Abstract: A method of telephone access to internet secretarial services. A client makes a telephonic information request to the internet secretary, who is in contact with the internet via high-speed internet connection. The internet secretary sends an internet search query, and forwards the resultant search results to the client. In one embodiment of the instant invention, the client uses toll telephone lines (such as a “900”) number. A telephone company receives call rate and time information, and forwards secretarial services charges to the internet secretary. The client pays the telephone company for secretarial services charges and telephone service costs. In an alternate embodiment of the instant method the client calls the internet secretary via toll-free lines, and supplies the internet secretary credit card information and/or debit card information to pay the secretarial services charges. The internet secretary pays the telephone communications costs.

Abstract: System and method for facilitating consolidated billing within a converging telecommunications network. The system and method include and involve a network resource control facility communicating with and controlling a plurality of network resources within a merged telecommunications network to deliver at least one merged communications service. Each network resource is configured to provide a communications function and to generate corresponding billing data. The network resource control facility is configured to consolidate the billing data from at least one network resource from the plurality of network resources in real-time related to at least one telecommunications service provided within said telecommunications network to generate consolidated billing data.

Abstract: A transaction record is received including transaction data corresponding to at least one telephone call placed by a subscriber. The transaction data is processed by a plurality of rate plans, each rate plan generating a toll amount corresponding to the telephone calls of the transaction record. The toll amounts from each of the plurality of rate plans are compared to determine a lowest toll amount. An amount x is deducted from the lowest toll amount to form a final toll amount. A billing record is generated for the subscriber based on the final toll amount.

Abstract: A global computer network message delivery service is disclosed. A sender enters a short message for delivery to a recipient's telephone. The sender also enters the recipient's telephone number. The sender may also enter the telephone number that he can be reached at in case the recipient wants to converse live with the sender upon receipt of the message. The message and other entered information is authenticated and validated. The sender's billing telephone number is determined for billing purposes. A call leg is created from a service node to the switch hosting the sender's billing telephone number. The sender's inter-exchange carrier codes are determined and another call leg is created from the service node to the recipient's telephone. After the recipient answers, the service node plays the message (via text-to-speech technology) to the recipient. The inter-exchange carrier codes are used to bill the message service to the sender's billing telephone number.

Abstract: A total aggregation plan (TAP) which connects an end-subscriber to an Customer or a Customer. The present invention encourages Customers to use more than one type of telecommunications service to connect to its end-user (subscriber) by requiring that the Customer choose a specified number of data services that are available from the telephone company under the plan. The Customer is then required to sustain an annualized billing of greater than a specified amount and maintain at least a specified percentage of billing allocations to each one of the data services chosen. If the Customer does comply in this manner, then a billing credit is provided to the Customer based on the billing history.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided to facilitate a communication associated with a destination identifier. According to one embodiment, a request to facilitate a communication in association with a destination identifier is received from a party, the destination identifier having a primary purpose other than communication. The destination identifier may comprise, for example, an automobile license plate number or a Social Security number. Information is then transmitted to enable the requested communication. For example, a message from a requesting party may be forwarded to an electronic mail address associated with a license plate number.

Abstract: A system for initiating conversations between callers to a telephone receives calls from various callers, receives selections of various topics of conversation from the callers, and then establishes communication links between pairs of callers in accordance with the selected topics. In a given conversation, at least a portion of the call is billed at a special rate or provided at no cost. After a predetermined period of time has elapsed, the call is billed at a second rate unless terminated by at least one of the parties. A partner history can be maintained and used by the system to ensure that previously partnered callers are not paired up again for at least a specified time span.

Abstract: The invention is a system for providing virtual connections through an ATM interworking multiplexer on a call-by-call basis. A signaling processor receives signaling for a call and selects the virtual connection for the call. The signaling processor generates control messages that identify the selection and transfers the control messages to the ATM interworking multiplexer that accepted the access connection for the call. The multiplexer converts user information from the access connection into ATM cells for transmission over the virtual connection in accord with the control messages.

Abstract: A call pricing center that assists Internet Protocol (IP)-compatible devices in defining preferences, including prices, for completing an IP routed transaction. A centralized routing engine associated with a clearinghouse uses the preferences to assist IP devices in making routing decisions. The pricing center provides IP network operators and retail IP telephony gateway operators with significant flexibility by allowing them to designate preferences and preference criteria. A source gateway operator may set preferences such as the maximum price that it is willing to paid for a call, the maximum delay that will be tolerated and the maximum autonomous system hop count that will be tolerated. A destination gateway operator may also set preferences relating to the prices it will charge for terminating calls. Using preference criteria, a gateway operator may specify particular times call prices are to be effective and to what called number ranges they are to be applied.

Abstract: In general, a call rating and debiting system provides a way of rating and debiting complex debit card calls. The system estimates the time when a subscriber's balance will expire by using total charges for all calls for a given time period. Estimation is performed by accounting for time already paid for, reserving a minimum continuation time for adding a new call, reserving time for all calls up to a latest paid for time, estimating remaining time before a subscriber's balance reaches zero, based upon a remaining balance achieved after the system accounts for time already paid for, reserving a minimum continuation time for adding a new call and reserving time for all calls up to the latest paid for time, and setting a time limit for all calls in accordance with any portion of the aforementioned. An alternative embodiment of the system allows a subscriber's account balance to be automatically increased after the balance decreases past a predefined minimum.

Abstract: System and method for providing advertisements to a telephony device. The advertisements are presented by an advertisement server which stores the advertisements, manages their presentation through the device, and provides for reduction or elimination of charges for telecommunication services delivered through the device. The advertisements may be presented to the user upon activation of the device and may include a recorded message promoting products, stores, sales, or public services, after which the user places the telephone call at reduced or no charge. Alternately, when the user initiates a telephone connection to place a call, a charge option message is presented providing the user with an option to listen to an advertisement before placing the call. If the user declines the option, the call is placed at normal cost, otherwise, an advertisement is presented to the user, after which the user places the call at a reduced or no cost.

Abstract: A call forwarding system for an AIN telecommunications environment is provided in which a destination has changed from an old telephone number to a new telephone number. A calling party places a call which attempts to contact the destination by dialing the old telephone number. The call forwarding system includes a hub switch, and an old address switch with which the calling party connects to upon dialing the old telephone number. The old address switch, upon recognizing that the calling party has called a telephone number which has been changed, prefixes the old telephone number with a three digit code, and forwards the call, along with the prefixed old telephone number, to the hub switch. The hub switch recognizes the three digit code, and launches an AIN trigger to an AIN platform which determines the new telephone number and whether the destination has elected to pay for forwarding the call to the new telephone number.

Abstract: A procedure and system for setting rates between two predetermined subscriptions in a telephone network without the necessity of substantial system changes to the telephone network. Calls between two predetermined subscriptions can be rated according to a special tariff and changes can be easily and flexibly included in the normal invoicing. When the number of subscriptions per customer is limited to two, the common call number for all customers is the same, e.g. 020100. When this number is dialed, the call is directed to the wired network subscription specified in the subscriber number pair, which is stored in a database, when the call is made from a mobile station, and vice versa.

Abstract: It is desirable to be able to recognize data calls so that different charges can be applied to such calls and that vertical services, such as the use of special transmission facilities, may be offered to data callers. This recognition is accomplished by attaching a tone detector to a call in order to detect the special tones characteristic of a data call. Advantageously, this permits different charges to be imposed on data calls.

Abstract: Landline facilities are linked to a wireless mobile network for calling party pays calls between wireless subscriber units. The wireless mobile network is provided with the ability to recognize that a called wireless station is a calling party pays subscriber. The wireless mobile network routes the call to a landline facility to undertake interactive communication with the calling station to determine whether the caller will agree to pay for both the called party's air-time charges and the calling party's air-time charges for the call. The landline facility can then access a database to determine if the carrier with which it is associated can provide billing functions with respect to the calling subscriber and, if so, activate such functions for a carrier entity so identified.

Abstract: In the inventive procedure for implementing event-based billing in conjunction with services provided for consumers via a telephone connection in a telecommunication system, a connection is set up between a consumer's terminal device and an intelligent peripheral, a service is selected in the peripheral by means of the terminal device, an assessment request based on the selected service is sent from the peripheral to a service control point and, based on the assessment requests sent by the peripheral, an event-based bill for the customer is produced.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for automatically processing charges on a billing system for a telecommunications communication is provided. The type of communication is automatically determined from a received record. Based on the determined type of communication, information indicating attributes of the communication is retrieved from the record. A bill is then generated that includes at least one new section that is generated exclusively from the information retrieved from the record. The new section includes information about communications to new services. The billing system does not have to be extensively reconfigured when a new special service is offered on a trial basis.

Abstract: Callers to a number subscribing to a screening application are prompted that a fee will be charged for the connection to be completed. The prompting can occur at the initiation of the call, prior to any connection to the called party, or after the called party has had a chance to screen the call. The calling party can choose whether to complete the connection or to terminate the call. If the connection is completed, the fee is charged; otherwise, the call is terminated. Accordingly, most unwanted calls are avoided and users are compensated for receiving unwanted calls that are completed.

Abstract: A method of operating a telecommunications device wherein the telecommunications device is used to detect an outgoing call from a calling party to a called number. The calling number is used to determine whether or not the calling party is a universal service user. If it is determined that the called number is among a class of numbers exempt from charges, the call is connected. A determination on the sufficiency of funds in a pre-paid account is made. If it is determined that there are insufficient funds in a pre-paid account to cover charges associated with the outgoing call, a message is generated and sent to the calling party or a third party requesting authorization to charge an additional fee for connecting the calling party with the called party. User input is received from the calling party, indicating the calling party's authorization of such charge. The connection between the calling party and the called party is made.

Abstract: A conditional purchase offer (CPO) management system is disclosed for receiving and processing CPOs for telephone calls from calling parties. The CPO management system processes the CPO to determine whether one or more long distance carriers is willing to accept a given CPO and complete a telephone call in accordance with restrictions defined by the calling party. If accepted, the CPO management system binds the calling party on behalf of the accepting interexchange carrier, to form a legally binding contract. A calling party can submit a CPO for an individual telephone call, a package of calls to one or more called parties, or for a contract to provide telephone service for a predefined period of time. The conditions defined by the calling party may include the telephone number to be called, the maximum price, one or more preferred carriers, if any, as well as any time limitations, such as a particular time-of-day or minimum call duration.

Abstract: A call forwarding system for an AIN telecommunications environment is provided in which a destination has changed from an old telephone number to a new telephone number. A calling party places a call which attempts to contact the destination by dialing the old telephone number. The call forwarding system includes a hub switch, and an old address switch with which the calling party connects to upon dialing the old telephone number. The old address switch, upon recognizing that the calling party has called a telephone number which has been changed, prefixes the old telephone number with a three digit code, and forwards the call, along with the prefixed old telephone number, to the hub switch. The hub switch recognizes the three digit code, and launches an AIN trigger to an AIN platform which determines the new telephone number and whether the destination has elected to pay for forwarding the call to the new telephone number.

Abstract: A method and system for billing remote calls includes the provisioning of an active terminating attempt trigger on a subscriber's primary line. To make a long-distance call from a remote location, the subscriber calls a service control node and provide a destination calling line number and the subscriber's primary line number (e.g., home telephone number). The SCN assembles the data into a string and includes a feature access code. This string is transmitted to a switch that recognizes the feature access code and transmits a message to a service control point. The service control point also recognizes the feature access code and reassembles the message into a call structure containing the primary line number, the destination line number, and a code indicating that the message should be reassembled. This message is transmitted back to the switch which then routes the call to the primary line switch where the trigger is encountered.

Abstract: A call forwarding system for an AIN telecommunications environment is provided in which a destination has changed from an old telephone number to a new telephone number. A calling party places a call which attempts to contact the destination by dialing the old telephone number. The call forwarding system includes a hub switch, and an old address switch with which the calling party connects to upon dialing the old telephone number. The old address switch, upon recognizing that the calling party has called a telephone number which has been changed, prefixes the old telephone number with a three digit code, and forwards the call, along with the prefixed old telephone number, to the hub switch. The hub switch recognizes the three digit code, and launches an AIN trigger to an AIN platform which determines the new telephone number and whether the destination has elected to pay for forwarding the call to the new telephone number.