System and method for identifying parties in bills for communications services

• US 6,985,569 B2
• Filed: 02/28/2003
• Issued: 01/10/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Grape Technology Group Incorporated (KGB)
• Original Assignee: Metro One Telecommunications, Inc.
• Inventors: Baker, Nathan Bryant
• Primary Examiner(s): BARNIE, REXFORD N
• Application Number:
  US10/376,935
• Publication Number:
  US 20040170260A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,047 Days
• Field of Search: 379/142.01, 379/88.01, 379/88.02, 379/88.19, 379/88.2, 379/142.06, 379/142.04, 379/218.01, 379/126, 379/127.01, 379/127.03, 379/127.04, 379/127.05, 379/115.01, 379/223
• US Class Current: 379/126
• 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 15/06 Recording class or number of calling , i.e. A-party or called party , i.e. B-party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/41 Billing record details, i.e. parameters, identifiers, structure of call data record [CDR]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/43 Billing software details
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/44 Augmented, consolidated or itemized billing statement or bill presentation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/49 Connection to several service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/50 for cross-charging network operators
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0104 Augmented, consolidated or itemised billing statement, e.g. additional billing information, bill presentation, layout, format, e-mail, fax, printout, itemised bill per service or per account, cumulative billing, consolidated billing
• 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 2215/46 Connection to several service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/52 Interconnection, inter-exchange, reseller billing, billing agreements between different operators, e.g. billing identifier added on the CDR in order to cross charge the other operator, inter-operator accounting, reconciliation, bill directly resellers customers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2218 Call detail recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/4931 Directory assistance systems

Abstract

In an information assistance system, when a first party calls the service to request a communications number (i.e., phone number) of a second party, an indicator of the second party, such as the second party'"'"'s name, is inserted into an event record to be provided to a billing platform. The indicator may also be the second party'"'"'s address, instead of or along with the second party'"'"'s name. The name may thereby be readily provided in a bill for the call. In a carrier network, the name of a second party called by a first party is inserted in an event record, so that the second party'"'"'s name may be included in a bill for the call. The name may be determined by submitting the second party'"'"'s communications number, which may be derived from call set up signals, to a database correlating communications numbers with corresponding parties'"'"' names. This may take place while the communication is being connected. Methods and systems are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of operating an information assistance service system, comprising:

establishing a communication with a first party seeking connection information concerning a second party;

eliciting a name of the second party from the first party; and

generating an event record including at least the name of the second party during the communication.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising eliciting from the first party location information concerning the second party.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the the name of the second party is derived from the location information.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing the name of the second party in a memory location; and

copying the name stored in the memory location into the event record.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

copying the name stored in the first memory location into a second memory location; and

copying the name stored in the second memory location into the event record.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the second memory location is associated with a database server, the method further comprising:

searching a database for a communications number associated with the name stored in the second memory location.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

searching at least a selected one of a national, local, a private, a proprietary, a shared and an international database.

8. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

storing the second party'"'"'s name in the first memory location via an input device.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

storing the second party'"'"'s name in the first memory location via an input device operated by an operator.

10. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

storing the second party'"'"'s name in the first memory location via a voice recognition unit.

11. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

sending the event record including the second party'"'"'s name to a billing platform.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending the event record to a billing platform.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the billing platform is part of the information assistance service system, part of a carrier or part of another third party.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

connecting the first party to the second party.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

re-establishing a second communication with the information assistance service system;

receiving a name of a third party from the first party; and

generating a second event record including at least one indicator related to the second communication.

16. An information assistance communications system, comprising:

means for receiving signals to establish a communication with a first party requesting connection information concerning the second party;

means for eliciting a name of the second party from the first party; and

means for generating an event record including at least the name of the second party during the communication.

17. An information assistance communications system, comprising:

an interface to receive signals to establish a communication with a first party requesting connection information concerning a second party;

a device for eliciting a name of the second party from the first party; and

a processor coupled to the interface, the processor being programmed to cause generation of an event record during the communication, the event record including at least the name of the second party.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising:

a database correlating parties'"'"' names and corresponding communications numbers, the database being coupled to the processor;

wherein the processor is programmed to conduct a search of the database for a communications number associated with the second party.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the database is a selected one of a national, a local, a private, a proprietary, a shared and an international database.

20. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

a database server coupled between the database and the processor;

wherein the processor is programmed to conduct a search by causing the second party'"'"'s name to be submitted to the database server and the database server is programmed to search the database for a communications number associated with the second party'"'"'s name.

21. The system of claim 20, further comprising:

an operator input device coupled to the database server to enable input of the second party'"'"'s name.

22. The system of claim 20, further comprising:

a voice recognition unit coupled to the database server and to the interface to enable input of the second party'"'"'s name.

23. The system of claim 20, further comprising:

memory to store a party'"'"'s name to be searched;

wherein the processor is further programmed to cause the second party'"'"'s name stored in memory to be inserted into the event record.

24. The system of claim 18, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

search the database for an address associated with the name; and

insert the address into the event record.

25. A method of operating a communications system, comprising:

processing a communications connection between a first communications device of a first party initiating a communication with a second communications device of a second party;

deriving a name of the second party based on information provided by the first party; and

generating an event record related to the communication, including at least the name of the second party, during the communications connection.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the name of the second party is identified by searching a database based on the information.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the database comprises a national, a local, a private, a proprietary, a shared or an international database.

28. The method of claim 25, further comprising:

transmitting the event record to a billing platform.

29. A communications system, comprising:

means for processing a communications connection between a first communications device of a first party initiating a communication and a second communications device of a second party;

deriving a name of the second party based on information provided by the first party; and

means for generating an event record related to the communication, including at least the name of the second party, during the communications connection.

30. A communications system for establishing a communication, comprising:

an interface to receive signals from a communications device of a first party to process a communications connection with a communications device of a second party;

deriving a name of the second party based on information provided by the first party; and

a processor programmed to generate an event record including at least the name of the second party, during the communications connection.

31. The communications system of claim 30, wherein the processor is programmed to:

generate the event record;

access a database correlating communications numbers with respective indicators of parties; and

insert a retrieved indicator into the event record, while the communications connection is being processed.

32. The communications system of claim 31, wherein the database is part of a third party.

33. The communications system of claim 32, wherein the third party is an information assistance service system.

34. The communications system of claim 30, further comprising:

a database correlating communications numbers with respective indicators of parties, the database being coupled to the processor.

35. The communications system of claim 34, further comprising:

an engine to search the database, the engine being between the processor and the database.

36. The communications system of claim 35, wherein the database comprises a selected one of a national, a local, a private, a proprietary, a shared and an international database.

37. A method of operating a communications system, comprising:

connecting an information assistance communication to an information assistance service system, wherein, in the communication, a first party is seeking a communications number of a second party;

establishing a communications connection between the first party and the second party after the communications number of the second party is identified;

inserting at least a name of the second party into an event record generated by the communications system associated with connecting the first party to the second party, while establishing the communications connection between the first party and the second party.

38. The method of claim 37, comprising:

searching a directory assistance database of an information assistance service system.

39. The method of claim 37, comprising:

receiving from the information assistance service system the name of the second party.

40. The method of claim 39, further comprising:

receiving the name by an Internet Protocol connection.

41. The method of claim 39, further comprising:

receiving the name from the information assistance service system, via a predetermined protocol.

42. The method of claim 37, further comprising:

inserting the address of the second party into the event record.