Integrated wireless and wireline billing and services management

• US 20040224661A1
• Filed: 09/04/2003
• Published: 11/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wolbach, Eric B., Pericas, Zaida
• Granted Patent: US 7,644,038 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/406
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• 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 15/43 Billing software details
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/44 Augmented, consolidated or itemized billing statement or bill presentation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/50 for cross-charging network operators
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/55 for hybrid networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/75 Account location specifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/765 Linked or grouped accounts, e.g. of users or devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/7655 shared by technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/772 per service, e.g. prepay or post-pay
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/773 per technology, e.g. PSTN or wireless
• 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 2215/2046 Hybrid network
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/52 Interconnection, inter-exchange, reseller billing, billing agreements between different operators, e.g. billing identifier added on the CDR in order to cross charge the other operator, inter-operator accounting, reconciliation, bill directly resellers customers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/72 Account specifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/724 Linked accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/725 Shared by technologies, e.g. one account for different access technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7263 : per service, e.g. prepay and post-pay
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7268 : per technology, e.g. PSTN or wireless

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for integrating billing and services management systems across disparate telecommunications systems including wireless systems and local and long distance wireline systems. Wireless and wireline services may be charged to and billed under one periodic billing. A rollover management system is employed for managing units of call usage that may be “rolled over” from a present usage period to a subsequent usage period. An integrated services settlement system is provided which is operable for apportioning revenue associated with utilization of the wireless carrier'"'"'s services to the wireless carrier and for apportioning revenue associated with the wireline carrier'"'"'s services to the wireline carrier. An integrated telecommunications services ordering system is provided that is operable to synchronize subscriber orders between the subscriber'"'"'s wireless and wireline carriers.

Claims

1. A method of integrating billing and services management between a wireless telecommunications carrier and a wireline telecommunications carrier, comprising;

provisioning a call unit sharing plan allowing a user to charge units of wireless usage and units of wireline usage to one calling plan;

receiving wireless usage at a wireless carrier;

receiving wireline usage at a wireline usage rating platform;

routing the wireless usage to the wireline usage rating platform; and

if any of the wireless or wireline usage requires a billing charge, charging any of the wireless or wireline usage to the call unit sharing plan.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising preparing a single periodic bill showing charges to the call unit sharing plan associated with the wireless and wireline usage charged to the call unit sharing plan.

3. The method of claim 1, prior to charging any of the wireless or wireline usage to the call unit sharing plan, rating the wireless and wireline usage at the wireline usage rating platform to determine whether any of the wireless or wireline usage must be charged to the call unit sharing plan.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising determining whether any of the wireless or wireline usage is associated with calling types requiring no charge.

5. The method of claim 4, whereby if any of the wireless or wireline usage is associated with calling types requiring no charge, designating the any of the wireless or wireline usage associated as requiring no charge.

6. The method of claim 4, whereby at least some of the wireless usage requires no charge because a wireless call associated with the at least some of the wireless usage requiring no charge was made during a free call period or a different rate call period.

7. (Canceled)

8. (Canceled)

9. (Canceled)

10. The method of claim 9, after preparing a single periodic bill further comprising:

settling revenue associated with the single periodic bill between the wireless carrier and the wireline carrier by apportioning an amount of the revenue associated with wireless services during a billing cycle associated with the single periodic bill to the wireless carrier; and

apportioning an amount of the revenue associated with wireline services during the billing cycle associated with the single periodic bill to the wireline carrier.

11. In a telecommunications system including integrated billing management between a first telecommunications services carrier and a second telecommunications services carrier, a method for synchronizing services between the first and second telecommunications services carriers, comprising:

receiving a services order at a first services ordering platform of the first telecommunications services carrier requiring services changes that affect the second telecommunications services carrier; and

notifying the second telecommunications services carrier to provide the services order to the second telecommunications services carrier.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising ensuring that subscriber services at the first telecommunications services carrier are synchronized with subscriber services at the second telecommunications services carrier for any subscriber services affecting both the first and second telecommunications services carriers.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising ensuring that no subscriber services changes are made at the first telecommunications services carrier affecting the second telecommunications services carrier if a responsive services change is not made at the second telecommunications services carrier.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising if a services change is made at the first telecommunications services carrier affecting the second telecommunications services carrier without making a required responsive services change at the second telecommunications services carrier, notifying the second telecommunications carrier of the services change at the first telecommunications services carrier.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising sending an integrated fulfillment notification to any subscriber making services changes with either the first telecommunications services carrier or the second telecommunications services carrier where the services changes affect both the first telecommunications services carrier and the second telecommunications services carrier.

15. (Canceled)

17. A system for integrating billing and services management between a wireless telecommunications carrier and a wireline telecommunications carrier, comprising;

a wireless carrier billing system operative

to receive wireless call usage associated with wireless calls made via the wireless carrier;

to route the wireless call usage to a call usage rating platform at the wireline carrier;

the call usage rating platform at the wireline carrier operative

to receive wireline call usage associated with wireline calls made via the wireline carrier;

to charge any of the wireless or wireline call usage to a subscriber call unit sharing plan if any of the wireless or wireline call usage requires a billing charge;

to route rated call usage information for all wireless and wireline call usage requiring billing under the subscriber call unit sharing plan to a wireline carrier billing system; and

the wireline carrier billing system operative

to prepare a single periodic bill showing charges to the subscriber call unit sharing plan associated with the wireless and wireline call usage charged to the call unit sharing plan.

18. (Canceled)

19. A method of integrating billing management between a wireless telecommunications carrier and a wireline telecommunications carrier, comprising;

provisioning a call unit sharing plan allowing a user to charge units of wireless usage and units of wireline usage to one calling plan;

receiving wireless usage at a wireless carrier;

receiving wireline usage at a wireline usage rating platform;

routing the wireless usage to the wireline usage rating platform;

rating the wireless and wireline usage at the wireline usage rating platform to determine whether any of the wireless or wireline usage must be charged to the call unit sharing plan

if any of the wireless or wireline usage requires a billing charge, charging the any of the wireless or wireline usage to the call unit sharing plan; and

preparing a single periodic bill showing charges to the call unit sharing plan associated with the wireless and wireline usage charged to the call unit sharing plan.

20. (Canceled)

21. (Canceled)

22. The method of claim 21, after preparing a single periodic bill, further comprising:

settling revenue associated with the single periodic bill between the wireless carrier and the wireline carrier by apportioning an amount of the revenue associated with wireless services during a billing cycle associated with the single periodic bill to the wireless carrier; and

apportioning an amount of the revenue associated with wireline services during the billing cycle associated with the single periodic bill to the wireline carrier.

23. A method of integrating billing management between a plurality of telecommunications services systems, comprising;

receiving first call usage associated with calls transacted via a first services system;

receiving second call usage associated with calls transacted via a second services system;

routing the first call usage and the second call usage to one or more call usage rating platforms;

at the one or more call usage rating platforms, determining billing information associated with each of the first and second call usages;

routing billing information associated with each of the first and second call usages to a billing system; and

preparing a single periodic bill showing charges associated with the first and second call usages.

24. The method of claim 23, whereby routing the first call usage and the second call usage to the one or more call usage rating platforms includes routing the first call usage to a first call usage rating platform and routing the second call usage to a second call usage rating platform.

25. The method of claim 23, whereby routing the first call usage and the second call usage to the one or more call usage rating platforms includes routing the first call usage and the second call usage to a single call usage rating platform at one of the first of and second services systems.

26. A method of integrating billing and services management between a wireless telecommunications carrier and a wireline telecommunications carrier, comprising;

provisioning a call unit sharing plan allowing a user to charge units of wireless usage and units of wireline usage to one calling plan;

receiving wireless usage at a wireless carrier;

receiving wireline usage at a wireline usage rating platform;

receiving the wireless usage at the wireline usage rating platform; and

if any of the wireless or wireline usage requires a billing charge, charging any of the wireless or wireline usage to the call unit sharing plan.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising preparing a single periodic bill showing charges to the call unit sharing plan associated with the wireless and wireline usage charged to the call unit sharing plan.

28. The method of claim 26, further comprising prior to charging any of the wireless or wireline usage to the call unit sharing plan:

rating each wireless and wireline usage at the wireline usage rating platform to determine whether any usage must be charged to the call unit sharing plan;

determining whether any wireless usage or wireline usage is associated with calling types requiring no charge; and

in response to any wireless usage or wireline usage being associated with calling types requiring no charge, designating the any wireless usage or wireline usage requiring no charge as requiring no charge.

29. A method of integrating billing and services management between a wireless telecommunications carrier and a wireline telecommunications carrier, comprising;

provisioning a call unit sharing plan allowing a user to charge units of wireless usage and units of wireline usage to one calling plan;

receiving wireline call usage at a wireline rating platform;

receiving wireless call usage at the wireline rating platform;

if any of the wireless or wireline call usage requires a billing charge, charging the any of the wireless or wireline call usage requiring a billing charge to the call unit sharing plan; and

preparing a single periodic bill showing charges to the call unit sharing plan associated with the wireless and wireline call usage charged to the call unit sharing plan.