System and method for creating a billing record with a called party's name

• US 7,149,292 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2004
• Issued: 12/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/04/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Sbc Holdings Properties, LP
• Inventors: Murphy, Melanie Louise, Wardin, William Konrad
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, QUOC DUC
• Application Number:
  US10/880,966
• Publication Number:
  US 20050013422A1
• Time in Patent Office: 896 Days
• Field of Search: 379/112.01, 379/114.03, 379/114.05, 379/114.28, 379/116, 379/119, 379/121.04, 379/121.05, 379/126, 379/127.01, 455/405, 455/406, 455/407, 455/408
• US Class Current: 379/114.03
• 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 15/44 Augmented, consolidated or itemized billing statement or bill presentation
• 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

Abstract

A method and system are provided for creating a billing record with a called party'"'"'s name. Providing the called party'"'"'s name on the billing record facilitates the calling party'"'"'s review of the billing record by reducing the amount of time and effort needed to determine the identity of the called parties. In addition to identifying fraudulent and misbilled calls, the called party'"'"'s name allows a person reviewing the billing record to quickly identify long distance calls, quickly discern business from personal calls, and audit calls made from phone lines with multiple users (e.g., employees or kids). Additionally, the billing record reviewer saves time and money by avoiding the need to call directory assistance or a billing service to identify the calls.

Claims

1. A method for creating a billing record with a called party'"'"'s name, the method comprising:

(a) sending a call record from a switch to a billing system, wherein the call record comprises a plurality of terminating numbers;

(b) with the billing system, identifying a called party'"'"'s name associated with a terminating number from the call record;

(c) with the billing system, adding the called party'"'"'s name to the call record; and

(d) with the billing system, creating a billing record from the call record, whereby the billing record comprises the called party'"'"'s name.

2. The invention of claim 1, wherein the call record comprises at least one number that is not associated with an information provider service.

3. The invention of claim 1, wherein the switch comprises a public switch.

4. The invention of claim 1, wherein the called party'"'"'s name is identified in (b) by querying a database with the terminating number.

5. The invention of claim 4, wherein the call record comprises a plurality of a given terminating number, and wherein the invention further comprises querying the database with a single occurrence of the given terminating number.

6. The invention of claim 1, wherein (b)–

(d) are performed after call processing.

7. The invention of claim 1, wherein the switch is part of a telephone network, and wherein the billing system is separate from the telephone network.

8. A method for creating a billing record with a called party'"'"'s name, the method comprising:

(a) sending a call record from a switch to a billing system, wherein the call record comprises a plurality of terminating numbers; and

(b) with the billing system;

(b1) adding a called party'"'"'s name to the call record; and

(b2) creating a billing record from the call record, whereby the billing record comprises the called party'"'"'s name.

9. The invention of claim 8, wherein (b) is performed after call processing.

10. The invention of claim 8, wherein the call record comprises at least one number that is not associated with an information provider service.

11. The invention of claim 8, wherein the switch comprises a public switch.

12. The invention of claim 8, wherein (b) further comprises identifying the called party'"'"'s name by querying a database with a terminating number from the call record.