Recording and billing system

• US 5,223,699 A
• Filed: 11/05/1990
• Issued: 06/29/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: American Telephone & Telegraph Company (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T, Inc.
• Inventors: Flynn, Lorraine, Oldakowski, Chester J. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): LaRoche, Eugene R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): GLEMBOCKI, CHRISTOPHE
• Application Number:
  US07/608,770
• Time in Patent Office: 967 Days
• Field of Search: 235/380, 364/401, 364/406, 364/408, 379/114, 379/144, 379/91, 358/84
• US Class Current: 235/380
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/14 specially adapted for billing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/24 Credit schemes, i.e. "pay after"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/342 Cards defining paid or billed services or quantities
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/025 by means, e.g. cards, providing billing information at the time of purchase, e.g. identification of seller or purchaser, quantity of goods delivered or to be delivered
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/00 Telephonic communication systems specially adapted for combination with other electrical systems

Abstract

Each potential user of a telecommunications network is assigned a single credit card containing at least first and second authorization codes, the first code being indicative of status as an authorized user of the telecommunications network and the second code being indicative of status as an authorized purchaser of goods and/or services, as in a conventional credit card. The authorization codes are preferably contained on the card in both human readable form, such as embossed lettering, and in machine readable form, such as magnetic encoding. The validity of the first authorization code is verified to permit access to the telecommunications network. After the telecommunications network has been used to complete a call, billing information including the first billing code that has been recorded locally is transmitted via the telecommunications network to a remote data base in which the second billing code associated with the first billing code is automatically determined in data processing equipment. The processor assembles conventional goods/services related transactions (including cash access transactions at Automated Teller Machines) and complete telecommunications usage information into a combined electronic record, so that a single bill can be rendered to the user.

Claims

1. A method of billing for usage of a telephone network, comprising the steps of:

(a) assigning to an authorized user of said telephone network, a first authorization/billing code, and a second, associated authorization/billing code, said first code being indicative of authorization to use said telephone network, said first code having a format which is accepted as a valid authorization code for use of said telephone network and said second code having a format different from the format of said first authorization code which is accepted as a valid authorization code for obtaining other goods and services;

(b) storing information including said first code in a first database and storing information including said second code in a second database;

(c) responsive to the application to said telephone network by said authorized user of information defining said first authorization code indicative of a desire to use said telephone network, verifying the validity of said first authorization code, said verification step including;

(i) communicating said first code, via said telephone network, to said first database, and

(ii) analyzing said first code to determine its validity based upon said stored information in said first database;

(d) responsive to said verifying step, permitting the desired use of said telephone network by said user based upon a determination of the validity of said first authorization code;

(e) transmitting, after said telephone network is used, call billing information regarding said usage to said second database, said call billing information including said first code but not said second code assigned to said user;

(f) identifying, in said second database, said second code associated with said first code included in said call billing information, and

(g) billing the user that was authorized to use said second authorization code, for both said telephone network usage and for any other goods and services obtained by use of said second authorization code.

2. A method of billing for usage of a telephone network and for making of credit transactions, comprising the steps of:

(a) assigning to each user authorized to use said telephone network and to make credit transactions, a credit card containing first and second authorization codes, said first and second codes uniquely corresponding to each other by virtue of a predetermined association therebetween, said first code having a format which is accepted as a valid authorization code for use of said telephone network and said second code having a format different from the format of said first authorization code which is accepted as a valid authorization code for making credit transactions;

(b) responsive to the application to said telecommunications network by a particular authorized user of said telephone network of information defining a particular first authorization code indicative of a desire to use said telecommunications network, verifying the validity of said particular first authorization code, said verification step including;

(i) communicating said particular first authorization code, via said telephone network to a first database, and

(ii) comparing said particular first authorization code to stored information in said first database to determine its validity;

(c) responsive to the application to said telephone network by said particular authorized user of information defining a particular second authorization code indicative of a desire to make a credit transaction, verifying the validity of said particular second authorization code, said verification step including;

(i) communicating said particular second authorization code, via said telephone network to a second database, and

(ii) comparing said particular second authorization code to stored information in said second database to determine its validity;

(d) permitting said particular authorized user to use said telephone network if said first authorization code is valid, and permitting said particular authorized user to make a credit transaction if said second authorization code is valid,

(e) transmitting, after said telephone network is used, call billing information regarding said usage to a processor, said call billing information including said first authorization code;

(f) transmitting, after said credit transaction is completed, credit information regarding said transaction to said processor, said credit information including said second authorization code;

(g) in preparation for generation of a bill for said user, cross referencing, in said processor, information associated with said second authorization code, with information associated with the corresponding first authorization code, and

(h) billing the user that was authorized to use said first and second authorization codes, for both said telephone network usage and for said credit transaction.

3. A method of joint billing for usage of first and second services, comprising the steps of:

(a) storing in a first processor, information including first codes assigned to authorized users of said first services, and storing in a second processor information including second codes assigned to authorized users of said second services, said first codes having a first format that is accepted as valid authorization to use said first services and said second codes having a second format different from said first format that is accepted as valid authorization to use said second services, each of said first codes corresponding to at least one of said second codes;

(b) allowing use of said first services by a particular user by verifying, at the time said first services are used, the validity of a particular one of said first codes, said verification step including;

(i) communicating said particular first code to said first processor, and

(ii) comparing said particular first code with said stored information to determine the validity of said particular first code;

(c) allowing use of said second services by said particular user by verifying, at the time said second services are used, the validity of a particular one of said second codes, said verification step including;

(i) communicating said particular second code to said second processor, and

(ii) comparing said particular second code with said stored information to determine the validity of said particular second code;

(d) transmitting, after said first service is used, billing information regarding usage of said first service by said particular user to a third processor, said billing information including said particular first code;

(e) transmitting, after said second service is used, billing information regarding usage of said second service by said particular user to said third processor, said billing information including said second code;

(f) retrieving in said third processor, billing information associated with said particular first code and with the corresponding at least one of said second codes; and

(g) combining billing information obtained in said retrieving step so as to create a single record for billing said particular authorized user for usage of both said first service and said second service.

4. The method defined in claim 3 further including issuing a credit card to each user, said credit card bearing indicia of said first and second authorization, codes, wherein said communicating steps (b)(i) and (c)(i) are performed by reading said first and second codes from said credit card.

5. The method defined in claim 4, wherein said method further includes affixing to said credit card a magnetic strip capable of storing encoded information representing said first and second authorization codes.

6. The method defined in claim 5, wherein said method further includes:

providing first and second information tracks in said magnetic strip;

storing said first authorization code in said first information track, and storing said second authorization code in said second information track, and

wherein said first verifying step includes reading information from said first information track and said second verifying step includes reading information from said second information track.

7. The method defined in claim 6 wherein said first service is a telecommunications service and said second service includes the furnishing of goods and services.

8. A method of billing for usage of a telephone network, comprising the steps of

(a) assigning to each authorized user of said telephone network, a first authorization code, and a second, associated authorization code, said first code being in a proper format indicative of authorization to use said telephone network and said second code being in a proper format different from the format of said first authorization code and indicative of authorization to obtain services other than the use of said telephone network;

(b) validating an authorization code entered by a particular user of said telephone network to determine that said entered authorization code is the same as said first authorization code assigned to said particular user;

(c) responsive to said validating step, permitting said particular user to use said telephone network to obtain telecommunications services for which a charge is imposed on said particular user;

(d) formulating a record of usage of said telephone network by said particular user, said record including information identifying (1) said charge imposed on said particular user for the use of said telephone network, and (2) said first authorization code assigned to said particular user;

(e) transmitting said record of usage to a billing processor; and

(f) combining information in said record of usage with information representing charges incurred by said particular user for services obtained by use of the second authorization code assigned to said particular user, to formulate a combined bill for said particular user setting forth charges for said services and for use of said telephone network.