Patent ID: 6483910
Filing Date: 2002-11-19
Classification: H04M

Abstract:
An apparatus for determining a fee to be charged to a calling party initiating a telephone call directed to a telephone of a called party, the telephone of the called party having a wired connection to a central office (CO) of a Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), the apparatus comprising:a computer in communication with the PSTN, the computer being programmed to detect an indication of an origin of a telephone call initiated by a calling party and to compare the indication to an authorization list to determine whether or not the calling party is an authorized calling party, the authorization list corresponding to a list of calling parties from whom the called party desires to receive telephone calls, wherein if the computer determines that the calling party is not an authorized calling party, the computer calculates a fee to be charged to the calling party, the calculated fee being intended to dissuade undesired calling parties from placing telephone calls to the called party and to enable fees to be generated as consideration for efforts made by the called party to receive undesired telephone calls from undesired calling parties, the telephone of the called party being a non-wireless telephone.