Customized, billing controlled call bridging system

• US 5,835,572 A
• Filed: 08/20/1997
• Issued: 11/10/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: United States Advanced Network, Inc.
• Inventors: Billingsley, Samuel F. III, Richardson, Charles Thomson Jr., Austin, Kevin Lee
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan S.
• Application Number:
  US08/915,387
• Time in Patent Office: 447 Days
• Field of Search: 379/67, 379/88, 379/89, 379/201, 379/210, 379/211, 379/212, 379/213, 379/111, 379/112, 379/113, 379/114
• US Class Current: 379/88.19
• 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 15/08 Metering calls to called party , i.e. B-party charged for the communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/47 Fraud detection or prevention means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/745 Customizing according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. friends or family
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/88 Provision for limiting connection, or expenditure
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/00 Metering arrangements; Time controlling arrangements; Time indicating arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0108 Customization according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. customer preferences, friends and family, selecting services or billing options, Personal Communication Systems [PCS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0116 Provision for limiting expenditure, e.g. limit on call expenses or account
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0148 Fraud detection or prevention means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/62 Called party billing, e.g. reverse billing, freephone, collect call, 0800 or 0900
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/22 Automatic class or number identification arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2281 Call monitoring, e.g. for law enforcement purposes; Call tracing; Detection or prevention of malicious calls
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/36 Statistical metering, e.g. recording occasions when traffic exceeds capacity of trunks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/38 Graded-service arrangements, i.e. some subscribers prevented from establishing certain connections queuing arrangements H04Q3/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/382 using authorisation codes or passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42042 Notifying the called party of information on the calling party details within substation equipment H04M1/57, signalling details H04Q3/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42102 Making use of the called party identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42221 Conversation recording systems at the subscriber's set H04M1/656
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4228 : in networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 : Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4878 : Advertisement messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 : Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/50 : Centralised arrangements for answering calls; Centralised arrangements for recording messages for absent or busy subscribers H04M3/487 takes precedence; centralised dictation systems H04M11/10; Centralised arrangements for recording messages
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/51 : Centralised call answering arrangements requiring operator intervention , e.g. call or contact centers for telemarketing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/527 : Centralised call answering arrangements not requiring operator intervention
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/533 : Voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53325 : Interconnection arrangements between voice mail systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/00 : Arrangements for interconnection between switching centres
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13091 : CLI, identification of calling line
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13095 : PIN / Access code, authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 : Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13106 : Microprocessor, CPU
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1313 : Metering, billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13204 : Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1324 : Conference call
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13299 : Bus
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1337 : Operator, emergency services
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13376 : Information service, downloading of information, 0800/0900 services
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13377 : Recorded announcement
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0016 : Arrangements providing connection between exchanges
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/72 : Finding out and indicating number of calling subscriber

Abstract

Method and apparatus for providing customized, billing-controlled call bridging services through a bridging node which includes a node interface for connection through incoming and outgoing telephone trunks to a carrier switch of a public switched network, an audio peripheral for recording, playing, and analyzing audio signals, and a node controller for controlling operation of the node interface and the audio peripheral.

Claims

1. Method of providing customized, billing-controlled, collect-call bridging services to callers calling from customer telephones, said method comprising the steps of:

configuring a public switched network to direct calls from customer telephones to first input ports on a first node of a billing-controlled call bridging system;

receiving an origination number and a destination number through an input port after a caller dials a destination number on a first customer telephone assigned to the origination number;

generating input port identification data identifying the input port receiving the origination number and destination number;

analyzing the input port identification data and the origination number to select, initiate, and configure a customized, billing-controlled collect-call bridging application;

prompting the caller for caller identification information;

recording the caller identification information;

calling the destination number through an output port;

prompting a destination party for acceptance of collect-call charges, including transmitting the caller identification information;

analyzing any response from the destination party to detect acceptance of collect-call charges; and

bridging the input port to the output port to complete the call upon detection of acceptance of the collect-call charges.

2. The method of claim 1, further including the steps of:

monitoring the amount of time the call is bridged; and

generating a call data record indicating the monitored amount of time.

3. The method of claim 1, further including the step of recording conversation occurring over the bridged connection.

4. The method of claim 1, further including the step of configuring the public switched network to direct to a second node of the call bridging system calls originally directed to the first node of the call bridging system upon unavailability of the first node of the call bridging system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of prompting the caller for caller identification information is prompting the caller for a personal identification number.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of analyzing the input port identification data is analyzing an automatic number identification signal.