System and method for alternate billing arrangement during a telephone call

• US 5,937,044 A
• Filed: 09/30/1996
• Issued: 08/10/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MCI Communications Corporation (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Kim, Hack H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TIEU, BINH KIEN
• Application Number:
  US08/724,239
• Time in Patent Office: 1,044 Days
• Field of Search: 379/111, 379/112, 379/113, 379/114, 379/115, 379/120, 379/121, 379/127, 379/130, 379/201, 379/133, 379/134, 379/140
• US Class Current: 379/121.05
• 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 15/43 Billing software details
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/745 Customizing according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. friends or family
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0108 Customization according to wishes of subscriber, e.g. customer preferences, friends and family, selecting services or billing options, Personal Communication Systems [PCS]

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.

Claims

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.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said identifying means is a dual tone multi-frequency detector situated on a part of a unidirectional voice path dedicated to a voice transmission from the called party to the calling party, said unidirectional voice path defined between a first end office connected to the calling party and a second end office connected to the called party.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said dual tone multi-frequency detector identifies one or more dialed digits from the called party.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein said dual tone multi-frequency detector is situated on a part of said unidirectional voice path controlled by an inter-exchange carrier.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein said dual tone multi-frequency detector is situated on a part of said unidirectional voice path controlled by a local exchange carrier.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein said unidirectional voice path is defined between a first hybrid in said first end office and a second hybrid in said second end office, said first hybrid connected to the calling party via a first twisted pair and said second hybrid connected to the called party via a second twisted pair.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising means for modifying a call detail record to indicate a billing arrangement identified by said alternate billing request.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said means for determining determines whether the called party is at a pay phone.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said means for determining checks an account history for the called party.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said connection is a standard telephone call.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said connection is an integrated service digital network call and said identifying means monitors signaling information contained in a D channel.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein said connection is a data communication channel.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein said connection is a video connection.

14. A method for processing alternate billing requests for a connection between a calling party and a called party, comprising the steps of:

(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.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said step (1) comprises the step of identifying dialed digits from the called party by a dual tone multi-frequency detector situated on a part of a unidirectional voice path dedicated to a voice transmission from the called party to the calling party, said unidirectional voice path defined between a first end office connected to the calling party and a second end office connected to the called party.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said step (1) comprises the step of identifying dialed digits from the called party by a dual tone multi-frequency detector, wherein said dual tone multi-frequency detector is situated on a part of said unidirectional voice path controlled by an inter-exchange carrier.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein said step (1) comprises the step of identifying dialed digits from the called party by a dual tone multi-frequency detector, wherein said dual tone multi-frequency detector is situated on a part of said unidirectional voice path controlled by a local exchange carrier.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of modifying a call detail record to indicate a billing arrangement identified by said alternate billing request.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein said step (2) comprises the step of determining whether the called party is at a pay phone.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein said step (2) comprises the step of checking an account history for the called party.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein said step (1) comprises the step of monitoring signaling information contained in a standard telephone call.

22. The method of claim 14, wherein said step (1) comprises the step of monitoring signaling information contained in a D channel of an integrated services digital network call.

23. The method of claim 14, wherein said step (1) comprises the step of monitoring signaling information contained in a data communication channel.

24. The method of claim 14, wherein said step (1) comprises the step of monitoring signaling information contained in a video connection.

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;

(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.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein said step (1) comprises the step of monitoring signaling information from the called party to control an apportionment of the billing of the connection between the calling party and the called party.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein said step (1) comprises the step of monitoring signaling information from the called party, wherein said dual tone multi-frequency detector is situated on a part of the second unidirectional voice channel that is controlled by an inter-exchange carrier.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein said step (1) comprises the step of monitoring signaling information from the called party, wherein said dual tone multi-frequency detector is situated on a part of the second unidirectional voice channel that is controlled by a local exchange carrier.

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:

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.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the calling party has a type of phone and wherein the information about the connection comprises the type of phone.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the called party has a type of phone and wherein the information about the connection comprises the type of phone.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein the information comprises subscriber preferences for the called party.

33. The method of claim 29, wherein the information comprises a credit history of the called party.

34. The method of claim 29, wherein the step of shifting of the cost of the call to the called party comprises shifting a portion of the cost of the call to the called party.

35. The method of claim 29, wherein the step of shifting of the cost of the call to the called party comprises shifting all of the cost of the call to the called party.

36. The method of claim 29, wherein monitoring of the connection for the request is accomplished using a dual-tone multi-frequency detector.