Method for charging on-line directory assistance services
View Patent ↗An approach for providing an on-line directory assistance service system for charging for directory assistance services that are provided over a packet switched network is disclosed. The system includes a server that tracks the number of directory listings that are transmitted to and displayed on a client access device (e.g., non-PC devices) and to prepare billing information based upon the number of directory listings. The system also includes a database that is coupled to the server and that stores the directory listings.
1. A method of charging for directory assistance services that are provided over a packet switched network, the method comprising:
transmitting information associated with a plurality of directory listings to a client access device over the packet switched network in response to a query initiated by a customer;
in response to a selection of more than one of the directory listings from the client access device, transmitting a plurality of listing numbers to the client access device; and
preparing billing information based upon a number of the plurality of listing numbers transmitted to the client access device.
2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the information in the transmitting step includes partial directory information, the method further comprising:
receiving a request for the billing information from the client access device; and transmitting the billing information to the client access device.
3. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
transmitting the billing information according to a pre-determined delivery mechanism,
wherein the delivery mechanism includes at least one of e-mail, facsimile, or paging.
4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the client access device in the tracking step includes at least one of a personal computer (PC), a PDA (personal digital assistant), a web-appliance, an e-mail client, a web-enabled cell phone, or non-PC device.
5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the directory assistance services include at least one of a client controlled querying, modifying, classifying, editing, or web-based text chatting, and wherein the directory listings in the tracking step include a name, an address, and a directory number, an enhanced content data including at least one of a mobile number, a pager number, a facsimile number, a voice-mail, an e-mail address, or a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) identifier.
6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the packet switched network is an Internet Protocol (IP) network, and the client access device employs the IP protocol.
7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the preparing step comprises:
determining a billing arrangement of the customer; and
computing an invoice amount based upon the billing arrangement, wherein the billing
arrangement includes at least one of a transactional based fee arrangement, per seat arrangement, flat rate fee arrangement, or volume based fee arrangement.
8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the directory listings in the tracking step are based upon data that is supplied from a local exchange carrier (LEC), a Regional Bell Operating Company (RBOC), or a third party database.
9. A server apparatus for charging for directory assistance services that are provided over a packet switched network, the server apparatus comprising:
a communication system configured to transmit information associated with a plurality of directory listings to a client access device over the packet switched network in response to a query initiated by a customer and, in response to a selection of more than one of the directory listings from the client access device, transmitting a plurality of listing numbers to the client access device;
a processor configured to prepare billing information based upon a number of the plurality of listing numbers transmitted to the client access device; and
a memory coupled to the processor configured to store the number of the plurality of listing numbers.
10. The server apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the information in the transmitting step includes partial directory information, further comprising:
a communication interface configured to receive a request for the billing information from the client access device, and to transmit the billing information to the client access device over the packet switched network.
11. The server apparatus according to claim 9 , further comprising:
a communication interface configured to transmit the billing information according to
a pre-determined delivery mechanism, wherein the delivery mechanism includes at least one of e-mail, facsimile, or paging.
12. The server apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the client access device includes at least one of a personal computer (PC), a PDA (personal digital assistant), a web-appliance, an e-mail client, a web-enabled cell phone, or non-PC device.
13. The server apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the directory assistance services include at least one of a client controlled querying, modifying, classifying, editing, or web-based text chaffing, and wherein the directory listings include a name, an address, and a directory number, the enhanced content data including at least one of a mobile number, a pager number, a facsimile number, a voice-mail, an e-mail address, or a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) identifier.
14. The server apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the packet switched
network is an Internet Protocol (IP) network, and the client access device employs the IP protocol.
15. The server apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the processor is configured to determine a billing arrangement of the customer, and to compute an invoice amount based upon the billing arrangement, wherein the billing arrangement includes at least one of a transactional based fee arrangement, per seat arrangement, flat rate fee arrangement or volume based fee arrangement.
16. The server apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the directory listings are based upon data that is supplied from a local exchange carrier (LEC), a Regional Bell Operating Company (RBOC), or a third party database.
17. A server apparatus for charging for directory assistance services that are provided over a packet switched network, the server apparatus comprising:
means for transmitting information associated with plurality of directory listings to a client access device over the packet switched network in response to a query initiated by a customer;
means for transmitting a plurality of listing numbers to the client access device in response to a selection of more than one of the directory listings from the client access device; and
means for preparing billing information based upon a number of the plurality of listing numbers transmitted to the client access device.
18. The server apparatus according to claim 17 , wherein the information in the transmitting step includes partial directory information, the apparatus further comprising:
means for receiving a request for the billing information from the client access device; and
means for transmitting the billing information to the client access device.
19. The server apparatus according to claim 17 , further comprising:
means for transmitting the billing information according to a pre-determined delivery mechanism, wherein the delivery mechanism includes at least one of e-mail, facsimile, or paging.
20. The server apparatus according to claim 17 , wherein the client access device includes at least one of a personal computer (PC), a PDA (personal digital assistant), a web-appliance, an e-mail client, a web-enabled cell phone, or non-PC device.
21. The server apparatus according to claim 17 , wherein the directory assistance services include at least one of a client controlled querying, modifying, classifying, editing, or web-based text chaffing, and wherein the directory listings include a name, an address, and a directory number, the enhanced content data including at least one of a mobile number, a pager number, a facsimile number, a voice-mail, an e-mail address, or a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) identifier.
22. The server apparatus according to claim 17 , wherein the packet switched network is an Internet Protocol (IP) network, and the client access device employs the IP protocol.
23. The server apparatus according to claim 17 , wherein the preparing means comprises:
means for determining a billing arrangement of the customer; and
means for computing an invoice amount based upon the billing arrangement, wherein the billing arrangement includes at least one of a transactional based fee arrangement, per seat arrangement; flat rate fee arrangement, or volume based fee arrangement.
24. The server apparatus according to claim 17 , wherein the directory listings are based upon data that is supplied from a local exchange carrier (LEC), a Regional Bell Operating Company (RBOC), or a third party database.
25. An on-line directory assistance service system for charging for directory assistance services that are provided over a packet switched network, the system comprising:
a system configured to transmit information associated with a plurality of directory listings to a client access device over the packet switched network in response to a query initiated by a customer and, in response to a selection of more than one of the directory listings from the client access device, transmitting a plurality of listing numbers to the client access device;
a server configured to prepare billing information based upon a number of the plurality of listing numbers transmitted to the client access device; and
a database coupled to the server and configured to store the number of the plurality of listing numbers.
26. The system according to claim 25 , wherein the information in the transmitting step includes partial directory information, and the server is configured to receive a request for the billing information from the client access device, and to transmit the billing information to the client access device over the packet switched network.
27. The system according to claim 25 , wherein the server is configured to transmit the billing information according to a pre-determined delivery mechanism, wherein the delivery mechanism includes at least one of e-mail, facsimile, or paging.
28. The system according to claim 25 , wherein the client access device includes at least one of a personal computer (PC), a PDA (personal digital assistant), a web-appliance, an e-mail client, a web-enabled cell phone, or non-PC device.
29. The system according to claim 25 , wherein the directory assistance services include at least one of a client controlled querying, modifying, classifying, editing, or web-based text chatting, and wherein the directory listings include a name, an address, and a directory number, the enhanced content data including at least one of a mobile number, a pager number, a facsimile number, a voice-mail, an e-mail address, or a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) identifier.
30. The system according to claim 25 , wherein the packet switched network is an Internet Protocol (IP) network, and the client access device employs the IP protocol.
31. The system according to claim 25 , wherein the server is configured to determine a billing arrangement of the customer, and to compute an invoice amount based upon the billing arrangement, wherein the billing arrangement includes at least one of a transactional based fee arrangement, per seat arrangement, flat rate fee arrangement, or volume based fee arrangement.
32. The system according to claim 25 , wherein the directory listings are based upon data that is supplied from local exchange carriers (LECs), a Regional Bell Operating Company (RBOC), or third party databases.
33. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions for charging for directory assistance services that are provided over a packet switched network, the one or more sequences of one or more instructions including instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:
transmitting information associated with a plurality of directory listings to a client access device over the packet switched network in response to a query initiated by a customer;
transmitting a plurality of listing numbers to the client access device in response to a selection of more than one of the directory listings from the client access device; and
preparing billing information based upon a number of the plurality of listing numbers transmitted to the client access device.
34. The computer-readable medium according to claim 33 , wherein the information in the transmitting step includes partial directory information, and wherein the one or more processors further perform the steps of:
receiving a request for the billing information from the client access device; and transmitting the billing information to the client access device.
35. The computer-readable medium according to claim 33 , wherein the one or more processors further perform the steps of:
transmitting the billing information according to a pre-determined delivery mechanism, wherein the delivery mechanism includes at least one of e-mail, facsimile or paging.
36. The computer-readable medium according to claim 33 , wherein the client access device in the tracking step includes at least one of a personal computer (PC), a PDA (personal digital assistant), a web-appliance, an e-mail client, a web-enabled cell phone, or non-PC device.
37. The computer-readable medium according to claim 33 , wherein the directory assistance services include at least one of a client controlled querying, modifying, classifying, editing, or web-based text chaffing, and wherein the directory listings in the tracking step include a name, an address, and a directory number, the enhanced content data including at least one of a mobile number, a pager number, a facsimile number, a voice mail, an e-mail address, or a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) identifier.
38. The computer-readable medium according to claim 33 , wherein the packet switched network is an Internet Protocol (IP) network, and the client access device employs the IP protocol.
39. The computer-readable medium according to claim 33 , wherein the preparing step comprises:
determining a billing arrangement of the customer; and
computing an invoice amount based upon the billing arrangement, wherein the billing arrangement includes at least one of a transactional based fee arrangement, per seat arrangement, flat rate fee arrangement, or volume based fee arrangement.
40. The computer-readable medium according to claim 33 , wherein the directory listings are based upon data that is supplied from a local exchange carrier (LEC), a Regional Bell Operating Company (RBOC), or a third party database.