Method and system for tracking and billing vocoder bypass calls in a wireless wide area network

• US 7,174,156 B1
• Filed: 05/10/2004
• Issued: 02/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Mangal, Manish
• Primary Examiner(s): Eng; George
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stein; Julie E
• Application Number:
  US10/842,876
• Time in Patent Office: 1,002 Days
• Field of Search: 455/417, 455/414.1, 455/422.1, 455/406, 455/408, 455/428, 379/114.01, 379/114.03, 379/114.05, 379/114.06, 379/114.07, 379/114.08, 379/114.1, 379/114.11, 379/114.12, 379/121.04, 379/121.05
• US Class Current: 455/406
• 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

Abstract

For calls involving a wireless device on a wireless wide area network, a network entity may create an electronic record for the call that includes an indication of whether the call was established with vocoder bypass. A service provider of the wireless wide area network may then use the indications in the electronic records, at least in part, as a basis for billing a user of the wireless device. The service provider may additionally use the electronic records to generate statistics about the usage of the wireless wide area network.

Claims

1. A method for billing vocoder bypass calls in a wireless wide area network, the method comprising:

accessing a plurality of electronic records for calls involving a first wireless device on the wireless wide area network, wherein each electronic record in the plurality of electronic records corresponds to a respective call involving the wireless device, wherein each said respective call is a call that could have been established with vocoder bypass, and wherein each electronic record includes an indication of whether its respective call was established with vocoder bypass; and

using the indications in the plurality of electronic records as a basis, at least in part, to charge a user of the first wireless device for accessing the wireless wide area network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein using the indications in the plurality of electronic records comprises:

for at least one electronic record in the plurality of electronic records, determining whether its respective call was established with vocoder bypass; and

if the corresponding call was established with vocoder bypass, charging the user for the corresponding call at a first rate, otherwise charging the user at a second rate.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first rate is lower than the second rate.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein using the indications in the plurality of electronic records comprises:

determining a percentage of electronic records in the plurality of electronic records where the corresponding calls were established with vocoder bypass; and

if the percentage exceeds a predetermined threshold, then providing the user with a discount on the charges billed to the user for accessing the wireless wide area network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein using the indications in the plurality of electronic records comprises:

searching the plurality of electronic records to compile a list of wireless devices with which the first wireless device has engaged in calls that were established with vocoder bypass; and

offering the user an incentive for making future calls to wireless devices in the list of wireless devices.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein using the indications in the plurality of electronic records comprises:

searching the plurality of electronic records to determine an amount of calls over a predetermined monthly threshold; and

for calls over the predetermined monthly threshold that were established with vocoder bypass, charging the user for the calls at a first rate, otherwise charging the user for the calls at a second rate.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the amount of calls is measured based on a duration of the calls, a number of bytes transmitted during the calls or a number of packets transmitted during the calls.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the first rate is lower than the second rate.