Method of notifying a wireless subscriber as to call payment responsibilities

• US 6,529,726 B1
• Filed: 05/19/1999
• Issued: 03/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Mobility II LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Wireless Services Incorporated (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rhodes, Jeffrey
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): SOBUTKA, PHILIP
• Application Number:
  US09/315,087
• Time in Patent Office: 1,385 Days
• Field of Search: 455/406, 455/407, 455/408, 455/414, 455/415, 455/517, 455/560, 455/567, 455/566, 455/565, 379/18, 379/114, 379/118, 379/120, 379/122, 379/127, 379/142, 379/114.22, 379/114.23, 379/114.24, 379/114.26, 379/372, 379/373.02, 379/127.01
• US Class Current: 455/406
• 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 15/06 Recording class or number of calling , i.e. A-party or called party , i.e. B-party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/08 Metering calls to called party , i.e. B-party charged for the communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/83 Notification aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/90 using Intelligent Networks [IN] or Advanced Intelligent Networks [AIN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/016 Billing using Intelligent Networks [IN] or Advanced Intelligent Networks [AIN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/62 Called party billing, e.g. reverse billing, freephone, collect call, 0800 or 0900
• 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: H04M 2215/82 Advice-of-Charge [AOC], i.e. notify subscriber of charges/cumulative charge; meter at the substation
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13091 CLI, identification of calling line
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13096 Digital apparatus individually associated with a subscriber line, digital line circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13098 Mobile subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13103 Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1313 Metering, billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13336 Store & forward, messaging systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13345 Intelligent networks, SCP
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/72 Finding out and indicating number of calling subscriber

Abstract

A method provides that a subscriber can receive calls through a wireless terminal whereby if the calls originate with one number the called party pays and if the calls originate with another number the calling party pays. Information is transferred to the wireless terminal so that a data field normally used to identify the calling party is used to indicate to the called party who has assumed responsibility for payment of the call.

Claims

1. A method for informing a calling party pays subscriber as to who will be billed for an incoming wireless call, the method comprising:

placing a called number into a first field of a caller ID data;

placing a calling number into a second field of the caller ID data;

transmitting call information including the caller ID data to a mobile switching center, the mobile switching center using the called number to transform a caller ID notification message into a called party ID notification message and routing the called party ID notification message to a wireless device using standard wireless caller ID technology;

billing calling party'"'"'s account for the call;

connecting the call to the wireless device; and

displaying the called number on wireless device using the standard wireless caller ID technology.

2. A method for providing calling party pays and called party pays services to a wireless communication device, the method comprising:

at a first time,

receiving, at a first switch with which the wireless communication device is associated, first call data including a calling party identifier and a called number identifier; and

transmitting a first notification message to the wireless communication device using caller ID technology, the first notification message indicating that the called number identifier indicates that a calling party assumes responsibility for paying for the connection to the wireless communication device;

at a second time,

receiving, at a first switch with which the wireless communication device is associated, second call data;

identifying, based on the second call data, the call at the second time as a call for which the called party assumes payment responsibility if the call is completed; and

transmitting a second notification message to the wireless communication device wherein said second notification message indicates whether the calling party or the called party is responsible for payment if the call is completed.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said communication device comprises a cellular mobile telephone.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein said notification messages comply with the IS-136 standard.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein a notification message indicating that the calling party assumes responsibility for paying for the connection to the communication device includes at least a part of the number called by the calling party.