System and method for conducting a subscriber communications equipment lease and usage service program

• US 20080139172A1
• Filed: 12/06/2006
• Published: 06/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Embarq Holdings Company LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Embarq Holdings Company LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gamel, Bennett P.
• Application Number:
  US11/634,610
• Publication Number:
  US 20080139172A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/406
• 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

Abstract

A system and method for providing a telecommunications lease and usage service program. A method may include billing a subscriber of a telecommunications carrier for leasing communications equipment, and billing the subscriber usage charges for use of the leased communications equipment. The communications equipment may be a mobile telephone. The billing may be performed on a single invoice.

Claims

1. A method for providing telecommunications services to subscribers of a telecommunications carrier, said method comprising:

billing a subscriber of a telecommunications carrier for leasing communications equipment; and

billing the subscriber usage charges for use of the leased communications equipment.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising enabling the subscriber to exchange the leased communications equipment after a predetermined lease term.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the lease term is one year or shorter.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the lease term is nine months or shorter.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein the lease term is six months or shorter.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the telecommunications equipment is a mobile telephone.

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

exchanging the communications equipment from the subscriber for another communications equipment; and

refurbishing the exchanged communications equipment.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising selling the refurbished communications equipment in a secondary telecommunications market.

9. The method according to claim 7, further comprising selling the refurbished communications equipment in bulk in a secondary telecommunications market.

10. The method according to claim 7, further comprising determining that the exchanged communications equipment is in working condition prior to exchanging the communications equipment.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising optionally insuring the communications equipment.

12. A system for managing telecommunications services to subscribers of a telecommunications carrier, said system comprising:

a database configured to store information associated with subscribers of a telecommunications carrier, and

a processing unit in communication with said database and executing software configured to;

generate information for billing a subscriber of the telecommunications carrier for leasing communications equipment;

generate information for billing the subscriber usage charges for use of the leased communications equipment; and

prepare an invoice including the billing information for leasing and using the communications equipment.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the software is further configured to update the information stored in said database in response to the subscriber exchanging the leased communications equipment after a predetermined lease term.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the lease term is one year or shorter.

15. The system according to claim 13, wherein the lease term is nine months or shorter.

16. The system according to claim 13, wherein the lease term is six months or shorter.

17. The system according to claim 12, wherein the telecommunications equipment is a mobile telephone.

18. The system according to claim 12, wherein the software is further configured to update the information stored in the database to include information associated with another communications equipment in response to the subscriber exchanging the communications equipment.

19. The system according to claim 18, wherein the software is further configured to:

determine a refurbished value of the communications equipment based on age; and

store the refurbished value and information associated with the exchanged communications equipment in said database.

20. The system according to claim 19, wherein the software is further configured to:

aggregate the information associated with the exchanged communications equipment; and

generate a report including the aggregated information associated with the exchanged communications equipment.

21. The system according to claim 12, wherein said database is configured to store warranty information associated with the communications equipment.

22. The system according to claim 12, wherein said database is configured to store insurance information for the communications equipment.