2190 results about "Billing system" 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.

A method and apparatus for distributing multimedia content (such as video, games, music, pictures), where the multimedia content is stored in a plurality of set-top boxes that are connected to a cable network. A controller unit located at a central cable station manages the multimedia content. The multimedia content stored in the set-top boxes is made available to any set-top box on request to the controller in the central cable station. The controller unit also interfaces with a plurality of multimedia owners, many situated on the Internet, to source the multimedia content and to source service properties associated with the multimedia content. The controller unit informs the content owners and appropriate billing systems when a multimedia content has been delivered to a remote set-top box and has been consumed by an end user. The end user accesses the multimedia content through a television, a personal computer, or other multimedia appliance.

An method for billing a wireless subscriber for fixed location service is disclosed where the rating of a call is determined in part by the location of the subscriber as indicated using call detail record information recorded in the switch and information in a rating profile, typically stored in a billing system. The rating profile maintains a defined billing rate that is applied for calls associated with the subscriber occurring in the defined serving location as typically identified by an antenna and antenna sector.

A billing system for a telecommunications network uses a monitoring software agent to monitor messages, indicative of individual calls on the network, passing between a service switching point and a service control point. Call record information is extracted and is stored in a local call record database. Information from each call record database is then passed on to a central database, using updating mobile agents, the central database being accessible to such agents and report building agents which can extract billing information as requested by an operator. By monitoring the messages as they pass, the system can provide real time billing information without needing to poll the switch at the service switching point.

A method and an apparatus suggests programs for viewing by a subscriber. Terminals installed at a subscriber's home and at central locations, such as bookstores, video rental stores and libraries, provide responsive or intelligent search functions to suggest programs for viewing according to a subscriber's viewing preferences. Responsive searching includes posing questions to and receiving answers from the subscribers. Intelligent searching includes gathering historical data, such as the subscriber's history of programs watched. The programs include videotapes, videodiscs, television programs and electronic books. Subscribers indicate their selection and order the programs using a menu system. An automated billing system tracks the programs ordered.

Disclosed is an electronic transaction recording system for accumulating data from printer devices comprising a mobile access unit containing content which is to be printed, a printer device which receives the content from the mobile access unit and prints the content in response to a authorization process, a billing manager coupled to the printer device and the mobile access unit for determining the amount of printer usage and associating a predetermined amount of token values with the costs of printing and generates an accounting of usage based on a predetermined measure of usage and a billing system for maintaining accounting records of user and associating user account information with the predetermined measure of usage and stores account information in an account records database.

A known charge card billing system communicates with an investment broker system, wherein the investment broker system includes an instruction arrangement database, payment hierarchy and an investment account. An interested cardholder suitably appoints the charge card administrator as a processing agent to collect and promptly remit the cardholder's voluntary, periodic payments for investment into preselected investment products, such as, for example, mutual fund shares, fixed annuities, variable annuities, CDs, insurance, certificates, equities and/or the like. The billing system distributes a billing statement at the end of each month, wherein the statement includes all of the charges for that month and a reminder to remit an additional dollar amount for the preselected investments. The cardholder then sends a single payment for the charges and the investments to the charge card administrator. After receiving the payment, the system appropriately unbundles the payment and distributes the remitted payment to the card account to satisfy the captured financial events and to the investment broker system for the purchase of investment products.

A flexible billing system captures communication events on a more granular level then current communication systems. The captured communication events can then be aggregated into different event categories and combined with other event parameters to provide a wider variety of billing options to mobile network operators. The flexible billing system can be integrated with existing billing and provisioning systems. Thus, subscribers can be billed for enabled data access services and services are only enabled for billable entities.

A system that includes a set components that can offer a complete solution to a client or can be partitioned to offer solutions to specific areas. The components are modular. The components are independent and integrated containing all the necessary processes and inputs and outputs to function independently. The components can also be integrated together into a system where the components work together. The set of components are also convergent by allowing all services to be provided and viewed via single interface through a single consolidated customer database independent of the type of service(s) being provided to a customer.

Billing a customer through an intermediary billing system for a transaction by receiving, at the intermediary billing system, a transaction request associated with a transaction amount and a customer identification code, validating, in the intermediary billing system, the transaction request by determining whether the customer identification code corresponds to a customer that is registered with the intermediary billing system, and sending, in the case that the transaction request is valid, a billing event trigger associated with the customer identification code to an external billing mechanism, the billing event trigger representing the transaction amount.

The invention is a computerized system that allows inmates of a correctional institution to communicate with parties outside the facilities via telephonic or electronic messaging events. The system provides a means to bill for the events while controlling to whom the inmate can communicate with or from whom they may receive communications, including controlling the method, the length, limited content editing, the frequency of communicating, storage of and the manner of alerting a recipient of a message or receipt thereof.

Systems and methods for generating and responding to billing requests in a wireless subscriber billing system are disclosed. A billing request can be generated at a trusted service. The billing request including billing information is communicated to a wireless subscriber billing system. A validation response to the billing request is generated in the wireless subscriber billing system and the validation response is communicated to the trusted service.

A service provider's system components such as but not limited to a billing system and facilities maintenance system are sent a message that identifies contaminated telephone numbers contained within a block of numbers released to a service provider from a number pooling authority. The message also identifies the (location routing number) LRN associated with the switch of the uncontaminated numbers.

EBPP systems and processes which employ a common document model/data model to accommodate the interests and preferences of billers, customers, financial institutions, other EBPP organizations and others in the context of EBPP specifically and electronic commerce more generally. The common document model/data model allows the biller to outsource billing activities to the EBPP organization while retaining control over the billing information or how or where bills will be presented. Billers are incentivized to use the system because they avoid the expense and effort of building a customized system in house, but get the same advantages of an in house system while leveraging the expertise of an outside EBPP organization who operates across a range of industries, customers, geographical locations and financial fields. The systems also allow billers enhanced opportunities to build brand and customer relationships not offered in paper-based billing systems. Customers are incentivized to use the system because they can pay all or most all of their bills in one place, the place of their choice with bills presented how they choose, and because they may communicate more effectively with billers if and when things go wrong rather than wasting inordinate time on the telephone attempting to sort things out with uninformed people as is often the case in paper based billing systems where the relevant data never seems to catch up with the biller's customer service personnel. The result is a ubiquitous EBPP presence that makes everyone's life easier and better by reducing bill generation and payment burdens.

Methods and apparatus are disclosed which provide a system for accurate time and usage based metering of client application or client application feature usage and the reporting of said usage to a site on a public network. The present invention can be used as an alternative to traditional license granting systems, or be used for any other purpose where tracking and metering of valuable resources or services is useful. While the current invention can provide metering and billing capability to software applications akin to the billing systems deployed by telecommunication companies for line and feature usage, the metering can also emulate traditional licensing models and operate in conjunction with traditional licensing systems.

Computer-and network-based methods and systems for transmission-based billing are provided. Example embodiments provide a Packet-Based Billing System ("PBBS"), which enables application providers, such as carriers and content providers, to bill subscribers for the use of content on mobile subscriber devices, such as wireless devices, on a per-application, per-user basis based upon the extent of the usage. Embodiments of the present invention can also be used to bill subscribers for the use of content on a per-application, per-user basis for wired subscriber devices as well, using the same techniques. In operation, the PBBS provides modified content by inserting billing and tracking code into content returned to a requesting device. The modified content, when executed, tracks the amount of data sent and received between the content and a network and posts the accumulated data to a proxy/billing server according to business rules for an interval/frequency to post such data. The proxy/billing server stores the raw billing data and an accounting program retrieves the billing data to generate customer (call) data records. Business rules that specific different charges for different content or users can be incorporated into the system.

A method and system for prepaying wireless telecommunications charges utilizes computer hardware and software including, for example, a user's mobile phone, a mobile operator's interactive voice response unit, a mobile payments interactive voice response unit, SMS, test messaging, email, ATM, kiosk, the Internet, and/or WAP or the like, a mobile payments engine, a mobile operator's prepaid billing system, a subscriber database, a payment gateway, and a transaction processing platform. The mobile payments engine receives information identifying a user's wireless telecommunication device via the mobile payments interactive voice response unit, passes the information to the mobile operator's billing system with a request for validation of a mobile account for the user, and if validation is received, the mobile payments engine receives financial source account and user identity verification information from the user, assigns a mobile personal identification number for the user, and arranges a credit from the source account to the user's mobile account.

A system and method are provided for scheduling the payments of bills. An authorization server is provided to be in communication with one or more payment servers and a mobile device. The authorization server receives bills from a billing account, and each of the payment servers can make payments to the billing account. A mobile billing manager, residing on at least the mobile device, detects a new bill and then displays a graphical user interface (GUI) on the mobile device. Through the GUI, selection inputs are received, the selection inputs being associated with paying a first amount at a first date from a first payment account. Based on the payment schedule, the mobile billing manager, through the authorization server, instructs the payment server to make payments.

In a charging system for cellular communications, real-time prices for new connections are offered to the customer. The real-time prices take into account both prevailing and historic traffic patterns, together with the probability that the customer will move from their current cell into a neighboring cell. Cells of the network are monitored in clusters. If a customer is located in one particular cell, the price offered to that customer will take into account the probability of handover to a neighboring cell during the connection, and may also take into account the probability of incoming traffic from neighboring cells during the connection. To enable this predictive pricing, the system stores, and may also update, historic data.

Methods, systems, and electronic mail messages (emails) are provided for automatically linking emails to matters or organizations. An email is received or constructed and linked to matters or organizations. The matters and the organizations are associated with matter areas and organization areas. Each of the areas includes matter data, organization data, personnel data, assignment data, and contact data. In one embodiment, the email is also interfaced to a billing system, a document management system, and a docketing system.