Telephonic communications – With usage measurement – Call charge metering or monitoring
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-23
2001-10-09
Tieu, Binh (Department: 2643)
Telephonic communications
With usage measurement
Call charge metering or monitoring
C379S087000, C379S088180, C379S088250, C379S112090, C379S114100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06301342
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to a method relating to telecommunications wherein a call is connected between two subscribers and the call is billed to a third subscriber, and wherein advertisements are transmitted during the course of the call.
2. Description of the Related Art
Swedish Patent No. 9403793-4 teaches a method of forwarding and billing a telephone call wherein a first subscriber telephone is connected to a second subscriber telephone via a standard telephone network. The standard telephone network may be either a fixed network or a mobile telephone network.
According to that patent specification, a call connection is set up by virtue of the first subscriber dialling a prefix followed by a subscriber number that leads to a third subscriber and then dialling a subscriber number that leads to a second subscriber. This procedure results in the setup of a connection between the first and the second subscribers while billing the third subscriber for the call between said first and second subscribers.
The prefix and subscriber number causes the telephone network to connect the call through the telephone network to a network connected computer unit of the third subscriber. The prefix also causes the computer unit to forward the call to the second subscriber via said computer unit, so as to connect the first subscriber with the second subscriber.
According to the aforesaid patent specification, the computer unit is caused to transmit advertisements or publicity media at given time intervals during the duration of the call connected between the first and the second subscribers.
For instance, a chain of hamburger restaurants or a chain of gas stations may transmit during the course of the call connection advertisements relating to sales offers or ongoing campaigns.
In this case, the first subscriber is not billed for the call to the second subscriber, or is only billed for a part of the call, while a company or an organization is able to advertise its activities to the first and the second subscribers.
One problem with call connections of this kind is, of course, that the transmitted advertising messages interrupt the conversation held by the persons involved while the advertisement is transmitted. This can be very annoying to persons who do not wish to be constantly interrupted in this way.
Such a situation can occur when a subscriber utilizes the possibility of phoning free of charge, by setting up a connection with a second subscriber on a facility in which advertisements are transmitted but where the second subscriber has something important to say or discuss or when the call has developed along lines in which the persons involved no longer wish to be interrupted by advertising messages.
The present invention solves this problem.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is thus concerned with a method relating to telecommunications call is connected between two subscribers, the call is billed to a third subscriber, wherein a first subscriber telephone is connected to a second subscriber first telephone via a standard telephone network, wherein the first subscriber dials a subscriber number, preferably preceded by a prefix, that leads to the third subscriber and then dials a subscriber number that leads to the second subscriber, the telephone network is caused to connect the call to a telephone network connected computer unit that forwards the call to said second subscriber to connect said first subscriber with said second subscriber, the call between the first and the second subscriber is billed to the third subscriber, and advertisements or like messages are transmitted on the call connection between the first and the second subscriber. When one of the first and the second subscribers enters a code or the like through the keypad of the telephone concerned during an ongoing call, said computer unit senses said code; and upon sensing the code, the computer unit interrupts transmission of advertisements during the course of said call; the computer unit bills the remainder of the connected call in accordance with fixed telephone tariffs.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4850007 (1989-07-01), Marino et al.
patent: 5448625 (1995-09-01), Lederman
patent: 5729598 (1998-03-01), Kay
patent: 5793851 (1998-08-01), Albertson
patent: 5870724 (1999-02-01), Lawlor et al.
patent: 5987424 (1999-11-01), Nakamura
patent: 6102406 (2000-08-01), Miles et al.
Ander Carl
Palmaeus Fredrik
Gratistelefon Svenska AB
Mangels Alfred J.
Tieu Binh
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