Method and system for initiating conversations between callers having common interests
OwnerShmuel Okon, Reuven Talinventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for initiating conversations between callers to a telephone receives calls from various callers, receives selections of various topics of conversation from the callers, and then establishes communication links between pairs of callers in accordance with the selected topics. In a given conversation, at least a portion of the call is billed at a special rate or provided at no cost. After a predetermined period of time has elapsed, the call is billed at a second rate unless terminated by at least one of the parties. A partner history can be maintained and used by the system to ensure that previously partnered callers are not paired up again for at least a specified time span.
Claims37
A method for initiating conversations between various callers to a communications service comprising the steps of:
- receiving a telephone call to the communications service from a new caller;
- receiving a selection from the new caller of at least one topic;
- associating the new caller with a prior caller in accordance with the new caller's selected topic;
- initiating a telephonic communication link between the new caller and the associated prior caller within the communication service,
- charging at least one of the new caller and the prior caller for the conversation at a first billing rate during a predetermined period of time;
- and
- charging at least one of the new caller and the prior caller for the conversation at a second billing rate after the predetermined period of time has elapsed.
A method for initiating conversations between various callers to a communications service comprising the steps of:
- receiving a call to the communications service from a new caller;
- associating the new caller with a prior caller in accordance with predetermined criteria;
- initiating a communication link within the same communications service
- between the new caller and the associated prior caller;
- charging at least one of the new caller and the prior caller for the conversation at a first billing rate during a predetermined period of time;
- and
- charging at least one of the new caller and the prior caller for the conversation at a second billing rate after the predetermined period of time.
A method for initiating telephone conversations between various callers to a communications service comprising the steps of:
- receiving a telephone call to the communications service from a new caller;
- pairing a prior caller with the new caller, the prior caller selected according to predefined criteria from a set of prior callers which were not previously paired with the new caller;
- initiating a telephonic communication link between the new caller and the identified prior caller
- charging at least one of the new caller and the prior caller for the conversation at a first billing rate during a predetermined period of time;
- and
- charging at least one of the new caller and the prior caller for the conversation at a second billing rate after the predetermined period of time has elapsed.
A system for initiating conversations between various callers to a communications service via a telephone network comprising:
- a central switching system connected to the telephone network and being controlled by a programmed computer system;
- the computer system configured to:
- receive a telephone call to the communications service from a new caller;
- receive a selection from the new caller of at least one topic;
- associate the new caller with a prior caller in accordance with the new caller's selected topic;
- initiate a telephonic communication link between the new caller and the associated prior caller wherein the computer is programmed to charge at least one of the new caller and the prior caller for the conversation at a first billing rate during a predetermined period of time and charge at least one of the new caller and the prior caller for the conversation at a second billing rate after the predetermined period of time has elapsed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.