message, or forwarding said message within a rushed time frame.

15. The method of claim 12 and further comprising guaranteeing said service.

16. The method as in claim 15 wherein said guaranteeing comprises:

determining if said client service has been performed; and

refunding said collected client service fee to said sender if said service has not been performed.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein said establishing said client service price comprises:

providing a plurality of sender tiers, each said tier corresponding to a different category of senders and each said tier having a separate established price; and

determining the tier of said sender.

18. A method for conducting fee-based email messaging, said method comprising:

establishing a plurality of tiers of senders of email messages to a recipient, each said tier corresponding to a different category of senders; and

determining a price for email message transmission to said recipient for each said established tier of senders;

determining the recipient of an email message;

determining the tier of the sender of said email message to said recipient; and

charging said sender said price corresponding to said tier for an email message sent by said sender to said recipient.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein said determining comprises setting said message transmission price to zero for at least one of said established tiers.

20. The method of claim 18 further comprising transmitting said message from said identified sender to said recipient.

21. The method of claim 18 wherein one of said plurality of tiers includes substantially only immediate family members and friends of said recipient.

22. The method of claim 18 wherein one of said plurality of tiers includes substantially only work colleagues of said recipient.

23. The method of claim 18 wherein one of said plurality of tiers includes substantially only commercial advertisers.

24. A method for conducting fee-based messaging comprising:

establishing, for each of a plurality of recipients, a plurality of tiers of senders of messages to said recipient; and

determining a price for message transmission to said recipient for each said established tier of senders;

determining said recipient;

determining the tier of a sender of a message to said recipient; and

charging said sender said price corresponding to said tier for a message sent by said sender to said recipient.

25. A method for conducting fee-based messaging comprising:

presenting a sender with a price for transmission of a message to a recipient;

transmitting said message only if said sender pays said presented price; and

guaranteeing a transmission by said recipient of a responsive message to said sender within a defined time period.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein said guaranteeing comprises guaranteeing said transmission of said responsive message within a rushed time frame, wherein said rushed time frame is shorter than said defined time period.

27. The method of claim 25 wherein said defined time period is between one day and three days.

28. The method of claim 26 wherein said rushed time frame is less than one day.

29. The method of claim 25 wherein said presenting comprises consulting a database of prices established by said recipient.

30. The method of claim 25 wherein said guaranteeing comprises refunding said paid presented price to said sender if said recipient fails to reply to said sender within a defined time period.

31. The method of claim 25 wherein said guaranteeing comprises refunding said paid presented price to said sender if said recipient fails to reply to said sender within a rushed time frame.

32. The method of claim 25 wherein said message is an email message.

33. A method for conducting fee-based messaging comprising:

presenting a sender with a price for a transmission of a message to a recipient;

collecting a fee from said sender corresponding to said presented price;

transmitting said message to said recipient; and

refunding said collected fee if said transmitted message is not read by said recipient within a defined time period.

34. The method of claim 33 wherein said refunding comprises refunding said collected fee if said transmitted message is not read by said recipient within a rushed time frame.

35. The method of claim 33 wherein said presented price is established by said recipient.

36. The method of claim 33 wherein said presented price depends upon a tier of said sender.

37. The method of claim 33 wherein said refunding comprises crediting an account of said sender.

38. The method of claim 33 wherein said collecting comprises debiting a private account of said sender.

39. The method of claim 33 wherein said collecting comprises debiting a credit card account of said sender.

40. The method of claim 33, and further comprising paying a portion of said collected fee to said recipient.

41. The method of claim 33 wherein said message is an email message.

42. A method for conducting fee-based messaging comprising:

establishing a price for a transmission of a message based upon an identity of a prospective recipient of said message;

presenting a sender with said established price for said transmission of said message; and

transmitting said message only if said sender pays said presented established price.

43. The method of claim 42 wherein said price for transmission of said message is established by said recipient.

44. The method of claim 42 wherein said establishing further comprises:

providing a plurality of sender tiers, each said tier corresponding to a different category of senders and each said tier having a separate established price; and

determining the tier of said sender.

45. The method of claim 42, and further comprising paying a portion of said established price to said recipient.

46. The method of claim 42 wherein said established price is also based upon a degree of promptness with which said transmitted message is read by said recipient.

47. The method of claim 42 wherein said established price is paid employing stored indicia of electronic postal value.

48. The method of claim 42 wherein said transmitted message is an email message.

49. The method of claim 42 wherein said transmitted message is a voice message.

50. The method of claim 42 wherein said transmitted message comprises graphical information.

51. The method of claim 42 wherein said transmitting comprises a live telephone conversation.

52. The method of claim 42 wherein said transmitted message comprises audio-visual information.

53. The method of claim 42, further comprising:

establishing a price for composing and communicating a message to said sender in response to said transmitted message; and

sending said composed responsive message to said sender only if said sender pays said established price for said composed responsive message.

54. A computer program product having a computer readable medium having a computer program logic recorded thereon for conducting fee-based messaging, the computer program product comprising:

code for receiving an identity of a recipient from a sender;

code for determining a price for transmission of a message to said recipient based on said received identity;

code for collecting said determined price from said sender; and

code for transmitting said message to said recipient.

55. The computer program product of claim 54 further comprising code for maintaining a database of variables affecting a price of message transmission.

56. The computer program product of claim 55 wherein said database includes data describing a tier of said sender.

57. The computer program product of claim 55 wherein said database includes a list of services performable by at least one of a group of possible message recipients.

58. The computer program product of claim 55 wherein said database includes a registry of possible message recipients.

59. The computer program product of claim 55 wherein said database includes a list of data formats available for transmission to said recipient.

60. Apparatus for conducting fee-based messaging, comprising:

a global network;

a plurality of user sites, each said user site including communication equipment suitable for communicating data over said global network by both senders and recipients;

a plurality of communication links coupling said plurality of user sites to said global network; and

a service provider system coupled to said global network, said service provider system including a computer system and a database of communication recipients, and being configured to identify a price, determined by each said recipient, to be charged to a sender for contacting each said communication recipient.

61. The apparatus of claim 60 wherein said price is identified based on an identity of said sender.

62. The apparatus of claim 60 wherein said communication equipment included in at least one of said user sites is a personal computer.

63. The apparatus of claim 60 wherein said global network is the Internet.

64. The apparatus of claim 60 wherein said global network is a private network.

65. The apparatus of claim 60 wherein said user sites are usable by both said senders and said recipients.

66. The apparatus of claim 60 wherein said service provider system further includes a database of communication cost variables.

67. The apparatus of claim 66 wherein said database of communication cost variables includes information describing a tier of said sender.

68. The apparatus of claim 66 wherein said database of communication cost variables includes information describing a data format of a message.

69. The apparatus of claim 66 wherein said database of communication cost variables includes information describing a service performable by each said recipient.

70. A method for authenticating the identity of a sender of a message to a recipient over a network, the method comprising:

combining an identification of said sender and an identification of said recipient into a single combined identification;

encrypting said combined identification; and

transmitting a message including said encrypted combined identification.

71. The method of claim 70 wherein said combining comprises establishing a defined time period after which said combined identification expires.

72. A method for communicating over a network, the method comprising:

composing a message, by a sender, for communication to a recipient in a fee-based messaging system;

including an encrypted message within said composed message thereby creating a flagged message, said included encrypted message indicating a right to cost-free transmission of said flagged message through said fee-based messaging system; and

transmitting said flagged message without charge to said recipient.

73. A method for controlling access to a recipient, the method comprising:

establishing a plurality of tiers of communication with a recipient by a sender;

determining a separate access code for each said tier, thereby establishing a plurality of access codes; and

providing a selected access code, of said plurality of access codes to said sender, corresponding to a particular tier of said tiers.

74. The method of claim 73 wherein said providing comprises adding said sender to a list of senders authorized to access said particular tier.