Intelligent networked, automated telephone calling card service system capable of bailout to an operator

• US 6,178,234 B1
• Filed: 02/11/1999
• Issued: 01/23/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Huen, Wing H., Hua, Shiyan, Cai, Yigang
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Barnie, Rexford N.
• Application Number:
  US09/249,282
• Time in Patent Office: 712 Days
• Field of Search: 379/112, 379/114, 379/144, 379/115, 379/222, 379/223, 379/221, 379/230, 379/198, 379/191, 379/220, 379/229, 379/228, 379/126, 379/145
• US Class Current: 379/114.15
• 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 15/90 using Intelligent Networks [IN] or Advanced Intelligent Networks [AIN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/00 Prepayment of wireline communication systems, wireless communication systems or telephone systems using a coded card to authorise calls from a telephone set H04M1/675
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/103 using SIMs (USIMs) or calling cards
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2017/12 using calling, telephone credit/debit cards
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/016 Billing using Intelligent Networks [IN] or Advanced Intelligent Networks [AIN]

Abstract

A telephone calling card (prepaid or postpaid) service system with an intelligent network (IN) for automated call processing has a bailout capability for bailing out a call placed directly to the IN, to an operator for assistance upon the occurrence of predefined contingencies. A service control point (SCP) in the IN interfaces with a switch containing a service switching point (SSP) for switching a call to its destination via the ETSI INAP or ITU INAP protocol. The switch also contains an operator service position system (OSPS), and an originating call processor (OCP) coupled to both the SSP and OSPS. After the occurrence of a bailout condition (resulting from a call being unauthorized as determined by the SCP), the SCP sends a destination routing address to the SSP including a network routing address (NRA) indicating which OSPS to direct the call for eventual operator assistance (via the SSP). In a first method, an NRA matching the OSPS in the same switch causes the call to be routed to the OSPS with an internal message for operator assistance. In a second method, an NRA not matching the OSPS in the current switch (i.e., the NRA matches an OSPS residing in another switch), causes the OCP to transfer the call to another switch having an OSPS for call processing with operator assistance.

Claims

1. A telephone calling card service system for processing telephone calls to be charged to calling card accounts, said system comprising:

an input telephonic device operatively coupled to an origination telephone line, said input telephonic device comprising an alphanumeric information generator adapted to at least transmit a calling card account card number, security information, and a destination telephone number;

an automated intelligent network (IN) coupled to origination telephone lines adapted to process calling card account telephone calls, said IN comprising a service control point (SCP), and said SCP comprising an SCP control unit and an SCP database coupled to said SCP control unit, and a bailout generator adapted to, upon said SCP determining that a call is unauthorized, generate and send to an SSP, Connect Operation signals, said IN being adapted to authorize the routing of calling card account telephone calls;

a plurality of switches operatively coupled to said SCP, said switches comprising a service switching point (SSP), and an operator service position system (OSPS) operatively coupled to said SSP, said OSPS adapted to receive command and information signals from a telephone operator, and from a telephone customer, said switches routing calls authorized by said SCP to a destination number specified by said customer; and

an interface between said SSP and said SCP (SSP/SCP interface);

an interface between said SSP and said OSPS (SSP/OSPS interface);

said SCP database at least storing system account numbers and corresponding security information, and said SCP control unit, upon receipt of customer information collected via said origination telephone line, compares information and determines whether a telephone call is authorized; and

said SCP being adapted to bail out a call to a telephone operator via said OSPS when a call is unauthorized, said operator then having control over whether said call is routed to its destination;

wherein said Connect Operation signals comprise a Destination Routing Address (DRA) having bailout information; and

wherein said DRA comprises a Network Routing Address (NRA) identifying a bailout OSPS within said system, to which a bailed-out call is transferred for further processing, said bailout OSPS not limited to being an element of the switch from which the bailout call is transferred.

2. The system in claim 1, wherein said DRA further comprises CC number and PIN information.

3. The system in claim 1, wherein each said switch comprises an original call processor (OCP) adapted to conduct digits analysis on the NRA in a received DRA;

and

whereupon a match of a received NRA and the NRA of the OSPS associated with the switch in question causes said OCP to pass bailout information received from said SCP to the OSPS coupled to said SSP, for processing the bailed-out call by a telephone operator.

4. The system in claim 1 wherein said switch further comprises an OCP adapted to conduct digits analysis on the NRA in a received DRA;

and

whereupon an NRA not matching the NRA associated with the OSPS of the current switch causes said OCP to transfer a bailout call to a suitable second switch, the second switch at least comprising an OSPS to process bailout calls.

5. A telephone calling card service system for processing telephone calls to be charged to calling card accounts, said system comprising:

an input telephonic device operatively coupled to an origination telephone line, said input telephonic device comprising an alphanumeric information generator adapted to at least transmit a calling card account card number, security information, and a destination telephone number;

an automated intelligent network (IN) coupled to origination telephone lines adapted to process calling card account telephone calls, said IN comprising a service control point (SCP), and said SCP comprising an SCP control unit and an SCP database coupled to said SCP control unit, a bailout generator adapted to, upon said SCP determining that a call is unauthorized, generate and send to an SSP, Connect Operation signals comprising a Destination Routing Address (DRA) having bailout information, said IN being adapted to authorize the routing of calling card account telephone calls;

at least one switch operatively coupled to said origination telephone line and to said SCP, said switch comprising a service switching point (SSP), and an operator service position system (OSPS) operatively coupled to said SSP, said OSPS adapted to receive command and information signals from a telephone operator, and from a telephone customer via said origination telephone line, said switch routing calls authorized by said SCP to a destination number specified by said customer;

an interface between said SSP and said SCP (SSP/SCP interface); and

an interface between said SSP and said OSPS (SSP/OSPS interface);

said SCP database at least storing system account numbers and corresponding security information, and said SCP control unit, upon receipt of customer information collected via said origination telephone line, compares information and determines whether a telephone call is authorized; and

said SCP being adapted to bail out a call to a telephone operator via said OSPS when a call is unauthorized, said operator then having control over whether said call is routed to its destination; and

wherein said DRA comprises bailout reason information in the form of a Nature of Address message containing a special code indicating the reason of bailout to said OSPS.

6. In a telephone calling card service system, a method for processing telephone calls to be charged to calling card accounts comprising the steps of:

via an input telephonic device operatively coupled to an origination telephone line, transmitting a calling card account card number, security information, and a destination telephone number;

via an automated intelligent network (IN) coupled to origination telephone lines and comprising a service control point (SCP), processing calling card account telephone calls, and authorizing the routing of calling card account telephone calls;

upon said SCP determining that a call is unauthorized, generating and sending to an SSP, Connect Operation signals;

via at least one of a plurality of switches operatively coupled to said SCP, said switches comprising a service switching point (SSP), and an operator service position system (OSPS) operatively coupled to said SSP, receiving command and information signals from a telephone operator, and from a telephone customer, and routing calls authorized by said SCP to a destination number specified by said customer;

providing an interface between said SSP and said SCP (SSP/SCP interface);

providing an interface between said SSP and said OSPS (SSP/OSPS interface);

via said SCP, at least storing system account numbers and corresponding security information, and upon receipt of customer information collected via said origination telephone line, comparing information and determining whether a telephone call is authorized; and

bailing out a call to a telephone operator via said OSPS when a call is unauthorized, said operator then having control over whether said call is routed to its destination;

wherein said Connect Operation signals comprise a Destination Routing Address (DRA) having bailout information; and

wherein said Connect Operation comprises a Network Routing Address (NRA) identifying a bailout OSPS within said system, to which a bailed-out call is transferred for further processing, said bailout OSPS not limited to being an element of the switch from which the bailout call is transferred.

7. The method in claim 6, wherein said DRA further comprises CC number and/or PIN information.

8. The method in claim 6, further comprising the steps of:

via an original call processor (OCP) subsumed by each said switch, conducting digits analysis on the NRA in a received DRA; and

whereupon a match of a received NRA and the NRA of the OSPS associated with the switch in question causes said OCP to pass bailout information received from said SCP to the OSPS coupled to said SSP, for processing the bailed-out call by a telephone operator.

9. The method in claim 6 further comprising the steps of:

via an OCP subsumed by each said switch, conducting digits analysis on the NRA in a received DRA; and

whereupon an NRA not matching the NRA associated with the OSPS of the current switch causes said OCP to transfer a bailout call to a suitable second switch, the second switch at least comprising an OSPS to process bailout calls.

10. In a telephone calling card service system, a method for processing telephone calls to be charged to calling card accounts comprising the steps of:

via an input telephonic device operatively coupled to an origination telephone line, transmitting a calling card account card number, security information, and a destination telephone number;

via an automated intelligent network (IN) coupled to origination telephone lines and comprising a service control point (SCP), processing calling card account telephone calls, and authorizing the routing of calling card account telephone calls;

via at least one switch operatively coupled to said origination telephone line and to said SCP, said switch comprising a service switching point (SSP), and an operator service position system (OSPS) operatively coupled to said SSP, receiving command and information signals from a telephone operator, and from a telephone customer via said origination telephone line, and routing calls authorized by said SCP to a destination number specified by said customer;

providing an interface between said SSP and said SCP (SSP/SCP interface);

providing an interface between said SSP and said OSPS (SSP/OSPS interface);

via said SCP, at least storing system account numbers and corresponding security information, and upon receipt of customer information collected via said origination telephone line, comparing information and determining whether a telephone call is authorized;

upon said SCP determining that a call is unauthorized, generating and sending to an SSP, Connect Operation signals comprising a Destination Routing Address (DRA) having bailout information; and

via said SSP, connecting said call to an OSPS for bail-out of the unauthorized call to a telephone operator for further processing, said operator then having control over whether said call is routed to its destination;

wherein said DRA comprises bailout reason information in the form of a Nature of Address message containing a special code indicating the reason of bailout to said OSPS.