Credit based telephony service facilitation

Abstract

Advertisement consumption activities of a user are monitored. The user is credited with telephony service credits in accordance with observed advertisement consumption activities. In turn, telephony service for the user is facilitated. The facilitation is based at least in part on the amount of telephony service credits credited to the user.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method comprising: 
 monitoring advertisement consumption activities of a user;    crediting said user with telephony service credits in accordance with observed advertisement consumption activities; and    facilitating telephony service for said user based at least in part on said telephony service credits credited to said user.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said monitoring comprises monitoring for number of banner advertisements displayed.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said monitoring further comprises monitoring for number of banner advertisements clicked.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises reporting observed advertisement consumption activities of said user.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said advertisements are on-line advertisements, and at least a selected on of said monitoring and said reporting is performed locally on a client computer on which the on-line advertisements are rendered.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said crediting comprises determining whether observed advertisement consumption activities of the user are advertisements of sponsors, and said crediting is made proportional to the amount of the observed advertisement consumption activities being associated with advertisements of sponsors.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said crediting is performed by a selected one of an advertisement server and a telephony server.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said facilitating comprises informing the user of the amount of telephony service credits available.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein said informing comprises causing a meter-like icon depicting the amount of telephony service credits available to be rendered.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein said informing includes dynamically updating the user in real time on the amount of telephony service credits available.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein said dynamic updating comprises causing a meter-like icon depicting the amount of telephony service credits available to be refreshed.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said facilitation further comprises determining whether the user is a pay subscriber when the user exhausted his telephony service credits.  
     
     
         13 . A method comprising: 
 monitoring advertisement consumption activities of a user; and    periodically reporting observed advertisement consumption activities of the user to a telephony service provider to facilitate crediting the user with telephony service credits in accordance with the observed advertisement consumption activities.    
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein said monitoring comprises monitoring for number of banner advertisements displayed.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein said monitoring further comprises monitoring for number of banner advertisements clicked.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein said monitoring includes monitoring advertiser identities of the advertisements consumed by the user, and said periodic reporting includes reporting said advertiser identities of the advertisements consumed by the user.  
     
     
         17 . An apparatus comprising: 
 a storage medium having stored therein a plurality of programming instructions designed to monitor advertisement consumption activities of a user of the apparatus, when the programming instructions are executed, and to periodically report observed advertisement consumption activities of the user to a telephony service provider to facilitate crediting the user with telephony service credits in accordance with the observed advertisement consumption activities; and    a processor coupled to the storage medium to execute the programming instructions.    
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein said programming instructions are designed to monitor for number of banner advertisements displayed.  
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein said programming instructions are designed to monitor for number of banner advertisements clicked.  
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein said programming instructions are designed to monitor for advertiser identities of the advertisements consumed by the user, as well as reporting observed advertiser identities of the advertisements consumed by the user.  
     
     
         21 . A method comprising: 
 receiving report on advertisement consumption activities of a user;    crediting the user with telephony service credits in accordance with the reported advertisement consumption activities; and    facilitating telephony service for said user based at least in part on the telephony service credits credited to said user.    
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein said crediting comprises determining whether the reported advertisement consumption activities of the user are advertisements of sponsors, and said crediting is made proportional to the amount of the reported advertisement consumption activities of the user being advertisements of sponsors.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein said facilitating comprises informing the user of the amount of telephony service credits available.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein said informing comprises causing a meter-like icon depicting the amount of telephony service credits available to be rendered for the user.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein said informing includes dynamically updating the user in real time on the amount of telephony service credits available.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein said dynamic updating comprises causing a meter-like icon depicting the amount of telephony service credits available to be refreshed.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein said facilitation further comprises determining whether the user is a pay subscriber when the user exhausted his telephony service credits.  
     
     
         28 . An apparatus comprising: 
 a storage medium having stored therein a plurality of programming instructions designed to receive report on advertisement consumption activities of a user, when the programming instructions are executed, and to credit the user with telephony service credit in accordance with the reported advertisement consumption activities, as well as to facilitate telephony service for said user based at least in part on the telephony service credit credited to said user; and    at least one processor coupled to the storage medium to execute the programming instructions.    
     
     
         29 . The apparatus of  claim 28 , wherein said programming instructions are designed to determine whether the reported advertisement consumption activities of the user are advertisements of sponsors, and make said crediting proportional to the amount of the reported advertisement consumption activities of the user being advertisements of sponsors.  
     
     
         30 . The apparatus of  claim 28 , wherein said programming instructions are designed to inform the user of the amount of telephony service credits available.  
     
     
         31 . The apparatus of  claim 30 , wherein said programming instructions are designed to cause a meter-like icon depicting the amount of telephony service credits available to be rendered for the user.  
     
     
         32 . The apparatus of  claim 30 , wherein said programming instructions are designed to dynamically update the user in real time on the amount of telephony service credits available.  
     
     
         33 . The apparatus of  claim 32 , wherein said programming instructions are designed to cause a meter-like icon depicting the amount of telephony service credits available to be refreshed.  
     
     
         34 . The apparatus of  claim 28 , wherein said programming instructions are designed to determine whether the user is a pay subscriber when the user exhausted his telephony service credits.