Calling-party-pays call processing for cellular and paging

• US 7,257,209 B2
• Filed: 04/02/2003
• Issued: 08/14/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: SBC Properties, L.P.
• Inventors: Gruchala, Carol Shifrin, Blumenschein, Gordon Lynn, Marshall, Douglas, Sosa, Roger Albert, Donoso, Carlos
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, QUOC DUC
• Application Number:
  US10/407,154
• Publication Number:
  US 20030220098A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,595 Days
• Field of Search: 379/112.01, 379/114.01, 379/114.03, 379/114.05, 379/114.21, 379/114.28, 379/118, 379/127.01, 379/127.03, 379/127.05, 379/127.06, 379/133, 455/405, 455/406, 455/407, 455/408
• US Class Current: 379/127.01
• 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 15/745 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 2215/0168 On line or real-time flexible customization or negotiation according to wishes of subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/68 Billing calls completely to the calling party, except POTS, e.g. charge on caller's choice service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53308 Message originator indirectly connected to the message centre, e.g. after detection of busy or absent state of a called party
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13095 PIN / Access code, authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13098 Mobile subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1313 Metering, billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13166 Fault prevention
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13176 Common channel signaling, CCS7
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13204 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13213 Counting, timing circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13345 Intelligent networks, SCP
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13374 Paging
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13377 Recorded announcement
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking

Abstract

An enhanced Calling Party Pays (CPP) or Paging Party Pays (PPP) system that enables 1) billing of calls originating from traditionally non-billable sources, 2) routing of incoming calls to voicemail if the caller does not wish to incur the additional charges, 3) allowing the caller to complete the call and charge the cellular (or paging) subscriber for additional air-time usage when the caller enters a PIN or security code, also referred to as a billing override code, and 4) allowing the caller to block CPP/PPP charges from being billed to the calling party

Claims

1. A system for processing a calling party pays call initiated by a first subscriber device to a second subscriber device, the system comprising:

a processor;

a switch operative to transmit, to the processor, an automatic number identifier (ANI) of the first subscriber device comprising a calling number and a called number; and

a database comprising a field comprising the billing preferences of the second subscriber device;

wherein the processor is operative to determine that a billing status of the first subscriber device is nonbillable based on a charge party station type (CPST) of the first subscriber device and, in response to that determination, perform at least one of the following;

route the call to a voice mail provider or route the call to a billing service provider; and

wherein the processor is further operative to determine that the billing preference of the second subscriber is calling party pays and the processor determines that the billing preferences of the second subscriber is calling party pays by examining the field in the database.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a database comprising a field comprising the CPST of the first subscriber device, and wherein the processor is further operative to determine that the billing status of the first subscriber device is nonbillable by examining the field in the database.

3. The system claim 1, wherein the processor comprises a service control point.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the switch comprises a tandem switch.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the switch is operative to transmit the ANI of the first subscriber device to the processor using a TCAP route the call to a voice mail provider, and wherein the switch is further operative component of a signaling system 7 protocl.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is operative to route the call to a voice mail provider, and wherein the switch is further operative to play a message to the first subscriber device indicating that voice mail is an option.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is operative to route the call to a voice mail provider, and wherein the switch is further operative to play a message to the first subscriber device indicating that no additional charges are associated with the voice mail option.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is operative to both route the call to the voice mail provider and to route the call to the billing service provider, and wherein the switch is further operative to prompt the first subscriber device to choose whether the processor should route the call to the voice mail provider or route the call to the billing service provider.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the first subscriber device is associated with a calling party, and wherein the processor is further operative to route the call to the second subscriber device without charging additional fees to the calling party in response to receiving a calling party pays override code from the calling party.

10. A method of processing a call initiated by a first subscriber device to a second subscriber device, the method comprising:

receiving an automatic number identifier (ANI) of the first subscriber device comprising a calling number and a called number

determining a billing status of the first subscriber device based on a charge party station type (CPST) of the first subscriber device;

determining billing preferences of the second subscriber device in response to the received called number, the billing preferences being calling party pays;

receiving and verifying a calling party pays override code from a calling party associated with the first subscriber device; and

in response to receiving and verifying the calling party pays override code, routing the call to the second subscriber device without charging additional fees to the calling party, even if the billing status is determined to be billable.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the second subscriber device is associated with a called subscriber, and wherein the method further comprises creating a billing record indicating the call is to be billed to the called subscriber.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising playing a message indicating a PIN should be entered.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein a service control point determines the billing status and the billing preferences.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the ANI is received via a TCAP component of a signaling system 7 protocol.

15. A method of processing a call initiated by a first subscriber device to a second subscriber device, the method comprising:

receiving an automatic number identifier (ANI) of the first subscriber device comprising a calling number and a called number;

determining a billing status of the first subscriber device based on a charge party station type (CPST) of the first subscriber device;

determining billing preferences of the second subscriber device in response to the received called number, the billing preferences being calling party pays; and

terminating the call if the CPST indicates that calling party pays billing is blocked from the calling number.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein terminating the call further comprises:

playing a message indicating that calling party pays is blocked; and

disconnecting the call.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein a service control point determines the billing status and the billing preferences.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the ANI is received via a TCAP component of a signaling system 7 protocol.