Method of billing a purchase made over a computer network

#A. Technical Field

#The present invention relates to an efficient payment authorization and billing arrangement for products and services purchased over a computer network, such as the Internet. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method for providing payment authorization and a billing arrangement for a call or a communication session to a service representative that is accessible over a telecommunications network or a computer network, such as the Internet, and to session limiting, blocking, fraud control associated with such a communication session. The present invention also relates to a method for providing payment authorization and a billing arrangement for effecting a sale of goods and/or services over a computer network, such as the Internet.

#B. Description of the Related Arts

#FIG. 1 shows a schematic block diagram for an automatic call distribution system that is programmed to operate according to the present invention;

#FIG. 2 shows a flowchart of the sequence of operations for logging a service representative into a service representative availability queue according to the present invention;

#FIG. 3 shows a flowchart for processing a call received from a circuit-switched telecommunications network or by way of computer-network telephony over a packet-switched computer network, such as the Internet, for a service representative according to the present invention;

#FIG. 1 shows a schematic block diagram for an automatic call distribution (ACD) system that is programmed to operate according to the present invention. An exemplary ACD system that is suitable for the present invention is disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 5,802,156 to Felger, which is incorporated by reference herein. An ACD system provides switched network access to a plurality of service representatives or agents. Such ACD systems may vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, but according to the present invention, such an ACD system operates under common-control of a controller 110. The ACD system of FIG. 1 includes a switch 100 that is connected to a plurality of service representatives, or agents, that operate from service representative positions 101-1 through 102-n. ACD 100 redirects calls (circuit-switched voice and data) to any of service representative positions 101-1 through 102-n.

#A service representative position, such as position 101-1, can include a remote dial-up terminal 101a that has a caller identification display 101b. Alternatively, a service representative position can be a conventional service representative position, such as position 101-2, that includes such equipment (not shown) as an operator headset, a cathode ray tube display, a computer system and automatic number identification/name display. Accordingly, such a service representative position operates as an extension line for the ACD system. As yet another alternative, a service representative position may include an intelligent telephone terminal, a personal computer or other intelligent terminal known in the art (not shown).

#A service representative at a service representative position indicates availability for providing service to callers by performing a log-in procedure, such as that shown by the flowchart of FIG. 2, which will be further described herein. A caller requesting service is handled according to the flowchart of FIG. 3, which will also be further described herein.