Cellular telephone real time account administration system

• US 5,291,543 A
• Filed: 06/24/1992
• Issued: 03/01/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Billwise, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Subscriber Computing, Inc. (Visa, Inc.)
• Inventors: Miller, David A., Freese, David E., Nielsen, Mark J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): Bost, Dwayne D.
• Application Number:
  US07/903,151
• Time in Patent Office: 615 Days
• Field of Search: 379/58-60, 379/63, 379/91, 379/111-114, 379/121, 379/123, 379/124, 379/126, 379/144
• US Class Current: 455/408
• 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 15/88 Provision for limiting connection, or expenditure
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0116 Provision for limiting expenditure, e.g. limit on call expenses or account
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2026 Wireless network, e.g. GSM, PCS, TACS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

A cellular telephone call administration system processes detailed call records from a cellular switch as the calls are processed. This arrangement expedites automatic, electronic distribution of detailed call records to resellers and service provider billing facilities and to the roam billing clearing house. The call administration system, without operator intervention, provides a metered billing class of service to customers as an aid to controlling their cellular communication expenses; and provides for registration of roam sets for service on a cellular switch without need for a billing agreement with the set'"'"'s home carrier.

Claims

1. A cellular telephone call administration system for a cellular telephone switching system which comprises:

a switch for providing communication service to a plurality of cellular sets;

means for generating and transmitting detailed call records of calls processed by the switch to a data output port; and

an administrative port for receiving control signals for selectively activating and deactivating service to identified cellular sets;

the call administration system comprises;

memory means comprising a plurality of service class data files assigned respectively to corresponding system service classes;

means coupled to said data output port for assigning detailed call records appearing at said data output port into a plurality of system service classes; and

for storing records corresponding to each of said detailed call records in the data file of the service class assigned to the he call record;

means for automatically distributing the contents of said service class data files;

means for automatically generating said control signals for selectively activating and deactivating cellular sets for service by said cellular switch;

means for rating detailed call records of selected service classes as the records are received from said data output port;

means for including call rating charge data in the records stored in the data files of said selected service classes

characterized in that;

certain of aid service classes, as a condition for originating and continuing service to a cellular set of the class, require that responsibility be established for payment for services to be rendered; and

the call administration system further comprises;

means for establishing credit authority for cellular sets included in said certain classes and for storing corresponding credit authorization information in the records stored in the data files of said cellular sets;

means for automatically intercepting originating calls from a cellular set when the credit authority for a set falls below a defined lower limit; and

means for generating control signals for deactivating a cellular set for further service if further credit authority is not established.

4. A cellular telephone call administration system in accordance with claim 1 or claim 2:

characterized in that;

said means for establishing credit authority for cellular sets comprises;

communication means for establishing bi-directional communication with a subscriber cellular set or a land station set;

said communication means comprising means for transmitting recorded voice announcement messages and instructions for establishing credit by means of the key pad signals of a connected subscriber set;

credit authorization means responsive to said key pad signals for verifying and approving credit as requested by said key pad signals;

means for amending the credit balance of a cellular set if a credit request is approved; and

means for terminating said bi-directional communication.

5. A cellular telephone call administration system in accordance with claim 4

characterized in that:

one of said certain service classes provides service to non-contract roam cellular sets enrolled in a home cellular switching system that does not have a roam billing agreement with a cellular telephone switching system served by said cellular telephone call administration system

said means for establishing credit authority approves credit to a non-contract roam cellular set.

6. A cellular telephone call administration system n accordance with claim 5:

characterized in that;

said means for establishing credit authority approves credit to a non-contract roam cellular set for a fixed period of time;

and said call administration deactivates a non-contract roam set upon expiration of said set period of time.

2. A cellular telephone call administration system for a cellular telephone switching system which comprises:

a switch for providing communication service to a plurality of cellular sets;

means for generating and transmitting detailed call records of calls processed by the switch to a data output port; and

an administrative port for receiving control signals for selectively activating and deactivating service to identified cellular sets;

the call administration system comprises;

memory means comprising a plurality of service class data files assigned respectively to corresponding system service classes;

means coupled to said data output port for assigning detailed call records appearing at said data output port into a plurality of system service classes; and

for storing records corresponding to each of said detailed call records in the data file of the service class assigned to the call record;

means for automatically distributing the contents of said service class data files;

means for automatically generating said control signals for selectively activating and deactivating cellular sets for service by said cellular switch;

means for rating detailed call records of selected service classes as the records are received from said data output port;

means for including call rating charge data in the records stored in the data files of said selected service classes

characterized in that;

certain of said service classes, as a condition for originating and continuing service to a cellular set of the class, require that responsibility be established for payment for services rendered to a specified credit limit; and

the call administration system further comprises;

means for establishing credit authority for cellular sets included in said certain classes and for storing corresponding credit information in the records stored in said data files of said cellular sets;

means for deducting said call rating charge data for a cellular set from that set'"'"'s credit balance to provide the remaining credit balance;

means for automatically intercepting originating calls from a cellular set when the credit balance for a set falls below a defined lower limit; and

means for generating control signals for deactivating a cellular set for further service if further credit is not authorized.

3. A cellular telephone call administration system in accordance with claim 2:

characterized in that;

one of said certain service classes provides service to metered billing cellular sets.