Telephone-based selection, ordering, and billing of digital content delivered via a network

• US 7,184,526 B1
• Filed: 09/18/2002
• Issued: 02/27/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Cook, Fred S.
• Primary Examiner(s): TIEU, BINH KIEN
• Application Number:
  US10/245,457
• Time in Patent Office: 1,623 Days
• Field of Search: 379/114.01, 379/127.01, 379/126, 379/115.01, 379/121, 379/93.12, 37910003-10004, 379/100.12, 37910016-10017, 37910202-10203, 705/26, 705/30, 725/1, 725/4, 725 86- 87, 725/105, 725/109
• US Class Current: 379/93.12
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/123 Shopping for digital content
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/16 Payments settled via telecommunication systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1482 involving use of telephony infrastructure for billing for the transport of data, e.g. call detail record [CDR] or intelligent network infrastructure
• 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 15/41 Billing record details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure of call data record [CDR]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0164 Billing record, e.g. Call Data Record [CDR], Toll Ticket[TT], Automatic Message Accounting [AMA], Call Line Identifier [CLI], details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure

Abstract

A content delivery system for delivering digital multimedia content to a premise appliance of a user comprises an intelligent voice response (IVR) unit which is responsive via a public switched telephone network to a premise telephone of the user. The IVR unit presents a predetermined menu for selecting a transaction to receive the digital multimedia content. The IVR unit also obtains an identification of the user (such as the user'"'"'s telephone number via automatic number identification or caller ID). A content server is coupled to the IVR unit for transferring the digital multimedia content to the premise appliance. A telephone billing system is coupled to the IVR unit or the content server. The telephone billing system creates a call record corresponding to the selected transaction and to a telephone billing account corresponding to the user identification. The call record contains usage information for the transaction which can later be used by the billing system to determine a charge for the transaction. The content server signals the billing system in the event of an incomplete transmission for adjusting the call record.

Claims

1. A content delivery system for delivering digital multimedia content to a premise appliance of a user via a digital data network, comprising:

an intelligent voice response (IVR) unit responsive via a public switched telephone network to a premise telephone of said user, wherein said IVR unit presents a predetermined menu for selecting a transaction using said premise telephone to receive said digital multimedia content using said premise appliance, and wherein said IVR unit obtains an identification of said user;

a content server coupled to said IVR unit and to said digital data network for transferring said digital multimedia content to said premise appliance via said digital data network separate from said public switched telephone network and said premise telephone;

a telephone billing system coupled to at least one of said IVR unit and said content server, said telephone billing system creating a call record corresponding to said selected transaction and to a telephone billing account corresponding to said user identification, said call record containing usage information for said transaction;

wherein said content server signals said billing system in the event of an incomplete transmission for adjusting said call record.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said IVR unit includes automatic number identification (ANI) capability for obtaining said user identification.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said IVR unit prompts said user to input said user identification.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said digital data network is comprised of the Internet.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said transferred digital multimedia content is encrypted using a key incorporating said user identification.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said key further incorporates an identifier of said content server.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said call record comprises information identifying said transaction and said content server.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein said information further comprises a call termination status, and wherein said call termination status is comprised of an error code if said incomplete transmission occurs.

9. A method for delivering digital multimedia content to a premise appliance of a user, comprising the steps of:

an intelligent voice response (IVR) unit receiving a telephone call from a premise telephone of a user via a public switched telephone network;

said IVR unit presenting a predetermined menu for said user to select a transaction to receive said digital multimedia content;

said user selecting a transaction using said premise telephone;

said IVR unit obtaining an identification of said user;

a content server coupled to said IVR unit transferring said digital multimedia content to said premise appliance via a digital data network;

said user receiving said digital multimedia content using said premise appliance separate from said public switched telephone network;

creating a call record in a telephone billing system, said call record corresponding to said selected transaction and to a telephone billing account corresponding to said user identification, said call record containing predetermined usage information for said transaction;

said content server detecting if an incomplete transmission of said digital multimedia content occurs and signaling said billing system of such an occurrence; and

said billing system adjusting said call record in response to an incomplete transmission so that said user is not charged for said selected transaction.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising the step of:

collecting automatic number identification (ANI) data from said public switched telephone network as said user identification.

11. The method of claim 9 further comprising the step of:

said IVR unit prompting said user to input said user identification.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein said digital data network is comprised of the Internet.

13. The method of claim 9 further comprising the step of:

encrypting said transferred digital multimedia content using a key incorporating said user identification.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said key further incorporates an identifier of said content server.

15. The method of claim 9 wherein said call record comprises information identifying said transaction and said content server.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said information further comprises a call termination status, and wherein said call termination status is comprised of an error code if said incomplete transmission occurs.