Determining a time to permit a communications session to be conducted
First Claim
1. In a telecommunications network, a computer-implemented method of determining a time to permit a communication session by first and second participants to be conducted, the method comprising:
- causing at least one processor, after initiation of a communication session by a first participant and before the communication session has been established, to retrieve from a data storage;
a funds balance associated with the first participant;
a pre-stored cost per unit time value; and
a representation of a billing pattern associated with the first participant;
causing the at least one processor to determine a maximum time to permit the communication session to be conducted between the first and second participants as a function of the funds balance, the cost per unit time value and the billing pattern, wherein the maximum time to permit the communication session to be conducted is a value representing a time that the communication session is permitted to be active after the communication session has been established;
producing a routing message that includes the maximum time to permit the communication session to be conducted, and sending the routing message to a controller to establish the communication session between a first communication device associated with the first participant and a second communication device associated with the second participant for a duration of up to the maximum time included in the routing message; and
causing the at least one processor to pre-store the cost per unit time value by;
causing the at least one processor to locate a record in the data storage, the record comprising a markup type indicator, a markup value and the billing pattern associated with the first participant, andcausing the at least one processor to set a reseller rate equal to the sum of the markup value and a buffer rate.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method to facilitate communication between telecommunications participants in a telecommunications network is disclosed. In one aspect, a method of determining a time to permit a communication session by telecommunications participants to be conducted includes causing a telecommunications processor to retrieve, from a data storage: a free time value that is representative of a free time attributed to a participant in the communications session, a funds balance held by the participant, a pre-stored cost per unit time value, and a representation of a billing pattern for the participant. The method also includes causing the telecommunications processor to determine a maximum time to permit the communication session to be conducted as a function of the free time value, the funds balance, the cost per unit time value and the billing pattern. The telecommunications processor initiates ending the communication session when the time to permit the communication session to be conducted expires.
539 Citations
38 Claims
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1. In a telecommunications network, a computer-implemented method of determining a time to permit a communication session by first and second participants to be conducted, the method comprising:
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causing at least one processor, after initiation of a communication session by a first participant and before the communication session has been established, to retrieve from a data storage; a funds balance associated with the first participant; a pre-stored cost per unit time value; and a representation of a billing pattern associated with the first participant; causing the at least one processor to determine a maximum time to permit the communication session to be conducted between the first and second participants as a function of the funds balance, the cost per unit time value and the billing pattern, wherein the maximum time to permit the communication session to be conducted is a value representing a time that the communication session is permitted to be active after the communication session has been established; producing a routing message that includes the maximum time to permit the communication session to be conducted, and sending the routing message to a controller to establish the communication session between a first communication device associated with the first participant and a second communication device associated with the second participant for a duration of up to the maximum time included in the routing message; and causing the at least one processor to pre-store the cost per unit time value by; causing the at least one processor to locate a record in the data storage, the record comprising a markup type indicator, a markup value and the billing pattern associated with the first participant, and causing the at least one processor to set a reseller rate equal to the sum of the markup value and a buffer rate. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. In a telecommunications network, a system for determining a time to permit a communication session between a first participant and a second participant to be conducted, the system comprising:
at least one processor configured to; after initiation of a communication session by a first participant and before the communication session has been established, retrieve from a data storage; a funds balance associated with the first participant; a pre-determined cost per unit time value; and a representation of a billing pattern associated with the first participant; determine a maximum time to permit the communication session to be conducted as a function of the funds balance, the cost per unit time value and the billing pattern, wherein the maximum time to permit the communication session to be conducted is a value representing a time that the communication session is permitted to be active after the communication session has been established; and produce a routing message comprising the maximum time to permit the communication session to be conducted, and sending the routing message to a controller to establish the communication session between a first communications device associated with the first participant and a second communications device associated with the second participant for a duration of up to the maximum time; wherein the at least one processor is configured to retrieve the pre-determined cost per unit time value by; locating a record in the data storage, the record comprising a markup type indicator, a markup value and the billing pattern associated with the first participant; and setting a reseller rate equal to the sum of the markup value and a buffer rate. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A computer-implemented method of determining a time to permit a communication session to be conducted between first and second communication devices across at least one network, the first communication device being associated with a first party identifier, the method comprising:
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causing at least one processor, after initiation of a communication session by a first participant and before the communication session has been established, to retrieve from a data storage; a funds balance associated with the first party identifier; a pre-stored cost per unit time value; and a representation of a billing pattern associated with the first party identifier; causing the at least one processor to determine a maximum time to permit the communication session to be conducted between the first and second communication devices as a function of the funds balance, the cost per unit time value and the billing pattern, wherein the maximum time to permit the communication session to be conducted is a value representing a time that the communication session is permitted to be active after the communication session has been established; producing a routing message that includes the maximum time to permit the communication session to be conducted, and sending the routing message to a controller, causing the communication session to be established between the first and second communication devices for a duration of up to the maximum time specified by the routing message; and causing the at least one processor to pre-store the cost per unit time value by; causing the at least one processor to locate a record in the data storage, the record comprising a markup type indicator, a markup value and the billing pattern associated with the first participant, and causing the at least one processor to set a reseller rate equal to the sum of the markup value and a buffer rate. - View Dependent Claims (38)
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Specification