Billing for use of a telephony device
First Claim
1. A method for billing for telephone usage, said method comprising:
- tracking, at a telephony device, usage of at least one measurable element of said telephony device itself by an identifiable individual, wherein said identifiable individual is distinct from an owner of said telephony device, wherein said usage of said measurable element is separate from any use of telephone service to said telephony device for a call;
calculating, at said telephony device, a tariff for a cost of said amount of usage of said measurable element of said telephony device by said identifiable individual based on a cost per unit of actual usage of said measurable element specified by said owner of said telephony device; and
transferring said tariff to bill a billing plan for said identifiable individual for said tracked usage of said measurable element of said telephony device from said telephony device via a telephone network to a billing service, wherein said billing service is enabled to facilitate transfer of an electronic payment between an account provider designated in said billing plan for said identifiable individual and an account for said owner of said telephony device, such that said owner of said telephony device is electronically compensated for usage of the actual telephony device by said identifiable individual.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method, system, and program for billing a caller for use of an origin device are provided. Usage, of at least one measurable element of a telephony device by an identified individual, is tracked, where the identified individual is distinct from an owner of the origin telephony device. A tariff for the tracked usage is transferred to an intermediary device. The intermediary device charges the tariff according to a billing plan for the identified individual, such that the owner is compensated for use of at least one measurable element of the owner'"'"'s telephony device. Measurable elements may include the time the telephony device is in the identified individual'"'"'s possession, the battery usage, and usage of the address book.
-
Citations
37 Claims
-
1. A method for billing for telephone usage, said method comprising:
-
tracking, at a telephony device, usage of at least one measurable element of said telephony device itself by an identifiable individual, wherein said identifiable individual is distinct from an owner of said telephony device, wherein said usage of said measurable element is separate from any use of telephone service to said telephony device for a call; calculating, at said telephony device, a tariff for a cost of said amount of usage of said measurable element of said telephony device by said identifiable individual based on a cost per unit of actual usage of said measurable element specified by said owner of said telephony device; and transferring said tariff to bill a billing plan for said identifiable individual for said tracked usage of said measurable element of said telephony device from said telephony device via a telephone network to a billing service, wherein said billing service is enabled to facilitate transfer of an electronic payment between an account provider designated in said billing plan for said identifiable individual and an account for said owner of said telephony device, such that said owner of said telephony device is electronically compensated for usage of the actual telephony device by said identifiable individual. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
-
-
9. A system for billing for telephone usage, said system comprising:
-
a tracking controller within a telephony device; said tracking controller comprising; means for tracking usage of at least one measurable element of said telephony device itself by an identifiable individual, wherein said identifiable individual is distinct from an owner of said telephony device, wherein said usage of said measurable element is separate from any use of telephone service to said telephony device for a call; means for calculating a tariff for a cost of said amount of usage of said measurable element of said telephony device by said identifiable individual based on a cost per unit of actual usage of said measurable element specified by said owner of said telephony device; and means for transferring said tariff to bill a billing plan for said identifiable individual for said tracked usage of said measurable element of said telephony device from said telephony device via a telephone network to a billing service, wherein said billing service is enabled to facilitate transfer of an electronic payment between an account provider designated in said billing plan for said identifiable individual and an account for said owner of said telephony device, wherein said owner of said telephony device is electronically compensated for usage of the actual telephony device by said identifiable individual. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
-
-
17. A computer program product for billing for telephone usage, said computer program product comprising:
-
a recording medium; means, recorded on said recording medium, for tracking usage of at least one measurable element of said telephony device itself by an identifiable individual at said telephony device, wherein said identifiable individual is distinct from an owner of said telephony device, wherein said usage of said measurable element is separate from any use of telephone service to said telephony device for a call; means for calculating a tariff for a cost of said amount of usage of said measurable element of said telephony device by said identifiable individual based on a cost per unit of actual usage of said measurable element specified by said owner of said telephony device; and means, recorded on said recording medium, for transferring said tariff to bill a billing plan for said identifiable individual for said tracked usage of said measurable element of said telephony device from said telephony device via a telephone network to a billing service, wherein said billing service is enabled to facilitate transfer of an electronic payment between an account provider designated in said billing plan for said identifiable individual and an account for said owner of said telephony device. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
-
-
20. A method for billing a non-owner for telephone usage, said method comprising:
-
detecting, at a billing service operating outside a trusted telephone network via a secure channel established between a telephone service provider within said trusted telephone network and said billing service, a tariff calculated at a telephony device for usage by an identifiable individual of at least one measurable element of said telephony device communicatively connected with telephone service from said telephone service provider within said trusted telephone network, wherein said identifiable individual is different from an owner of said telephony device, wherein said usage of said measurable element is separate from any use of telephone service by said telephone service provider to said telephony device for a call; and facilitating, through said billing service, transfer of an electronic payment for a cost designated in said tariff between a first account provider designated for said identifiable individual and a second account provider for said owner of said telephony device, such that said owner is compensated for usage of said telephony device. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
-
-
27. A system for billing a non-owner for telephone usage, said system comprising:
-
a billing service operating outside a trusted telephone network via a secure channel established between a telephone service provider within said trusted telephone network and said billing service; said billing service comprising; means for detecting a tariff calculated at a telephony device for usage by an identifiable individual of at least one measurable element of said telephony device communicatively connected with telephone service from said telephone service provider within said trusted telephone network, wherein said identifiable individual is different from an owner of said telephony device, wherein said usage of said measurable element is separate from any use of telephone service by said telephone service provider to said telephony device for a call; and means for facilitating transfer of an electronic payment for a cost designated in said tariff between a first account provider designated for said identifiable individual and a second account provider for said owner of said telephony device, wherein said owner is compensated for usage of said telephony device. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
-
-
34. A computer program product for billing a non-owner for telephone usage, said computer program product comprising:
-
a recording medium; means, recorded on said recording medium, for detecting a tariff calculated at a telephony device for usage by an identifiable individual of at least one measurable element of said telephony device communicatively connected with telephone service from said telephone service provider within said trusted telephone network, wherein said identifiable individual is different from an owner of said telephony device, wherein said usage of said measurable element is separate from any use of telephone service by said telephone service provider to said telephony device for a call; and means, recorded on said recording medium, for facilitating transfer of an electronic payment for a cost designated in said tariff between a first account provider designated for said identifiable individual and a second account provider for said owner of said telephony device, for compensating said owner of said telephony device. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36, 37)
-
Specification