Report data capture via billing module

• US 20060140367A1
• Filed: 12/28/2004
• Published: 06/29/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SBC Knowledge Ventures LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: SBC Knowledge Ventures LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Book, Nancy Ann, Smith, Brian, Crockett, Susanne Marie, Nolan, Denis F.
• Granted Patent: US 7,529,355 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/114.10
• 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 15/58 based on statistics of usage or network monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0188 Network monitoring; statistics on usage on called/calling number

Abstract

A system is provided for reporting call data related to a telecommunications service. The system includes a network element, such as a service control point, that generates billing records. The network element populates a base module with standard data and also populates a local use module, appended to the base module, with call data required for reports associated with the telecommunication service. The system also includes a report generating system that receives the base record and appended local use module and generates reports based upon the call data stored in the base module and the appended local use module.

Claims

1. A method for reporting call data related to a telecommunications service, comprising:

receiving, at a report generating system, a base module comprising standardized data; and

receiving, at the report generating system, a local use module appended to the base module, the local use module comprising data specific to reports, the local use module data not being provided by the base module.

2. The method of claim 1, in which the receiving occurs periodically.

3. The method of claim 2, in which the receiving occurs every minute.

4. The method of claim 1, in which the telecommunications service comprises a call transfer service.

5. A method for collecting call data, in order to generate reports, from a network element that generates billing records, comprising:

appending at least one local use module to a base module for reporting purposes, the appended module including fields that the network element populates.

6. The method of claim 5, in which a toll free reporting tool periodically receives the base module and appended local use module from the network element and generates reports based upon the data in the base module and the local use module.

7. The method of claim 6, in which the receiving occurs every minute.

8. A system for reporting call data related to a telecommunications service, comprising:

a network element that generates billing records, the network element populating a base module with standard data and populating a local use module appended to the base module, with call data required for reports associated with the telecommunication service; and

a report generating system that receives the base record and appended local use module and generates reports based upon the call data stored in the base module and the appended local use module.

9. The system of claim 8, in which the network element comprises a service control point.

10. The system of claim 8, in which the reporting system comprises a toll free reporting tool.

11. The system of claim 8, in which the reporting system comprises a USAN platform.

12. A computer readable medium storing a program for reporting call data related to a telecommunications service, comprising:

a receiving code segment that receives a base module comprising standardized data, and a local use module appended to the base module, the local use module comprising data specific to reports, the local use module data not being provided by the base module.

13. The medium of claim 12, in which the receiving code segment periodically receives the data.

14. The medium of claim 13, in which the receiving occurs every minute.

15. The medium of claim 12, in which the telecommunications service comprises a call transfer service.

16. A computer readable medium storing a program for collecting call data, in order to generate reports, from a network element that generates billing records, comprising:

an appending code segment that appends at least one local use module to a base module for reporting purposes, the appended module including fields that the network element populates.

17. The medium of claim 16, further comprising a receiving segment that periodically receives the base module and appended local use module from the network element and generates reports based upon the data in the base module and the appended local use module.

18. The medium of claim 17, in which the receiving occurs every minute.