Procedure and system for the setting up of calls

• US 6,418,206 B1
• Filed: 02/09/1999
• Issued: 07/09/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intellectual Ventures I LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Sonera Oyj
• Inventors: Leppänen, Osmo
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, QUOC DUC
• Application Number:
  US09/077,969
• Publication Number:
  US 20020076017A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,246 Days
• Field of Search: 379/202, 379/211, 379/111, 379/112, 379/114, 379/121, 379/201, 379/206, 379/207, 379/216, 379/221, 379/112.01, 379/114.01, 379/114.02, 379/114.03, 379/114.05, 379/114.21, 379/114.22, 379/114.27, 379/114.28, 379/121.02, 379/201.01, 379/201.02, 379/211.02, 379/212.01, 379/216.01, 379/220.01, 379/221.06, 379/221.08
• US Class Current: 379/114.01
• 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 15/745 Customizing according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. friends or family
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8083 involving reduced rates or discounts, e.g. time-of-day reductions or volume discounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/90 using Intelligent Networks [IN] or Advanced Intelligent Networks [AIN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0108 Customization according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. customer preferences, friends and family, selecting services or billing options, Personal Communication Systems [PCS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/016 Billing using Intelligent Networks [IN] or Advanced Intelligent Networks [AIN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0184 involving reduced rates or discounts, e.g. time-of-day reductions, volume discounts, cell discounts, group billing, frequent calling destination(s) or user history list
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4228 in networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/44 Additional connecting arrangements for providing access to frequently-wanted subscribers, e.g. abbreviated dialling at the subscriber's set H04M1/27; automatic redialling H04M3/424
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1313 Metering, billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13532 mobile networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13547 subscriber, e.g. profile, database, database access
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking

Abstract

A procedure and system for setting rates between two predetermined subscriptions in a telephone network without the necessity of substantial system changes to the telephone network. Calls between two predetermined subscriptions can be rated according to a special tariff and changes can be easily and flexibly included in the normal invoicing. When the number of subscriptions per customer is limited to two, the common call number for all customers is the same, e.g. 020100. When this number is dialed, the call is directed to the wired network subscription specified in the subscriber number pair, which is stored in a database, when the call is made from a mobile station, and vice versa. When the number of subscriptions connected to the system by the customer is greater than two, the common call number comprises a prefix part which is the same for all customers and on the basis of which the telephone network exchange recognizes the service call of intelligent network calls and specially rated calls, and a suffix part which is an integer and which, via the intelligent network, determines the desired individual subscription among subscriptions selected to be included in the system by the customer.

Claims

1. Procedure for the setting up of calls in a telephone network between a first and a second subscription, in which method:

a common call number differing from the subscriber number is reserved for all subscriptions, and

a specially priced call is set up between two predetermined subscriptions, characterized in that

a pair of subscriber numbers between the first and the second subscriber number is established, in which the second subscriber number corresponds to the first subscriber number and the first subscriber number corresponds to the second subscriber number and between which a call is set up upon selection of the common call number,

and the pair of numbers is stored by means of a checking device;

a call made to the common call number by the first or second subscription is directed to a checking device; and

the called subscriber number is determined in the checking device on the basis of the subscriber number of the calling subscription;

the call is connected to the subscription corresponding to the calling subscriber number; and

invoicing data determined on the basis of the common call number is supplied into an invoicing system.

2. Procedure as defined in claim 1, characterized in that the common call number consists of two parts, comprising a prefix part and a suffix part, on the basis of which the pair of subscriber numbers to be considered is selected.

3. Procedure as defined in claim 1, characterized in that the subscriber numbers entitled to calls set up by means of a common call number are stored to a database and the calling subscriber'"'"'s right to calls set up by means of a common call number is verified by reference to the database.

4. Procedure as defined in claim 1, characterized in that the pair of subscriber numbers is formed between a wired network subscriber number and a mobile communication network subscriber number.

5. Procedure as defined in claim 1, characterized in that the pair of subscriber numbers is established between a wired network subscriber number and a plurality of mobile communication network subscriptions;

the pair of subscriber numbers is so defined that a call made from the wired network subscriber number is directed on the basis of the suffix part of the common call number to the subscription corresponding to the mobile subscriber number defined in the pair of subscriber numbers, and a call made from each mobile subscriber number is directed to the subscriber number corresponding to the wired network subscriber number defined in the pair of subscriber numbers.

6. Procedure as defined in claim 1, characterized in the pair of subscriber numbers is established among a set comprising a wired network subscriber number and a plurality of mobile network subscriber numbers so that a call made from any one of the subscriber numbers to the common call number is directed on the basis of the suffix part of the common call number to the subscription corresponding to the second subscriber number corresponding to the calling subscriber number in the set of subscriber numbers.

7. Procedure as defined in claim 1, characterized in that the pair of subscriber numbers is established between two subscriber numbers in a wired network and/or a mobile communication network.

8. Procedure as defined in claim 1, characterized in that the pairs of subscriber numbers are stored in the form of a table.

9. System for the setting up of a call in a telephone network between a first and a second subscription, characterized in that the system comprises

a storage device (1) for the storage of the pair of numbers between the first and the second subscriber number, in which the second subscriber number corresponds to the first subscriber number and the first subscriber number corresponds to the second subscriber number and between which a call is set up upon selection of the common call number;

means (2) for receiving the subscriber number of the calling subscription in connection with the setup of a call made to the common call number and for determining the called subscriber number corresponding to the subscriber number on the basis of the data of the pair of subscriber numbers stored on the storage device; and

an invoicing system (8) which is connected to the telephone exchange and/or to the intelligent network switching centre (5) and in which the invoicing is based on invoicing data related to the common call number.

10. System as defined in claim 9, characterized in that the storage device (1) comprises

a first database (3) for the storage of subscriber numbers entitled to calls set up by means of a common call number; and

a second database (4) for the storage of pairs of subscriber numbers in the form of a table between which a call is to be set up when the common call number is called.

11. System as defined in claim 9, characterized in that the telephone network comprises an intelligent network switching centre (5);

and that the storage device (1) and the means (2) for receiving the subscriber number of the calling subscription and determining the pair of subscriber numbers corresponding to the subscriber number are disposed in the intelligent network switching centre.

12. System as defined in claim 9, characterized in that the telephone network comprises a mobile communication network (6) and/or a wired telephone network (7).

13. System as defined in claim 12, characterized in that the intelligent network switching centre (5) is disposed in the mobile communication network (6);

and that a call to the common call number is directed to the intelligent network switching centre of the mobile communication network.

14. System as defined in claim 12, characterized in that the intelligent network switching centre (5) is disposed in the wired telephone network (7);

and that a call to the common call number is directed to the intelligent network switching centre of the wired telephone network.

15. System as defined in claim 9, characterized in that one of the databases contains a number of common call numbers and the pair of subscriber numbers corresponding to each common call number so that the first subscriber number in each of the pair of subscriber numbers is the same wired network subscriber number and the second subscriber number is a mobile communication network subscriber number.

16. System as defined in claim 9, characterized in that one of the databases contains a number of common call numbers and the pair of subscriber numbers corresponding to each common call number so that the first and second subscriber numbers in each pair of subscriber numbers are selected from a set of subscriber numbers comprising a wired network subscriber number and/or a mobile communication network subscriber number.