Banded billing and associated invoice generation for communication service
US7603103B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 19, 2006 |
| Grant date | Oct 13, 2009 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 18, 2028 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04M2215/8104
- WIPO fieldTelecommunications
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An improved billing system for communication service is disclosed. A printed and/or online invoice will be generated for a subscriber's account and will be structured to include a visual gauge that depicts the extent of use for the billing period at issue. More particularly, the visual gauge will take the form of a table or listing that shows a continuum of possible time-increment or data-increment-ranges and that shows, for each range, the associated cost. The visual gauge will then include a visual marker that highlights or otherwise points out the increment-range into which the subscriber's use fell in the billing period at issue. Conveniently, the invention thus enables a subscriber to readily visualize where the subscriber's use fell within the continuum of possible increment-ranges.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.