Call charging method in radio telephone system and radio telephone system employing the same method

• US 5,521,968 A
• Filed: 03/20/1995
• Issued: 05/28/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Furuya, Tsuneo, Ogawa, Yohichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Stephen
• Assistant Examiner(s): LOOMIS, PAUL A
• Application Number:
  US08/407,076
• Time in Patent Office: 435 Days
• Field of Search: 379/58, 379/59, 379/111, 379/112, 379/114, 379/115, 379/130, 379/133, 379/143, 379/61, 379/63
• US Class Current: 455/405
• 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 15/34 Charging, billing or metering arrangements for private branch exchanges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

In a radio telephone system and a call charging method used in this radio telephone system, when a user of a radio telephone issues a telephone call to a public telephone network by utilizing a radio controller installed in a PBX employed on the premises of a company to which the telephone user does not belong, the PBX reports both of terminal number information of the radio telephone and call account information for charging the call account to the terminal to the public telephone network, in case that a telephone call is demanded. When the information is received, the public telephone network charges the call account to the radio telephone. If the information is not transmitted from the PBX to the public telephone network, the call account is charged to the call originating line of the PBX.

Claims

1. A call charging method in a radio telephone system for allowing a telephone call generated from a portable radio telephone via one of a plurality of radio controllers installed within a first telecommunication network to a second telecommunication network, said call charging method comprising the steps of:

receiving by said radio telephone an announcement signal from one of said plurality of radio controllers to determine a radio controller which is located nearest to said radio telephone;

issuing by said radio telephone a position registration demand to said first telecommunication network or to said first and second telecommunication networks, when said radio telephone enters into a service area of a different radio controller;

determining by said first telecommunication network, when said position registration demand is received whether said radio telephone is one of a plurality of terminals belonging to said first telecommunication network;

sending by said first telecommunication network, when a radio telephone issuing a call is a terminal other than said terminals belonging to said fist telecommunication network, call charge information to said second telecommunication network;

charging by said second telecommunication network, when said second telecommunication network has received said call charge information, said call to said radio telephone which issued said call; and

charging by said second telecommunication network, when said second telecommunication network has not received said call charge information, said call to said first telecommunication network.

2. A call charging method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

adding by said first telecommunication network, when said call is issued to said second telecommunication network, charging information to a signal which is sent from said first telecommunication network to said second telecommunication network.

3. A radio telephone system comprising:

a public network;

a plurality of portable radio telephones;

a plurality of first radio controllers connected to said public network and capable of communicating with said radio telephones;

a private branch exchange (PBX) disposed at a particular location to service members of an organization and having at least one second radio controller capable of communicating with said radio telephones, said PBX being connected to said public network;

said first controllers and said at least one second radio controller transmit announcement signals;

wherein each radio telephone receives the announcement signals from said first radio controllers and said at least one second radio controller to determine a radio controller which is nearest to said radio telephone and said radio telephone when entering a service area of a different radio controller, issues a position registration demand to said PBX or to said public network via said different radio controller;

wherein said PBX receiving said position registration demand determines whether said radio telephone is one belonging to said PBX, and when said radio telephone does not belong to said PBX transmits said position registration demand to said public network and when a request for a call is issued from said radio telephone to said public network, said PBX transmits said call having charging information attached thereto to said public network so as to charge said call to said radio telephone when said radio telephone does not belong to said PBX and charges said call to a network of said PBX when said radio telephone belongs to said PBX.

4. A radio telephone system according to claim 3, wherein said first radio controllers are for public use.