Method for collect call service based on VoIP technology and system thereof

• US 8,477,766 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2010
• Issued: 07/02/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Howlink Global LLC
• Original Assignee: Howlink Global LLC
• Inventors: Kwon, Ey-Taeg
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Hemant
• Application Number:
  US12/969,068
• Publication Number:
  US 20110080906A1
• Time in Patent Office: 930 Days
• Field of Search: 348 1401- 1416, 370259-271, 370351-356, 379111-141, 379219-332, 709201-207, 709217-248
• US Class Current: 370/353
• 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 15/08 Metering calls to called party , i.e. B-party charged for the communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/56 for VoIP communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8044 Least cost routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8083 involving reduced rates or discounts, e.g. time-of-day reductions or volume discounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8257 Unit based
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/842 Announcement, e.g. IVR dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/858 Request users acknowledgement prior to use
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/62 Called party billing, e.g. reverse billing, freephone, collect call, 0800 or 0900
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42042 Notifying the called party of information on the calling party details within substation equipment H04M1/57, signalling details H04Q3/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1205 where the types of switching equipement comprises PSTN/ISDN equipment and switching equipment of networks other than PSTN/ISDN, e.g. Internet Protocol networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1245 where a network other than PSTN/ISDN interconnects two PSTN/ISDN networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/125 Details of gateway equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1295 Details of dual tone multiple frequency signalling

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention provides a collect call method and system thereof, more particularly, in order to charge the called party with a uniform toll for collect call, which is determined by only the type and location of called party terminal. In one embodiment, the collect call method, system and a counsel service providing method use a free VoIP network for part of the voice call link and a charge PSTN network for the rest of the voice call link. In one embodiment, if the first link corresponding to the collect call request is established, the collect call switch calls the called party terminal to establish the second link, and billing on the second link is initiated.

Claims

1. A collect call system based on voice over Internet protocol (VoIP), comprising:

a called gateway configured to receive a collect call request from a caller terminal via a VoIP network; and

a collect call switch configured to;

a) upon receiving the collect call request from the caller terminal, establish a first communication ink, wherein the first communication link is only between the collect call switch and the called gateway;

b) subsequent to establishing the first communication link, establish a second communication link, wherein the second communication link is between the collect call switch and a called terminal; and

c) connect the first communication link and the second communication link based on a collect call acceptance from the called terminal.

2. The collect call system of claim 1, wherein the collect call switch is further configured to determine a collect call toll only for the second communication link.

3. The collect call system of claim 2, wherein the collect call switch is further configured to determine the collect call toll as the product of i) a unit collect call rate that is predetermined according to the type of the called terminal and ii) a total collect call time.

4. The collect call system of claim 1, wherein the collect call switch is further configured to initiate a billing process responsive to the collect call acceptance.

5. The collect call system of claim 1, wherein the collect call acceptance is in the form of a dual tone multi-frequency (DTMF) signal from the called terminal.

6. The collect call system of claim 1, wherein the collect call request is received from a collect call proxy server configured to authenticate the caller terminal.

7. The collect call system of claim 1, wherein the VoIP network is compatible with one of H.323 Protocol, Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), or Media Gateway Control Protocol (MGCP).

8. A collect call system based on voice over Internet protocol (VoIP), comprising:

a called gateway configured to receive a collect call request from a caller terminal via a VoIP network; and

a collect call switch configured to;

a) establish a first communication link only between the collect call switch and the called gateway upon receiving the collect call request from the caller terminal;

b) subsequent to establishing the first communication link, establish a second communication link between the collect call switch and a called terminal;

c) transmit a caller identification to the called terminal when the second communication link is established; and

d) connect the first communication link and the second communication link based on a collect call acceptance from the called terminal to establish a voice call link between the caller terminal and called terminal.

9. The collect call system of claim 8, wherein the collect call switch is further configured to determine a collect call toll only for the second communication link.

10. The collect call system of claim 8, wherein the collect call switch is further configured to determine the collect call toll as the product of i) a unit collect call rate that is predetermined according to the type of the called terminal and ii) a total collect call time.

11. The collect call system of claim 10, wherein the collect call switch is further configured to initiate a billing process responsive to the collect call acceptance.

12. The collect all system of claim 8, wherein the collect call acceptance is in the form of a dual tone multi-frequency (DTMF) signal from the called terminal.

13. The collect call system of claim 8, wherein the collect call request is received from a collect call proxy server configured to authenticate the caller terminal.

14. The collect call system of claim 13, wherein the VoIP network is compatible with one of H.323 Protocol, Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), or Media Gateway Control Protocol (MGCP).

15. The collect call system of claim 8, wherein the caller identification is a recording.

30. The collect call system of claim 8, wherein the caller identification is a recording.

16. A collect call service based on voice over Internet protocol (VoIP), comprising:

receiving a collect call request from a caller terminal via a VoIP network;

establishing a first communication link only between a called gateway and a collect call switch upon receiving the collect call request;

subsequent to establishing the first communication link, establishing a second communication link between the collect call switch and a called terminal; and

connecting the first communication link and the second communication link based on a collect call acceptance from the called terminal.

17. The collect call service of claim 16 further comprising determining a collect call toll only for the second communication link.

18. The collect call service of claim 17 further comprising determining a collect call toll as the product of i) a unit collect call rate that is predetermined according to the type of the called terminal and ii) a total collect call time.

19. The collect call service of claim 17 further comprising initiating a billing process responsive to the collect call acceptance.

20. The collect call service of claim 16, wherein the collect call request is received from a collect call proxy server configured to authenticate the caller terminal.

21. The collect call service of claim 16, wherein the collect call acceptance is in the form of a dual tone multi-frequency (DTMF) signal from the called terminal.

22. The collect call service of claim 16, wherein the VoIP network is compatible with one of H-1.323 Protocol, Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), or Media Gateway Control Protocol (MGCP).

23. A collect call service based on voice over Internet protocol (VoIP), comprising:

receiving a collect call request from a caller terminal via a VoIP network;

establishing a first communication link only between a called gateway and a collect call switch upon receiving the collect call request;

subsequent to establishing the first communication link, establishing a second communication link between the collect call switch and a called terminal;

transmitting a caller identification to the called terminal when the second communication link is established; and

connecting the first communication link and the second communication link based on a collect call acceptance from the called terminal to establish a voice call link between the caller terminal and called terminal.

24. The collect call service of claim 23, further comprising initiating a billing process responsive to the collect call acceptance.

25. The collect call service of claim 24, further comprising determining a collect call toll only for the second communication link.

26. The collect call service of claim 25, further comprising determining a collect call toll as the product of i) a unit collect call rate that is predetermined according to the type of the called terminal and ii) a total collect call time.

27. The collect call service of claim 23, wherein the collect call request is received from a collect call proxy server configured to authenticate the caller terminal.

28. The collect call service of claim 23, wherein the collect call acceptance is in the form of a dual tone multi-frequency (DTMF) signal from the called terminal.

29. The collect call service of claim 28, wherein the VoIP network is compatible with one of H.323 Protocol, Session initiation Protocol (SIP), or Media Gateway Control Protocol (MGCP).

31. A collect call system based on voice over Internet protocol (VoIP), comprising:

a called gateway configured to receive a collect call request from a caller terminal via a VoIP network; and

a collect call switch configured to;

a) establish a first communication link only between the collect call switch and the called gateway upon receiving the collect call request from he caller terminal;

b) subsequent to establishing the first communication link, establish a second communication link between the collect call switch and a called terminal; and

c) connect the first communication link and the second communication link based on a collect call acceptance from the called terminal,

wherein the first communication link between the called gateway and the collect call switch and the second communication link between the collect call switch and the called terminal are established subsequent to the collect call request via the VoIP network.

32. A collect call system based on voice over Internet protocol (VoIP), comprising:

a called gateway configured to receive a collect call request from a caller terminal via a VoIP network; and

a collect call switch configured to;

a) establish a first communication link only between the collect call switch and the called gateway upon receiving the collect call request from the caller terminal;

b) subsequent to establishing the first communication link, establish a second communication link between the collect call switch and a called terminal;

c) transmit a caller identification to the called terminal when the second communication link is established; and

d) connect the first communication link and the second communication link based on a collect call acceptance from the called terminal to establish a voice call link between the caller terminal and the called terminal,

wherein the first communication link between the called gateway and the collect call switch and the second communication link between the collect call switch and the called terminal are established subsequent to the collect call request via the VoIP network.

33. A collect call service based on voice over Internet protocol (VoIP), comprising:

a) receiving a collect call request from a caller terminal via a VoIP network;

b) establishing a first communication link only between a called gateway and a collect call switch upon receiving the collect call request;

c) subsequent to establishing the first communication link, establishing a second communication link between the collect call switch and a called terminal; and

d) connecting the first communication link and the second communication link based on a collect call acceptance from the called terminal,

wherein the first communication link between the called gateway and the collect call switch and the second communication link between the collect call switch and the called terminal are established subsequent to the collect call request via the VoIP network.

34. A collect call service based on voice over Internet protocol (VoIP), comprising:

a) receiving a collect call request from a caller terminal via a VoIP network;

b) establishing a first communication link only between a called gateway and a collect call switch upon receiving the collect call request;

c) subsequent to establishing the first communication link, establishing a second communication link between the collect call switch and a called terminal;

d) transmitting a caller identification to the called terminal when the second communication link is established; and

e) connecting the first communication link and the second communication link based on a collect call acceptance from the called terminal to establish a voice call link between the caller terminal and the called terminal,

wherein the first communication link between the called gateway and the collect call switch and the second communication link between the collect call switch and the called terminal are established subsequent to the collect call request via the VoIP network.