Method for billing local communication services provided by an interexchange communication network

• US 5,910,979 A
• Filed: 10/20/1997
• Issued: 06/08/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Peinado, Fermin D., Goel, Anurag, Kancianic, Eugene M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Loomis, Paul
• Application Number:
  US08/954,652
• Time in Patent Office: 596 Days
• Field of Search: 379/112, 379/114, 379/115, 379/119, 379/121, 379/120, 379/125, 379/126, 379/127, 379/207, 379/219, 379/280, 379/221, 455/406, 455/418, 455/445
• US Class Current: 379/120
• 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

Abstract

A method is provided to distinguish local exchange communication services provided by an interexchange carrier from other services offered by the interexchange carrier. The local exchange service typically is provided to a customer with whom the interexchange carrier provides a direct connection. For each call, a terminating switch receives a code identifying a type of service assigned to the call. The code may contain a local service identifier associated with a call that identifies the call is identifying a type of service assigned to the call. The switch determines whether the call is a POTS call and whether the code includes the local service identifier. If both conditions are met, the terminating switch generates the billing record provided the customer is a subscriber to the local service offered by the carrier.

Claims

1. In an interexchange communication network, a method for generating billing records associated with local communication service provided by the network that provides a direct communication connection with a customer, comprising the steps of:

receiving a code from the network, the code identifying a type of call to be placed to the customer,

determining whether the call is a POTS call,

when the call is a POTS call, determining whether the code includes a local service identifier,

when the code includes the local service identifier, determining whether the customer has subscribed to the network'"'"'s local communication service,

when the customer has subscribed to the network'"'"'s local communication service, generating the billing record.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of, when the call is not a POTS call, terminating the method without generating the billing record.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of, when the code does not include the local service identifier, terminating the method without generating the billing record.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of, when the customer has not subscribed to the IXC'"'"'s local communication service, terminating the method without generating the billing record.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the code containing the local service identifier is received in place of a service identity index code during call setup.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is conducted by a terminating switch in the network, the terminating switch providing the direct communication connect to the customer.

7. In an interexchange communication network, a method for generating billing records associated with a local communication service provided by the network to a customer with whom the network possesses a direct communication connection, comprising the steps of:

receiving a code from the network, the code identifying a type of call to be placed to the customer,

determining whether the call is a POTS call,

when the call is a POTS call, determining whether the code includes a local service identifier, and

when the code includes the local service identifier, generating the billing record.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising a step of, when the call is not a POTS call, terminating the method without generating the billing record.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising a step of, when the code does not include the local service identifier, terminating the method without generating the billing record.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising a step of, when the customer has not subscribed to the IXC'"'"'s local communication service, terminating the method without generating the billing record.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the code containing the local service identifier is received in place of a service identity index code during call setup.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the method is conducted by a terminating switch in the network, the terminating switch providing the direct communication connect to the customer.

13. In an interexchange communication network, a method for generating billing records associated with alternate access communication services provided by the network on behalf of customers with whom the network possesses a direct communication connection, comprising the steps of:

receiving a code from the network, the code identifying a type of call to be placed to the customer,

determining whether the call is a POTS call,

when the call is a POTS call, determining whether the code includes a local service identifier,

when the code includes the local service identifier, determining whether the customer has subscribed to the network'"'"'s local communication service,

when the customer has subscribed to the network'"'"'s local communication service, generating the billing record,

when the code does not include the local service identifier, determining whether the code maps to a compensatable event,

when the code maps to a compensatable event, determining whether the customer has subscriber to a terminating service alternate access service of the network,

when the customer has subscribed to the terminating service alternate access, generating the billing record.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising a step of, when the call is not a POTS call, terminating the method without generating the billing record.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising a step of, when the code does not include the local service identifier, terminating the method without generating the billing record.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising a step of, when the customer has not subscribed to the IXC'"'"'s local communication service, terminating the method without generating the billing record.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising a step of, when the code does not map to a compensatable event, terminating the method without generating the billing record.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising a step of, when the customer has not subscribed to the terminating service alternate access, terminating the method without generating the billing record.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the code is received in place of a service identity index code during call setup.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the method is conducted by a terminating switch in the network, the terminating switch providing the direct communication connect to the customer.