Validation query based on a supervisory signal

• US 6,430,274 B1
• Filed: 01/18/2000
• Issued: 08/06/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: WorldCom, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Winstead, Regina Lisa, Jordan, David
• Primary Examiner(s): TIEU, BINH KIEN
• Application Number:
  US09/483,965
• Time in Patent Office: 931 Days
• Field of Search: 379/111, 379/112, 379/114, 379/115, 379/117, 379/118, 379/120, 379/121, 379/130, 379/134, 379/138, 379/144, 379/154, 379/201, 379/207, 379/91.01, 379/91.02
• US Class Current: 379/114.14
• 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 2215/62 Called party billing, e.g. reverse billing, freephone, collect call, 0800 or 0900

Abstract

A telephone system and method is provided for delaying authorization validation queries until after a called party accepts a telephone call. Queries are avoided not only in cases where the called phone line is busy or not answering, but also in cases where the called party declines to accept the charges. Because authorization validation queries typically take less than half a second, parties are not significantly affected by the delay.

Claims

1. A method for authorizing placement of a telephone call, comprising the steps of:

receiving a request to place a telephone call to a requested telephone;

delaying a query to a fraud database until the called party authorizes the call.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the fraud database is a Billing Number Screening (BNS) database.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

recording information from said query; and

storing said information in a database for later retrieval.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, subsequent to receiving said call placing request, further comprising the step of:

receiving a billing request to bill the telephone call according to a first billing scheme.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, further comprising the steps of:

recording information provided during said request to bill the telephone call according to a first billing scheme; and

storing said information in a billing database for billing a party to the call.

6. The method as recited in claim 4, subsequent to receiving said call placing request, further comprising the steps of:

detecting an off-hook condition;

determining if a called party agrees to accept the telephone call; and

terminating the call, if the called party does not accept the call.

14. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said telephone call is a collect telephone call requested from a collect-call-only telephone.

7. A method for authorizing a call, comprising the steps of:

receiving a request to place a telephone call to a requested telephone; and

after a called party authorized the call, performing the steps of;

querying the fraud database a first time;

determining if the fraud database authorizes the call; and

querying a pay-to-use database a first time, if the fraud database authorizes the call.

8. The method as recited in claim 7, further comprising, if the pay-to-use database authorizes the call, the step of:

connecting the called and calling parties.

9. The method as recited in claim 7, further comprising, if the fraud database does not authorize the call, the steps of:

prompting a first party to select a second billing scheme;

receiving a second billing scheme selection from the first party;

querying the fraud database a second time;

querying the pay-to-use database, if the fraud database authorizes the call; and

connecting the called and calling parties, if the pay-to-use database authorizes the call.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, further comprising, if the fraud database does not authorize the call for a second time, the step of:

terminating the call.

11. The method as recited in claim 7, further comprising, if the pay-to-use database does not authorize the call, the step of:

prompting a first party to select a second billing scheme;

receiving a second billing scheme selection from the first party;

querying the pay-to-use database a second time; and

connecting the called and calling parties, if the pay-to-use database authorizes the call.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, further comprising, if the pay-to-use database does not authorize the call for a second time, the step of:

terminating the call.

13. The method as recited in claim 11, further comprising, if the pay-to-use database does not authorize the call for a second time, the steps of:

prompting a second party to select a third billing scheme;

receiving a third billing scheme selection from the second party;

querying the pay-to-use database a third time; and

connecting the called and calling parties, if the pay-to-use database authorizes the call.

15. A system for authorizing placement of a telephone call, comprising:

means for receiving a request to place a telephone call to a requested telephone;

means for delaying a query to a fraud database until the called party authorizes the call.

16. The system as recited in claim 15, wherein the fraud database is a Billing Number Screening (BNS) database.

17. The system as recited in claim 15, further comprising:

means for recording information from said query; and

means for storing said information in a database for later retrieval.

18. The system as recited in claim 15, further comprising:

means for receiving a billing request to bill the telephone call according to a first billing scheme subsequent to receiving said call placing request.

19. The system as recited in claim 18, further comprising:

means for recording information provided during said request to bill the telephone call according to a first billing scheme; and

means for storing said information in a billing database for billing a party to the call.

20. The system as recited in claim 18, further comprising:

means for detecting an off-hook condition;

means for determining if a called party agrees to accept the telephone call; and

means for terminating the call, if the called party does not accept the call.

28. The system as recited in claim 15, wherein said telephone call is a collect telephone call requested from a collect-call-only telephone.

21. A system for authorizing a call, comprising:

means for receiving a request to place a telephone call to a requested telephone; and

means for, after a called party authorized the call, querying the fraud database a first time,

determining if the fraud database authorizes the call, and querying a pay-to-use database a first time, if the fraud database authorizes the call.

22. The system as recited in claim 21, further comprising:

means for connecting the called and calling parties.

23. The system as recited in claim 21, further comprising:

means for prompting a first party to select a second billing scheme;

means for receiving a second billing scheme selection from the first party;

means for querying the fraud database a second time;

means for querying the pay-to-use database, if the fraud database authorizes the call; and

means for connecting the called and calling parties, if the pay-to-use database authorizes the call.

24. The system as recited in claim 23, further comprising:

means for terminating the call.

25. The system as recited in claim 21, further comprising:

means for prompting a first party to select a second billing scheme;

means for receiving a second billing scheme selection from the first party;

means for querying the pay-to-use database a second time; and

means for connecting the called and calling parties, if the pay-to-use database authorizes the call.

26. The system as recited in claim 25, further comprising:

means for terminating the call.

27. The system as recited in claim 25, further comprising:

means for prompting a second party to select a third billing scheme;

means for receiving a third billing scheme selection from the second party;

means for querying the pay-to-use database a third time; and

means for connecting the called and calling parties, if the pay-to-use database authorizes the call.

29. A method for authorizing placement of a telephone call, comprising the steps of:

receiving a request from a caller to place a telephone call to a requested telephone; and

querying a fraud database after a called party accepts collect charges for billing to an account associated with the request telephone.

30. A system for authorizing a call, comprising:

means for receiving a request to place a telephone call to a requested telephone; and

means for querying a fraud database after a called party accepts collect call charges for billing to an account associated with the requested telephone.