Reverse rating system for determining duration of a usage transaction

• US 20070124154A1
• Filed: 11/30/2005
• Published: 05/31/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture SPA (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Cesarini, Andrea
• Granted Patent: US 7,613,657 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/35
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0284 Time or distance, e.g. usage of parking meters or taximeters
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/60 Business processes related to postal services shipping G06Q10/083; franking apparatus G07B17/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/08 Metering calls to called party , i.e. B-party charged for the communication

Abstract

A reverse rating system determines the duration for which a phone call or other transaction may continue, given an account balance on a pre-paid customer account. The duration may take into consideration multiple time bands, applicable discounts, rating plans and other characteristics of the customer account and telecommunications service. The telecommunications service provider may employ the duration information to determine when to disconnect an ongoing transaction. As a result, the telecommunications service provider avoids substantial revenue loses from continuing to allow a pre-paid customer to continue their transaction longer than their account balance will support.

Claims