Communication billing system

• US 7,386,295 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2003
• Issued: 06/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Mitchell, Scott F., Carter, Mark D., Ganter, Robert W., McKee, Mark S., Williams, James D., Alloune, Kathleen E., Seefeldt, Angela L., Paelinck, Charles A., Knapp, Gretchen L., Benoist, Jeffrey L., Laura, Joseph G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Duc M.
• Application Number:
  US10/447,549
• Publication Number:
  US 20030212634A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,839 Days
• Field of Search: 455/405, 455/406, 455/408, 379/114.03, 379/114.1, 379/121.02, 379/126, 705/34, 705/40, 705/29, 705/32
• US Class Current: 455/406
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• 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 15/49 Connection to several service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/55 for hybrid networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/75 Account location specifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/765 Linked or grouped accounts, e.g. of users or devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/7655 shared by technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/772 per service, e.g. prepay or post-pay
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/773 per technology, e.g. PSTN or wireless
• 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 2215/2026 Wireless network, e.g. GSM, PCS, TACS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/32 Involving wireless systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/44 Charging/billing arrangements for connection made over different networks, e.g. wireless and PSTN, ISDN, etc.
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/46 Connection to several service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/72 Account specifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/724 Linked accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/725 Shared by technologies, e.g. one account for different access technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7263 per service, e.g. prepay and post-pay
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7268 : per technology, e.g. PSTN or wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 : Accounting or billing

Abstract

A communication billing system comprising a processing system coupled to an interface system. The processing system is configured to process a plurality of wireless service events from a wireless system together at the event level with a plurality of wireline service events from a wireline system to generate total charge records for a plurality of wireless services and a plurality of wireline services. The processing system is also configured to process the total charge records for the plurality of wireless services and the plurality of wireline services to generate a customer bill. The interface system is configured to receive the plurality of wireless service events from the wireless system, receive the plurality of wireline service events from the wireline system, and transmit the customer bill for the processing system.

Claims

1. A method of operating a communication billing system, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of wireless service events from a wireless system;

receiving a plurality of wireline service events from a wireline system; and

processing the plurality of wireless service events and the plurality of wireline service events together to apply a cross-contribution, wherein the cross-contribution comprises bundling of service time across a wireless service and a wireline service, wherein applying the cross-contribution comprises;

applying a wireline credit for unused wireline service time to a total wireless charge record;

applying a wireless credit for unused wireless service time to a total wireline charge record.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein processing the plurality of wireless service events and the plurality of wireline service events further comprises:

extracting the wireless service events generated during a billing period by a customer based on a customer identification; and

extracting the wireline service events generated during the billing period by the customer based on the customer identification.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein processing the plurality of wireless service events and the plurality of wireline service events further comprises:

determining the total wireless charge record for the extracted wireless service events; and

determining the total wireline charge record for the extracted wireline service events.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein processing the plurality of wireless service events and the plurality of wireline service events together further comprises:

determining if the extracted wireless service events are eligible for the cross-contribution;

applying the cross-contribution to the extracted wireless service events eligible for the cross-contribution; and

adjusting the total wireless charge record.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein processing the plurality of wireless service events and the plurality wireline service events together further comprises:

determining if the extracted wireline service events are eligible for the cross-contribution;

applying the cross-contribution to the extracted wireline service events eligible for the cross-contribution; and

adjusting the total charge record for the extracted wireline service events.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein applying the cross-contribution comprises providing a discount to a customer based upon a total amount of service time accumulated across the wireless service and the wireline service.

7. A communication billing system comprising:

a processing system configured to process a plurality of wireless service events together with a plurality of wireline service events to apply a cross-contribution, wherein to apply the cross-contribution the processing system is configured to apply a wireline credit for unused wireline service minutes to a total wireless charge record, and apply a wireless credit for unused wireless service minutes to a total wireline charge record;

an interface system coupled to the processing system and configured to receive the plurality of wireless service events and receive the plurality of wireline service events for the processing system; and

an event storage system configured to store the received plurality of wireline service events and the received plurality of wireless service events.

8. The communication billing system of claim 7 wherein the processing system is further configured to extract from the event storage system the wireless service events based on a customer identification and extract from the event storage system the wireline service events based on the customer identification.

9. The communication billing system of claim 8 wherein the processing system is further configured to determine the total wireless charge record and determine the total wireline charge record.

10. The communication billing system of claim 9 wherein the processing system is further configured to determine if the extracted wireless service events are eligible for the cross-contribution, apply the cross-contribution to the extracted wireless service events eligible for the cross-contribution, and adjust the total wireless charge record.

11. The communication billing system of claim 9 wherein the processing system is further configured to determine if the extracted wireline service events are eligible for the cross-contribution, apply the cross-contribution to the extracted wireline service events eligible for the cross-contribution, and adjust the total wireline charge record.

12. The communication billing system of claim 7 wherein the processing system is configured to apply a discount to a customer based upon a total amount of service time accumulated across the wireless service and wireline service.

13. A computer readable medium having encoded thereon software for a communication billing system, the software comprising:

instructions operational when executed by a processing system to direct the processing system to receive a plurality of wireless service events and a plurality of wireline service events, and process the plurality of wireless service events and the plurality of wireline service events together to apply a cross-contribution wherein the cross-contribution comprises a wireline credit for unused wireline service minutes to a total wireless charge record and a wireless credit for unused wireless service minutes to a total wireline charge record.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13 wherein the instructions are operational when executed by the processing system to direct the processing system to determine if the wireless service events are eligible for the cross-contribution, apply the cross-contribution to the wireless service events eligible for the cross-contribution, and adjust a total wireless charge record for the wireless service events.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 13 wherein the instructions are operational when executed by the processing system to direct the processing system to determine if the wireline service events are eligible for the cross-contribution, apply the cross-contribution to the wireline service events eligible for the cross-contribution, and adjust a total wireline charge record for the wireline service events.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 13 wherein the instructions are operational when executed by the processing system to direct the processing system to apply a discount based upon a total amount of service time accumulated across the wireless service and wireline service.