Billing for abbreviated dialing plan service

• US 6,771,753 B2
• Filed: 01/17/2001
• Issued: 08/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SBC Technology Resources, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: SBC Technology Resources, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Stroud, Kenneth Robert, Fleischer, Harold C. III, Simino, John E., Morales, Louis Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): Taylor, Barry W
• Application Number:
  US09/760,833
• Publication Number:
  US 20020136376A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,294 Days
• Field of Search: 379/114.12, 379/114.05, 379/114.1, 379/111, 379/115.01, 379/121.02, 379/121.05, 379/114.01, 379/114.02, 379/127.01, 379/112.01, 379/112.09, 379/114.21, 379/126, 379/114.06
• US Class Current: 379/114.12
• 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 15/41 Billing record details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure of call data record [CDR]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/745 Customizing according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. friends or family
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8083 involving reduced rates or discounts, e.g. time-of-day reductions or volume discounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/90 using Intelligent Networks [IN] or Advanced Intelligent Networks [AIN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0108 Customization according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. customer preferences, friends and family, selecting services or billing options, Personal Communication Systems [PCS]
• 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 2215/0184 involving reduced rates or discounts, e.g. time-of-day reductions, volume discounts, cell discounts, group billing, frequent calling destination(s) or user history list

Abstract

A billing method and system include discounting a customer'"'"'s billing for telephone calls completed in a wide area centrex/PBX network, which includes an abbreviated dialing plan. A service control point (SCP) determines a call type code based upon a calling station and a called station of a telephone call. The SCP determines whether the call type code is eligible for discounted billing. When the call type code is eligible, the SCP generates a unique billing record that is forwarded to a service switching point (SSP). The SSP receives the forwarded unique billing record and modifies the billing record to indicate that a discount should be applied to the billing for the call when the call is completed. When the SSP does not receive the unique billing record, it creates a normal billing record.

Claims

1. A method for discounting a customer'"'"'s bill for telephone calls completed to an automatic selection of facilities-remote tie line (ASF-RTL) host switch in a wide area centrex/PBX network that includes an abbreviated dialing plan, the method comprising:

determining whether a call is routed to the ASF-RTL host switch;

determining whether the customer subscribes to billing discounting for ASF-RTL;

determining whether the call is eligible for the billing discounting;

when the call is routed to the ASF-RTL host switch, when the customer subscribes to billing discounting for ASF-RTL, and when the call is an eligible call;

modifying the billing record in accordance with a preestablished agreement, and discounting the billing based upon the modified billing record; and

when the call is not routed to the ASF-RTL host switch or when the customer does not subscribe to billing discounting for ASF-RTL or when the call is not eligible for the billing discounting, creating a normal billing record;

wherein the customer receives a reduced periodic charge for eligible calls employing the ASF-RTL host switch.

2. The method of claim 1, which the determining whether the call is eligible further comprises:

determining whether the call is an intraLATA call; and

determining whether the call is a voice call,

wherein the call is eligible when the call is a voice call and the call is an intraLATA call.

3. The method of claim 1, in which the discounting further comprises discounting a public switched telephone number (PSTN) leg of the call from the calling station to the ASF-RTL host switch.

4. A system for discounting a customer'"'"'s bill for telephone calls completed in a wide area centrex/PBX network that includes an abbreviated dialing plan, the system comprising:

an ASF-RTL host switch to which a call is routed;

a service control point that determines whether the call is routed to the ASF-RTL host switch, determines whether the customer subscribes to billing discounting for ASF-RTL, and determines whether the call is eligible for the billing discounting;

when the call is routed to the ASF-RTL host switch, when the customer subscribes to billing discounting for ASF-RTL, and when the call is an eligible call;

the service control point generates a unique billing record, and forwards the unique billing record to a service switching point; and

the service switching point that receives the forwarded unique billing record, and modifies the billing record to indicate that a discount should be applied to the billing for the call when the call is completed;

wherein when the service switching point does not receive the unique billing record, the service switching point creates a normal billing record.

wherein the customer receives a reduced periodic charge for eligible calls employing the ASF-RTL host switch.

6. The system of claim 4, in which the modifying of the service switching point further comprises discounting a public switched telephone number (PSTN) leg of the call from the calling station to the ASF-RTL host switch.

5. The system of claim in 4, which the determining whether the call is eligible of the service control point further comprises:

determining whether the call is an intraLATA call; and

determining whether the call is a voice call;

wherein the call is eligible when the call is a voice call and the call is an intraLATA call.