Parallel data network billing and collection system

• US 5,949,875 A
• Filed: 10/16/1996
• Issued: 09/07/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Walker Asset Management Limited Partnership
• Inventors: Jorasch, James A., Carson, Gregory G., Walker, Jay S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barron, Jr., Gilberto
• Application Number:
  US08/732,620
• Time in Patent Office: 1,056 Days
• Field of Search: 380/4, 380/25
• US Class Current: 702/78
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/00 Payment architectures, schemes or protocols apparatus for performing or posting payment transactions G07F7/08, G07F19/00; electronic cash registers G07G1/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/085 involving remote charge determination or related payment systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/0855 involving a third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/14 specially adapted for billing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/16 Payments settled via telecommunication systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0623 Item investigation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1439 time-based
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1482 involving use of telephony infrastructure for billing for the transport of data, e.g. call detail record [CDR] or intelligent network infrastructure
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0807 using tickets, e.g. Kerberos cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using tickets or tokens H04L9/3213
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• 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 15/68 Payment of value-added services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0176 : Billing arrangements using internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0196 : Payment of value-added services, mainly when their charges are added on the telephone bill, e.g. payment of non-telecom services, e-commerce, on-line banking
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/22 : Bandwidth or usage-sensitve billing

Abstract

A billing and collection system comprising an access management computer for enabling payment for a service provided over a data network to be made for a telephone connection to a shared revenue billing network where the telephone connection to the billing network regulates access to the service provided over the data network, the data network including at least one information provider presenting at least one service for on-line access by a user with a user computer through the data network, the billing network and access management computer adapted for controlling access to the information provider and billing the user for access to the information provider, the access management computer communicating with the data network to enable and terminate access to the information provider through the user computer with the billing network sharing revenues for the telephone connection with the information provider.

Claims

1. A method for utilizing an access management computer to control a user'"'"'s access to digital data located at a data site and for causing a billing system to toll said user'"'"'s access to data, comprising the steps of:

said access management computer receiving, from said billing system, a first access code corresponding to said user'"'"'s request for access to said digital data;

said access management computer receiving a second access code from said data site;

said access management computer verifying that said first access code corresponds to said second access code;

said access management computer communicating a message confirming said verifying to said data site, thereby authorizing said user'"'"'s access to said digital data; and

said access management computer authorizing said billing system to post an access charge to an account associated with said user based upon said user'"'"'s access to said digital data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said billing system comprises a shared-revenue communications line.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said shared-revenue communications line comprises a telephone line such as a "900" line or equivalent.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said access management computer and said billing system are located remotely from each other.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein one of said first and second access codes is received before the other of said first and second access codes and stored in said access management computer in anticipation of the receipt of the other of said first and second access codes.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said first and said second access codes are identical.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said user provides said first access code to said billing system.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said first access code is provided to said user by said data site.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of said access management computer generating said first access code and transmitting said first access code to said data site, prior to said step of providing said first access code to said user.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said access management computer generates said first access code in response to a request from said data site, subsequent to said user'"'"'s connection thereto.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said first and second access codes are generated by said user.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said first and second access codes include said user'"'"'s telephone number.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said first access code includes pricing information corresponding to said user access to said data site.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said first access code includes usage information corresponding to the number of times said access code may be used.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of said access management computer signaling said data site to terminate the user'"'"'s authorization to access said digital data upon the occurrence of a predetermined event.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said predetermined event includes passage of a specified time interval.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein said predetermined event includes accrual of a predetermined billing amount.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein said predetermined event includes receiving a user disconnect signal from said billing system.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein said predetermined event includes obtaining a session completion indication from said data site.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein said access charge is based on a quantity of information which said user has requested from said data site.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein said access charge is based on the period of time during which said user was connected to said data site.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein said access management computer is connected to said billing system over a first communication channel, and said access management computer is connected to said data site over a second communication channel.

23. The method of claim 9, wherein said first access code corresponds to database record values stored at said access management computer.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein said database record value includes a dollar value associated with the use of said access code.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein said database record value further includes an expiration date for said access code.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein said digital data represents a confirmation of the purchase of physical goods.

27. An access management computer for controlling a user'"'"'s access to digital data located at a data site and for causing a billing system to toll said ser'"'"'s access to said digital data, comprising:

means for receiving, from said billing system, a first access code corresponding to said user'"'"'s request for access to said digital data;

means for receiving a second access code from said data site;

means for verifying that said first access code corresponds to said second access code;

means for communicating a message confirming said verifying to said data site, thereby authorizing said user'"'"'s access to said digital data; and

means for authorizing said billing system to post an access charge to an account associated with said user based upon said user'"'"'s access to said digital data.

28. The access management computer of claim 27, wherein said billing system comprises a shared-revenue communications line.

29. The access management computer of claim 28, wherein said shared-revenue communications line comprises a telephone line such as a "900" line or equivalent.

30. The access management computer of claim 27, wherein said access management computer and said billing system are located at remotely from each other.

31. The access management computer of claim 27, wherein one of said first and second access codes is received before the other of said first and second access codes and further comprising means for storing in said access management computer the first received of said access codes in anticipation of the receipt of the other of said first and second access codes.

32. The access management computer of claim 27, wherein said first and said second access codes are identical.

33. The access management computer of claim 27, and further comprising means for permitting said user to provide said first access code to said billing system.

34. The access management computer of claim 33, and further comprising means for providing said first access code to said user from said data site.

35. The access management computer of claim 34, further comprising means for generating said first access code and transmitting said first access code to said data site, prior to providing said first access code to said user.

36. The access management computer of claim 35, and further comprising means for generating said first access code in response to a request from said data site, subsequent to said user'"'"'s connection thereto.

37. The access management computer of claim 27, wherein said first and second access codes are generated by said user.

38. The access management computer of claim 37, wherein said first and second access codes include said user'"'"'s telephone number.

39. The access management computer of claim 27, wherein said first access code includes pricing information corresponding to said user access to said digital data.

40. The access management computer of claim 27, wherein said first access code includes usage information corresponding to the number of times said access code may be used.

41. The access management computer of claim 27, further comprising means for signaling said data site to terminate the user'"'"'s authorization to access said digital data upon the occurrence of a predetermined event.

42. The access management computer of claim 41, wherein said predetermined event includes passage of a specified time interval.

43. The access management computer of claim 41, wherein said predetermined event includes accrual of a predetermined billing amount.

44. The access management computer of claim 41, wherein said predetermined event includes receiving a user disconnect signal from said billing system.

45. The access management computer of claim 41, wherein said predetermined event includes obtaining a session completion indication from said data site.

46. The access management computer of claim 27, wherein said access charge is based on a quantity of information which said user has requested from said data site.

47. The access management computer of claim 27, wherein said access charge is based on the period of time during which said user was connected to said data site.

48. The access management computer of claim 27, wherein said access management computer is connected to said billing system over a first communication channel, and said access management computer is connected to said data site over a second communication channel.

49. The access management computer of claim 35, wherein said first access code corresponds to database record values stored at said access management computer.

50. The access management computer of claim 49, wherein said database record value includes a dollar value associated with the use of said access code.

51. The access management computer of claim 50, wherein said database record value further includes an expiration date for said access code.

52. The access management computer of claim 27, wherein said digital data represents a confirmation of the purchase of physical goods.