Method of and apparatus for recording information on the accumulated usage of a trunk
First Claim
1. A method of recording information on the accumulated usage of a trunk comprising the steps of:
- adjusting a first usage record by an amount representing the interval of time from the start of a first time period to commencement of use of said trunk each time the use of said trunk is commenced during said first period,adjusting said first usage record by an amount represent;
ng the interval of time from the start of said first period to termination of use of said trunk each time the use of said trunk is terminated during said first time period,checking said trunk for use at the end of said first period, andadjusting said first usage record by a first predetermined amount representing the interval of time in said first period when said checking indicates said trunk is in use at the end of said first period, said first usage record then representing the sum total of each interval of time that said trunk was in use during said first period.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Method and apparatus are disclosed for recording information on the accumulated usage of a group of trunks interconnecting two networks. The apparatus includes two usage records that are alternately designated primary and secondary usage records during successive ones of consecutive time periods. In response to a call on a trunk, the primary usage record is decremented by an amount representing the time interval between the start of a given period and the commencement of trunk use. During the period, each trunk connected to a network office is examined for use once during the period. When a selected trunk is found in use, the secondary usage record is incremented by an amount representing the interval of time in the previously occurring time period. When the secondary usage record has not been updated for the selected trunk, the secondary usage record is decremented by an amount representing the previous interval of time to adjust the secondary usage record for calls occurring prior to the trunk being checked for use. When a call is terminated on a trunk, the primary usage record is incremented by an amount representing the interval time between the start of the period and the termination of the call. In addition, the secondary usage record is incremented by an amount representing the interval of time in the previous time period when the trunk has not been checked for use. At the end of each period, the primary and secondary designations of the two records are exchanged for use during the next time period.
25 Citations
61 Claims
-
1. A method of recording information on the accumulated usage of a trunk comprising the steps of:
-
adjusting a first usage record by an amount representing the interval of time from the start of a first time period to commencement of use of said trunk each time the use of said trunk is commenced during said first period, adjusting said first usage record by an amount represent;
ng the interval of time from the start of said first period to termination of use of said trunk each time the use of said trunk is terminated during said first time period,checking said trunk for use at the end of said first period, and adjusting said first usage record by a first predetermined amount representing the interval of time in said first period when said checking indicates said trunk is in use at the end of said first period, said first usage record then representing the sum total of each interval of time that said trunk was in use during said first period. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
-
-
7. Method of recording accumulated usage of a group of trunks comprising the steps of:
-
decrementing a first usage record by an amount representing the interval of time from the start of a first time period to commencement of us of a trunk in said group each time the use of a trunk in said group is commenced during said first period, incrementing said first usage record by an amount representing the interval of time from the start of said first period to termination of use of a trunk in said group each time the use of a trunk in said trunk group is terminated during said first period, checking each trunk in said group for use once during a second time period, incrementing said first usage record by a first predetermined amount representing the interval of time in said first period for each trunk in said group in use when the trunk is checked for use during said second period, incrementing said first usage record by said first predetermined amount each time the use of a trunk in said group is terminated prior to checking the trunk for use during said second period, and decrementing said first usage record by said first predetermined amount each time the use of a trunk in said group is commenced prior to checking the trunk for use during said second period, whereby said first usage record represents the sum total of each interval of time that each trunk in said group was in use during said first time period. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
-
-
18. The method of 7 wherein said group has a plurality of service usage records associated therewith each representing the sum total of each interval of time that each trunk in said group has been in use with a unique type of call thereon during said first period and said method further comprises recording accumulated usage of each trunk in said group having a call thereon associated with a particular one of said service usage records during said first period.
-
19. Method of recording accumulated usage of a group of trunks having calls from a particular telephone office thereon comprising the steps of:
-
decrementing a first usage record by an amount representing the interval of time from the start of a first time period to commencement of a call from said office on a trunk in said group each time a call from said office on a trunk in said group is commenced during said first time period, incrementing said first usage record by an amount representing the interval of time from the start of said first period to termination of a call from said office on a trunk in said group each time a call from said office on a trunk in said group is terminated during said first period, checking each trunk in said group for a call from said office thereon at the end of said first period, and incrementing said first usage record by a first predetermined amount representing the interval of time in said first period for each trunk in said group having a call from said office thereon at the end of said first period, whereby said first usage record represents the sum total of each interval of time that each trunk in said group has had a call from said office thereon during said first period. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
-
-
25. Apparatus for recording information on the accumulated usage of of trunks comprising:
-
first storage means for storing a first usage record representing the sum total of each interval of time that trunk is in use during a first time period, commencement means for adjusting said first usage record by an amount representing the interval of time from the start of said first period to commencement of use of said trunk each time the use of said trunk is commenced during said first period, termination means for adjusting said first usage record by an amount representing the interval of time from the start of said first period to termination of use of said trunk each time the use of said trunk is terminated during said first period, check means for checking said trunk for use at the end of said first period, and first adjustment means responsive to said check means for adjusting said first usage record by a first predetermined amount representing the interval of time in said first period for said trunk when in use at the end of said first period. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
-
-
31. Apparatus for recording accumulated usage of a group of trunks comprising:
-
first storage means for storing a first usage record representing the sum total of each interval of time that each trunk in said group is in use during a first time period, commencement means for decrementing said first usage record by an amount representing the interval of time from the start of said first period to commencement of use of a trunk in said trunk group each time the use of a trunk in said group is commenced during said first period, termination means for incrementing said first usage record by an amount representing the interval of time from the start of said first period to termination of use of a trunk in said group each time the use of a trunk in said group is terminated during said first period, check means responsive to the end of said first period for checking each trunk in said group for use once during a second time period after said first period, incrementor means responsive to said check means for incrementing said first usage record by a first predetermined amount representing the interval of time in said first period each time during said second period a trunk in said group is in use when said check means checks the trunk in said group for use and responsive to said termination means for incrementing said first usage record by said first predetermined amount each time during said second period the use of a trunk in said group is terminated prior to said check means checking the trunk in said group for use, and decrementor means responsive to said commencement means for decrementing said first usage record by said first predetermined amount each time during said second period the use of a trunk in said group is commenced prior to said check means checking the trunk in said group for use. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33)
-
-
34. A method of recording accumulated usage of a group of trunks utilizing first and second records alternately designated primary and secondary usage records during successive ones of a plurality of consecutive time periods and comprising the steps during a given one of said periods of:
-
adjusting said primary usage record by an amount representing the interval of time from the start of said given period to commencement of use of a trunk in said group each time the use of a trunk in said group is commenced during said given period, adjusting said primary usage record by an amount representing the amount of time from the start of said given period to termination of use of a trunk in said group each time during said given period the use of a trunk in said trunk group is terminated during said given period, checking each trunk in said group for use once during said given period, adjusting said secondary usage record by a first predetermined amount representing the amount of time in the time period occurring previous to said given period each time said checking indicates a trunk in said trunk group is in use; adjusting said secondary usage record by said first predetermined amount each time the use of a trunk in said trunk group is terminated prior to checking the trunk for use during said given period, and adjusting said secondary usage record by said first predetermined amount each time the use of a trunk in said trunk group is commenced prior to checking the trunk for use during said given time period, whereby said secondary usage record represents the sum total of each interval of time that each trunk in said group was in use during the previous time period. - View Dependent Claims (35, 36)
-
-
37. Apparatus for recording accumulated usage of a group of trunks comprising:
-
first storage means for storing first and second records alternately designated primary and secondary usage records during successive ones of a plurality of consecutive time periods; commencement means for adjusting said primary usage record by an amount representing the interval of time from the start of a given time period to commencement of use of a trunk in said trunk group each time the use of a trunk in said group is commenced during said given period, terminations means for adjusting said primary usage record by an amount representing the interval of time from the start of said given period to termination of use of a trunk in said group each time the use of a trunk in said group is terminated during said given period, check means for checking each trunk in said group for use once during said given period, first adjustment means responsive to said check means for adjusting said secondary usage record by a first predetermined amount representing the interval of time in the time period occurring previous to said given period each time during said given period a trunk in said group is in use when said check means checks the trunk in said group for use and responsive to said termination means for said secondary usage record by said first predetermined amount each time during said given period the use of a trunk in said group is terminated prior to said check means checking the trunk in said group for use, and second adjustment means responsive to said commencement means for said primary usage record by predetermined amount each time during said given period the use of a trunk in said group is commenced prior to said check means checking the trunk in said group for use. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39)
-
-
40. Apparatus for accumulating information on the actual usage of interconnect carrier trunks by a local exchange carrier for use in verifying local carrier access charges to the interconnect carrier by said local carrier comprising:
-
memory means storing accumulation information for usage of each said trunk for calls served thereby, and program-controlled processor means having a plurality of program instruction routines for controlling an accumulation of information for storage in said memory means for the actual usage of each trunk on each call served thereby, a first one of said instruction routines being activated by said processor in response to a commencement of said each call on each said trunk for initiating an accumulating of usage information for each said trunk, and a second one of said instruction routines being activated by said processor in response to a termination of each said call on said each trunk for accumulating usage information on said termination of each said call on said each trunk. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54)
-
-
55. An interconnect carrier system for recording charges assessed by a local telephone company to the interconnect carrier for providing access for its customers over trunks to the interconnect carrier network, said system comprising
means responsive to a receipt of a call over one of said trunks for controlling a usage record in a memory for commencement of use of said one trunk, and means responsive to termination of said call for controlling said usage record to determine actual usage of said trunk on said call at said interconnect carrier and an access charge by said telephone company to said carrier for usage of said trunk.
-
56. An interconnect carrier system for recording charges assessed by a local telephone company to the interconnect carrier for providing access to its customers over trunks from the interconnect carrier network to the local telephone company, said system comprising:
-
means responsive to a receipt of a call over one of said trunks for controlling a usage record in a memory for commencement of use of said one trunk, and means responsive to termination of said call for controlling said usage record to determine actual usage of said trunk on said call at said interconnect carrier and an access charge by said telephone company to said carrier for usage of said trunk. - View Dependent Claims (57, 58)
-
-
59. A method for use by an interconnect carrier to accumulate information on the actual usage of interconnect carrier trunks by a local exchange carrier for use in verifying local carrier access charges to the interconnect carrier by said local carrier comprising the steps of:
-
establishing a usage record for said interconnect carrier trunks upon commencement of a call on one trunk of said interconnect carrier trunks, and adjusting said usage record for a termination of said call on said one trunk upon said termination of said call of said one trunk to accumulate an actual time duration of usage for said one trunk. - View Dependent Claims (60, 61)
-
Specification