Method and apparatus for real-time billing account query

• US 6,317,490 B1
• Filed: 12/30/1997
• Issued: 11/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Shah, Nimesh, Adams, Rodney Glen, Cameron, Garnet, Lad, Raman, Son-Hing, Lester, DʼIngianni, Rita
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Sinh
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, QUOC DUC
• Application Number:
  US09/000,756
• Time in Patent Office: 1,414 Days
• Field of Search: 379/112, 379/114, 379/115, 379/121, 379/127, 379/144, 379/111, 379/172.01, 379/112.06, 379/114.01, 379/114.03, 379/114.05, 379/114.06, 379/121.04, 379/133, 455/406, 455/407, 455/408
• US Class Current: 379/114.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/28 with meter at substation or with calculation of charges at terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/30 the meter or calculation of charges not being controlled from an exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/43 Billing software details
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/44 Augmented, consolidated or itemized billing statement or bill presentation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/49 Connection to several service providers
• 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 2215/0168 On line or real-time flexible customization or negotiation according to wishes of subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0176 Billing arrangements using internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/018 On-line real-time billing, able to see billing information while in communication, e.g. via the internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/46 Connection to several service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/92 Autonomous calculations of charges in terminal, i.e. meter not controlled from exchange

Abstract

A telecommunications service billing administrator for providing real-time billing query functionality. The billing administrator has a billing system with a processor coupled to a billing information data repository. The billing information data repository updates an account table and a call table during the placement of a telecommunications call leg. The information updated includes a billing account summary. The subscriber can issue a billing inquiry request in which the billing system responds with an announcement of the billing account summary.

Claims

1. A telecommunications service billing administrator comprising:

a billing information data repository having an account table and a call table, said billing information data repository configured to store a billing information record associated with a call in said call table, and said account table configured to store a current summary of said billing information record;

a billing system having a processor, said billing system coupled to said billing information data repository, said billing system calculating and maintaining said summary of said billing information record, said summary stored in said account table;

a user interface coupled to said billing system for establishing a communication link with a service subscriber via an access device selectively coupled to said user interface and for receiving a billing inquiry request, said billing system upon receipt of said billing inquiry request accessing said account table and announcing said summary in response to said billing inquiry request; and

a network interface coupled to a telecommunications network, the network interface permitting the billing administrator to poll the telecommunications network for access request messages and permitting the telecommunications network to make an access request of said billing information data repository for real-time updates and queries of said billing information data repository.

2. The telecommunications service billing administrator of claim 1 wherein said summary responsive to said billing inquiry request is announced in a voice announcement form if a voice access device is used to access said billing system.

3. The telecommunications service billing administrator of claim 1 wherein said account table comprises:

a subscriber account number key field that contains an account number for correlation to said billing inquiry request;

a total call cost field for storing a total cost for a subscriber service rendered over a billing period;

a total call time field for storing a total connection time cost for said subscriber service rendered over said billing period;

a cost quota field storing a cost quota value; and

a time quota field storing a time quota value.

4. The telecommunications service billing administrator of claim 3 wherein said billing system maintains said summary of said billing information record with a program executable on said billing system, said program executed in response to an update message, determines a call charge and updates said total call cost field of said account table with a call cost time and a call cost value until a clear billing update message is received by said billing system.

5. The telecommunications service billing administrator of claim 1 wherein said communication link is established by a security protocol.

6. The telecommunications service billing administrator of claim 5 wherein said security protocol is a password and a personal identification number.

7. The telecommunications service billing administrator of claim 1 wherein said service subscriber is a mobile cellular service subscriber.

8. The telecommunications service billing administrator of claim 1 further comprising:

an administration interface coupled to said billing system;

a customer maintenance input having a security system management function having a low-level security access coupled to said administration interface for establishing a communication link with said billing information data repository to create, modify, or delete a user billing account parameter definition; and

a system administrator input having a restricted security access coupled to said administration interface for establishing a communication link with said billing information data repository to create, modify, or delete user billing account parameter definition.

9. A method for a real-time billing information query for a telecommunications service billing administrator having a billing system with a processor, said method comprising the steps of:

maintaining a real-time total of billing services on a billing information data repository having an account table and a call table, wherein the step of maintaining a real-time total of billing services comprises the steps of;

executing a billing information data repository update routine in response to an update message signifying the establishment of a call leg;

determining a call charge; and

repeatedly updating a total call cost field of the account table with a call cost time and a call cost value with respect to a duration of the call leg until a clear billing update message is received by the billing administrator; and

announcing the real-time total in response to a user request, said user request being made via an access device selectively coupled to said billing administrator.

10. The method for a real-time billing information query of claim 9, wherein the step of announcing the real-time total in response to a user request comprises the steps of:

accessing the billing administrator;

submitting a real-time billing query request to the billing administrator; and

responding to the query by announcing the current billing cost of a service for a billing period.

11. A method for a real-time billing information query for a telecommunications service billing administrator in at least a first and a second telecommunications networks, each of said first and second telecommunications networks including at least one of an interexchange carrier (IEC) and a local exchange carrier (LEC), and having a telecommunications service billing administrator having a billing system with a processor and a billing information data repository, said method comprising the steps of:

maintaining a real-time total of billing services on both the billing information data repositories having an account table and a call table comprising the steps of;

executing a billing information data repository update routine in response to an update message signifying the establishment of a call leg;

determining a call charge; and

repeatedly updating a total call cost field of the account table with a call cost time and a call cost value with respect to a duration of the call leg until a clear billing update message is received by the billing administrator; and

announcing the real-time total in response to a user request, said user request being made via an access device selectively coupled to said billing administrator.

12. The method for a real-time billing information query of claim 11, wherein the step of announcing the real-time total in response to a user request comprises the steps of:

accessing the billing administrator;

submitting a real-time billing query request to the billing administrator; and

responding to the query by announcing the current billing cost of a service for a billing period.

13. An apparatus for providing a real-time billing query comprising:

at least a first and a second telecommunications networks, each of said first and second telecommunications networks including at least one of an interexchange carrier (IEC) and a local exchange carrier (LEC), and having a telecommunications service billing administrator comprising;

a billing information data repository having an account table and a call table, said billing information data repository being coupled to an administration interface for management of billing accounts, said billing information data repository configured to store a billing information record associated with a call in said call table, and said account table configured to store a current summary of said billing information record;

a billing system having a processor, said billing system coupled to said billing data information repository, said billing system calculating and maintaining said summary of said billing information record, said summary stored in said account table;

a user interface coupled to said billing system for establishing a communication link with a service subscriber and for receiving a billing inquiry request, said billing system upon receipt of said billing inquiry request accessing said account table and announcing said summary responsive to said billing inquiry request;

a network interface coupled to a telecommunications network, the network interface permitting the billing administrator to poll the telecommunications network for access request messages and permitting the telecommunications network to make an access request of said billing information data repository for real-time updates and queries of said billing information data repository; and

at least one receiver coupled to said billing system of each of the first and second telecommunications carriers; and

said receiver of each of said telecommunications carriers coupled together to provide a data communication between said first and said second telecommunications carriers such that said billing information record of each of said carriers can be passed between said billing administrators of said at least two carriers.

14.An apparatus for providing a real-time billing query comprising;

at least a first and a second telecommunications networks, each of said first and second telecommunications networks including at least one of an interexchange carrier (IEC) and a local exchange carrier (LEC), and having a telecommunications service billing administrator comprising;

a billing information data repository having an account table and a call table, said billing information data repository being coupled to an administration interface for management of billing accounts, said billing information data repository configured to store a billing information record associated with a call in said call table, and said account table configured to store a current summary of said billing information record;

a billing system having a processor, said billing system coupled to said billing data information repository, said billing system calculating and maintaining said summary of said billing information record, said summary stored in said account table;

a user interface coupled to said billing system for establishing a communication link with a service subscriber and for receiving a billing inquiry request, said billing system upon receipt of said billing inquiry request accessing said account table and announcing said summary responsive to said billing inquiry request; and

at least one receiver coupled to said billing system of each of the first and second telecommunications carriers;

said receiver of each of said telecommunications carriers coupled together to provide a data communication between said first and said second telecommunications carriers such that said billing information record of each of said carriers can be passed between said billing administrators of said at least two carriers; and

wherein said telecommunications service billing administrator further comprising a network interface coupled to a telecommunications network, the network interface permitting the billing administrator to poll the telecommunications network for access request messages and permitting the telecommunications network to make an access request of said billing information data repository for real-time updates and queries of said billing information data repository.