Patent ID: 7930186

Claim:
A client system for communicating with an electronic communication network via a server system, the client system comprising: a central processing unit (CPU); volatile working memory associated with said CPU; a communications interface coupled to said CPU and volatile working memory; and client software coupled to said CPU, volatile working memory, and communications interface, said client system being configured to: if a previous session using said client software completed unsuccessfully: offer a user an option of either continuing or restoring system settings of said client system; receive from said user an indication responsive to said offering; and determining whether to restore said system settings based at least in part on said indication; specify a billing preference, said billing preference chosen from a predefined set of billing options, said billing options including at least one technique for making a monetary payment; transmit said billing preference to the server system; receive a billing approve/reject signal from the server system; accessing the electronic communications network via the server system if an approve signal is provided in said receiving; and conduct two-way communications with the electronic communications network via the server system.