Patent ID: 6442258
Filing Date: 2002-08-27
Classification: H04M,H04Q

Abstract:
A method for trading telecommunications services, comprising:receiving service offers from a plurality of sellers, each seller having an account stored in a memory, each account having a balance, each service offer constituting an offer to sell a block of telecommunications connect time larger in size than a single telecommunications transaction for a route connecting a pair of locations in a network, each service offer comprising a plurality of parameters, the parameters comprising: a price; an origination location; and a destination location; identifying one or more routes for routing calls from a first location to a second location using the received service offers, each of the identified routes comprising one or more calling legs, service for each calling leg being provided by a service provider; receiving service requests from a plurality of buyers, each buyer having an account stored in a memory, each account having a balance, each service request requesting purchase of a block of telecommunications connect time larger in size than a single telecommunications transaction, each service request comprising a plurality of parameters, the parameters comprising: a price; an origination location; and a termination location; matching service requests provided by buyers to at least a portion of one or more service requests provided by sellers; brokering a transaction that effects a transfer of ownership of at least a portion of the telecommunications connect time specified in the matched service offers from each seller to a respective buyer; and updating the account balance of each seller and buyer of telecommunications connect time.