System and method for internet reservation service

• US 6,584,097 B1
• Filed: 09/30/1999
• Issued: 06/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cufer Asset Ltd LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Malik, Dale W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Marcelo, Melvin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ferris, Derrick W.
• Application Number:
  US09/409,688
• Time in Patent Office: 1,363 Days
• Field of Search: 379/15.01, 379/15.02, 379/15.03, 379/15.04, 379/201.01, 379/201.02, 379/201.04, 379/204.01, 379/204.02, 379/207.02, 379/207.05, 379/207.1, 379/207.11, 379/207.13, 379/207.14, 379/210.01, 379/210.02, 379/221.08, 379/221.09, 379/221.11, 370/351, 370/352, 370/354, 370/357, 370/385, 370/400, 370/410, 370/464, 370/465, 370/466, 709/220, 709/223, 709/226, 709/227, 709/229
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/12 intelligent networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/38 Graded-service arrangements, i.e. some subscribers prevented from establishing certain connections queuing arrangements H04Q3/64

Abstract

A telecommunications system and method for reserving time slots for dialup access to Internet Service Providers. The present invention utilizes an Advanced Intelligent Network to collect reservation requests from subscribers and to process the dial-up connections during the reserved time slot. The present invention provides uses the telecommunications network infrastructure to generate bills for subscribers utilizing the reservation system. Subscribers are billed on a per use basis or may pre-purchase reservation slots which may be scheduled in the future.

Claims

1. A method for establishing and processing reservations for telephone connections to internet service providers comprising the steps of:

(a) determining a caller'"'"'s internet service provider and a time slot request;

(b) matching the caller'"'"'s internet service provider and the time slot request in a database comprising a plurality of internet service provider data, a plurality of respective time slot availability data, and a plurality of subscriber telephone numbers;

(c) establishing a reserved time slot for the caller; and

(d) terminating a telephone call between the caller and the internet service provider only when the telephone call is initiated during the reserved time slot.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

(e) establishing a second database comprising a subscriber'"'"'s prepaid slots; and

(f) subtracting a slot the subscriber'"'"'s pre-paid slots after the step of reserving a reserved time slot for the caller.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of provisioning a trigger on a telephone access number for the internet service provider.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the trigger is a public office dialing plan trigger.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of provisioning a trigger on a telephone access number for the reservation system.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the trigger is a public office dialing plan trigger.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of provisioning a trigger on a telephone number for the caller.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the trigger is a public feature code trigger.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of generating a bill after terminating the telephone call in step (d).

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of providing a confirmation number to the caller.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of verifying the caller'"'"'s confirmation number before terminating the telephone call in step (d).

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising the steps of verifying the caller'"'"'s confirmation number and canceling the reserved time slot upon request by the caller.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein step (a) comprises the steps of:

(i) looking up a calling party number for the caller in the database;

(ii) playing a pre-recorded message to the caller; and

(iii) collecting the time slot request from the caller.

14. In an intelligent switched telecommunications network including a switch, a service control point, a service node, a service management system, a gateway server, a method for creating and processing reservations for accessing an Internet service provider during a reserved-time slot comprising the steps of:

(a) establishing a database on the service control point, the database comprising a list of time slots, a number of ports available during the time slots, and a reserved telephone access number;

(b) receiving a reservation request on the service control point, the reservation request comprising a requested time slot and a first calling party number;

(c) determining whether the reservation request is feasible by comparing the reservation request to the database;

(d) if the reservation request is feasible, creating a reservation and updating the database on the service control point;

(e) in response to a telephone call from a subscriber to the reserved telephone access number, sending a data query from the switch to the service control point, the query comprising a trigger code, the reserved telephone access number and a second calling party number;

(f) determining whether the subscriber has a valid reservation by comparing the trigger code, the reserved access telephone number, the second calling party number and a time period to the database; and

(g) if the subscriber has a valid reservation, terminating the telephone call from the subscriber to the reserved access telephone number.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of billing the second subscriber after the terminating the telephone call.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of receiving the reservation request further comprises the steps of playing a series of pre-recorded messages from the service node to the first subscriber, collecting a plurality of digits entered in response to the series of pre-recorded messages and transmitting the plurality of digits from the service node to the service control point.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising repeating steps (b), (c) and (d) until the reservation request is feasible.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of receiving the reservation request further comprises the steps of collecting the reservation request at a computer server and transmitting the reservation request from the computer server to the service control point.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of repeating steps (b), (c) and (d) until the reservation request is feasible.

20. A telecommunications system for creating and processing reservations for accessing an internet service provider during a reserved time slot comprising:

(a) a first switch comprising a first trigger provisioned on a reservation system number;

(b) a second switch comprising a second trigger provisioned on an Internet reserved access number;

(c) a service control point in communication with the first and second switches comprising a means for processing a reservation request from a subscriber and a means for determining if a telephone call from the subscriber to the Internet reserved access number is made during a valid reservation period; and

(d) an access server in communication with the service control point comprising a means for disconnecting the subscriber from the Internet reserved access number when the valid reservation period expires.

21. The telecommunications system of claim 20, further comprising a service management system in communication with the service control point and a billing system in communication with the service management system.

22. The telecommunications system of claim 21, wherein the billing system bills the subscriber when the service control processes a reservation request.

23. The telecommunications system of claim 20, wherein the service control point further comprising means for determining whether the subscriber is a pre-subscribed user or a casual user.

24. The telecommunications system of claim 20, wherein the first trigger is a public office dialing plan trigger.

25. The telecommunications system of claim 20, wherein the second trigger is a public office dialing plan trigger.

26. The telecommunications system of claim 20, wherein the first switch and the second switch are the same switch.

27. The telecommunications system of claim 20, further comprising a third switch comprising a third trigger provisioned on a telephone number for the subscriber.

28. The telecommunications system of claim 27, wherein the third trigger is a public feature code trigger.

29. The telecommunications system of claim 20, wherein service control point initiates the telephone call from the subscriber to the Internet reserved access number.

30. The telecommunications system of claim 20, wherein the means for disconnecting the subscriber comprises a means for issuing a warning to the subscriber prior to disconnecting the subscriber.

31. A telecommunications network comprising:

(a) a service control point in communication with a service switching point;

(b) a trigger provisioned on the service switching point that prompts a query from the service switching point to the service control point whenever a subscriber initiates a telephone call to an Internet service provider'"'"'s telephone access number during a particular time slot, said query asking the service control point to confirm that the subscriber has reserved a time slot on the internet service provider;

(c) a database in communication with the service control point containing a list of reserved time slots and telephone numbers that have reserved the reserved time slots; and

(d) a service package application on the service control point that checks the database and sends an authorization for terminating the call to the internet service provider if the subscriber has reserved the particular time slot.

32. The telecommunications network of claim 31, wherein said authorization comprises a continue message and a termination notification request.

33. The telecommunications network of claim 32, wherein the service switching point notifies the service control point whether the internet service provider answered the call.

34. A telecommunications network comprising:

(a) a service control point in communication with a service switching point; and

(b) a database in communication with the service control point containing a list of reserved time slots and telephone numbers that have reserved the reserved time slots,

wherein the service control point instructs the service switching point to establish a call from a subscriber to an internet service provider according to a table in a database that contains subscriber numbers and time slots reserved for the subscriber numbers.

35. The telecommunications network of claim 34, wherein the service control point issues a create call message to the service switching point when the reserved time slot arrives.

36. The telecommunications network of claim 35, wherein the service control point issues a termination notification request to the service switching point when it issues the create call message.