Method and system for accumulating call prepayment

• US 6,532,282 B1
• Filed: 11/16/2000
• Issued: 03/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Orange S.A.
• Original Assignee: Orange Personal Communications Services Limited (BT Group PLC)
• Inventors: Plush, Christopher, Wren, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): TRAN, QUOC DUC
• Application Number:
  US09/601,859
• Time in Patent Office: 845 Days
• Field of Search: 379/111, 379/112.01, 379/114.01, 379/114.1, 379/114.12, 379/114.15, 379/114.17, 379/114.2, 379/114.28, 379/144.01, 379/121.02, 379/133, 379/201.01, 455/405, 455/406, 455/407, 455/408
• US Class Current: 379/114.03
• 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 15/80 Rating or billing plans; Tariff determination aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/88 Provision for limiting connection, or expenditure

Abstract

Subscribers in a mobile communications system are provided with a bundle of call time each billing period, against which standard call types are rated. If, at the end of one billing period, a portion of the bundle for that billing period remains, the rating system associates the remaining portion with a bundle provided for the forthcoming billing period. In one embodiment, rating is interrupted whilst any remaining portions of the previous bundles are added to the newly-created bundles for the next period. In other embodiments, the rating system refers both to the current bundle and to a previous bundle when rating standard call types.

Claims

1. Call record processing apparatus for a telecommunications system, said apparatus comprising:

an input data link for receiving call records generated in the telecommunications system;

a store for user allocation records, said user allocation records being capable of holding first allocations of usage associated with first predetermined usage criteria and second allocations of usage associated with second predetermined usage criteria, at least one criterion of which is different to any of said first criteria,

a call record processor arranged to cumulatively reduce one of said first allocations for call records holding call details satisfying said first criteria, and to cumulatively reduce one of said second allocations for call records holding call details satisfying said second criteria,

wherein said apparatus is arranged to associate said first allocations with said second allocations so as to allow said call record processor to reduce one of said first allocations for call records holding call details satisfying said second criteria.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said at least one criterion includes a temporal currency limit.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein said first criteria include a first temporal currency period.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said at least one criterion includes a second temporal currency period.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, wherein said first period precedes said second period.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein aid second period starts immediately at the end of said first period.

7. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said allocations are durations of service usage.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said call record processor is arranged to attach the amount whereby at least one of said usage allocations is reduced for a call record holding call details satisfying said first or second criteria.

9. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first and said second criteria include call type criteria.

10. Apparatus according to claim 9 comprising a tariff store, and

wherein said call processor is arranged to attach a charge, calculated with reference to said tariff store, to a call record holding call details not satisfying said call type criteria.

11. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said call record processor is arranged to reduce one of said first and one of said second allocations for a call record holding call details satisfying said second criteria, where the amount remaining of said first or said second allocation alone is insufficient to account for the service usage detailed in said call record.

12. Service usage processing apparatus for a telecommunications service, said apparatus comprising:

a store holding user records; and

a service usage processor,

said apparatus being arranged to associate a predetermined allocation of usage with a user record, at the start of each of a plurality of consecutive usage periods, said allocation having a defined period of currency corresponding to the following usage period, such that a first allocation is associated with a user record for a first usage period and a second allocation is associated with said user record for a second usage period,

said service usage processor being arranged to reduce said first allocation for service usage defined to occur within said first usage period, and to reduce said second allocation for service usage defined to occur within said second usage period,

wherein said service usage processor is arranged to reduce said first allocation for service usage defined to occur within said second usage period, if at least a portion of said first allocation remains after the end of said first usage period.

13. Apparatus according to claim 12, wherein said user records each identify one of a plurality of predetermined subscription types, each said type being associated with a different said predetermined allocation.

14. A method of operating a rating apparatus in a telecommunications system, said method comprising the following steps:

(i) defining, for subscriptions in the system, first usage allocations to be applied by said apparatus to service usage during a first usage period;

(ii) rating usage records during said first usage period, reducing said first usage allocations for predefined usage types;

(iii) interrupting rating after the end of said first usage period;

(iv) defining second usage allocations to be applied by said apparatus during a second usage period; and

(v) adding remaining usage from said first allocations to said second allocations whilst call rating is interrupted.

15. A method according to claim 14, said method comprising continuing step (ii) after the end of said first usage period until receipt of a usage record having predetermined characteristics.

16. A method according to claim 14, comprising continuing step (ii) until at least a predetermined length of time, corresponding to a maximum usage duration allowed in a usage record by said system, elapses after the end of the first usage period.

17. A method according to claim 14, comprising conducting a preliminary to step (v) during step (ii), said preliminary comprising identifying a candidate list of subscriptions having first usage allocations remaining before rating is interrupted.

18. A method according to claim 14, comprising restarting rating after step (v), reducing said second usage allocations for said predefined usage types.

19. A method of operating a rating apparatus in a telecommunications system, said method comprising the following steps:

(i) defining, for subscriptions in the system, first usage allocations to be applied by said apparatus to service usage during a first usage period, and second usage allocations to be applied by said apparatus during a second usage period;

(ii) rating usage records detailing usage defined to occur during said first usage period against said first usage allocations; and

(iii) rating usage records detailing usage defined to occur during said second usage period against both said first and said second usage allocations.

20. A method according to claim 19, said method comprising storing, for a particular subscription, said first usage allocation in a first allocation record and said second usage allocation in a second allocation record, and wherein step (iii) includes, when a usage record details usage by said particular subscription, applying said usage against said first and said second allocation records in accordance with predetermined prioritisation algorithm.

21. A method according to claim 20, comprising attempting to apply said usage against said first allocation record first.

22. A method according to claim 20, comprising attempting to apply said usage against said second allocation record first.