Telephonic communications – With check operated control – Other than coin
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-28
2001-06-05
Kuntz, Curtis (Department: 2643)
Telephonic communications
With check operated control
Other than coin
C379S100040, C379S091010, C379S114030, C705S400000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06243450
ABSTRACT:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application is related to application Ser. No. 08/928,519 filed Sep. 12, 1997 and entitled “PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS SERVICES VENDING METHOD AND APPARATUS”.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to pay-per use for data-network-based public access services and is particularly concerned with providing a method and apparatus for providing pay-per use billing to end-users of public access services available through an Internet-accessible kiosk or terminal.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A public multimedia system is a combination of public terminals, such as telephones and personal computers and includes a method or apparatus to administer these public terminals and a method or apparatus for hosting application computer programs on this system. The application programs that are hosted on such a system include network-driven tools such as e-mail and secure commerce transactions for online purchases. When deployed in public locations such as airport departure lounges, public thorough fares, shopping malls, banks, movie theatres and retail stores the terminals may be referred to as kiosks, booths, internet kiosks, networked multimedia kiosks, or web payphones.
These kiosks may be used to provide messaging services such as e-mail and fax, form-entry services for banks and governments, electronic commerce such as ticketing and virtual shopping malls, entertainment such as Internet access, games and chat rooms, and public utilities such as pay telephony.
The information age places new demands on people to be “connected” to various networks, both public and private. People not connected to these networks through travel, time constraints, or financial resources, may be placed in economic or social disadvantage. Public multimedia systems, can reliably provide these vital connections to travellers and to those without the necessary equipment to access theses information networks.
Various services can be provided to kiosk users. Some services, such as on-line maps or guidebooks, may be provided free-of-charge. Other services, known as loyalty programs, may be provided free-of-charge to identified customers of the service providers. Other services, such as e-mail, may require the kiosk user to pay for use of the services. These pay-per-use services include not only e-mail, but event ticketing, provision of proprietary information to the kiosk user, games, Internet access and printing materials associated with these services.
Individuals who use pay-per-use services can be charged different rates for different services. For example, Internet access could be charged at a different rate than reading or writing e-mail.
As well, it would be desirable when charging a fee for network-based services, to take into account the data throughput on the network when billing for services.
More generally, it would be desirable to offer a number of different billing options and features in pay-per-use services hosted by public multimedia systems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide an improved method and apparatus for pay-per-use services for Web-Based Public Access Services.
In one aspect of there is provided an apparatus for vending public multimedia services, the apparatus including:
(a) a telephone, (b) a multimedia terminal, and (c) a card reader associated with the telephone for receiving an authorization to accept charges for enabling use of the multimedia terminal. In another aspect of the present invention there is provided an apparatus for vending public multimedia services, the apparatus comprising; (a) a telephone, (b) a multimedia terminal; (c) a payment receiver for receiving an authorization to accept charges for enabling use of at least one of the telephone and the multimedia terminal, (d) a file receiver for receiving a file, the file containing service rate information and, (e) memory for storing said service rate information. In a
nother aspect of the present invention there is provided a method for displaying billing rate information on a public multimedia kiosk including: (a) receiving an inquiry from a user about a pay-per-use service, (b) displaying service rate information to the user, (c) querying the user if they wish to receive the pay-per-use service, and, (d) providing the pay-per-use service upon receiving a positive response to the query.
In another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method for modifying a usage charge for a pay-per-use service based on a data arrival rate including: (a) calculating the data arrival rate over a period of time, (b) comparing the data arrival rate to at least pre-stored value; (c) calculating a charge modifier based on the comparison, and, (d) calculating a usage charge based on the charge modifier.
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Celkowski Tomasz
Isgro Nick
Jansen Bernie G.
Barnie Rexford
Bracewell & Patterson L.L.P.
Kuntz Curtis
Nortel Networks Corporation
Smith Kevin L.
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