GB2393877A - A method of initiating a dial-up connection - Google Patents
A method of initiating a dial-up connection Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- GB2393877A GB2393877A GB0223060A GB0223060A GB2393877A GB 2393877 A GB2393877 A GB 2393877A GB 0223060 A GB0223060 A GB 0223060A GB 0223060 A GB0223060 A GB 0223060A GB 2393877 A GB2393877 A GB 2393877A
- Authority
- GB
- United Kingdom
- Prior art keywords
- connection
- processing machine
- server
- dial
- established
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Withdrawn
Links
Classifications
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
- H04M15/00—Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
- H04M15/68—Payment of value-added services
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
- H04L67/00—Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications
- H04L67/01—Protocols
- H04L67/02—Protocols based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
- H04L67/00—Network arrangements or protocols for supporting network services or applications
- H04L67/14—Session management
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
- H04M15/00—Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
- H04L69/00—Network arrangements, protocols or services independent of the application payload and not provided for in the other groups of this subclass
- H04L69/30—Definitions, standards or architectural aspects of layered protocol stacks
- H04L69/32—Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level
- H04L69/322—Intralayer communication protocols among peer entities or protocol data unit [PDU] definitions
- H04L69/329—Intralayer communication protocols among peer entities or protocol data unit [PDU] definitions in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04M—TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION
- H04M2215/00—Metering arrangements; Time controlling arrangements; Time indicating arrangements
- H04M2215/01—Details of billing arrangements
- H04M2215/0196—Payment of value-added services, mainly when their charges are added on the telephone bill, e.g. payment of non-telecom services, e-commerce, on-line banking
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
- Signal Processing (AREA)
- Computer And Data Communications (AREA)
- Telephonic Communication Services (AREA)
- Management, Administration, Business Operations System, And Electronic Commerce (AREA)
Abstract
A method of initiating a dial-up connection, comprising the steps of: receiving a request at a server 6, from a processing machine 1, over an established dial-up connection allowing communication between the server 6 and the processing machine 1, for an alternative dial-up connection to be initiated; generating instructions in response to the request, at the server, for a modem 2 associated with the processing machine 1 to terminate the established connection and dial an alternative number so as to initiate a further dial-up connection to communicate with the server 6 and sending the generated instructions to the processing machine 1 over the established connection.
Description
"A Method of Initiating a Dial-Up Connection" s THIS INVENTION relates to
a method of initiating a dial-up connection, and in particular concerns a method by which an established dial-up communication link between a server and a processing machine may be broken, and an alternative dial-up communication link initiated.
Many suppliers of Internet-based services wish to charge for the services. One manner in which this may be achieved is to encourage a user of the services to establish a dial-up connection to the server hosting the services over a premium telephone line, which costs the user a certain amount per unit time of connection, all or a portion of which charge goes to the provider of the services. It is, however, difficult to persuade users to dial into a server over a premium line, and the provider of the Internet-based services may wish to 20 provide prospective users with a sample of the services, which may be provided over a non-premium line (i. e. charge-free, apart from any charge levied by the provider of the communication link), so that prospective users can gain an idea of the nature and quality of the services.
25 Having provided a free sample of the services, providers of Internet based services may find it difficult to persuade users who are interested in the services to go to the trouble of breaking the original, nonpremium dial-up connection and re-dialling an alternative number (associated with a premium line) to take full advantage of the services.
An alternative method of extracting payment from users of Internet-
based services is to encourage users to input account details, for instance, credit card details, so that payment can be deducted from an account of the 5 user, corresponding to the length of time for which services are utilised. Users are, however, often understandably reluctant to provide their credit card details over the Internet, and may also be suspicious that the provider of the Internet-
based services may deduct more than is appropriate from the account.
10 It is an object of the present invention to seek to substantially alleviate some or all of the above difficulties.
Accordingly, one aspect of the present invention provides a method of initiating a dial-up connection, comprising the steps of: receiving a request at a 15 server, from a processing machine, over an established dial-up connection allowing communication between the server and the processing machine, for an alternative dial-up connection to be initiated; generating instructions in response to the request, at the server, for a modem associated with the processing machine to terminate the established connection and dial an 20 alternative number so as to initiate a further dial-up connection to communicate with the server; and sending the generated instructions to the processing machine over the established connection.
Advantageously, the method further comprising the step, performed by 25 the processing machine, of carrying out the instructions.
Preferably, the generated instructions contain the alternative number to be dialled by the modem associated with the processing machine.
Another aspect of the present invention provides a method of initiating a data communications connection, comprising the steps of: receiving a request at a server, from a processing machine, over an established connection between 5 the server and the processing machine, for an alternative connection to be initiated; generating instructions in response to the request, at the server, for the processing machine, or a communication device associated therewith, to terminate the established connection and initiate another connection; and sending the generated instructions to the processing machine over the 10 established connection.
Conveniently, the other connection allows communication between the processing machine and the server.
15 A further aspect of the present invention provides a computer program comprising computer program code adapted to perform all of the steps of any preceding claim, when said program is run on a computer.
Another aspect of the present invention provides a computer program 20 according to the above, embodied on a computer readable medium.
A further aspect of the present invention provides a method of doing business, comprising the steps of: providing at least one casino-style game which is playable on a website; and offering a deal to a visitor to the website, 25 under which deal the visitor undertakes to play the said casino-style game for an agreed length of time at a cost to the visitor, and upon completion of the said length of time spent playing the said casino-style game the visitor receives a voucher for travel to a casino.
In order that the present invention may be more readily understood, embodiments will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying Figure, which is a schematic view of a communications network.
s With reference to the Figure, a processing machine 1, having a modem 2 associated therewith, is operable to establish a dial-up connection with a switching network 3 over a telephone line 4. The dial-up connection allows the processing machine 1 to communicate with an Internet service provider (ISP) 3, 10 and hence access the Internet 5. Typically, the dial- up connection is made with a receiving modem associated with the ISP 3, and a connection can then be made with various remote servers which maintain websites, either through a router or through the Internet.
15 In the present example, a user of the processing machine 1 establishes a dial-up connection, via the modem 2 associated therewith, to a server 6 which is associated with a provider of Internet-based gaming services. Users may play games on a website maintained by the provider of the gaming services, and which is held on the server 6.
In order to play full versions of the games offered by the provider, a user is required to establish a dial-up connection on a premium line to communicate with the server 6, and hence effectively pay the provider an amount per unit time spent playing the full versions of the games.
The provider may, however, offer partial or time-limited versions of the games, in order to allow potential customers to sample the games and decide whether or not they wish to pay to play the full versions of the games.
In an embodiment of the present invention, a user establishes a first dial-
up connection through the modem 2 with the ISP 3, and hence gains access to the Internet 5. This first dial-up connection is made over a nonpremium line.
The user accesses the website maintained by the provider of Internet gaming services, and plays sample games thereon.
Having played the sample games, the user decides that he or she wishes to play the full versions of the games, and is prepared to pay for the time spent 10 doing this.
The website presents an option to the user to transfer to a premium line, and if the user selects this option the user will be prompted to confirm this selection by an on-screen menu. If the user confirms the selection, the server 6 15 generates instructions, which are ultimately to be carried out by the modem 2 associated with the processing machine 1. The instructions are for the modem 2 to terminate the established dial-up connection, and to dial an alternative number, which is associated with a premium line, to re-establish communications with the server 6. Alternatively, the alternative number dialled 20 could establish communications with a different server, which preferably hosts an identical or similar website.
The server 6 then transmits the generated instructions to the processing machine 1 over the established dial-up connection.
Upon receipt of the instructions from the server 6, the processing machine 1 follows the instructions by causing the modem 2 to terminate the original, non-premium dial-up connection and to dial the alternative number (which is preferably included in the instruction generated by the server 6) to re
establish communications with the server 6 through the ISP 3 (or by another route) and the Internet 5.
While the modem is performing these operations, the user is preferably 5 presented with a screen explaining that a new connection is being made, and requesting the user to wait for a short period.
If the processing machine 1 fails to establish communications with the server 6 after a predetermined time, the processing machine 1 may inform the 10 user that the attempt to re-establish communication with the server 6 has failed, and may attempt to re-establish communications with the server 6 by re-
establishing the original, non-premium dial-up connection.
If the processing machine 1 and modem 2 are successful in establishing 15 communications with the server 6 over the premium line, the user is then able to play the full versions of the games offered on the website maintained by the provider, and will pay for these games through the higher costs (normally incurred by way of an additional per-minute charge) of maintaining the premium dial-up connection. The user should also suffer little delay, and have 20 to talce no direct action, in switching from one dial-up connection to another, and the transaction should be relatively seamless.
In one example of the present invention, a provider of Internet-based gaming services may also be involved with provision of gaming services within 25 a casino. Casino-style games may be offered on the website maintained by the provider, the user may be offered a deal under which, if the user agrees to play the games offered on the website at the premium rate for a fixed length of time (say, ten minutes or half an hour) , the user will win a prize, which may be a trip to a casino.
Clearly, it is in the interests of the provider for the user to visit the casino, since visitors to the casino are likely to generate income for the provider. On the other hand, the user may feel that he or she is receiving a good deal, since the cost of travel to the casino may ordinarily be substantially higher than the amount the user will spend on playing the games provided on the website for the stipulated length of time. In reality, the income generated by the 10 user's participation in the games over the premium line may simply cover the cost of administering the website, the provider being happy to distribute free trips to a casino in the hope that the income generated by the user's visit to the casino will more than recoup this initial outlay.
15 It will be appreciated that the present invention provides a simple and effective method of establishing an alternative dial-up connection, which will find application in many areas of Internet-based commercial activity, including gaming and the provision of"adult" services and other subscription services.
20 In the present specification "comprises" means "includes or consists of"
and "comprising" means "including or consisting of".
The features disclosed in the foregoing description, or the following claims, or
the accompanying drawings, expressed in their specific forms or in terms of a 25 means for performing the disclosed function, or a method or process for attaining the disclosed result, as appropriate, may, separately, or in any combination of such features, be utilised for realising the invention in diverse forms thereof.
Claims (12)
1. A method of initiating a dial-up connection, comprising the steps of: receiving a request at a server, from a processing machine, over an 5 established dial-up connection allowing communication between the server and the processing machine, for an alternative dial-up connection to be initiated; generating instructions in response to the request, at the server, for a modem associated with the processing machine to terminate the established connection and dial an alternative number so as to initiate a further dial-up 10 connection to communicate with the server; and sending the generated instructions to the processing machine over the established connection.
2. A method according to Claim 1, further comprising the step, performed
15 by the processing machine, of carrying out the instructions.
3. A method according to Claim 1 or 2, wherein the generated instructions contain the alternative number to be dialled by the modem associated with the processing machine.
4. A method of initiating a data communications connection, comprising the steps of: receiving a request at a server, from a processing machine, over an established connection between the server and the processing machine, 25 for an alternative connection to be initiated; generating instructions in response to the request, at the server, for the processing machine, or a communication device associated therewith, to terminate the established connection and initiate another connection; and
sending the generated instructions to the processing machine over the established connection.
5. A method according to Claim 4, wherein the other connection allows 5 communication between the processing machine and the server.
6. A computer program comprising computer program code adapted to perform all of the steps of any preceding claim, when said program is run on a computer.
7. A computer program according to Claim 6, embodied on a computer readable medium.
8. A method of doing business, comprising the steps of: 15 providing at least one casino-style game which is playable on a website; and offering a deal to a visitor to the website, under which deal the visitor undertakes to play the said casino-style game for an agreed length of time at a cost to the visitor, and upon completion of the said length of time spent playing 20 the said casino-style game the visitor receives a voucher for travel to a casino.
9. A method substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to the accompanying drawings.
25
10. A computer program substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to the accompanying drawings.
11. A method substantially as hereinbefore described, with reference to the accompanying drawings.
A:
12. Any novel feature or combination of features disclosed herein.
Priority Applications (3)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB0223060A GB2393877A (en) | 2002-10-04 | 2002-10-04 | A method of initiating a dial-up connection |
| AU2003267592A AU2003267592A1 (en) | 2002-10-04 | 2003-09-19 | A method of initiating a dial-up connection |
| PCT/GB2003/004057 WO2004032007A1 (en) | 2002-10-04 | 2003-09-19 | A method of initiating a dial-up connection |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB0223060A GB2393877A (en) | 2002-10-04 | 2002-10-04 | A method of initiating a dial-up connection |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| GB0223060D0 GB0223060D0 (en) | 2002-11-13 |
| GB2393877A true GB2393877A (en) | 2004-04-07 |
Family
ID=9945329
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB0223060A Withdrawn GB2393877A (en) | 2002-10-04 | 2002-10-04 | A method of initiating a dial-up connection |
Country Status (3)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| AU (1) | AU2003267592A1 (en) |
| GB (1) | GB2393877A (en) |
| WO (1) | WO2004032007A1 (en) |
Citations (6)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP0765068A2 (en) * | 1995-09-22 | 1997-03-26 | AT&T Corp. | Interactive and information data services telephone billing system |
| WO1999017512A1 (en) * | 1997-09-29 | 1999-04-08 | Koninklijke Kpn N.V. | System, as well as terminal, as well as server |
| EP0915595A2 (en) * | 1997-11-04 | 1999-05-12 | Nec Corporation | Accessing system for a network |
| WO1999057663A1 (en) * | 1998-04-22 | 1999-11-11 | Echarge Corporation | Method and apparatus for ordering goods, services and content over an internetwork |
| WO2000033557A1 (en) * | 1998-11-27 | 2000-06-08 | The Patent Gmbh | Method for billing services which can be retrieved from the internet |
| JP2001326756A (en) * | 2000-03-10 | 2001-11-22 | Takeo Koike | Internet connection system |
Family Cites Families (5)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US5978775A (en) * | 1993-12-08 | 1999-11-02 | Lucent Technologies Inc. | Information distribution system using telephone network and telephone company billing service |
| US5749075A (en) * | 1995-06-06 | 1998-05-05 | Interactive Media Works, L.L.C. | Method for providing prepaid internet access and/or long distance calling including the distribution of specialized calling cards |
| US7606355B2 (en) * | 1998-04-22 | 2009-10-20 | Echarge Corporation | Method and apparatus for ordering goods, services and content over an internetwork |
| GB9918244D0 (en) * | 1999-08-04 | 1999-10-06 | Muzaffar Sajjad | Online payment system |
| FR2797981B1 (en) * | 1999-08-27 | 2007-12-21 | Cpio Multimedia | ONLINE TRANSACTION SYSTEM |
-
2002
- 2002-10-04 GB GB0223060A patent/GB2393877A/en not_active Withdrawn
-
2003
- 2003-09-19 WO PCT/GB2003/004057 patent/WO2004032007A1/en not_active Application Discontinuation
- 2003-09-19 AU AU2003267592A patent/AU2003267592A1/en not_active Abandoned
Patent Citations (6)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EP0765068A2 (en) * | 1995-09-22 | 1997-03-26 | AT&T Corp. | Interactive and information data services telephone billing system |
| WO1999017512A1 (en) * | 1997-09-29 | 1999-04-08 | Koninklijke Kpn N.V. | System, as well as terminal, as well as server |
| EP0915595A2 (en) * | 1997-11-04 | 1999-05-12 | Nec Corporation | Accessing system for a network |
| WO1999057663A1 (en) * | 1998-04-22 | 1999-11-11 | Echarge Corporation | Method and apparatus for ordering goods, services and content over an internetwork |
| WO2000033557A1 (en) * | 1998-11-27 | 2000-06-08 | The Patent Gmbh | Method for billing services which can be retrieved from the internet |
| JP2001326756A (en) * | 2000-03-10 | 2001-11-22 | Takeo Koike | Internet connection system |
Non-Patent Citations (1)
| Title |
|---|
| http://www.190complaints.com.au/q&a-dialler.htm * |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| GB0223060D0 (en) | 2002-11-13 |
| WO2004032007A1 (en) | 2004-04-15 |
| AU2003267592A1 (en) | 2004-04-23 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| WAP | Application withdrawn, taken to be withdrawn or refused ** after publication under section 16(1) |