Processing of telecommunications call billing data

• US 5,103,475 A
• Filed: 10/29/1990
• Issued: 04/07/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: American Telephone & Telegraph Company (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T, Inc.
• Inventors: Shuen, Jennifer Y.
• Primary Examiner(s): SCHREYER, STAFFORD
• Application Number:
  US07/605,206
• Time in Patent Office: 526 Days
• Field of Search: 379/114, 379/112, 379/116, 379/115, 379/119, 379/121
• US Class Current: 379/115.01
• 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: Y10S 379/901 Virtual networks or virtual private networks

Abstract

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for preparing a billing record for a special service telecommunications call such as a call over a software defined network or a direct service dialing capability call. These calls are characterized by the fact that in order to properly route and bill such calls, remote shared data bases must be consulted to obtain the necessary information, much of which is recorded in the billing record in order to properly charge the customer and to give that customer information about its calls. Special billing information for these special service calls is accumulated in an enhanced billing register capable of storing the special billing information for these special service calls. After timing for two seconds following the receipt of an answer for the call, all the accumulated billing information is transmitted to a separate processor, one of whose functions is the preparation and formatting of billing records. This processor retains the received billing information for the call until a disconnect is received for the call. After the second processor has received the disconnect indication, it prepares a billing record for the call and transfers this billing record either to secondary storage or transmits this information to a remote billing center. Advantageously, by reducing the number of transfers of data between the call control processor and the second processor, a large amount of real time can be saved for the call control processor, thus, substantially increasing the total call handling capacity of the call control processor in a system which handles a large fraction of special service calls.

Claims

1. In a telecommunications switching system, a method of recording billing data for a telecommunications call, said billing data comprising special billing data obtained from at least one data base shared by a plurality of switching systems, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving said special billing data and storing said special billing data in a call control processor means for controlling establishment of calls of said switching system; and

following the lapse of a predetermined interval after an answer signal has been received for said call, transmitting said stored special billing data to a means for controlling preparation of billing records.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

in said means for controlling, receiving a disconnect indication for said call; and

responsive to said receiving a disconnect indication, preparing a billing record for said call.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

transmitting said billing record to a billing center.

4. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

recording said billing record in secondary storage.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein said indication comprises a sequence number for identifying said call, and wherein said transmitting comprises transmitting said sequence number;

further comprising the steps of;

responsive to receiving said stored special billing data, storing said special billing data and said sequence number in a register of said means for controlling;

wherein said receiving a disconnect indication comprises receiving said disconnect indication from said call control processor means, and storing said disconnect indication in a buffer in memory of said means for controlling; and

wherein said preparing comprises identifying a register containing said sequence number and preparing said billing record using contents of the identified register and said buffer.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein said receiving a disconnect indication comprises receiving a disconnect indication in said call control processor means;

transmitting said disconnect indication to said means for controlling; and

receiving the transmitted disconnect indication in said means for controlling.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said step of receiving said disconnect indication in said call control processor means comprises the step of receiving a common channel signaling message comprising said disconnect indication in said call control processor means.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

following said step of transmitting, releasing memory for storing said special billing information in said call processing means;

whereby memory for storing said special billing data of said call control processor means is released after answer thus reducing a holding time for said memory for storing.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein a plurality of data bases are used to supply said special billing data, and wherein said receiving and storing comprises receiving and storing a plurality of segments of special billing data, said plurality of segments obtained from a plurality of ones of said data bases.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said special billing data is stored in a billing register, and wherein said billing register is an enhanced billing register larger than a POTS billing register for a POTS call.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said enhanced billing register comprises a POTS billing register and an annex.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein essentially all billing registers of said call control processor means are enhanced billing registers.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein said call control processor means comprises POTS billing registers and enhanced billing registers.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein said transmitting comprises transmitting over direct memory access means for transferring data between said call control processor means and said means for controlling preparation of billing records.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:

if, prior to reception of an answer signal and a lapse of said predetermined interval, a call record cancellation signal is received, bypassing said step of transmitting said stored special billing data;

whereby no call records are transmitted to said means for controlling if said call is disconnected prior to receipt of a verified answer.

16. In a telecommunications switching system comprising call processor means operative under the control of a program for controlling establishment of calls and control means operative under the control of a program for controlling preparation of billing records, means for recording billing data for a telecommunications call, said billing data comprising special billing data obtained from at least one data base shared by a plurality of switching systems, comprising:

processor means operative under control of a program for controlling reception of said special billing data and storing said special billing data in memory of said call control processor means; and

processor means operative under the control of a program for controlling transmission of said stored special billing data to said control means following the elapse of a predetermined interval after an answer signal has been received for said call.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said control means comprises:

processor means operative under the control of a program for receiving a disconnect indication for said call; and

processor means operative under the control of a program program responsive to said receiving a disconnect indication for preparing a billing record for said call.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said control means further comprises:

means for transmitting said billing record to a billing center.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said control means further comprises:

means for recording said billing record in secondary storage of said control means.

20. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein a plurality of data bases are used to supply special billing data and wherein said means for controlling reception and storing comprise processor means operative under the control of a program for receiving and storing a plurality of segments of special billing data, said plurality obtained from a plurality of ones of said data bases.

21. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said means for controlling reception and storing stores said special billing data in a billing register, and wherein said billing register is an enhanced billing register larger than a POTS billing register for a POTS call.

22. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein said enhanced billing register comprises a POTS billing register and an annex.

23. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein essentially all billing registers of said call control processor means are enhanced billing register.

24. The apparatus of claim 21 wherein said call control processor means comprises POTS billing registers and enhanced billing registers.

25. The apparatus of claim 16 further comprising direct memory access means for transmitting data between said call control processor means and said control means.

26. In a telecommunications switching system comprising call processor means for controlling establishment of calls and means for controlling preparation of billing records, a method of recording billing data for a telecommunications call, said billing data comprising billing data obtained from a plurality of data bases each data base shared by a plurality of switching systems, the method comprising:

receiving said special billing data and storing said special billing data in said call control processor means;

following elapse of a predetermined interval after an answer signal has been received for said call, transmitting said stored special billing data to said means for controlling preparation of billing records;

following elapse of said predetermined interval, releasing said memory for storing said special billing data;

receiving a disconnect indication for said call in said call control processor means;

transmitting an indication of a disconnect for said call from said call control processor means to said control means;

responsive to receiving said indication of the disconnect in said control means, preparing a billing record for said call;

recording said billing record in secondary storage for said means for controlling;

wherein said special billing data is stored in a billing register of said call control processor means and wherein said billing register is an enhanced billing register larger than a POTS billing register for a POTS call.

27. In a telecommunications switching system, a method of recording billing data for a telecommunications call, said billing data comprising special billing data obtained from at least one data base shared by a plurality of switching systems, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving said special billing data and storing said special billing data in a call control processor means for controlling establishment of calls of said switching system; and

following the lapse of a predetermined interval after an answer signal has been received for said call, transmitting said stored special billing data to a means for recording said stored special billing data.

28. In a telecommunications switching system, a method of recording billing data for a telecommunications call, said billing data comprising special billing data obtained from at least one data base shared by a plurality of switching systems, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving said special billing data and storing said special billing data in a call control processor means for controlling establishment of calls of said switching system; and

following the lapse of a predetermined interval after an answer signal has been received for said call, transmitting said stored special billing data to a billing center.