Pricing method for telecommunication system

• US 5,790,643 A
• Filed: 01/29/1996
• Issued: 08/04/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC (BT Group PLC)
• Inventors: Crookes, James St. John, Gordon, Dale Robert, Smyton, Shaun Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): LOOMIS, PAUL A
• Application Number:
  US08/553,419
• Time in Patent Office: 918 Days
• Field of Search: 379/90-91, 379/93, 379/111, 379/112, 379/114, 379/115, 379/116, 379/118, 379/119, 379/120, 379/122, 379/126, 379/123, 379/127
• US Class Current: 379/119
• 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 15/44 Augmented, consolidated or itemized billing statement or bill presentation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0104 Augmented, consolidated or itemised billing statement, e.g. additional billing information, bill presentation, layout, format, e-mail, fax, printout, itemised bill per service or per account, cumulative billing, consolidated billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/22 Bandwidth or usage-sensitve billing

Abstract

A telephone charging system prices calls made by customers in a telecommunications network. The system includes a local exchange which provides a call record for each call, a database containing details of the customers of the network, a database which contains the locations of the individual numbers, details of routes between the numbers and a set of tariffs for pricing calls, a processor which receives call records from the local exchange and data from the databases and uses the call records and data to price calls, and a store for storing details of the priced calls. In order to price a typical call, the processor evaluates a factor relating to the type of service used in the call, a factor relating to the type of customer, a factor relating to the locations of the calling and called number in the network and a factor relating to the day on which the call is made. The values of the factors are used to select the tariff from the set of call tariff stored in database and the call is then priced in accordance with this tariff.

Claims

1. A method of pricing a call originating in a telecommunications network comprising the steps of:

retrieving a record of the call from a point located in the telecommunications network;

providing a first database containing details of customers of the network;

providing a second database containing details of the network and a set of call tariffs;

processing data from the call record, the first database and the second database to price the call;

said data processing step comprising the steps of;

finding a service factor relating to the type of service used in the call by processing data contained in the call record;

finding a customer factor relating to the type of customer making the call;

finding a network factor relating to the location of the calling number and the called number;

finding a calendar factor relating to the day of the call;

selecting a call tariff from a set of call tariffs in accordance with the combination of the service factor, the customer factor, the network factor and the calendar factor; and

pricing the call in accordance with the selected call tariff.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, in which the network factor relates both to the distance between the calling number and the called number and to the route between the calling number and the called number.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1 or 2, including the step of finding the number of an option to which the customer has subscribed, the number of being used in selecting the call tariff.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1 or 2, in which one or more further factors are used in selecting the call tariff.

2. A method of pricing a call originating in a telecommunications network, the price of the call having at least one component, said method comprising the steps of:

retrieving a record of the call from a point located in the telecommunications network;

providing a first database containing details of customers of the network;

providing a second database containing details of the network and a set of call tariffs;

processing data from the call record, the first database and the second database to price the call;

said data processing step comprising the steps of;

finding a first service factor relating to the type of service used in the call;

using the first service factor to select an algorithm from a set of algorithms which defines which factors from a group of factors are to be used in determining each component of the price and the manner of combining the components to determine the price of the call, said group of factors comprising a second service factor relating to the type of service used in the call, a customer factor relating to the type of customer making the call, a network factor relating to the locations of the calling number and the called number, and a calendar factor relating to the day of the call;

for each component of the price, finding the factors defined in the algorithm;

for each component of the price, selecting a call tariff from a set of call tariffs in accordance with the factors defined in the algorithm;

for each component of the price, determining the component in accordance with the selected call tariff; and

when the price of the call has more than one component, combining the components in the manner defined in the algorithm.

6. A method of pricing a call originating in a telecommunications network comprising the steps of:

retrieving a record of a call from a point located in the telecommunications network;

finding a service factor relating to the type of service used in the call by processing data contained in the call record;

finding a customer factor relating to the type of customer making the call;

finding a network factor relating to the locations of the calling number and the called number;

finding a calendar factor relating to the day of the call;

selecting a call tariff from a set of call tariffs stored in a database in accordance with the combination of the service factor, the customer factor, the network factor and the calendar factor; and

pricing the call in accordance with the selected call tariff.

7. A method of pricing a call originating in a telecommunications network, the price of the call having at least one component, said method comprising the steps of:

retrieving a record of a call from a point located in the telecommunications network;

finding a first service factor relating to the type of service used in the call by processing data contained in the call record;

using the first service factor to select an algorithm from a set of algorithms which defines which factors from a group of factors are to be used in determining each component of the price of the call and the manner of combining the components to determine the price of the call, said group of factors comprising a second service factor relating to the type of service used in the call, a customer factor relating to the type of customer making the call, a network factor relating to the locations of the calling and called numbers, and a calendar factor relates to the day of the call;

for each component of the price finding the factors defined in the algorithm;

for each component of the price, selecting a call tariff from a set of call tariffs stored in a database in accordance with the factors defined in the algorithm;

for each component of the price, determining the component in accordance with the selected algorithm; and

where the price of the call has more than one component, combining the components in the manner defined in the algorithm.

8. A system for pricing a telecommunications call originating in a telecommunications network, said system comprising:

a telecommunications point located in the network for providing a call record for each call;

a first database containing details of the customers of the network;

a second database containing details of the network and a set of call tariffs;

means for processing data from a call record, the first database and the second database to price a call; and

means for providing a communication link between the processing means and each of the telecommunications point, the first database and the second database;

said processing means comprising;

means for finding a service factor relating to the type of service used in a call by processing data contained in the call record for the call;

means for finding a customer factor relating to the type of customer making a call;

means for finding a network factor relating to the locations of the calling number and the called number for a call;

means for finding a calendar factor relating to the day of a call;

means for selecting a call tariff from a set of call tariffs in accordance with the combination of the service factor, the customer factor, the network factor and the calendar factor found for a call; and

means for pricing a call in accordance with a selected call tariff.

10. A system as claimed in claim 8 or claim 9, in which the network factor relates to the distance between the calling number and the called number, and to the route between the calling number and the called number.

11. A system as claimed in claim 8 or 9, including means for finding the number of an option to which the customer has subscribed, the means for selecting a call tariff using the number of the option in selecting a call tariff.

12. A system as claimed in claim 8 or 9, in which the telecommunications point, the first database and the second database are all located remotely from each other.

13. A system as claimed in claim 8 or 9, including means for storing the details of priced calls.

14. A system as claimed in claim 8 or 9, in which the telecommunications point is a telecommunications switch.

9. A system for pricing a telecommunications call originating in a telecommunications network, the price of the call having at least one component, said system comprising:

a telecommunications point located in the network for providing a call record for each call;

a first database containing details of the customers of the network;

a second database containing details of the network and a set of call tariffs;

means for processing data from a call record, the first database and the second database to price a call; and

means for providing a communication link between the processing means and each of the telecommunications point, the first database and the second database;

said processing means comprising;

means for finding a first service factor relating to the type of service used in a call;

means for using the first service factor to select an algorithm from a set of algorithms which defines which factors from a group of factors are to be used in determining each component of a price of a call and the manner of combining the components to determine the price of the call, said group of factors comprising a second service factor relating to the type of service used in the call, a customer factor relating to the type of customer making a call, a network factor relating to the locations of the calling number and the called number for a call, and a calendar factor relating to the day of a call;

means for finding the factors defined in the algorithm for each component of the price of a call;

means for selecting a call tariff for each component of the price of a call from a set of call tariffs in accordance with the factors defined in the algorithm;

means for determining each component of the price of a call in accordance with the selected call tariff; and

means for combining the components in the manner defined in the algorithm.

15. A system for pricing a telecommunications call originating in a telecommunications network, said system comprising:

a telecommunications point located in the network for providing a call record for each call;

means for finding a service factor relating to the type of service used in a call by processing data contained in the call record for the call;

means for finding a customer factor relating to the type of customer making a call;

means for finding a network factor relating to the locations of the calling number and the called number for a call;

means for finding a calendar factor relating to the day of a call;

means for selecting a call tariff from a set of call tariffs in accordance with the combination of the service factor, the customer factor, the network factor and the calendar factor found for a call; and

means for pricing a call in accordance with a selected call tariff.

16. A system for pricing a telecommunications call originating in a telecommunications network, said system comprising:

a telecommunications point located in the network for providing a call record for each call;

means for finding a first service factor relating to the type of service used in a call;

means for using the first service factor to select an algorithm from a set of algorithms which defines which factors from a group of factors are to be used in determining each component of a price of a call and the manner of combining the components to determine the price of the call, said group of factors comprising a second service factor relating to the type of service used in the call, a customer factor relating to the type of customer making a call, a network factor relating to the locations of the calling number and the called number for a call, and a calendar factor relating to the day of a call;

means for finding the factors defined in the algorithm for each component of the price of a call;

means for selecting a call tariff for each component of the price of a call from a set of call tariffs in accordance with the factors defined in the algorithm;

means for determining each component of the price of a call in accordance with the selected call tariff; and

means for combining the components in the manner defined in the algorithm.

17. A system for pricing a telecommunications call originating in a telecommunications network, said system comprising:

a telecommunications point located in the network for providing a call record for each call;

a first database containing details of the customers of the network;

a second database containing details of the network and a set of call tariffs;

a computer arranged to process data from a call record, the first database and the second database; and

means for providing a communications link between the computer and each of the telecommunications point, the first database and the second database;

said computer being controlled by a program as to perform the operations of;

finding a service factor relating to the type of service used in the call by processing data contained in the call record;

finding a customer factor relating to the type of customer making the call;

finding a network factor relating to the location of the calling number and the called number;

finding a calendar factor relating to the day of a call;

selecting a call tariff from a set of call tariffs in accordance with the combination of the service factor, the customer factor, the network factor and the calendar factor; and

pricing the call in accordance with the selected call tariff.

18. A system for pricing a telecommunications call originating in a telecommunications network, the price of the call having at least one component, said system comprising:

a telecommunications point located in the network for providing a call record for each call;

a first database containing details of the customers of the network;

a second database containing details of the network and a set of call tariffs;

a computer arranged to process data from a call record, the first database and the second database; and

means for providing a communications link between the computer and each of the telecommunications point, the first database and the second database;

said computer being controlled by a program to perform the operations of;

finding a first service factor relating to the type of service used in the call;

using the first service factor to select an algorithm from a set of algorithms which defines which factors from a group of factors are to be used in determining each component of the price and the manner of combining the components to determine the price of the call, said group of factors comprising a second service factor relating to the type of service used in the call, a customer factor relating to the type of customer making the call, a network factor relating to the locations of the calling number and the called number, and a calendar factor relating to the day of the call;

for each component of the price, finding the factors defined in the algorithm;

for each component of the price, selecting a call tariff from a set of call tariffs in accordance with the factors defined in the algorithm;

for each component of the price, determining the component in accordance with the selected call tariff; and

when the price of the call has more than one component, combining the components in the manner defined in the algorithm.