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

• US 9,137,387 B2
• Filed: 03/24/2015
• Issued: 09/15/2015
• 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:
  US14/666,315
• Publication Number:
  US 20150195415A1
• Time in Patent Office: 175 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: 1/1
• 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) a first processor operating to;

i) transfer, between a first telecom network and a second telecom network, one or more types of information on one or more customers of the second telecom network,

ii) limit which of the one or more types of information are viewable within the first telecom network,

iii) issue one or more first billing statements and one or more second billing statements based on the one or more types of information transferred, wherein the one or more first billing statements reflect one or more charges from the first telecom network to the second telecom network, and wherein the one or more second billing statements reflect one or more charges from the second telecom network to the one or more customers, and

iv) transmit the one or more first billing statements to a second processor; and

b) the second processor operating to receive the one or more first billing statements.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the first processor operates to limit which of the one or more types of information are viewable to an employee within the first telecom network, based on whether the employee oversees outsourcing of billing.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the first processor operates to limit which of the one or more types of information are viewable within the first telecom network, based on whether the one or more types of information are required for routing telephone calls correctly through the first telecom network.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the first processor operates to limit one or more of:

billing rates, call duration, time of call, and intended recipient as the one or more types of information.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the one or more charges of the first and second billing statements reflect at least one same service.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the first processor operates to generate, for a particular information field, different values to appear on the one or more first billing statements and the one or more second billing statements, for the at least one same service.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the information field is:

a type of charge from the one more charges, a language, a currency, or a billing increment.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein the information field is:

a provider of the first and second telecom networks, contact information of the first and second telecom network providers, an invoice number, or a call statistic.

9. The system of claim 6 wherein the information field is:

customer information, a call destination, a call origin, a call route, or a budget forecast.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the first telecom network comprises the first processor and the second telecom network comprises the second processor.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein:

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

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

12. A method of outsourcing telecommunications billing comprising:

transferring, by a first processor, between a first telecom network and a second telecom network, one or more types of information on one or more customers of the second telecom network;

limiting, by the first processor, which of the one or more types of information are viewable within the first telecom network;

issuing, by the first processor, one or more first billing statements and one or more second billing statements based on the one or more types of information transferred, wherein the one or more first billing statements reflect one or more charges from the first telecom network to the second telecom network, and wherein the one or more second billing statements reflect one or more charges from the second telecom network to the one or more customers; and

transmitting, by the first processor, the one or more first billing statements to a second processor.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the limiting of which of the one or more types of information are viewable to an employee within the first telecom network is based on whether the employee oversees outsourcing of billing.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the limiting of which of the one or more types of information are viewable within the first telecom network is based on whether the one or more types of information are required for routing telephone calls correctly through the first telecom network.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the one or more charges of the first and second billing statements reflect at least one same service, and further comprising generating for a particular information field, by the first processor, different values to appear on the one or more first billing statements and the one or more second billing statements, for the at least one same service.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the information field is:

a type of charge from the one more charges, a language, a currency, or a billing increment.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the information field is:

a provider of the first and second telecom networks, contact information of the first and second telecom network providers, an invoice number, or a call statistic.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the information field is:

customer information, a call destination, a call origin, a call route, or a budget forecast.

19. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

transmitting, by the first processor, the one or more second billing statements to the second processor; and

transmitting, by the second processor, the one or more second billing statements to the one or more customers.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing software code operating to cause a first processor to perform the steps of:

transferring between a first telecom network and a second telecom network, one or more types of information on one or more customers of the second telecom network;

limiting which of the one or more types of information are viewable within the first telecom network;

issuing one or more first billing statements and one or more second billing statements based on the one or more types of information transferred, wherein the one or more first billing statements reflect one or more charges from the first telecom network to the second telecom network, and wherein the one or more second billing statements reflect one or more charges from the second telecom network to the one or more customers; and

transmitting the one or more first billing statements to a second processor.