System and method for alternate billing arrangement during a telephone call
First Claim
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1. A system for processing alternate billing requests for a connection between a calling party and a called party, comprising:
- means for identifying a dual-tone multi-frequency signaling information from the called party;
means for receiving said duel-tone multi-frequency signaling information from said identifying means at a given time throughout the duration of the connection, said signaling information defining an alternate billing request for the duration of the connection, which is received from the called party, wherein said alternate billing request including a designation of an amount to be shifted to the called party;
means for determining whether said alternate billing request is permitted; and
means for effecting a change in the billing for the connection in accordance with said alternate billing request wherein said change occurs at a time subsequent to the connection.
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Abstract
A system and method for effecting alternate billing arrangements after a call from a calling party to a called party has been completed. Signaling information identifying an alternate billing request from a called party is first captured. The alternate billing request is then validated by determining whether it is permissible to shift all or part of the charges for the call to the called party.
154 Citations
36 Claims
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1. A system for processing alternate billing requests for a connection between a calling party and a called party, comprising:
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means for identifying a dual-tone multi-frequency signaling information from the called party; means for receiving said duel-tone multi-frequency signaling information from said identifying means at a given time throughout the duration of the connection, said signaling information defining an alternate billing request for the duration of the connection, which is received from the called party, wherein said alternate billing request including a designation of an amount to be shifted to the called party; means for determining whether said alternate billing request is permitted; and means for effecting a change in the billing for the connection in accordance with said alternate billing request wherein said change occurs at a time subsequent to the connection. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method for processing alternate billing requests for a connection between a calling party and a called party, comprising the steps of:
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(1) identifying a dual-one multi-frequency signaling information generated at a given time during the connection by the called party, wherein said dual-tone multi-frequency signaling information defines an alternate billing request for the duration of the connection from the called party said alternate billing request comprises; (a) a designation of an amount to be shifted to the called party; (2) determining whether said alternate billing request is permitted; and (3) effecting a change in billing for the connection in accordance with said alternate billing request wherein said change occurs at a time subsequent to the connection. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. In a public switched telecommunications network environment that provides a connection between a calling party and a called party, the connection comprising two unidirectional channels, a first unidirectional channel dedicated to transmission from the calling party to the called party and a second unidirectional channel dedicated to transmission from the called part to the calling party, a method for controlling the processing of the connection, comprising the steps of;
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(1) monitoring, by a dual tone multi-frequency detector, signaling information from the called party; and (2) using said signaling information to control an element of processing associated with the connection, wherein said signaling information is generated at any time during the connection and defines an alternate billing request for the duration of the connection, which is received from the called party, said alternate billing request including a designation of an amount to be shifted to the called party; wherein said element of processing effects a change in the billing for the connection if permitted in accordance with said alternate billing request wherein said change occurs at a time subsequent to the connection, and wherein said dual tone multi-frequency detector is situated on a part of the second unidirectional voice channel, the second unidirectional voice channel defined between a first end office connected to the calling party and a second end office connected to the called party. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28)
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29. A method in a communications system for processing a connection between a calling party to a called party, wherein the calling party initiates the connection and information associated with the connection is located within the communications system, the method comprising:
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detecting the connection between the calling party and the called party on the communications system; monitoring the connection for a request initiated by the called party to shift a desired amount of a rate of the connection at any given time during the connection to the called party in response to detecting the call; determining whether shifting the desired amount of the rate of the connection from the calling party to the called party is permitted, wherein the determination is made based on using the information associated with the connection; and shifting the desired amount of the rate of all the call to the called party at a given time subsequent to completion of the connection, wherein the rate of the call is shifted by the communication system after termination of the connection. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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Specification