Billing management package for internet access and web page utilization
First Claim
1. A method of operating a billing management package for charged access transactions on the Internet, said method comprising the steps of:
- querying a user to select at least one desired domain and/or specific web site, wherein the at least one desired domain and/or specific web site are located on a web server operating the billing management;
querying the user to enter terms for at least one desired product, service, and/or data;
using a computer to search the at least one desired domain and/or specific web site for the desired product, service, and/or data;
querying a user to select a billing access option, the billing option being selected from a group consisting of time billing and per page billing;
downloading at least one found desired product, service, and/or data;
updating, by the web server, user records based on the at least one downloaded desired product, service, and/or data;
ceasing billing upon an indication by the user and recording a billing stamp, wherein the billing stamp indicates a duration of time if the selected billing option is time billing or a number of downloaded pages of desired product, service, and/or data if the selected billing option is per page billing;
determining, by the web server, a billing amount based on the billing stamp;
debiting the user'"'"'s account the billing amount and crediting at least one vendor based on the downloaded desired product, service, and/or data.
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Abstract
A billing management package which handles all web access as charged transactions (Pay-as-you-go) for browsing and purchasing product(s), service(s), and/or data on the Internet. The software is designed to be loaded on an individual web or a web server front ending multiple domains and/or access to other domains through Internet servers. The software deals with access to web pages, content viewing and product selection, billing the user for time spent browsing or per number of pages downloaded, and acting as a broker for multiple product selections. The billing software package is modular, each one handles different time based access transactions used for browsing and/or purchasing on the Internet.
53 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method of operating a billing management package for charged access transactions on the Internet, said method comprising the steps of:
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querying a user to select at least one desired domain and/or specific web site, wherein the at least one desired domain and/or specific web site are located on a web server operating the billing management; querying the user to enter terms for at least one desired product, service, and/or data; using a computer to search the at least one desired domain and/or specific web site for the desired product, service, and/or data; querying a user to select a billing access option, the billing option being selected from a group consisting of time billing and per page billing; downloading at least one found desired product, service, and/or data; updating, by the web server, user records based on the at least one downloaded desired product, service, and/or data; ceasing billing upon an indication by the user and recording a billing stamp, wherein the billing stamp indicates a duration of time if the selected billing option is time billing or a number of downloaded pages of desired product, service, and/or data if the selected billing option is per page billing; determining, by the web server, a billing amount based on the billing stamp; debiting the user'"'"'s account the billing amount and crediting at least one vendor based on the downloaded desired product, service, and/or data. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A server hosting a website accessible by a computer over the Internet, the server configured to operate a billing management module for charging a user of the computer for at least one selected product, service, and/or data, the server comprising:
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a web server; the billing management module comprising; an access module configured to accept a connection from the computer, wherein the access module is configured to receive a query from the computer and provide a query result to the computer comprising at least one product, service, and/or data; a database module including user information, wherein the user information includes billing information; wherein the billing management module is configured to; query a user to select a billing option from a group consisting of time billing and per page billing; receive a selected billing option; receive at least one selected product, service, and/or data from the computer; provide the user the at least one selected product, service, and/or data; update the user information based on the at least one selected product, service, and/or data; receive a stop billing indication from the computer; generate a billing stamp, wherein the billing stamp indicates a duration of time if the selected billing option is time billing or a number pages of provided product, service, and/or data if the selected billing option is per page billing; determine a billing amount based on the billing stamp; debit an account of the user for the billing amount; and crediting at least one vendor a portion of the billing amount based on the provided product, service, and/or data.
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21. A server hosting a website accessible by a computer over the Internet, the server configured to operate a billing management module for charging a user of the computer for at least two selected product, service, and/or data, the server comprising:
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a web server; the billing management module comprising; an access module configured to accept a connection from the computer, wherein the access module is configured to receive a query from the computer and provide a query result to the computer comprising at least one product, service, and/or data; a database module including user information, wherein the user information includes billing information; wherein the billing management module is configured to; query a user to select a billing option from a group consisting of time billing and per page billing; receive a selected billing option; receive the at least two selected product, service, and/or data from the computer, wherein a price associated with a first selected product, service, and/or data is in a different currency than a price associated with a second selected product, service, and/or data; provide the user the at least one selected product, service, and/or data; update the user information based on the at least one selected product, service, and/or data; receive a stop billing indication from the computer; generate a billing stamp, wherein the billing stamp indicates a duration of time if the selected billing option is time billing or a number pages of provided product, service, and/or data if the selected billing option is per page billing; determine a billing amount in a single currency based on the billing stamp, wherein a first portion of the billing amount associated with a first provided product, service, and/or data is in a different currency than a second portion of the billing amount associated with a second provided product, service, and/or data; debit an account of the user for the billing amount; and crediting at least one vendor a portion of the billing amount based on the provided product, service, and/or data. - View Dependent Claims (22)
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Specification