Method and computer-readable medium having a program for managing billing for a telecommunications campus by assigning different billing rates inside the campus

• US 7,751,798 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2005
• Issued: 07/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nextel Communications Inc (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Nextel Communications Inc (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Wolf, Justin, Morhenn, Eric
• Primary Examiner(s): Eng; George
• Assistant Examiner(s): FARAGALLA, MICHAEL A
• Application Number:
  US11/236,565
• Publication Number:
  US 20070072586A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,742 Days
• Field of Search: 4554561-4566, 455/406
• US Class Current: 455/406
• 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 15/12 Discriminative metering , charging or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/745 Customizing according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. friends or family
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/80 Rating or billing plans; Tariff determination aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8033 location-dependent, e.g. business or home
• 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 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7435 Location dependent, e.g. Bussiness or home

Abstract

Method and computer-readable medium for managing billing for calls within a user'"'"'s telecommunications campus. According to the method and computer-readable medium for managing billing for calls within a user'"'"'s campus, users can make unlimited calls within the campus by determining whether a call from a user begins in a predetermined area of use; determining whether the user is on a predetermined list of users, if the call began in the predetermined area of use; assigning a first billing rate to the call, if the predetermined list of users includes the user; and assigning a second billing rate to the call, if the predetermined list of users does not include the user.

Claims

1. A method for managing billing for calls in a network, comprising the acts of:

determining whether a call from a user begins in a predetermined area of use;

determining whether the user is on a predetermined list of users, when the call began in the predetermined area of use;

assigning a first billing rate to the call, based on the predetermined list of users including the user and the call beginning in the predetermined area of use; and

assigning a second billing rate to the call, based on the predetermined list of users not including the user and the call beginning in the predetermined area of use;

wherein the first billing rate is assigned to the entire call, when the predetermined list of users includes the user, even when the user leaves the predetermined area of use during the call; and

wherein the second billing rate is assigned to the entire call, when the predetermined list of users does not include the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the user is on the predetermined list of users comprises cross-referencing a user identifier of the user with the predetermined list of users.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the user identifier comprises a personal telephone number of the user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein, when the first billing rate is assigned to the call, an amount of time available in a user'"'"'s calling plan is not reduced by the time used for the call.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first billing rate comprises no cost to the user for the call.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the call comprises a cellular call.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined area of use comprises a telecommunications campus.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein, when the call begins outside of the predetermined area of use, the call is billed to a personal calling plan of the user.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined list of users includes users from another predetermined area of use.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a location of the user using a global positioning system (GPS) signal.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending a message to the user if the user enters or leaves the predetermined area of use.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of determining whether the call from the user begins in the predetermined area of use comprises determining whether the call was transmitted from or received in the predetermined area of use.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium encoded with a computer program for managing billing for calls in a network, the computer program comprising instructions for:

determining whether a call from a user begins in a predetermined area of use;

determining whether the user is on a predetermined list of users, when the call began in the predetermined area of use;

assigning a first billing rate to the call, based on the predetermined list of users including the user and the call beginning in the predetermined area of use; and

assigning a second billing rate to the call, based on the predetermined list of users not including the user and the call beginning in the predetermined area of use;

wherein the first billing rate is assigned to the entire call, when the predetermined list of users includes the user, even when the user leaves the predetermined area of use during the call; and

wherein the second billing rate is assigned to the entire call, when the predetermined list of users does not include the user.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein determining whether the user is on the predetermined list of users comprises cross-referencing a user identifier of the user with the predetermined list of users.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the user identifier comprises a personal telephone number of the user.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein, when the second billing rate is assigned to the call, an amount of time available in a user'"'"'s calling plan is not reduced by the time used for the call.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the first billing rate comprises no cost to the user for the call.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the call comprises a cellular call.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein, when the call begins outside of the predetermined area of use, the call is billed to a personal calling plan of the user.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the predetermined list of users includes users from another predetermined area of use.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the computer program further comprises an instruction for determining a location of the user using a global positioning system (GPS) signal.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the computer program further comprises an instruction for sending a message to the user if the user enters or leaves the predetermined area of use.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the instruction for determining whether the call from the user begins in the predetermined area of use comprises determining whether the call was transmitted from or received in the predetermined area of use.