Automatic billing system controller

• US 5,179,584 A
• Filed: 11/01/1991
• Issued: 01/12/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Tsumura, Mihoji
• Primary Examiner(s): SCHREYER, STAFFORD
• Application Number:
  US07/786,260
• Time in Patent Office: 438 Days
• Field of Search: 379/121, 379/114, 379/119, 379/124, 379/126, 379/130
• US Class Current: 379/114.01
• 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 15/68 Payment of value-added services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0196 Payment of value-added services, mainly when their charges are added on the telephone bill, e.g. payment of non-telecom services, e-commerce, on-line banking

Abstract

The invention presupposes the operation by a telephone company of an automatic billing system which incorporates a means of calculating a utilization charge in accordance with the number of seconds during which a user who has called a special number is connected to that number, and then of adding the utilization charge to the user'"'"'s call charge. At the user'"'"'s end the invoice charge data is input and the number of seconds of connection to a special line number are set in accordance with the invoice charge and a network control means then connects with the special line number for the number of seconds which has been set. The telephone exchange'"'"'s utilization charge computation means then adds the utilization charge to the call charge for collection from the user. In this way the telephone company is able to collect an invoice charge on behalf of the supplier of the corresponding service.

Claims

1. An automatic billing system controller responsive to invoice charge data and being in electrical communication with utilization charge computation means installed in a telephone exchange, said utilization charge computation means computing a call charge for a user including a utilization charge being computed as a function of total time the user is connected to the telephone exchange, the automatic billing system controller comprising:

first network control means located with the user and in electrical communication with the telephone exchange for connecting the billing system controller to the telephone exchange;

call time computation means having inputs responsive to the invoice charge data for

storing a plurality of special line numbers, said special line numbers representing different units of time utilization charges, and

computing periods of time associated with selected special line numbers as a function of the invoice charge data; and

connection control means located with the user for connecting the first network control means to selected special line numbers for the periods of time associated with respective special line numbers whereby the telephone exchange is connected to the automatic billing system controller for a total time equal to the sum of the periods of time.

2. The automatic billing system controller of claim 1 wherein a different unit time utilization charge applies to each of the plurality of special line numbers and said call time computation means computes the periods of time for each special line so as to minimize the total time of connection to the telephone exchange.

3. The automatic billing system controller of claim 2 wherein said call time computation means further comprises:

utilization charge setting means for storing the plurality of special line numbers and unit time utilization charges for the plurality of special line numbers;

a communication time computation unit responsive to both said unit time utilization charges and the invoice charge data for determining a number of seconds of connection of each of the special line numbers whereby a total of the products of the unit time utilization charges multiplied by the respective numbers of seconds of connection for each special line number is equal to the invoice charge data and whereby the total number of seconds of connection is minimized; and

a means for storing said special line numbers and the numbers of seconds of connection associated with each of said special line numbers.

4. The automatic billing system controller of claim 3 wherein the invoice charge data is input by the user.

5. The automatic billing system controller of claim 4 wherein the invoice charge data represents a service charge for a digital karaoke system located with the user.

6. The automatic billing system controller of claim 3 wherein the invoice charge data is input by an invoicing party.

7. The automatic billing system controller of claim 6 further comprising:

means for setting the invoice charge data;

means connected to said invoice charge setting means for encoding the invoice charge data;

second network control means connected to the encoding means, said encoder means and second network control means being located with the invoicing party;

third network control means in electrical communication with the second network control means; and

decoder means responsive to the third network control means and connected to the communication time computation unit, said third network control means and decoding means being located with the user.

8. The automatic billing system controller of claim 7 wherein said invoice charge setting means and said communication time computation unit are located with the user.

9. The automatic billing system controller of claim 7 wherein said invoice charge setting means and said communication time computation unit are located with the invoicing party.

10. The automatic billing system controller of claim 6 further comprising:

invoice charge setting means for counting an invoice charge;

an encoder connected to said invoice charge setting means for producing a processing operation start signal and an invoice charge;

fourth network control means connected to the encoder, said encoder and fourth network encoding means being located with the invoicing party;

fifth network control means in electrical communication with the fourth network control means; and

a decoder responsive to the fifth network control means and connected to the communication time computation unit, said fifth network control means and decoder being located with the user.

11. The automatic billing system controller of claim 10 wherein said invoice charge setting means and said communication time computation unit are located with the user.

12. The automatic billing system controller of claim 10 wherein said invoice charge setting means and said communication time computation unit are located with the invoicing party.

13. The automatic billing system controller of claim 10 wherein the processing operation start signal arises at fixed intervals.