Call message recording for telephone systems
First Claim
1. A method for use in a telecommunications system in which interexchange calls initiated by each subscriber are automatically routed over the facilities of a particular one of a plurality of interexchange carriers associated with that subscriber, said method comprising the steps of:
- generating a message record for an interexchange call between an originating subscriber and a terminating subscriber, andincluding, in said message record, a primary interexchange carrier (PIC) indicator having a value which is a function of whether or not the interexchange carrier associated with said terminating subscriber is a predetermined one of said interexchange carriers.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The standard exchange message interface (EMI) message record generated for interexchange telephone toll calls is enhanced via the addition of a primary interexchange carrier (PIC) indicator, whose value provides an indication as to whether a terminating subscriber has a particular interexchange carrier as his/her PIC. The PIC indicator may be used by the interexchange carrier when bills are rendered for its subscribers--for example, to provide different billing treatment for calls that were made over that carrier'"'"'s network to terminating subscribers whose PIC is, in fact, that very carrier, as opposed to calls that were made to subscribers with a different PIC.
75 Citations
41 Claims
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1. A method for use in a telecommunications system in which interexchange calls initiated by each subscriber are automatically routed over the facilities of a particular one of a plurality of interexchange carriers associated with that subscriber, said method comprising the steps of:
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generating a message record for an interexchange call between an originating subscriber and a terminating subscriber, and including, in said message record, a primary interexchange carrier (PIC) indicator having a value which is a function of whether or not the interexchange carrier associated with said terminating subscriber is a predetermined one of said interexchange carriers. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method for use in a telecommunications system in which each subscriber has a primary interexchange carrier (PIC) over which interexchange calls initiated by that subscriber are carried, said method comprising the steps of:
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generating a message record for each interexchange call between an originating subscriber and a terminating subscriber for which a charge is to be imposed, and providing, in said message record, an indication which has a particular value when the particular interexchange carrier over which said call was carried is the PIC for said terminating subscriber. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method for use in a telecommunications system in which each subscriber has a primary interexchange carrier (PIC) over which interexchange calls initiated by that subscriber are carried, said method comprising the steps of:
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generating a message record for each interexchange call between an originating subscriber and a terminating subscriber for which a charge is to be imposed, and providing, in said message record, an indication which has a particular value when the particular interexchange carrier over which said call was carried is the PIC for said terminating subscriber and is also the PIC for said originating subscriber. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A method for use in a telecommunications system comprised of local exchange carriers and interexchange carriers, said system being arranged to establish telephone connections between subscribers of said local exchange carriers in response to requests for same, some of said connections including said interexchange carriers, each local exchange including a database in which is stored, for each subscriber of that local exchange carrier, the identity of a particular one of said interexchange carriers associated with that subscriber, and each local exchange carrier being arranged to respond to said requests by a) determining for each request whether the requested connection needs to include one of said interexchange carriers;
- b) if it does, for accessing said database to identify the interexchange carrier associated with the requesting subscriber; and
c) including the identified interexchange carrier in the connection, said method comprising the steps of;generating an exchange message interface (EMI) message record for at least each connection between an originating subscriber and a terminating subscriber which includes a particular one of said interexchange carriers and for which a charge is to be billed, and providing, in said EMI message record, a primary exchange carrier (PIC) indicator whose value is a function of whether or not the particular interexchange carrier included in said each connection is the interexchange carrier associated with said terminating subscriber. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
- b) if it does, for accessing said database to identify the interexchange carrier associated with the requesting subscriber; and
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30. Apparatus for use in a telecommunications system in which interexchange calls initiated by each subscriber are automatically routed over the facilities of a particular one of a plurality of interexchange carriers associated with that subscriber, said apparatus comprising:
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means for generating a message record for an interexchange call between an originating subscriber and a terminating subscriber, and means for providing in said message record a primary exchange carrier (PIC) indicator having a value which is a function of whether or not the interexchange carrier associated with said terminating subscriber is a predetermined one of said interexchange carriers. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. A method for use in a telecommunications system in which interexchange calls initiated by each subscriber are automatically routed over the facilities of a particular one of a plurality of interexchange carriers associated with that subscriber, said method comprising the steps of:
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generating a message record for an interexchange call between an originating subscriber and a terminating subscriber, accessing a database in which are stored the telephone numbers of substantially all of the subscribers associated with the specific one of said interexchange carriers over which said call was routed to make a determination as to whether or not the interexchange carrier associated with said terminating subscriber is said specific interexchange carrier over whose facilities said call was routed, establishing an indicator for said call at a particular value when said determination is that the interexchange carrier associated with said terminating subscriber is said specific interexchange carrier over whose facilities said call was routed, and providing an output which is a function of both information in said message record and of said indicator. - View Dependent Claims (41)
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Specification