Method and system for billing remote calls as if made from a primary line

• US 20010043689A1
• Filed: 07/31/2001
• Published: 11/22/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hanger Solutions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Dale W. Malik
• Inventors: Malik, Dale W.
• Granted Patent: US 6,453,031 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/114.23
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/09 Third party charged communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/66 Third party billing, i.e. third party can also be the predetermined telephone line of the caller if he is calling from another telephone set

Abstract

A method and system for billing remote calls includes the provisioning of an active terminating attempt trigger on a subscriber'"'"'s primary line. To make a long-distance call from a remote location, the subscriber calls a service control node and provide a destination calling line number and the subscriber'"'"'s primary line number (e.g., home telephone number). The SCN assembles the data into a string and includes a feature access code. This string is transmitted to a switch that recognizes the feature access code and transmits a message to a service control point. The service control point also recognizes the feature access code and reassembles the message into a call structure containing the primary line number, the destination line number, and a code indicating that the message should be reassembled. This message is transmitted back to the switch which then routes the call to the primary line switch where the trigger is encountered. The primary line switch then transmits the call information up to an SCP an includes the code. The SCP detects the code and reassembles the data to instruct the switch to route the call to the destination number through the primary line number. The switch routes the call to the destination number and the primary line number is billed for the call.

Claims

1. A method for billing a subscriber for a long-distance communication between a selected calling line and a destination calling line as if the call were made from a predetermined calling line, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving information related to the predetermined calling line and information related to the destination calling line;

creating a string of data containing the information related to the predetermined calling line and the information related to the destination calling line;

manipulating the string of data to create a call structure based on instructions provided by a database;

routing the call to the destination calling line based upon the call structure; and

billing the call to the predetermined calling line based upon the call structure.

2. The method for billing a subscriber for a long-distance communication, as recited in

claim 1

, wherein the string of data includes a feature access code.

3. The method for billing a subscriber for a long-distance communication, as recited in

claim 2

, wherein the feature access code in the string causes a network element to perform the step of manipulating the string of data.

4. The method for billing a subscriber for a long-distance communication, as recited in

claim 1

, further comprising the steps of:

sending the call structure to a first network element;

triggering the first network element to send the call structure to a second network element;

reassembling the call structure at the second network element such that the call is routed to the destination calling line and the call is billed to the predetermined calling line.

5. The method for billing a subscriber for a long-distance communication, as recited in

claim 4

, wherein the first network element is provisioned with an active terminating attempt trigger.

6. The method for billing a subscriber for a long-distance communication, as recited in

claim 4

, wherein the created call structure includes a code indicating to the second network element that the call structure should be reassembled.

7. The method for billing a subscriber for a long-distance communication, as recited in

claim 1

, wherein the call structure includes a calling party field, a called party field, and a redirecting party field.

8. The method for billing a subscriber for a long-distance communication, as recited in

claim 7

, wherein the calling party field of the call structure includes a code indicating to the second network element that the call structure should be reassembled.

9. A method for billing a subscriber for a long-distance communication between a selected calling line and a destination calling line as if the call were made from a predetermined calling line, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving information related to the predetermined calling line and information related to the destination calling line;

creating a string of data containing the information related to the predetermined calling line and the information related to the destination calling line;

manipulating the string of data to create a call structure based on instructions provided by a database, the call structure including a code indicating that the call structure should be reassembled;

transmitting the call structure to a first network element, the transmission of the call structure triggering a second transmission of the call structure to a second network element;

at the second network element, recognizing the code in the call structure and reassembling the call structure;

routing the call to the destination calling line based upon the reassembled call structure; and

billing the call to the predetermined calling line based upon the call structure.

10. A system for billing a subscriber for a long-distance call made between a selected calling line and a destination calling line as if the call were made from a predetermined calling line, the system comprising:

a first network element operative to create a string of data containing information related to the predetermined calling line and information related to the destination calling line, the first network element being further operative to transmit the string of data to a second network element,

the second network element operative to receive the string of data, and further operative to manipulate the string of data to create a call structure, the call structure including a code indicating that the call structure should be reassembled;

the second network element being further operative to transmit the call structure to a third network element;

a third network element having an active trigger provisioned thereon, the third network element being operative to transmit the call structure to a fourth network element when triggered; and

the fourth network element operative to recognize the code in the call structure and further operative to reassemble the call structure;

whereby reassembling the call structure causes the third network element to route the call to the destination calling line and bill the call to the predetermined calling line.

11. The system, as recited in

claim 10

, wherein the first network element is a service circuit node.

12. The system, as recited in

claim 10

, wherein the second network element is a service control point.

13. The system, as recited in

claim 10

, wherein the third network element is a service switching point.

14. The system, as recited in

claim 10

, wherein the fourth network element is a service control point.

15. A method for billing a subscriber for a long-distance communication between a selected calling line and a destination calling line as if the call were made from a predetermined calling line, the method comprising the steps of:

storing at least one authorized calling line number;

receiving information related to the destination calling line;

transmitting the information and number of the selected calling line to a network element, the transmission of the information triggering the network element to transmit the information and the selected calling line number to a second network element;

comparing the selected calling line number to the at least one authorized calling line number;

if the selected calling line number is among the at least one authorized calling line number, routing the call to the destination calling line; and

billing the call to the predetermined calling line.

16. The method for billing a subscriber for a long-distance communication, as recited in

claim 15

, further comprising the steps of:

storing at least one authorized destination calling line number;

comparing the information related to the destination calling line to the at least one authorized destination calling line number; and

routing the call to the destination calling line if the information related to the destination calling line is among the at least one authorized destination calling line number.

17. The method for billing a subscriber for a long-distance communication, as recited in

claim 16

, wherein each of the at least one destination calling line numbers corresponds to one of the at least one authorized calling line number.

18. The method for billing a subscriber for a long-distance communication, as recited in

claim 16

, further comprising the steps of:

storing at least one authorized destination calling line number in an exclusive list of destination calling line numbers; and

receiving a password from the subscriber before altering the exclusive list of destination calling line numbers.

19. The method for billing a subscriber for a long-distance communication, as recited in

claim 18

, further comprising the steps of:

comparing the information related to the destination calling line to the at least one authorized destination calling line number; and

routing the call to the destination calling line if the information related to the destination calling line is among the at least one authorized destination calling line number.

20. The method for billing a subscriber for a long-distance communication, as recited in

claim 16

, further comprising the steps of:

storing at least one authorized date for communications from the selected calling line;

determining a date of the long-distance communication; and

comparing the date of the long-distance communication to the at least one authorized date.

21. The method for billing a subscriber for a long-distance communication, as recited in

claim 16

, further comprising the steps of:

storing at least one authorized time period for communications from the selected calling line;

determining a time of the long-distance communication; and

comparing the time of the long-distance communication to the at least one authorized time period.

22. The method for billing a subscriber for a long-distance communication, as recited in

claim 16

, further comprising the steps of:

storing a number of allowable long-distance communications;

counting the number of long-distance communications; and

comparing the current count of long-distance communications to the number of allowable long-distance communications.

23. A method for billing a subscriber for a long-distance communication between an external system connected to a selected calling line and a destination calling line as if the call were made from a predetermined calling line, the method comprising the steps of:

storing at least one authorized calling line number;

storing a password for the external system;

comparing the selected calling line number to the at least one authorized calling line number;

if the selected calling line number is among the at least one authorized calling line numbers, receiving information related to the destination calling line;

receiving a password from the external system;

if the password is equal to the stored password, routing the call to the destination calling line; and

billing the call to the predetermined calling line.