Method and system for billing toll-free calls from public telephones

• US 6,222,912 B1
• Filed: 02/18/1999
• Issued: 04/24/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Praeses Corporation
• Original Assignee: Praeses Corporation
• Inventors: Breuer, Philip Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, QUOC DUC
• Application Number:
  US09/252,268
• Time in Patent Office: 796 Days
• Field of Search: 379/112, 379/113, 379/114, 379/115, 379/119, 379/121, 379/220, 379/207, 379/123
• US Class Current: 379/114.24
• 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 15/41 Billing record details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure of call data record [CDR]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/44 Augmented, consolidated or itemized billing statement or bill presentation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/50 for cross-charging network operators
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/51 for resellers, retailers or service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/90 using Intelligent Networks [IN] or Advanced Intelligent Networks [AIN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0104 Augmented, consolidated or itemised billing statement, e.g. additional billing information, bill presentation, layout, format, e-mail, fax, printout, itemised bill per service or per account, cumulative billing, consolidated billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/016 Billing using Intelligent Networks [IN] or Advanced Intelligent Networks [AIN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0164 Billing record, e.g. Call Data Record [CDR], Toll Ticket[TT], Automatic Message Accounting [AMA], Call Line Identifier [CLI], details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/52 Interconnection, inter-exchange, reseller billing, billing agreements between different operators, e.g. billing identifier added on the CDR in order to cross charge the other operator, inter-operator accounting, reconciliation, bill directly resellers customers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/54 Resellers-retail or service providers billing, e.g. agreements with telephone service operator, activation, charging/recharging of accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/62 Called party billing, e.g. reverse billing, freephone, collect call, 0800 or 0900

Abstract

A system and method for storing Responsible Organization data corresponding to toll free telephone calls provides Payphone Service Providers (PSPs) with the data for billing or auditing Per Call Compensation (PCC) charges and payment. The method includes the steps of generating a query for Resp Org data corresponding to the toll-free telephone number for a call received at a Service Switching Point (SSP), sending the generated query from the SSP to a Service Control Point (SCP), extracting Resp Org identification data from the response to the generated Resp Org query, and incorporating the Resp Org identification data into a call detail record (CDR). Preferably, the Resp Org query is included in the query for call routing data but it may be a separate query. Additionally, the Resp Org identification data is preferably included in the CDR for the received call but it may be incorporated in a separate record. The system and method utilize data within the SCP that identifies the Resp Org at the time the call is processed. This data has not previously been utilized despite the need for PSPs to know the identity of Resp Orgs. Instead, SSPs have heretofore queried SCPs only for call routing information and Resp Org identification has not been previously utilized by a telecommunication switch.

Claims

1. A method for identifying a responsible organization (Resp Org) for a toll-free telephone call, the Resp Org defined as an entity designated to manage a customer'"'"'s Toll-Free service record (CR) in a Service Management System/800 (SMS/800), the method comprising the steps of:

generating a query for Resp Org data corresponding to a toll-free telephone number received by a Service Switching Point (SSP) switch;

sending the generated query to a Service Control Point (SCP);

extracting Resp Org identification data from a response to the query, the response sent by the SCP; and

storing the extracted Resp Org identification data so the Resp Org for the telephone number at the time of the call is available for billing or auditing.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said storing step stores the Resp Org data in association with call data.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

including the generated query in a call routing data query.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprising the step of:

including the generated query in a call routing data query.

5. The method of claim 2, the storing step being comprised of the steps of:

incorporating the extracted Resp Org identification data and call data into a Call Detail Record (CDR); and

sending the CDR to a Payphone Service Provider (PSP).

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of:

collecting a plurality of CDRs at a PSP for each Resp Org so that a PSP can bill each Resp Org for PCC charges or audit PCC payment from the Resp Org for toll free calls corresponding to at least one toll-free number associated with the Resp Org at the SCP.

7. A method for identifying a responsible organization (Resp Org) for payment of Per Call Compensation (PCC) charges for a toll-free telephone call, the Resp Org defined as an entity designated to manage a customers Toll-Free service record (CR) in a Service Management System/800 (SMS/800), the method comprising the steps of:

initially populating data records in a responsible organization/toll-free database with responsible organization/toll-free number relationship data from a SMS/800 broadcast update and initial date/time data corresponding to the relationship data;

generating new data records in the responsible organization/toll-free database in response to a new Resp Org being identified in the broadcast update for a toll-free number in one of the data records in the database, the new data records including date/time data corresponding to a Resp Org/toll-free relationship; and

generating new data records for the responsible organization/toll-free database in response to a toll-free number being within the broadcast update that is not within one of the data records of the Resp Org/toll-free database.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising the step of:

identifying a Resp Org from the data record within the Resp Org/toll-free database that corresponds to a toll-free number and time of call combination.

9. The method of claim 7 further comprising the step of:

processing queries from Payphone Service Providers to identify Resp Orgs for toll-free number and time of call combinations.

10. The method of claim 7 further comprising the step of:

incorporating the generated data records in a Service Management System/800 (SMS/800) database.

11. The method of claim 9 further comprising the step of:

sending the queries in a Signaling System 7 network.

12. A system for tracking toll-free calls within a telephone network, the system comprising:

a switch for receiving and identifying a toll-free call, the switch generating a query for responsible organization (Resp Org) data in response to receipt and identification of a toll-free call, the Resp Org defined as an entity designated to manage a customer'"'"'s Toll-Free service record (CR) in a Service Management System/800 (SMS/800); and

a database including toll-free number/Resp Org relationship data, the database responding to the query generated by the switch by sending Resp Org data corresponding to the toll-free number in the generated query.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the switch incorporates the Resp Org data in a call detail record (CDR).

14. The system of claim 12 wherein the database is included in a Service Management System/800 (SMS/800) database.

15. The system of claim 12 wherein the database is a Resp Org/toll-free relationship database in a Service Control Point.