System and method for authorizing and monetizing collect cellular telephone calls
The collect cellular call identifies the cellular telephone carrier and called party cell phone. After determining whether the carrier and phone accept message service charges (SMS), a voice response module seeks positive authorization from the called party with the telephone. If positive, the system facilitates a connection between the calling party and the called party and initiates a predetermined billing charge assigned to the cellular telephone number. If the carrier or the cell phone is not enabled or if no authorization is obtained from the called party, the system facilitates a denial of completion signal. A timer monitors the length a the collect cellular call. Databases are accessed to locate the carrier and called cell phone number approved list of numbers and deny-service list of numbers.
1. A method of monetizing a telephone communication that has been initiated by a calling party over a telecommunications system to a called party using a cellular telephone having a telephone number and that is associated with a service provider comprising:
determining whether a charge for message service can be billed through the service provider when a message is transmitted to the cellular telephone;
presenting information at the cellular telephone relating to the telephone communication initiated by the calling party;
determining whether authorization for the telephone communication initiated by the calling party has been received from the called party;
if the charge for message service can be billed for a message transmitted to the cellular telephone and if there is authorization from the cellular telephone for the telephone communication (a) facilitating connection of the telephone communication between the calling party and the cellular telephone over the telecommunications system and transmission of a message to the cellular telephone by message service and (b) initiating a charge for message service to be made to the cellular telephone in association with transmission of the message to the cellular telephone;
wherein transmission of a message to the cellular telephone by message service comprises transmission of a text message to the telephone number associated with the cellular telephone.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of identifying the service provider associated with the telephone number of the cellular telephone and wherein the called party has enabled the service provider to charge for message service.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the charge for message service is made by the service provider to the called party.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein determining whether a charge for message service can be billed comprises determining whether an account associated with the telephone number of the cellular telephone is configured to accept a charge for a message sent to the cellular telephone.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein determining whether a charge for message service can be billed comprises determining whether an account associated with the telephone number of the cellular telephone is configured to accept a charge assessed by the service provider for a message sent to the cellular telephone.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein presenting information at the cellular telephone comprises identification of the calling party to the called party.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein transmission of the text message comprises transmission of at least one of an SMS message, a premium SMS message, a short message, a text alert or a premium text message.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein initiating a charge for message service to be made to the cellular telephone in association with transmission of the message to the cellular telephone comprises having the service provider bill an account number associated with the cellular telephone.
9. The method of claim 1 wherein initiating a charge for message service to be made to the cellular telephone in association with transmission of the message to the cellular telephone comprises an account number associated with the cellular telephone being billed in a predetermined amount.
10. The method of claim 1 wherein determining whether authorization for the telephone communication to the cellular telephone has been received comprises requesting the called party to accept a collect call.
11. The method of claim 1 wherein determining whether authorization for the telephone communication to the cellular telephone has been received comprises informing the called party of initiation of a charge for a message.
12. The method of claim 1 wherein determining whether a charge for message service can be billed comprises at least one of determining from the service provider that the charge can be billed to an account associated with the telephone number if a message is transmitted to the cellular telephone or determining from the service provider that the charge can be billed to the telephone number associated with the cellular telephone if a message is transmitted to the cellular telephone.
13. The method of claim 1 wherein the charge for message service to the cellular telephone is via the service provider for transmission of the message to the cellular telephone.
14. The method of claim 1 wherein a collect call comprises a cellular telephone used by a called party being charged for a telephone communication initiated by a calling party; and wherein the charge for message service made to the cellular telephone monetizes the telephone communication between the calling party and the cellular telephone as a collect call.
15. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of storing data relating to the telephone communication.
16. The method of claim 1 wherein the telecommunications system comprises at least one of a network, the internet, a telephone network, a cellular telephone network, or a wireless network.
17. The method of claim 1 wherein the telecommunication system comprises message service.
18. The method of claim 1 wherein message service comprises text messaging service.
19. The method of claim 1 wherein transmission of the message to the cellular telephone is initiated after authorization of the telephone communication between the calling party and the called party using the cellular telephone.
20. The method of claim 1 wherein authorization from the cellular telephone to receive the telephone communication comprises at least one of a voice input by the called party or an alphanumeric input from the cellular telephone.
21. The method of claim 1 wherein the charge is made by the service provider to the cellular telephone.
22. The method of claim 21 wherein the service provider is a cellular telephone carrier; and wherein monetizing the telephone communication comprises billing data being sent to the cellular telephone carrier and the charge for message service being sent to an account associated with the cellular telephone used by the called party.
23. The method of claim 22 wherein billing data is sent to the cellular telephone carrier by a connect service provider; and wherein the charge for message service is a message service billing charge.
24. The method of claim 23 wherein the telephone communication by the calling party is initiated through an operator service provider; and wherein the connect service provider interacts with the calling party by use of an interactive voice response (IVR) system.
25. The method of claim 1 wherein the charge is made to an account.
26. The method of claim 25 wherein the charge is made to an account associated with a telephone number for the cellular telephone.
27. The method of claim 1 wherein the cellular telephone used by the called party comprises a mobile device capable of cellular telephone communications and capable of message service.
28. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of facilitating denial of completion of the telephone communication if the cellular telephone is not enabled to accept a charge for message service or if no authorization is obtained for the telephone communication.
29. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of facilitating denial of completion of the telephone communication if no authorization is obtained from the called party using the cellular telephone.
30. The method of claim 1 wherein the telephone communication is initiated with an input of a telephone number associated with the cellular telephone and wherein a record of the telephone communication is stored as data.
31. The method of claim 1 wherein the telephone communication is billed as a collect call to the cellular telephone.
32. The method of claim 1 wherein the service provider comprises a cellular telephone carrier and the telephone communication comprises a cellular telephone communication.
33. The method of claim 1 wherein determining whether authorization has been provided comprises receipt of a positive response from the cellular telephone to receive the telephone communication as a collect call billed to the cellular telephone.
34. The method of claim 1 wherein facilitating connection of the telephone communication comprises providing an indication to the cellular telephone that the telephone communication has been connected over the telecommunications system.
35. The method of claim 1 wherein the telephone communication comprises a voice call on a telephone network to the cellular telephone and wherein facilitating connection of the telephone communication comprises continuation of the voice call by the calling party to the called party over the telecommunications system.
36. A method of monetizing a telephone communication that has been initiated by a calling party over a telecommunications system to a called party using a cellular telephone having a telephone number and that is associated with a service provider comprising:
presenting information at the cellular telephone relating to the telephone communication initiated by the calling party;
determining whether authorization for the telephone communication initiated by the calling party has been received from the cellular telephone;
if there is authorization from the cellular telephone for the telephone communication (a) facilitating connection of the telephone communication between the calling party and the cellular telephone over the telecommunications system and transmission of a message to the cellular telephone by message service and (b) initiating a charge for message service to be made to the cellular telephone in association with transmission of the message to the cellular telephone;
wherein determining whether authorization for the telephone communication initiated by the calling party has been received from the cellular telephone comprises determining whether a charge from the service provider will be accepted in association with the telephone communication from the calling party;
wherein the cellular telephone used by the called party comprises a mobile device capable of telephone communications and data communications;
wherein transmission of the message to the cellular telephone by message service comprises transmission of a text message to the telephone number associated with the cellular telephone; and
wherein the charge for message service made to the cellular telephone monetizes the telephone communication between the calling party and the cellular telephone as a collect call.
37. The method of claim 36 further comprising the step of determining whether a charge for message service can be billed when a message is transmitted to the cellular telephone;
wherein if the charge for message service can be billed for the message transmitted to the cellular telephone and if there is authorization from the cellular telephone for the telephone communication (a) facilitating connection of the telephone communication between the calling party and the cellular telephone over the telecommunications system and transmission of the message to the cellular telephone by message service and (b) initiating the charge for message service to be made to the cellular telephone in association with transmission of the message to the cellular telephone;
wherein the service provider is a cellular telephone carrier;
wherein monetizing the telephone communication comprises billing data being sent to the cellular telephone carrier and the charge for message service being sent to an account associated with the cellular telephone of the called party.
38. A method of billing a telephone communication on a telecommunications system between a calling party and a called party using a mobile device associated with a service provider for the telephone communication comprising:
determining whether the service provider has authorization for billing a charge for message service to the mobile device;
determining whether the called party has provided authorization for the telephone communication from the calling party;
if the service provider has authorization for billing the charge for message service to the mobile device and if the called party has provided authorization for the telephone communication from the calling party (a) transmitting a message to the mobile device after the telephone communication has been initiated; and (b) initiating the billing of the charge for message service to the mobile device for the message when the message has been transmitted;
wherein authorization for the telephone communication comprises acceptance of a charge from the service provider for message service in association with the telephone communication;
wherein the mobile device comprises a cellular telephone;
wherein a collect call comprises a cellular telephone used by a called party being charged for a telephone communication initiated by a calling party; and
wherein transmission of the message to the cellular telephone by message service comprises transmission of a text message to the telephone number associated with the cellular telephone.
39. The method of claim 38 wherein the called party comprises at least one person and wherein authorization for the telephone communication comprises indicating acceptance of a collect call from the calling party;
wherein the charge for message service made to the cellular telephone monetizes the telephone communication between the calling party and the cellular telephone as a collect call;
wherein monetizing the telephone communication further comprises billing data being sent to the cellular telephone carrier and the charge for message service being sent to an account associated with the cellular telephone used by the called party.
40. The method of claim 39 wherein the service provider is a cellular telephone carrier; wherein the telephone communication by the calling party is facilitated by an operator service provider; wherein billing data to monetize the telephone communication is sent by a connect service provider to the cellular telephone carrier and the charge for message service is sent by the cellular telephone carrier to the account associated with the cellular telephone used by the called party.
41. The method of claim 38 wherein the telecommunication system is capable of transmitting data wherein the mobile device is capable of receiving data wherein the charge for message service is for the message transmitted to the mobile device rather than for the telephone communication to the mobile device; and wherein the text message comprises at least one of an SMS message, a premium SMS message, a short message, a text alert or a premium text message.
42. The method of claim 38 wherein initiating a charge for message service to be made to the cellular telephone in association with transmission of the message to the cellular telephone comprises initiating a charge to a credit card authorized by the called party using the cellular telephone.
43. A method of authorizing and monetizing a cellular telephone communication that has been initiated by a calling party over a telecommunications system to a called party using a cellular telephone having a telephone number and that is associated with a service provider comprising:
determining whether a charge for message service can be billed through the service provider when a message is transmitted to the cellular telephone;
presenting information at the cellular telephone relating to the telephone communication initiated by the calling party;
determining whether authorization for the telephone communication initiated by the calling party has been received from the called party;
if the charge for message service can be billed for a message transmitted to the cellular telephone and if there is authorization from the cellular telephone for the telephone communication (a) facilitating connection of the telephone communication between the calling party and the cellular telephone over the telecommunications system and transmission of a message to the cellular telephone by message service and (b) initiating a charge for message service to be made to the cellular telephone in association with transmission of the message to the cellular telephone;
wherein a collect call comprises a cellular telephone used by a called party being charged for a telephone communication initiated by a calling party;
wherein the charge for message service made to the cellular telephone monetizes the telephone communication between the calling party and the cellular telephone as a collect call.
44. The method of claim 43 wherein the service provider is a cellular telephone carrier; and wherein monetizing the telephone communication comprises billing data being sent by a connect service provider to the cellular telephone carrier and the charge for message service being sent to an account associated with the cellular telephone of the called party.
45. The method of claim 43 wherein transmission of the text message comprises transmission of at least one of an SMS message, a premium SMS message, a short message, a text alert or a premium text message.
46. The method of authorizing and monetizing a cellular telephone communication as a collect call of claim 43 wherein the charge for message service comprises a predetermined billing charge; wherein initiation the charge for message service comprises initiating a message service billing charge; wherein the message service billing charge comprises a predetermined billing charge; wherein initiating the message service billing charge comprises generating a billing charge data with the cellular telephone number and sending the billing charge data to the cellular telephone carrier.
47. The method of authorizing and monetizing a cellular telephone communication as a collect call of claim 46 comprising in conjunction with the facilitating connection of the cellular telephone communication over the telecommunications system facilitating activation of a timing function to limit a duration of the connection between the calling party and the called party.
48. The method of authorizing and monetizing a cellular telephone communication as a collect call of claim 47 further comprising identifying the cellular telephone carrier associated with the cellular telephone number by interacting with an automatic number identification service.
49. The method of authorizing and monetizing a cellular telephone communication as a collect call of claim 48 wherein determining whether a charge for message service can be billed comprises determining whether the cellular telephone carrier and the cellular telephone is enabled to accept the message service billing charge; wherein determining whether the cellular telephone carrier and the cellular telephone is enabled to accept the message service billing charge comprises accessing one or more data stores.
50. The method of authorizing and monetizing a cellular telephone communication as a collect call of claim 49 wherein the one or more data stores comprises a designated data store comprising the predetermined billing charge, time-based data associated therewith and the cellular telephone number.
51. The method of authorizing and monetizing a cellular telephone communication as a collect call of claim 50 wherein determining whether the cellular telephone carrier and the cellular telephone is enabled to accept the message service billing charge comprises accessing the designated data store and determining the presence of an earlier record of the cellular telephone number.
52. The method of authorizing and monetizing a cellular telephone communication as a collect call of claim 51 comprising maintaining in the designated data store one or both of an approved list of cellular telephone numbers and a deny-service list of cellular telephone numbers and wherein determining whether the cellular telephone carrier and the cellular telephone is enabled comprises accessing the approved list and deny-service list of cellular telephone numbers.
53. The method of authorizing and monetizing a cellular telephone communication as a collect call of claim 52 further comprising accepting charge-back data for a cellular telephone number and recording the charge-back cellular telephone number in the deny-service list in the designated data store.
54. The method of authorizing and monetizing a cellular telephone communication as a collect call of claim 53 wherein determining authorization comprises an interactive voice response and data reply with the cellular telephone.
55. The method of authorizing and monetizing a cellular telephone communication as a collect call of claim 54 wherein facilitating connection between the calling party and the called party via the cellular telephone and the telecommunications system comprises generating a connection data packet directed to the telecommunications system.
56. The method of authorizing and monetizing a cellular telephone communication as a collect call of claim 55 wherein initiating the predetermined billing charge comprises generating a billing data packet directed to the cellular telephone carrier associated with the cellular telephone number.
57. The method of authorizing and monetizing a cellular telephone communication as a collect call of claim 56 further comprising if authorization is not provided for the cellular telephone communication facilitating the denial of completion of the collect call by generating a call denied data packet directed to the telecommunications system.
58. The method of claim 43 wherein the charge is made to an account associated with the telephone number for the cellular telephone.
59. The method of claim 43 wherein the cellular telephone used by the called party comprises a mobile device capable of cellular telephone communications and capable of message service.