Method and system for managing the duration and cost of a telephone call

• US 20040240649A1
• Filed: 05/30/2003
• Published: 12/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Goel, Pradeep K.
• Granted Patent: US 7,174,008 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/130
• 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 15/59 based on real time
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/85 characterised by the type of condition triggering a notification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/851 Determined tariff
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/853 Calculate maximum communication time or volume
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/854 Available credit
• 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 2215/815 Notification when a specific condition, service or event is met
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/8162 Calculate maximum communication time or volume

Abstract

A method for establishing a call between a calling party and at least one called party via a call switching network. The method includes calculating a call charge per minute rate based upon a number of rate-determining parameters, notifying the calling party of the call charge per minute rate, receiving input from said calling party based upon the call charge per minute rate; timing the call, calculating the balance available for the call, informing the calling party of the balance in real time, and disconnecting the call when the call balance is zero.

Claims

1. A method of establishing a call between a calling party and at least one called party via a switching network, comprising:

calculating a call charge per minute rate based upon a plurality of rate-determining parameters;

notifying said calling party of said call charge per minute rate;

receiving input from said calling party based upon said call charge per minute rate;

timing said call;

calculating the balance available for said call;

informing said calling party of said balance in real time; and

,

disconnecting said call when said call balance reaches zero.

2. The method defined in claim 1 wherein said plurality of rate-determining factors comprises the location of said calling and said called parties, the type of call being made, whether said call is a voice or a data call, the time and day of said call, and mutual charging agreements among the service providers handling said call.

3. The method defined in claim 1 wherein said switching network includes a plurality of real-time call charge computing devices for calculating said call charge per minute and for timing said call.

4. The method defined in claim 3 wherein said switching network further includes a plurality of databases in communication with said real-time call charge computing devices for storing call charge computing information.

5. The method defined in claim 1 wherein said notifying step includes notifying said calling party with a visual message.

6. The method defined in claim 1 wherein said input from said calling party comprises the maximum total cost for said call.

7. The method defined in claim 1 wherein said input from said calling party comprises the maximum length of time for said call in minutes.

8. A system for establishing a call between a first party and at least one called party via a switching network, comprising:

calculating means for calculating a call charge per minute rate based upon a plurality of rate-determining parameters;

notifying means for notifying said calling party of said call charge per minute rate;

receiving means for receiving input from said calling party;

timing means for timing said call;

calculating means for calculating the balance available for said call;

informing means for informing said calling party of said balance in real time;

disconnecting means for disconnecting said call.

9. The system defined in claim 8 wherein said plurality of rate-determining factors comprises the location of said calling and said called parties, the type of call being made, whether said call is a voice or a data call, the time and day of said call, and mutual charging agreements among the service providers handling said call.

10. The system defined in claim 9 wherein said switching network includes a plurality of real-time call charge computing devices for timing said call.

11. The system defined in claim 10 wherein said switching network further includes a plurality of databases in communication with said real-time call charge computing devices for storing call charge computing information.

12. A switching network for establishing a call between a calling party and at least one called party, comprising;

a plurality of switches, said plurality of switches including a call origination switch in communication with said calling party and a call destination switch in communication with said at least one called party;

a plurality of databases for storing call charge computing information, said call charge computing information comprises the location of said calling and said called parties, the type of call being made, whether said call is a voice or a data call, the time and day of said call, and mutual charging agreements among the service providers handling said call; and

a plurality of real-time call charge computing devices in communication with said plurality of databases and said call origination switch.