System and method for alternate billing arrangement during a telephone call

Claim 3

The system of claim 1, wherein said identifying means is a dual tone multi-frequency detector situated on a part of a unidirectional voice path dedicated to a voice transmission from the called party to the calling party, said unidirectional voice path defined between a first end office connected to the calling party and a second end office connected to the called party.

Claim 4

The system of claim 2, wherein said dual tone multi-frequency detector identifies one or more dialed digits from the called party.

Claim 5

The system of claim 2, wherein said dual tone multi-frequency detector is situated on a part of said unidirectional voice path controlled by an inter-exchange carrier.

Claim 6

The system of claim 2, wherein said dual tone multi-frequency detector is situated on a part of said unidirectional voice path controlled by a local exchange carrier.

Claim 7

The system of claim 2, wherein said unidirectional voice path is defined between a first hybrid in said first end office and a second hybrid in said second end office, said first hybrid connected to the calling party via a first twisted pair and said second hybrid connected to the called party via a second twisted pair.

Claim 8

The system of claim 1, further comprising means for modifying a call detail record to indicate a billing arrangement identified by said alternate billing request.

Claim 9

The system of claim 1, wherein said means for determining determines whether the called party is at a pay phone.

Claim 10

The system of claim 1, wherein said means for determining checks an account history for the called party.

Claim 11

The system of claim 1, wherein said connection is a standard telephone call.

Claim 12

The system of claim 1, wherein said connection is an integrated service digital network call and said identifying means monitors signaling information contained in a D channel.

Claim 13

The system of claim 1, wherein said connection is a data communication channel.

Claim 14

The system of claim 1, wherein said connection is a video connection.

Claim 17

The method of claim 14, wherein said step (1) comprises the step of identifying dialed digits from the called party by a dual tone multi-frequency detector situated on a part of a unidirectional voice path dedicated to a voice transmission from the called party to the calling party, said unidirectional voice path defined between a first end office connected to the calling party and a second end office connected to the called party.

Claim 18

The method of claim 15, wherein said step (1) comprises the step of identifying dialed digits from the called party by a dual tone multi-frequency detector, wherein said dual tone multi-frequency detector is situated on a part of said unidirectional voice path controlled by an inter-exchange carrier.

Claim 19

The method of claim 15, wherein said step (1) comprises the step of identifying dialed digits from the called party by a dual tone multi-frequency detector, wherein said dual tone multi-frequency detector is situated on a part of said unidirectional voice path controlled by a local exchange carrier.

Claim 20

The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of modifying a call detail record to indicate a billing arrangement identified by said alternate billing request.

Claim 21

The method of claim 14, wherein said step (2) comprises the step of determining whether the called party is at a pay phone.

Claim 22

The method of claim 14, wherein said step (2) comprises the step of checking an account history for the called party.

Claim 23

The method of claim 14, wherein said step (1) comprises the step of monitoring signaling information contained in a standard telephone call.

Claim 24

The method of claim 14, wherein said step (1) comprises the step of monitoring signaling information contained in a D channel of an integrated services digital network call.

Claim 25

The method of claim 14, wherein said step (1) comprises the step of monitoring signaling information contained in a data communication channel.

Claim 26

The method of claim 14, wherein said step (1) comprises the step of monitoring signaling information contained in a video connection.

Claim 27

In a public switched telecommunications network environment that provides a connection between a calling party and a called party, the connection comprising two unidirectional channels, a first unidirectional channel dedicated to transmission from the calling party to the called party and a second unidirectional channel dedicated to transmission from the called part to the calling party, a method for controlling the processing of the connection, comprising the steps of; (1) monitoring, by a dual tone multi-frequency detector, signaling information from the called party; and (2) using said signaling information to control an element of processing associated with the connection, wherein said signaling information is generated at any time during the connection and defines an alternate billing request for the duration of the connection, which is received from the called party, said alternate billing request including a designation of an amount to be shifted to the called party; wherein said element of processing effects a change in the billing for the connection if permitted in accordance with said alternate billing request wherein said change occurs at a time subsequent to the connection, and wherein said dual tone multi-frequency detector is situated on a part of the second unidirectional voice channel, the second unidirectional voice channel defined between a first end office connected to the calling party and a second end office connected to the called party.

Claim 28

In a public switched telecommunications network environment that provides a connection between a calling party and a called party, the connection comprising two unidirectional channels, a first unidirectional channel dedicated to transmission from the calling party to the called party and a second unidirectional channel dedicated to transmission from the called part to the calling party, a method for controlling the processing of the connection, comprising the steps of; (1) monitoring, by a dual tone multi-frequency detector, signaling information from the called party; and (2) using said signaling information to control an element of processing associated with the connection, wherein said signaling information is generated at any time during the connection and defines an alternate billing request for the duration of the connection, which is received from the called party, said alternate billing request including a designation of an amount to be shifted to the called party; wherein said element of processing effects a change in the billing for the connection if permitted in accordance with said alternate billing request wherein said change occurs at a time subsequent to the connection, and wherein said dual tone multi-frequency detector is situated on a part of the second unidirectional voice channel, the second unidirectional voice channel defined between a first end office connected to the calling party and a second end office connected to the called party.

Claim 29

The method of claim 25, wherein said step (1) comprises the step of monitoring signaling information from the called party to control an apportionment of the billing of the connection between the calling party and the called party.

Claim 30

The method of claim 25, wherein said step (1) comprises the step of monitoring signaling information from the called party, wherein said dual tone multi-frequency detector is situated on a part of the second unidirectional voice channel that is controlled by an inter-exchange carrier.

Claim 31

The method of claim 25, wherein said step (1) comprises the step of monitoring signaling information from the called party, wherein said dual tone multi-frequency detector is situated on a part of the second unidirectional voice channel that is controlled by a local exchange carrier.

Claim 34

The method of claim 29, wherein the calling party has a type of phone and wherein the information about the connection comprises the type of phone.

Claim 35

The method of claim 29, wherein the called party has a type of phone and wherein the information about the connection comprises the type of phone.

Claim 36

The method of claim 29, wherein the information comprises subscriber preferences for the called party.

Claim 37

The method of claim 29, wherein the information comprises a credit history of the called party.

Claim 38

The method of claim 29, wherein the step of shifting of the cost of the call to the called party comprises shifting a portion of the cost of the call to the called party.

Claim 39

The method of claim 29, wherein the step of shifting of the cost of the call to the called party comprises shifting all of the cost of the call to the called party.

Claim 40

The method of claim 29, wherein monitoring of the connection for the request is accomplished using a dual-tone multi-frequency detector.