Billing Option Selection Patents (Class 379/127.05)
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Patent number: 7151824Abstract: A billing data interface provides billing data to customers in an accurate and efficient manner. Billing data is processed to preserve client billing information and to meet a customer's individual data requirements. The billing data may be presented in such a way that the customer may input the billing data directly into its client billing system. The billing data may be processed according to client billing specifications corresponding to a client billing system used by the customer. The processed data may preserve leading zeros, separate client code and matter code into two fields, etc. The resulting data file may be delivered to the customer for entry into the customer's client billing system.Type: GrantFiled: May 19, 2004Date of Patent: December 19, 2006Assignee: Soundpath Conferencing ServicesInventors: Anne K. Bingaman, Dagny Boyd Evans, Boban Mathew
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Patent number: 7149500Abstract: A telecommunication network and method of billing a first subscriber associated with a first party to a call for variable call charges normally billed to a second subscriber associated with a second party is provided. The method includes: providing a charge-all mode, connecting the call between the first and second parties, determining whether charge-all mode has been arranged for the first subscriber, determining whether charge-all mode has been arranged for the second subscriber, and, if charge-all mode has been arranged for at least one, but not both, of the first and second subscribers, billing the subscriber associated with the at least one subscriber for variable charges associated with the call. The telecommunication network includes a first network serving the first party and adapted to provide charge-all mode to the first subscriber and a second network serving the second party and adapted to provide charge-all mode to the second subscriber.Type: GrantFiled: November 24, 2003Date of Patent: December 12, 2006Assignee: Lucent Technologies Inc.Inventor: Victoria M. Halsell
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Patent number: 7116768Abstract: In an implementation of collect callback, a call-in service establishes a communication link with a caller and initiates a collect callback option for the caller. A switch receives callback data from the call-in service and utilizes the callback data to establish a collect call via a second communication link between the caller and the call-in service.Type: GrantFiled: September 26, 2003Date of Patent: October 3, 2006Assignee: dX/dY Voice Processing, Inc.Inventors: Jeffrey B. Smith, Michael L. Eberle
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Patent number: 7042993Abstract: In current telecommunications services, it is usual for the service provider of the initiator (e.g. the caller or the A-side) of the communications connection to determine the price and charge the A-side accordingly. The other subscribers are not usually charged. The A-side service provider pays a compensation amount (balance) to the B-side service provider. This fee charging and payment system is too rigid for modern communications services. The inventive method solves this problem.Type: GrantFiled: December 18, 2001Date of Patent: May 9, 2006Assignee: Siemens AktiengesellschaftInventors: Giovanni Benini, Andreas Kalkbrenner, Andreas Mayerhofer, Rainer Stademann, Rudolf Stelzl
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Patent number: 6977998Abstract: A method, system, and program for billing for service provided to destination device according to the calling plan of the individual receiving the call. An authenticated identity for a callee answering a call placed to a destination device is received at an intermediary device. The intermediary device then accesses a billing plan for the authenticated identity of the callee and loads the billing plan for specifying charges for the call, such that telephone service billed to the callee is accessible at multiple destination devices.Type: GrantFiled: December 17, 2001Date of Patent: December 20, 2005Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Michael Wayne Brown, Joseph Herbert McIntyre, Michael A. Paolini, James Mark Weaver, Scott Lee Winters
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Patent number: 6956935Abstract: 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.Type: GrantFiled: December 17, 2001Date of Patent: October 18, 2005Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Michael Wayne Brown, Joseph Herbert McIntyre, Michael A. Paolini, James Mark Weaver, Scott Lee Winters
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Patent number: 6931110Abstract: A computer implemented method, computer program product and system are provided for implementing calling card security. A telephone call request is received from a calling card user. A plurality of predefined options is checked to identify user selected options for the calling card. The telephone call request from the calling card user is processed responsive to the identified user selected options for the calling card. During calling card setup, the calling card user can selectively enable multiple predefined options for use of the calling card. The calling card user can selectively enable use of the calling card for one or more user specified telephone numbers, use of the calling card to a user specified limited area, use of the calling card with voice recognition, use of the calling card for a user specified limited number of calls from a specified telephone number; and use of the calling card for a user specified limited time duration for a call.Type: GrantFiled: June 14, 2001Date of Patent: August 16, 2005Assignee: International Business Machines CorporationInventors: Cary Lee Bates, John Matthew Santosuosso
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Patent number: 6925160Abstract: A computer implemented system and method of allocating costs of wireless telephone usage. Billing and usage information is received from at least one wireless telephone service provider related to calls made and received by a plurality of wireless telephone service users. Each call is automatically categorized as a business call or a personal call based on at least one of a phone book, time of day, day, and preset flag associated with a given telephone number. A categorization policy may also be applied in the event call categorization cannot be completed. The categorized calls can be reviewed via a graphical user interface and modification of a categorization can be effected. A final categorization of the calls is ultimately approved, which then allows charges to be appropriately allocated to users, and/or to/from a pool of available wireless time.Type: GrantFiled: August 21, 2003Date of Patent: August 2, 2005Assignee: MobileSense Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Lane E. Stevens, David I. Stevens
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Patent number: 6700962Abstract: A method of creating a call detail record is provided. An input signal is received. An account identification record is created in response to the input signal. An event jacket is created. The event jacket is associated with the account identification record. A command signal to store account identification information is received. A confirmation signal is received after the account identification information has been stored. Finally, a call detail leg jacket is created. The call detail leg jacket includes at least one record. Each record includes information relating to the stored account identification information.Type: GrantFiled: July 11, 2000Date of Patent: March 2, 2004Assignee: Motorola, Inc.Inventors: Nandakishore A. Albal, Janusz Hyziak
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Patent number: 6570970Abstract: An enhanced Calling Party Pays (CPP) or Paging Party Pays (PPP) system that enables 1) billing of calls originating from traditionally non-billable sources, 2) routing of incoming calls to voicemail if the caller does not wish to incur the additional charges, 3) allowing the caller to complete the call and charge the cellular (or paging) subscriber for additional air-time usage when the caller enters a PIN or security code, also referred to as a billing override code, and 4) allowing the caller to block CPP/PPP charges from being billed to the calling party.Type: GrantFiled: May 18, 2001Date of Patent: May 27, 2003Assignee: Ameritech CorporationInventors: Carol Shifrin Gruchala, Gordon Lynn Blumenschein, Douglas Marshall, Roger Albert Sosa, Carlos Donoso
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Patent number: 6504909Abstract: A registration method in a system for calling designated addressable notify devices in response to a 9-1-1 call. When a registration call is received from a new customer, the software proceeds with a voice answerback menu to register numbers to be notified. Two choices are provided. The customer can choose a standard notify service or a reverse notify service. In standard notify service parties designated by the customer are notified of 9-1-1 calls originating at the customers telephone. In reverse notify service if a party designated by the customer calls 9-1-1, the customer is notified of 9-1-1 calls originating at the designated party's telephone. The notify numbers are stored in a list in a database memory maintained by the notify service. If a call is received from a current subscriber, the software proceeds with a voice answerback menu to update the previously registered numbers to be notified.Type: GrantFiled: November 13, 2000Date of Patent: January 7, 2003Inventors: William C. Cook, Don E. Reich, Kurt E. Warner, Angelo Salvucci
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Patent number: 6442257Abstract: A configuration for charging in a telephone network, wherein a first subscriber pays for at least a part of the charges for connections established to him by a second subscriber. An intelligent network is linked to the telephone network and a service control point or a service node of the intelligent network exhibits control means for allocating charges to the first subscriber for connections established by the second subscriber to the first subscriber.Type: GrantFiled: June 15, 2000Date of Patent: August 27, 2002Assignee: Siemens AktiengesellschaftInventor: Michael Gundlach
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Patent number: 6430406Abstract: A portable prepaid phone has a display, input means for inputting information and instructions, a control unit controlling the display in dependence on the operation of the input means, and transceiver means communicating via a wireless network controlled by a network operator. The network operator manages an account for said phone and updates the account upon the occurrence of a credit-affecting event. The network operator forwards a credit update message to portable prepaid phone and said message contains information about the current account and the credit affecting event causing the message to be sent to the phone upon the occurrence of a credit affecting event. In the phone the transceiver means receives the credit update message, the control unit decodes the received message in order to identify the content of the credit update message, and the control unit initiates the display of the current account in the display, immediately after the termination of the credit update message decoding.Type: GrantFiled: February 17, 2000Date of Patent: August 6, 2002Assignee: Nokia Mobile Phones Ltd.Inventor: Kristian Frisk
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Publication number: 20020015483Abstract: An enhanced Calling Party Pays (CPP) or Paging Party Pays (PPP) system that enables 1) billing of calls originating from traditionally non-billable sources, 2) routing of incoming calls to voicemail if the caller does not wish to incur the additional charges, 3) allowing the caller to complete the call and charge the cellular (or paging) subscriber for additional air-time usage when the caller enters a PIN or security code, also referred to as a billing override code, and 4) allowing the caller to block CPP/PPP charges from being billed to the calling party.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 18, 2001Publication date: February 7, 2002Applicant: Ameritech Corporation.Inventors: Carol Shifrin Gruchala, Gordon Lynn Blumenschein, Douglas Marshall, Roger Albert Sosa, Carlos Donoso