System and methods for purchasing services

• US 8,239,281 B1
• Filed: 12/28/2005
• Issued: 08/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Harlow, John Bruce, Sayko, Robert, Shaye, Norman, Stubing, Richard A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pond, Robert M.
• Application Number:
  US11/320,102
• Time in Patent Office: 2,414 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27
• US Class Current: 705/26.41
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25883 being end-user demographical data, e.g. age, family status or address arrangements for identifying locations of users in broadcast systems H04H60/52
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44204 Monitoring of content usage, e.g. the number of times a movie has been viewed, copied or the amount which has been watched monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; protecting generic digital content where the protection is independent of the precise nature of the content G06F21/10; arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services in broadcast systems H04H60/31
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47211 for requesting pay-per-view content payment schemes payment architectures or payment protocols G06Q20/00, G07F
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4784 receiving rewards

Abstract

The invention provides a service provider system that enables a subscriber to purchase services over a network from a service provider for the benefit of one or more third parties located in different locations. The service provider system can provide service flexibility by allowing parameters to be set, such as place and time of service delivery. Further, conditions allowing third-party recipients to change service parameters—delivery time and place, exchange of purchased service for another service, return of the purchased service, etc.—can be included. The service provider system additionally can provide reporting options to both the subscriber and the third party. Reporting messages or notifications may be sent to the purchasing subscriber to indicate which of the third parties had taken advantage of the purchased service, when and where the service was consumed, and/or what the actual cost of delivering the service was. The service provider system can also provide incentives for third parties to take advantage of the purchased service.

Claims

1. A method of providing services over a network, comprising:

receiving a purchase request for services from a first terminal, the purchase request including an identification of a second terminal, the identification including a set-top box address of the second terminal;

determining a service provider from among a plurality of service providers to deliver the services based on a price of services associated with the service provider;

monitoring a provision of the services from the service provider to the second terminal through the network based on the purchase request, wherein the monitoring further comprises monitoring service-dependent parameters relating to the services; and

sending a viewing report based on the monitoring to the first terminal.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the purchase request further includes the service-dependent parameters relating to the services.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the service-dependent parameters include a time and date that the services are to be used.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the service-dependent parameters include a geographical location where the services may be used.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein the service dependent parameters include a time limit in which the services can be used.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the services comprise a pay-per-view movie.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the service-dependent parameters include a time when the pay-per-view movie is to be viewed.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the purchase request includes a message portion that can present an audio, video and text message on the second terminal.

9. The method according to claim 8 further comprising presenting the message portion on the second terminal.

10. The method according to claim 9 further comprising:

providing the services from the service provider to the second terminal, and wherein the message portion is displayed while providing the services.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

providing the services from the service provider to the second terminal; and

prompting the second terminal for a response to a question subsequent to providing the services.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising sending the response to the question to the first terminal.

13. The method according to claim 1 wherein the identification includes an address, telephone number, terminal identification, and Social Security number.

14. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

providing the services from the service provider to the second terminal; and

preventing unauthorized access to the services by prompting the second terminal for identification prior to providing the services.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein unauthorized access is prevented by prompting the second terminal to enter a personal identification.

16. The method according to claim 1, further comprising providing a credit for further services to the second terminal upon completion of a receipt of the services by the second terminal.

17. The method according to claim 1 wherein the purchase request includes an alerting option.