Calling-party-pays call processing for cellular and paging

• US 20020015483A1
• Filed: 05/18/2001
• Published: 02/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ameritech Corp. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sosa, Roger Albert, Gruchala, Carol Shifrin, Blumenschein, Gordon Lynn, Marshall, Douglas, Donoso, Carlos
• Granted Patent: US 6,570,970 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/127.01
• 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 15/745 Customizing according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. friends or family
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/90 using Intelligent Networks [IN] or Advanced Intelligent Networks [AIN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0108 Customization according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. customer preferences, friends and family, selecting services or billing options, Personal Communication Systems [PCS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/016 Billing using Intelligent Networks [IN] or Advanced Intelligent Networks [AIN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0168 On line or real-time flexible customization or negotiation according to wishes of subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/68 Billing calls completely to the calling party, except POTS, e.g. charge on caller's choice service
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/53308 Message originator indirectly connected to the message centre, e.g. after detection of busy or absent state of a called party
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13095 PIN / Access code, authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13098 Mobile subscriber
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/1313 Metering, billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13166 Fault prevention
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13176 Common channel signaling, CCS7
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13204 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13213 Counting, timing circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13345 Intelligent networks, SCP
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13374 Paging
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13377 Recorded announcement
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 3/0029 Provisions for intelligent networking

Abstract

An enhanced Calling Party Pays (CPP) or Paging Party Pays (PPP) system that enables 1) billing of calls originating from traditionally non-billable sources, 2) routing of incoming calls to voicemail if the caller does not wish to incur the additional charges, 3) allowing the caller to complete the call and charge the cellular (or paging) subscriber for additional air-time usage when the caller enters a PIN or security code, also referred to as a billing override code, and 4) allowing the caller to block CPP/PPP charges from being billed to the calling party.

Claims

1. A method of processing a call initiated by a first subscriber device to a second subscriber device comprising the following steps:

receiving information containing a calling number and a called number;

determining the billing status of the first subscriber device in response to the received calling number;

determining the billing preferences of the second subscriber device in response to the received called number; and

,

routing the call to a billing service provider if the billing status is determined to be nonbillable and the billing preferences are calling party pays, thereby allowing the billing service provider to obtain billing information associated with the first subscriber device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining the billing status of the first subscriber comprises examining a database field containing the Charge Party Station Type of the first subscriber device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determining the billing preferences of the second subscriber comprises examining a database field containing billing preferences of the second subscriber device.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the steps of determining the billing status and billing preferences are performed at a service control point of an advanced intelligent network.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of receiving information is performed using the TCAP component of the signaling system 7 protocol.

6. A method of call processing performed at a service control point in an advanced intelligent network comprising the steps of:

receiving a first TCAP query from a switching device, wherein the query contains called number and calling number information;

determining whether the called number utilizes calling party pays services;

determining whether the calling number is a billable number;

instructing the switching device to route the call to a billing service provider if the called number uses calling party pays services and the calling number is non-billable, thereby allowing the billing service provider to obtain billing information corresponding to the calling party; and

receiving a second TCAP query from a switching device, wherein the query contains calling number information associated with a billing service provider.

7. The method according to claim 6 further comprising the step of prompting the calling subscriber to enter a ‘

1’

if the call should be routed to a billing service provider if the calling number billing status is non-billable.

8. A method of processing a call initiated by a first subscriber device to a second subscriber device comprising the following steps:

receiving information containing a called number corresponding to the second subscriber device;

determining the billing preferences of the second subscriber device in response to the received called number;

receiving and verifying a calling party pays override code;

routing the call to the second subscriber device without charging additional fees to the calling party.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising the step of creating a billing record indicating the call is to be billed to the called subscriber.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising the step of playing a message indicating a PIN should be entered.

11. A method of processing a call initiated by a first subscriber device to a second subscriber device comprising the following steps:

receiving information containing a called number corresponding to the second subscriber device;

determining the billing preferences of the second subscriber device in response to the received called number;

determining the billing preferences of the first subscriber device in response to the received calling number;

terminating the call if the calling number billing preferences indicate that calling party pays billing is blocked from the calling number.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of terminating the call further comprises the steps of:

playing a message indicating that calling party pays is blocked; and

,

disconnecting the call.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of determining the billing preferences of the first subscriber device comprises the step of determining whether the calling party has blocked cellular calling party pays and whether the calling party has blocked paging calling party pays.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of determining the billing preferences of the first subscriber device comprises the step of examining the calling party charge party station type parameter stored within a database.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of determining the billing status of the first subscriber comprises examining a database field containing the Charge Party Station Type of the first subscriber device.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of determining the billing preferences of the second subscriber comprises examining a database field containing billing preferences of the second subscriber device.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the steps of determining the billing status and billing preferences are performed at a service control point of an advanced intelligent network.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of receiving information is performed using the TCAP component of the signaling system 7 protocol.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein the played message also indicates that no additional charges are associated with the voice mail option.

15. A method of processing a call initiated by a first subscriber device to a second subscriber device comprising the following steps:

receiving information containing a calling number and a called number;

determining the billing status of the first subscriber device in response to the received calling number;

determining the billing preferences of the second subscriber device in response to the received called number; and

,

playing a message to the first subscriber device indicating that voice mail is an option; and

routing the call to a service provider for voice mail service.