Telecommunication revenue management system

• US 9,509,856 B2
• Filed: 04/17/2015
• Issued: 11/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2004
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Global Tel-Link Corporation
• Original Assignee: Value-Added Communications Incorporated
• Inventors: Heaton, Kermit D., Hodge, Stephen L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gauthier, Gerald
• Application Number:
  US14/689,521
• Publication Number:
  US 20150229776A1
• Time in Patent Office: 592 Days
• Field of Search: 235/380, 235/379, 379/114.2, 379/114.14, 379/114.21, 379/127.01, 379/127.02, 379/188, 379/191, 379/220.01, 379/114.24, 379/127.03, 379/211.02, 455/406, 455/445, 455/404.1, 455/411, 455/410, 705/64, 705/75, 705/26.81, 705/40, 370/469
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 15/47 Fraud detection or prevention means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/58 based on statistics of usage or network monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/88 Provision for limiting connection, or expenditure
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/00 Prepayment of wireline communication systems, wireless communication systems or telephone systems using a coded card to authorise calls from a telephone set H04M1/675
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/20 with provision for recharging the prepaid account or card, or for credit establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0148 Fraud detection or prevention means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0188 Network monitoring; statistics on usage on called/calling number
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/38 Graded-service arrangements, i.e. some subscribers prevented from establishing certain connections queuing arrangements H04Q3/64

Abstract

Disclosed is an improved revenue call management system for use with a telecommunication system. The revenue management system preferably includes a remote server, a user database, and a plurality of databases. When a call is placed, the revenue management system queries the user database based on the telephone number dialed to bill the appropriate account. If no account exists for the dialed telephone number, the revenue system queries a multitude of internal and external databases to determine if the dialed telephone number is billable. If the telephone number is un-billable, the collect call attempt is terminated. The revenue management system is capable of establishing accounts in real time while the caller and called party are on the line.

Claims

1. A telecommunications management system, comprising:

a telephone management system configured to initiate a telephone call from a calling party to a called party, the called party being associated with a cellular telephone number; and

a revenue management system, in communication with the telephone management system, the revenue management system comprising;

a server configured to;

query a plurality of databases to determine whether the cellular telephone number is associated with an account,

query the plurality of databases to determine whether the cellular telephone number is billable,

direct the telephone management system to complete the telephone call in response to determining that the cellular telephone number is associated with an account and is billable,

direct the telephone management system to establish a new account associated with the cellular telephone number in real time while the calling party and the called party are attempting to complete the telephone call and then complete the telephone call once a new account has been established in response to determining that the cellular telephone number is not associated with an account and is billable, and

direct the telephone management system to terminate the telephone call in response to determining that the cellular telephone number is not billable.

2. The telecommunications management system of claim 1, wherein the server is configured to direct the telephone management system to connect the called party to a representative to set up the new account.

3. The telecommunications management system of claim 1, wherein the telephone management system comprises:

a switch configured to route the telephone call from a corresponding telephone from among a plurality of telephones to a cellular telephone associated with the cellular telephone number in response to the telecommunications management system being directed by the server to complete the telephone call.

4. The telecommunications management system of claim 3, wherein the telephone management system further comprises:

a second server, coupled to the switch, configured to;

receive an instruction from the revenue management system to complete the telephone call; and

cause the switch to route the telephone call from the corresponding telephone to the cellular telephone.

5. The telecommunications management system of claim 4, wherein the second server is further configured to log and record details of the telephone call, and further comprising:

a recorder, coupled to the second server, configured to store the details of the telephone call in or more databases for a period of time defined by an institution.

6. The telecommunications management system of claim 1, wherein the telephone management system comprises:

a user workstation configured to;

set up the new account when directed by the server in response to the telecommunications management system being directed by the server to establish the new account.

7. The telecommunications management system of claim 6, wherein the user workstation is further configured to establish the new account when a method of payment is established by the called party.

8. The telecommunications management system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of databases comprises:

a first database that stores the plurality of accounts, the server being configured to query the first database to determine whether the cellular telephone number is associated with the account;

a second database that stores a status of the account, the second database being queried by the server when the cellular telephone number is associated with the account; and

a third database that stores billability information relating to the telephone call, the third database being queried by the server when the cellular telephone number is not associated with the account.

9. A telephone management system for initiating a telephone call from a calling party to a called party, the called party being associated with a cellular telephone number, the telephone management system comprising:

a server configured to;

query a revenue management system to determine whether the cellular telephone number is associated with an account and to determine whether the cellular telephone number is billable, and

receive an instruction from the revenue management system, the instruction being;

a first instruction to direct the telephone management system to establish a new account associated with the cellular telephone number in real time while the calling party and the called party are attempting to complete the telephone call and then complete the telephone call once a new account has been established in response to determining that the cellular telephone number is not associated with an account and is billable,

a second instruction to direct the telephone management system to complete the telephone call in response to determining that the cellular telephone number is associated with an account and is billable, or

a third instruction to direct the telephone management system to terminate the telephone call in response to determining that the cellular telephone number is not billable, and

instruct a user workstation to establish the new account associated with the cellular telephone number in real time while the calling party and the called party are attempting to complete the telephone call in response to the server receiving the first instruction, and

a switch configured to;

route the telephone call from a corresponding telephone from among a plurality of telephones to a cellular telephone associated with the cellular telephone number in response to the server receiving the second instruction, and

terminate the telephone call in response to the server receiving the third instruction.

10. The telephone management system of claim 9, wherein the server is further configured to log and record details of the telephone call, and further comprising:

a recorder, coupled to the server, configured to store the details of the telephone call in or more databases for a period of time defined by an institution.

11. The telephone management system of claim 9, wherein the user workstation is configured to establish the new account when a method of payment is established by the called party.

12. The telephone management system of claim 9, wherein the plurality of databases comprises:

a first database that stores the plurality of accounts, the server being configured to query the first database to determine whether the cellular telephone number is associated with the account;

a second database that stores a status of the account, the second database being queried by the server when the cellular telephone number is associated with the account; and

a third database that stores billability information relating to the telephone call, the third database being queried by the server when the cellular telephone number is not associated with the account.

13. The telephone management system of claim 12, wherein the first database comprises a revenue management system (RMS) database, and wherein the third database comprises a Competitive Local Exchange Carrier (CLEC) database;

a Line Interface Database (LIDB);

or an ON-NET database.

14. The telephone management system of claim 9, wherein the server and the switch are disposed in an institution selected from the group consisting of a penal institution, a mental institution, a nursing home, a rehabilitation center, a correctional facility, a government agency, a private business, and a public business, and

wherein the revenue management system is not disposed in the institution.

15. A revenue management system for initiating a telephone call from a calling party to a called party, the called party being associated with a cellular telephone number, the revenue management system comprising:

one or more storage devices configured to store a plurality of databases;

a server configured to;

query the plurality of databases to determine whether the cellular telephone number is associated with an account and whether the cellular telephone number is billable in response to receiving a request from a telephone management system,

direct the telephone management system to complete the telephone call in response to determining that the cellular telephone number is associated with an account and is billable,

direct the telephone management system to establish a new account associated with the cellular telephone number in real time while the calling party and the called party are attempting to complete the telephone call and then complete the telephone call once a new account has been established in response to determining that the cellular telephone number is not associated with an account and is billable, and

direct the telephone management system to terminate the telephone call in response to determining that the cellular telephone number is not billable.

16. The revenue management system of claim 15, wherein the server is configured to direct the telephone management system to connect the called party to a representative to set up the new account.

17. The revenue management system of claim 15, wherein the plurality of databases comprises:

a first database that stores the plurality of accounts, the server being configured to query the first database to determine whether the cellular telephone number is associated with the account;

a second database that stores a status of the account, the second database being queried by the server when the cellular telephone number is associated with the account; and

a third database that stores billability information relating to the telephone call, the third database being queried by the server when the cellular telephone number is not associated with the account.

18. The revenue management system of claim 17, wherein the first database comprises a revenue management system (RMS) database, and wherein the third database comprises a Competitive Local Exchange Carrier (CLEC) database;

a Line Interface Database (LIDB);

or an ON-NET database.

19. The revenue management system of claim 17, wherein the telephone management system is disposed in an institution selected from the group consisting of a penal institution, a mental institution, a nursing home, a rehabilitation center, a correctional facility, a government agency, a private business, and a public business, and

wherein the one or more storage devices and the server are not disposed in the institution.

20. The revenue management system of claim 17, wherein the server is further configured to receive a request from the telephone management system to query the plurality of databases, the request being generated in response to the calling party attempting to complete the telephone call.