Method and system for creating a billing record with a called party's name

• US 20070127648A1
• Filed: 10/19/2006
• Published: 06/07/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/1998
• 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: Murphy, Melanie, Wardin, William
• Granted Patent: US 7,508,926 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/114.30
• 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 15/44 Augmented, consolidated or itemized billing statement or bill presentation
• 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

Abstract

A method and system are provided for creating a billing record with a called party'"'"'s name. Providing the called party'"'"'s name on the billing record facilitates the calling party'"'"'s review of the billing record by reducing the amount of time and effort needed to determine the identity of the called parties. In addition to identifying fraudulent and misbilled calls, the called party'"'"'s name allows a person reviewing the billing record to quickly identify long distance calls, quickly discern business from personal calls, and audit calls made from phone lines with multiple users (e.g., employees or kids). Additionally, the billing record reviewer saves time and money by avoiding the need to call directory assistance or a billing service to identify the calls.

Claims

1. A method for creating a billing record, the method comprising:

receiving a call record comprising a plurality of destination locations;

identifying a name associated with a destination location of the plurality of destination locations from the call record;

adding the name to the call record; and

creating a billing record based on the call record, wherein the billing record comprises the name associated with the destination location of the plurality of destination locations from the call record.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of destination locations comprises a telephone number.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the call record comprises at least one destination location that is not associated with an information provider service.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the call record is received from a network element.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the network element is a switch.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying a name associated with a destination location from the call record comprises:

searching a database associating names and destination locations.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the destination location is eligible for name-on-bill service.

8. A computer-readable storage medium comprising a set of instructions for creating a billing record, the set of instructions to direct a processor to perform acts of:

receiving a call record comprising a plurality of destination locations;

identifying a name associated with a destination location of the plurality of destination locations from the call record;

adding the name to the call record; and

creating a billing record based on the call record, wherein the billing record comprises the name associated with the destination location of the plurality of destination locations from the call record.

9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the call record is received from a network element.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the network element is a switch.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the plurality of destination locations comprises a telephone number.

12. A system for creating a billing record, the system comprising:

a billing system in communication with a network element, the billing system operative to receive a call record comprising a plurality of destination locations from the network element, to identify a name associated with a destination location of the plurality of destination locations, to add the name to the call record; and

to create a billing record based on the call record, wherein the billing record comprises the name associated with the destination location of the plurality of destination locations from the call record.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

a database associating names and destination locations;

wherein the billing system is operative to search the database to identify the name associated with the destination location of the plurality of destination locations.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the network element is a switch.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the call record comprises at least one destination location that is not associated with an information provider service.