Method and system for initiating conversations between callers having common interests
First Claim
1. A method for initiating conversations between various callers to a communications service comprising the steps of:
- receiving a telephone call to the communications service from a new caller;
receiving a selection from the new caller of at least one topic;
associating the new caller with a prior caller in accordance with the new caller'"'"'s selected topic;
initiating a telephonic communication link between the new caller and the associated prior caller within the communication service, charging at least one of the new caller and the prior caller for the conversation at a first billing rate during a predetermined period of time; and
charging at least one of the new caller and the prior caller for the conversation at a second billing rate after the predetermined period of time has elapsed.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system for initiating conversations between callers to a telephone receives calls from various callers, receives selections of various topics of conversation from the callers, and then establishes communication links between pairs of callers in accordance with the selected topics. In a given conversation, at least a portion of the call is billed at a special rate or provided at no cost. After a predetermined period of time has elapsed, the call is billed at a second rate unless terminated by at least one of the parties. A partner history can be maintained and used by the system to ensure that previously partnered callers are not paired up again for at least a specified time span.
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Citations
37 Claims
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1. A method for initiating conversations between various callers to a communications service comprising the steps of:
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receiving a telephone call to the communications service from a new caller;
receiving a selection from the new caller of at least one topic;
associating the new caller with a prior caller in accordance with the new caller'"'"'s selected topic;
initiating a telephonic communication link between the new caller and the associated prior caller within the communication service, charging at least one of the new caller and the prior caller for the conversation at a first billing rate during a predetermined period of time; and
charging at least one of the new caller and the prior caller for the conversation at a second billing rate after the predetermined period of time has elapsed. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
(a) determining if the prior caller is busy; and
(b) determining if the prior caller is available.
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6. A method as in claim 2, wherein the receiving a selection step from the new user occurs only after the receiving a call step.
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7. A method as in claim 6, wherein the communications service never received a call from the new caller prior to the receiving a call step.
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8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of associating comprises:
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selecting the prior caller from a caller waiting list identifying a plurality of prior callers and topics selected by the respective prior callers; and
removing the selected caller from the caller waiting list.
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9. The method of claim 8, further comprising the step of:
if no prior caller in the caller waiting list can be associated with the new caller, adding the new caller to the waiting list.
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10. The method of claim 8, further comprising the steps of:
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determining if a communication link can be initiated with the selected prior caller; and
if a communication link cannot be initiated with the selected prior caller, repeating the associating step to associate the new caller with a different prior caller.
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11. The method of claim 10, wherein the determining step comprises at least one of (a) determining if the selected prior caller is busy, (b) determining if the prior caller is available for selection, and (c) determining if the prior caller is willing to be associated with the new caller.
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12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first billing rate is zero.
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13. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:
providing notice to the new caller and the prior caller before the predetermined period of time has elapsed that the second billing rate will apply after the predetermined period of time has elapsed.
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14. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of associating comprises ensuring that the new caller and the prior caller have not previously been associated with each other within at least a predetermined time span.
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15. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of determining a geographic location associated with the new caller;
the new caller and the prior caller being associated in further accordance with the determined geographic location.
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16. A method for initiating conversations between various callers to a communications service comprising the steps of:
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receiving a call to the communications service from a new caller;
associating the new caller with a prior caller in accordance with predetermined criteria;
initiating a communication link within the same communications service between the new caller and the associated prior caller;
charging at least one of the new caller and the prior caller for the conversation at a first billing rate during a predetermined period of time; and
charging at least one of the new caller and the prior caller for the conversation at a second billing rate after the predetermined period of time. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
(a) determining if the prior caller is busy; and
(b) determining if the prior caller is available.
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21. A method as in claim 16, wherein the new caller in the receiving step is new to the communications service.
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22. A method for initiating telephone conversations between various callers to a communications service comprising the steps of:
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receiving a telephone call to the communications service from a new caller;
pairing a prior caller with the new caller, the prior caller selected according to predefined criteria from a set of prior callers which were not previously paired with the new caller;
initiating a telephonic communication link between the new caller and the identified prior caller charging at least one of the new caller and the prior caller for the conversation at a first billing rate during a predetermined period of time; and
charging at least one of the new caller and the prior caller for the conversation at a second billing rate after the predetermined period of time has elapsed. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
(a) determining if the prior caller is busy; and
(b) determining if the prior caller is available.
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27. A method as in claim 22, wherein the new caller in the receiving step is new to the communications service.
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28. A system for initiating conversations between various callers to a communications service via a telephone network comprising:
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a central switching system connected to the telephone network and being controlled by a programmed computer system;
the computer system configured to;
receive a telephone call to the communications service from a new caller;
receive a selection from the new caller of at least one topic;
associate the new caller with a prior caller in accordance with the new caller'"'"'s selected topic;
initiate a telephonic communication link between the new caller and the associated prior caller wherein the computer is programmed to charge at least one of the new caller and the prior caller for the conversation at a first billing rate during a predetermined period of time and charge at least one of the new caller and the prior caller for the conversation at a second billing rate after the predetermined period of time has elapsed. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
(a) determine if the prior caller is busy; and
(b) determine if the prior caller is available.
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37. A method as in claim 28, wherein the computer system is configured to receive call from the new caller, the new caller new to the communications service.
Specification