Method of billing in an abbreviated dialing service

• US 7,095,832 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2004
• Issued: 08/22/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ameritech Corp. (AT&T, Inc.), SBC Services, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ameritech Corp. (AT&T, Inc.), SBC Services, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tiliks, Dianna Inara, Book, Nancy Ann, McBlain, Thomas Joseph, Gruchala, Carol Shifrin, Blumenschein, Gordon Lynn, Crockett, Susanne Marie, Moss, John Wesley, Stroud, Kenneth Robert, Moy, William M.
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, QUOC DUC
• Application Number:
  US10/935,243
• Publication Number:
  US 20050078813A1
• Time in Patent Office: 713 Days
• Field of Search: 379/112.01, 379/114.01, 379/114.03, 379/114.05, 379/114.1, 379/114.12, 379/114.21, 379/114.24, 379/114.23, 379/114.25, 379/114.28, 379/115.01, 379/157, 379/201.01, 379/216.01, 379/221.08, 379/221.09, 379/222, 379/355.01, 379/355.05, 455/405, 455/406, 455/408, 455/414.1
• US Class Current: 379/114.05
• 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 15/08 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 15/41 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 15/745 Customizing according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. friends or family
• 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 2215/0192 Sponsored, subsidised calls via advertising, e.g. calling cards with ads or connecting to special ads, free calling time by purchasing goods
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/62 Called party billing, e.g. reverse billing, freephone, collect call, 0800 or 0900
• 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 3/44 Additional connecting arrangements for providing access to frequently-wanted subscribers, e.g. abbreviated dialling at the subscriber's set H04M1/27; automatic redialling H04M3/424

Abstract

A telecommunications service translates an abbreviated dialing code into a toll free number, routes the call to an interexchange carrier, and manages the billing associated with the call. A billing system processes the billing such that a subscriber of the abbreviated dialing code service is billed for the call rather than a calling party.

Claims

1. A method in an AIN telecommunications environment of identifying a subscriber to bill for an abbreviated dialing code call placed by a calling party, the method comprising:

receiving an incoming call in response to the calling party having dialed an abbreviated dialing code;

translating the abbreviated dialing code to a toll free number associated with the abbreviated dialing code;

sending a query to a service control point to determine first and second parameters associated with the abbreviated dialing code; and

using the first parameter to bill the subscriber of the abbreviated dialing code for the call rather than the calling party,

wherein the toll free number is associated with the subscriber to be billed for the call placed to the abbreviated dialing code.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

using the second parameter to discard an abbreviated dialing code automatic message accounting record associated with the second parameter.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising sending the first parameter to a billing system.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising sending the second parameter to a billing system.

5. The method according to claim 1, the first parameter further being associated with a subscriber'"'"'s abbreviated dialing code for a state and LATA in which the call originated.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first parameter comprises an alternate billing number.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second parameter comprises an automatic messaging accounting number.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the abbreviated dialing code comprises a #XXX sequence.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the abbreviated dialing code comprises a #XX sequence.

10. A telecommunications system for processing calls placed by a calling party to an abbreviated dialing code service in an AIN telecommunications environment, comprising:

a service control point that derives first and second parameters associated with a subscriber'"'"'s abbreviated dialing code; and

a billing system that inputs charges associated with abbreviated dialing code calls on a subscriber'"'"'s account and discards billing records associated with a calling party'"'"'s use of the abbreviated dialing code service.

11. The telecommunications system according to claim 10, wherein the service control point stores information provisioned by a subscriber of the abbreviated dialing code service.

12. The telecommunications system according to claim 10, wherein the service control point derives a routing number of a subscriber that has been designated for a particular LATA.

13. The telecommunications system according to claim 10, wherein the first parameter comprises an alternate billing number.

14. The telecommunications system according to claim 10, wherein the second parameter comprises an automatic messaging accounting number.

15. The telecommunications system according to claim 10, further comprising a service switching point provisioned with a public office dialing plan feature code trigger.

16. The telecommunications system according to claim 10, further comprising a service switching point that creates an abbreviated dialing code AMA record in response to receiving the first and second parameters from the service control point.

17. The telecommunications system according to claim 10, wherein the service control point translates the abbreviated dialing code to a toll free number.

18. The telecommunications system according to claim 10, wherein the abbreviated dialing code consists of a #XXX or #XX sequence.

19. A computer readable medium storing a computer program that identifies a subscriber to bill for an abbreviated dialing code call placed by a calling party, the program comprising:

a receiving code segment that receives an incoming call in response to the calling party having dialed an abbreviated dialing code;

a translating code segment that translates the abbreviated dialing code to a toll free number associated with the abbreviated dialing code;

a determining code segment that determines first and second parameters associated with the abbreviated dialing code; and

a billing code segment that uses the first parameter to bill the subscriber for the call rather than the calling party,

wherein the toll free number is associated with the subscriber to be billed for the call placed to the abbreviated dialing code.

20. A computer readable medium for storing a program for processing billing of an abbreviated dialing code call placed by a calling party, the program comprising:

a recording code segment that records information associated with a subscriber'"'"'s abbreviated dialing code, the information comprising at least a toll free number of a subscriber;

a determining code segment that determines first and second parameters associated with the subscriber'"'"'s abbreviated dialing code; and

a billing code segment that bills the subscriber for the call rather than the calling party, using the first parameter.

21. A method in an AIN telecommunications environment of billing a subscriber for an abbreviated dialing code call placed by a calling party, the method comprising:

receiving an incoming call in response to the calling party having dialed an abbreviated dialing code;

translating the abbreviated dialing code to a toll free number associated with the abbreviated dialing code;

determining an alternate billing number based upon a location of the calling party and the abbreviated dialing code, the determination occurring at a service control point; and

using the alternate billing number so that the subscriber of the abbreviated dialing code is billed for the call rather than the calling party,

wherein the toll free number is associated with the subscriber to be billed for the call placed to the abbreviated dialing code.