Method of billing in an abbreviated dialing service

• US 7,403,603 B2
• Filed: 05/19/2006
• Issued: 07/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/28/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Services Incorporated (AT&T, Inc.), AT&T Teleholdings Incorporated (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Services Incorporated (AT&T, Inc.), AT&T Teleholdings Incorporated (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:
  US11/436,704
• Publication Number:
  US 20060203983A1
• Time in Patent Office: 795 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 of assigning a charge to an operator of an abbreviated dialing code service for a call placed by a caller having dialed an abbreviated dialing code, comprising:

receiving an alternate billing number associated with the abbreviated dialing code, the alternate billing number originating from a service control point;

receiving an accounting number associated with the abbreviated dialing code, the accounting number originating from the service control point;

receiving an abbreviated dialing code accounting record associated with the call placed by the caller;

entering an entry associated with an account of the operator of the abbreviated dialing code service, based upon the alternate billing number, indicating that the call was placed, so that the operator of the abbreviated dialing code service may be billed for the call; and

discarding the abbreviated dialing code accounting record, based upon the accounting number, so that the caller is not billed for the abbreviated dialing code call.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the accounting number comprises an automatic message accounting (AMA) number.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the abbreviated dialing code accounting record comprises an automatic message accounting (AMA) record.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the alternate billing number includes a first index and the accounting number includes a second index.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the first index directs a billing system to enter a charge on the account of the operator of the abbreviated dialing code service.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the second index directs a billing system to discard the abbreviated dialing code accounting record.

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

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

9. A system for billing charges associated with an abbreviated dialing code call to an operator of an abbreviated dialing code service, comprising:

a billing system that receives a first and a second parameter originating from a service control point, enters a charge associated with the abbreviated dialing code call on an account of the operator, and discards a record associated with an account of a caller having used the abbreviated dialing code service;

wherein the first parameter comprises an alternate billing number that includes a first index and the second parameter comprises an accounting number that includes a second index;

wherein the first index instructs the billing system to enter the charge associated with the abbreviated dialing code call on the account of the operator and the second index instructs the billing system to discard the billing record associated with the account of the caller having used the abbreviated dialing code service.

10. A computer readable medium that stores a program for assigning a charge to an operator of an abbreviated dialing code service for a call placed by a caller having dialed an abbreviated dialing code, comprising:

an alternate billing number receiving code segment that receives an alternate billing number associated with the abbreviated dialing code, the alternate billing number originating from a service control point;

an accounting number receiving code segment that receives an accounting number associated with the abbreviated dialing code, the accounting number originating from the service control point, and receives an abbreviated dialing code accounting record associated with the call placed by the caller;

an entering code segment that enters an entry associated with an account of the operator of the abbreviated dialing code service, based upon the alternate billing number, indicating that the abbreviated dialing code call was placed, so that the operator of the abbreviated dialing code service may be billed for the call; and

a discarding code segment that discards the abbreviated dialing code accounting record, based upon the accounting number, so that the caller is not billed for the abbreviated dialing code call.

11. The computer readable medium according to claim 10, wherein the accounting number comprises an automatic message accounting (AMA) number.

12. The computer readable medium according to claim 10, wherein the abbreviated dialing code accounting record comprises an automatic message accounting (AMA) record.

13. The computer readable medium according to claim 10, wherein the alternate billing number includes a first index and the accounting number includes a second index.

14. The computer readable medium according to claim 13, wherein the first index directs a billing system to enter a charge on the account of the operator of the abbreviated dialing code service.

15. The computer readable medium according to claim 13, wherein the second index directs a billing system to discard the abbreviated dialing code accounting record.

16. The computer readable medium according to claim 10, wherein the abbreviated dialing code comprises a #XXX sequence.

17. The computer readable medium according to claim 10, wherein the abbreviated dialing code comprises a #XX sequence.

18. A computer readable medium that stores a program for assigning a charge to an operator of an abbreviated dialing code service for a call placed by a caller having dialed an abbreviated dialing code, comprising:

a determining code segment that determines an alternate billing number at a service control point, the alternate billing number being associated with the abbreviated dialing code for an area in which the call originated;

an entering code segment that enters an entry associated with an account of the operator of the abbreviated dialing code service indicating that the call was placed, so that the operator of the abbreviated dialing code service may be charged for the call; and

a discarding code segment that discards an abbreviated dialing code accounting record so that the caller is not charged for the call.