Compensating recipients of calls

• US 20030115070A1
• Filed: 12/17/2001
• Published: 06/19/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Winters, Scott Lee, Paolini, Michael A., Brown, Michael Wayne, Weaver, James Mark, Mclntyre, Joseph Herbert
• Granted Patent: US 6,996,216 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

A method, system, and program for compensating recipients of calls are provided. A request to bill a caller a tariff for a call is initiated, wherein the caller originates the call. The caller is prompted to accept payment of the tariff to receive access to a destination line during the call. Responsive to negotiating for the payment of the tariff from the caller, the caller is connected with the destination line, such that the caller pays for access to the destination line. In particular, the caller may pay for access to a particular callee at the destination line.

Claims

1. A method for billing for a call, said method comprising:

initiating a request to bill a caller a tariff for a call, wherein said caller originates said call;

prompting said caller to accept payment of said tariff to receive access to a destination line during said call; and

responsive to negotiating said payment of said tariff from said caller, connecting said caller with said destination line, such that said caller pays for access to said destination line.

2. The method for billing for a call according to claim 1, further comprising:

authenticating an identity of a callee answering a call at said destination line; and

prompting said caller with said authenticated identity of said callee.

3. The method for billing for a call according to claim 1, further comprising:

authenticating an identity of said caller; and

loading a billing profile for said authenticated identity of said caller, wherein said billing profile specifies an account for negotiating said payment of said tariff.

4. The method for billing for a call according to claim 1, wherein said request to bill a caller is received in response to a tariff offer in a caller profile.

5. The method for billing for a call according to claim 1, wherein said request to bill a caller is received in response to a requirement in a line subscriber profile for said destination line.

6. The method for billing for a call according to claim 1, wherein said request to bill a caller is received in response to a requirement in a callee profile for a callee answering said call at said destination line.

7. The method for billing for a call according to claim 1, wherein said request to bill a caller is received in response to an entry by a callee answering said call at said destination line.

8. The method for billing for a call according to claim 1, wherein said tariff comprises at least one from among a monetary amount, a point amount, an electronic voucher, and an electronic coupon.

9. The method for billing for a call according to claim 1, further comprising:

negotiating payment of said tariff from a caller account provider.

10. The method for billing for a call according to claim 9, wherein said caller account provider is accessible within a trusted telephone network.

11. The method for billing for a call according to claim 9, wherein said caller account provider is accessible outside a trusted telephone network.

12. The method for billing for a call according to claim 9, wherein said caller account provider is accessed according to an authenticated identity of said caller.

13. The method for billing for a call according to claim 1, further comprising:

only completing payment of said tariff if at least one condition of said tariff is met.

14. The method for billing for a call according to claim 1, further comprising:

negotiating a payment of a tariff for forwarding said call to an alternate destination device.

15. The method for billing for a call according to claim 1, further comprising:

refunding at least a portion of said tariff to said caller.

25. The system for billing for a call according to claim 9, wherein said caller account provider is accessible within said trusted telephone network.

26. The system for billing for a call according to claim 9, wherein said caller account provider is accessible outside said trusted telephone network.

27. The system for billing for a call according to claim 9, wherein said caller account provider is accessed according to an authenticated identity of said caller.

16. A system for billing for a call, said system comprising:

a billing controller communicatively connected to a trusted telephone network;

means for initiating a request to bill a caller a tariff for a call at said billing controller, wherein said caller originates said call;

means for prompting said caller to accept payment of said tariff to receive access to a destination line during said call; and

means responsive to negotiating said payment of said tariff from said caller, for connecting said caller with said destination line.

17. The system for billing for a call according to claim 16, further comprising:

means for authenticating an identity of a callee answering a call at said destination line; and

means for prompting said caller with said authenticated identity of said callee.

18. The system for billing for a call according to claim 16, further comprising:

means for authenticating an identity of said caller; and

means for loading a billing profile for said authenticated identity of said caller, wherein said billing profile specifies an account for negotiating said payment of said tariff.

19. The system for billing for a call according to claim 16, wherein said request to bill a caller is received in response to a tariff offer in a caller profile.

20. The system for billing for a call according to claim 16, wherein said request to bill a caller is received in response to a requirement in a line subscriber profile for said destination line.

21. The system for billing for a call according to claim 16, wherein said request to bill a caller is received in response to a requirement in a callee profile for a callee answering said call at said destination line.

22. The system for billing for a call according to claim 16, wherein said request to bill a caller is received in response to an entry by a callee answering said call at said destination line.

23. The system for billing for a call according to claim 16, wherein said tariff comprises at least one from among a monetary amount, a point amount, an electronic voucher, and an electronic coupon.

24. The system for billing for a call according to claim 16, further comprising:

means for negotiating payment of said tariff from a caller account provider.

28. The system for billing for a call according to claim 16, further comprising:

means for only completing payment of said tariff if at least one condition of said tariff is met.

29. The system for billing for a call according to claim 16, further comprising:

means for negotiating a payment of a tariff for forwarding said call to an alternate destination device.

30. The system for billing for a call according to claim 16, further comprising:

means for refunding at least a portion of said tariff to said caller.

31. A computer program product for billing for a call, said computer program product comprising:

a recording medium;

means, recorded on said recording medium, for initiating a request to bill a caller a tariff for a call at said billing controller, wherein said caller originates said call;

means, recorded on said recording medium, for prompting said caller to accept payment of said tariff to receive access to a destination line during said call; and

means, recorded on said recording medium, for connecting said caller with said destination line responsive to negotiating said payment of said tariff from said caller.

32. The computer program product for billing for a call according to claim 31, further comprising:

means, recorded on said recording medium, for authenticating an identity of a callee answering a call at said destination line; and

means, recorded on said recording medium, for prompting said caller with said authenticated identity of said callee.

33. The computer program product for billing for a call according to claim 31, further comprising:

means, recorded on said recording medium, for authenticating an identity of said caller; and

means, recorded on said recording medium, for loading a billing profile for said authenticated identity of said caller, wherein said billing profile specifies an account for negotiating said payment of said tariff.

34. The computer program product for billing for a call according to claim 31, further comprising:

means, recorded on said recording medium, for negotiating payment of said tariff from a caller account provider.

35. The computer program product for billing for a call according to claim 31, further comprising:

means, recorded on said recording medium, for only completing payment of said tariff if at least one condition of said tariff is met.

36. The computer program product for billing for a call according to claim 31, further comprising:

means, recorded on said recording medium, for negotiating a payment of a tariff for forwarding said call to an alternate destination device.

37. The computer program product for billing for a call according to claim 31, further comprising:

means, recorded on said recording medium, for refunding at least a portion of said tariff to said caller.

38. A method for controlling a billed transaction, comprising:

transferring a call to an origin device with a billed transaction request initiated by a callee receiving said call;

authenticating an identity of a caller placing said call at said origin device; and

executing said billed transaction according to a billing plan for said authenticated caller identity.

39. A method for controlling caller billing, comprising:

receiving, at an origin device originating a call, an acceptance of said call with a billed transaction request initiated by a callee answering said call; and

responsive to an acceptance of said billed transaction by a caller, transferring an authorization to charge a billing plan according to an authenticated identity of said caller.