6004results about "Billing/invoicing" patented technology

A billing process is disclosed for a information dispersal system or digital data storage system. In one embodiment of the invention, the original data to be stored is separated into a number of data “slices” or shares in such a manner that the data in each subset is less usable or less recognizable or completely unusable or completely unrecognizable by itself except when combined with some or all of the other data subsets. These data subsets are stored on separate digital data storage devices as a way of increasing privacy and security. As dispersed file shares are being stored or removed from a grid of distributed storage locations, a set of metadata tables are created, separate from the dispersed file share storage, to maintain information about the original data size of each block, file or set of file shares dispersed on the grid. The original data size information in these separate metadata tables is used to determine usage information based upon the original file size even though the file has been dispersed onto a storage grid that contains file slices who size may not relate to the original file size and the file slices may have been compressed by the system in order to reduce storage space or improve transmission time. As such, the billing process is able to enable a broad range of commercial billing options for billing for commercial data services on an information dispersal grid.

The disclosure provides for creating a finalized document relating to a transaction. A buyer selects documents associated with a proposed transaction and indicates trade terms of an agreement relating to the documents selected. The trade terms are presented to a seller on an electronic form via an electronic document platform. The electronic form includes a combined purchase order proforma invoice, a transportation document, and a shipping document. The seller can amend the trade terms on the form, and each amendment creates a new version of the form. Negotiations of the trade terms between the buyer and the seller are conducted electronically and the negotiated fonn detailing the negotiation of the trade terms is generated and displayed electronically, also. A compliance check is performed and is triggered in response to a digital signature of the form. Payment is initiated to the seller after a verification of credit of the buyer.

Methods and systems for making a financial payment to a payee via a stored value (SV) card utilizing a mobile device such as a mobile telephone (cellphone) or wireless connected personal digital assistant (PDA). The mobile device communicates wirelessly with a mobile financial transaction system (MFTS) that stores user information and transaction information. A user enters information via the mobile device identifying a payee and indicating a stored value card payment method. The mobile device generates a mobile payment instruction that includes information corresponding to the identified payee and indicating a stored value card payment method. The mobile payment instruction is wirelessly communicated to the MFTS. The MFTS generates an MFTS payment instruction to a payment instruction recipient that can issue a new stored value card and/or reload funds onto a pre-existing stored value card. The MFTS communicates the MFTS payment instruction to the payment instruction recipient, which arranges for payment to the identified payee by issuing a new stored value card or reloading funds onto a pre-existing stored value card.

A method and system is provided for storing and manipulating customer purchase information received from a plurality of sources. A computer system may be used comprising a storage device for storing the customer purchase information and a processor for processing the customer purchase information. The method may include receiving the customer purchase information; organizing the customer purchase information within a predetermined organizational structure; creating a customer preference based at least in part on the customer purchase information; and aggregating customer purchases for merchant classes based on the customer purchase information so as to generate aggregated customer purchase information. The method may further include generating marketing information based on at least one of the customer preference and the aggregated customer purchase information.

A charging factor is determined applicable to each time interval in a period of time during which at least one data transfer was conducted. An amount of data transferred during each time interval is determined. A total charge applicable to the at least one data transfer is computed based at least in part on the charging factor applicable to each time interval and the amount of data transferred. Alternatively or additionally, a plurality of potential start times and an amount of data for a data transfer are identified. A set of time intervals associated with each of the potential start times are determined. For each of the potential start times, an estimated charge applicable to the data transfer is computed based at least in part on a charging factor applicable to each of one or more time intervals associated with the potential start time and the amount of data estimated to be transferred.

A comprehensive electronic business support system comprises three layers: (1) the business layer, including various smart components which unify data and business processes across all customer interactions; (2) the integration layer, including various communications messaging interfaces and enterprise application integration adpaters, which provide a flexible, automated, and process driven solution for integrating across business applications and operations support systems; and (3) the presentation layer, including various customer views, which are presented via particular business portals. A smart component server provides the core services and comprehensive business process logic required to successfully conduct business online. The communications messaging interfaces integrate with back-office systems for functions such as billing, provisioning, and interconnection.

A multi-source bridge content distribution system links multiple content owners with access network operators or content distribution providers leasing space on access networks so that multi-media content can be provided from multiple content owners to consumers through a multi-source bridge or data center. Content files and associated content owner preference settings are provided from a plurality of content sources or providers to the multi-source data center. Files stored at the data center or locally at an access network are provided to subscribers through the local access network Content files are provided if the content owner preference settings are a sufficient match with service provider access network preference settings set up by the service provider using the access network to provide content to subscribers.

A system and method for spending loyalty points over a computerized network to facilitate a loyalty point transaction is disclosed. The system enables a participant of a loyalty program to accept an advance of loyalty point when a loyalty account balance is insufficient to make a desired purchase. An amount of loyalty points available as an advance to a participant is determined based on a number of criteria related to the participant, financial account activity, and loyalty account activity. The participant is allotted a predetermined length of time to earn or purchase enough loyalty points to repay the balance of advanced loyalty points. If, at the conclusion of such predetermined length of time, sufficient points have not been earned to offset the loyalty point advance, the participant is charged the currency value of each outstanding loyalty point. The participant may be assessed interest charges and/or fees at the time of the loyalty point advance, during reimbursement, or at the end of a time period for reimbursement.

A media content manager residing at a user premises having a tuner coupled to at least one media source operable to selectively receive at least one media stream of at least one type of media content. The media content manager also including a media processor coupled to the tuner and operable to receive the at least one media stream and convert the media stream to a predetermined data format, the at least one media stream comprising metadata. Additionally, the media content manages has a media manager coupled to the media processor and operable to receive the at least one media stream in the predetermined data format and direct the media stream to a selected media player device coupled to the media processor. Furthermore, the media content manager includes a storage device coupled to the media manager and operable to receive and store the at least one media stream in the predetermined data format.

A telecommunications system and method is disclosed for providing a substantially immediate electronic receipt after a consumer has made a purchase. When a consumer makes a purchase, the sales terminal, which is attached with a short message/e-mail sending capable terminal, can generate and route a short message along with the detailed purchase information to a transport address or alias address associated with the consumer via a Gatekeeper for the Internet for the area that the sales terminal is located in. Upon receipt of the short message, the Gatekeeper can then convert the alias address to the transport address, if the alias address is given and the consumer does not want the short message sent to the alias address, and forward the short message through the Internet to that transport address (or alias address) as an Internet Protocol datagram for storage and retrieval of the short message by the consumer either immediately or at a later time.

A system uses an intelligent load controller for managing use of a consumable resource at an associated load. The controller has a resource measuring component for measuring the rate of use of the resource by the associated load, including measuring at least one of an instantaneous usage rate and a usage rate over an integration period and a load status component for receiving load status data for the associated load. The controller also has a communication component for receiving control messages from and sending load status messages to other associated controllers; a memory for storing a load control goal set; and a load control computer program responsive to the resource measuring component, the load status component, the control messages from other associated controllers and the load control goal set, to determine a load operating level for, and provide control commands to, the associated load.

The inventive methodology provides an integrated plug and play solution designed to protect home networks against spam, phishing emails, viruses, spyware as well as other similar threats. The described content filtering appliance can be used for processing of web and email traffic implemented and can be deployed as a stand-alone appliance. In one implementation, the content processing appliance utilizes backend content filtering provided by a remote scanning service accessed via a network. The system employs network level analysis and translation of content and executes various procedures to handle the network traffic. In an embodiment of the invention, the appliance is provided with an automatic remote updating capability, wherein the software and data used by the appliance can be updated remotely via a network. Finally, the appliance may also implement parental controls.

An improved method for delivery and play back of sound and image files is provided. This new method includes the use of sound and/or image clips, which can be snippets or full files, as alerts for a variety of electronic devices or for playing on a handheld device, and for use as a promotion to sell items associated with the files. A collection or library of uniquely selected and/or edited clips may also be provided to the consumer in a manner far more conveniently on conventional telephone equipment than previously available. Algorithms are provided for the delivery, storage and playback of the sound files, including a delivery method algorithm (500), a parametric optimization and compression algorithm (1500), and an error correction algorithm. In contrast to the conventional ring tones or musical chimes used to ring cellular phones currently on the market, the current invention provides a method for ringing cellular phones and landline telephones with real sound recordings including real music, which may be songs lifted from copyright registered CD tracks, and may comprise human voice, various instrument sounds, and other sound effects of a high quality. A software based system for encoding the hardware of existing cellular phones at the time of manufacturing with delivery, storage, and playback capabilities in accordance with the present invention is provided, such that additional hardware is not required.

A transaction module having a summary interface is provided as part of a software suite for enabling viewing and manipulation of multiple categories of aggregated data compiled from a plurality of data sources and accessible through a single interfacing node operated on a data-packet-network. The transaction module comprises, an interactive main interface accessible through the summary interface, the main interface for listing new transactions related to registered financial accounts, an interactive history link embedded in the main interface for providing access to a secondary interface for viewing transaction history, an interactive menu provided within the main interface for assigning categories to the listed transactions, an interactive save feature for saving category assignments to the listed transactions; a interactive bill-payment link provided within the main interface for linking the interface to a bill-payment module and an interactive transfer-funds link provided within the summary interface of the module for linking the summary face of the module to a secondary interface for transferring funds from one account to another. A user operating the main interface from a remote node having access to the data-packet-network may view all transactions according to option of category, account, and time period.

A service plan optimizer is provided. The service plan optimizer includes a storage device, a processor, an optimizer engine, and a user interface. The storage device stores usage data for a communication device. The optimizer engine is executed by the processor to compare a current service plan for the communication device with available service plans based on the stored usage data. The optimizer engine is also executed by the processor to form a recommendation based on the comparison. The user interface displays the recommendation.

Managing controlled content on a web page is disclosed. A web page is analyzed. Controlled content and revenue-generating code are detected on the web page. A party to contact is determined based on the revenue-generating code or the controlled content.

A method and system are disclosed for transforming accessing of a displayed content by at least one person into an overall billed value. An exemplary embodiment comprises providing a display device that displays content, tracking the respective gazes of people near and in front of the displayed content, determining if, when and how long each person views, i.e., acquires, the display, transforming the acquisition data into a billing value by, e.g., determining a billing value for each acquisition based on the numbers of acquisitions and length of each acquisition, summing the billing values for all the respective viewings, and billing the client for the summed billing values.

A method for incorporating one-time-tokens, coupon and reward systems in conjunction with merchants' POS checkout systems in the physical or virtual environments includes providing a consumer computing device comprising an electronic wallet application, providing a One-time Token Redemption System(OTRS) and user electronic wallet accounts, logging into a user electronic wallet account through the electronic wallet application, sending a request for a one-time token valid for a specified time interval and then forwarding the request for the one-time token to the OTRS and upon approval sending the requested one-time token from the OTRS to the electronic wallet application. Next, presenting and entering the one-time token into a merchant point of sale checkout system within the specified time interval via the consumer computing device, sending the entered one-time token to a checkout application, and then processing payment via a secure payment application.

Monitoring criteria is received that corresponds to a usage quantity for a plurality of services. Each of the plurality of services is provided over ones of a plurality of different communication systems. Actual service usage information is received for the plurality of services. The actual service usage information and the monitoring criteria are compared. An electronic notification message is sent when the monitoring criteria for one or more of the plurality of services is satisfied.