Method for providing additional service by a communication company

• US 7,224,782 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2002
• Issued: 05/29/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Sano, Motonori
• Primary Examiner(s): TAYLOR, BARRY W
• Application Number:
  US10/054,908
• Publication Number:
  US 20020101968A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,950 Days
• Field of Search: 379/114.12, 379/114.02, 379/114.01, 379/221.02, 379/201.01, 379/207.03, 705/14, 455/445, 455/405, 455/406
• US Class Current: 379/114.12
• 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 15/44 Augmented, consolidated or itemized billing statement or bill presentation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/49 Connection to several service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8083 involving reduced rates or discounts, e.g. time-of-day reductions or volume discounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0104 Augmented, consolidated or itemised billing statement, e.g. additional billing information, bill presentation, layout, format, e-mail, fax, printout, itemised bill per service or per account, cumulative billing, consolidated billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0184 involving reduced rates or discounts, e.g. time-of-day reductions, volume discounts, cell discounts, group billing, frequent calling destination(s) or user history list
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/46 Connection to several service providers

Abstract

A communication company accumulates a communication time or the amount of communication for a call when the call is received, and provides additional service such as discount for a called party according to an accumulated communication time or the accumulated amount of communication. Another example of additional service is discount made according to whether a first communication company providing communication service between a called party and a first switching office and a second communication company providing communication service between a calling party and a second switching office are identical.

Claims

1. A method of providing an additional service to a called party having a subscription to a communication company'"'"'s communication service, the method comprising:

billing a calling party for a call from the calling party to the called party, wherein the call is received by the called party through an exchange of the communication company; and

providing the additional service to the called party based on a communication time of the received call, and in accordance with the subscription,

wherein the additional service is a discount of a communication charge of outgoing calls made by the called party using the communication company'"'"'s communication service, the discount calculated in accordance with the communication time.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the communication company provides the additional service in accordance with the communication time and the amount of communication.

3. The method according to claim 1, further composing:

accumulating communication times of calls received by the called party through an exchange of the communication company, wherein the communication company provides the additional service in accordance with an accumulated communication time of received calls, and in accordance with the subscription.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the communication company provides the additional service in accordance with (i) an accumulated communication time of calls received by the called party from calling parties using the communication services of the communication company and (ii) an accumulated communication time of calls received by the called party from calling parties whether or not the calling parties used the communication services of the communication company.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the additional service is further based on whether or not the calling party uses the communication services of the communication company to make the call to the called party.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of measuring the communication time.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the called party receives the call via a radio line of one of a plurality of communication companies.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein another communication company provides a communication service to the calling party, and the called party and the calling party are connected through a first exchange of the communication company and a second exchange of said another communication company.

9. A method of providing an additional service to a called party having a subscription to a communication company'"'"'s communication service, the method comprising:

billing a calling party for a call from the calling party to the called party, wherein the call is received by the called party through an exchange of the communication company; and

providing the additional service to the called party based on an amount of communication of the received call, and in accordance with the subscription,

wherein the additional service is a discount of a communication charge of outgoing calls made by the called party using the communication company'"'"'s communication service, the discount calculated in accordance with the amount of communication.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising the step of measuring the amount of communication.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the called party receives the call via a radio line of one of a plurality of communication companies.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein another communication company provides a communication service to the calling party, and the called party and the calling party are connected through a first exchange of the communication company and a second exchange of said another communication company.

13. An additional-service providing apparatus used by a communication company that provides communication services, comprising:

informing means for informing a called party, who subscribes to the communication services of the communication company, of a call sent to the called party;

an accumulation means for accumulating a time of communication of each call from a calling party the called party receives through the communication services of the communication company, the calling party of each call, not the called party informed of the call, being charged for the call; and

providing means for providing an additional service to the called party in accordance with the accumulated time of communication,

wherein the additional service is a discount of a communication charge of outgoing calls made by the called party using the communication company'"'"'s communication services.

14. The additional service providing apparatus of claim 13, further comprising time measuring means for measuring a communication time of the call.

15. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said informing means informs the called party of the call via a radio line of one of a plurality of communication companies.

16. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein another communication company provides a communication service to the calling party, and the called party and the calling party are connected through a first exchange of the communication company and a second exchange of said another communication company.

17. An additional-service providing apparatus used by a communication company that provides communication services, comprising:

sending means for sending a call to a called party who subscribes to the communication services of the communication company;

an accumulation means for accumulating an amount of communication of each call from a calling party sent to the called party through the communication services of the communication company, the calling party of each call, not the called party the call is sent to, being charged for the call; and

providing means for providing an additional service to the called party in accordance with the accumulated amount of communication,

wherein the additional service is a discount of a communication charge of outgoing calls made by the called party using the communication company'"'"'s communication services.

18. The additional service providing apparatus of claim 17, further comprising time measuring means for measuring an amount of communication during the call.

19. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein said informing means informs the called party of the call via a radio line of one of a plurality of communication companies.

20. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein another communication company provides a communication service to the calling party, and the called party and the calling party are connected through a first exchange of the communication company and a second exchange of said another communication company.

21. Computer-executable program instructions loadable into the internal memory of a digital computer, comprising program code portions for performing the steps of:

measuring a communication time of a call from a calling party to a called party through a communication service of a communication company to which the called party subscribes, wherein the calling party of the call, not the called party who receives the call, is charged for the call;

accumulating the measured communication time of each call from a calling party to the called party; and

providing an additional service to the called party according to the accumulated measured communication time,

wherein the additional service is a discount of a communication charge of outgoing calls made by the called party using the communication company'"'"'s communication service.

22. Computer-executable program instructions loadable into the internal memory of a digital computer, comprising program code portions for performing the steps of:

measuring the communication amount of a call from a calling party to a called party through a communication service of a communication company to which the called party subscribes, wherein the calling party of the call, not the called party who receives the call, is charged for the call; and

accumulating the measured communication amount of each call from a calling party to the called party; and

providing an additional service to the called party according to the accumulated measured communication amount,

wherein the additional service is a discount of a communication charge of outgoing calls made by the called party using the communication company'"'"'s communication service.

23. A communication system comprising:

an accumulator for accumulating at least one of a communication time and an amount of communication of each call from a calling party received by a called party through a communication service of the communication system to which the called party subscribes, wherein the calling party of each call, not the called party, is charged for the call; and

,

a discount calculator for calculating. based on the value of the accumulator, a discount on a communication charge to be paid by the called party to a communication company.

24. The communication system of claim 23, further comprising a charge calculator for calculating a communication charge in accordance with a value held by said accumulator.

25. The system according to claim 23, wherein the called party receives the call via a radio line of one of a plurality of communication companies.

26. The system according to claim 23, wherein a first communication company provides a communication service to the calling party, a second communication company provides a communication service to the called party, and the called party and the calling party are connected through a first exchange of the first communication company and a second exchange of the second communication company.

27. A communication system in which a called party is connected to a first exchange and a calling party is connected to a second exchange, the system comprising:

a third exchange for determining whether said first exchange and said second exchange are operated by the same communication company to which the called party and the calling party subscribe, and

wherein a discount on a communication charge is provided to the called party according to the determination made by said third exchange, and wherein the calling party, not the called party, is charged for a call to the called party, and wherein the discount is provided according to the communication time or the communication amount of the call provided to the called party through said first exchange.

28. A communication system according to claim 27, further comprising a fourth exchange for selecting one of a plurality of communication companies for connecting the called party according to (i) a system requirement in each of the plurality of communication companies, (ii) a condition required by the calling party, and (iii) a condition required by the called party when the plurality of communication companies provide communication services for the called party.

29. A communication system according to claim 28, wherein the fourth exchange comprises setting means for setting the required conditions,

wherein the called party makes a call to a predetermined phone number to access said setting means.

30. The system according to claim 27, wherein the called party receives the call via a radio line of one of a plurality of communication companies.