Telephone call billing system

• US 5,381,467 A
• Filed: 10/30/1992
• Issued: 01/10/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: American Telephone & Telegraph Company (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rosinski, Richard R., Salimando, Steven C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shankar, Vijay
• Application Number:
  US07/968,701
• Time in Patent Office: 802 Days
• Field of Search: 379/111, 379/112, 379/113, 379/114, 379/116, 379/119, 379/120, 379/121, 379/122
• US Class Current: 379/121.01
• 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 15/07 Split billing, i.e. both A-party and B-party charged for the communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/08 Metering calls to called party , i.e. B-party charged for the communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/41 Billing record details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure of call data record [CDR]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0164 Billing record, e.g. Call Data Record [CDR], Toll Ticket[TT], Automatic Message Accounting [AMA], Call Line Identifier [CLI], details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/62 Called party billing, e.g. reverse billing, freephone, collect call, 0800 or 0900
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/64 Split billing, sharing the cost of calls, e.g. between calling and called parties

Abstract

The cost of a telephone toll call is shared by arranging the billing system of the telephone toll carrier to permit sharing of the period cost for at least one indivisible time period of a toll call. Accordingly, at least a portion of the period cost associated with at least one of the indivisible time periods of a toll call is assigned to both the terminating and originating subscribers, so that each subscriber to the toll call is billed for a portion of the total basic cost incurred for each of those indivisible periods of time over which it is agreed that the period costs will be shared. An authorization signal, indicating that the subscriber who would not have shared in the period costs for any indivisible period if the call had the call been placed as in the prior art--typically the terminating subscriber--agrees to accept his share of the period costs, may be required before any period cost sharing periods can occur.

Claims

1. A method for use in billing a telephone toll call between at least an originating subscriber and a terminating subscriber, said telephone toll call having a length that is a sum of the predetermined lengths of indivisible time periods that pass during said telephone toll call, the method comprising the steps of:

detecting an authorization signal indicating that said terminating subscriber and said originating subscriber agree to share the period cost incurred for at least one of said indivisible time periods of said telephone toll call; and

marking at least one billing record associated with said telephone toll call, in response to said detected authorization signal, to indicate that the period cost incurred for said at least one indivisible time period is to be divided into at least two portions.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein the period cost is divided into two portions and said two portions are billed, one each, to said terminating subscriber and said originating subscriber.

3. The invention as defined in claim 2 further including the step of generating bills for said terminating and originating subscribers, said bills including at least their respective portions of the period cost of said at least one indivisible period, if said billing record is marked.

4. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said portions include a first portion of the period cost of said at least one indivisible time period agreed to be paid by said terminating subscriber and a second portion that is the period cost of said at least one indivisible time period for said indivisible time period minus the cost of said first portion.

5. The invention as defined in claim 4 further including the step of generating bills for said terminating and originating subscribers, said bills including at least their respective portions of the period cost of said at least one indivisible period, if said billing record is marked.

6. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said telephone toll call has an associated basic cost that is the sum of said period costs for all of said indivisible time periods that pass during said telephone toll call, said method further including the step of:

creating two billing records associated with said telephone toll call;

and wherein said step of marking is implemented by the step of;

modifying a first one of said two billing records to indicate that said terminating subscriber is to be billed for a portion of said basic cost of said telephone toll call that is a predetermined percentage of the basic cost of said telephone toll call, said percentage being less then one hundred percent but more than zero percent; and

modifying a second one of said billing records to indicate that said originating subscriber is to be billed for a portion of said basic cost of said telephone toll call that is the entire basic cost of said telephone toll call less the amount to be billed to said terminating subscriber.

7. The invention as defined in claim 6 further including the step of generating bills for said terminating and originating subscribers, for their respective portions of said basic cost of said telephone toll call, if said billing record is marked.

8. A method for use in billing the basic cost of a telephone toll call between an originating subscriber and a terminating subscriber, said basic cost being a function of the accumulation of a predetermined period cost for each predetermined length indivisible time period that elapses during the telephone toll call, the method comprising the steps of:

detecting an authorization signal indicating that the terminating subscriber agrees to share with said originating subscriber the predetermined period cost for at least one of said predetermined length indivisible time periods of said telephone toll call; and

marking a billing record associated with said telephone toll call, in response to said authorization signal, to indicate that the predetermined period cost for said at least one predetermined length indivisible time period is being shared by both said terminating subscriber and said originating subscriber.

9. The invention as defined in claim 8 wherein said predetermined period cost for each predetermined length indivisible time period is a function of the characteristics of said originating and said terminating subscribers.

10. The invention as defined in claim 8 including the step of charging respective accounts associated with each of said originating and terminating subscribers for respective portions of said predetermined period cost for said at least one predetermined length indivisible time period for which said basic cost is being shared.

11. The invention as defined in claim 10 further including the step of generating bills, to be supplied to said terminating and originating subscribers, for their resulting respective portions of the basic cost of said telephone toll call, if said billing record is marked.

12. The invention as defined in claim 10 wherein said portion charged to said account associated with said terminating subscriber is a function of at least one characteristic of said originating subscriber.

13. The invention as defined in claim 12 wherein said characteristic of said originating subscriber is the having of a particular telephone number.

14. The invention as defined in claim 12 wherein said characteristic of said originating subscriber includes at least knowing a particular personal identification number (PIN).

15. The invention as defined in claim 12 wherein said characteristic of said originating subscriber includes having particular measurements for specified measurable physical characteristics.

16. A method for use in billing telephone toll calls between a terminating subscriber and a plurality of originating subscribers, each of said telephone toll calls costing a basic cost determined by summing period costs for each indivisible time period passing during one of said telephone toll calls, the method comprising the steps of:

storing information which indicates that an account associated with the terminating subscriber agrees to pay for a predetermined portion of the basic cost resulting from telephone toll calls from at least one of said plurality of originating subscribers, said portion including at least a portion of the period cost for at least one indivisible time period during said telephone toll calls, said indicator being stored prior to the initiation of said telephone toll call; and

marking a billing record associated with a particular telephone toll call between said terminating subscriber and said at least one originating subscriber, in response to said stored information, to indicate that at least said agreed to portion of the basic cost for said telephone toll call is to be charged to said account associated with the terminating subscriber.

17. The invention as defined in claim 16 further including the steps of:

generating bills including information from said marked billing record; and

supplying said bills, for their respective portions of the basic cost of said telephone toll call, if said billing record is marked, to said terminating and originating subscribers.

18. A method for use in billing the basic cost of telephone toll calls between an originating station set and a terminating station set, each of said station sets being associated with a respective telephone account and having an owner, the basic costs of telephone toll calls made from said station sets being charged to said respective accounts, each of said respective telephone toll calls having a particular basic cost, said basic cost for each respective one of said telephone toll calls being determined by summing period costs for each indivisible time period passing during said respective ones of said telephone toll calls, the method comprising the steps of:

generating a signal indicating that the owner of an account associated with the terminating station set agrees to pay for a predetermined portion of the basic cost of each telephone toll call from said originating station set, said portion including at least a portion of the period cost for at least one indivisible time period that passes during each respective telephone toll call from said originating station set, said signal being generated after the setup of said telephone toll call; and

marking a billing record associated with each particular respective telephone toll call, substantially contemporaneously therewith, in response to said authorization signal, to indicate that at least said agreed to portion of the basic cost for said particular telephone toll call is to be billed to said account associated with the terminating station set.

19. The invention as defined in claim 18 further including the step of generating bills for said terminating and originating subscribers, for their respective portions of the basic cost of each of said respective telephone toll calls, if said billing record is marked.

20. A method for use in the billing of a telephone toll call between an originating subscriber and a terminating subscriber, said telephone toll call having a duration defined by a set of indivisible identical length time periods that pass during the existence of said telephone toll call, said telephone toll call costing a basic cost that is the sum of respective period costs associated with each of the indivisible identical length time periods of said set, the method comprising the step of:

responsive to receipt of an authorization signal indicating that said terminating subscriber agrees to share a portion of the basic cost of said telephone toll call, said portion including at least a portion of the period cost of at least one of said indivisible identical length time periods in said set, marking a billing record associated with said telephone toll call to indicate that said portion of the cost of said telephone toll call is to be billed to said terminating subscriber.

21. The invention as defined in claim 20 further including the step of generating a bill for said terminating subscriber'"'"'s portion of the cost of said telephone toll call, if said billing record is marked.

22. A method for use in the billing the basic cost of a telephone toll call between an originating subscriber having particular characteristics and a terminating subscriber, the method comprising the steps of:

storing in a data base information indicating that said terminating subscriber agrees to pay for a percentage of the basic cost of telephone toll calls from selected subscribers, said selected subscribers having a particular value of at least one specified characteristic;

receiving information about the value of said at least one specified characteristic for said originating subscriber;

looking up said received information in said data base for said terminating subscriber;

responding to a match of said received information with said stored information by generating an authorization signal indicating that the terminating subscriber agrees to pay said stored percentage of the period cost for each indivisible time period of said telephone toll call; and

marking a billing record associated with said telephone toll call, in response to said authorization signal, to indicate that portions of the basic cost of said telephone toll call are to be billed to both said terminating and originating subscribers.

23. The invention as defined in claim 22 further including the step of generating bills for said terminating and originating subscribers, for their respective portions of the cost of said telephone toll call, if said billing record is marked.

24. The invention as defined in claim 22 wherein said particular value of said at least one specified characteristic is a predetermined telephone number.

25. The invention as defined in claim 22 wherein said particular value of said at least one specified characteristic is a value of a predetermined personal identification number.

26. The invention as defined in claim 22 wherein said particular value of said at least one specified characteristic is a predetermined measurement indicator of a particular physical characteristic of said originating subscriber.

27. A method for use in the billing of a telephone toll call between a originating subscriber and a terminating subscriber costing a basic cost developed by summing each respective period cost associated with each indivisible time period occurring during the existence of said telephone toll call, the method comprising the steps of:

generating an authorization signal indicating that the terminating subscriber agrees to pay for a percentage of the basic cost of said telephone toll call, said generating being automatically performed without intervention of any person not directly a subscriber to said telephone toll call;

creating a second billing record by duplicating a first billing record associated with said telephone toll call, in response to said authorization signal;

modifying said second billing record to indicate that said terminating subscriber is to be billed for a first amount that is a predetermined percentage of the basic cost of said telephone toll call, said percentage being less then one hundred percent but more than zero percent and being applied against each respective period cost for each indivisible time period of said telephone toll call; and

modifying said first billing record to indicate that said originating subscriber is to be billed for a second amount that is the basic cost of the telephone toll call less the amount to be billed to the terminating subscriber.

28. The invention as defined in claim 27 further including the step of generating bills for said terminating and originating subscribers, for their respective amounts of the cost of said telephone toll call, if said billing record is marked.

29. A method for use in the billing of a telephone toll calls between an originating station set and a terminating station set, said telephone toll calls existing for a number of predetermined indivisible time periods, said originating and terminating station sets each being associated with a respective telephone account, each having an owner, to which the basic cost of telephone toll calls made from said station sets are charged, the method comprising the steps of:

storing an authorization indicator which indicates that the owner of the account associated with the terminating station set agrees to pay for a predetermined portion of the basic cost resulting from telephone toll calls from said originating station set, said indicator being stored prior to the initiation of said telephone toll call;

generating an authorization signal when a telephone toll call is being set up between said originating station set and said terminating station set if an authorization indicator is stored for said terminating station set indicating agreement to pay for a portion of the basic cost of telephone toll calls from said originating station set; and

marking a billing record associated with said telephone toll call, in response to said authorization signal, to indicate that at least a portion of the cost for said telephone toll call, including at least a portion of the period cost associated with at least one of said indivisible time periods, is to be billed to said account associated with the terminating station set.

30. The invention as defined in claim 29 further including the step of charging the accounts associated with said terminating and originating station sets for their respective portions of the basic cost of said telephone toll call, if said billing record is marked.

31. A method for use in the billing of a telephone toll call existing for at least one predetermined indivisible time period, said telephone toll call being between a first subscriber who, after set up of said telephone toll call, is responsible for the entire basic cost of said telephone toll call, said basic, cost being a sum of period costs, one period cost being associated with each predetermined identical length, indivisible time period that lapses during said telephone toll call and a second subscriber who, after set up of said telephone toll call, is responsible for none of the basic cost of said telephone toll cost, the method comprising the steps of:

detecting, after said telephone toll call is set up, an authorization signal indicating that the second subscriber agrees to share with said first subscriber the basic cost incurred for said telephone toll call during at least one time span, said at least one time span having a length that is accounted as an integral multiple of the length of one of said predetermined identical length indivisible time periods, the length of said at least one time span being determinable at the end of said telephone toll call; and

marking at least one billing record associated with said telephone toll call, in response to said detected authorization signal, to indicate that the period cost incurred for each predetermined identical length indivisible time period that elapsed during said at least one time span is to be divided into two portions, with one portion of said period costs for each elapsed indivisible time period being assigned to each of said first and second subscribers.

32. A method for use in billing a telephone toll call between at least an originating subscriber and a terminating subscriber, said telephone toll call having a length that is a sum of the predetermined lengths of indivisible time periods that pass during said telephone toll call, the method comprising the steps of:

detecting an authorization signal indicating that said terminating subscriber and said originating subscriber agree to share the period cost incurred for at least one of said indivisible time periods of said telephone toll call;

generating, in response to said authorization signal, at least one record indicative of said agreed to sharing.

33. Apparatus for use in billing a telephone toll call between at least an originating subscriber and a terminating subscriber, said telephone toll call having a length that is a sum of the predetermined lengths of indivisible time periods that pass during said telephone toll call, said apparatus comprising:

means for detecting an authorization signal indicating that said terminating subscriber and said originating subscriber agree to share the period cost incurred for at least one of said indivisible time periods of said telephone toll call; and

means for marking at least one billing record associated with said telephone toll call, in response to said detected authorization signal, to indicate that the period cost incurred for said at least one indivisible time period is to be divided into at least two portions.

34. Apparatus for use in billing a telephone toll call between at least an originating subscriber and a terminating subscriber, said telephone toll call having a length that is a sum of the predetermined lengths of indivisible time periods that pass during said telephone toll call, said apparatus comprising:

means for detecting an authorization signal indicating that said terminating subscriber and said originating subscriber agree to share the period cost incurred for at least one of said indivisible time periods of said telephone toll call; and

means, responsive to said authorization signal, for generating at least one record indicative of said agreed to sharing.