"Calling party pays" cellular and prepaid platforms for cellular calling systems

• US 20020147002A1
• Filed: 01/16/2001
• Published: 10/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IDT Corporation
• Original Assignee: IDT Corporation
• Inventors: Trop, David, Silberstein, Eli
• Granted Patent: US 6,871,062 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/406
• 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 15/51 for resellers, retailers or service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/7655 shared by technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/77 involving multiple accounts per user
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/772 per service, e.g. prepay or post-pay
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/00 Prepayment of wireline communication systems, wireless communication systems or telephone systems using a coded card to authorise calls from a telephone set H04M1/675
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• 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 2215/68 Billing calls completely to the calling party, except POTS, e.g. charge on caller's choice service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/725 Shared by technologies, e.g. one account for different access technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7254 Multiple accounts per user
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7263 per service, e.g. prepay and post-pay
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/042 Public Land Mobile systems, e.g. cellular systems

Abstract

A subscriber to a wireless service provider can make calls in a conventional manner, and can receive calls from a caller in a mode in which the caller rather than the subscriber is charged. More particularly, a request for connection to the subscriber from the caller is received by an administrating server which determines if the call can be charged to the caller and then generates such a charge. Preferably the administrating server is part of a payment platform provided to generate an account for the subscriber to pay for outgoing (and, selectively, incoming) calls.

Claims

1. In wireless telephone system including a service provider which provides wireless telephone connections to a subscriber, a method for charging calls made to the subscriber by a caller comprising:

receiving from said caller a request for a connection for making a call to said subscriber;

determining if said call is chargeable to said caller; and

establishing said connection through said cellular service provider if said call is chargeable to said caller.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said service provider generates a charge for said call further comprising generating a said charge for said caller.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising sending a message to said caller to alert said caller that he will be charged for the connection.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said message is sent before establishing said connection.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising establishing rules for incoming calls for said subscriber, said rules defining a first set of callers and a second set of callers, calls from said first set of callers being handled differently than calls from said second set of callers.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising selecting one of said rules by said subscriber.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing an administrating server arranged to receive said request and to establish said connection.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said system further includes a payment platform for handling calls for said subscriber, wherein said request is received by said platform.

9. A method of making a call by a caller to a subscriber of a wireless service provider comprising:

placing a request for establishing a connection by said caller to said subscriber;

routing said request to an administrating server;

determining with said administrating server whether said call is chargeable to said caller;

if said call is chargeable to said caller, establishing said connection with a wireless telephone associated with said subscriber; and

charging said caller with the cost of said call.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising sending a message to said caller to alert the caller that he will be charged for said call.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising requesting approval from said caller to charge said call before establishing said connection.

12. The method of claim 9 further comprising providing a set of rules for call payment options for said subscriber.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising selecting one of said set of rules by said subscriber.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising defining caller lists as part of said rules, including a first list.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising charging said subscriber for calls from callers on said first list.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising charging said caller for calls if said caller is not on said first list.

17. The method of claim 9 further comprising generating an account for said subscriber.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said account is generated based on a prepaid card bought by said subscriber.

19. The method of claim 17 wherein said account is generated and replenished from another account associated with said subscriber.

20. A caller party pays wireless telephone system comprising:

a service provider adapted to provide wireless service to said cellular telephone;

an administrating server adapted to receive a request from a caller to establish communication with said subscriber, said administrating server being adapted to determine if said caller is chargeable for said call, and to establish a connection between said caller and said subscriber to said service provider in response to said request.

21. The system of claim 20 further comprising a payment platform adapted to provide calling card service to said subscriber.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein said platform includes said administrating server.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein said administrating server is adapted to receive a selection from a subscriber indicating a first mode wherein said caller is charged for the call and a second mode wherein said subscriber is charged for the call.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein said administrating server is adapted to generate a subscriber charge when said second mode is selected.

25. The system of claim 24 wherein said administrating server is adapted to monitor calls and is adapted to charge one of said caller and said subscriber dependent on the mode selected by the subscriber.

26. The system of claim 20 wherein said service provider generates a first charge for said administering server and said administering server generates a second charge dependent on said first charge.

27. The system of claim 26 wherein said second charge is charged to one of said caller and said subscriber in accordance with a mode selected by said subscriber.

28. The system of claim 20 wherein said cellular service provider is adapted to assign a first telephone number for said subscriber and said administrating server is adapted to assign a second telephone number for said subscriber, wherein said request from said caller includes said second telephone number.

29. The system of claim 28 wherein said administrating server is associated with a data base and is adapted to map said second to said first telephone number based on data from said data base.

30. The system of claim 20 wherein said cellular service provider and said server are connected by a standard communication line.

31. The system of claim 20 wherein said cellular service provider and said server are connected by a standard direct trunk line.