Billing system for a network

Claim 3

The method of claim 1, wherein the network customer is billed by the credit card company in the first currency.

Claim 4

The method of claim 1, wherein the transaction is a periodic transaction or a file download transaction.

Claim 5

The method of claim 1, wherein the transaction is associated with an event.

Claim 6

The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of: storing within a billing database a table of preset charges to customers, wherein each preset charge entry is expressed in a local currency with which a corresponding network customer is billed; and reading, from the billing database, a preset charge expressed in terms of a local currency for a network customer; and transmitting, by the host data center, the preset charge to the credit processor.

Claim 7

The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of providing, by the host data center, real-time billing statements including the transaction charge price transmitted to the credit process.

Claim 8

A billing system for utilization on a network providing access to resources by networked customers and billing the networked customers for the resources in multiple local currencies in accordance with specified currencies for the networked customers, comprising: a credit system; a data center networked to computing devices of identified network customers and the credit system, the data center comprising: at least one data access server for providing access to data items of commercial value having associated price information and transmitting a data item in response to a request from an identified network customer; at least one billing database maintaining data representative of: identified network customers and local currencies with which particular identified network customers are associated, currency exchange rates, and transmissions of data items of commercial value from the data center to computing devices of identified network customers, transaction charge computing, communicatively coupled to the at least one billing database, for determining a particularized local currency price for transmitting a data item, the particularized local currency price being expressed in the form of a first local currency associated with a requesting network customer and resulting from applying a currency exchange rate to a stored price for the data item which is expressed in a second currency differing from the first local currency, and a billing facility for submitting to the credit system the particularized local currency price for transmitting the data item.

Claim 9

A billing system for utilization on a network providing access to resources by networked customers and billing the networked customers for the resources in multiple local currencies in accordance with specified currencies for the networked customers, comprising: a credit system; a data center networked to computing devices of identified network customers and the credit system, the data center comprising: at least one data access server for providing access to data items of commercial value having associated price information and transmitting a data item in response to a request from an identified network customer; at least one billing database maintaining data representative of: identified network customers and local currencies with which particular identified network customers are associated, currency exchange rates, and transmissions of data items of commercial value from the data center to computing devices of identified network customers, transaction charge computing, communicatively coupled to the at least one billing database, for determining a particularized local currency price for transmitting a data item, the particularized local currency price being expressed in the form of a first local currency associated with a requesting network customer and resulting from applying a currency exchange rate to a stored price for the data item which is expressed in a second currency differing from the first local currency, and a billing facility for submitting to the credit system the particularized local currency price for transmitting the data item.

Claim 10

The system of claim 7, wherein the credit system includes credit card processing.

Claim 11

The system of claim 7, wherein the credit system provides credit card charges to banks.

Claim 12

The system of claim 7, wherein the computing devices comprise personal computers.

Claim 13

The system of claim 7, wherein the computing devices comprise interactive television devices.

Claim 14

The system of claim 7, wherein the computing devices comprise wireless telephones.

Claim 15

The system of claim 7, wherein the data items include software programs.

Claim 16

The system of claim 7, wherein the data items include content.

Claim 17

The system of claim 14, wherein the content comprises video data.

Claim 18

The system of claim 14, wherein the content comprises audio data.

Claim 19

The system of claim 14, wherein the content comprises image data.

Claim 20

The system of claim 7, wherein the data transmissions include file downloads.

Claim 21

The system of claim 7, wherein the data center additionally comprises price information associated with periodic billing items.

Claim 22

The system of claim 19, wherein the period for billing is monthly.

Claim 23

The system of claim 19, wherein the periodic billing is associated with a subscription.

Claim 24

The system of claim 7 further comprising: preset charge data comprising preset flat-rate charges to customers, wherein a preset charge entry is expressed in a local currency with which a corresponding network customer is billed, and wherein the billing facility comprises processes for including the preset charge entry in submissions to the credit system.

Claim 25

The system of claim 22 wherein the at least one billing database includes real-time billing statements including the particularized local currency price for transmitting the data item.

Claim 26

A billing system for an on-line network, comprising: a billing database; an event generator providing, for the billing database, events indicative of network access by network customers; a currency converter on a data center for receiving a network resource access price corresponding to an event stored in the billing database and expressed in a second currency, determining a first local currency corresponding to a base currency for a network customer that will receive a charge for the network resource access, and applying a currency exchange rate to the network resource access price to render a customer base currency price; and a credit company for receiving a charge from the data center comprising the customer base currency price.

Claim 27

A billing system for an on-line network, comprising: a billing database; an event generator providing, for the billing database, events indicative of network access by network customers; a currency converter on a data center for receiving a network resource access price corresponding to an event stored in the billing database and expressed in a second currency, determining a first local currency corresponding to a base currency for a network customer that will receive a charge for the network resource access, and applying a currency exchange rate to the network resource access price to render a customer base currency price; and a credit company for receiving a charge from the data center comprising the customer base currency price.

Claim 28

The system of claim 24, wherein the billing database comprises a System Query Language (SQL) server.

Claim 29

The system of claim 24, wherein network access to the on-line network includes connect access.

Claim 30

The system of claim 24, wherein network access to the on-line network includes file download access.

Claim 31

The system of claim 24, wherein the network resource access price comprises transaction charge data.

Claim 32

The system of claim 24, wherein the network resource access price comprises periodic charge data.

Claim 33

The system of claim 24 further comprising a billing database providing real-time billing statements including the customer base currency price.

Claim 34

The system of claim 24 wherein the second currency is a local currency.