Appeal No. 2002-1486
Application 08/931,480
connected to the packet switched network, and transmits the
retrieved data to the authorized requesting terminals.
17. In a communication system providing telephony communication
across combined circuit switched and packet switched networks connectable to
terminals for selective communication therebetween, a method of account
management comprising the steps of:
a) commencing and terminating a telephony communication path between
said circuit switched and packet switched networks to provide communication
between a pair of said terminals via a gateway object;
b) communicating from said gateway object on a substantially real time
basis to an account object connected to said packet switched network data
regarding said commencement and termination;
c) storing said data in said account object in an account record for one of
said terminals connected via said communication path, the stored data including
data regarding usage of said communication system during said connection and
data regarding debiting of said account record for said usage;
d) communicating from said account object to an information retrieval
object connected to said packet switched network information regarding the data
in said account record; and
e) communicating information regarding the substantially real time data in
said account record, from said information retrieval object to a terminal having
provided authentication corresponding to said account record.
Discussion
According to the appellant, all of the claims on appeal, in one form or another, “require
that real time usage data, maintained by the authorization and account control object be retrieved
to an authorized user at the user’s request” (Br. at 4). That position evidently is not disputed by
the examiner. In dispute is the examiner’s assertion that Elliot discloses providing users access
to real time usage data maintained in a system record for an account. Upon consideration of the
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