Calling-party-pays call processing for cellular and paging

• US 8,036,354 B2
• Filed: 07/03/2007
• Issued: 10/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Marshall, Douglas, Sosa, Roger Albert, Donoso, Carlos, Gruchala, Carol Shifrin, Blumenschein, Gordon Lynn
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran; Quoc D
• Application Number:
  US11/825,015
• Publication Number:
  US 20070253542A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,561 Days
• Field of Search: 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, 379/143, 379/144.01, 379/144.02, 455405-408
• 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 call initiated by a first subscriber device to a second subscriber device, the system comprising:

a network element operative to receive an automatic number identifier (ANI) of a first subscriber device comprising a calling number and a called number for a call, 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, determine, via examination of a database, that a billing preference of the second subscriber device is calling party pays, and in response to that determination, to perform at least one of;

route a call to a voice mail provider;

or

route a call to a billing service provider.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

the database comprising a field comprising the CPST of the first subscriber device;

wherein the network element is further operative to determine that the billing status of the first subscriber device is nonbillable based on the CPST of the first subscriber device stored in the database.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the network element is a switch.

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

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the network element is a service control point.

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

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

determining a billing status of the first subscriber device is nonbillable based on a charge party station type (CPST) associated with the first subscriber device, determining, via examination of a database, that a billing preference of the second subscriber device is calling party pays; and

routing the call to at least one of a voice mail provider and a billing service provider based on the determining billing status of the first subscriber device and the second subscriber device.

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

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

determining billing preferences of a second subscriber device based on a called number associated with the second subscriber device;

determining, via examination of a database, that a billing preference of the second subscriber device is calling party pays;

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

routing the call to the second subscriber device without charging additional fees to a calling party associated with the first subscriber device.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

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

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the ANI is received via a TCAP component of a signaling system 7 protocol.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

creating a billing record indicating the call is to be billed to a called subscriber associated with the second subscriber device.

11. A system for processing a call initiated by a first subscriber device to a second subscriber device, the system comprising:

a network element operative to receive an automatic number identifier (ANI) associated with a first subscriber device, the ANI comprising a calling number and called number, to determine a billing status of the first subscriber device based on a charge party station type (CPST) associated with the first subscriber device, and determine, via examination of a database, that a billing preference of the second subscriber device is calling party pays, and to terminate the call in response to determining the CPST indicates that calling party pays billing is blocked from the calling number.

12. 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 a first subscriber device, the ANI 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, via examination of a database, that a billing preference of the second subscriber device is calling party pays; and

terminating the call in response to determining the CPST indicates that calling party pays billing is blocked from the calling number.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

determining billing preferences of a second subscriber device based on the called number.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

playing a message to the first subscriber device indicating calling party pays billing is blocked.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein a service control point determines the billing status.