Methods and systems for making telephone calls

• US 7,251,317 B1
• Filed: 12/12/2002
• Issued: 07/31/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Laboratories Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Robbins, David C., Doskow, Arthur, Jones, Douglas R., Haley, James E.
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, QUOC DUC
• Application Number:
  US10/317,937
• Time in Patent Office: 1,692 Days
• Field of Search: 379/114.01, 379/114.21, 379/114.22, 379/114.23, 379/114.27, 379/114.29, 379/115.02, 379/127.01, 379/127.04, 379/127.05, 379/142.01, 379/201.01, 379/201.02, 379/201.11, 370/352, 370/357, 370/493, 370/494, 370/495
• US Class Current: 379/114.21
• 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 15/56 for VoIP communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/90 using Intelligent Networks [IN] or Advanced Intelligent Networks [AIN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2207/12 intelligent networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/016 Billing using Intelligent Networks [IN] or Advanced Intelligent Networks [AIN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/202 VoIP; Packet switched telephony
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/62 Called party billing, e.g. reverse billing, freephone, collect call, 0800 or 0900
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/003 Click to dial services

Abstract

Methods and systems are disclosed for making a call. In one embodiment, methods and systems may request the call using a network, initiate a first leg to a caller device based on the request, initiate a second leg to a receiver device based on the request, connect the first leg and the second leg to make the call, and bill the call to a account associated with a subscriber.

Claims

1. A method for making a call that is billed to a subscriber'"'"'s telephone account, comprising:

receiving a request to make the call from a non-PSTN network;

initiating a first leg of the call to a caller device based on the request;

initiating a second leg of the call to a receiver device based on the request;

specifying the subscriber'"'"'s number in a setup message for the second leg of the call;

sending a query message when the setup message triggers a setup trigger, the query message containing the subscriber'"'"'s number and at least one of a calling party identification and a charge number;

sending a response message containing the subscriber'"'"'s number substituted in the at least one of the calling party identification and the charge number;

connecting, over a PSTN, the first leg and the second leg to make the call between the caller device and the receiver device; and

billing the call to the subscriber'"'"'s telephone account on the PSTN.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the request includes at least one of a telephone number of the subscriber'"'"'s telephone line, a telephone number of the caller device, and a telephone number of the receiver device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the request comprises delivering the request from the non-PSTN network to the PSTN and wherein the request includes a geographical address associated with the subscriber'"'"'s telephone account.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises sending the request to the non-PSTN network from a call initiator.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein sending the request comprises clicking a link on a Web site hosted on the non-PSTN network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the call meets at least one of the subscriber'"'"'s carrier, attribute, service, and feature restrictions.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the call conforms to the subscriber'"'"'s caller identification restriction and does not provide the subscriber'"'"'s identification to the receiver device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the call conforms to the subscriber'"'"'s caller identification restriction by setting a parameter on the call to block caller identification.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiver device is at least one of a PSTN telephone, a facsimile machine, a modem, an IP telephone, and a cellular telephone.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein billing comprises billing the call as if the subscriber originated the call on the subscriber'"'"'s telephone line.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises presenting a calling identity to the receiver device indicating the subscriber'"'"'s telephone line.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the caller device is associated with a caller and wherein the caller and the subscriber are the same entity.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the query message contains an information collected message and wherein the information collected message contains the subscriber'"'"'s number and the at least one of the calling party identification and the charge number.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the response message contains an analyze route message and wherein the analyze route message contains the at least one of the calling party identification and the charge number.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the setup trigger is provisioned on a primary rate interface.

16. A method for making a call that is billed to a subscriber'"'"'s telephone account, comprising:

sending a request to make the call from an Internet Protocol (IP) network, wherein the request initiates a first leg of the call to a caller device;

specifying the subscriber'"'"'s number in a setup message for a second leg of the call;

sending a query message when the setup message triggers a setup trigger, the query message containing the subscriber'"'"'s number and at least one of a calling party identification and a charge number;

sending a response message containing the subscriber'"'"'s number substituted in the at least one of the calling party identification and the charge number; and

answering the first leg, wherein the first leg will be connected to the second leg of the call to make the call between the caller device and a receiver device and wherein the call is billed to the subscriber'"'"'s telephone account on a PSTN.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the caller device is associated with a caller and wherein the caller and the subscriber are the same entity.

18. A system for making a call that is billed to a subscriber'"'"'s telephone account, comprising:

a caller device;

a receiver device;

an IP network for sending a request to make the call between the caller device and the receiver device; and

a PSTN for receiving the request to make the call from the IP network, the PSTN being adapted to;

initiate a first leg of the call to the caller device based on the request;

initiate a second leg of the call to the receiver device based on the request;

specify the subscriber'"'"'s number in a setup message for the second leg of the call;

send a query message when the setup message triggers a setup trigger, the query message containing the subscriber'"'"'s number and at least one of a calling party identification and a charge number;

send a response message containing the subscriber'"'"'s number substituted in the at least one of the calling party identification and the charge number;

connect the first leg and the second leg to make the call; and

bill the call to the subscriber'"'"'s telephone account on the PSTN.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the request includes at least one of a telephone number of the subscriber'"'"'s telephone line, a telephone number of the caller device, and a telephone number of the receiver device.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the request includes the subscriber'"'"'s number.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the system further comprises a call initiator for sending the request to the IP network.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the call initiator is adapted to display a link for sending the request to the IP.

23. The system of claim 18, wherein the call conforms to at least one of the subscriber'"'"'s carrier, attribute, service, and feature restrictions.

24. The system of claim 18, wherein the call conforms to the subscriber'"'"'s caller identification restriction and does not provide the subscriber'"'"'s identification to the receiver device.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the call conforms to the subscriber'"'"'s caller identification restriction by setting a parameter on the call to block caller identification.

26. The system of claim 18, wherein the receiver device is at least one of a PSTN telephone, a facsimile machine, a modem, an IP telephone, and a cellular telephone.

27. The system of claim 18, wherein the PSTN bills the call as if the subscriber originated the call on the subscriber'"'"'s telephone line.

28. The system of claim 18, wherein the PSTN presents a calling identity to the receiver device indicating the subscriber'"'"'s telephone line.

29. The system of claim 18, wherein the caller device is associated with a caller and wherein the caller and the subscriber are the same entity.

30. A system for making a call that is billed to a subscriber'"'"'s telephone account, comprising:

an IP network for sending a request to make the call between a caller device and a receiver device; and

a PSTN for receiving the request to make the call from the IP network, the PSTN, comprising;

a service node for initiating a first leg of the call to the caller device based on the request, initiating a second leg of the call to the receiver device based on the request, specifying a subscriber number in a setup message, connecting a first leg and a second leg to make the call, and billing the call to the subscriber'"'"'s telephone account on the PSTN;

a service switching point for sending a query message when the setup message triggers a setup trigger, wherein the query message contains the subscriber number and at least one of a calling party identification and a charge number; and

a service control point for sending a response message, wherein the response message contains the subscriber number substituted in the at least one of the calling party identification and the charge number.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the query message contains an information collected message and wherein the information collected message contains the subscriber number and the at least one of the calling party identification and the charge number.

32. The system of claim 30, wherein the response message contains an analyze route message and wherein the analyze route message contains the at least one of the calling party identification and the charge number.

33. The system of claim 30, wherein the system further comprises a primary rate interface and wherein the setup trigger is provisioned on the primary rate interface.