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Claims  |
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I claim:
1. A system for distributing information items from a plurality of
suppliers to a customer, said information distribution system comprising:
a customer terminal associated with said customer;
a supplier terminal associated with each of said information suppliers,
said supplier terminal having a telephone line identified by a telephone
number;
a communications network of a telecommunications company connected to said
customer terminal and said supplier terminals, for the transmission of
communications between said terminals, wherein a call by said customer
terminal over said network to said telephone line of said supplier
terminal results in a fee being charged by said telecommunications company
to said customer for a downloaded information item, a portion of said fee
being transferred by said telecomunications company to said associated
information supplier;
means for associating identifying labels with each of said information
items provided by each of said information suppliers, each of said
identifying labels comprising a retrieval code that identifies each of
said information items by the respective supplier;
an information menu configuration file having a description of said
available information items and entries corresponding to each of said
available information items, each of said information item entries storing
an indication of corresponding identifying label and said telephone number
associated with said information supplier, said configuration file being
accessible by said customer;
said customer terminal comprising:
means for presenting said customer with a listing of each of said available
information items;
means for receiving from said customer a selection of a desired information
item, said selected information item being provided by a selected
information supplier;
means for accessing said entry of configuration file corresponding to said
selected information item to retrieve said corresponding identifying label
and said corresponding telephone number;
means for establishing a connection over said telecommunications network
with said supplier terminal associated with said selected information
supplier by dialing said retrieved telephone number;
means for transmitting a request to said supplier terminal of said selected
information supplier for said selected information item identified by said
identifying label;
means for receiving from said selected information supplier said selected
information item;
said supplier terminal further comprising:
a data file for storing each of said information items provided by said
corresponding information supplier;
a supplier information item configuration file having an entry
corresponding to each of said information items provided by said
corresponding information supplier, each of said information item entries
of said supplier information item configuration file storing said
corresponding identifying label and an associated pointer for pointing to
said corresponding data file;
means for receiving a request from said customer terminal for said selected
information item identified by said identifying label;
means for accessing said data file corresponding to said identifying label
to retrieve said selected information item; and
means for downloading said selected information item to said customer
terminal.
2. The information distribution system according to claim 1, wherein said
telephone line of said supplier terminal is a premium-rate 900 service
telephone line.
3. The information distribution system according to claim 1, wherein said
telephone line of said supplier terminal is a premium-rate telephone line
having an identifying telephone number with a 976 local exchange.
4. The information distribution system according to claim 1, further
including a central catalog system for storing said information menu
configuration file, said central catalog system being accessible by said
customer over said network.
5. The information distribution system according to claim 1, wherein said
customer terminal further comprises a storage means for storing said
information menu configuration file.
6. The information distribution system according to claim 1, wherein each
information item entry of said supplier configuration file further
includes an indication of a pricing structure to be utilized in
establishing said fee for said corresponding information item.
7. The information distribution system according to claim 6, further
including means for transmitting said pricing structure associated with
said selected information item to said telecommunications company to be
utilized in establishing said fee for said selected information item.
8. A system for distributing information items provided by a plurality of
information suppliers to a customer over a communications network of a
telecommunications company, said information distribution system employing
a processing unit and distributed storage means, said information
distribution system comprising:
a telephone line having an identifying telephone number associated with
each of said information suppliers, wherein a call by said customer to one
of said telephone lines results in a fee being charged by said
telecommunications company to said customer for a downloaded information
item, a portion of said fee being transferred by said telecommunications
company to said associated information supplier;
means for associating identifying labels with each of said information
items provided by each of said respective information suppliers, each said
identifying labels comprising a retrieval code that identifies its
associated information item by the respective information supplier;
an information menu configuration file in said storage means having a
description of information entries and an entry corresponding to each of
said information items, said information menu configuration file being
accessible by said customer;
means for storing in each of said information item entries an indication of
a corresponding identifying label and said telephone number associated
with said information supplier that provides corresponding information
item;
means for displaying to said customer a listing of each of available
information items;
means for receiving from said customer a selection of one of said
information items to be retrieved from said information suppliers, said
selected information item being provided by a selected information
supplier;
means for accessing said information item entries of said configuration
file corresponding to said selected information item to retrieve an
associated identifying label and telephone number;
means for establishing a connection over said telecommunications network
between said customer and said selected information supplier associated
with said retrieved telephone number;
means for transmitting said retrieved identifying label corresponding to
said selected information item to said selected information supplier;
means for retrieving said selected information item from said information
supplier; and
means for transmitting said retrieved selected information item to said
customer.
9. The information distribution system according to claim 8, wherein said
telephone line is a premium-rate 900 service telephone line.
10. The information distribution system according to claim 8, wherein said
telephone line is a premium-rate telephone line having an identifying
telephone number with a 976 local exchange.
11. The information distribution system according to claim 8, further
including a central catalog system for storing said configuration file,
said central catalog system being accessible by said customer over said
network.
12. The information distribution system according to claim 8, further
including a customer terminal associated with said customer, said customer
terminal including a storage means for storing said configuration file.
13. The information distribution system according to claim 8, further
including means for transmitting to said telecommunications company an
indication of a pricing structure to be utilized in establishing said fee
for each call to each of said telephone lines.
14. The information distribution system according to claim 8, further
comprising:
means for grouping a plurality of related information items into
specialized information menus;
means for displaying to said customer a listing of each of said specialized
information menus;
means for receiving from said customer a selection of one of said
specialized information menus to be displayed; and
means for displaying to said customer said selected specialized information
menu which includes a listing of each of said related available
information items.
15. A system for use by a customer to select and retrieve an information
item from among a plurality of available information items provided by a
plurality of information suppliers, said customer employing a customer
terminal having a processor and storage means, each of said information
suppliers employing a supplier terminal, each of said supplier terminals
having a telephone line identified by a telephone number, said information
selection and retrieval system comprising:
a first data file having entries corresponding to each of said available
information items, each of said information item entries storing an
identifying label corresponding to said information item and said
telephone number associated with said supplier terminal of said
information supplier that provides corresponding information items;
means for selecting one of said information items listed in said data file
to be retrieved from one of said information suppliers, said selected
information item being provided by a selected information supplier;
means for retrieving from said data file entry corresponding to said
selected information item said corresponding identifying label and said
corresponding telephone number;
means for establishing a connection over a telecommunication network with
said selected supplier terminal corresponding to said selected information
supplier by dialing said retrieved telephone number, wherein said
establishment of said connection results in a fee being charged by said
telecommunications company to said customer, a portion of said fee being
transferred by said telecommunications company to said associated
information supplier;
means for transmitting a request over said connection to said supplier
terminal for said selected information item identified by said identifying
label; and
means for receiving from said selected supplier terminal said selected
information item.
16. The information selection and retrieval system according to claim 15,
wherein said telephone line is a premium-rate 900 service telephone line.
17. The information selection and retrieval system according to claim 15,
wherein said telephone line is a premium-rate telephone line having an
identifying telephone number with a 976 local exchange.
18. The information selection and retrieval system according to claim 15,
wherein said data file is stored at a central catalog system which may be
accessed by said customer over said telecommunications network.
19. The information selection and retrieval system according to claim 15,
wherein said data file is stored in said storage means of said customer
terminal.
20. The information selection and retrieval system according to claim 15,
wherein one or more of said supplier terminals has a plurality of said
associated telephone lines, each of said plurality of telephone lines
having an associated premium-rate telephone number and pricing structure.
21. The information selection and retrieval system according to claim 20,
wherein each of said information item entries stores one of a plurality of
premium-rate telephone numbers associated with said information item
corresponding to said entry.
22. A system for distributing information items from information suppliers
to a customer by downloading said information items over a communications
network, said information distribution system comprising:
a customer terminal associated with said customer;
a supplier terminal associated with each of said information suppliers,
said supplier terminal having a telephone line identified by a telephone
number;
a communications network of a telecommunications company connected to said
customer terminal and said supplier terminals, for the transmission of
communications between said terminals including a retrieval code
identifying a desired information item, wherein a call by said customer
terminal over said network to said telephone line of said supplier
terminal results in the selection and downloading of the desired
information item, and a fee based on the value of the downloaded
information item being charged by said telecommunications company to said
customer, a portion of said fee being transferred by said
telecommunications company to said associated information supplier.
23. The system of claim 22, wherein said telephone line is a premium-rate
900 service telephone line.
24. The system of claim 22, wherein said telephone line is a premium-rate
telephone line is having an identifying telephone number with a 976 local
exchange.
25. A system for distributing information items provided by information
suppliers to a customer by downloading said information items over a
communications network of a telecommunications company, said information
distribution system employing a processing unit and distributed storage
device, said information distribution system further comprising a
telephone line having an identifying telephone number associated with each
of said information suppliers, wherein a call by said customer to one of
said telephone lines results in the transmission of a retrieval code
identifying a desired information item and the selection and downloading
of the desired information item, and a fee based upon the value of the
downloaded information item being charged by said telecommunications
company to said customer, a portion of said fee being transferred by said
telecommunication company to said associated information supplier.
26. The system of claim 25, wherein said telephone line is a premium-rate
900 service telephone line with a fee that matches the fee based upon the
value of the downloaded information item.
27. The system of claim 25, wherein said telephone line is a premium-rate
telephone line having an identifying telephone number with a 976 local
exchange.
28. The system of claim 25, further comprising:
means for grouping a plurality of related information items into
specialized information menus;
means for displaying to said customer a listing of each of said specialized
information menus;
means for receiving from said customer a selection of one of said
specialized information menus to be displayed; and
means for displaying to said customer said selected specialized information
menu which includes a listing of each of related available information
items.
29. A method for distributing information items from information suppliers
to a customer by downloading said information items over a communications
network of a telecommunications company, said information distribution
method employing a processing unit and distributed storage means, said
information distribution method comprising the steps of:
providing a telephone line having an identifying telephone number for each
of said information suppliers;
calling by said customer to telephone line resulting in the transmission of
a retrieval code identifying a desired information item and the selection
and downloading of the desired information item;
charging a fee by said telecommunications company to said customer based
upon the value of the downloaded information item; and
transferring a portion of said fee by said telecommunications company to
said information supplier associated with said call.
30. The method of claim 29 further comprising the steps of displaying to
said customer a listing of available information items; and
receiving from said customer a selection of one of said information items
to be retrieved from said information suppliers, said selected information
item being provided by a selected information supplier.
31. A system for distributing information items provided by information
suppliers to a customer by downloading said information items over a
communications network of a telecommunications company, said information
distribution system comprising a processing unit and distributed storage
means, means for associating an identifying label with each of said
information items provided by each of said respective information
suppliers; and a configuration file in said storage means, said
configuration file having entries corresponding to each of said
information items, said configuration file being accessible by said
customer, said information distribution system further comprising a
telephone line having an identifying telephone number associated with each
of said information suppliers, wherein a call by said customer to one of
said telephone lines results in the selection and downloading of a desired
information item, and a fee based upon the value of the downloaded
information item being charged by said telecommunications company to said
customer, a portion of said fee being transferred by said
telecommunication company to said associated information supplier.
32. The system of claim 31 further comprising means for storing in each of
said information item entries an indication of said corresponding
identifying label and said telephone number associated with said
information supplier that provides said corresponding information item.
33. The system of claim 31 further comprising:
means for displaying to said customer a listing of each of said available
information items; and
means for receiving from said customer a selection of one of said
information items to be retrieved from said information suppliers, said
selected information item being provided by a selected information
supplier.
34. The system of claim 33 further comprising means for accessing
said-information item entry of said configuration file corresponding to
said selected information item to retrieve said associated identifying
label and telephone number.
35. The system of claim 34 further comprising means for automatically
establishing a connection over said telecommunications network between
said customer and said selected information supplier associated with said
retrieved telephone number upon retrieval of said retrieved telephone
number.
36. The system of claim 34 further comprising:
means for transmitting said retrieved identifying label corresponding to
said selected information item to said selected information supplier;
means for retrieving said selected information item from said information
supplier; and
means for transmitting said retrieved selected information item to said
customer.
37. The system of claim 31 further comprising a central catalog system for
storing said configuration file, said central catalog system being
accessible by said customer over said network.
38. The system of claim 31, further comprising a customer terminal
associated with said customer, said customer terminal including a storage
means for storing said configuration file.
39. A system for distributing information items from information suppliers
to a customer by downloading said information items over a communications
network, said information distribution system comprising:
a customer terminal associated with said customer;
a supplier terminal associated with each of said information suppliers,
said supplier terminal having a telephone line identified by a telephone
number;
means for associating an identifying label with each of said information
items provided by each of said respective information suppliers;
a first configuration file having an entry corresponding to each of said
available information items, each of said information items storing an
indication of said corresponding identifying label and said telephone
number associated with said information supplier, said first configuration
file being accessible by said customer; and
a communications network of a telecommunications company connected to said
customer terminal and said supplier terminals, for the transmission of
communications between said terminals, wherein a call by said customer
terminal over said network to said telephone line of said supplier
terminal results in the selection and downloading of a desired information
item, and a fee based on the value of the downloaded information item
being charged by said telecommunications company to said customer, a
portion of said fee being transferred by said telecommunications company
to said associated information supplier.
40. The system of claim 39 wherein said customer terminal further
comprises:
means for presenting said customer with a listing of each of said available
information items;
means for receiving from said customer the selection of the desired
information item, said selected information item being provided by a
selected information supplier;
means for accessing said entry of said first configuration file
corresponding to said selected information item to retrieve said
corresponding identifying label and said corresponding telephone number;
means for establishing a connection over said telecommunications network
with said supplier terminal associated with said selected information
supplier by dialing said retrieved telephone number;
means for transmitting a request to said supplier terminal of said selected
information supplier for said selected information item identified by said
identifying label; and
means for receiving from said selected information supplier said selected
information item.
41. The system of claim 40, wherein said customer terminal further
comprises a storage means for storing the first configuration file.
42. The system of claim 39 further comprising a central catalog system for
storing said first configuration file, said central catalog system being
accessible by said customer over said network.
43. A method for use by a customer to select and retrieve an information
item from among a plurality of available information items provided by a
plurality of information suppliers, said customer employing a customer
terminal having a processor and storage means, each of said information
suppliers employing a supplier terminal, each of said supplier terminals
having a telephone line identified by a telephone number, said method
comprising the steps of:
accessing a first data file having a description of each of said available
information items and an entry corresponding to each of said available
information items, each of said information item entries storing an
identifying label corresponding to said information item and said
telephone number associated with said supplier terminal of said
information supplier that provides said corresponding information item;
selecting one of said information items listed in said data file to be
retrieved from one of said information suppliers, said selected
information item being provided by a selected information supplier;
retrieving from said data file the entry corresponding to said selected
information item, said corresponding identifying label, and said
corresponding telephone number;
establishing a connection over a telecommunication network with said
selected supplier terminal corresponding to said selected information
supplier by dialing said retrieved telephone number, wherein said
establishment of said connection results in a fee based upon the value of
the value of said selected information item being charged by said
telecommunications company to said customer, a portion of said fee being
transferred by said telecommunications company to said associated
information supplier;
transmitting a request over said connection to said supplier terminal for
said selected information item identified by said identifying label; and
receiving from said selected supplier terminal said selected information
item.
44. A system for distributing information items from information suppliers
to a customer by downloading said information items over a communications
network, said information distribution system comprising:
a customer terminal associated with said customer;
a supplier terminal associated with each of said information suppliers,
said supplier terminal having a telephone line identified by a telephone
number;
a data file for storing each of said information items provided by each of
said information suppliers;
a configuration file having entries corresponding to each of said
information items provided by each of said information suppliers, each of
said information item entries of said configuration file storing an
identifying label and an associated pointer for pointing to a
corresponding data file;
means for receiving a request from said customer terminal for a selected
information item identified by said identifyg label;
means for accessing said data file corresponding to said identifying label
to retrieve said selected information item;
means for downloading said selected information item to said customer
terminal; and
a communications network of a telecommunications company connected to said
customer terminal and said supplier terminals, for the transmission of
communications between said terminals, wherein a call by said customer
terminal over said network to said telephone line of said supplier
terminal results in the selection and downloading of a desired information
item, and a fee based on the value of the downloaded information item
being charged by said telecommunications company to said customer, a
portion of said fee being transferred by said telecommunications company
to said associated information supplier.
45. The system of claim 44, wherein each information entry of said
configuration file further includes an indication of a pricing structure
to be utilized in establishing said fee for said corresponding information
item.
46. The system of claim 45, further including means for transmitting said
pricing structure associated with said selected information item to said
telecommunications company to be utilized in establishing said fee for
said selected information item.
47. A method for distributing information items from information suppliers
to a customer by downloading said information items over a communications
network of a telecommunications company, said information distribution
method employing a processing unit and distributed storage device, said
information distribution method comprising the steps of:
providing a telephone line having an identifyg telephone number for each of
said information suppliers;
associating an identifying label with each of said information items
provided by each of said respective information suppliers;
creating a configuration file in said storage device, said configuration
file having entries corresponding to each of said information items, said
configuration file being accessible by said customer;
calling by said customer to one of said telephone lines resulting in the
selection and downloading of a desired information item;
charging a fee by said telecommunications company to said customer based
upon the value of the downloaded information item; and
transferring a portion of said fee by said telecommunications company to
said information supplier associated with said call.
48. The method of claim 47 further comprising the steps of storing in each
of said information item entries an indication of a corresponding
identifying label and said telephone number associated with said
information supplier that provides said corresponding information item.
49. The method of claim 48 further comprising the steps of:
accessing said information item entry of said configuration file
corresponding to said selected information item to retrieve said
identifying label and telephone number;
establishing a connection over said telecommunications network between said
customer and said selected information supplier associated with said
retrieved telephone number;
transmitting said retrieved identifying label corresponding to said
selected information item to said selected information supplier;
retrieving said selected information item from said information supplier;
and
transmitting said retrieved selected information item to said customer. |
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Claims |
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Description |
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an information distribution system, and
more particularly, to an information distribution system that allows an
information supplier to transmit desired information to a customer over a
communications network with the customer being billed for the delivered
information on the customer's telephone bill.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Due to the abundance of information available for sale or license in
today's marketplace, it is often a formidable task for a customer to be
aware of even a portion of the information that is available. Furthermore,
the task is often made even more difficult by the customer's desire to
make use of the resources of a number of different information suppliers,
in order to ensure access to a diverse range of information.
Unfortunately, the success of a centralized information distribution
system, capable of coordinating a customer's information retrievals from a
number of different information suppliers, has been restricted by the lack
of a convenient billing method capable of accommodating the unique billing
needs of each information supplier.
Many information suppliers presently utilize centralized computer bulletin
board systems (BBS) or similar on-line information services to distribute
information to customers. A bulletin board system or on-line information
service typically presents a customer with a listing of the information
that is available, and allows the customer to select desired information
to be downloaded to the customer's computer terminal.
A customer is typically billed for information retrieved from a bulletin
board or on-line information service in one of two ways. First, the
customer can be billed based on the duration of the call. However, under
this arrangement, there is little, if any, relationship between the fee
charged and the value of the downloaded information. Furthermore, in order
to ensure collection of the fee, a pre-existing contractual arrangement is
normally required that obligates the customer to pay for retrieved
information.
Alternatively, information suppliers can make their information available
on a bulletin board service and collect the appropriate fee upon a
customer's voluntary compliance with the license registration. However,
the collection of the fee under such an arrangement is dependent upon the
good faith of the customer.
As apparent from the above deficiencies with prior information distribution
systems, a need exists for an information distribution system that allows
an information supplier to sell or license data to a customer, without the
need for a pre-existing contractual arrangement. In addition, a further
need exists for an information distribution system that establishes a fee
that is based on the value of the retrieved information.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Generally, according to one aspect of the invention, a customer can
retrieve desired information from an information supplier over a
communications network of a telephone company and be billed for the
retrieved information by the telephone company on the customer's telephone
bill.
According to another aspect of the invention, this billing feature is
implemented using existing telephone company premium-rate billing
services, such as 900 premium-rate services, that allow the telephone
company to bill the customer for the call with the telephone company
transferring a portion of the payment to the information supplier.
A customer desiring to retrieve information is presented with a list of
available information items. Once the customer has selected a desired
information item, a data file is accessed that contains the telephone
number assigned to the information supplier that provides the selected
information item, as well as a retrieval code that uniquely identifies the
selected information item.
The customer's computing system will establish a connection to the
appropriate information supplier by dialing the retrieved telephone number
and will then transmit a request to the information supplier for the
selected information, identified by its retrieval code. The information
supplier will thereafter access another data file, identified by the
retrieval code, which contains the desired information item. The
information supplier can then download the retrieved information item to
the customer's computing system.
The data file maintained by the information supplier for each information
item may include an indication of the specific pricing structure to be
utilized in collecting the fee for the corresponding information item.
Thus, when a call is received requesting a particular information item,
identified by its retrieval code, the information supplier can transmit an
indication of the appropriate pricing structure to the telephone company
to be utilized in determining the price to be charged for the call.
Alternatively, an information supplier can utilize a plurality of
premium-rate telephone lines, each having a unique pricing structure, to
implement variable billing.
In this manner, the customer will be billed for the downloaded information
on their telephone bill, with the price charged for each information item
being based on the value of the particular information item that is
retrieved. A portion of the payment received by the telephone company is
transferred to the information supplier.
A more complete understanding of the present invention may be had by
reference to the following Detailed Description with the accompanying
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a simplified
communications network for interconnecting a customer with a central
catalog system and a number of information suppliers;
FIG. 2A illustrates an information menu for presenting a list of available
information items that may be accessed by a customer;
FIG. 2B illustrates an information menu configuration file that maintains
specifications on the information items listed in the information menu of
FIG. 2A;
FIG. 3A illustrates a menu catalog for presenting a list of available
subject specialized information menus;
FIG. 3B illustrates a catalog configuration file that maintains
specifications on the subject specialized information menus listed in FIG.
3A;
FIG. 4 illustrates an information item configuration file used by an
information supplier for storing specifications on the information items
offered by the respective information supplier;
FIGS. 5A through 5D, collectively, are a flow chart describing an exemplary
method according to the present invention as utilized by a customer
terminal for selecting and retrieving desired information;
FIGS. 6A through 6C, collectively, are a flow chart describing an exemplary
method according to the present invention as utilized by a central catalog
system for assisting a customer with the selection of desired information;
and
FIGS. 7A through 7B, collectively, are a flow chart describing an exemplary
method according to the present invention as utilized by a supplier
terminal for downloading selected information to a customer.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
As illustrated in FIG. 1, the information distributi | | |
