US 8,478,252 B2 · Enforcing limits on free and/or discounted electronic communications

Abstract

Limits are placed on the number of free and/or discounted communications (such as voice calls and text messages) available to a user, based on the number of communications received by the user. A user is given an allotment of credits, each worth one or more free and/or discounted communications. A credit balance is established and is continually adjusted as follows: it is increased whenever qualifying communications of a given type are received, and is decreased whenever free and/or discounted communications of the given type are initiated by the user. Once the credit balance has been depleted, the user may be blocked from initiating additional free or discounted communications, until the credit balance is increased. In at least one embodiment, different types of credits can be earned and/or used for different types of communications. In at least one embodiment, exchanges between the different types of credits may be permitted.

Claims38

Dependent claims

A computer-implemented method for enforcing limits on electronic communications, comprising:

at a processor, establishing a value representative of a non-monetary credit balance;
at the processor,
establishing a first conversion rate between non-monetary credits and incoming communications;
at the processor, establishing a second conversion rate between non-monetary credits and outgoing communications;
receiving an electronic communication at an electronic communication device;
at the processor, responsive to receiving the electronic communication, increasing the value of the non-monetary credit balance according to the first conversion rate;
at an input device of the electronic communication device, receiving input from a user requesting initiation of an electronic communication to a designated recipient via an electronic communication network;
and
at the processor, responsive to receiving the input from the user:
determining whether the non-monetary credit balance is at least sufficient to initiate the requested electronic communication according to the second conversion rate;
and
responsive to the non-monetary credit balance being at least sufficient to initiate the requested electronic communication according to the second conversion rate:
causing the communication device to transmit a signal to initiate the requested electronic communication via the electronic communications network;
and
decreasing the value of the non-monetary credit balance according to the second conversion rate;
wherein:
receiving an electronic communication comprises receiving a text message;
receiving input from a user requesting initiation of an electronic communication comprises receiving input from a user to send a text message;
and
causing the communication device to transmit a signal to initiate the requested electronic communication comprises causing the communication device to transmit a text message.

17 more elements

A computer-implemented method for enforcing limits on electronic communications, comprising:

at a processor, establishing a plurality of values, each value being representative of a non-monetary credit balance corresponding to a different type of communications;
receiving a communication at an electronic communication device, the communication having a type;
at the processor, increasing the value of the non-monetary credit balance corresponding to the type of the received communication;
at an input device of the electronic communication device, receiving input from a user requesting initiation of a communication to a designated recipient via an electronic communication network, the requested message being of a type;
and
at the processor, responsive to receiving the input from the user:
determining whether the values of the monetary credit balances are at least sufficient to initiate the requested electronic communication;
and
responsive to the values of the monetary credit balances being at least sufficient to initiate the requested electronic communication:
causing the communication device to transmit a signal to initiate the requested electronic communication via the electronic communications network;
and decreasing at least one value of at least one non-monetary credit balance;
wherein:
receiving an electronic communication comprises receiving a text message;
receiving input from a user requesting initiation of an electronic communication comprises receiving input from a user to send a text message;
and
causing the communication device to transmit a signal to initiate the requested electronic communication comprises causing the communication device to transmit a text message.

13 more elements

A non-transitory computer program product for enforcing limits on electronic communications, comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium;
and computer program code, encoded on the medium, configured to cause at least one processor to perform the steps of:
establishing a value representative of a non-monetary credit balance;
establishing a first conversion rate between non-monetary credits and incoming communications;
establishing a second conversion rate between non-monetary credits and outgoing communications;
responsive to receiving an electronic communication at an electronic communication device, increasing the value of the non-monetary credit balance according to the first conversion rate;
responsive to receiving input from a user requesting initiation of an electronic communication to a designated recipient via an electronic communication network:
determining whether the non-monetary credit balance is at least sufficient to initiate the requested electronic communication according to the second conversion rate;
and
responsive to the non-monetary credit balance being at least sufficient to initiate the requested electronic communication according to the second conversion rate:
causing the communication device to transmit a signal to initiate the requested electronic communication via the electronic communications network;
and
decreasing the value of the non-monetary credit balance according to the second conversion rate;
wherein:
receiving an electronic communication comprises receiving a text message;
receiving input from a user requesting initiation of an electronic communication comprises receiving input from a user to send a text message;
and
causing the communication device to transmit a signal to initiate the requested electronic communication comprises causing the communication device to transmit a text message.

15 more elements

A system for enforcing limits on electronic communications, comprising:

a processor, configured to:
establish a value representative of a non-monetary credit balance;
establish a first conversion rate between non-monetary credits and incoming communications;
and
establish a second conversion rate between non-monetary credits and outgoing communications;
a storage device, communicatively coupled to the processor and configured to store the value representative of the non-monetary credit balance;
a communications component of an electronic communications device, communicatively coupled to the processor and configured to transmit and receive electronic communications;
an input device, communicatively coupled to the processor and configured to receive input from a user requesting initiation of an electronic communication to a designated recipient via an electronic communication network;
wherein:
responsive to the communications component receiving an electronic communication, the processor is configured to increase the value of the non-monetary credit balance according to the first conversion rate;
responsive to the input device receiving input from a user requesting initiation of an electronic communication to a designated recipient via an electronic communication network:
the processor is configured to determine whether the non-monetary credit balance is at least sufficient to initiate the requested electronic communication according to the second conversion rate;
and
responsive to the non-monetary credit balance being at least sufficient to initiate the requested electronic communication according to the second conversion rate, processor is configured to:
cause the communications component to transmit a signal to initiate the requested electronic communication via the electronic communications network;
and
cause the storage device to decrease the value of the non-monetary credit balance according to the second conversion rate;
wherein:
receiving an electronic communication comprises receiving a text message;
receiving input from a user requesting initiation of an electronic communication comprises receiving input from a user to send a text message;
and
causing the communication device to transmit a signal to initiate the requested electronic communication comprises causing the communication device to transmit a text message.

19 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Enforcing limits on free and/or discounted electronic communications

Life of this patent

Enforcing limits on free and/or discounted electronic communications

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims38