Method for performing call traffic pattern analysis

• US 6,356,628 B1
• Filed: 11/03/1999
• Issued: 03/12/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Benhov GmbH, LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: inSORS Integrated Communications, Inc.
• Inventors: Kohler, Clifford A., Burke, Terrence
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, DUC MINH
• Application Number:
  US09/432,521
• Time in Patent Office: 860 Days
• Field of Search: 379/111, 379/112.01, 379/112.06, 379/112-7-1, 379/114.14, 379/114.28, 379/116, 379/119, 379/120, 379/121.03, 379/121.05, 379/126-127, 379/127.03, 379/127.05, 379/133-135, 455/405-411
• US Class Current: 379/112.06
• 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 15/58 based on statistics of usage or network monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0188 Network monitoring; statistics on usage on called/calling number

Abstract

A method for developing a call traffic pattern for a company having a plurality of remotely located facilities is disclosed. A long distance carrier phone bill is examined to determine which call records correspond to intra-company calls. The intra-company call records are then grouped by originating company facility. Data from the grouped call records are then summed and examined to assemble a call traffic pattern. The call traffic pattern may include total charges for intra-company calls by facility, total calls by facility, total call duration by facility, peak phone usage by facility, and time of peak usage by facility. The call traffic pattern may be particularly useful in designing a voice over data network solution for a company.

Claims

1. A method for developing a call traffic pattern for a company having a plurality of remotely located facilities, comprising the steps of

a) obtaining a phone bill, said bill having a record of phone calls made;

b) extracting an intra-company call record subset from said phone bill;

c) compiling a plurality of secondary call record groupings from said intra-company subset, each individual of said secondary call record groupings comprising intra-company calls originating from an individual of the plurality of facilities; and

d) developing a call traffic pattern from said plurality of secondary call record groupings.

2. A method as in claim 1, wherein said phone bill comprises a LDC call detail record, having a record of each call made, said record comprising an originating number, a terminating number, call duration, and an associated charge.

3. A method as in claim 1, wherein said phone bill comprises a call detail record, having a record of each call made, said record for each call having a terminating number, a call duration, an associated charge, and a originating code corresponding to an originating number;

and wherein the method comprises the further step of converting said originating code to an originating number.

4. A method as in claim 1, wherein said phone bill comprises a multiplicity of individual phone call records, each of said records having an originating number and a terminating number, and wherein said step of extracting said intra-company call record subset comprises the steps of

a) comparing each of said terminating numbers with said originating numbers;

b) placing all records having a terminating number matching an originating number in said intra-company subset comprising intra-company calls.

5. A method as in claim 4, wherein said originating numbers are obtained from said call detail record.

6. A method as in claim 4, wherein each of said originating numbers has an NPA code, an NNX code, and an EXT code, and wherein said step of comparing said terminating numbers with said originating numbers comprises comparing said NPA and NNX codes from said originating numbers with said NPA and NNX codes from said terminating numbers.

7. A method as in claim 1, wherein said phone bill comprises a listing of originating and terminating phone numbers;

each of said phone numbers having an NPA code and an NNX code, and wherein said step of extracting said intra-company subset comprises comparing said NPA code and said NNX code from said terminating numbers with said NPA and NNX code from said originating numbers, said intra-company call record subset comprising all call records having said NPA code and said NNX code matching one of said originating number NPA code and NNX code.

8. A method as in claim 1, wherein said phone bill is in a digital format, and wherein the method further comprises the steps of programming a computer to accept said phone bill as input, programming said computer to perform said step of extracting an intra-company call subset;

programming said computer to perform said step of extracting facility call groupings, and programming said computer to develop said call traffic pattern.

9. A method as in claim 8, further comprising the step of connecting said computer to a world-wide computer network whereby said call data record may be input over said network.

10. A method as in claim 1, wherein a plurality of the company facilities are connected by a data network, and wherein said call traffic pattern comprises an analysis of intra-company calls made from facilities connected by the data network to another of the facilities connected by a data network, said analysis comprising at least total calls made, and total charges for calls made.

11. A method as in claim 1, wherein said phone bill comprises domestic and international calls, and wherein said method further comprises the step of separating intra-company domestic calls from international calls so that said intra-company call record subset comprises intra-company domestic call records.

12. A method as in claim 1, wherein said phone bill comprises domestic and international calls, and wherein the method further comprises the step of compiling subsets of intra-company international calls made to other countries.

13. A method as in claim 1, wherein said call traffic pattern comprises a summation of total charges for intra-company calls originating from each of the company facilities.

14. A method as in claim 13, wherein said call traffic pattern further comprises a summation of total number of intra-company calls made from each facility, total time duration for intra-company calls made from each facility, peak usage of calls originating from each facility, and peak times of occurrence of calls originating from each facility.

15. A method for using a computer to develop an intra-company call traffic pattern for a company having a plurality of remotely located facilities, the method comprising the steps of:

a) inputting a computer readable phone bill;

said phone bill having a multiplicity of individual call records, said records comprising a call originating number, a terminating number, a duration, and a charge;

b) extracting a subset of call records corresponding to domestic intra-company calls from said phone bill;

said extraction comprising the steps of;

i) sorting domestic call records from international call records;

ii) comparing said terminating numbers from each of said domestic records with said originating numbers from other of said domestic records,

iii) placing domestic records having a terminating number that matches an originating number from other of said domestic records in said domestic intra-company call record subset;

c) compiling a plurality of individual facility call record subsets from said domestic intra-company call record subset, each of said plurality of individual facility call record subsets comprising call records having an originating number corresponding to that respective facility,

d) assembling a call traffic pattern from said plurality of individual facility call record subsets, said call traffic pattern comprising total intra-company phone call charges for calls originating at each respective facility, total number of intra-company calls originating from each respective facility, total time duration of intra-company calls originating from each respective facility, and peak usage of intra-company calls originating from each respective facility; and

e) outputting said call traffic pattern.

16. A method as in claim 15, wherein each of said originating and terminating numbers has an NPA, an NNX, and an EXT portion, and wherein said step of comparing said terminating numbers to said originating numbers comprises comparing said NPA and NNX portions of one of said terminating numbers to said NPA and NNX portions of each of said originating numbers.

17. A method as in claim 15, wherein the method comprises the additional step of connecting the computer to a computer network and programming said computer to accept said input phone bill over said network and to provide said call traffic pattern output over said network.

18. A method as in claim 17 wherein said network comprises the internet.