Inetwork architecture for calling party pays wireless service

• US 6,405,028 B1
• Filed: 12/08/1999
• Issued: 06/11/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bell Atlantic Mobile Systems LLC (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bell Atlantic Mobile Inc (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Nightingale, John G. Jr., McHenry, James F., Babbio, Lawrence T. III, DePaola, John J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Urban, Edward F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Milord, Marceau
• Application Number:
  US09/456,550
• Time in Patent Office: 916 Days
• Field of Search: 455/406, 455/408, 455/445, 455/410, 455/417, 455/560, 455/433, 455/558, 455/428
• US Class Current: 455/406
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/09 Third party charged communications
• 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 17/106 using commercial credit or debit cards
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2017/14 using commercial credit/debit cards, e.g. VISA, AMEX
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2026 Wireless network, e.g. GSM, PCS, TACS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/68 Billing calls completely to the calling party, except POTS, e.g. charge on caller's choice service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

The inventive network architecture and call processing logic enable Calling Party Pays billing for calls to wireless subscribers, including calls that would otherwise leak through the billing operations of the principle carriers. A landline network, such as a LEC network, routes incoming calls to a wireless network and recognizes each call subject to Calling Party Pays billing. If the LEC can bill charges to a party associated with the calling station, the LEC network routes the call to the mobile carrier'"'"'s network and creates records for billing for the air-time. If the LEC can not bill a calling station subscriber, the LEC network hands the call off to another switch, to select an appropriate one of two or more alternate billing facilities. The alternate billing facilities preferably include a clearinghouse and a credit card billing system. A database indicates whether it is possible to bill for the air-time through the clearinghouse. If so, the switch completes the call to the mobile carrier'"'"'s network and creates appropriate records to enable the clearinghouse to bill the air-time to a subscriber associated with the calling station. If the call is not billable through the clearinghouse, the switch extends the call to the automated credit card billing system. The credit card system obtains credit card information from the caller and makes all necessary records to bill the air-time charges for the call to the caller'"'"'s credit card.

Claims

1. A method of providing a calling party pays billing treatment on a call to a wireless subscriber station, comprising:

routing a call for a telephone number assigned to the wireless subscriber station from a calling station through a landline network operated by a carrier to a predetermined switching office of the landline network;

recognizing a need for calling party pays billing treatment with respect to the call;

determining whether or not the carrier can bill charges to a party associated with the calling station;

if the carrier can bill charges to a party associated with the calling station, completing and billing for the call by execution of steps comprising;

1) routing the call from the predetermined switching office to a wireless communication network serving the wireless subscriber station;

2) completing the call to the wireless subscriber station through the wireless communication network;

3) recording call completion information in the landline network operated by the carrier;

4) forwarding the call completion information to a billing system operated by the carrier; and

5) billing the party associated with the calling station for completion of the call through the wireless communication network using the billing system operated by the carrier; and

if the carrier can not bill charges to a party associated with the calling station, completing and billing for the call by execution of steps comprising;

a) routing the call from the predetermined switching office to another switching office;

b) determining one of a plurality of alternate billing facilities which can bill charges to a party associated with the calling station;

c) initiating call data recording for the one alternate billing facility;

d) routing the call from said another switching office to the wireless communication network serving the wireless subscriber station;

e) completing the call to the wireless subscriber station through the wireless communication network; and

f) billing the party associated with the calling station for completion of the call through the wireless communication network using the one alternate billing facility and based on the call data recording,

wherein the alternate billing facilities comprise a clearinghouse system and a credit card billing system, and the step of determining one of the alternate billing facilities which can bill to the party associated with the calling station comprises;

accessing a database of subscriber related information to determine if a party associated with the calling station is billable through the clearinghouse; and

selecting billing through the clearinghouse if the database of subscriber related information indicates that the party associated with the subscriber station can be billed through the clearinghouse.

2. A method as in claim 1 wherein the step of initiating call data recording for the one alternate billing facility comprises recording call completion data in said another switching office, and the step of billing based on the call data recording comprises forwarding the call completion data from said another switching office to the clearinghouse for bill processing.

3. A method of providing a calling party pays billing treatment on a call to a wireless subscriber station, comprising:

routing a call for a telephone number assigned to the wireless subscriber station from a calling station through a landline network operated by a carrier to a predetermined switching office of the landline network;

recognizing a need for calling party pays billing treatment with respect to the call;

determining whether or not the carrier can bill charges to a party associated with the calling station;

if the carrier can bill charges to a party associated with the calling station, completing and billing for the call by execution of steps comprising;

1) routing the call from the predetermined switching office to a wireless communication network serving the wireless subscriber station;

2) completing the call to the wireless subscriber station through the wireless communication network;

3) recording call completion information in the landline network operated by the carrier;

4) forwarding the call completion information to a billing system operated by the carrier; and

5) billing the party associated with the calling station for completion of the call through the wireless communication network using the billing system operated by the carrier; and

if the carrier can not bill charges to a party associated with the calling station, completing and billing for the call by execution of steps comprising;

a) routing the call from the predetermined switching office to another switching office;

b) determining one of a plurality of alternate billing facilities which can bill charges to a party associated with the calling station;

c) initiating call data recording for the one alternate billing facility;

d) routing the call from said another switching office to the wireless communication network serving the wireless subscriber station;

e) completing the call to the wireless subscriber station through the wireless communication network; and

f) billing the party associated with the calling station for completion of the call through the wireless communication network using the one alternate billing facility and based on the call data recording,

wherein the alternate billing facilities comprise a clearinghouse system and a credit card billing system, and the step of determining one the alternate billing facilities which can bill charges to a party associated with the calling station comprises;

accessing a database of subscriber related information to determine if a party associated with the calling station is billable through the clearinghouse; and

selecting billing through the credit card billing system if the database of subscriber related information indicates that no party associated with the subscriber station is billable through the clearinghouse.

4. A method as in claim 3, wherein the step of routing the call from said another switching office to the wireless communication network comprises:

routing the call to the credit card billing system; and

thereafter routing the call from said another switching office and the credit card billing system to the wireless communication network,

the credit card billing system performing the call data recording and the billing of the party associated with the calling station based on the call data recording.

5. A method of providing a calling party pays billing treatment on a call to a cellular telephone station, comprising:

routing a call for a telephone number assigned to the cellular telephone station from a calling station through a landline telephone network operated by an exchange carrier to a predetermined switching office of the landline telephone network;

determining whether or not calling party pays billing treatment applies to processing of the call;

if calling party pays billing treatment applies to processing of the call, determining whether or not the exchange carrier can bill charges to a party associated with the calling station;

if the exchange carrier can bill charges to a party associated with the calling station, completing and billing for the call by execution of steps comprising;

1) routing the call from the predetermined switching office to a mobile switching center of a cellular telephone network serving the cellular telephone station;

2) completing the call from the mobile switching center to the cellular telephone station;

3) recording call data in the predetermined switching office;

4) forwarding the call data recorded in the predetermined switching office to a billing system operated by the exchange carrier; and

5) billing the party associated with the calling station for completion of the call through the cellular telephone network using the billing system operated by the exchange carrier; and

if the exchange carrier can not bill charges to a party associated with the calling station, completing and billing for the call by execution of steps comprising;

a) routing the call from the predetermined switching office to another switching office;

b) determining if the party associated with the calling station is billable through a clearinghouse, and if so, initiating call data recording in said another switching office;

c) routing the call from said another switching office to the mobile switching center;

d) completing the call from the mobile switching center to the cellular telephone station;

e) forwarding call data recorded in said another switching office to the clearinghouse; and

f) billing the party associated with the calling station for completion of the call through the clearinghouse.

6. A method as in claim 5 wherein the mobile switching center and the cellular telephone network provide digital cellular telephone communication services to the cellular telephone station.

7. A method as in claim 5, wherein each step of routing the call to the mobile switching center comprises instructing the mobile switching center not to record data regarding completion of the call to the cellular telephone station for billing purposes.

8. A method as in claim 7, wherein if calling party pays billing treatment does not apply to processing of the call, completing and billing for the call by execution of steps comprising;

routing the call from the predetermined switching office to the mobile switching center;

signaling the mobile switching center to cause the cellular telephone network to record data regarding completion of the call to the cellular telephone station for billing purposes;

completing the call from the mobile switching center to the cellular telephone station; and

billing a party associated with the cellular telephone station for completion of the call through the cellular telephone network using the data recorded in the cellular telephone network.

9. A method as in claim 5, wherein if after routing to said another switch it is determined that the party associated with the calling station is not billable through the clearinghouse, completing and billing for the call by execution of steps comprising:

routing the call to a credit card billing system;

thereafter routing the call from said another switching office and the credit card billing system to the mobile switching center;

completing the call from the mobile switching center to the cellular telephone station;

rating the completed call through the credit card billing system; and

billing a credit card account of the party associated with the calling station using call rating data from the credit card billing system.

10. A telecommunication system, comprising:

a wireless communication network for providing wireless communication for a mobile station of a subscriber to a calling party pays communication service, the wireless communication network comprising a mobile switching center;

an exchange carrier telephone network for providing selectively switched telephone communication services to subscriber stations linked to the exchange carrier telephone network, the exchange carrier telephone network comprising;

a switching office having traffic and signaling links to the mobile switching center, and a billing system;

a control node for determining whether or not the billing system can bill charges to a party associated with a calling subscriber station in response to a call from the subscriber station directed to the mobile station, wherein the switching office completes the call through the mobile switching center to the mobile station if the control node indicates that the billing system can bill charges to the party associated with the calling station;

a telephone switch having traffic and signaling links to the switching office and having traffic and signaling links to the mobile switching center, wherein the telephone switch receives the call directed to the mobile station of the calling party pays subscriber, if the control node determines that the billing system can not bill charges to the party associated with the calling station; and

an alternate billing facility coupled to the telephone switch, wherein the telephone switch completes the received call through the mobile switching center, and the alternate billing facility performs billing functions relating to completion of the call through the telephone switch and the mobile switching center, wherein;

the alternate billing facility comprises a clearinghouse system; and

the telephone switch compiles a data record of completion of the call through the telephone switch and the mobile switching center and forwards the data record to the clearinghouse system for billing to the calling party.

11. A telecommunication system, comprising:

a wireless communication network for providing wireless communication for a mobile station of a subscriber to a calling party pays communication service, the wireless communication network comprising a mobile switching center;

an exchange carrier telephone network for providing selectively switched telephone communication services to subscriber stations linked to the exchange carrier telephone network, the exchange carrier telephone network comprising;

a switching office having traffic and signaling links to the mobile switching center, and a billing system;

a control node for determining whether or not the billing system can bill charges to a party associated with a calling subscriber station in response to a call from the subscriber station directed to the mobile station, wherein the switching office completes the call through the mobile switching center to the mobile station if the control node indicates that the billing system can bill charges to the party associated with the calling station;

a telephone switch having traffic and signaling links to the switching office and having traffic and signaling links to the mobile switching center, wherein the telephone switch receives the call directed to the mobile station of the calling party pays subscriber, if the control node determines that the billing system can not bill charges to the party associated with the calling station;

alternate billing facilities including a clearinghouse system and a credit card billing system coupled to the telephone switch, wherein the telephone switch completes the received call through the mobile switching center, and one of the alternate billing facilities performs billing functions relating to completion of the call through the telephone switch and the mobile switching center; and

a database, coupled to the telephone switch, storing data records indicating potential calling parties billable through the clearinghouse system, wherein;

the switch completes the call directly through the mobile switching center if the data records in the database indicate that the party associated with the calling station is billable through the clearinghouse system, and

the switch connects the call to the credit card billing system and subsequently completes the call through the mobile switching center if the data records in the database indicate that the party associated with the calling station is not billable through the clearinghouse.

12. A system as in claim 11, wherein the exchange carrier telephone network further comprises:

another switching office;

trunks circuits for carrying traffic between the switching offices of the exchange carrier telephone network; and

an interoffice signaling network separate from the trunk circuits,

wherein the control node comprises a service control point, coupled for communication with the switching offices of the exchange carrier telephone network via the interoffice signaling network.

13. A system as in claim 12, wherein the exchange carrier telephone network further comprises another database, coupled for communication with the switching offices of the exchange carrier telephone network via the interoffice signaling network, for storing subscriber information, including information for recognition of calls to the mobile station of the calling party pays subscriber.

14. A system as in claim 12, wherein the signaling links from the switching office to the mobile switching center and the signaling links from the telephone switch to the switching office comprise links through the interoffice signaling network.

15. A system as in claim 11, wherein the wireless communication network comprises a plurality of mobile switching centers and base stations, for providing digital cellular telephone services to a plurality of mobile stations.

16. A system as in claim 15, wherein the exchange carrier network comprises a plurality of switching offices for providing local exchange telephone services.