Telecommunications network circuit usage measurement

• US 5,809,120 A
• Filed: 02/09/1996
• Issued: 09/15/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bell Atlantic Network Services, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Montgomery, Robert H., Baird, J. Alfred
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): LOOMIS, PAUL A
• Application Number:
  US08/598,772
• Time in Patent Office: 949 Days
• Field of Search: 379/112, 379/113, 379/114, 379/115, 379/121, 379/122, 379/125, 379/126, 379/133, 379/134, 348/1-5, 455/2
• US Class Current: 379/114.06
• 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 15/68 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

Abstract

A system and method is provided for using underused or unused local telephone company local loops to subscriber premises for providing to such premises a connection to an alternate service provider. The use of the local loop is leased to the ultimate service provider at a rate dependent upon the usage and nature of usage of the circuit. Information and data to permit efficient and convenient billing for leased usage of the loops is implemented by providing on the local loop a passive monitor. The monitor detects and temporarily stores data relating to the commencement and termination of the signaling, the time of day, and the nature of the signaling that occurs. Data collected from the monitors is stored at a monitor center from which it is transferred to a billing operation such as the telephone company Revenue Accounting Office (RAO). Switching is provided to permit optional usage of the loop by either the telephone company of the alternate service provider or both. The use of a single local loop by multiple alternate service providers is also possible.

Claims

1. A switched telephone network including multiple switches connected by trunks, at least one end office switch served by a first service provider, and local loop lines for connecting said switch through a distribution frame interface to customer premise terminals at the distal ends of said local loop lines, said local loop lines having said distal ends connected to customer premise terminals and having near ends connected to said interface for connection to said switch, at least certain of said lines being disconnected from said end office switch at the near ends of said lines at said interface;

monitors coupled to portions of said disconnected local loop lines;

at least a second service provider connected to the portions of said disconnected local loop lines extending to the distal ends thereof for connection to customer premise terminals for providing service provider signals over said local loop lines to terminals at said customer premises;

said monitors being coupled to said portions of said local loop lines connected between said customer premises and said second service provider;

said monitors including detectors for detecting the commencement and discontinuance of signals of said second service provider on said lines;

said monitors also being connected to at least the portions of said disconnected local loop lines extending from said monitor to said near ends thereof at said interface;

a central storage connected to said near ends of said lines extending from said monitors; and

said central storage storing information regarding the times of commencement and discontinuance of service provider signals on said lines to said customer premises.

2. A telephone network according to claim 1 including a billing compiler accessing said stored information and preparing bills for usage of said monitored lines.

3. A telephone network according to claim 1 wherein said monitors include signal analyzer means for detecting the nature of the monitored signals.

4. A telephone network according to claim 3 wherein said central storage stores information regarding the nature of said monitored signals;

and

including a billing compiler accessing said stored information and preparing bills based on duration and nature of usage of said monitored lines.

5. A telephone network according to claim 1 including at least one monitor which includes a first bypass switch having a terminal connected to a local loop line extending to a customer premise so that in one switch condition the switch is connected to a customer premise terminal at the distal end of said local loop line and in another condition said second service provider is connected to a customer premise terminal at the distal end of said local loop line.

6. A telephone network according to claim 5 including a second bypass switch connecting the near end of one of said local loop lines to said end office switch in one condition and connecting said near end of said line to said central storage in a second condition.

8. A telephone network according to claim 2 including at least one monitor which includes a first bypass switch having a terminal connected to a second portion of one of said local loop lines so that in one switch condition the switch is connected to a customer premise terminal at the distal end of said local loop line and in another condition a second service provider is connected to a customer premise terminal at the distal end of said local loop line.

7. A switched telephone network including multiple switches connected by trunks, at least one end office switch served by a first service provider, and local loop lines for connecting said switch through a distribution frame interface to customer premise terminals at the distal ends of said local loop lines, said local loop lines having said distal ends connected to customer premise terminals and having near ends connected to said interface for connection to said switch, at least certain of said lines being disconnected from said end office switch at the near ends of said lines at said interface;

at least one service provider connected to the portions of said disconnected local loop lines extending to the distal ends thereof for connection to customer premise terminals for providing service provider signals over said local loop lines to terminals at said customer premises;

said disconnected local loop lines having a discontinuity therein between a first portion extending to said near end and such interface and a second portion extending to said distal end;

monitors coupled to said second portions of said local loop lines;

said monitors including detectors for detecting the commencement and discontinuance of service provider signals and for detecting the nature of the service provider signals on said local loop lines;

said monitors having a connection to said first portions of said local loop lines extending from said monitors to the near ends thereof at said interface;

a central storage connected to the near ends of said lines at said interface;

said central storage storing information regarding the times of commencement and discontinuance and the nature of service provider signals on said local loop lines; and

a billing compiler accessing said stored information and preparing bills for usage of said monitored local loop lines.

9. A switched telephone network including multiple switches connected by trunks, at least one end office switch served by a first service provider, and local loop lines for connecting said switch through a distribution frame interface to customer premise terminals at the distal ends of said local loop lines, said local loop lines having said distal ends connected to customer premise terminals and having near ends connected to said interface for connection to said switch, at least certain of said lines being disconnected from said end office switch at the near ends of said lines at said interface;

at least one service provider connected to the portions of said disconnected local loop lines extending to the distal ends thereof and connected via said local loop lines to customer premise terminals for providing signals over said local loop lines to said terminals;

monitors coupled to the portions of said local loop lines connected between said customer premises and said service provider;

said monitors including detectors for detecting the commencement and discontinuance of service provider signals on said lines;

a central storage for storing information regarding the times of commencement and discontinuance of service provider signals on said lines; and

communication links between said monitors and said central storage for communicating to said central storage said information regarding the times of commencement and discontinuance of service provider signals on said lines.

10. A telephone network according to claim 9 including a billing compiler accessing said stored information and preparing bills for usage of said monitored lines.

11. A telephone network according to claim 9 wherein said monitors include signal analyzers for detecting the nature of the monitored signals.

12. A telephone network according to claim 11 wherein said central storage stores information regarding the nature of said monitored signals;

and

including a billing compiler accessing said stored information and preparing bills based on duration and nature of usage of said monitored lines.

13. A telephone network according to claim 9 wherein said links comprise wire lines.

14. A telephone network according to claim 9 wherein said links comprise wireless links.

15. A switched telephone network including multiple switches connected by trunks, at least one end office switch served by a first service provider, and local loop lines for connecting said switch through a distribution frame interface to customer premise terminals at the distal ends of said local loop lines, said local loop lines having said distal ends connected to customer premise terminals and having near ends connected to said interface for connection to said switch, at least certain of said lines being disconnected from said end office switch at the near ends of said lines at said interface;

at least two service providers connected to one of said disconnected local loop lines and connected via said local loop line to at least one customer premise for providing non-interfering signals over said local loop line to said customer premise;

monitor means coupled to said local loop line connected between said customer premise and said service providers;

said monitor means including detectors for detecting the commencement and discontinuance of signals from said service providers on said local loop line;

a central storage for storing information regarding the times of commencement and discontinuance of service provider signals on said local loop line; and

communication link means between said monitor means and said central storage for communicating to said central storage said information regarding the times of commencement and discontinuance of service provider signals on said local loop line.

16. A telephone network according to claim 15 wherein the signals from said service providers are frequency multiplexed on said line.

17. A telephone network according to claim 15 wherein the signals from said service providers are time division multiplexed on said line.

18. A switched telephone network including multiple switches connected by trunks, at least one end office switch, and lines for connecting said switch to customer premises terminals;

a service provider connected to at least one of said lines between said end office switch and the customer premise to which said line is connected, said service provider transmitting signals over said line to a terminal at said customer premises;

a monitor connected to said line between said customer premise and said service provider;

said monitor including a detector for detecting the commencement and discontinuance of signals from said service provider on said line;

a central storage linked to the portion of said line between said service provider and said customer premise;

said storage storing information regarding the times of commencement and discontinuance of service provider signals on said line;

said end office switch receiving from said line upstream signals from said service provider or said customer premise.

19. A switched telephone network including multiple switches connected by trunks, at least one end office switch, and lines for connecting said switch to customer premises terminals;

a service provider connected to at least one of said lines between said end office switch and the customer premise to which that line is connected, said service provider transmitting signals over said line to a terminal at said customer premises;

a monitor connected to said line between said customer premise and said service provider;

said monitor including a detector for detecting the commencement and discontinuance of signals from said service provider on said line;

a central storage linked to that portion of said line between said service provider and said customer premise;

said storage storing information regarding the times of commencement and discontinuance of service provider signals on said line;

said end office switch transmitting to said line non-interfering signals to said customer premises.

20. In a switched telephone network including multiple switches connected by trunks, at least one end office switch, and lines connecting said switch to customer premise terminals, the method comprising the steps of:

disconnecting at least one line from said end office switch;

creating a discontinuity in said disconnected line between the disconnected end and the customer premise end to form two line sections, one of said line sections extending from the disconnected end to said discontinuity and the other of said line sections extending from said discontinuity to said customer premise;

connecting a service provider to the line section extending to said customer premise;

coupling a monitor to said line section extending from said service provider to said customer premise;

transmitting signals over said line from said service provider to said customer premise;

detecting the commencement and discontinuance of signals from said service provider on said line at said monitor;

connecting said monitor to the end of said disconnected line at said discontinuity;

transmitting from said monitor over said line connected thereto to a central storage and storing at said central storage information regarding the times of commencement and discontinuance of service provider signals on said line to said customer premise.

21. In a switched telephone network including multiple switches connected by trunks, at least one end office switch, and lines connecting said switch to customer premises terminals, the method comprising the steps of:

disconnecting at least one line from said end office switch;

connecting a service provider to at least a portion of said disconnected line extending to a customer premise;

coupling a monitor to said line extending from said service provider to said customer premise;

transmitting signals over said line from said service provider to said customer premise;

detecting the commencement and discontinuance of signals from said service provider on said line at said monitor;

connecting said monitor to a storage via a link between said monitor and said storage;

transmitting from said monitor over said link to said storage and storing at said storage information regarding the times of commencement and discontinuance of service provider signals on said line to said customer premise.

22. A method according to claim 21 including the step of preparing a billing for usage of said line from said service provider to said customer premise based on said stored information.