Distributing billing for a call between a caller and a callee

• US 20030114142A1
• Filed: 12/17/2001
• Published: 06/19/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Winters, Scott Lee, Paolini, Michael A., Brown, Michael Wayne, Weaver, James Mark, McIntyre, Joseph Herbert
• Application Number:
  US10/023,404
• Publication Number:
  US 20030114142A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/408
• 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 15/07 Split billing, i.e. both A-party and B-party charged for the communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/64 Split billing, sharing the cost of calls, e.g. between calling and called parties

Abstract

A method, system, and program for distributing billing for a call between a caller and a callee are provided. Responsive to receiving a call request, a caller billing plan for an authenticated identity of a caller making the call request and a callee billing plan for an authenticated identity of a callee answering the call request are identified and loaded for the call request. Responsive to receiving a request for a billable service with the call request, distributing a cost of the billable service among the caller billing plan and the callee billing plan, such that both the caller and the callee pay for a benefit received from the billable service.

Claims

1. A method for billing for telephone services, said method comprising:

responsive to receiving a call request, identifying and loading a caller billing plan for an authenticated identity of a caller making said call request and a callee billing plan for an authenticated identity of a callee answering said call request; and

responsive to detecting a billable service with said call request, distributing a cost of said billable service among said caller billing plan and said callee billing plan, such that both said caller and said callee pay for a benefit received from said billable service.

2. The method for billing for telephone services according to claim 1, wherein said billable service comprises at least one from among a long distance service, a collect calling service, and a wireless telephone service.

3. The method for billing for telephone services according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving said call request from an origin device at a service provider from an origin line number utilized by said origin device;

loading a profile for a line subscriber of said origin line number, wherein said profile comprises a billing plan for said line subscriber;

extending a dial tone to said origin device;

authenticating said identity of said caller utilizing said origin device;

loading said caller billing plan according to said authenticated identity to replace said billing plan for said line subscriber;

loading a profile for a destination line subscriber of a requested destination line number, wherein said profile comprises a billing plan for said destination line subscriber;

extending a ring signal to a destination device via said destination line number;

responsive to detecting an answer at said destination device, authenticating said identity fo said callee utilizing said destination device; and

loading said callee billing plan according to said authenticated identity to replace said billing plan for said destination line subscriber.

4. The method for billing for telephone services according to claim 1, wherein said authenticated identity of said caller is authenticated according to a voice utterance provided by said caller.

5. The method for billing for telephone services according to claim 1, wherein said authenticated identity of said callee is authenticated according to a voice utterance provided by said callee.

6. The method for billing for telephone services according to claim 1, wherein authenticating an identity of a caller further comprises:

initiating authentication of said identity of said caller and said callee at an origin device, wherein said origin device is enabled to initiate said call request.

7. The method for billing for telephone services according to claim 1, wherein authenticating an identity of a caller further comprises:

initiating authentication of said identity of said caller and said callee at an intermediary device processing said call Request.

8. The method for billing for telephone services according to claim 1, wherein authenticating an identity of a caller further comprises:

initiating authentication of said identity of said caller and said callee at a destination device, wherein said destination device is enabled to receive said call request.

9. The method for billing for telephone services according to claim 1, further comprising:

switching said call request from a first service provider associated with said caller billing plan to a second service provider associated with said callee billing plan.

10. The method for billing for telephone services according to claim 1, wherein said caller is also a line subscriber of a line number utilized by said caller to make said call request.

11. The method for billing for telephone services according to claim 1, wherein said caller is different from a line subscriber of a line number utilized by said caller to make said call request.

12. The method for billing for telephone services according to claim 1, wherein said callee is also a line subscriber of a line number utilized by said callee to receive said call request.

13. The method for billing for telephone services according to claim 1, wherein said callee is different from a line subscriber of a line number utilized by said callee to receive said call request.

14. The method for billing for telephone services according to claim 1, further comprising:

extending a request to said caller to elect to pay for a portion of said cost of said billable service; and

billing said caller billing plan according to said payment election.

15. The method for billing for telephone services according to claim 1, further comprising:

extending a request to said callee to elect to pay for a portion of said cost of said billable service; and

billing said callee billing plan according to said payment election.

16. The method for billing for telephone services according to claim 1, further comprising:

distributing said cost of said billable service evenly between said caller billing plan and said callee billing plan.

17. The method for billing for telephone services according to claim 1, further comprising:

distributing said cost of said billable service to each of said caller billing plan and said callee billing plan according to actual percentage use by each of said caller and said callee.

18. A system for billing for telephone services, said system comprising:

a network controller;

means responsive to receiving a call request, for identifying and loading a caller billing plan for an authenticated identity of a caller making said call request and a callee billing plan for an authenticated identity of a callee answering said call request at said network controller; and

means responsive to detecting a billable service with said call request, for distributing a cost of said billable service among said caller billing plan and said callee billing plan.

19. The system for billing for telephone services according to claim 18, wherein said billable service comprises at least one from among a long distance service, a collect calling service, and a wireless telephone service.

20. The system for billing for telephone services according to claim 18, further comprising:

means for receiving said call request from an origin device at a service provider from an origin line number utilized by said origin device;

means for loading a profile for a line subscriber of said origin line number, wherein said profile comprises a billing plan for said line subscriber;

means for extending a dial tone to said origin device;

means for authenticating said identity of said caller utilizing said origin device;

means for loading said caller billing plan according to said authenticated identity to replace said billing plan for said line subscriber;

means for loading a profile for a destination line subscriber of a requested destination line number, wherein said profile comprises a billing plan for said destination line subscriber;

means for extending a ring signal to a destination device via said destination line number;

means responsive to detecting an answer at said destination device, for authenticating said identity fo said callee utilizing said destination device; and

means for loading said callee billing plan according to said authenticated identity to replace said billing plan for said destination line subscriber.

21. The system for billing for telephone services according to claim 18, wherein said authenticated identity of said caller is authenticated according to a voice utterance provided by said caller.

22. The system for billing for telephone services according to claim 18, wherein said authenticated identity of said callee is authenticated according to a voice utterance provided by said callee.

23. The system for billing for telephone services according to claim 18, wherein said means for authenticating an identity of a caller further comprises:

means for initiating authentication of said identity of said caller and said callee at an origin device, wherein said origin device is enabled to initiate said call request.

24. The system for billing for telephone services according to claim 18, wherein said means for authenticating an identity of a caller further comprises:

means for initiating authentication of said identity of said caller and said callee at an intermediary device processing said call request.

25. The system for billing for telephone services according to claim 18, wherein said means for authenticating an identity of a caller further comprises:

means for initiating authentication of said identity of said caller and said callee at a destination device, wherein said destination device is enabled to receive said call request.

26. The system for billing for telephone services according to claim 18, further comprising:

means for switching said call request from a first service provider associated with said caller billing plan to a second service provider associated with said callee billing plan.

27. The system for billing for telephone services according to claim 18, wherein said caller is also a line subscriber of a line number utilized by said caller to make said call request.

28. The system for billing for telephone services according to claim 18, wherein said caller is different from a line subscriber of a line number utilized by said caller to make said call request.

29. The system for billing for telephone services according to claim 18, wherein said callee is also a line subscriber of a line number utilized by said callee to receive said call request.

30. The system for billing for telephone services according to claim 18, wherein said callee is different from a line subscriber of a line number utilized by said callee to receive said call request.

31. The system for billing for telephone services according to claim 18, further comprising:

means for extending a request to said caller to elect to pay for a portion of said cost of said billable service; and

means for billing said caller billing plan according to said payment election.

32. The system for billing for telephone services according to claim 18, further comprising:

means for extending a request to said callee to elect to pay for a portion of said cost of said billable service; and

means for billing said callee billing plan according to said payment election.

33. The system for billing for telephone services according to claim 18, further comprising:

means for distributing said cost of said billable service evenly between said caller billing plan and said callee billing plan.

34. The system for billing for telephone services according to claim 18, further comprising:

means for distributing said cost of said billable service to each of said caller billing plan and said callee billing plan according to actual percentage use by each of said caller and said callee.

35. A computer program product for billing for telephone services, said computer program product comprising:

a recording medium;

means, recorded on said recording medium, for identifying and loading a caller billing plan for an authenticated identity of a caller making a call request and a callee billing plan for an authenticated identity of a callee answering said call request; and

means, recorded on said recording medium, for distributing a cost of a billable service for said call request among said caller billing plan and said callee billing plan.

36. The computer program product for billing for telephone services according to claim 35, further comprising:

means, recorded on said recording medium, for receiving said call request from an origin device at a service provider from an origin line number utilized by said origin device;

means, recorded on said recording medium, for loading a profile for a line subscriber of said origin line number, wherein said profile comprises a billing plan for said line subscriber;

means, recorded on said recording medium, for extending a dial tone to said origin device;

means, recorded on said recording medium, for authenticating said identity of said caller utilizing said origin device;

means, recorded on said recording medium, for loading said caller billing plan according to said authenticated identity to replace said billing plan for said line subscriber;

means, recorded on said recording medium, for loading a profile for a destination line subscriber of a requested destination line number, wherein said profile comprises a billing plan for said destination line subscriber;

means, recorded on said recording medium, for extending a ring signal to a destination device via said destination line number;

means, recorded on said recording medium, for authenticating said identity of said callee utilizing said destination device; and

means, recorded on said recording medium, for loading said callee billing plan according to said authenticated identity to replace said billing plan for said destination line subscriber.

37. The computer program product for billing for telephone services according to claim 35, further comprising:

means, recorded on said recording medium, for initiating authentication of said identity of said caller and said callee at an origin device, wherein said origin device is enabled to initiate said call request.

38. The computer program product for billing for telephone services according to claim 35, further comprising:

means, recorded on said recording medium, for initiating authentication of said identity of said caller and said callee at an intermediary device processing said call request.

39. The computer program product for billing for telephone services according to claim 35, further comprising:

means, recorded on said recording medium, for initiating authentication of said identity of said caller and said callee at a destination device, wherein said destination device is enabled to receive said call request.

40. The computer program product for billing for telephone services according to claim 35, further comprising:

means, recorded on said recording medium, for switching said call request from a first service provider associated with said caller billing plan to a second service provider associated with said callee billing plan.

41. The computer program product for billing for telephone services according to claim 35, further comprising:

means, recorded on said recording medium, for extending a request to said caller to elect to pay for a portion of said cost of said billable service; and

means, recorded on said recording medium, for billing said caller billing plan according to said payment election.

42. The computer program product for billing for telephone services according to claim 35, further comprising:

means, recorded on said recording medium, for extending a request to said callee to elect to pay for a portion of said cost of said billable service; and

means, recorded on said recording medium, for billing said callee billing plan according to said payment election.

43. The computer program product for billing for telephone services according to claim 35, further comprising:

means, recorded on said recording medium, for distributing said cost of said billable service evenly between said caller billing plan and said callee billing plan.

44. The computer program product for billing for telephone services according to claim 35, further comprising:

means, recorded on said recording medium, for distributing said cost of said billable service to each of said caller billing plan and said callee billing plan according to actual percentage use by each of said caller and said callee.