Method and system for billing remote calls as if made from a primary line

• US 6,324,269 B1
• Filed: 08/25/1998
• Issued: 11/27/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hanger Solutions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: BellSouth Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Malik, Dale W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Duc
• Application Number:
  US09/139,854
• Time in Patent Office: 1,190 Days
• Field of Search: 379/111-118, 379/120-121, 379/127, 379/133-134, 379/219-222, 379/242, 379/243, 379/244-245, 379/67.1, 379/88, 379/112.01, 379/114.01, 379/114.05, 379/114.21, 379/114.23, 379/114.28, 379/114.29
• US Class Current: 379/114.23
• 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 15/09 Third party charged communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/66 Third party billing, i.e. third party can also be the predetermined telephone line of the caller if he is calling from another telephone set

Abstract

A method and system for billing remote calls includes the provisioning of an active terminating attempt trigger on a subscriber'"'"'s primary line. To make a long-distance call from a remote location, the subscriber calls a service control node and provide a destination calling line number and the subscriber'"'"'s primary line number (e.g., home telephone number). The SCN assembles the data into a string and includes a feature access code. This string is transmitted to a switch that recognizes the feature access code and transmits a message to a service control point. The service control point also recognizes the feature access code and reassembles the message into a call structure containing the primary line number, the destination line number, and a code indicating that the message should be reassembled. This message is transmitted back to the switch which then routes the call to the primary line switch where the trigger is encountered. The primary line switch then transmits the call information up to an SCP an includes the code. The SCP detects the code and reassembles the data to instruct the switch to route the call to the destination number through the primary line number. The switch routes the call to the destination number and the primary line number is billed for the call.

Claims

1. A method for billing for a communication between a selected calling line and a destination calling line as if the communication were made from a predetermined calling line rather than the selected calling line, the method comprising:

receiving the communication and related information related to the predetermined calling line and the destination calling line;

in response to receipt of the communication, creating a string of data containing the information;

making a call to a feature access code and including the string of data with the call;

in response to the call being made to the feature access code, manipulating the information in the string of data to create a call structure including a code, the call structure indicating that the call is to be routed to the predetermined calling line;

based on the call structure, routing the call to the predetermined calling line;

causing a pause in the routing of the call prior to termination of the call to the predetermined call line;

during the pause in the routing, and in response to the code in the call structure, reassembling the call structure so that the call is routed to the destination calling line instead of being routed to the predetermined calling line;

routing the call to the destination calling line based upon the reassembled call structure so as to provide the call with a communication path from the selected calling line to the destination calling line; and

billing the call to the predetermined calling line based upon the reassembled call structure.

2. A system for billing for a call made between a selected calling line and a destination calling line as if the call were made from a predetermined calling line, the system comprising:

a first network element operative;

to receive a communication directed to an access code,

with respect to the communication, to receive information related to the predetermined calling line and the destination calling line,

to create a string of data containing the information, and

to cause the string of data to be transmitted to a second network element;

the second network element operative;

to receive the string of data,

to manipulate the string of data to create a call structure including a code and,

to transmit the call structure to a third network element;

the third network element having an active trigger provisioned thereon with respect to the predetermined calling line, the third network element being operative to transmit the call structure to a fourth network element when triggered; and

the fourth network element operative to recognize the code in the call structure and further operative to reassemble the call structure;

whereby reassembling the call structure causes the third network element to route the call to the destination calling line and bill the call to the predetermined calling line included in the call structure.

3. The system, as recited in claim 2, wherein the first network element is a service circuit node.

4. The system, as recited in claim 2, wherein the second network element is a service control point.

5. The system, as recited in claim 2, wherein the third network element is a service switching point.

6. The system, as recited in claim 2, wherein the fourth network element is a service control point.

7. In a communications system including a service switching point functionally connected to an intelligent network element, a method for providing a service of billing costs of a call between a selected number and a destination number to a predetermined number other than the selected number, comprising:

A. provisioning a trigger on the predetermined number at a service switching point (SSP) serving the predetermined number;

B. at the SSP, receiving a call from a selected number and directed to the predetermined number, and receiving a destination number for the call;

C. in response to receipt of the call, and based on the trigger on the predetermined number, causing the SSP to query an intelligent network element to obtain instructions regarding the call;

D. at the intelligent network element, in response to receipt of the query, determining the call is to be accorded the billing service, and directing the SSP to route the call to the destination number and to bill costs of the call to the predetermined number; and

E. at the SSP, in response to the directions from the intelligent network element, causing the SSP to route the call to the destination number and to bill the costs of the call to the predetermined number,

whereby the trigger on the predetermined number results in involvement of the intelligent network element to cause routing of the call to the destination number rather to the predetermined number, and to cause billing of the costs of the call to the predetermined number.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the intelligent network element (INE) stores authorized numbers corresponding respectively to predetermined numbers authorized for the billing service;

and

wherein action D of determining the call is to be accorded the billing service comprises comparing the selected number to the authorized numbers and finding a match.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein action G comprises:

causing the intelligent network element to assemble a call structure relating to the call and to include the destination number in a called party number field of the call structure; and

causing the intelligent network element to provide the call structure to the SSP.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein action G comprises:

causing the intelligent network element to assemble a call structure related to the call and to include the predetermined number in a calling party number field of the call structure.

11. In a telecommunications system, a method to provide a billing service to allow costs of a communication to be billed to a predetermined number even though the call does not originate from the predetermined number, comprising:

A. at a service switching point serving the predetermined number (SSP-PN), provisioning a trigger on the predetermined number;

B. at an intelligent network element (INE), receiving a call from an originating number other than the predetermined number with the call being directed to a special access number (SAN), and with regard to the call, causing the INE to obtain the predetermined number and the destination number, and then to initiate a billing call directed to a feature access code (FAC) with the billing call including the predetermined number and the destination number;

C. at a service switching point serving the INE (SSP-INE), in response to the billing call being directed to the FAC, querying a service control point serving the SSP-INE (SCP-SSP-INE) about the billing call, the query including the FAC, the predetermined number, and the destination number of the call;

D. at the SCP-SSP-INE, based on the FAC in the query, instructing the SSP-INE to route the billing call to the predetermined number with the instructions including a special code;

E. at the SSP-INE, based on the instructions received from the SCP-SSP-INE, routing the billing call to the predetermined number;

F. at the SSP-PN, receiving the billing call, and having the billing call trigger on the predetermined number by the receipt of the billing call as directed to the predetermined number, and in response to the triggering, questioning a service control point serving the SSP-PN (SCP-SSP-PN) about the billing call with the question including the special code;

G. at the SCP-SSP-PN, based on inclusion of the special code in the question, determining the call is to be accorded the billing service directing the SSP-PN to route the billing call to the destination number, and billing the costs to the predetermined number; and

H. at the SSP-PN, based on the instructions from the SCP-SSP-PN, routing the billing call to the destination number so as to provide a communication path from the originating number to the destination number, and billing the costs of the communication to the predetermined number.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein action D comprises:

at the SCP-SSP-INE,

assembling a call structure including a calling party number field, a redirecting party number field, and a called party number field,

populating the calling party number field with the special code, the redirecting party number field with the destination number, and the called party number field with the predetermined number, and

including the populated call structure in the instructions to the SSP-INE.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein action G comprises:

at the SCP-SSP-PN,

creating a reassembled call structure including a called party field and a calling party field,

populating the called party field of the reassembled call structure with the destination number from the redirecting party number field of the call structure,

populating the calling party field of the reassembled call structure with the predetermined number from the called party number field of the call structure, and

including the reassembled call structure in the directions to the SSP-PN.