Billing for abbreviated dialing plan service

• US 20020136376A1
• Filed: 01/17/2001
• Published: 09/26/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SBC Technology Resources, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: SBC Technology Resources, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Morales, Louie Michael, Stroud, Kenneth Robert, Fleischer, Harold C. III, Simino, John E.
• Granted Patent: US 6,771,753 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/114.12
• 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 15/41 Billing record details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure of call data record [CDR]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/745 Customizing according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. friends or family
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8083 involving reduced rates or discounts, e.g. time-of-day reductions or volume discounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/90 using Intelligent Networks [IN] or Advanced Intelligent Networks [AIN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0108 Customization according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. customer preferences, friends and family, selecting services or billing options, Personal Communication Systems [PCS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/016 Billing using Intelligent Networks [IN] or Advanced Intelligent Networks [AIN]
• 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 2215/0184 involving reduced rates or discounts, e.g. time-of-day reductions, volume discounts, cell discounts, group billing, frequent calling destination(s) or user history list

Abstract

A billing method and system include discounting a customer'"'"'s billing for telephone calls completed in a wide area centrex/PBX network, which includes an abbreviated dialing plan. A service control point (SCP) determines a call type code based upon a calling station and a called station of a telephone call. The SCP determines whether the call type code is eligible for discounted billing. When the call type code is eligible, the SCP generates a unique billing record that is forwarded to a service switching point (SSP). The SSP receives the forwarded unique billing record and modifies the billing record to indicate that a discount should be applied to the billing for the call when the call is completed. When the SSP does not receive the unique billing record, it creates a normal billing record.

Claims

1. A method for discounting a customer'"'"'s billing for telephone calls completed in a wide area centrex/PBX network that includes an abbreviated dialing plan, the method comprising:

determining a call type code based upon a calling station and a called station;

determining whether the call type code is eligible for discounted billing;

when the call type code is eligible, generating a unique billing record;

modifying the billing record; and

discounting the billing for a completed call based upon the modified billing record; and

when the call type code is ineligible, creating a normal billing record.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising initially determining whether a billing discounting feature is active for PBX stations and determining whether the billing discounting feature is active for centrex stations.

3. The method of claim 1, in which the modifying further comprises discarding the billing record;

and

in which the discounting further comprises suppressing the billing for the completed call and charging the customer a flat rate feature charge;

wherein the customer receives a periodic flat rate charge for eligible calls in lieu of per call billing.

4. The method of claim 3, in which the calling station comprises a centrex station and the called station comprises a centrex station.

5. The method of claim 4, in which the telephone call comprises an intraLATA call.

6. The method of claim 5, in which the telephone call comprises a voice call.

7. The method of claim 1, in which the modifying further comprises rating the billing record in accordance with a preestablished agreement;

and

in which the discounting further comprises reducing the billing for the completed call in accordance with the rating,

wherein the customer receives a reduced periodic charge for eligible calls.

8. The method of claim 7, in which the calling station comprises a PBX station and the called station comprises a PBX station.

9. The method of claim 8, in which the PBX station further comprises a PBX trunk group.

10. The method of claim 8, in which the telephone call comprises an intraLATA call.

11. The method of claim 10, in which the telephone call comprises a voice call.

12. The method of claim 7, in which a billing discounting feature is active for PBX stations and the billing discounting feature is active for centrex stations;

and

in which the calling station comprises either a centrex station or a PBX station and the called station comprises either a PBX station or a centrex station.

14. The method of claim 13, in which the modifying further comprises discarding the billing record;

and

in which the discounting further comprises suppressing the billing for the completed call and charging the customer a flat rate feature charge;

wherein the customer receives a periodic flat rate charge for eligible calls in lieu of per call billing.

15. The method of claim 13, in which the modifying further comprises rating the billing record in accordance with a preestablished agreement;

and

in which the discounting further comprises reducing the billing for the completed call in accordance with the rating,

wherein the customer receives a reduced periodic charge for eligible calls.

17. The method of claim 16, in which the modifying of the service switching point further comprises discarding the billing record;

and

in which the discount further comprises suppressing the billing for the completed call and charging the customer a flat rate feature charge;

wherein the customer receives a periodic flat rate charge for eligible calls in lieu of per call billing.

18. The method of claim 16, in which the modifying of the service switching point further comprises rating the billing record in accordance with a preestablished agreement;

and

in which the discount further comprises reducing the billing for the completed call in accordance with the rating,

wherein the customer receives a reduced periodic charge for eligible calls.

20. The method of claim 19, in which the determining whether the call is eligible further comprises:

determining whether the call is an intraLATA call; and

determining whether the call is a voice call,

wherein the call is eligible when the call is a voice call and the call is an intraLATA call.

21. The method of claim 19, in which the discounting further comprises discounting a public switched telephone number (PSTN) leg of the call from the calling station to the ASF-RTL host switch.

13. A method for discounting a customer'"'"'s bill for telephone calls completed in a wide area centrex/PBX network that includes an abbreviated dialing plan, the method comprising:

determining a general class of service of a calling station that placed a call;

determining whether the customer subscribes to the billing discounting for the determined class of service;

determining a general class of service of a called station;

determining whether the call is an intraLATA call;

determining whether the call is a voice call;

when the general class of service of the calling station and the general class of service of the called station are eligible for the billing discounting, and the customer subscribes to the billing discounting for the general class of service of the calling station, and the call is an intraLATA voice call;

modifying the billing record; and

discounting the billing for the completed call based upon the modified billing record; and

when the general class of service of the calling station or the general class of service of the called station are not eligible for the billing discounting, or the customer does not subscribe to the billing discounting for the general class of service of the calling station, or the call is not an intraLATA call or a voice call, creating a normal billing record.

16. A billing system that discounts a customer'"'"'s billing for telephone calls completed in a wide area centrex/PBX network that includes an abbreviated dialing plan, the system comprising:

a service control point that determines a call type code based upon a calling station and a called station, and determines whether the call type code is eligible for discounted billing; and

when the call type code is eligible, generates a unique billing record that is forwarded to a service switching point; and

the service switching point, associated with the calling station, that receives the forwarded unique billing record, and modifies the billing record to indicate that a discount should be applied to the billing for the call when the call is completed;

wherein when the service switching point does not receives the unique billing record, the service switching point creates a normal billing record.

19. A method for discounting a customer'"'"'s bill for telephone calls completed to an automatic selection of facilities-remote tie line (ASF-RTL) host switch in a wide area centrex/PBX network that includes an abbreviated dialing plan, the method comprising:

determining whether a call is routed to the ASF-RTL host switch;

determining whether the customer subscribes to billing discounting for ASF-RTL;

determining whether the call is eligible for the billing discounting;

when the call is routed to the ASF-RTL host switch, when the customer subscribes to billing discounting for ASF-RTL, and when the call is an eligible call;

modifying the billing record in accordance with a preestablished agreement, and discounting the billing based upon the modified billing record; and

when the call is not routed to the ASF-RTL host switch or when the customer does not subscribe to billing discounting for ASF-RTL or when the call is not eligible for the billing discounting, creating a normal billing record;

wherein the customer receives a reduced periodic charge for eligible calls employing the ASF-RTL host switch.

22. A system for discounting a customer'"'"'s bill for telephone calls completed in a wide area centrex/PBX network that includes an abbreviated dialing plan, the system comprising:

an ASF-RTL host switch to which a call is routed;

a service control point that determines whether the call is routed to the ASF-RTL host switch, determines whether the customer subscribes to billing discounting for ASF-RTL, and determines whether the call is eligible for the billing discounting;

when the call is routed to the ASF-RTL host switch, when the customer subscribes to billing discounting for ASF-RTL, and when the call is an eligible call;

the service control point generates a unique billing record, and forwards the unique billing record to a service switching point; and

the service switching point that receives the forwarded unique billing record, and modifies the billing record to indicate that a discount should be applied to the billing for the call when the call is completed;

wherein when the service switching point does not receive the unique billing record, the service switching point creates a normal billing record.

wherein the customer receives a reduced periodic charge for eligible calls employing the ASF-RTL host switch.

23. The system of claim 22, in which the determining whether the call is eligible of the service control point further comprises:

determining whether the call is an intraLATA call; and

determining whether the call is a voice call;

wherein the call is eligible when the call is a voice call and the call is an intraLATA call.

24. The system of claim 22, in which the modifying of the service switching point further comprises discounting a public switched telephone number (PSTN) leg of the call from the calling station to the ASF-RTL host switch.