JP2002540681A - Advanced payphone systems and methods for advertising on payphones over a communication network - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) Abstract: A system and method for advertising on a public telephone terminal over a communication network. A payphone management system collects advertising messages from advertisers, formats and stores the messages, and collects revenue from the advertisers. The advanced public telephone terminal receives the advertisement message from the payphone management system and stores it locally. The advertising message is displayed to the user of the terminal in a format that includes moving picture video, still picture video, audio, animation and text. Advertising revenue helps to pay for calls and helps attract users to the terminal. In addition to subsidizing calling costs to users, it also facilitates revenue sharing among payphone operators, advertisers, telephone companies and location owners.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

RELATED APPLICATIONS A priority claim is made to US Provisional Application No. 60 / 125,189, filed March 19, 1999, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. .

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to advanced payphone systems and business methods for generating revenue therefrom. In particular, the present invention is an electronic system used to provide payphone operators with additional revenue and subsidize costs for users while providing users with features not available on conventional payphones. Relates to advanced pay phones with advertising, Internet, and multimedia capabilities. The business method of the present invention has a wide range of applications beyond public telephones to residential terminals and other subscriber terminals.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] Today's payphones often provide little, if any, revenue to the telephone owner or operator. Payphone users often use telephone cards to directly access local or long-distance telecommunications carriers, actually avoiding charges for payphone use. . Also, public telephones currently offer very limited functionality to users. Advances in computing, telecommunications, the Internet, and general technology have not been proportionately translated in improvements to public telephones, such as increased functionality for users.

In many parts of the world, telephone charges are relatively high. Telephone users, especially payphone users, are often very aware of the costs associated with making a phone call. What is desired is a way to reduce the cost of telephone access to a user. What is also desired is a method of attracting users to a particular location owner's phone rather than another owner's phone and encouraging increased use of public telephones.

[0005] Providing advertisements over public telephones has benefited users by reducing the cost of telephone access by the inventor, allowing them to be more broadly and more directionally exposed to their messages. It is seen as a way to increase payphone operator / owner revenue and improve margins while in the main interest. Others have explored the concept of advertising to payphones or other telephone users, and have described related systems in other patents. These systems have various disadvantages, as described herein.

US Pat. No. 5,793,851 describes a public telephone communication system where public telephones are located in booths containing advertising materials for various businesses. Calls made from public phones to advertising companies are free to users. The calls are monitored by a system that can subsequently charge the advertiser based on the number of calls to the advertiser that originated on public telephones. While this system allows certain calls to be free to the user, one drawback of the system is that it does not subsidize the cost of non-advertising related calls by the user. . Another disadvantage of the system is that the advertisement is fixed in the booth. The system does not consider video advertisements and does not address advertisements that change automatically or upon system command.

US Pat. No. 5,987,424 describes a system in which various types of advertisements are provided to subscriber terminals through a telephone switch. The receipt and display of the advertisement at the subscriber terminal is added to the discount amount for that terminal, which offsets the communication charges incurred at the terminal. One disadvantage of this system is that it requires online streaming of advertising information. In addition, little accounting is performed at the subscriber terminal. The system needs to be equipped with a telephone switch or network and configured to perform a number of functions beyond the routing of telephone calls, such as calculating and streaming advertisements during the call. Such network equipment and functionality must be present for the subscriber terminal to function as described. Online streaming of advertisements increases network load.

[0008] US Pat. No. 5,515,424 describes a system for providing an advertisement selected by a subscriber in the form of a video image to a television station. One disadvantage of this system is that it requires online streaming of advertising information. The system needs to be equipped with a telephone switch or network and configured to perform a number of functions beyond the routing of telephone calls, such as calculating and streaming advertisements during the call. Such network equipment and functionality must exist for the subscriber terminal to function as described. Online streaming of advertisements increases network load.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention allows telephone companies, payphone companies, and location owners to make money from advertisements that telephone users, and also passers-by, can see. The screen keeps displaying ads even when no one is using the phone. Because payphones are located in public areas, they give advertisers the opportunity to also display messages to advertisers. This advertisement on public telephone instruments creates additional revenue streams that were not previously available.

[0010] The present invention provides that an advertiser can use any individual public telephone or group of public telephone instruments,
Deal with highly targeted ads because you can choose to stay on all instruments or have ads appear at various times of the day / week / month of your choice and determine the duration of the ads .

[0011] In addition to advertising, the present invention attracts more users to the terminal and provides them with additional features that will tend to increase terminal usage time,
It will also deal with strengthening the flow of revenue from payphone terminals. Such a function is e
-Including email, video mail, video conferencing, internet browsing, online chat. Also included are aircraft and railway schedules, and value-added information services such as directory assistance services.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention is a method for generating revenue from the operation of a communication system comprising subscriber terminals. The method collects a plurality of advertisements from advertisers under the control of a central server, and transfers at least one of the plurality of advertisements over a network when the subscriber terminal is not being used by a user. Including distributing to one subscriber terminal. The method also includes controlling the subscriber terminal to charge a user for an amount for use of the subscriber terminal and displaying the at least one advertisement at the subscriber terminal. The present invention does not rely on local exchanges or telephone access networks for call charge calculations or for storing, processing or transmitting images.

[0013] The system of the present invention provides an advertisement on an advertisement network to a user of a subscriber terminal. The system comprises a plurality of subscriber terminals connected to a network, and, in a preferred embodiment, a central server connected to the plurality of subscriber terminals over the network to facilitate off-line distribution of advertisements to the terminals. including. The central server controls the collection and distribution of advertisements and, to a certain extent, the display of advertisements at subscriber terminals. The terminal includes the functionality of a traditional payphone, but also facilitates more advanced features such as displaying advertisements on a color screen. The terminal includes a modem for communication with a central server over a communication network. Ads are transmitted over the network from the central server to the terminals where they are stored in non-volatile memory. Ads are displayed and scrolled when the terminal is in use, or in some public places, in a programmed order and frequency, regardless of whether the terminal is in use. Advertisements at designated terminals are updated periodically by the central server. The audio component of the message can be output through a payphone speaker.
The terminal may accept multiple payment modes as opposed to one or two conventional modes. Terminals in the system are assigned unique IP addresses that allow them to be individually accessed through the Internet. This addresses the terminal providing enhanced functionality as an Internet device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention enhances payphone systems, and enhances their convenience for users, while advertizing them together to increase payphone profitability. Is aimed at the way for. The method of the present invention relates to payphones and applies not only to payphones but also to advanced residential or business phones and to generating revenue streams therefrom. Pay telephones, pay phones (p
References are made to A.phones and ZIPFones, but it is intended that the business method of the present invention be understood to apply to any type of subscriber terminal capable of displaying advertisements. You. In the context of this specification, "displaying" an advertisement means presenting the advertisement at the terminal in any manner, including audio, video (still frames, moving images, or animations), or any other method, and any combination thereof. including. Also, in the context of the present invention, "advertising" or "advertising" is not limited to commercial messages or messages intended to accomplish commercial transactions. Rather, the displayed advertising content may include non-commercial messages in an informational, entertaining, or other form.

The present invention addresses the aforementioned needs of telephone users, payphone location owners, and advertisers. It attracts users to certain pay phones, thus encouraging their use and creating a revenue stream for the various parties involved in the business method. The advertiser pays for this access and these revenues are used to subsidize the user's calling charges and / or additional to telephone companies and / or payphone operators and other companies involved in business methods. Can be used either to generate a profit.

As generally described, the system of the present invention comprises a central server and a plurality of advanced subscriber terminals (payphone, payphone, zipphone).
)including. These terminals include the functionality of traditional payphones, but also facilitate more advanced features such as displaying advertisements on a color screen. The terminal includes a modem for communication with the central server over a communication network. The advertisements are transmitted from a central server over a network of terminals where they are then stored in non-volatile memory. Ads are displayed and scrolled when the terminal is in use, or in some public places, in a pre-programmed order and frequency, regardless of whether the terminal is in use. Advertisements at designated terminals are updated periodically by the central server.
The audio component of the message can be output through a payphone speaker. A terminal may accept multiple payment modes, as opposed to one or two conventional modes. These modes include coins, cards (magnetic stripe / chip / smart card / bar coded) and cash. The cash payment option is enabled with a built-in instrument measurement device that allows the terminal to print a bill for each call using an attached printer. The amount on the bill is charged to the user by the location owner / operator. Terminals in the system are assigned unique IP addresses to allow them to be individually accessed through the Internet. This addresses the terminal providing enhanced functionality as an Internet device.

FIG. 1 illustrates the various parties and relationships that can be facilitated by the business methods of the present invention. These parties include: That is, advertiser 20, payphone operating company 30, telephone company 40, payphone user 60, payphone location owner 70, and credit verification center / bank 80. The subscriber terminal used in the system, as described above, is illustrated as payphone 50, which represents one of many terminals that can be used with the present invention. The invention also uses an Internet Protocol (IP) based payphone management system that can be implemented in software resident on one processor of the central server / party. In a preferred embodiment, the payphone operator 30 controls or provides the payphone management system 10.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the key entity is an IP-based payphone management system 10, integrated with a processor in a central server and controlled and provided by a payphone operator, as described above. . FIG. 2 illustrates the overall relationship between the payphone management system and a number of subscriber terminals. In the figure, a payphone management system 200 is a zipphone (ZIP) in City A.
Phone Group 1 (210) and ZipFone Group 2 (220) in City B, which is some distance from City A. The connection is made over one or more communication networks 211 and 212. The present invention is not limited by the type of communication network used to connect the subscriber terminal to the payphone management system. In a preferred embodiment, it is assumed that the connection is made over the same telephone network to which the subscriber terminal is connected.

FIG. 3 shows an advanced payphone terminal of the present invention. As shown, the terminal 300 includes a display screen 310, a handset 350, a keypad 330, a coin slot 360, a card slot 340, and a pre-programmed "Hotkeys" 320. I do.

The payphone management system 10 controls many aspects of a business method and performs a number of functions within the business method. One of these functions is to control advertising under the present invention. Specifically, the payphone management system controls the collection and distribution of advertisement messages, and controls the display of advertisements on subscriber terminals to a certain extent. Advertiser 20 represents one or more parties who want to advertise, sell products or services, or provide non-commercial messages to subscriber terminal users. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the advertiser has a business relationship with a payphone operator through which their advertisements are distributed to terminals. Instead, the advertiser pays the payphone operator for the services provided. Advertisement messages are collected from advertisers 20 and stored in payphone management system 10. In a preferred embodiment, this collection is performed by a payphone operator. The advertising message typically takes the form of a video, still image, animation or text. These advertising messages are electronically encoded by either the advertiser or the payphone operator in a format that facilitates electronic storage and transmission.

Under the control of the payphone management system, the advertising messages are arranged and distributed to the individual subscriber terminals over a communication network which is then stored in the terminal's non-volatile memory. The advertisement message is distributed to the designated terminal when the terminal is offline, ie, while it is not being used by the user.

Further, under the control of the payphone management system, there is billing and issuing. In particular,
There is user and place owner billing. The amount charged by the terminal user for making a call may depend on the tariff table that applies to the call. For example, local, intra-state, inter-state and international calls may all have different tariff tables where calls are compared to determine the amount charged to the user. In addition, there may be special rates based on sales programs that may be discounted depending on the time of day or certain days. These charge tables are stored in the terminal, but can be transmitted and updated from the payphone management system as needed or periodically. In addition, certain surcharges can be applied to the cost of the call. For example, certain types of calls or use of a credit card may incur additional charges, such as on a switched telephone or a telephone placed from an up-scale location. The information needed to apply such surcharges to the amount charged to the user by the terminal is available from the payphone management system.

[0023] Place owner billing issuance is also accomplished by the payphone management system. In one embodiment of the invention, the bill for the designated location owner is sent to the location owner's terminal where it is stored in memory. The location is placed on the screen of the terminal where the bill has arrived. The place owner can then display it on the screen or it can print. This method of billing is a significant improvement in the cost of traditional billing by mail and represents a saving. The payment by the location owner for the bill is made by credit card or, in the preferred embodiment, by authorization.
This can be done by billing a previously prepared debit account that can be done through the terminal. In addition, the authorization of the claim may be deemed given if a predetermined amount of time, such as 15 days, has elapsed after such delivery of the bill of charge to the location owner.

The location owner, shown as 70 in FIG. 1, is the relationship that owns or manages the premises where the terminal is located and possibly performing the task of performing payphone operations there on a daily basis. Person. This is typically the case at attended payphone outlet stores where cash is collected from the user each time a call is made and user assistance must be provided at the location. In a preferred embodiment of the business method of the present invention, the location owner is a franchise of a payphone operator and makes a fixed fee for calls made from his outlet store. The payphone company 30 installs and maintains the terminal at the site owner's premises for a set time period instead of the franchise fee collected in advance. The revenue collected by the payphone operator through the present invention by the location owner in the relatively limited scenario provides the location owner with an additional revenue stream based on advertising at the terminal. The revenue collected by the payphone operator from the advertiser is split with the location owner. This encourages the location owner to accept terminals and franchise arrangements, even at relatively high franchise fees, and assures the location owner of income streams without additional effort on his or her side.

The payphone management system also facilitates and controls revenue sharing arrangements between interested parties. Revenues heard from various parties and claims made to various parties are tracked and controlled by a payphone management system. Payphone operators may themselves own the location where the terminal is located. In those cases, there is no need to split the income of the place owner. However, in most cases, the terminal is "rented" to the location owner for a franchise fee as described. The division of advertising revenue through the payphone management system
In most cases, it is more than offsetting the franchise fee charged to the location owner. Location owners can also typically participate in providing their own ads to the system for display on a particular terminal.

The advertising revenue can also be split with the telephone company that provides the telephone access line connecting to the terminal. Usually, the telephone company charges for providing a telephone network to each terminal,
And will also charge payphone operators for the use of the network. Under the method of the present invention, and under the control of the payphone management system, fees charged by the telephone company may also be discounted based on the percentage of advertising revenue split with the telephone company. The telephone company can also participate in providing advertisements to the system for display on the terminal instead of discounted telephone access and / or usage charges.

Users also benefit from revenue sharing arrangements in that the cost charged to the user for making a call is discounted and subsidized by advertising revenue. Thus, from the user's point of view, the Zipphone (ZIPF) under the system of the present invention
Using payphones such as one) is even more cost-effective than using competing payphones. In all of the revenue splitting scenarios described herein, the payphone management system understands under effect revenue splitting arrangements for each of the terminals, and thus the system varies accordingly. Track stakeholder accounts.

The payphone management system also performs a credit management function. The various parties involved in the system may have payphone operators and debit accounts. The balance between accounts is maintained by the payphone management system. What is important is the management of the debit account of the place owner. The user pays for the location owner using the telephone, thus increasing the amount for the payphone operator. Typically, the location owner is billed by the payphone management system every 15 minutes or other predetermined time. When certain predetermined thresholds for the amount are met, the payphone management system can immediately issue a toll bill to the location owner to avoid redundant delays in payment. Also, in cases where the risk of no payment is relatively high, the terminal in question can be deactivated by the payphone management system based on whether the payment on the bill was received in a timely manner. This further prevents charges from accruing and limits possible losses due to lack of payment.

Another function performed by the payphone management system is database management. Advertisers are charged a flat fee for displaying their advertising messages. With the database management function of the payphone management system, data is collected based on the number of times the advertisement message was viewed on the terminal where it was viewed and by the number of terminals on which it was displayed. This information can be used to determine the amount to charge to the advertiser who provided the advertising message instead of charging a flat fee. Other information collected includes the user's demographics-the type of place and the identification of the geographic region where the advertising message was displayed.
Such information is valuable to the advertiser and can command a premium when determining the amount to charge and the advertiser. Such information allows the advertiser to better target the advertising message to the type of user desired.

The payphone management system also monitors transactions originating from the terminal between the user and the advertiser whose messages are displayed on the terminal. For example, if an advertising message is displayed to a user at a terminal and the user contacts an advertiser from the terminal using one of the "hot keys", the event is preferably recorded at the terminal and later on the payphone management system. Collected by Also recorded and collected are the occurrences of completed transactions between the user and the advertiser. The information is communicated to the advertiser along with information about the type of place concerned. For example, indoors and more "secure" locations will lead to completion of business with advertisers than outdoors and less "secure" locations. In this way, advertising messages at those locations that are less suitable or likely to cause a complete transaction can be restricted to brand recognition type messages.
In contrast, advertisements in "secure" locations may include point-of-sale messages.

Also, the payphone management system facilitates remote diagnosis of terminals. By connecting the individual terminals, the system performs maintenance, performs diagnostic tests, tries to solve the problem remotely, and if there are other problems, tells the technician physically to the terminal. You can give certain diagnostic information before going. The terminal itself can also perform local diagnostic tests through a connection with the portable computer or through built-in programming initiated by the keypad to instruct the terminal to perform a self-test.

As described herein with respect to FIG. 1, advertiser 20 may wish to advertise to sell a product or service or to provide non-commercial messages to subscriber terminal users 1. Represent one or more parties. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the advertiser has a business relationship with the payphone operator to which the advertisement is distributed to terminals. Instead, the advertiser pays the payphone operator for the services provided. Advertisement messages are collected from advertisers 20 and stored in payphone management system 10. In a preferred embodiment, this collection comprises:
Performed by payphone operators. Advertising messages are typically moving images,
Take the form of still images, animations, or text. These advertising messages are electronically encoded by either the advertiser or the payphone operator in a format that facilitates electronic storage and transmission.

The advertising message is typically displayed while the terminal is regularly in use or scrolling. However, in places with high visibility such as airports, it is desirable to display the advertisement message even when the terminal is not in use.
The message scrolls periodically, and short audio segments can be created to attract potential users.

The advertiser selects at which terminal location the specified advertisement message is displayed, what type of advertisement message is used (video, still frame, etc.), and the period during which the advertisement message is displayed. be able to. This gives both advertisers and payphone operators a great degree of flexibility in devising payment methods.
For example, an audio ad for a period of 10 seconds would command a lower premium than a still image of the same period. Alternatively, payphone operators can charge advertisers a fixed amount of display time and a fixed amount, regardless of the type of message displayed. Payphone management systems are used to track the amounts charged to various advertisers, based in part on information uploaded from the terminal, regarding the frequency and duration of displayed advertising messages from various advertisers. You.

Advertisers are not free to move among telephone terminal users (captive)
It also has the advantage of having a viewer. In some countries, the average call length of a phone is about four to five minutes. Recall of messages is maximized because the user continues to watch the advertising message while using the telephone terminal. The terminal by the advertiser can also be used for research and brand recall exercises. For example, a user may be asked to answer a set of questions posted by an advertiser, and instead receive a few minutes of free phone use. It is prepared by the payphone management system. The terminal can also be used to test brand recalls. Brand recognition can be tested over a period of six months, for example, through a user's question via a terminal, since the same user tends to use the same terminal at several locations over a period of time. .

As noted above, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the payphone management system 10 is under the control of a payphone operator 30. This entity is
Providing terminals and placing them at various site owner sites. It contracts with advertisers, telephone companies, bank / credit verification companies, and place owners. In another embodiment of the present invention, the duties of the payphone operator may be performed by an advertiser or other party, such as a telephone company, and the payphone management system will be under its respective control.

In FIG. 1, telephone company 40 represents a company that is responsible for providing telephone lines to terminals. The invention is not limited by the manner in which the telephone company connects terminals to its telephone network, nor by the type of telephone network in which the telephone company is used. In addition to the conventional public telephone network, other networks such as wireless, satellite, etc. may be used. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the payphone operator manages the payphone side of the business, including finding the right place, etc., fixed blocks of lines in the market, and / or in bulk. By taking a fixed block of minutes used, it acts as a subscriber or franchise to the telephone company. The payphone operator pays the telephone company a rental fee for the line used, or a one-time payment for it. In addition, it can pay for the minutes used in bulk, or the minutes actually used. For a telephone company, an additional advantage of the present invention is that it increases the use of its telephone lines, which leads to increased revenue.

In another embodiment of the invention, the telephone company itself sets up the payphone network, including the location of the terminals. Management of the system is performed by a payphone management system located at the telephone company's local exchange. In this embodiment, the telephone company can also easily extend the advertising mode to advanced residential terminals for home use by customers in its service area. Voice messaging to residential customers using standard terminals can also be achieved.

Also shown in FIG. 1 is a payphone user 60. This represents the actual user of the terminal from which the call is made. As described herein, some of the objectives, or resultant benefits of the present invention, include attracting multiple users to a particular terminal through the provision of advertisements, enhanced functionality, and the cost of making calls. Including reductions. The business method of the present invention, in a preferred embodiment, provides payphone operators with the ability to subsidize call charges through advertising / merchandising at payphone locations. Since the tariffing of the call is typically predetermined by the telephone company or other entity, the charge for the call to the user under the present invention is discounted through advertisements. Call charges can be discounted at a flat rate (eg, discounts per minute). The tariff transmitted from the payphone management system to the terminal takes into account the subsidies or discounts applied against the normal tariff used by the telephone company. The amount of the discount varies from place to place and also depends on the time of day. In another embodiment of the method of the present invention, the user may use the terminal to accept a block of free calling time by being exposed to the display of the advertising message for an extended period of time. This can be done instead of, or in addition to, discounted telephone charges. Collecting free talk time instead of discounted calls substantially delays subsidies, but still creates an incentive for users to use payphone terminals under the present invention.

Users also benefit from a variety of promotion schemes implemented through the payphone management system under the present invention. For example, to attract more users to a particular device, payphone operators may contract with a consumer product company so that users receive coupons / tickets that can be redeemed for free products after using the device. Is fine. In one scenario, a user would receive a free soft drink coupon after making a call longer than the minimum length. In another scenario, if one or more questions / mysteries are correctly answered via the terminal, a coupon for a free item is received.

The advertiser or any consumer merchandise company may sponsor a prepaid telephone card with advertisements printed on them that can be distributed to users. These cards, when used in terminals under the system of the present invention, will greatly reduce the calling costs incurred or will be free to the user. In one embodiment, when the advertiser prints the calling card, the advertiser's message will be selected from the terminal memory and displayed to the user. In another embodiment, the card has an electronic memory ("smart card") on which certain advertisements are stored.
)It is included. When such a card is used with the terminal under the present invention, the advertisement stored on the terminal for display is replaced by the advertisement stored on the telephone card. Usually, the advertisement stored on the card relating to the product of the card distributor is displayed on the terminal for the user.

Also shown in FIG. 1 is a credit verification center / bank 80.
This participant can be included under the business method of the present invention whenever verification of the user's credit is required. This is necessary when the user chooses to pay the call with a credit card. Payphone terminal 50 obtains permission directly from bank 80. The cost of these verifications can be passed on to the user or recovered by providing an advertisement to the bank. Another scenario in which a bank's need to verify a user's credit is necessary when a user chooses to complete a credit transaction with an advertiser that he has contacted from a terminal. If the advertiser does not control credit verification, it can be done by the system. The terminal obtains prior authorization from the bank 80 at the start of the call to the advertiser and completes accounting with the bank when the call and transaction are completed.

The terminals described herein can also be used for residential purposes. Telephones can be given, sold, or rented to residential users as a way to enhance market penetration, either by payphone operators, telephone companies, or even current telephone company competitors. Users will be similarly exposed to advertising and will receive substantial discounts on call charges.

Another way to generate revenue by using the business methods of the present invention is by providing payphones / terminals with additional features and capabilities. These capabilities include e-mail, video mail, Internet browsing, online chat, and watching long videos. These functions are provided by user incentives (pre
command, and will attract more users to the terminal. A mini-camera attached to the terminal can facilitate sending video mail and actual videoconferencing from the terminal over a telephone or broadband network. Video games can be displayed on the screen of the terminal so that the user can play them while waiting or at any time during use of the terminal. So-called "value added" information services can be implemented at terminals for users who are provided with information such as airline schedules, railway schedules, and telephone directory information services. Such information can be downloaded from the payphone management system to the terminal, or can reside at the terminal in a CD-ROM, or other resident memory storage. The use of a "smart card" with secure user information stored therein facilitates online banking and secure transactions from other types of terminals. The terminals used in the system of the present invention have individual Internet addresses. The ability to be IP addressable sharply expands the possibilities for the type of transaction since the terminal is then essentially an Internet terminal. As the technology used for payphone terminals advances, additional features can be realized that will increase the appeal to users and help enhance revenue generation.

As noted above, the promotion of Internet operability and transactions may generate additional revenue. For example, standard browsing and e
The mail function can be realized with a payphone; In addition, a variety of advertising options can be used to increase revenue potential. For example, in addition to standard web page content, the display screen may include logos, baselines, product information, teasers, contests, etc. that the user can see and respond to. Advertisements may take the form of crawlers attached to e-mail messages that the user sees each time they access the mailbox. Alternatively, any user can be clicked on a particular website to view advertising content. This can be used to discount a user's Internet access fees in various ways. The ad being displayed is
The link can either be to provide the user with free Internet access for a certain period of time or to charge only for the communication fee from the host to the Internet service provider server. Internet access fees can be waived. The systems used in the business methods include the necessary means to describe such calls and provide detailed specifications to the user on a regular basis. Alternatively, the user can be encouraged to call the advertiser / manufacturer after watching the advertisement to learn more about the product. This constitutes another call originating from the terminal and the user benefits from a free gift that the manufacturer distributes instead.

The use of the Internet with the present invention allows the following transactions on the system: The user using the terminal queries several railways through the Internet and finds the information displayed / updated on the screen. The user confirms the reservation and prints a confirmation sign that the device printer can exchange for the ticket or ticket during the trip. If no device printer is connected, the system distributes a unique number that can be treated as a confirmation code. The same principle can be extended to making any online reservation. Payphone operators will charge service providers, such as railroads, aircraft, cinemas, intermediaries, etc., for the provision of this service. These companies benefit from more user labor and decentralized booking arrangements. Advertisers are charged for this service, so the advertising message printed on the ticket adds additional value to the payphone operator.

Another profitable transaction option enabled by using the terminal of the present invention is an online banking option. There is an urgent need to facilitate Internet banking using a banking methodology that encompasses the Internet paradigm. Providing this functionality at public access terminals and deploying models to support this represents another emerging way of developing additional revenue streams. In this method, users access their bank accounts from a multimedia payphone terminal, make balance inquiries, pay bills, send messages to banks, request personalized services, and save money. And so on. Fees for accessing the Internet to perform these transactions can again be handled in various ways. In one scenario, a user pays for a call through a credit or debit card. The fact that several such public access terminals are present throughout the city, especially in all important places, offers a powerful case for public telephone operators to negotiate with banks for advertising. Taking into account the fact that these devices can also be used to open new accounts, all interested banks may attract these potential customers through intuitive advertising. In addition, the relevant channel partners handling these banking products will be interested in extending this population. One scenario related to banking is the use of payphone terminals as "
The use of payphone terminals with currency dispensers to provide "ATM" type functionality. Banks associated with payphone operators can determine where these devices may be installed.

Yet another unique opportunity provided by the present invention is to generate revenue for payphone operators using internet conferencing from payphone terminals.
The operator assigns a unique pager or account number to each subscriber of the service. The scenario is described as follows. User A wants to hold a conference between A, User B, and User C. User A logs on to the Internet from one of the subscriber terminals and initiates a worldwide search for B and C through their pager / account number. The system pages the other two users through a special utility program, and sends them the appropriate message if they leave on the Internet. If they cannot, the payphone management system pages them with their mobile number. After a set period of time, user A receives a message at his terminal that the other two users have been contacted and that they have been logged on the net. This is followed by a chat conference between users, or a chat combined with audio and video if the device allows this at each end. If the details of this group are registered with the payphone management system, advertisements related to the group can be sent to all three terminals. Such a hardened system can be configured to charge users in a variety of ways, such as "caller payment", for both call charges and Internet access charges, while the called party is charged for Internet charges. Do not pay. Alternatively, it may follow "callee payment" as well. Payphone operator companies may have all three users discount Internet rates uniformly through advertising.

Another application of the present invention is in large video conferencing applications. In this scenario, a small camera mounted on the front of the payphone terminal captures the caller's image and transmits voice and images to other parties using the Internet backbone or broadband telephone line. The user is charged based on the call made and the duration of the video conference call. Pay terminal devices can also print bills for fees. Alternatively, the payphone system may use the scanned image stored on the central server and may be transmitted across the other side by the system. The possibility is in fact. It can be effectively developed by providing the user with various options for superimposing images on electronic greeting cards. This may be used on occasions such as festivals by the user to greet the other side of the person. Payphone operators or location owners may use highly focused advertising and drive traffic to these outlet stores by lowering Internet rates.

Another likely area that business models and systems address is interactive advertising. This provides the user with the benefits of the call, thereby allowing the use of advertising in a very targeted and focused way to drive usage and thus higher revenue to payphone operators. It depends on One scenario is as follows: The terminal user initiates the call. Based on the number being called, the terminal begins displaying meaningful advertisements at and around the called party's geographic location. If this is an advertisement for a pizza delivery, cinema, department store, etc., where the user is given the option to get instant connectivity to these advertisers via a "hot key" mechanism on the terminal There is. The user gets the call completely free or pays a discount based on the advertisement viewed and the sale completed. Another scenario is as follows. After the user initiates the call from the terminal, the terminal and / or the payphone management system reads the user's profile through its internally stored database profile,
The breaking of the advertising message is started according to the user's lifestyle, behavior pattern, past transactions, and the like. The user first starts watching the advertisement and gets a free time block before proceeding to a normal call. This provides the user with a free call for a period of time beyond what he is charged for the call. Alternatively, the set discount rate may be applied to the call and the user may be charged accordingly. Yet another scenario is as follows. User A calls user B from the terminal. The payphone management system tracks the people speaking, the time of the call, and similar previous calls made by user A, and provides a look at the person, time of day, and past transactions made. Show relevant ads. For example, User A is a literary fan and has ordered the latest best-selling fiction novel from a bookstore during his last conversation with User B. During this call, the terminal system will broadcast the same advertisement in an updated format to include all new releases.

Further, the business method is not limited to the type of terminal used. For example, as discussed above, residential phones can be used under the present invention with many of the same benefits for users and advertisers. It is anticipated that an upcoming generation of digital radiotelephones with large displays will be used with the present invention. Because users are often watching the phone when dialing, the advertising message can be displayed regardless of whether it is sent online or on the phone when it is not in use . In this way, the cost of the call can be subsidized by the advertiser or another party.

The terminals may also be deployed as “stand-alone” devices. Under certain circumstances,
It may be even more cost-effective for payphone operators to pre-load advertising messages on the terminal before deployment. Subsequent contact with the terminal is minimal. Such terminals are deployed in remote or unattended locations. In this scenario, no payphone management system is used. Rather, revenue is collected from advertisers to advertise messages pre-loaded on the terminal. Messages do not need to be updated or refreshed for long periods of time.

FIG. 4 illustrates the functional components of an advanced subscriber terminal under the present invention, such as that illustrated in FIG. The internal architecture of advanced subscriber terminal 300 is similar to the internal architecture of a computer in that it comprises a motherboard, memory, power supply, UPS, modem and other components typically found in a computer. . It also comprises a telephone line card as an accessory to the computing device. In FIG. 4, the motherboard 410 includes a microprocessor 415 for controlling the operation of the subscriber terminal. The motherboard includes a display device 450, a modem module 455, a memory module 455, a keyboard /
A number of standard memory decode input / output ports are also provided as interface (I / F) ports 420 for connection with user input devices 460 and telephone circuit components 470. The motherboard has a card interface 425, a coin interface 4
25, power interface 440, and serial data interface 435
Also have. In a preferred embodiment, the serial interface is RS2 to enable a serial data connection with a device such as a computer or printer.
There are 32 ports. This interface is a universal serial bus (USB)
) Or any other type of interface that allows connection to a subscriber terminal.

The memory module 445 illustrated in FIG. 4 represents the non-volatile memory of the subscriber terminal used to store system and call data related information and advertisements. Data stored in the memory remains until overwritten. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the memory module used is a flash RAM. Alternatives include the use of a CD-ROM or hard disk drive.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that other types of non-volatile memory storage means can be used and the invention is not limited thereby.

The display device 450 is, in a preferred embodiment, a liquid crystal display (LCD) with a resolution of 240 times 320 and capable of supporting 256 colors. The display is also illustrated in FIG. In a preferred embodiment, the display is illuminated from the back based on a CCFL (cold cathode filament lamp) and displays information in two parts. The top 204 line is used to display advertisements, and the remaining lines are used to display call-related information such as call volume, duration, and called station name. Other types of display devices are available for users such as LCDs of various sizes, with or without backlight, vacuum fluorescent device based displays, CRT based displays, rudimentary LED based scrolling displays, or touch screens. It is envisioned that it can be used with subscriber terminals such as displays that allow interactivity and display screens with light pens for input. The present invention is not limited by the type of display screen chosen for use at the subscriber terminal. Furthermore, it is not necessary for the display device to be integrated into the subscriber terminal. The display can be mounted as a separate device located at or near the subscriber terminal.

Also shown in FIG. 4 is a modem module 455 representing a modem mounted on the subscriber terminal. This is a standard data modem chosen from a number of different commercially available modems. The primary function of the modem is to communicate between the subscriber terminal and the central server, through which advertisements and other information can be transmitted to the subscriber terminal and diagnostic and other subscriber terminal information can be uploaded to the server. Is to deal with it. The modem also allows the terminal to connect directly to a third party device. Such third parties include bank / credit verification centers and Internet service providers.

The uninterruptible power supply 465 is connected to the motherboard 4 through the power supply interface 440.
10 is connected. Power supply 465 accepts a standard 220 VAC as an input that is converted to a 12V DC voltage at converter 467. The power supply 465 also includes a free, maintenance-free free battery 469 that provides an online backup power supply for 8 to 10 hours in the event of a power outage or interruption. The battery is constantly charged through a charging circuit provided inside the device 469.

The telephone circuit component 470 connects to the motherboard through the interface port 420. Circuit components include standard telephone circuit components, including audio circuit component 472, audio amplifier circuit component 476, ringer circuit component 474, and measurement circuit component 478. The subscriber terminal dials digits in a standard format (DTMF or pulse) using a standard -48v loop for telephone network connection. The subscriber terminal uses 16 Hz from the line reversal and telephone switch to measure the call.
Supports both signaling methods. As a result, the terminal can request itself (self-c
It can function as a "haring" device or as a responder to a 16 kHz signaling from a telephone exchange. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the techniques described herein are standard telephone circuit components. The invention is not limited to the specific components described herein.

Also shown in FIG. 4 is an RI11 port 485 that allows connection to a computer, fax machine, or other device and facilitates connection to a telephone network through a terminal. It also facilitates diagnostic analysis of the terminal by service personnel. Other types of ports that can be used in place of RJ11 are infrared (I
R) and USB. Also shown connected to telephone circuit component 470 is audio speaker 480. This speaker is mainly used for outputting the audio component of the advertisement and the video component displayed on the display screen 450. Speaker 480 also facilitates hands-free dialing by the user. The volume of the audio signal output from the speaker can be adjusted from the keyboard 460 of the terminal.

FIG. 4 also shows a keypad 460, which is the primary user input device connected to motherboard 410 through interface port 420. In FIG. 3, the components of the keypad are shown as keys 330 and “hot keys” 320. Keypads are used primarily as a means for dialing and entering information. The keypad also includes a plurality of "hot keys" which, when pressed, are programmed keys that connect the user to a particular user. Some of the hotkeys are dynamically programmed for use with the advertising message that is then displayed on the screen. For example, pressing one of the hot keys allows the user to connect to the advertiser corresponding to the advertising message displayed on the screen. Other hotkeys are programmed to allow the user to scroll through advertisements that are already being displayed. Some of the hot keys can be programmed to perform the same function, regardless of the advertisement being displayed, for example, to connect directly to a local company. In addition to the hot keys, two special keys on the keypad allow the user to adjust the volume of the terminal and access the menu functions of the subscriber terminal. Volume keys can be up to 8 when pressed
Increase volume with handset and speaker in 2dB increments up to dB. The menu key guides the user through various standard screens such as a command screen, telephone directory information, and the like. Other keys on the keypad are used with menu keys to accommodate user selection of various menu functions. In addition to the keypad 460, other means by which the subscriber terminal can obtain user input is a computer or electronic organizer-sized personal digital assistant (P) for performing dialing.
Ports 435 and 485 as described above for connection with a user device such as DA)
Not only does it include voice prompts through the handset, use of touch screen displays, fingerprint readers, and attached keyboards.

[0061] The subscriber terminal can accept multiple payment modes, such as coins and cards. These cards include prepaid telephone cards, commercial credit cards, and "smart cards" with electronically readable memory.
A standard coin collection box (not shown) connected to the coin interface 430 is used to accept coins of varying denominations. A return path is also provided to reject coins from other countries and return coins when the call is not connected. To accept payment by card, a card reader (not shown) is connected to the card interface 425. The card is inserted through the card slot 340, as shown in FIG. Card readers are a hybrid type that can be read and validate both "smart cards" and commercial credit cards. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the reader supports cards that comply with international standards, T2G and European chips. One such card reader is
KDE5900 manufactured by KD Electronics in Korea. Verification of the user's card can be completed immediately from the terminal via a modem, based on the industry standard for active authentication.
In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the terminal includes a barcode scanner that reads the barcode on the user's card. Further, the terminal can be provided with an optical bill reader so that the bill can be accepted for payment.

The subscriber terminal housing is constructed for outdoor systems and has a robust, puncture-resistant aluminum die-cast body. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the terminal is provided with an in-built electoronic solenoid lock at the terminal.
ck openable entry of password). This lock is connected to the motherboard of the terminal that stores the logs in memory. In this way, the terminal tracks who opened the terminal based on the password used. The electronic lock can also be remotely controlled via a terminal modem. In this way, the central server can lock or unlock the terminal remotely.

Connected to the terminal via data port 435 is an alphanumeric printer (not shown). This printer is mainly used to print call detail bills for terminal users. The power supply to the printer is the terminal itself (12V DC
). Other uses of the printer include the printing of coupons / coupons for users and placeholder payment or billing reminders.

FIG. 5 illustrates the basic process of displaying an advertisement to a user under the present invention.
In step 510, the user of the terminal picks up the handset / handset and begins dialing the number of the party the user wants to contact. The user has made a payment or obtained permission for his or her calling card, credit card or smart card, or obtained permission to use the terminal from the location owner who will charge the user upon completion of the call It is assumed that In step 512, the terminal processor detects the off-hook condition of the handset and the fact that the user is dialing a number. The processor starts displaying the advertisement retrieved from the memory of the terminal. The display can begin when the user lifts the handset or when the user dials the number. This “display” is performed on the screen of the terminal in the case of a visual advertisement in which the audio portion is input from a speaker when present.
The user's call is connected as shown in step 514. On the other hand, as shown in step 516, while the call is in progress, the advertisement is changed based on a predetermined order and a scheduled period. The screen displays both advertisements and call related information, as shown in step 518. Information related to the call also includes the call charge, call duration, called party number and name, if available, and current time. When the user completes the call, at step 520, the user hangs up the handset / handset. The processor detects this and ends displaying the advertisement to the user.
One variation of this process is the display of an advertisement on a terminal, whether or not the terminal is actually being used. This is effective when the terminal is located in a highly visible area, such as a train station or airport, where the display of terminal advertisements can be seen by passers-by and attract users to the terminal. .

Referring again to FIG. 2, both the server and the subscriber terminal can connect to networks other than the conventional PSTN. Other types of networks that can be used under the present invention include wireless networks (CDMA, TDMA, GSM and VSAT based),
And digital wire networks (xDSL, ISDL). In these cases, the subscriber terminal is equipped with a converter module that provides standard two-wire loop signaling to the terminal. Terminals are designed to promote operability with various types of networks, and to ensure compatibility with future networks,
Updatable in this way.

As described above, the server / payphone management system 200 controls the collection and distribution of advertisements and controls the display of advertisements on subscriber terminals to some extent. Ads are collected from advertisers and stored in payphone management system 200. In a preferred embodiment, this collection is performed completely electronically through a connection of the central server 200 to the advertiser's computer. Advertisements typically take the form of moving video, still images, animations, or text. These ads are
Electronically encoded by either the advertiser or the payphone operator in a format that facilitates electronic storage and transmission. Advertising coding is performed using standard coding techniques. In a preferred embodiment, the moving image advertisement is coded according to the MPEG format, the still images are coded according to the JPEG or BMP format, and the animation is coded according to the GIF format, which is represented as an animation. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many different formats for encoding the advertisement can be used. The invention is not limited by the type of coding format.

Under the control of the payphone management system, the advertisements are arranged and distributed to the individual subscriber terminals over a communication network where they are subsequently heard in the terminal's non-volatile memory. The advertisement is distributed to designated terminals when the terminal is offline, that is, when it is not being used by a user. Transmission of advertisements in the preferred embodiment of the present invention is accomplished using a standard PSTN modem protocol. In particular, non-PSTN
When a network is used to connect a central server and subscribers, it will become apparent to those skilled in the art that a special protocol may be used for the network.

Each of the advertisements has a unique signature attached to them when transmitted to the terminal and stored in the terminal's memory. This signature includes not only the required display period, but also the number of sequences of advertisements, and may include time limit information for the day. This information allows the processor of the terminal to determine whether to display the advertisement in chronological order and for how long. Referring again to FIG. 5, at step 516, the processor advances the advertisement images while the user is using the terminal, and these images are displayed in an order according to the sequence number of the advertisement signature. The advertisement scrolls according to a default period (eg, 10 seconds) or according to the period indicated in the signature. When the user hangs up and the advertisement display is paused, the sequence number of the last advertisement is stored in memory.
When the display of the advertisement starts again, such as when the new user starts dialing, the successive advertisement in the sequence is displayed. This prevents the unwanted effect of displaying the first advertisement in the sequence much more frequently than other advertisements stored in memory. Using time of day information, certain advertisements can be displayed only during certain time periods. For example, an advertiser for a product may want to have the advertisement displayed only during the day.

When necessary or periodically, the payphone management system connects to individual terminals and selectively updates one or more of the advertisements stored on the terminals. Normal,
Only some, but not all, of the messages are updated. This avoids the time-consuming process of downloading the complete set of ads to the device,
Executed to ensure that the advertiser's new message is distributed to the terminal.

As described herein, the server / payphone management system 200 also plays a role in billing and issuing for terminal users. The amount charged for the terminal user to make a call may depend on the tariff table that applies to the call. For example, local, intra-state, inter-state and international calls may all have different tariff tables that would be compared to determine the amount that the call would be charged to the user . Further, there may be special rates based on marketing programs that may be discounted according to time of day or on certain days. These charge tables are stored in the terminal, but can be transmitted and updated as needed or periodically from the payphone management system. In addition, certain surcharges can be applied to the cost of the call. For example, imprinting certain telephone or credit cards may incur additional charges, such as in the case of a switched telephone or a more expensive location or call area. The information needed to apply such surcharges to the amount charged to the user by the terminal is available from the payphone management system. The terminal is self-charging (self-chargin
g) When in mode, the call charge is calculated by the processor, comparing this feature to the stored table and surcharge, and the charge is displayed on the screen.

The server / payphone management system 200 also communicates with the payphone location owner through the terminal. For example, a message can be sent from a server via a terminal modem to be displayed on a terminal screen. Such messages may include location owner billing information or instructions. The server also communicates with the terminal for diagnostic analysis purposes. The tests performed by the terminal can be transmitted from the server.
Tests performed at the terminal can be transmitted from the server. The results of the tests performed on the terminal can be displayed on the terminal screen for the technician or the site owner. The terminal will contact the server during off-peak hours and take steps on diagnostic analysis of the terminal,
Alternatively, it can be programmed to simply report. If you cannot report it,
The server is informed that the terminal is malfunctioning and can warn appropriate personnel.

One embodiment of the system of the present invention provides a unique advantage over existing systems. In this embodiment, the subscriber terminals have individual Internet Protocol (IP) addresses. This allows them to be individually addressable on the Internet. Server / payphone management system is also IP
It is a base and can be connected to individual terminals on the Internet. In this embodiment, the terminal's modem connects to the Internet service provider on the network to which it is connected. From this point, communication to and from the terminal occurs over the Internet backbone. The server can also connect to the Internet and distribute advertisements and other information to the terminal over the Internet by using the terminal's unique IP address. The terminal can be used as an Internet payphone by communicating with a voice-ver-IP standard IP protocol. Terminal users also have the ability to browse the Internet and conduct transactions there. The communication is Internet Protocol (IP) based which allows the instructions to be compatible with other Internet compliant devices. With this internet access and compatibility, web pages, active channels, data information and other information are displayed in real time. A stock ticker and news headlines are also displayed on the screen. Streaming audio and video can also be displayed. The audio portion of any of these messages can be enabled or disabled by either the user or the location owner or the payphone operator. The subscriber terminals themselves can be individually IP addressable or addressable as a group of terminals. Also,
The use of the Internet also makes it easier for servers to manage large groups of terminals distributed around the world, over long distances. Consequently, in FIG. 2, networks 211 and 212 represent, in this embodiment, an Internet backbone.

As technology becomes more dominant, users will want to have the ability to send and receive video mail messages almost as they already do with voice mail messages today. The system of the present invention addresses such users,
Access their video mail messages stored elsewhere, perhaps as a service provider at y-za, so that the messages can be displayed on the payphone screen. When a camera is added to the terminal, the user also has the ability to send video mail messages to another location and join a video conference with the system of the present invention.

The subscriber terminal can also P-program to perform standard basic voicemail functions for the user. In this embodiment, the user sets up a payphone operator and a voicemail account. A caller wishing to leave a voicemail message for the user calls the virtual number assigned by the payphone operator to the user. Instead, the caller
It is also possible to call a specific terminal and leave a voicemail at the extension number assigned to the user. This gives the user an indication that the voicemail has arrived. The user then goes to his designated terminal, enters a password, and searches for voicemail. The user can place a call into the terminal to receive voicemail on the phone.

What is incorporated herein by reference is ZIP Telecom (ZIP Telecom).
com Limited) printed by Zipfo
ne) Instruction manual (ZIPFone Instruction Manual)
". While the foregoing description and specific examples of the invention illustrate preferred embodiments of the invention, it should be understood that they are illustrated by way of illustration and not limitation. Many changes and modifications within the scope of the invention may be made without departing from the spirit thereof, and the invention includes all such changes and modifications.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 illustrates various parties and relationships that can be facilitated by the methods of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows the system of the present invention including one central server and a plurality of advanced subscriber terminals.

FIG. 3 shows an advanced subscriber terminal of the kind that can be used with the method of the invention.

FIG. 4 shows the functional components of an advanced subscriber terminal under the present invention.

FIG. 5 illustrates one process for displaying an advertisement of the present invention.

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Claims (68)

[Claims] 1. A method for generating revenue from the operation of a communication network having subscriber terminals, comprising: collecting a plurality of advertisements from advertisers under the control of a server; When not, distributing at least a subset of the plurality of advertisements over a network to at least one subscriber terminal; and under control of the subscriber terminal, for use of the subscriber terminal. The method comprising: charging a user for an amount; and displaying the at least one advertisement from the subset on the subscriber terminal. 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising charging the advertiser an amount under the control of a server. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the amount charged to the advertiser is based on the number of advertisements from the advertiser actually displayed at the subscriber terminal. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the amount charged to a user is at least partially subsidized by revenue collected from the advertiser. 5. Further, under the control of a server, before being distributed to said subscriber,
The method of claim 1, comprising arranging the subsets of the plurality of advertisements in a predetermined order. 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the subset comprises advertisements targeted to a particular user audience based on the location of the subscriber terminal. 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the subset comprises advertisements selected by the advertiser to be displayed on the subscriber terminal. 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the subset comprises an advertiser's advertisement located near the party being called by the user, selected by the terminal based on digits dialed by the user. the method of. 9. Distributing a tariff table and surcharge formula to the subscriber terminal under control of the server, wherein the amount charged to the user is controlled under the control of the subscriber terminal. The method according to claim 1, wherein the method is determined by referring to a tariff table and a surcharge formula. 10. The method of claim 1, further comprising, under the control of a server, through the subscriber terminal, billing of a location owner of the subscriber terminal. 11. When, under the control of the server, one of the receiving of permission from the place owner and the lapse of a predetermined amount of time after issuing the billing occurs,
The method of claim 10, comprising debiting the location owner's account stored on the server. 12. The method further comprising collecting revenue from the advertiser under control of a server and dividing the revenue with at least one of the location owners of the subscriber terminal, The method of claim 1, wherein telephone access is provided to a payphone operator and the payphone operator manages the server. 13. Recording information about an interaction between a user and the advertiser under the control of a subscriber terminal, collecting the information under the control of a server,
The method of claim 1, comprising providing the information to the advertiser. 14. The method of claim 13, wherein the information comprises a contact by the user with the advertiser and at least one record of a completed transaction between the user and the advertiser. 15. The method of claim 1, wherein the subscriber terminal is oriented to enable display of the at least one advertisement to non-users of the subscriber terminal. 16. The method of claim 1, comprising printing a ticket for a user under the control of a subscriber terminal, wherein the ticket is redeemable by a third party for goods or services. . 17. The method of claim 16, wherein said third party is said advertiser. 18. The method of claim 1, wherein the amount charged to the user is discounted based on the amount of free minutes credited to the user. 19. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling a user to play a video game on a display screen of the subscriber terminal under control of the subscriber terminal. 20. The method of claim 1, further comprising, under the control of a subscriber terminal, restricting the reading and displaying of telephone cards including readable indicia of the advertiser to only the advertisement of the advertiser. 21. Further reading, under the control of the subscriber terminal, an electronic telephone card comprising a memory in which a second set of advertisements is stored; and said subset of said plurality of advertisements stored in the subscriber terminal. Suspending the display of the advertiser, displaying at least one of a second set of advertisements at the subscriber terminal, and charging the advertiser for an amount under the control of a server. Item 1. The method according to Item 1. 22. A method for advertising from a subscriber terminal, wherein the subscriber terminal reads an electronic telephone card having a memory in which the advertisement is stored, and enables a user to use the subscriber terminal. And debiting the telephone card for use of the subscriber terminal. 23. A method for generating revenue from an advertisement at a subscriber terminal, comprising: collecting advertisement messages from an advertiser; and providing the advertisement message to the subscriber terminal when the subscriber terminal is not being used by a user. Distributing a subset of the above, charging a user for the amount of use of the subscriber terminal, displaying at least one advertisement message of the subset at the subscriber terminal, displaying the at least one advertisement message Billing the advertiser for an amount for. 24. A system for generating revenue from advertisements in a communication network, wherein the system allows the user to initiate a telephone call, charges the user for an amount for use of the subscriber terminal, and At least one subscriber terminal for displaying advertisements stored in a memory provided therein; and a plurality of advertisements collected from an advertiser, wherein the plurality of advertisements are stored when the subscriber terminal is not used by a user. A server for distributing at least one subset of the at least one advertisement over the communication network to the at least one subscriber terminal for storage in the memory. 25. A computer readable data storage medium having program code stored thereon, the program code comprising: collecting a plurality of advertisements from an advertiser; and wherein the subscriber terminal is used by a user. When not, distributing at least one subset of the plurality of advertisements over at least one subscriber terminal over a network; charging an amount for use of the at least one subscriber terminal; Displaying said at least one advertisement at one subscriber terminal; and said program code comprising instructions for performing: 26. The computer readable data storage medium of claim 25, wherein the program code further comprises instructions for charging the advertiser for an amount. 27. The method according to claim 27, wherein the program code further provides instructions to base the amount charged to the advertiser on the number of advertisements from the advertiser actually displayed at the subscriber terminal. Item 27. The computer readable data storage medium of Item 26. 28. The computer readable data of claim 25, wherein the program code further comprises instructions for partially subsidizing the amount charged to a user by revenue collected from the advertiser. Storage media. 29. The computer of claim 25, wherein the program code further comprises instructions for arranging the subsets of the plurality of advertisements in a predetermined order prior to distribution to the subscriber terminal. A readable data storage medium. 30. The computer-readable data storage medium of claim 29, wherein the subset comprises advertisements targeted to a special audience for a user based on the location of the subscriber terminal. 31. The method according to claim 31, wherein the subset is displayed at the subscriber terminal.
26. The computer readable data storage medium of claim 25, comprising an advertisement selected by the advertiser. 32. The program code further comprising: at least one of a charge table and a surcharge formula for distributing to the subscriber terminal.
26. The computer-readable medium of claim 25, comprising instructions for distributing one, wherein the amount charged to a user is determined by reference to a tariff table and the at least one of the surcharge formulas. Possible data storage medium. 33. The computer readable data of claim 25, wherein the program code further comprises instructions for performing a billing issue of the location owner of the subscriber terminal through the subscriber terminal. Storage media. 34. The program code further comprises: upon receipt of a permission from the location owner, and upon passage of a predetermined amount of time after the issuance of the bill, the location code of the location owner is 34. The computer readable data storage medium of claim 33, comprising instructions for performing debiting. 35. The program code further comprises instructions for collecting revenue from the advertiser and dividing the revenue with at least one of the location owners of the subscriber terminal, and 26. The computer-readable data storage medium of claim 25, wherein telephone access is provided to a subscriber terminal, and a payphone operator provides the subscriber terminal and the computer-readable medium. 36. The program of claim 25, wherein the program code further comprises instructions for recording and collecting information regarding an interaction between a user and the advertiser and providing the information to the advertiser. Computer readable data storage medium. 37. The computer-readable data storage medium of claim 36, wherein the information includes at least one record of a user's communication to the advertiser and completed transactions between the user and the advertiser. 38. The method of claim 25, wherein the program code further comprises instructions for printing a ticket for a user, wherein the ticket is redeemable with a third party for goods or services. Computer readable storage media. 39. The computer readable data of claim 25, wherein the program code further comprises instructions for discounting the amount charged to the user based on the amount of free minutes credited to the user. Storage media. 40. The computer-readable data storage medium of claim 25, wherein the program code further comprises instructions for enabling a user to play a video game on a display screen of a subscriber terminal. 41. The program code further comprising instructions for reading a telephone card that includes the advertiser's electronically readable indicia, and for limiting display to only the advertiser's advertisement. Item 29. The computer readable data storage device according to item 25. 42. The program code further reads an electronic telephone card including a memory in which a second set of advertisements is stored, and suspends display of the subset of the plurality of advertisements stored in a subscriber terminal. 26. The computer-readable data storage medium of claim 25, further comprising instructions for displaying at least one of the second set of advertisements at the subscriber terminal and billing the advertiser. 43. A computer readable data storage medium having program code recorded thereon, wherein a subscriber terminal reads a telephone card including a memory in which an advertisement is stored; Enabling a terminal to be used, debiting the telephone card with respect to use of the subscriber terminal, and displaying at least one of the advertisements on the subscriber terminal. The program code comprising instructions. 44. A system for providing an advertisement on a communication network to a user of a subscriber terminal, the system comprising: a plurality of subscriber terminals connected to the network; A central server connected to said plurality of subscriber terminals on said network. 45. The system of claim 44, wherein at least one of said subscribers Yuzu is a payphone. 46. The advanced payphone, comprising: a processor for controlling operation of the payphone; a non-volatile memory for storing advertisements; and a display device for displaying the advertisements to a user of the payphone. 46. The system of claim 45 comprising. 47. The system of claim 46, wherein the payphone further comprises a modem to handle communication between the payphone and another electronic device on the network. 48. The system of claim 47, wherein said payphone further comprises a user input device for allowing a user to control operation of said payphone. 49. The system of claim 47, wherein said payphone further comprises a data port for connection with a user device. 50. The payphone further reads a user's card,
49. The system of claim 48, comprising a card reader for accepting payment by said card for use with said payphone. 51. The central server further comprising a database for storing advertisements, and a processor programmed to control distribution of advertisements to the subscriber terminal and to perform management of the subscriber terminal. 47. The system of claim 44, comprising: 52. The system of claim 51, wherein said subscriber terminals have individual Internet Protocol addresses, wherein said network is the Internet. 53. The advertisement comprises at least one of video, audio, still images, and animation, and the central server distributes the advertisement in a coded data format that facilitates electronic storage and transmission. 52. The system of claim 51, 54. The network according to claim 53, wherein at least CDMA, TDMA, G
One of SM, VSAT, xDSL and ISDN based networks,
The system according to claim 44, wherein at least one of the plurality of subscriber terminals further comprises a converter to facilitate connection to the network. 55. A method for advertising on a communication network to a person in the vicinity of a subscriber terminal, the method comprising: collecting advertisements at a central server; Distributing at least a subset of the subset to the subscriber terminal over the network; and displaying at least one advertisement from the subset at the subscriber terminal. 56. The subscriber terminal, comprising: a processor for controlling operation of the terminal; a non-volatile memory for storing an advertisement; and a display device for displaying the advertisement to a user of the terminal. Further, at the processor, detecting that a user has started using the terminal; at a display device, displaying at least a first advertisement from the subset of advertisements; at the processor, the user; 56. The method of claim 55, comprising: detecting termination of use; and suspending display of an advertisement on a display device. 57. The method of claim 56, further comprising displaying at least a second advertisement from the subset of advertisements on a display screen when the processor detects that use of the terminal has resumed. 58. The subscriber terminal comprising: a processor programmed to control the operation of the payphone; a non-volatile memory for storing advertisements; and a display device for displaying the advertisements to a payphone user. 55. The payphone of claim 55, further comprising: storing the subset of advertisements in the non-volatile memory of the payphone, wherein the at least one advertisement is displayed on the display device. Notation method described. 59. The method of claim 58, wherein a plurality of advertisements are displayed on the display device, and a display order of the advertisements is determined by the processor based on a sequence number present in each of the advertisements. . 60. The method of claim 58, wherein a time at which the at least one advertisement is displayed is determined by the processor based on a time-of-day indicator present in the at least one advertisement. 61. The method of claim 58, wherein a display duration of the at least one advertisement is determined by the processor based on a duration time indicator present in the at least one advertisement. 62. The payphone includes a modem, and the step of distributing at least a subset of the advertisements is completed via the modem.
9. The method according to 8. 63. The advanced payphone further comprises a card reader, and further comprising: reading a user's card and using the payphone.
63. The method of claim 62, comprising accepting payment by the card. 64. The central server comprises a database and a processor, further comprising: storing the collected advertisements in the database; and controlling distribution of the subset of advertisements by the processor. 56. The method of claim 55. 65. The advertisement comprising at least one of video, audio, still images, and animation, wherein the central server is configured to transmit the advertisement in a coded data format that facilitates electronic storage and transmission. 65. The method of claim 64, distributing. 66. The network according to claim 66, wherein at least CDMA, TDMA, G
56. The method of claim 55, wherein the method is a SM, VSAT, xDSL and ISDN based network, further comprising at the subscriber terminal converting a data format to facilitate connection to the network. 67. A payphone for providing an advertisement and facilitating communication by a user, a processor for controlling operation of the payphone, a non-volatile memory for storing the advertisement, and a user of the payphone. A display for displaying the advertisement, wherein a plurality of advertisements are stored in the memory, wherein the processor controls display of the advertisement on the display device. 68. A method of advertising on a payphone comprising a processor for controlling operation of the payphone, a non-volatile memory for storing advertisements, and a display device for displaying the advertisements to a payphone user. Storing the plurality of advertisements in the memory prior to deployment of the payphone; and displaying the advertisements on the display device.