System and method for reverse billing of a telephone call

• US 6,639,977 B1
• Filed: 08/17/2000
• Issued: 10/28/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Securus Technologies Incorporated (Securus Special Investments LLC)
• Original Assignee: Evercom Systems Incorporated (Securus Special Investments LLC)
• Inventors: Vaello, Donald B., Swope, Bobb
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, DUC MINH
• Application Number:
  US09/640,831
• Time in Patent Office: 1,167 Days
• Field of Search: 379/111, 379/112.01, 379/114.01, 379/114-5-1, 379/114-1-1, 379/127-1-1, 379/133-134, 379/144.01
• US Class Current: 379/114.21
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/08 Metering calls to called party , i.e. B-party charged for the communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/09 Third party charged communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/83 Notification aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/66 Third party billing, i.e. third party can also be the predetermined telephone line of the caller if he is calling from another telephone set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/82 Advice-of-Charge [AOC], i.e. notify subscriber of charges/cumulative charge; meter at the substation

Abstract

The present invention is a system and method that allows a calling party to call a destination number and, upon approval of the called party, reverse the billing of the telephone call so that it is deducted from an account owned and maintained by the called party other than the account associated with the destination number. The method of the present invention includes the steps of receiving a predetermined access number from a calling party; prompting for a destination number; notifying a called party of the call they are receiving; allowing the called party to accept the call and enter a number associated with an account other than the telephone service account of the destination telephone number; verifying the account number and whether the account has sufficient value available; completing the telephone call to the destination number; and processing the charges associated with the call to be charged against the account.

Claims

1. A method for connecting and billing a telephone call, comprising the steps of:

receiving a predetermined access telephone number from a calling party;

prompting the calling party for a destination number;

identifying an account of a called party;

determining if the account has sufficient funds to complete the call;

notifying the called party of the call they are receiving;

prompting the called party for acceptance of the call;

prompting the called party for a CIV, wherein the CIV is utilized with an ANI of the destination number to identify a number of failed CIV attempts in a predetermined database;

completing the telephone call to the destination number; and

deducting the cost of the telephone call form the account.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the account of the called party is identified by an identification number provided by the calling party.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the CIV includes a Personal Identification Number (PIN).

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the CIV includes voice recognition of the called party.

5. A method for connecting and billing a telephone calls from a correctional facility, said method comprising:

providing telecommunication system in communication with said correctional facility;

establishing prepaid reverse-billing accounts with respect to a plurality of persons wishing to receive telephone calls from said correctional facility, said prepaid reverse-billing accounts being provided by said correctional facility;

receiving a destination number from a calling party incarcerated within said correctional facility desirous of establishing communication with a called party of said plurality of persons;

allowing the called party to accept the telephone call and provide information associated with an account of said prepaid reverse-billing accounts to which the accepted telephone call is to be charged; and

completing the telephone call to the destination number.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said telecommunication system comprises a correctional facility premises-based telecommunication system provided at said correctional facility.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

determining if a call to the destination number should be completed; and

if it is determined that the call to the destination number should not be completed, preventing completion of the call to the destination number.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said determining if the call to the destination number should be completed utilizes information with respect to the destination number itself.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said determining if the call to the destination number should be completed further utilizes information with respect to where the call is originating from.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said determining if the call to the destination number should be completed further utilizes information with respect to the type of device the calling party is using to place the call.

11. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

validating the account information provided by the called party.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

obtaining a CIV from the called party for validating the account.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

tracking a number of CIV failures associated with the destination number; and

terminating call attempts if the number of CIV failures reaches a predetermined maximum number.

14. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

determining whether the account has sufficient value available for charges associated with the telephone call as completed.

15. A system for connecting and billing a telephone calls from a correctional facility, said system comprising:

a correctional facility premises-based telecommunication system provided at said correctional facility;

a plurality of prepaid reverse-billing accounts associated with a plurality of persons wishing to receive telephone calls from said correctional facility, said prepaid reverse-billing accounts being in communication with said telecommunication system;

a calling party terminal coupled to said telecommunication system providing a destination number from a calling party incarcerated within said correctional facility desirous of establishing communication with a called party of said plurality of persons; and

a called party terminal coupled to said telecommunication system providing information regarding the called party accepting the telephone call and providing information associated with an account of said prepaid reverse-billing accounts to which the accepted telephone call is to be charged to said telecommunication system.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said prepaid reverse-billing accounts are provided by said-correctional facility.

17. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

a database storing information with respect to particular destination numbers for which calls should be completed or should not be completed.

18. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

a database storing a number of CIV failures associated with the destination number and a predetermined maximum number of allowable CIV failures.

19. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

logic operable to determine whether the account has sufficient value available for charges associated with the telephone call as completed.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein said information associated with said account is provided by a technique from the group consisting of DTMF tones, swiping a card with a magnetic strip through a swiper, said called party speaking into said called party terminal, scanning a bar code with a scanner that is electrically connected to said called party terminal, and use of an automated biometric reading device.