System and method for cost estimation of a long distance call

• US 6,678,364 B2
• Filed: 06/07/2001
• Issued: 01/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ruckart, John P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tieu, Binh
• Application Number:
  US09/876,015
• Publication Number:
  US 20020085694A1
• Time in Patent Office: 950 Days
• Field of Search: 379/111, 379/114.01, 379/114.03, 379/114.05, 379/114.28, 379/115.01, 379/115.02, 379/120, 379/121.02, 379/121.03, 379/122, 379/127.04, 455/406, 455/408
• US Class Current: 379/121.02
• 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 15/28 with meter at substation or with calculation of charges at terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/41 Billing record details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure of call data record [CDR]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/80 Rating or billing plans; Tariff determination aspects
• 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 2215/0152 General billing plans, rate plans, e.g. charge rates, numbering plans, rate centers, customer accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/016 Billing using Intelligent Networks [IN] or Advanced Intelligent Networks [AIN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0164 Billing record, e.g. Call Data Record [CDR], Toll Ticket[TT], Automatic Message Accounting [AMA], Call Line Identifier [CLI], details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/82 Advice-of-Charge [AOC], i.e. notify subscriber of charges/cumulative charge; meter at the substation

Abstract

The cost of a long distance call on a telephone system from a first telephone station to a second telephone station is estimated. The first telephone station has a corresponding calling number and the second telephone station has a corresponding called number. The called number, including a telephone code, is received from the first telephone station. The telephone code is parsed from the called number and a calling plan is determined. The cost is estimated based on the telephone code and the calling plan.

Claims

1. A method for estimating a cost of a long distance telephone call on a telephone system from a first telephone station having a calling number to a second telephone station having a called number, the method comprising:

receiving the called number from the first telephone station, the called number comprising a telephone code;

parsing the telephone code from the called number;

determining a calling plan identification; and

determining the estimated cost based on the telephone code and the calling plan identification.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein parsing the telephone code comprises parsing an area code from the called number.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein parsing the telephone code comprises parsing a country code from the called number.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein determining the estimated cost comprises determining an estimated connection cost and an estimated per unit of time cost.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising communicating the estimated cost to the first telephone station.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein communicating the estimated cost comprises communicating the estimated cost to the first telephone station via audible voice synthesis.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein communicating the estimated cost comprises communicating the estimated cost via numerical readings on a graphical display.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising broadcasting a prompt to the first telephone station for connection to the second telephone station.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising coupling the first telephone station to the second telephone station.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein determining a calling plan identification comprises determining a calling plan identification based on the called number.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein determining a calling plan identification comprises determining a calling plan identification based on a calling card number.

12. A method for estimating a cost of a long distance telephone call on a telephone system from a first telephone station having a calling number to a second telephone station having a called number in an advanced intelligent network comprising a service switching point electrically coupled to the first telephone station and a service control point electrically coupled to the service switching point, the service control point comprising a service package application and a data store, the method comprising:

receiving, at the service switching point, the called number from the first telephone station, the called number comprising a telephone code;

parsing, at the service control point, the telephone code from the called number;

determining, at the service control point, a calling plan identification; and

determining, at the service control point, the estimated cost based on the telephone code and the calling plan identification.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein parsing the telephone code comprises parsing an area code from the called number.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein parsing the telephone code comprises parsing a country code from the called number.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein determining an estimated cost comprises determining an estimated connection cost and an estimated per unit of time cost.

16. The method of claim 12 further comprising communicating, from the service switching point to the first telephone station, the estimated cost.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein communicating the estimated cost comprises communicating, from the service switching point to the first telephone station, the estimated cost via audible voice synthesis.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein communicating the estimated cost comprises communicating, from the service switching point to the first telephone station, the estimated cost via numerical readings on a graphical display of the first telephone station.

19. The method of claim 12 further comprising broadcasting, from the service switching point to the first telephone station, a prompt for connection to the second telephone station.

20. The method of claim 12 further comprising connecting, by the service switching point, the first telephone station to the second telephone station.

21. The method of claim 12 wherein parsing comprises:

receiving, at the service control point, the called number; and

parsing, by the service package application, the telephone code from the called number.

22. The method of claim 12 wherein determining a calling plan identification comprises:

receiving, at the service control point, the calling number and

mapping, by the service package application, the calling number to a corresponding calling plan identification.

23. The method of claim 12 wherein determining the estimated cost comprises mapping, by the service package application, the telephone code and the calling plan identification to a corresponding estimated cost.

24. A method for estimating a cost of a long distance telephone call on a telephone system from a first telephone station having a calling number to a second telephone station having a called number in an advanced intelligent network comprising a service switching point electrically coupled to the first telephone station, a service control point electrically coupled to the service switching point, the service control point comprising a service package application and a data store, and a service node electrically coupled to the service switching point, the method comprising:

receiving, at the service switching point, a predefined telephone number from the first telephone station;

connecting the service switching point to the service node;

receiving, at the service node, the called number from the first telephone station;

sending, from the service node to the service control point, the called number;

receiving, at the service control point, the called number;

parsing, at the service control point, a telephone code from the called number;

determining, at the service control point, a calling plan identification; and

determining, at the service control point, the estimated cost based on the telephone code and the calling plan identification.

25. The method of claim 24 further comprising:

prompting, by the service node to the first telephone station, for a calling card number; and

receiving, at the service node from the first telephone station, a calling card number.

26. The method of claim 24 further comprising communicating, from the service node to the first telephone station, the estimated cost.

27. The method of claim 24 wherein communicating the estimated cost comprises communicating, from the service node to the first telephone station, the estimated cost via audible voice synthesis.

28. The method of claim 24 wherein determining the estimated cost comprises mapping, by the service package application, the telephone code and the calling plan identification to a corresponding estimated cost.

29. The method of claim 24 further comprising broadcasting, from the service node to the first telephone station, a prompt for connection to the second telephone station.

30. The method of claim 24 further comprising connecting, by the service node, the first telephone station to the second telephone station.

31. A method for estimating a cost of a long distance telephone call on a telephone system from a first telephone station having a calling number to a second telephone station having a called number in a wireless intelligent network comprising a mobile switching center electrically coupled to the first telephone station and a service control point electrically coupled to the mobile switching center, the service control point comprising a service package application and a data store, the method comprising:

receiving, at the mobile switching center, a predefined number from the first telephone station;

connecting the mobile switching center to the service node;

receiving, at the service node, the called number from the first telephone station;

sending, by the service node to the service control point, the called number;

receiving, at the service control point, the called number;

parsing, at the service control point, a telephone code from the called number;

determining, at the service control point, a calling plan identification; and

determining, at the service control point, the estimated cost based on the telephone code and the calling plan identification.

32. The method of claim 31 further comprising:

prompting, by the service node to the first telephone station, for a calling card number; and

receiving, at the service node from the first telephone station, a calling card number.

33. The method of claim 31 further comprising broadcasting, from the service node to the first telephone station, a prompt for connection to the second telephone station.

34. The method of claim 31 further comprising connecting, by the service node, the first telephone station to the second telephone station.

35. A system for estimating a cost of a long distance telephone call on a telephone system from a first telephone station having a calling number to a second telephone station having a called number, the system comprising:

a service switching point electrically coupled to the first telephone station;

a service control point electrically coupled to the service switching point; and

a service node electrically coupled to the service switching point through a first data link, and electrically coupled to the service control point through a second data link, the service node adapted to receive a called number from the first telephone station, the called number comprising a telephone code;

wherein the service control point parses the telephone code from the called number, determines a calling plan identification, and determines the estimated cost based on the telephone code and the calling plan identification.

36. The system of claim 35 wherein the service node is further adapted to prompt the first telephone station for a calling card number, and receive from the first telephone station the calling card number.

37. The system of claim 35 wherein the service node is further adapted to communicate the estimated cost to the first telephone station.

38. The system of claim 35 wherein the service node is further adapted to communicate the estimated cost to the first telephone station via audible voice synthesis.

39. The system of claim 35 wherein the service node is further adapted to broadcast to the first telephone station, a prompt for connection to the second telephone station.

40. The system of claim 35 wherein the service node is further adapted to connect the first telephone station to the second telephone station.

41. The system of claim 35 wherein the service control point comprises a data store and a service package application.

42. The system of claim 41 wherein the service package application is adapted to map the telephone code and the calling plan identification to a corresponding estimated cost.

43. A system for estimating a cost of a long distance telephone call on a wireless telephone system from a first telephone station having a calling number to a second telephone station having a called number, the system comprising:

a mobile switching center electrically coupled to the first telephone station;

a service control point electrically coupled to the mobile switching center; and

a service node electrically coupled to the mobile switching center through a first data link, and electrically coupled to the service control point through a second data link, the service node adapted to receive a called number from the first telephone station, the called number comprising a telephone code;

wherein the service control point parses the telephone code from the called number, determines a calling plan identification, and determines the estimated cost based on the telephone code and the calling plan identification.

44. The system of claim 43 wherein the service node is further adapted to prompt the first telephone station for a calling card number, and receive from the first telephone station a calling card number.

45. The system of claim 43 wherein the service control point comprises and a data store and a service package application.

46. The system of claim 45 wherein the service package application is adapted to map the telephone code and the calling plan identification to a corresponding estimated cost.