Method and apparatus for the billing of value-added communications calls
First Claim
1. A method of billing a caller for charges incurred during a call made over a communication network to a called location, comprising the steps ofestablishing an ISDN call connection between the network and the called location as part of said call,transmitting, over said connection to the called location, information sent from the network identifying the caller'"'"'s identification number, andreceiving, over said connection at the network, billing information sent from the called location specifying charges incurred by the caller during said call.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A call billing method and apparatus establishes an ISDN connection between the network and a called location which enables the called location to specify call billing information to the network, via the ISDN connection, on a call-by-call basis. The method provides the called party real time access to network rate tables to specify call billing parameters needed to generate a separate billing record for each call made to the called location. Other features enable the caller or called location to provide various types of information for call billing purposes.
-
Citations
36 Claims
-
1. A method of billing a caller for charges incurred during a call made over a communication network to a called location, comprising the steps of
establishing an ISDN call connection between the network and the called location as part of said call, transmitting, over said connection to the called location, information sent from the network identifying the caller'"'"'s identification number, and receiving, over said connection at the network, billing information sent from the called location specifying charges incurred by the caller during said call.
-
25. A method of enabling a called location to send billing information to a communication network for charges incurred by a caller during a call made over the communication network to the called location, comprising the steps of
establishing an ISDN call connection between the network and the called location as part of said call connection, receiving, over said connection at the called location, information sent from the network identifying the caller'"'"'s identification number, and transmitting, over said connection to the network, billing information from the called location specifying charges incurred by the caller during said call.
-
29. Apparatus for billing a caller for charges incurred during a call made over a communication network to a called location, comprising
means for establishing an ISDN call connection between the network and the called location as part of said call connection, means for transmitting, over said connection to the called location, information from said network identifying the caller'"'"'s identification number, and means for receiving, over said connection at said network, billing information sent from the called location specifying charges incurred by the caller during said call.
-
31. Apparatus, located at a called party location, for sending billing information to a communication network for charges incurred by a caller during a call made over the network to the called location, said apparatus comprising
means for establishing an ISDN call connection between the network and the called location as part of said call, means for receiving, over said connection at the called location, information sent from the network identifying the caller'"'"'s identification number, and means for transmitting, over said connection to the network, billing information from the called location specifying charges incurred by the caller during said call.
-
33. A method of billing a caller for charges incurred during a call made over a communication network to a sponsor-provided number, the method comprising the steps of
enabling a called location to enter at least one call billing parameter directly to a call billing system, establishing an ISDN call connection between the network and a called location as part of said call, transmitting, over said connection to the called location, information sent from the network identifying the caller'"'"'s identification number, receiving, over said connection at the network, billing information sent from the called location charges incurred by the caller during said call, and creating a separate billing record specifying the calling charge for each call to the sponsor number including a party-specified charge determined using said billing information.
-
34. A method of billing a caller for charges incurred during a call made over a communication network to a sponsor-provided number, the method comprising the steps of
enabling a called location to enter at least one call billing parameter directly to a call billing system, establishing an ISDN call connection between the network and a called location as part of said call connection, receiving, over said connection to the called location, information sent from the network identifying the caller'"'"'s identification number, and transmitting, over said connection at the network, billing information sent from the called location to a billing system charges incurred by the caller during said call.
-
35. Apparatus for billing a caller for charges incurred during a call made over a communication network to a sponsor-provided number, comprising
means for enabling a called location to enter at least one call billing parameter directly to a call billing system, means for establishing an ISDN call connection between the network and a called location as part of said call, means for transmitting, over said connection to the called location, information sent from the network identifying the caller'"'"'s identification number, means for receiving, over said connection at the network, billing information sent from the called location charges incurred by the caller during said call, and means for creating a separate billing record specifying the calling charge for each call to the sponsor number including a party-specified charge determined using said billing information.
-
36. Apparatus for billing a caller for charges incurred during a call made over a communication network to a sponsor-provided number, comprising
means for enabling a called location to enter at least one call billing parameter directly to a call billing system, means for establishing an ISDN call connection between the network and a called location as part of said call connection, means for receiving, over said connection to the called location, information sent from the network identifying the caller'"'"'s identification number, and means for transmitting, over said connection at the network, billing information sent from the called location to a billing system charges incurred by the caller during said call.
Specification