System and method for directing call charges to third parties

• US 5,539,807 A
• Filed: 09/05/1995
• Issued: 07/23/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Johansson, Ove, Ghisler, Walter
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chernoff, Michael B.
• Application Number:
  US08/523,759
• Time in Patent Office: 322 Days
• Field of Search: 379/58, 379/63, 379/91, 379/111, 379/112, 379/113, 379/114, 379/121, 379/123, 379/202, 379/205, 379/204, 379/144, 379/145, 379/456, 379/210, 379/211, 379/212, 379/356, 379/55 , 379/66
• US Class Current: 455/408
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/68 Payment of value-added services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0196 Payment of value-added services, mainly when their charges are added on the telephone bill, e.g. payment of non-telecom services, e-commerce, on-line banking
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 17/00 Diagnosis, testing or measuring for television systems or their details
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

A system and a method for enabling a subscriber with a radio terminal to use another terminal, which does not belong to his radio terminal subscription, includes an automatic network service enabling the subscriber to open a subscription to the service while storing information concerning the radio terminal subscription in the network. After having become a subscriber to the service the radio terminal subscriber may request use of the service by calling it via the radio terminal while entering the number of the other terminal as well as the number of a destination terminal. This results in the subscriber being able to communicate from the other terminal to the destination terminal. After use of the service a specified account is charged.

Claims

1. A method for enabling a calling subscriber with a radio terminal capable of communication with a radio network to use another terminal, which does not belong to his radio terminal subscription but is capable of communication with another network, comprising the steps of:

providing an automatic network service for said calling subscriber in at least one of the networks,

filing information concerning said radio terminal subscription in at least one of the networks,

requesting use of said service by the calling subscriber'"'"'s calling said service via said radio terminal,

entering by the calling subscriber a number of said another terminal and a number of a terminal said calling subscriber wishes to call, wherein said service sets up a connection to said another terminal and a connection to the terminal said calling subscriber wishes to call, and interconnects these connections, resulting in the calling subscriber being able to initiate a call from said another terminal, and

charging use of said automatic network service to a specified account, wherein the specified account is one of a group of several accounts, and the group includes the subscription of said another terminal.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the charging step comprises the step of the calling subscriber'"'"'s entering said account before requesting use of said service.

3. A method according to claim 1, wherein the charging step comprises the step of the calling subscriber'"'"'s entering several accounts in advance and identifying a particular one of the several accounts desired to be charged after use of said service by entering a code number assigned to said particular one of the several accounts.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the charging step comprises the step of the calling subscriber'"'"'s informing said automatic network service of said specified account when use of said service is requested.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein said another terminal is located apart from said radio terminal when use of said service is requested.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein, when said another terminal is proximate to the radio terminal, the requesting step includes the step of the calling subscriber'"'"'s entering, on the radio terminal, a number of a further terminal with which said calling subscriber wishes to communicate from said another terminal, and further comprising the step of directly connecting the calling subscriber via said service for communicating with said further terminal from said another terminal.

7. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of auxiliary signalling, via the radio terminal, a message to said service, said message being associated with a call in progress and said calling subscriber participating from said another terminal in said call in progress.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein said auxiliary signalling message requests connection, without necessitating interruption of the call in progress, of at least one further participant to the call in progress.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein said providing step includes the step of enabling said calling subscriber to open a subscription on said service in a wirebound network while storing information concerning the radio terminal subscription and a wirebound subscription belonging to the calling subscriber in said network,

use of said service is requested from said radio terminal while the calling subscriber enters the number of a fixed telephone which does not belong to the calling subscriber'"'"'s wirebound subscription, and which the calling subscriber desires to use, and

the use of said service is charged to the calling subscriber'"'"'s wirebound subscription.

10. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of the calling subscriber'"'"'s entering a personal code (PIN) assigned to the calling subscriber for requesting said service.

11. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of using, when the number of said another terminal is provided in association therewith as a bar code, a bar code reader associated with said radio terminal for entering the number of said another terminal, in the step of requesting use of the service.

12. A system for enabling a calling subscriber with a radio terminal capable of connection to a radio communication network to use another terminal, which does not belong to his radio terminal subscription but is capable of connection to another communication network comprising:

an automatic network service in at least one of the radio and another communication networks,

means for storing information concerning said radio terminal subscription in at least one of said radio and another communication networks,

means for requesting use of said automatic network service by the calling subscriber'"'"'s calling it via said radio terminal, and

means for the calling subscriber'"'"'s entering a number of said another terminal and a number of a terminal the subscriber wishes to call, wherein said service sets up a connection to said another terminal and a connection to the terminal said calling subscriber wishes to call, and interconnects these connections, resulting in the calling subscriber being able to initiate a call from said another terminal, and to be charged for the use of said automatic network service to a specified account which is one of a group of several accounts, and the group includes the subscription of said another terminal.

13. A system according to claim 12, including means for the calling subscriber'"'"'s entering said account before requesting use of said automatic network service.

14. A system according to claim 12, wherein the entering means enables the calling subscriber'"'"'s entering several accounts in advance and entering a particular one of the several accounts, desired to be charged after use of said service, by entering a code number assigned to said particular account.

15. A system according to claim 12, wherein the entering means enables the calling subscriber'"'"'s informing said service of said specified account when use of said service is requested.

16. A system according to claim 12, wherein said another terminal is located apart from said radio terminal when the calling subscriber requests use of said service.

17. A system according to claim 12, wherein the entering means enables the calling subscriber'"'"'s entering a number of a further terminal with which said calling subscriber wishes to communicate from said another terminal, resulting in the calling subscriber being directly connected by said service for communicating with said further terminal from said another terminal.

18. A system according to claim 12, further comprising means for auxiliary signalling, via the radio terminal, a message to said service associated with a call in progress, wherein said calling subscriber participates in said call in progress from said another terminal.

19. A system according to claim 18, wherein said auxiliary signalling message is directed to said service for requesting connection, without necessitating interruption of the call, of at least one further participant to the call in progress.

20. A system according to claim 12, wherein said service includes means for enabling said calling subscriber to open a subscription on said service in a wirebound network while storing information therein concerning the radio terminal subscription and a wirebound subscription belonging to the subscriber in said network,

and said requesting means requests use of said service from said radio terminal while entering the number of a fixed telephone which does not belong to the calling subscriber'"'"'s wirebound subscription, and which the calling subscriber desired to use, and charging to said wirebound subscription the use of said fixed telephone.

21. A system according to claim 12, wherein said calling subscriber enters an assigned personal code (PIN) in requesting said service.

22. A system according to claim 12, further comprising, when the number of said another terminal is provided in association therewith as a bar code, a bar code reader associated with said radio terminal for entering the number of said another terminal.