ALLOCATING CHARGES FOR COMMUNICATIONS SERVICES
First Claim
1. A computer implemented process for attributing charges for communications services, the process comprising:
- causing a processor to determine a first chargeable time in response to a communication session time and a pre-defined billing pattern;
causing the processor to determine a user cost value in response to the first chargeable time and a free time value associated with a user of the communications services; and
causing the processor to change an account balance associated with the user in response to the user cost value.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A process and apparatus to facilitate communication between callers and callees in a system comprising a plurality of nodes with which callers and callees are associated is disclosed. In response to initiation of a call by a calling subscriber, a caller identifier and a callee identifier are received. Call classification criteria associated with the caller identifier are used to classify the call as a public network call or a private network call. A routing message identifying an address, on the private network, associated with the callee is produced when the call is classified as a private network call and a routing message identifying a gateway to the public network is produced when the call is classified as a public network call.
42 Citations
34 Claims
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1. A computer implemented process for attributing charges for communications services, the process comprising:
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causing a processor to determine a first chargeable time in response to a communication session time and a pre-defined billing pattern; causing the processor to determine a user cost value in response to the first chargeable time and a free time value associated with a user of the communications services; and causing the processor to change an account balance associated with the user in response to the user cost value. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An apparatus for attributing charges for communications services, the apparatus comprising:
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a processor operably configured to receive signals representing a communication session time, a pre-defined billing pattern, a free time value associated with a user of the communications services, a reseller cost per unit time, and an operator cost per unit time; a non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with codes for directing the processor to; receive the signals representing the communication session time, the pre-defined billing pattern, the free time value associated with a user of the communications services, the reseller cost per unit time, and the operator cost per unit time; determine a first chargeable time in response to the communication session time and the pre-defined billing pattern; determine a user cost value in response to the first chargeable time and the free time value; and cause an account balance associated with the user to be changed in response to the user cost value. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. An apparatus for attributing charges for communications services, the apparatus comprising:
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means for receiving signals representing a communication session time, a pre-defined billing pattern, a free time value associated with a user of the communications services, a reseller cost per unit time, and an operator cost per unit time; means for determining a first chargeable time in response to the communication session time and the pre-defined billing pattern; means for determining a user cost value in response to the first chargeable time and the free time value; and means for causing an account balance associated with the user to be changed in response to the user cost value. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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Specification