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Description  |
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TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to a telecommunication billing method and apparatus
for specifying and calculating the billing charges associated with
value-added communication calls.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The new value-added services (e.g., 700 number and 900 number services) are
designed for mass calling to a service provider (sponsor) number with the
calling party generally paying for the call. These 900 number services
(e.g., DIAL-IT.RTM.900-service offered by American Telephone and Telegraph
Co. - AT&T) allow sponsors to offer a variety of value-added
telecommunication services (Dial-A-Prayer, Televoting, etc.), to their
clientele for which additional charges are assessed. To access the service
the clientele (caller) dial, illustratively, a 900-NXX-XXXX number and are
routed to a Carrier Switch Network (CSN) Mass Announcement System (MAS)
where the callers listen to the sponsor's prerecorded announcement. At
present, the sponsors select the rate callers will pay for the service
when the 900 number is assigned by the CSN. The 900 number and the rate
selected by the sponsor are stored in a rate table in a CSN billing
system. When a call is made to a sponsor's 900 number, the central office
switch in the Local Exchange Company (LEC) makes a call record including
the calling and called party of each call. These call records are
transported periodically (typically every month) from the LEC to the CSN,
and rated using the appropriate sponsor's rate table. This rating process
involves a table look-up process to determine each caller's charge for a
call to a particular sponsor's number. The resulting caller charge records
are then returned to the LEC which includes the charges as part of the
caller's monthly bill.
New carrier network services now provide the sponsor more flexibility in
defining their services by routing the value-added calls to a
sponsor-selected location. One such service is the MultiQuest.RTM.
telecommunications service offered by AT&T. These new services enable a
sponsor to provide a greater variety of value-added services which may now
include interactive dialog between the caller and the sponsor's agent.
Notwithstanding these valuable new services, there is a continuing need
for carrier networks to ade enhancements to these sponsor-provided
value-added services.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the billing method and apparatus of the present
invention, sponsors are provided with more flexibility in the billing of
the sponsor's value-added services. Billing flexibility is achieved in
accordance with the invention by creating a separate billing record for
each call using sponsor-provided call billing parameters which can be
updated substantially in real time by the sponsor. Desirably, determining
sponsor charges and creating a billing record on a call-by-call basis
eliminates the need for the table look-up procedure required by the prior
art call billing methods.
In accordance with one feature of the present invention, the
sponsor-provided call billing parameters (e.g., call rate data either flat
or per rate interval) may be changed substantially in real time. The term
"substantially in real time" is defined herein as the time it takes a
computer to update a sponsor's record using sponsor-entered call billing
parameters (generally in the order of minutes). In one embodiment, the
billing system is incorporated in the carrier switch network (CSN). The
network (CSN) permits the sponsor to directly access or connect to the
network's operations support system substantially in real time to specify
the call rate data and other associated call rate modifiers (e.g., call
type, time-of-day, geographic regions, etc.). These sponsor-specified call
billing parameters are then incorporated into the standard Automatic
Message Accounting (AMA) record generated by CSN for each call and sent to
the billing system which processes the sponsor charges for inclusion in
the network bill sent to the customer. Additionally, sponsor call billing
parameters which identify sponsor subaccounts and/or specify text messages
to be included in the caller's bill can also be changed substantially in
real time. Moreover, in accordance with the present invention, caller or
called party provided call billing parameters may also be included in the
AMA records for subsequent billing and identification purposes. Also, the
network may add additional data to the AMA record for inclusion in a
sponsor bill and or a caller bill.
Using this invention, the callers can charge their value-added calls to
their telephone number, carrier-provided credit cards (e.g., calling
cards), commerical credit cards (e.g., Visa, American Express), or use
Sponsor-Created Credit cards (SCC) for the service. This invention also
permits a convenient scheme for the sponsors to create and maintain their
own specialized credit cards to meet the unique needs of their service.
The network provides the authorization, validation, billing and collection
services for the sponsor's credit card.
The present invention also allows the sponsor to vary the charges for a
value-added call at any time. The sponsor may define the rates prior to
the call set-up. The sponsor is also able to modify the charges associated
with the call while the call is in progress or even after the call has
been terminated.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
In the drawing
FIG. 1 shows, in block diagram form, an illustrative carrier switch network
(CSN) useful in describing the operation of the present invention;
FIG. 2 shows a call flow diagram of the operation of the billing system and
the CSN in accordance with the operation of the present invention;
FIG. 3 describes the mechanism by which the sponsor sends the rate
information to the billing system via the Operations Support System (OSS),
the Database and the Switch (e.g., ACtion Point ACP). The parameters added
by the OSS, Database and the ACP and the contents of the intermediate
messages are also shown in the figure;
FIG. 4 shows a typical AMA billing record used to bill callers for calls
made over the network;
FIG. 5 shows a flow diagram describing sponsor's interaction with the
billing system of CSN of FIG. 1 to select billing codes;
FIG. 6 shows a tree for enabling the sponsor to select various call billing
parameters of Sponsor-Specified Caller Rate Information (SCI);
FIG. 7 shows an illustrative sponsor record utilized with the present
invention;
FIG. 8 shows the use of Subaccount Indicators and the call descriptors in
the caller and the sponsor bill;
FIG. 9 describes the new interactions possible with the caller, including
paying rate information to the caller and allowing caller to define the
charges for the value-added call; and
FIG. 10 illustrates a procedure by which the sponsor is able to modify the
rate of the value-added call at any time. With the present invention, the
sponsor can define the rate prior to the call set-up, while the call is in
progress or after the call has been terminated.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Before proceeding with the operating description of the inventive method
and apparatus for billing value-added communication calls, it should be
recognized that the apparatus and method of the invention may be adapted
for use with a variety of different systems which can be arranged to
implement the switching network configuration shown in FIG. 1. Since the
various systems shown in FIG. 1 utilize a variety of hardware and
programming techniques, no attempt is made to describe the existing
programs used to control these various systems. However, using the
following description as a guide, the operation of the present invention
can be readily integrated into the control structure of the various
systems of FIG. 1, and tailored to cooperate with other features and
operations of those systems. Thus, in order to avoid confusion and enable
those skilled in the art to practice the claimed invention, this
specification will describe the operation of the present invention using
the network block diagram of FIG. 1, the call flow diagrams of FIGS. 2, 5,
8, 9 and 10 and the various commands, records and database as shown in
FIGS. 3, 4, 6 and 7. In the following description, the first digit of an
element's reference number designates the first figure where the element
is located (e.g., 101 is located in FIG. 1).
With reference to FIG. 1, there is illustrated a block diagram of a
well-known switching network configuration useful in describing the
operation of the present invention. The drawing illustrates a Local
Exchange Carrier (LEC) 101 and a Carrier Switch Network (CSN) 100. The LEC
101 serves telephone station 103, and enables this station to complete
calls to other stations (not shown) of the network in a well-known manner.
The CSN 100 also enables station 103 to access value-added services
provided by vendors (sponsors) via equipment such as private branch
exchange (PBX) 105 connected to CSN 100.
The CSN 100, illustratively, may comprise Originating Toll Switch (OTS)
110, Operator Services Position System (OSPS) 120, ACtion Point (ACP) 130,
billing system 140; routing network 150, and Terminating Toll Switch (TTS)
160, Service Node (SN) 170, Network Control Point (NCP) 180 and Operations
Support System (OSS) 190 and announcement system 145.
While LEC 101 is shown, illustratively, to connect via facility 102 to OTS
110 in FIG. 1, it may equivalently also connect directly to ACP 130. Thus,
OTS 110, and ACP 130 are points in CSN 100 which usually interface to
other networks (e.g., LEC) or may directly connect to telephone stations
(e.g., 103). Since OTS 110, in our example, does not contain the ACP
software, it is considered a non-ACP switch. Consequently, all calls
originated through OTS 110 must be directed to a toll switching office
having ACP 130 software (e.g., 130), hereinafter designated as an ACP 130.
The ACP 130 is characterized as having a Common Channel Signaling (CCS)
network connection to centralized data bases referred to as a Network
Control Point (NCP). Some NCPs, e.g., 180, have Direct Services Dialing
(DSD) capability which permits direct access by ACP 130 offices using
dialing codes. The DSD-NCP 180 is hereinafter referred to as NCP 180.
The CCS 189 direct signaling facilities which link ACP 130 and NCP 180 are,
basically, a packet switching system for routing messages in accordance
with their address data contents. CCS 189 network features are disclosed
in the Feb., 1978, Bell System Technical Journal (BSTJ) No. 2 and in W. B.
Smith, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,624,613 of Nov. 30, 1971.
The structure and general operation of ACPs and NCPs is described in R. L.
Asmuth, U.S. Pat. No. 4,611,094 which is incorporated herein by reference.
The NCP 180 is a centralized data base facility which is controlled by a
processor 181 comprising CPU 182 and memory 183. The memory stores a
system of programs 184 to establish, edit and manage information stored in
its data memory 185. The program memory 184 includes and utilizes the
special program steps outlined in the flow charts of FIGS. 2 and 3 and the
data of billing command of FIG. 4 for implementing the present invention.
By way of example, NCP 180 may comprise an AT&T company 3B20D processor
equipped with disk storage. A receiver 186 of NCP 180 receives data
signals over a facility from CCS 189. A transmitter circuit 187 is
included for signaling messages from NCP 180 over a facility to CCS 189
and then to ACP 130.
The operation of Network Control Point (NCP) 180 is also described, for
example, in the D. Sheinbein, et al., article on pp. 1737-1744 of Bell
System Technical Journal (BSTJ), Sept., 1982, Volume 61, No. 7, part 3.
The changes in the operation of NCP 180 to perform the functions of the
present invention are described in later paragraphs.
The general operations of an Operations Support System (OSS) 190 is
described in, for example, "Operations Systems Technology for New AT&T
Network and Service Capabilities", Robert Merski and D. Mark Parish, Page
64, AT&T Technical Journal. May/June 1987, Vol. 66, Issue 3. The changes
in the operations of OSS to perform the described features of the present
invention are described in a later paragraph.
An illustrative OSPS 120 is described in the article written by N. X.
DeLessio, et al.: "An Integrated Operator Services Capability for the 5ESS
Switching System", International System Symposium, (Florence), Session
22C, Paper 3, pp. 1-5, May, 1984.
It should be noted that the structural details of LEC 101, toll offices OTS
110 and the OSPS 120 form no part of the present invention and are only
described herein to the extent necessary for an understanding of the
invention.
LEC 101 may be, illustratively, a 5ESS.RTM. (electronic switching system).
The 5ESS is extensively described by K. E. Martersteck, et al., in AT&T
Technical Journal, Volume 64, No. 6, part 2, pp. 1305-1564, July/Aug.,
1985. The above-identified disclosures and the citations referred to
therein may be consulted for a complete understanding of the construction
and operations of a typical toll office.
The OTS 110, ACP 130 and TTS 160 may be, illustratively, an electronic
program-controlled telephone system of the No. 4ESS design as described by
A. E. Ritchie, et al., in the Bell System Technical Journal (BSTJ), Sept.,
1977, Volume 56, No. 7.
The service node 170 is an interface which enables compatible signaling
between the No. 4ESS system and the sponsor's equipment 105 (typically, a
private branch exchange - PBX).
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
In accordance with the method and apparatus of the present invention, when
a customer (e.g., caller at station 103) dials a value-added call to a
sponsor number, the call is routed to a sponsor location (e.g., PBX 105)
and any sponsor-specified charges incurred during the call are separately
determined for each call and included in the network bill to the caller.
It should be understood that the term "sponsor" as used herein includes
any person acting on behalf of the sponsor. The sponsor-specified charges
are incurred for value-added services provided by the sponsor during the
call. The sponsor-specified charges are determined using sponsor-provided
call billing parameters which may change substantially in real time by the
sponsor. Note, while a value-added call is described herein as using a 900
access code, it should be understood that other service access codes could
be used to signify a value-added call. While the present invention has
been described for value-added service calls using 900 numbers, it should
be understood that it may also be used with other telecommunication
services, for example 976-XXXX number calls.
The present invention enables the sponsor (at PBX 105) to interactively
specify (to OS 190) call billing parameters which specify, e.g., the call
rate data and other associated call rate modifiers (e.g., time-of-day,
geographic rates, etc.). These sponsor-specified caller charges are
transported (from NCP 180 via ACP 130) on a call-by-call basis to the
billing system (140). The billing system recognizes and processes the
sponsor-specified charges for inclusion in the network bill to the
customer (caller).
With joint reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 we describe, in more detail, the
inventive method and apparatus for the billing of a value-added
communication call originated by a caller at station 103 and terminating
at sponsor equipment 105. One illustrative value-added communication
service which operates in accordance with the present invention is an
enhancement of the previously referenced MultiQuest telecommunication
service offered by American Telephone and Telegraph Co., (AT&T).
Assume initially, in step 201, that a caller at station 103 dials
1-900-NXX-XXXX where the N digit is any number between 2-9 and each of the
X digits is any number between 0-9. The LEC 101 receives the dialed number
and, in step 203, selects the long distance carrier using the dialed 900
number. In our example, we assume that the dialed 900 number specifies
AT&T as the Carrier Switch Network (CSN) 100. Note, while the operation of
the present invention is described with reference to the AT&T CSN 100, the
present invention could be adopted in a straightforward manner to operate
with other CSN arrangements. In step 205, LEC 101 routes the call to CSN
100 where it is received by OTS 110. It should be noted that the
originating LEC 101 may be either an Equal Access End Office (EAEO) or a
Non-Conforming Office (NCO). An EAEO location has Automatic Number
Identification (ANI) capability which enables the caller's number to be
provided to OTS 110. The ANI number is required for billing the calling
party for any calling charges and any value-added service charges.
If the caller's LEC 101 is an NCO location, ANI is not available and,
hence, the caller's number must be obtained by CSN 100 directly or by
using the assistance of an operator.
The OTS 110 recognizes the dialed number as a value-added service number
(e.g., a MultiQuest service call) and routes the call, in step 207, to ACP
130 for further call processing. ACP 130 determines from the incoming
trunk group identity that the call is a direct-dialed call and not an
operator-assisted call. Note, in an alternate embodiment, both
direct-dialed (1-900 calls) and operator-assisted calls (0-900 and
operator-assisted calls) may be received at the ACP 130, via OTS 110,
without OSPS 120 intervention. In such a case, the ACP 130 forwards calls
to the OSPS 120. It should be noted that the operation of the present
invention is the same for both of these embodiments.
In step 209, ACP 130 determines whether an ANI number is received from OTS
110, if so, call processing continues in step 233; if not, the call is
blocked or terminated with an appropriate message in step 211. An
illustrative message (from announcement system 145) in step 211 informs
the caller that "your call cannot be completed as dialed. Please redial
your call as 0-900-NXX-XXXX".
For direct-dialed calls which are blocked (i.e., those without ANI numbers)
as well as those calls for which the caller desires operator assistance,
the caller dials 0-900-NXX-XXXX (step 213). When CSN 100 is the AT&T
network, the caller may also reach OSPS 120 without the intermediate LEC
101 screening.
LEC 101 identifies the call as an AT&T network call and routes the call to
CSN 100, in step 215. In step 217, the call is sent by LEC 101 to an OSPS
120 for operator assistance. The OSPS 120 identifies the call as a
value-added service call, in step 219, by interpreting the dialed number.
If the call is not a value-added call, then it is handled, in step 221, in
the appropriate manner by OSPS 120. That is, the call may be appropriately
completed or blocked.
If the call is recognized as a value-added call, OSPS 120 may automatically
collect the caller's telephone or charge card number or may connect an
operator to collect the caller's number. The caller's telephone number
(ANI) or charge card number will be used to bill charges incurred by the
caller during the call.
Under the automatic card number collection procedure, in step 223, OSPS 120
provides a "bong" tone to the caller, collects the charge card number,
(e.g., an AT&T credit card number or commercial credit card number), and
requests and receives a credit card validation. In step 225, OSPS 120
forwards the card number to the ACP 130 for call processing. Note, some
telephone credit cards use ANI plus a PIN (4-digit personal identification
code) as the credit card validation. If the caller enters digits which
correspond to the Sponsor-Created Credit cards (SCC), these numbers are
forwarded to the ACP for further call processing. Validation of these card
numbers are performed within the network at the NCP. If the caller does
not enter the digits, the call is connected to an operator who obtains the
caller's number (ANI) and/or charge card number (i.e., billing number),
which is forwarded to the ACP 130 for further call processing.
In step 233 ACP 130 sends a query, which includes the 10-digit dialed
number (called party) and the ANI and/or billing number, over the CCS
network 189 to NCP 180. The CCS network 189 routes the query, based on the
dialed number, to the appropriate NCP, NCP 180 in our example.
In step 239 NCP 180 uses the dialed number (DN) (900-NXX-XXXX) to access
the NCP data base to identify the sponsor assigned to the dialed number.
The dialed number is also used to access the sponsor record (FIG. 7) to
generate a routing number which specifies call routing over CSN 100. In
step 241, NCP 180 returns the routing number as well as a network message
specifying the parameters for an automatic message accounting (AMA) record
(FIG. 4) of this call.
FIG. 3 illustrates the messages in the network as they pertain to the
present invention. The messages originate at the sponsor's location 195,
where the sponsor can specify several parameters using a terminal. In
accordance with the present invention, the sponsor will be able to specify
the following parameters in the caller rate information which are divided
into two categories. The first category is called "Definition Parameters"
320 which specify the information necessary to create and process proper
bills to the caller and the sponsor. The second category is called the
"Control Parameters" 330. These parameters define actions in the network
which the sponsor can specify for the purpose of this invention. The
Definition Parameters 320 and Control Parameters 330 are, together, known
as the Sponsor-Specified Caller Rate Information (SCI) 310.
In accordance with the present invention, the sponsor-specified "Definition
Parameters" 320 include, but are not limited to, the following parameters:
Initial Period Length (IPL), ranging from 0 sec to infinity or "flat
charge".
Initial Period Rate (IPR), to the nearest cent. Note, the rate may be the
actual price or a pointer to a table containing a list of prices.
Additional Period Length (APL), ranging from 0 sec to infinity or "flat
charge".
Additional Period Rate (APR) to the nearest cent. Note the rate may be the
actual price or a pointer to a table containing a list of prices.
The sponsor can specify additional combinations of period lengths (APL1..n)
and Rates (APR..n) to define a more flexible rating structure.
Free Period Length (FPL), defining the free time the caller will have to
hang up without incurring premium charges, ranging from 0 sec (no free
time) to infinity (free call). The free period can also be used by the
sponsor to advise the caller of the charges involved, or provide product
advertisement.
The sponsor can specify two Subaccount Indicators (SAI-C) and (SAI-S). The
Subaccount Indicator for the Caller (SAI-C) will appear in the caller bill
to allow multiple billing categories for the caller. The SAI-C parameter
can also be used by the sponsor to create their own credit cards (SCC), as
described below. The Subaccount Indicator for the Sponsor (SAI-S) will be
listed in the sponsor bill, and the sponsor, as a reseller, can use the
SAI to identify their clients. The SAI-S, SAI-C and the Descriptor fields
can be used by a reseller to identify one of the clients, and allows
multiple clients to share a given 900 number during a billing period. When
the billing systems create the bills, the SAI-S indicator will be included
in the sponsor bill and the SAI-C indicator will be included in the caller
bill. The reseller is able to sort the billing records using the SAI-S and
bill their clients. The SAI parameters can also be used with the
descriptors, defined below. Other uses of SAI parameters are possible.
SAI-C parameter can also be used as the Sponsor-Created Credit card (SCC)
authorization number for the caller. In this embodiment of the invention,
the sponsor is not restricted to the use of calling cards or Commerical
Credit Cards. The sponsors can create their own credit cards easily by
defining and maintaining a list of SAI-C parameters to validate the
caller. The network provides the authorization, validation and collection
services for the sponsor's credit card.
The sponsor can specify two descriptors (SDS and SDC). The Sponsor
Descriptor for Sponsor (SDS) is a character string defined by the sponsor
which appears in the bill created by the billing system for the sponsor.
This allows the sponsor to describe in words the service category of the
clients, and improves the quality of the billing record. The Sponsor
Descriptor for the caller (SDC) is a character string defined by the
sponsor which will appear in the caller bill. The SDC allows the sponsor
to customize their messages for the value-added call. The sponsor can also
change the display Descriptors substantially in real time.
The sponsor can also specify other Sponsor Entered Indicators (SEI) which
are transported through the network and returned to the sponsor while the
call is set up. The SEI will also be populated in the billing records
created by the billing systems for the sponsor. This allows the sponsor to
identify the nature of the call in real time and define appropriate
treatment of the call based on its billing category.
The sponsor will be able to specify a Rate Modifier (RM) for the call,
allowing modifications to the predefined rate structure of the value-added
call. The Rate Modifier allows for a decrease in the rates (discounts), or
an increase in the rates for the call (added charges).
The sponsor can uniquely identify a given call by defining the "Call
Identifier-Sponsor" Indicator (CIS). The CIS indicator may be identical in
format to the unique identifier for the call defined by the Database
(CID), described below. By using the CIS parameter in conjuction with the
other Sponsor-Specified Caller Rate Information (SCI) parameters, the
sponsor can obtain unique billing treatment for a given value-added call.
The CIS parameter also allows the sponsor to change the billing charges
associated with a given call (a) prior to the call setup, (b) during the
duration of the call, or (c) after the call has been terminated in the
network.
In addition to the "Definition Parameters", the sponsor can also specify a
set of "Control Parameters" 330. The parameters determine specific actions
in the network to support this invention. These parameters include, but
are not limited to, the following parameters:
The sponsor can specify a Rate Prompt to Caller (RPC) parameter, which
instructs ACP 130 to play a message to the caller describing the charges
associated with the call.
The Modify Charges to Call (MCC) parameter indicates to the network that
the message is intended to redefine the charges associated with an earlier
value-added call. The MCC parameter will be accompanied by the unique call
identifier CIS described earlier, which points to the previous call whose
charges need to be modified.
The Caller Specified Charges (CSC) parameter indicates that the charges
associated with a particular value-added call will be determined by the
digits entered by the caller in response to the announcements.
Additional parameters (e.g., to define the Sponsor-Created Credit Card,
SCC) may also be defined.
The Sponsor-Specified Caller Rate Information (SCI), which includes the
Definition Parameters 320 and the Control Parameters 330, are sent by the
sponsor to the Operations Support System 190. The Operations Support
System 190 forwards this information to NCP 180.
The NCP 180 can add additional parameters to the message. These are called
Data Base (NCP) Defined Information (DDI), as shown by 340. This
information includes parameters to route the call, provide basic billing
capabilities for the value-added call, and define additional billing
parameters to support the present invention. The DDI parameters include,
but are not limited to, the following parameters:
The Routing Number (RN) parameters defines the destination number to route
the call.
The Service Indicator Code (SIC) parameter identifies this call as a
value-added call to the network.
The Billing Message (BIL) identifies that the ACP 130 should create a
billing record for the call.
The Call Identifier-Database (CID) is a unique identifier defined by the
NCP 180 for the value-added call. This parameter allows the sponsor to
subsequently reference the billing records made for the call by defining
the CIS parameter described earlier.
The Call Count (CC) is a special counter, defined by the NCP 180 to
identify the number of calls during a time interval. The time interval may
be under the control of the NCP 180 network or the sponsor.
The Message Disposition-Database (MDD) parameter defines to the ACP 130 and
the billing system the disposition of this message. This parameter is
required since the NCP 180 may send messages to ACP 130 and the billing
systems even through there are no specific calls associated with the
message (as when the sponsor requests to change the charges associated
with a prior call).
The NCP 180 forwards the message 350 to ACP 130. The information includes
the parameters contained in DDI 340 and SCI 310.
The above-described network message is generated by NCP 180 using the
sponsor record data (FIG. 7) stored in its data memory 183. The generation
of the sponsor record is described in a later paragraph.
We now return to describing the call flow description of FIG. 2. In step
243, the ACP 130 routes the call to the terminating toll switch TTS 160
indicated by the SSS digits of APN routing number. In our example, the
call is routed through routing network 150 to TTS 160. In step 245, the
TTS 160 routes the call to the sponsor location (e.g., PBX 105 in FIG. 1).
In step 247 when answer supervision is returned by the sponsor's equipment,
the ACP 130 will start timing the call.
The ACP 130 adds an additional set of parameters to the message. The
information set added by ACP 130 is called ACP Specified Information (ASI)
360. The ASI includes, but is not limited to, the following parameters to
the message sent to the billing systems.
The ACP 130 defines a set of parameters collectively called Call Processing
Information (CPI). This includes parameters such as Time of Call, Elapsed
Time, etc.
The ACP 130 receives Caller Entered Digits (CED) which are sent to the
billing system and to the sponsor.
The Call Disposition Information includes the response parameters from ACP
130 to the billing systems and the sponsor, detailing the disposition of
the particular call.
The complete set of parameters, namely SCI, DDI and ASI define all the
parameters required to support the present invention. This complete set is
available at the ACP 130. The ACP 130 can send the complete set or any
subset of these parameters to the billing system in the AMA record 370 as
well as to the sponsor location. This flexibility allows various
applications of the present invention to be implemented in the network.
We again return to the call flow description of FIG. 2. In step 249, when
the call is terminated the ACP 130 creates an AMA billing record. FIG. 4
illustrates a typical AMA billing structure and typical parameters therein
which may be utilized for billing the value-added service (e.g.,
MultiQuest service). Some of the various parameters (401-409) of the AMA
structure are obtained from the network message of FIG. 3 as well as from
the ANI, dialed number and APN information associated with the value-added
call. The significant billing parameters in the AMA record are the billing
number (BN) 404-405, connect time (CT) 408, elapsed time (ET) 409, and SCI
420. The connect time (CT) and the elapsed time (ET) are the values
determined by ACP 130 in step 247.
In step 251, Billing System 140 generates the caller's and the sponsor's
bills from the AMA billing record in a well-known manner. The caller's
bill may, for example, appear on the telephone bill to station 103, on a
third-party telephone bill, on a carrier credit card, or on a commercial
credit card. The caller's bill may include the descriptor provided by the
sponsor in the SCI.
The billing system 140 processes the AMA records to create aggregate and
detailed call volumes and traffic patterns (e.g., geographic, time of day,
calls blocked, etc.). The billing system also calculates the aggregate and
detailed breakdown of revenues eit | | |
