Method and system for connecting a caller to a content provider

• US 6,246,755 B1
• Filed: 12/31/1996
• Issued: 06/12/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Inventor Holdings LLC (Walker Innovation Inc. (f/k/a Patent Properties, Inc.))
• Original Assignee: Walker Digital LLC (Walker Innovation Inc. (f/k/a Patent Properties, Inc.))
• Inventors: Jorasch, James A., Case, T. Scott, Carson, Gregory G., Walker, Jay S.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, DUC MINH
• Application Number:
  US08/777,802
• Time in Patent Office: 1,624 Days
• Field of Search: 379/111-121, 379/127, 379/144, 379/91.01, 379/91.02, 238/379, 238/380, 238/381, 238/437, 238/382, 340/825.34, 340/825.33
• US Class Current: 379/114.2
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/127 Shopping or accessing services according to a time-limitation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/28 Pre-payment schemes, e.g. "pay before"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/349 Rechargeable cards
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0014 for vending, access and use of specific services not covered anywhere else in G07F17/00 meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas or electricity G07F15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0028 Use of a wired telephone or public communication device charging and metering the use of the telecommunication network H04M17/02
• 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 15/54 for revenue sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/68 Payment of value-added services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/00 Prepayment of wireline communication systems, wireless communication systems or telephone systems using a coded card to authorise calls from a telephone set H04M1/675
• 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

Abstract

The invention relates to methods and systems for connecting a caller to a content provider who provides a service to the caller over the telephone system. In accordance with the invention, a caller establishes a prepaid account with an intermediary, termed a transaction processor. When the caller wishes to access a content provider, the caller makes a telephone call to the transaction processor providing access to a plurality of content providers via a common access number. The caller identifies his prepaid account and the desired content provider. The transaction processor connects the caller to the content provider, monitors the connection between the caller and the content provider, and debits the caller'"'"'s prepaid account according to the service provided by the content provider.

Claims

1. A system for allowing a caller to access a content provider, comprising:

(a) a first communications port for receiving a telephone call from a caller;

(b) a second communications port for making a telephone connection to one of a plurality of content providers identified by the caller;

(c) a telephone switch coupled to the first and second communications ports; and

(d) a control logic coupled to the first communications port and controlling the telephone switch, the control logic adapted to;

(i) configure the telephone switch to make a telephone connection between the caller and the identified content provider, and to (ii) debit a prepaid account associated with the caller for a service provided by the content provider based on the service and on the identified content provider.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the first communications port is adapted to receive a toll-free telephone call from the caller.

3. The system of claim 1 further comprising a caller interface coupled to the first communications port and the control logic.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the caller interface includes an interactive voice response unit.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the interactive voice response unit is adapted to announce a current balance of the prepaid account.

6. The system of claim 4 wherein the interactive voice response unit is adapted to announce a maximum duration of the telephone connection between the caller and the content provider.

7. The system of claim 1 further comprising a prepaid account database coupled to the control logic, the prepaid account database identifying a plurality of caller identifying codes and a prepaid account associated with each caller identifying code, and wherein the control logic is configured to access the prepaid account database to identify the prepaid account associated with a caller identifying code supplied by the caller.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the control logic is programmed to configure the telephone switch for the connection if a balance in the prepaid account is above a predetermined value.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein the control logic is adapted to discontinue the telephone connection between the caller and the content provider when, based on the cost for the service and a duration of the telephone connection, a balance in the prepaid account falls below a predetermined value.

10. The system of claim 1 further comprising a content provider database coupled to the control logic, the content provider database identifying a plurality of content providers and a cost for a service provided by each content provider, and wherein the control logic is configured to access the content provider database to calculate an amount to be debited to the prepaid account.

11. The system of claim 1 further comprising a call records database coupled to the control logic, the call records database including a record of the telephone connections made.

12. A method for allowing a caller to access a service offered by a content provider, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving a telephone call from a caller, the telephone call identifying a prepaid account and one of a plurality of content providers;

(b) determining if the caller is authorized to access the content provider and, if the caller is authorized;

(i) making a telephone connection between the caller and the identified content provider to enable the content provider to provide a service to the caller through the telephone connection, and (ii) debiting the prepaid account by an amount based on the content provider and the service provided.

13. The method of claim 12 where the received telephone call is a toll-free telephone call.

14. The method of claim 12 where the received telephone call is a collect call.

15. The method of claim 12 where the step of receiving the telephone call includes receiving a caller identifying code corresponding to the prepaid account.

16. The method of claim 12 where the step of receiving the telephone call includes receiving a content provider code identifying the content provider.

17. The method of claim 16 where the content provider code is a telephone number identifying the content provider.

18. The method of claim 16 where the telephone number is a shared-revenue telephone number, and where the step of making the telephone connection includes determining a direct dial telephone number corresponding to the shared-revenue telephone number and calling the direct dial telephone number.

19. The method of claim 12 where the step of receiving the telephone call includes:

(a) informing the caller of the plurality of content providers; and

(b) receiving the caller'"'"'s selection from among the plurality of content providers.

20. The method of claim 12 where the step of determining if the caller is authorized includes determining a balance in the prepaid account.

21. The method of claim 20 where the step of determining if the caller is authorized includes informing the caller of the balance.

22. The method of claim 20 where the caller is determined to be unauthorized if the balance is below a predetermined value.

23. The method of claim 20 where the step of making the telephone connection includes determining a cost for the service.

24. The method of claim 23 where determining the cost includes looking up the cost in a content provider database associating a cost with services.

25. The method of claim 23 where determining the cost includes calculating, based on the balance in the prepaid account and the cost of the service, a maximum duration for the telephone connection.

26. The method of claim 25 further comprising the step of informing the caller of the maximum extent of the telephone connection.

27. The method of claim 12 where the step of determining if the caller is authorized includes checking for a valid caller identifying code.

28. The method of claim 12 further comprising the steps of:

(a) determining, based on the cost of the service and a duration of the telephone connection, when a balance in the prepaid account falls below a predetermined value; and

(b) discontinuing the telephone connection when the balance falls below the predetermined value.

29. The method of claim 12 further comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving a payment from the caller; and

(b) crediting the prepaid account by an amount based on the payment.

30. The method of claim 12 where the service is a shared-revenue service.

31. A method for providing a service to a caller, the method comprising the steps of:

(a) registering a service with a transaction processor enabling access to a plurality of content providers via a common access number;

(b) accepting a telephone connection with a caller having a prepaid account at the transaction processor, the telephone connection having been made via the transaction processor in response to the caller'"'"'s identification of one of said plurality of content providers via a telephone call to the common access number;

(c) providing the service to the caller through the telephone connection; and

(d) receiving a payment for the service from the transaction processor.

32. The method of claim 31 where the service is a shared-revenue service.

33. The method of claim 31 where the common access number is a shared-revenue telephone number.

34. The method of claim 31 where the common access number is a direct dial telephone number.

35. A method for accessing a service offered by a content provider, comprising the steps of:

(a) making a telephone call to a transaction processor enabling access to a plurality of content providers via a common access number;

(b) identifying a prepaid account and one of the content providers;

(c) accepting a telephone connection made by the transaction processor to the identified content provider; and

(d) receiving a service from the content provider and incurring a debit to the prepaid account by an amount based on the received service.

36. The method of claim 35 where the common access number is a shared-revenue number.

37. The method of claim 35 where the common access number is a direct dial number.

38. The method of claim 37 where the direct dial number is toll-free.

39. The method of claim 35 where making the telephone call includes placing a collect call.

40. The method of claim 35 where the step of identifying the prepaid account includes providing a caller identifying code corresponding to the prepaid account.

41. The method of claim 35 where the step of identifying one of the content providers includes providing a content provider code.

42. The method of claim 41 where the content provider code includes a telephone number which identifies the content provider.

43. The method of claim 35 where the step of identifying one of the plurality of content providers includes:

(a) receiving identities of the plurality of content providers; and

(b) selecting one of the plurality of content providers.

44. The method of claim 35 further comprising the step of making a payment to the transaction processor for crediting the prepaid account.