Method and apparatus for billing of wireless telephone calls
First Claim
1. A method for billing wireless telephone calls, the method comprising the steps of:
- signaling a call service provider that a caller will pay for an airtime charge for a call to a wireless telephone station;
collecting a wireless telephone station number and a calling party account to be billed for the airtime charge for the call;
determining whether the calling party account is valid;
terminating the call when the calling party account is determined to be not valid;
accessing a mobile switching center when the calling party account is determined to be valid;
signaling a mobile switching center that the calling party will assume the airtime charge for the call;
marking a mobile switching center record to indicate that a called party account associated with the wireless telephone station is not to be billed;
completing connection of the call to the wireless telephone station;
timing a duration of the call;
transferring duration information for the call to the calling party account that is to be billed for the airtime charge;
sending the mobile switching center record to the calling party account that is to be billed for the airtime charge;
generating a bill for the caller that includes a long distance charge and the airtime charge; and
remitting the airtime charge billed to a service provider providing wireless telephone service to the wireless telephone.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The airtime charge for a receiving wireless telephone station is assigned to an account that is not associated with the wireless telephone station receiving the call. For example, for a telephone call placed from a conventional home wired telephone station to a wireless telephone station, the airtime charge for the receiving wireless telephone station of the call is billed to the account associated with the home wired telephone station. In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the airtime charge for a receiving wireless telephone station is transferred by a) receiving signaling from the caller that the airtime charge for the receiving wireless telephone station is to be billed to an account specified by the caller that is other than the account associated with the receiving wireless telephone station; b) marking the airtime charge record by the wireless telephone service provider serving the receiving wireless telephone station as one to be billed by another provider of telephone service; c) incorporating the wireless airtime charge of the receiving wireless telephone as part of the charges for the call billed by the other provider of telephone service to the account specified by the caller; and d) remitting the airtime charge collected from the other provider to the wireless telephone service provider. An indication of the transfer of the airtime charge is forwarded to the receiving wireless telephone station and a corresponding indication is supplied for the called party at the receiving wireless telephone station.
292 Citations
3 Claims
-
1. A method for billing wireless telephone calls, the method comprising the steps of:
-
signaling a call service provider that a caller will pay for an airtime charge for a call to a wireless telephone station;
collecting a wireless telephone station number and a calling party account to be billed for the airtime charge for the call;
determining whether the calling party account is valid;
terminating the call when the calling party account is determined to be not valid;
accessing a mobile switching center when the calling party account is determined to be valid;
signaling a mobile switching center that the calling party will assume the airtime charge for the call;
marking a mobile switching center record to indicate that a called party account associated with the wireless telephone station is not to be billed;
completing connection of the call to the wireless telephone station;
timing a duration of the call;
transferring duration information for the call to the calling party account that is to be billed for the airtime charge;
sending the mobile switching center record to the calling party account that is to be billed for the airtime charge;
generating a bill for the caller that includes a long distance charge and the airtime charge; and
remitting the airtime charge billed to a service provider providing wireless telephone service to the wireless telephone. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
supplying a signal to the wireless telephone station of the called party indicating that the calling party has agreed to pay the airtime charge.
-
-
3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:
-
supplying a distinguishable signal to the wireless telephone station; and
generating one of an audible, visual, and tactile indication at the wireless telephone station in response to the distinguishable signal. 4.The method of claim 3, wherein generating the indication further comprises; providing one of generating a distinctive ringing pattern, lighting an LED, displaying predetermined characters on a display, and generating a predetermined vibration pattern.
-
Specification