Application service provider (ASP) architecture for property management and call accounting

• US 20020055879A1
• Filed: 03/23/2001
• Published: 05/09/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Alcatel SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Steiner, Michael R., Wengrovitz, Michael
• Application Number:
  US09/815,891
• Publication Number:
  US 20020055879A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/12 Hotels or restaurants
• 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 15/34 Charging, billing or metering arrangements for private branch exchanges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/41 Billing record details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure of call data record [CDR]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/44 Augmented, consolidated or itemized billing statement or bill presentation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/51 for resellers, retailers or service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/55 for hybrid networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/1083 for hotels
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0104 Augmented, consolidated or itemised billing statement, e.g. additional billing information, bill presentation, layout, format, e-mail, fax, printout, itemised bill per service or per account, cumulative billing, consolidated billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0164 Billing record, e.g. Call Data Record [CDR], Toll Ticket[TT], Automatic Message Accounting [AMA], Call Line Identifier [CLI], details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2046 Hybrid network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/54 Resellers-retail or service providers billing, e.g. agreements with telephone service operator, activation, charging/recharging of accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2263 Network management
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4234 Remote access to features of PBX or home telephone systems-teleworking in a PBX
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/12 for working between exchanges having different types of switching equipment, e.g. power-driven and step by step or decimal and non-decimal
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0062 Provisions for network management

Abstract

A system and method for centralizing property management and/or call accounting services for a hotel through a network-based service provider. This architecture allows hotels to migrate from existing premise-based systems for PMS and Call Accounting to a centralized system without the need for replacing the existing PBX system at each hotel premise. An internetwork for providing property management services includes a client network and a service provider network. The client network transmits to the service provider network a call parameter for a completed call. The service provider network preferably determines a cost for the completed call based on the call parameter and transmits the call cost information back to the client network to charge the cost to an account.

Claims

1. A method for providing property management services, comprising:

generating call parameter information;

generating call cost information as a function of the call parameter information; and

generating charge information for an account as a function of the call cost information;

wherein one or more of the generating steps is performed in a client network, and

wherein one or more of the generating steps is performed in a service provider network.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the information generated in the client network in the one or more of the generating steps performed in the client network is transmitted to the service provider network.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the information generated in the service provider network in the one or more of the generating steps performed in the service provider network is transmitted to the client network.

4. An internetwork for providing property management services, comprising:

a client network; and

a service provider network, characterized in that the client network transmits to the service provider network a call parameter for a completed call, further characterized in that the service provider network determines call cost information for the completed call based on the call parameter and transmits the call cost information back to the client network to charge the cost to an account.

5. The internetwork of claim 4, characterized in that the call parameter is transmitted over at least part of the client network on a serial link.

6. The internetwork of claim 4, characterized in that the call parameter is transmitted over at least part of the service provider network on a serial link.

7. The internetwork of claim 4, characterized in that the call parameter is transmitted between the client network and the service provider network over a wide area network.

8. The internetwork of claim 7, wherein the wide area network is a public internet.

9. The internetwork of claim 4, characterized in that the call cost information is transmitted over at least part of the client provider network on a serial link.

10. The internetwork of claim 4, characterized in that the call cost information is transmitted over at least part of the service provider network on a serial link.

11. The internetwork of claim 4, characterized in that the call cost information is transmitted between the client network and the service provider network over a wide area network.

12. The internetwork of claim 11, wherein the wide area network is a public internet.

14. The internetwork of claim 13, wherein the private branch exchanges generate call parameters for completed calls for transmitting to the service provider network.

15. The internetwork of claim 13, wherein the call accounting system receives the call parameters and generates call cast information based on the call parameters for transmitting to the respective client networks.

17. The internetwork of claim 16, wherein the call management unit is a private branch exchange unit.

18. The internetwork of claim 16, wherein the wide area network is a public internet.

19. The internetwork of claim 16, wherein the server system transmits property management commands to the client network.

20. The internetwork of claim 16 further comprising a protocol converter coupled to the call management unit for converting between a first transmission format and a second transmission format.

21. The internetwork of claim 16 further comprising a protocol converter coupled to the call accounting system for converting between a first transmission format and a second transmission format.

13. An internetwork for providing property management services comprising a plurality of client networks coupled to a service provider network over a wide area network, characterized in that ones of the client networks include ones of private branch exchanges, respectively, coupled to first ones of protocol converters, respectively, for exchanging data with the service provider network, and further characterized in that the service provider network includes a call accounting system and a second protocol converter for exchanging data with ones of the client networks.

16. An internetwork for providing property management services comprising:

a client network comprising;

a call management unit for generating call parameter data for a completed call; and

a client system for receiving call cost information and charging the cost to an account;

a service provider network comprising;

a call accounting system for receiving the call parameter data and generating call cost information for the completed call based on the call parameter data; and

a server system coupled to the call accounting system for storing the call cost information and transmitting the call cost information to the client system; and

a wide area network electronically linking the client network to the service provider network for allowing communication between the client network and the service provider network.

22. In a system including a client network coupled to a service provider network over a wide area network, a method for providing property management services comprising the steps of:

generating at the client network a call parameter for a completed call;

transmitting to the service provider network the call parameter;

determining at the service provider network call cost information for the completed call based on the call parameter; and

transmitting the call cost information back to the client network to charge the cost to an account.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the step of transmitting the call parameter comprises the step of transmitting the call parameter over at least part of the client network on a serial link.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the step of transmitting the call parameter comprises the step of transmitting the call parameter over at least part of the service provider network on a serial link.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the step of transmitting the call cost information comprises the step of transmitting the call cost information over at least part of the client network on a serial link.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein the step of transmitting the call cost information comprises the step of transmitting the call cost information over at least part of the service provider network on a serial link.

27. The method of claim 22 further comprising the step of transmitting a property management command to the client network.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the property management command includes a command to activate the account.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the property management command includes a command to de-activate the account.