Abstract: A service is provided in which a landline telephone user can subscribe, for a fixed set fee, to billing coverage for any and all calls placed to a mobile CPP destination from the subscriber line, regardless of call duration. The fee, preferably, may be added to the subscriber's monthly bill. In response to placement of a telephone call to a CPP subscriber station, a land line network data base is accessed to obtain a call processing record for the called station to determine whether that the called station subscribes to CPP service. If so, a call processing record for the calling station is accessed to determine whether the calling station subscribes to the fixed fee billing for CPP calls. If so, call processing proceeds through a system tandem that formulates an IAM signaling message to be transmitted to a mobile system MSC.

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 and providing related information or application services. 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: Landline facilities are linked to a wireless mobile network for calling party pays (CPP) calls to mobile stations. In response to placement of a telephone call to a CPP subscriber station, a land line network data base is accessed to obtain a call processing record for the called station that is indicative that the called station subscribes to CPP service. Based on the call processing record, a determination is made as to whether the call is be accorded exception status from CPP service. If the call is to receive such exception status, a signaling message is transmitted to the mobile switching center (MSC) for the called subscriber station. The signaling message includes the calling station telephone number in altered form. The MSC, upon detection of the altered telephone number, effectively recognizes the call as a normal call. The MSC will complete the call to the called party and establish in the called party subscriber's billing record assessment of air time charges for the call to the called party.

Abstract: A method and related apparatus for delivering a message from a calling party at a calling station to a called party at a called station, the method including: in response to an unsuccessful attempt to communicate from the calling station to the called station, storing a message from the calling station, using a messaging system, for later delivery to the called station; obtaining address information, using the messaging system, for the calling party and for the called station, from the calling station; attempting to deliver the message, using the messaging system, to the called station by initiating a communication from the messaging system to the called station using the address information for the called station that was obtained from the calling station; determining, using the messaging system, whether the message delivery attempt was successful; and, in response to successful delivery of the message, attempting to notify the calling party that the message to the called station was successfully delivered.

Abstract: Systems and methods for facilitating the use of a pre-paid card linked to a stored value card account (e.g., a debit type card associated with an available, remaining money value, etc.). The system and method include and involve a data storage system for storing data related to a pre-paid card and a stored value card account. The stored value card account is maintained and managed by a stored value card processing system. The stored value card processing system stores a money value applicable to purchases and telephone calls. The system and method also include and involve a pre-paid telephone calling card processing system that is coupled to the data storage system and is configured to receive a request to initiate a telephone call in relation to the prepaid telephone calling card and to instruct the stored value card processing system to adjust the money value in relation to the telephone call.

Abstract: A method and a circuit arrangement for the implementation of services via a telecommunications network. The services are, for example, backward/forward tariffing and data documentation via a telecommunications network. Backward tariffing, for example, enables the called party to invoice to the calling party any desired amount for a service provided via a telecommunications network. The operator of the telecommunications network is instructed by the called party and the calling party to collect this amount from the calling party. The data documentation service allows contracts concluded by the called and calling parties over the telephone to be confirmed by a third party—telecommunications network—with regard to the fact that the contract has been entered into and, if requested by the calling party and the called party, with regard to the contents of the contract.

Abstract: Direct Distance Dialing (DDD) access is provided for a communications services platform. A caller may dial a local DDD number or a long distance DDD number to access the communications services platform. A platform may provide a plurality of different communications services, including voicemail services, paging services, automatic routing services, and facsimile messaging services. Expenses associated with servicing the call are partitioned between a caller and a subscriber of the communications services platform in an intuitive and reasonable fashion.

Abstract: A twisted pair and/or coaxial cable fed, integrated residence gateway controlled set-top device provides a plurality of services. One service is lifeline service which may be provided over the coaxial cable via a cable modem of the integrated residence gateway or over the twisted pair facility. An integrated residence gateway is coupled to either or both of the coaxial cable or twisted pair and distributes the bandwidth facilities available over either service vehicle to customer devices including a set top box. For corporate telecommuters who work from home, a greater variety of services is available. The greater bandwidth of the cable network allows for the faster exchange of information between home and office, allowing the employee working at home to function as if he or she were actually at the office. Individual pieces of equipment connected to the telecommuter's home may be addressed, so that phone and message forwarding may be properly forwarded to the telecommuter's home.

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 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.

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: Accordingly to one embodiment of the present invention, a method for providing caller initiated third party billing in a telecommunication system is disclosed. First, a predetermined number is dialed by the subscriber to access the third party billing feature. The subscriber is then prompted to enter proper identification and the telecommunication system authenticates the subscriber identification. Once the subscriber's identification has been authenticated, the system retrieves the subscriber's account information. The system then determines the phone number of the selected telephone the subscriber wants to make calls from. The system then sends the subscriber's account information and the phone number the subscriber wants to make the calls from to a billing server. The billing server then sends the subscriber's account information to a local exchange carrier responsible for the selected telephone.

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: The present invention provides a blocked call routing apparatus and method that allows a caller to access a blocked number, such as a 1-8YY paging service, from a restricted device. The blocked call routing apparatus includes a controller, a database interface and a network interface. The blocked call routing apparatus receives call signals through the network interface and retrieves information from a database, through the database interface, corresponding to the source type and call destination address. Based on the information obtained from the database, the blocked call routing apparatus determines whether the call is blocked or unblocked. If the call is blocked, the blocked call routing apparatus queries the called party to determine if they wish to accept the additional charges necessary to complete the call. If they do, the block is overridden and the call is completed.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a call-back controllable exchange and a call-back control method in the exchange. The call-back controllable exchange, containing a plurality of subscriber terminals of the invention, is basically comprised of a call controller and a call-back controller. Receiving a call setting request signal transmitted from a calling terminal to a called terminal, the call controller controls to set a call from the calling terminal to the called terminal on the basis of an identifier of the calling terminal and an identifier of the called terminal that are contained in the call setting request signal. On the other hand, the call-back controller transmits a release request signal to the calling terminal to disconnect the call set by the call controller, and then on the basis of the foregoing identifiers, transmits to the calling terminal a reverse call setting request signal to set a reverse direction call to the foregoing call.