Origin device billing according to caller

• US 6,956,935 B2
• Filed: 12/17/2001
• Issued: 10/18/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Winters, Scott Lee, Paolini, Michael A., Brown, Michael Wayne, Weaver, James Mark, McIntyre, Joseph Herbert
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, QUOC DUC
• Application Number:
  US10/023,408
• Publication Number:
  US 20030112936A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,401 Days
• Field of Search: 379/114.01, 379/114.02, 379/114.03, 379/114.05, 37911421-11422, 379/114.23, 379/114.26, 37911427-11428, 379/115.01, 379/115.02, 379/115.03, 379/118, 379/127.03, 379/127.04, 379/127.05, 379/127.06
• US Class Current: 379/114.21
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• 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 15/09 Third party charged communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/68 Payment of value-added services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/765 Linked or grouped accounts, e.g. of users or devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/7652 shared by users
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/77 involving multiple accounts per user
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0196 Payment of value-added services, mainly when their charges are added on the telephone bill, e.g. payment of non-telecom services, e-commerce, on-line banking
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/66 Third party billing, i.e. third party can also be the predetermined telephone line of the caller if he is calling from another telephone set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/724 Linked accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7245 Shared by users, e.g. group accounts or one account for different users
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7254 Multiple accounts per user
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42042 Notifying the called party of information on the calling party details within substation equipment H04M1/57, signalling details H04Q3/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42059 Making use of the calling party identifier

Abstract

A method, system, and program for billing for service provided to an origin device according to the current caller billing plan. A trusted telephone network, including at least one service provider, receives a request for service from an origin device. The origin device is associated with a line number to be billed for according to a line subscriber billing plan. An identity of a caller requesting the service from the origin device is authenticated. Then, a billing plan associated with the authenticated caller identity is accessed and utilized to replace or supplement the line subscriber billing plan, such that billing for service provided at an origin device is specified according to the caller currently utilizing the origin device.

Claims

1. A method for billing for telephone services, said method comprising:

receiving, at at least one service provider within a trusted telephone network, a request for service from an origin device associated with a line number to be billed according to a line subscriber billing plan;

authenticating an identity of a caller requesting said service from said origin device;

accessing a caller billing plan according to said identity of said caller from at least one data storage system comprising at least one from among a data storage system within a trusted telephone network and a data storage system outside said trusted telephone network, wherein an additional level of security is required for accessing said data storage system outside said trusted telephone network; and

replacing said line subscriber billing plan with said caller billing plan associated with said caller.

2. The method for billing for telephone services according to claim 1, wherein authenticating an identity of a caller further comprises:

authenticating said identity of said caller according to a voice utterance provided by said caller.

3. The method for billing for telephone services according to claim 1, wherein authenticating an identity of a caller further comprises:

initiating authentication of said identity of said caller at said origin device.

4. The method for billing for telephone services according to claim 1, wherein authenticating an identity of a caller further comprises:

initiating authentication of said identity of said caller at an intermediary device receiving said request for service.

5. The method for billing for telephone services according to claim 1, wherein authenticating an identity of a caller further comprises:

initiating authentication of said identity of said caller at a destination device, wherein said destination device is enabled for call receipt.

6. The method for billing for telephone services according to claim 1, further comprising:

receiving said request for service from said origin device at an intermediary device;

initiating a register for said request for service;

accessing a line subscriber profile associated with a line number providing access for said origin device;

loading said line subscriber profile into said register; and

in response to accessing said caller billing plan according to said identity of said caller, replacing at least a portion of said line subscriber profile with said caller billing plan.

7. The method for billing for telephone services according to claim 6, further comprising:

switching said call from said register associated with a first service provider within said intermediary device to a register associated with a second service provider within said intermediary device, wherein said second service provider provides said caller billing plan.

8. The method for billing for telephone service according to claim 6, further comprising:

controlling at least one particular service provided for said call request according to said at least one particular service selected in said caller billing plan accessible according to said authenticated identity of said caller.

9. A system for providing telephone services, said system comprising:

a trusted telephone network comprising at least one service provider;

means for receiving, at said at least one service provider, a request for service from an origin device associated with a line number to be billed according to a line subscriber billing plan;

means for authenticating an identity of a caller requesting said service from said origin device;

means for accessing a caller billing plan according to said identity of said caller from at least one data storage system comprising at least one from among a data storage system within said trusted telephone network and a data storage system outside said trusted telephone network, wherein an additional level of security is required for accessing said data storage system outside said trusted telephone network; and

means for replacing said line subscriber billing plan with said caller billing plan associated with said caller.

10. The system for providing telephone services according to claim 9, further comprising:

means for assigning a register at said at least one service provider to said request for service;

means for accessing said line subscriber billing plan according to said line number;

means for loading said line subscriber billing plan into said register; and

means for replacing said line subscriber billing plan in said register with said caller billing plan in said register.

11. The system for billing for telephone services according to claim 9, wherein said means for authenticating an identity of a caller further comprises:

means for authenticating said identity of said caller according to a voice utterance provided by said caller.

12. The system for billing for telephone services according to claim 9, wherein said means for authenticating an identity of a caller further comprises:

means for initiating authentication of said identity of said caller at said origin device.

13. The system for billing for telephone services according to claim 9, wherein said means for authenticating an identity of a caller further comprises:

means for initiating authentication of said identity of said caller at an intermediary device receiving said request for service.

14. The system for billing for telephone services according to claim 9, wherein said means for authenticating an identity of a caller further comprises:

means for initiating authentication of said identity of said caller at a destination device, wherein said destination device is enabled for call receipt.

15. The system for providing telephone services according to claim 9, further comprising:

means for authenticating said identity of said caller at a telephone service server outside said trusted telephone network.

16. The system for providing telephone services according to claim 9, further comprising:

means for supplementing at least one service provided for said call request according to said line number with at least one service associated with said caller billing plan accessed according to said authenticated identity for said caller.

17. A computer program product for providing telephone services, said computer program product comprising:

a recording medium;

means, recorded on said recording medium, for enabling receipt, at at least one service provider, of a request for service from an origin device associated with a line number to be billed according to a line subscriber billing plan;

means, recorded on said recording medium, for authenticating an identity of a caller requesting said service from said origin device;

means, recorded on said recording medium, for controlling access to a caller billing plan according to said identity of said caller from at least one data storage system comprising at least one from among a data storage system within a trusted telephone network and a data storage system outside said trusted telephone network, wherein an additional level of security is required for accessing said data storage system outside said trusted telephone network; and

means, recorded on said recording medium, for controlling replacement of said line subscriber billing plan with said caller billing plan associated with said caller identity.

19. The computer program product for billing for telephone services according to claim 17, wherein said means for authenticating an identity of a caller further comprises:

means, recorded on said recording medium, for authenticating said identity of said caller according to a voice utterance provided by said caller.

20. The computer program product for billing for telephone services according to claim 17, further comprising:

means, recorded on said recording medium, for initiating authentication of said identity of said caller at said origin device.

21. The computer program product for billing for telephone services according to claim 17, further comprising:

means, recorded on said recording medium, for initiating authentication of said identity of said caller at an intermediary device receiving said request for service.

22. The computer program product for billing for telephone services according to claim 17, further comprising:

means, recorded on said recording medium, for initiating authentication of said identity of said caller at a destination device, wherein said destination device is enabled for call receipt.

23. The computer program product for providing telephone services according to claim 17, further comprising:

means, recorded on said recording medium, for authenticating said identity of said caller at a telephone service server outside said trusted telephone network.

24. The computer program product for providing telephone services according to claim 17, further comprising:

means, recorded on said recording medium, for supplementing at least one service provided for said call request according to said line number with at least one service associated with said caller billing plan.

18. The computer program product for providing telephone services according to claim 18, further comprising:

means, recorded on said recording medium, for assigning a register at said at least one service provider to said request for service;

means, recorded on said recording medium, for accessing said line subscriber billing plan according to said line number;

means, recorded on said recording medium, for loading said line subscriber billing plan into said register; and

means, recorded on said recording medium, for controlling replacement of said line subscriber billing plan in said register with said caller billing plan in said register.

25. A method for billing a caller for telephone services, comprising:

receiving, within a trusted telephone network, a request for service from a caller utilizing a particular line number from among a plurality of line numbers;

authenticating an identity of said caller; and

accessing a billing plan for said caller according to said authenticated identity from at least one data storage system comprising at least one from among a data storage system within said trusted telephone network and a data storage system outside said trusted telephone network, wherein an additional level of security is required for accessing said data storage system outside said trusted telephone network, wherein said billing plan follows said caller across a plurality of line numbers.

26. The method for billing a caller for telephone services according to claim 25, wherein said particular line number is subscribed to by said caller.

27. The method for billing a caller for telephone services according to claim 25, wherein said particular line number is subscribed to by an individual other than said caller.

28. A system for billing a caller for telephone services, said system comprising:

a trusted telephone network for enabling a call;

means for receiving a request for service at said trusted telephone network from a caller utilizing a particular line number from among a plurality of line numbers;

means for authenticating an identity of said caller; and

means for accessing a billing plan for said caller according to said authenticated identity from at least one data storage system comprising at least one from among a data storage system within said trusted telephone network and a data storage system outside said trusted telephone network, wherein an additional level of security is required for accessing said data storage system outside said trusted telephone network, wherein said billing plan follows said caller across a plurality of line numbers.

29. The system for billing a caller for telephone services according to claim 28, wherein said particular line number is subscribed to by said caller.

30. The system for billing a caller for telephone services according to claim 28, wherein said particular line number is subscribed to by an individual other than said caller.

31. A computer program product for billing a caller for telephone services, said computer program product comprising:

a recording medium;

means, recorded on said recording medium, for enabling receipt of a request for service at said trusted telephone network from a caller utilizing a particular line number from among a plurality of line numbers;

means, recorded on said recording medium, for authenticating an identity of said caller; and

means, recorded on said recording medium, for accessing a billing plan for said caller according to said authenticated identity from a data storage system from at least one data storage system comprising at least one from among a data storage system within said trusted telephone network and a data storage system outside said trusted telephone network, wherein an additional level of security is required for accessing said data storage system outside said trusted telephone network, wherein said billing plan follows said caller across a plurality of line numbers.