Method and system for presenting billing information according to a customer-defined hierarchal structure

• US 7,653,187 B2
• Filed: 10/20/2006
• Issued: 01/26/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Services Incorporated (AT&T, Inc.), Pacific Telesis Shared Services (AT&T, Inc.), Southwestern Bell Communications Services, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Services Incorporated (AT&T, Inc.), Pacific Telesis Shared Services (AT&T, Inc.), Southwestern Bell Communications Services, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hassel, Margaret M, Harris, Catherine E, Espinoza, Emma M, Clark, Bonnie S, Roper, Danny Lee, Ukena, Carolyn Marie, Neroda, Anita Elizabeth, Votava, Stephen James, Paquette, Michael Thane
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, QUOC DUC
• Application Number:
  US11/551,361
• Publication Number:
  US 20070041537A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,194 Days
• Field of Search: 379/111, 379/112.01, 379/114.01, 379/114.03, 379/114.28, 379/116, 379/119, 379/121.01, 379/121.04, 379/121.05, 379/126, 379/133, 379/134, 705/34, 718/101
• US Class Current: 379/116
• 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 15/41 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 15/44 Augmented, consolidated or itemized billing statement or bill presentation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/51 for resellers, retailers or service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/58 based on statistics of usage or network monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/745 Customizing according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. friends or family
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/765 Linked or grouped accounts, e.g. of users or devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/7652 shared by users
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/80 Rating or billing plans; Tariff determination aspects
• 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
• 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 2215/0152 General billing plans, rate plans, e.g. charge rates, numbering plans, rate centers, customer accounts
• 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 2215/0176 Billing arrangements using internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0188 Network monitoring; statistics on usage on called/calling number
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/54 Resellers-retail or service providers billing, e.g. agreements with telephone service operator, activation, charging/recharging of accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/724 Linked accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7245 Shared by users, e.g. group accounts or one account for different users

Abstract

A service for presenting billing information to a customer according to a hierarchal structure defined by the customer. The customer assigns telephone numbers to company units and defines how each of the units relate to each other in the hierarchal structure. The billing information associated with each assigned telephone number is processed in accordance with the hierarchal structure. Thereafter, the bill is presented to the customer.

Claims

1. A method of electronically presenting billing information to a user, the method comprising:

receiving billing data from a plurality of service providers;

converting the billing data into a homogenous format;

arranging the converted billing data according to a pre-defined hierarchy such that the billing data is broken down and specified for each corresponding hierarchical level in the pre-defined hierarchy and for each of the plurality of service providers;

displaying a first image to the user via a graphical user interface, the first image comprising a plurality of charges arranged in columns having respective column headings and being arranged according to a type of charge,

wherein selection by the user in a particular column results in a second image being displayed to the user via the graphical user interface, the second image comprising charges associated with the selection by the user broken down for each of the plurality of service providers, and

wherein the pre-defined hierarchy corresponds to an organizational structure of an entity.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the pre-defined hierarchy comprises user-defined designations.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first and second images each include an indicator that identifies a position in the pre-defined hierarchy that is being displayed to the user.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising displaying a setup image to the user that allows the user to indicate the manner in which the user wants the billing information displayed.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the pre-defined hierarchy comprises assignments of communications address identifiers.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the communications address identifiers comprise telephone numbers.

7. A method of electronically presenting billing information to a user, the method comprising:

receiving billing data from a plurality of service providers;

converting the billing data into a homogenous format;

arranging the converted billing data according to a pre-defined hierarchy such that the billing data is broken down and specified for each corresponding hierarchical level in the pre-defined hierarchy and for each of the plurality of service providers;

displaying a first image to the user via a graphical user interface, the first image comprising a first arrangement of a plurality of charges and a second arrangement of a plurality of groups, wherein each of the plurality of charges is associated with a respective one of the plurality of groups,

wherein selection by the user of one of the groups results in a second image being displayed to the user via the graphical user interface, the second image comprising sub-groups of the one of the groups selected by the user and charges associated with the sub-groups broken down for each of the plurality of service providers, and

wherein the pre-defined hierarchy corresponds to an organizational structure of an entity.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the pre-defined hierarchy comprises user-defined descriptions.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the first and second images each include an indicator that identifies a position in the pre-defined hierarchy that is being displayed to the user.

10. The method according to claim 7, further comprising displaying a setup image to the user that allows the user to indicate the manner in which the user wants the billing information displayed.

11. The method according to claim 7, further comprising receiving input from the user associated with a modification to the pre-defined hierarchy.

12. The method according to claim 7, wherein the pre-defined hierarchy comprises assignments of communications address identifiers.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the communications address identifiers comprise telephone numbers.

14. A computer readable medium storing a computer program for presenting billing information to a user, the computer readable medium comprising:

a receiving code segment for receiving billing data from a plurality of service providers;

a converting code segment for converting the billing data into a homogenous format;

an arranging code segment for arranging the billing data according to a pre-defined hierarchy such that the billing data is broken down and specified for each corresponding hierarchical level in the pre-defined hierarchy and for each of the plurality of service providers;

a displaying code segment for displaying a first image to the user via a graphical user interface, the first image comprising a plurality of charges arranged in columns having respective column headings and being arranged according to a type of charge,

wherein selection by the user in a particular column results in a second image being displayed to the user via the graphical user interface, the second image comprising charges associated with the selection by the user broken down for each of the plurality of service providers, and

wherein the pre-defined hierarchy corresponds to an organizational structure of an entity.

15. The computer readable medium according to claim 14, further comprising a setup image code segment for displaying a setup image to the user that allows the user to indicate the manner in which the user want the billing information displayed.

16. The computer readable medium according to claim 14, further comprising an input receiving code segment for receiving input from the user associated with a modification to the pre-defined hierarchy.

17. A computer readable medium storing a computer program for presenting billing information to a user, the computer readable medium comprising:

a receiving code segment for receiving billing data from a plurality of service providers;

a converting code segment for converting the billing data into a homogenous format;

an arranging code segment for arranging the billing data according to a pre-defined hierarchy such that the billing data is broken down and specified for each corresponding hierarchical level in the pre-defined hierarchy and for each of the plurality of service providers;

a displaying code segment for displaying a first image to the user via a graphical user interface, the first image comprising a first arrangement of a plurality of charges and a second arrangement of a plurality of groups, wherein each of the plurality of charges is associated with a respective one of the plurality of groups,

wherein selection by the user of one of the groups results in a second image being displayed to the user via the graphical user interface, the second image comprising sub-groups of the one of the groups selected by the user and charges associated with the sub-groups broken down for each of the plurality of service providers, and

wherein the pre-defined hierarchy corresponds to an organizational structure of an entity.

18. The computer readable medium according to claim 17, further comprising a setup image code segment for displaying a setup image to the user that allows the user to indicate the manner in which the user want the billing information displayed.

19. The computer readable medium according to claim 17, further comprising an input receiving code segment for receiving input from the user associated with a modification to the pre-defined hierarchy.

20. The computer readable medium according to claim 17, further comprising an updating code segment for enabling the user to modify the pre-defined format using drag and drop operations via the graphical user interface.