Method and system for charging a consumer for a packet based telecommunications transmission

• US 20040030620A1
• Filed: 06/18/2003
• Published: 02/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Digital Ingenuity, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Digital Ingenuity, Inc.
• Inventors: Cashon, T. Scott, Benjamin, Ivor, Piazza, Joseph
• Application Number:
  US10/464,289
• Publication Number:
  US 20040030620A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/32
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/14 specially adapted for billing systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1403 Architecture for metering, charging or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1482 involving use of telephony infrastructure for billing for the transport of data, e.g. call detail record [CDR] or intelligent network infrastructure
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols

Abstract

A method and system for determining a charge to bill a consumer for a packet based telephone call uses information contained within a call detail record to determine the source location of the call. The location is used to place the call into a service class that is dependent on the location (i.e., local or long distance). The charge is then based at least in part on the service class.

Claims

1. A method of charging a consumer for a packet based telephone call, the method comprising the steps of:

retrieving information corresponding to a record of a packet based telephone call, wherein the information includes a network address;

relating the network address to a location;

placing the packet based telephone call in a service class, wherein the service class is at least partially dependent on the location; and

using the service class to determine at least a portion of a charge for the call.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

retrieving a rate plan, wherein the charge is determined using at least the rate plan and the service class; and

generating an invoice for a customer, wherein the invoice includes the charge.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the invoice also includes a device identifier that corresponds to the charge.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the packet based telephone call is a pure packet based call, and the location corresponds to a station connected to a POTS.

5. A method of charging a consumer for a packet based telephone call, the method comprising the steps of:

retrieving information corresponding to a record of a packet based telephone call, wherein the information includes a first network address and a second network address;

relating the first network address to a first location;

relating the second network address to a second location;

placing the packet based telephone call in a service class, wherein the service class is at least partially dependent on a measure of distance between the first location and the second location; and

using the service class to determine a charge for the call.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the first location comprises a source location for the call and the second location comprises a destination location for the call.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising the steps of:

retrieving a rate plan, wherein the charge is determined using at least the rate plan and the service class; and

generating an invoice for a customer wherein the invoice includes the charge.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein the invoice also includes a device identifier that corresponds to the charge.

9. The method of claim 5 wherein:

the packet based telephone call is a pure packet based call;

the first corresponds to a first station in communication to a POTS; and

the second location corresponds to a second station in communication with the POTS.

10. The method of claim 5 wherein:

the packet based call is a hybrid packet based and POTS call;

the first location corresponds to a station connected to a POTS, and

the second location corresponds to a gateway between the POTS and a packet network.

11. A method of charging a consumer for a packet based telephone call, the method comprising the steps of:

retrieving information corresponding to a record of a packet based telephone call wherein the information includes a network address and a directory number;

retrieving a first mapping, wherein the first mapping relates the network address to a first location;

retrieving a second mapping, wherein the second mapping relates the directory number to a second location;

determining a measure of distance between the first location and the second location;

placing the call in a service class, wherein the service class is at least partially dependent upon the measure of distance; and

using the service class to determine a charge for the call.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein:

the packet based telephone call is a pure packet based call;

the first location corresponds to a first station in communication with a POTS; and

the second location corresponds to a station connected to the POTS.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein:

the packet based call is a hybrid packet based and POTS call;

the first location corresponds to a station connected to a POTS; and

the second location corresponds to a gateway between the POTS and a packet network.

14. The method of claim 11 further comprising using a rate plan when determining a charge for the call.

15. A method for determining a charge for a communication that is transmitted over a packet based network, comprising the steps of:

determining a source identifier for a communication that is transmitted over a packet based network;

determining a destination identifier for the communication; and

rating the communication based on a relation of the source identifier to the destination identifier;

determining a service class based on the rating; and

assigning a charge to the call, wherein the charge is based at least in part on the service class.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein:

the packet based telephone call is a pure packet based call;

the first location corresponds to a first station in communicative connection with a POTS; and

the second location corresponds to a second station in communicative connection with the POTS.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein:

the packet based call is a hybrid packet based and POTS call;

the first location corresponds to a station connected to a POTS; and

the second location corresponds to a gateway between the POTS and a packet network.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the charge is also based on a rate plan.