Subsidized Telecommunication Calls via Sponsor Message Platform
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current telecommunications networks do not allow for calls to be made without incurring some or all of the tariffed time, except for emergency calls or specific free-call scenarios, lacking a mechanism for subsidized calling beyond direct dial charges.
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing existing telecommunication network resources to enable calls with subsidized tariffed time by incorporating a service code that directs calls to a message platform, where advertising or institutional messages are sent to the subscriber, allowing a sponsor to pay for part or all of the call duration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional telecommunication charging systems are used, then call costs are covered, but subscriber usage is limited due to payment requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a sponsor as an intermediary entity that pays for call time on behalf of subscribers. The system includes a sponsor module that receives payment from sponsors and credits call time to subscribers, enabling calls without direct payment from the calling party. This mediator (sponsor) resolves the contradiction by decoupling the payment obligation from the calling action.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the pricing parameter structure by introducing subsidized call time as a new parameter. Instead of a single tariff model, the system implements multiple pricing layers (full payment, partial subsidy, full subsidy) controlled by service codes. This parameter transformation allows flexible pricing that can eliminate payment barriers for specific call types while maintaining revenue streams through advertising and sponsorship.
2Adaptability or versatility
If service codes are introduced to enable subsidized calls, then call subsidy functionality is achieved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The service code mechanism serves multiple functions simultaneously: it identifies the type of call (subsidized or non-subsidized), routes the call appropriately, triggers message delivery to the subscriber, and activates the sponsor payment process. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated systems for each function, thereby limiting the increase in overall system complexity despite the enhanced versatility.
Solution Approach 2:
The system automatically processes service code validation, sponsor account verification, message delivery, and call time crediting without requiring manual intervention. The commutation center and sponsor module work autonomously to execute the subsidized call workflow, reducing operational complexity despite the increased functional adaptability.
3Loss of energy
If advertising messages are sent to subscribers, then sponsor revenue is generated, but subscriber experience may be degraded
Solution Approach 1:
The system sends advertising or institutional messages to the subscriber before the actual call is established. This preliminary action allows the sponsor to deliver their message while the subscriber is still on the network but before they engage in the conversation they intended to have. The timing is optimized to minimize disruption to the subscriber's primary communication goal.
Solution Approach 2:
The advertising messages are delivered as brief, discrete interruptions rather than continuous or persistent content. Each message is a short-lived element that serves its purpose quickly and disappears, minimizing the impact on subscriber experience while still generating value for the sponsor. The messages are treated as disposable information units rather than permanent interruptions.
Data Source
AI summary
System of subsidized phone calls, is essentially a system (S) made possible by means of telecommunication networks in general to be used with great efficiency, using the existent technical resources that, organized of new way, allows the execution of calls with part or all of the chargeable time subsidized by a sponsor through the sending of advertising and/or institutional messages to the calling subscriber.