Method and system for circulating messages

Abstract

A method for circulating a message to a group of people, including sending a circulated message by a 1 st mobile communicator, and sequentially receiving the circulated message by an n th mobile communicator and sending the circulated message to an (n+1) st mobile communicator, n=2, 3, . . . , N−1, wherein each one of the N mobile communicators has a distinct phone number. A system is also described and claimed.

1 - 22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . A method of billing subscribers to a communication service, comprising:
 identifying a message that was distributed to members of a pre-defined group of subscribers;   further identifying all transmissions of the distributed message from one member of the group to another member of the group, as the distributed message traversed all members of the group; and   allocating the total cost of the identified transmissions equally among the members of the group.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23  wherein the distribution message is an SMS message, a MMS message, an e-mail message, or a voice message. 
     
     
         25 . A billing system for subscribers to a communication service, comprising:
 an activity monitor (i) for identifying a message that was distributed to members of a pre-defined group of subscribers, and (ii) for further identifying all transmissions of the distributed message from one member of the group to another member of the group, as the distributed message traversed all members of the group; and   a billing manager, coupled with said activity monitor, for allocating the total cost of the identified transmissions equally among the members of the group.   
     
     
         26 . The billing system of  claim 25  wherein the distribution message is an SMS message, a MMS message, an e-mail message, or a voice message. 
     
     
         27 - 36 . (canceled) 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 23  wherein the message is transmitted from one member of the group to all of the other members of the group. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 23  wherein the message is transmitted in accordance with a binary tree from each of a plurality of members of the group to two other members of the group. 
     
     
         39 . The billing system of  claim 25  wherein the message is transmitted from one member of the group to all of the other members of the group. 
     
     
         40 . The billing system of  claim 25  wherein the message is transmitted in accordance with a binary tree from each of a plurality of members of the group to two other members of the group.