Telecommunication revenue management system

• US 20050238154A1
• Filed: 04/27/2004
• Published: 10/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Value-Added Communications Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Value-Added Communications Incorporated
• Inventors: Heaton, Kermit Dwain, Hodge, Stephen L.
• Granted Patent: US 9,014,355 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/127.10
• 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 15/47 Fraud detection or prevention means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/58 based on statistics of usage or network monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/88 Provision for limiting connection, or expenditure
• 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 17/20 with provision for recharging the prepaid account or card, or for credit establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0148 Fraud detection or prevention means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0188 Network monitoring; statistics on usage on called/calling number
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/38 Graded-service arrangements, i.e. some subscribers prevented from establishing certain connections queuing arrangements H04Q3/64

Abstract

Disclosed is an improved revenue call management system for use with a telecommunication system. The revenue management system preferably includes a remote server, a user database, and a plurality of databases. When a call is placed, the revenue management system queries the user database based on the telephone number dialed to bill the appropriate account. If no account exists for the dialed telephone number, the revenue system queries a multitude of internal and external databases to determine if the dialed telephone number is billable. If the telephone number is un-billable, the collect call attempt is terminated. The revenue management system is capable of establishing accounts in real time while the caller and called party are on the line.

Claims

1. A telecommunications management system, said system comprising:

a telephone management system for completing a telephone call;

a revenue management system in communication with said telephone management system; and

at least one local database disposed in said revenue management system;

wherein said revenue management system queries said local database for determining if said telephone call is associated with an account.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein said revenue management system is in communication with a plurality of remote validation databases.

3. A system according to claim 2, wherein if no account is associated with said telephone call, said revenue management system queries said remote validation databases to determine if said telephone call is billable.

4. A system according to claim 2, wherein at least one of said remote validation databases is selected from the group consisting of an ON-NET database, a line information database, and a competitive local exchange carrier database.

5. A system according to claim 2, wherein the telephone number associated with said telephone call is blocked if it has no associated account.

6. A system according to claim 2, wherein the telephone number associated with said telephone call is blocked if it is not found in at least one of said remote validation databases.

7. A system according to claim 2, wherein the telephone number associated with said telephone call is blocked if it is found in at least one of said remote validation databases.

8. A system according to claim 1, wherein a called party is prompted to establish an account if no account is associated with said telephone call.

9. A system according to claim 8, wherein said prompts are implemented by an interactive voice response (IVR) system.

10. A system according to claim 8, wherein said prompts instruct said called party to provide identification information to establish said account.

11. A system according to claim 8, wherein said prompts instruct said called party to establish a method of payment for said account.

12. A system according to claim 11, wherein said method of payment is selected from the group consisting of credit card payment, direct billing, debit card, check, money order, and cash.

13. A system according to claim 8, wherein said called party and a calling party remain on-line during said prompts.

14. A system according to claim 13, wherein said called party and said calling party are connected after said account is established.

15. A system according to claim 13, wherein said called party and said calling party are connected after said account is established and funds are verified.

16. A system according to claim 1, wherein said account is billed for said telephone call.

17. A system according to claim 1, wherein a called party is prompted if said account is overdrawn.

18. A system according to claim 1, wherein said telephone call is terminated if said account is overdrawn.

19. A system according to claim 1, wherein a called party is prompted to replenish said account.

20. A system according to claim 1, wherein a called party is prompted to indicate if said telephone call should be completed.

21. A system according to claim 1, wherein a called party is bridged to an attendant to establish an account.

22. A system according to claim 1, wherein said system prompts said called party as to whether the account can be charged for said telephone call.

23. A system according to claim 1, wherein said telephone call is only completed if a called party accepts the charges for said telephone call.

24. A system according to claim 1, wherein said telephone management system is disposed in an institution selected from the group consisting of a penal institution, a mental institution, a nursing home, a rehabilitation center, a correctional facility, a government agency, a private business, and a public business.

25. A method for managing revenue in a telecommunications system, said method comprising the steps of:

prompting a called party of a telephone call to establish an account;

associating said account with the dialed telephone number of said telephone call;

storing said account in a local database;

billing said account for the cost of said telephone call;

accessing said account from said local database for subsequent telephone calls to the same dialed telephone number.

26. A method according to claim 25, wherein said prompting is implemented by an IVR system.

27. A method according to claim 25, wherein said prompting instructs said called party to provide identification information.

28. A method according to claim 25, wherein said prompting instructs said called party to establish a method of payment for said account.

29. A method according to claim 28, wherein said method of payment is selected from the group consisting of credit card payment, direct billing, debit card, check, money order, or cash.

30. A method according to claim 25, wherein said called party and a calling party remain on-line during said prompting.

31. A method according to claim 30, wherein said called party and said calling party are connected after said account is established.

32. A method according to claim 30, wherein said called party and said calling party are connected after said account is established and funds verified.

33. A method according to claim 25, said method further comprising the step of:

prompting said called party during said subsequent telephone calls to indicate if said account is overdrawn.

34. A method according to claim 25, said method further comprising the step of:

prompting said called party during said subsequent telephone calls to replenish said account.

35. A method according to claim 25, said method further comprising the step of:

prompting said called party during said subsequent telephone calls to indicate if said subsequent telephone calls should be completed.

36. A telecommunications management system for detecting un-billable telephone calls, said system comprising:

a telephone management system for completing a telephone call;

a plurality of local databases for determining if said telephone call is billable; and

a means for querying a plurality of remote validation databases for determining if said telephone call is billable.

37. A system according to claim 36, wherein at least one of said remote validation databases is selected from the group consisting of an ON-NET database, a line information database, and a competitive local exchange carrier database.

38. A system according to claim 36, wherein said telephone call is blocked if a telephone number associated with said telephone call has no associated account.

39. A system according to claim 36, wherein said telephone call is blocked if a telephone number associated with said telephone call is not found in at least one of said remote validation databases.

40. A system according to claim 36, wherein said telephone call is blocked if a telephone number associated with said telephone call is found in at least one of said local databases.

41. A system according to claim 36, wherein said telephone call is blocked if a telephone number associated with said telephone call is found in at least one of said remote validation databases.

42. A system according to claim 36, wherein a telephone number associated with said telephone call is added to at least one of said local databases if it is found in at least one of said remote validation databases.

43. A system according to claim 36, wherein a telephone number associated with said telephone call is added to at least one of said local databases if it is not found in at least one of said remote validation databases.

44. A system according to claim 36, further comprising:

an accounting means connected to said revenue management system which is utilized to complete said telephone call when a telephone number associated with said telephone call is un-billable.

45. A system for according to claim 44, wherein funds or credit limits are added to said account via conferencing or a toll-free telephone number.

46. A system according to claim 45, wherein a warning message is played to said called party if said funds in said account are below a predetermined amount.

47. A system according to claim 36, wherein said telephone call is blocked after a plurality of call attempts to a telephone number associated with said telephone call.

48. A remote management system for detecting un-billable telephone calls, said system comprising:

a telephone management system for completing a telephone call;

a revenue management system database for determining if said telephone call is billable, said revenue management system database containing a list of blocked telephone numbers, a list of telephone numbers with financial accounts, and a list of billable telephone numbers, and said telephone call being terminated if the telephone number associated with said telephone call is in said list of blocked telephone numbers;

means for querying a line information database with said telephone number, said telephone call being terminated if said line information database query returns a negative result;

means for querying an ON-NET database with said telephone number, said telephone call being terminated if said telephone number is not located in said ON-NET database; and

means for querying a competitive local exchange carrier database with said telephone number, said telephone call being terminated if said telephone number is located in said competitive local exchange carrier database;

wherein said telephone management system communicates with said revenue management system database, said means for querying an ON-NET database, said means for querying a competitive local exchange carrier database and said means for querying a line information database via a communications medium to determine if said telephone call is billable.

49. A method for determining if a telephone call is billable, said method comprising the steps of:

querying a local validation database with a telephone number associated with a telephone call;

terminating said telephone call if said local validation database indicates said telephone call is un-billable;

querying a plurality of remote validation databases with said telephone number; and

terminating said telephone call if said remote validation databases indicate said telephone call is un-billable.

50. A method according to claim 49, wherein at least one of said remote validation databases is selected from the group consisting of an ON-NET database, a line information database, and a competitive local exchange carrier database.

51. A method according to claim 49, said method further comprising the step of:

blocking subsequent telephone calls to said telephone number if said local database indicates said telephone call is un-billable.

52. A method according to claim 49, said method further comprising the step of:

blocking subsequent telephone calls to said telephone number if said local database indicates said telephone call is un-billable.

53. A method according to claim 49, further comprising the step of:

adding said telephone number of said telephone call to said local database if said remote validation databases indicate said telephone call is un-billable.

54. A method according to claim 49, further comprising the step of:

prompting a called party to indicate if said telephone call should be completed.

55. A method according to claim 49, further comprising the step of:

prompting a called party to indicate if said telephone call should be billed to said called party'"'"'s account.

56. A method according to claim 55, wherein said prompting is implemented by an IVR system.

57. A method according to claim 55, further comprising the step of:

prompting said called party to replenish said account.

58. A method according to claim 55, further comprising the step of:

prompting said called party to replenish said account if said account is overdrawn.

59. A method according to claim 58, further comprising the step of:

terminating said telephone call if said called party does not replenish said account.