US5633919A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Real-time billing system for a call processing system
Assignee: Global Crossing Telecommunications Inc
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Filing: 1995-06-06
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Granted: 1997-05-27
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Expires: 2015-06-06
Abstract
Abstract A system and method for processing telephone calls and providing enhanced services is presented. The call processing system includes a billing system that processes billing information records for completed calls. In this type of processing, the billing system applies rate information stored in a rate file to the completed call parameters contained within the billing information record. Derived billing information is subsequently stored in a toll file. The billing system also uses rate information stored in the rate file to respond in real-time to rate quote requests. Upon receipt of a rate quote request from a requesting system, the billing system retrieves rate information from the rate file, calculates a cost/minute of a desired call, and returns a rate quote to the requesting system.
Inventors
- 👤 Steven J. Hogan
- 👤 Kristi T. Feltz
- 👤 Douglas R. Murdock
- 👤 Eric M. Busch
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 22:24
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04M; H04M15/00; H04M15/44; H04M15/47; H04M15/68; H04M3/00; H04M3/42; H04Q; H04Q3/00; H04Q3/0016; H04Q3/0062; H04M2215/00; H04M2215/01; H04M2215/0104; H04M2215/0148; H04M2215/0196; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S707/00; Y10S707/99951; Y10S707/99952; Y10S707/99953; Y10S707/99955
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 16
Claim 1
Independent Claim
110 words
A billing system for a call processing system, the billing system comprising: a rate file for storing rate information for a call received by the call processing system; and a rating system configured to receive a billing information record associated with a call, calculating billing information from said rate information stored in said rate file, and storing said billing information in a toll file, said rating system further configured to receive a rate quote request that is sent by an operator console prior to completion of a call, calculating a rate quote from said rate information stored in said rate file, and sending said rate quote to said operator console.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
110 words
A billing system for a call processing system, the billing system comprising: a rate file for storing rate information for a call received by the call processing system; and a rating system configured to receive a billing information record associated with a call, calculating billing information from said rate information stored in said rate file, and storing said billing information in a toll file, said rating system further configured to receive a rate quote request that is sent by an operator console prior to completion of a call, calculating a rate quote from said rate information stored in said rate file, and sending said rate quote to said operator console.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
37 words
The system of claim 1, wherein said billing information record received by said rating system comprises a calling party number, a called party number, a start time of said call and a termination time of said call.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
20 words
The system of claim 1, wherein said rate quote request comprises a calling party number and a called party number.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
45 words
The system of claim 2, wherein said start time of said call includes a start of a wholesale timing interval, wherein the staff of said wholesale timing interval is the time said call enters the call processing system, a matrix switch, or an operator console.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
35 words
The system of claim 2, wherein said start time of said call includes a start of a retail timing interval, wherein the start of said retail timing interval is the time said call is completed.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
33 words
The system of claim 1, wherein said rate file stores rate information for retail and wholesale customers, said rate information based on factors including distance, time of day and duration of said call.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
40 words
The system of claim 1, wherein said toll file includes information on a wholesale cost of said call, a retail cost of said call, taxes on said call and information on how the stored rates for said call were computed.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
65 words
The system of claim 1, further comprising: a rate file queue connected to said rating system for buffering the billing information by said rating system to said toll file; and a back end between said rate file queue and said toll file, said back end monitoring said rate file queue and storing the billing information stored in said rate file queue in said toll file.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
23 words
The system of claim 8, wherein the billing information is returned to a network control processor if said rate file queue is full.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
42 words
The system of claim 1, further comprising: a tax database; and a tax module, wherein said tax module computes tax information for said call based on tax rate information in said tax database and sends said tax information to said rating system.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
81 words
In a billing system that stores billing information for completed calls in a toll file, a transaction based method for providing real-time billing information, the method comprising the steps of: (1) receiving a rate quote request from an operator console prior to completion of a call, (2) retrieving rate information for said call from a rate file; (3) calculating a rate quote from said rate information stored in said rate file; and (4) sending said rate quote to said operator console.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
81 words
In a billing system that stores billing information for completed calls in a toll file, a transaction based method for providing real-time billing information, the method comprising the steps of: (1) receiving a rate quote request from an operator console prior to completion of a call, (2) retrieving rate information for said call from a rate file; (3) calculating a rate quote from said rate information stored in said rate file; and (4) sending said rate quote to said operator console.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 11, wherein said step (1) comprises the step of receiving a rate quote request that comprises a calling party number and a called party number.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
23 words
The method of claim 12, wherein said step (1) comprises the step of receiving a rate quote request that comprises a customer identification.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
31 words
The method of claim 11, wherein said step (2) comprises the step of retrieving rate information from said rate file that is based on factors including distance and time of day.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2000-05-26 | 2000-11-25 | 2001-05-27 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2004-05-26 | 2004-11-25 | 2005-05-27 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2008-05-26 | 2008-11-25 | 2009-05-27 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |