Cellular telephone billing method

• US 20040043754A1
• Filed: 08/29/2002
• Published: 03/04/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Jean E. Whewell
• Original Assignee: Jean E. Whewell
• Inventors: Whewell, Jean E.
• Application Number:
  US10/230,852
• Publication Number:
  US 20040043754A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/408
• 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 15/49 Connection to several service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/70 Administration or customization aspects; Counter-checking correct charges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/73 Validating charges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8044 Least cost routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8083 involving reduced rates or discounts, e.g. time-of-day reductions or volume discounts
• 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 2215/0184 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2026 Wireless network, e.g. GSM, PCS, TACS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/42 Least cost routing, i.e. provision for selecting the lowest cost tariff
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/46 Connection to several service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/70 Administration aspects, modify settings or limits or counter-check correct charges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7072 Validate charges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/745 Least cost routing, e.g. Automatic or manual, call by call or by preselection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

Provided herein is a variable billing plan which calculates the lowest possible invoice amount to be billed to a consumer of cellular services from a variety of billing options. Through use of a billing method according to the invention, consumer loyalty is increased at negligible expense to bandwidth consumption.

Claims

1. ) A variable billing plan method for calculating an invoice amount for a consumer of cellular telephone services during a service interval which comprises the steps of:

a) offering a consumer a plurality of billing schedules from which to choose, wherein each of said schedules includes a pre-determined threshold level of given plan minutes which are billed at a flat rate and a rate per minute for each minute of service used which exceeds said threshold level, and wherein each of said plurality of billing schedules offered includes a different amount of pre-determined threshold level of given plan minutes;

b) accepting a billing schedule choice selection from said consumer, wherein said choice includes a pre-determined threshold level of given plan minutes which are billed at a flat rate and a rate per minute for each minute of service used which exceeds said threshold level;

c) providing cellular telephone service to said consumer during a service interval;

d) calculating an invoice amount based upon the accepted billing schedule choice by combining the total dollar values of said flat rate and an addend that is calculated by multiplying the number of minutes of service used that exceed said threshold level by the rate per minute charged for each minute exceeding said threshold level,

e) calculating a hypothetical invoice amount based upon a billing plan that was offered to said consumer but which was not selected by said consumer, using the actual minutes of service used by said customer during said service interval, by combining the dollar value for the threshold level of given minutes for the plan not selected, and the rate for each minute in excess of said threshold level for said plan not selected, to arrive at a hypothetical invoice amount for a plan not selected;

f) repeating step e) for each of all of the plans offered but not selected, so as to provide a hypothetical invoice amount for each plan not selected;

g) comparing said hypothetical invoice amount(s) with said invoice amount from step d) to determine which out of all of said invoice amount and said hypothetical invoice amount(s) is the least dollar value; and

h) issuing an invoice to said customer using said least dollar value as a pre-tax basis for said invoice.

2. ) A process according to claim 1 wherein a surcharge is added to said least dollar value as a premium for use of such variable billing plan method.

3. ) A process according to claim 2 wherein said surcharge is a non-varying rate.

4. ) A process according to claim 2 wherein said surcharge is variable, depending upon the total number of minutes in excess of the threshold level of given plan minutes in the accepted billing schedule.

5. ) A process according to claim 2 wherein said surcharge is only applied to an invoice sent to the consumer for a fraction of the billing cycles within a contract term between said consumer and said service provider.