System, method, and computer-readable storage medium for telecom billing outsourcing

• US 8,345,842 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2010
• Issued: 01/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ITXC IP Holdings SARL (Tata Sons Pvt Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: ITXC IP Holdings SARL (Tata Sons Pvt Ltd.)
• Inventors: Bouchard, Sylvie, Montes, Pascal, Decarie, Michel
• Primary Examiner(s): Anwah, Olisa
• Application Number:
  US12/751,422
• Publication Number:
  US 20110243314A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,007 Days
• Field of Search: 379/114.01, 379/114.03, 379/114.06, 379/114.21, 379/114.22, 379/115.01, 379/121.03, 379/126, 379/127.04, 455/406, 455/408
• US Class Current: 379/115.01
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• 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 15/47 Fraud detection or prevention means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/50 for cross-charging network operators
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/51 for resellers, retailers or service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/52 for operator independent billing system
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/61 based on the service used
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/70 Administration or customization aspects; Counter-checking correct charges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/725 by the operator

Abstract

A system, method, and computer-readable storage medium for outsourcing telecom billing are disclosed for issuing one or more first billing statements and one or more second billing statements from a first telecom network; and transmitting at least the one or more first billing statements to a second telecom network. The one or more first billing statements may reflect one or more charges from the first telecom network to the second telecom network, and the one or more second billing statements may reflect one or more charges from the second telecom network to one or more customers thereof. The one or more charges of the first and second billing statements may reflect the same service(s).

Claims

1. A system for processing telecommunications billing outsourcing comprising:

a first processor and a second processor, said first processor operating to;

issue one or more first billing statements and one or more second billing statements; and

transmit at least said one or more first billing statements to said second processor, wherein;

said one or more first billing statements reflect one or more charges from a first telecom network to a second telecom network;

said one or more second billing statements reflect one or more charges from said second telecom network to one or more customers thereof; and

said one or more charges of said first and second billing statements reflect at least one same service.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

said one or more charges of said one or more first billing statements reflect one or more services provided by said first telecom network for said second telecom network; and

said one or more charges of said one or more second billing statements reflect one or more services provided by said second telecom network for said one or more customers thereof.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said first and second telecom networks are separated by at least one firewall, said at least one firewall comprising at least one of:

a gateway;

a router;

a network node that operates to interface with another network using one or more different protocols;

one or more switches;

a bridge;

a proxy server;

a packet filter;

one or more application layers;

at least one Egress filter;

at least one Ingress filter; and

one or more network address translators (“

NATs”

).

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said first telecom network includes said first processor and said second telecom network includes said second processor.

5. The system of claim 4, further comprising one or more means for:

(i) receiving said one or more first billing statements and said one or more second billing statements from outside of said firewall;

(ii) forwarding said one or more second billing statements to said one or more customers; and

(iii) not forwarding said one or more first billing statements to said one or more customers.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the charges on said one or more first and second billing statements for said at least one same service are different from each other.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein:

said one or more charges of said one or more first billing statements reflect one or more services provided by said first telecom network for said second telecom network; and

said one or more charges of said one or more second billing statements reflect one or more services provided by said first telecom network on behalf of said second telecom network for said one or more customers of said second telecom network.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said customers of said second telecom network connect directly to said first telecom network.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of said first and second processors operates to populate a database record associated with a call with two originating customers, said first originating customer comprising a network from which the call originates, and said second originating customer comprising a customer of said network originating said call.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein:

(i) said network originating said call comprises said second telecom network; and

(ii) said second originating customer comprises a customer of said second telecom network.

11. The system of claim 9, further comprising a record database operating to store said database record.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein said first processor operates to utilize said database record to generate and/or issue:

(i) said one or more first billing statements for said first originating customer; and

(ii) said one or more second billing statements for said second originating customer.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of:

said first processor operates to transmit said one or more second billing statements to said second processor; and

said second processor operates to transmit said one or more second billing statements to said one or more customers.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one information field on said one or more first and second billing statements for said at least one same service are different from each other, said at least one information field comprising at least one of:

said charges;

a language;

a currency;

a provider of said first and second telecom networks;

a billing increment;

contact information of said first and second telecom network providers;

an invoice number;

a call statistic;

a call destination;

customer information;

a call origin;

a call route; and

a budget forecast.

15. A method of outsourcing telecommunications billing comprising:

issuing one or more first billing statements and one or more second billing statements with a first telecom network; and

transmitting at least said one or more first billing statements from said first telecom network to a second telecom network, wherein;

said one or more first billing statements reflect one or more charges from said first telecom network to said second telecom network;

said one or more second billing statements reflect one or more charges from said second telecom network to one or more customers thereof; and

said one or more charges of said first and second billing statements reflect at least one same service.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

reflecting one or more services provided by said first telecom network for said second telecom network in said one or more charges of said one or more first billing statements; and

reflecting one or more services provided by said second telecom network for said one or more customers thereof in said one or more charges of said one or more second billing statements.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising separating said first and second telecom networks by at least one firewall, said at least one firewall comprising at least one of:

a gateway;

a router;

a network node that operates to interface with another network using one or more different protocols;

one or more switches;

a bridge;

a proxy server;

a packet filter;

one or more application layers;

at least one Egress filter;

at least one Ingress filter; and

one or more network address translators (“

NATs”

).

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving said one or more first billing statements and said one or more second billing statements from outside of said firewall;

forwarding said one or more second billing statements to said one or more customers; and

not forwarding said one or more first billing statements to said one or more customers.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

reflecting one or more services provided by said first telecom network for said second telecom network in said one or more charges of said one or more first billing statements; and

reflecting one or more services provided by said first telecom network on behalf of said second telecom network for said one or more customers in said one or more charges of said one or more second billing statements.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising connecting said customers of said second telecom network directly to said first telecom network.

21. The method of claim 15, further comprising populating a database record associated with a call with two originating customers, said first originating customer comprising a network from which the call originates, and said second originating customer comprising a customer of said network originating said call.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein:

(i) said network originating said call comprises said second telecom network; and

(ii) said second originating customer comprises a customer of said second telecom network.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising utilizing said database record to generate and/or issue:

(i) said one or more first billing statements for said first originating customer; and

(ii) said one or more second billing statements for said second originating customer.

24. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

transmitting said one or more second billing statements to said second telecom network; and

transmitting said one or more second billing statements to said one or more customers from said second telecom network.

25. The method of claim 15, further comprising generating at least one different information field on said one or more first and second billing statements for said at least one same service, said at least one different information field comprising:

said charges;

a language;

a currency;

a provider of said first and second telecom networks;

a billing increment;

contact information of said first and second telecom network providers;

an invoice number;

a call statistic;

customer information;

a call destination;

a call origin;

a call route; and

a budget forecast.

26. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing software code operating to cause one or more of a plurality of processors to perform the steps, comprising:

issuing one or more first billing statements and one or more second billing statements from a first telecom network; and

transmitting at least said one or more first billing statements to a second telecom network, wherein;

said one or more first billing statements reflect one or more charges from said first telecom network to said second telecom network;

said one or more second billing statements reflect one or more charges from said second telecom network to one or more customers thereof; and

said one or more charges of said first and second billing statements reflect at least one same service.