DYNAMIC LOCATION-BASED RATING FOR PREPAID CALLS

• US 20090029673A1
• Filed: 07/23/2007
• Published: 01/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cingular Wireless II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cingular Wireless II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hamadi, Charles, Kazmi, Mustafa Anwar
• Granted Patent: US 8,090,344 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/405
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/80 Rating or billing plans; Tariff determination aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8033 location-dependent, e.g. business or home
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8038 Roaming or handoff
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/81 Dynamic pricing, e.g. change of tariff during call
• 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 2215/0112 Dynamic pricing, e.g. change of tariff during call
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/74 Rating aspects, e.g. rating parameters or tariff determination apects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7435 Location dependent, e.g. Bussiness or home
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7442 Roaming

Abstract

A method and system for streamlining the calculation of a rate for a prepaid wireless call is provided. A mobile subscriber can be billed at one rate when she is within her home network and at a different rate when she is roaming in another network or can be billed at a special rate if she is within a location subject to the special rate. A time period for charging a call is allocated by the Service Control Point (SCP) and reported to the Mobile Switching Center (MSC) in the case of an outgoing call or a Gateway Mobile Switching Center (GMSC) in the case of an incoming call. A message from the MSC or GMSC to the SCP reporting an expiration of the first time period can contain information regarding a location of the prepaid subscriber. Thus, the next time period allocated by the SCP for the call can be billed at a rate that reflects the mobile subscriber'"'"'s location at that time as reported by the MSC or GMSC.

Claims

1. A method for processing an outgoing call by a prepaid subscriber in a mobile telecommunications network, comprising:

receiving a signal indicative of a request for an outgoing call by a prepaid subscriber in the network;

receiving first information relating to the prepaid subscriber in the network, the first information including information relating to a first location of the prepaid subscriber;

receiving a signal indicative of an eligibility of the prepaid subscriber to make the prepaid outgoing call;

receiving a signal indicative of a first time period of the call, the signal including information relating to a first charge to be applied to the first time period, the first charge being based on the first location of the prepaid subscriber;

receiving a signal indicative of a second location of the prepaid subscriber;

transmitting a signal indicative of an expiration of the first time period, said signal further being indicative of the second location of the prepaid subscriber;

receiving a signal indicative of an eligibility of the prepaid subscriber to continue the call;

receiving a signal indicative of a second time period of the call if the prepaid subscriber is eligible to continue to the call; and

receiving a signal indicative of a second charge to be applied to the second time period, the second charge being based on said second location of the prepaid subscriber.

2. The method for processing a prepaid outgoing call according to claim 1, further comprising calculating a total charge for the prepaid call based on the first charge and the second charge.

3. The method for processing a prepaid outgoing call according to claim 1, wherein the eligibility of the prepaid subscriber to make the call is based on the prepaid subscriber'"'"'s first location.

4. The method for processing a prepaid outgoing call according to claim 1, wherein the eligibility of the prepaid subscriber to continue the call is based on the prepaid subscriber'"'"'s second location.

21. The method for processing an outgoing call according to claim 1, further comprising receiving at least one signal indicative of a CAMEL operation.

22. The method for processing an outgoing call according to claim 1, further comprising transmitting at least one signal indicative of a CAMEL operation.

5. A method for processing an incoming call to a prepaid subscriber in a mobile telecommunications network, comprising:

receiving a signal indicative of a request for an incoming call to a prepaid subscriber in the network;

receiving first information relating to the prepaid subscriber in the network, the first information including information relating to a first location of the prepaid subscriber;

receiving a signal indicative of an eligibility of the prepaid subscriber to receive the incoming call;

receiving a signal indicative of a first time period of the call, the signal including information relating to a first charge to be applied to the first time period, the first charge being based on the first location of the prepaid subscriber;

receiving a signal indicative of a second location of the prepaid subscriber;

transmitting a signal indicative of an expiration of the first time period, said signal further being indicative of the second location of the prepaid subscriber;

receiving a signal indicative of an eligibility of the prepaid subscriber to continue the call;

receiving a signal indicative of a second time period of the call if the prepaid subscriber is eligible to continue to the call;

receiving a signal indicative of a second charge to be applied to the second time period, the second charge being based on second location of the prepaid subscriber.

6. The method for processing an incoming call according to claim 5, further comprising calculating a total charge for the prepaid call based on the first charge and the second charge.

7. The method for processing an incoming call according to claim 5, wherein the eligibility of the prepaid subscriber to receive the call is based on the prepaid subscriber'"'"'s first location.

8. The method for processing an incoming call according to claim 5, wherein the eligibility of the prepaid subscriber to continue the call is based on the prepaid subscriber'"'"'s second location.

23. The method for processing an incoming call according to claim 5, further comprising receiving at least one signal indicative of a CAMEL operation.

24. The method for processing an incoming call according to claim 5, further comprising transmitting at least one signal indicative of a CAMEL operation.

9. A system for processing an outgoing call by a prepaid subscriber in a telecommunications network, comprising:

a first processor, the first processor being capable of determining an eligibility of a prepaid subscriber to make a prepaid outgoing call, the first processor further being capable of determining a charge to be applied to a time period of the call; and

a second processor, the second processor being capable of receiving and transmitting signals relating to the prepaid subscriber'"'"'s request for the prepaid outgoing call, said signals including a signal indicative of a first location of the prepaid subscriber;

the first processor being capable of transmitting a first signal to the second processor indicative of a first time period of the call, a charge to be applied to the first time period being based on a first location of the prepaid subscriber;

the second processor being further capable of monitoring the first time period of the call and transmitting a second signal to the first processor indicative of the expiration of the first time period and further indicative of a second location of the prepaid subscriber; and

the first processor being further capable of transmitting a third signal to the second processor indicative of a second time period of the call, wherein a charge to be applied to the second time period is based on the second location of the prepaid subscriber.

10. The system for processing an outgoing call according to claim 9, wherein an eligibility of the prepaid subscriber associated with the call is based on the first location of the prepaid subscriber.

11. The system for processing an outgoing call according to claim 9, wherein an eligibility of the prepaid subscriber associated with the call is based on the second location of the prepaid subscriber.

12. A system for processing an incoming call to a called prepaid subscriber in a telecommunications network, comprising:

a first processor, the first processor being capable of determining an eligibility of a prepaid subscriber to receive an incoming call, the first processor further being capable of determining a charge to be applied to a time period of the call; and

a second processor, the second processor being capable of receiving and transmitting signals relating to the incoming call to the prepaid subscriber, said signals including a signal indicative of a first location of the prepaid subscriber;

the first processor being capable of transmitting a first signal to the second processor indicative of a first time period of the call, a charge to be applied to the first time period being based on a first location of the prepaid subscriber;

the second processor being further capable of monitoring the first time period of the call and transmitting a second signal to the first processor indicative of the expiration of the first time period and further indicative of a second location of the prepaid subscriber; and

the first processor being further capable of transmitting a third signal to the second processor indicative of a second time period of the call, wherein a charge to be applied to the second time period is based on the second location of the prepaid subscriber.

13. The system for processing an incoming call according to claim 12, wherein an eligibility of the prepaid subscriber associated with the call is based on the first location of the prepaid subscriber.

14. The system for processing an incoming call according to claim 12, wherein an eligibility of the prepaid subscriber associated with the call is based on the second location of the prepaid subscriber.

15. A method for use at a mobile switching center for negotiating one or more parameters stored at a visiting location register, the method comprising:

requesting information of a capability of said visiting location register to dynamically provide a most recent location of a subscriber engaged in a terminating call to said mobile switching center; and

receiving a responsive message indicative of said capability, said responsive message being one of a message indicative of presence of a capability to dynamically provide a most recent location of said mobile subscriber and a message indicative of an absence of a capability to dynamically provide said most recent location.

16. The method for negotiating one or more parameters stored at a visiting location register according to claim 15, further comprising:

transmitting a first mobile application message to said mobile subscriber'"'"'s home location register, said first mobile application message being indicative of said request for information of said capability of said visiting location register to provide the most recent location of said mobile subscriber.

17. The method for negotiating one or more parameters stored at a visiting location register according to claim 16, wherein said first mobile application message is a Send Request Information to said home location register.

18. The method for negotiating one or more parameters stored at a visiting location register according to claim 16, further comprising:

receiving a second mobile application message from said mobile subscriber'"'"'s home location register, said second mobile application message being indicative of said capability of said visiting location register to provide the most recent location of said mobile subscriber.

19. The method for negotiating one or more parameters stored at a visiting location register according to claim 18, wherein said second mobile application message is a Provide Subscriber Information message from said mobile subscriber'"'"'s home location register.

20. The method for negotiating one or more parameters stored at a visiting location register according to claim 15, further comprising requesting information of a capability of said visiting location register to periodically provide a most recent location of a subscriber engaged in a terminating call during the entire duration of the call.

25. The method for use at a mobile switching center for negotiating one or more parameters stored at a visiting location register according to claim 15, further comprising receiving at least one signal indicative of a CAMEL operation.