摘要:
There is disclosed a system for providing an economical telephone toll service in which a telephone subscriber selects the economical service by, for example, sending an appropriate signal, and then dials his directory assistance call or other telephone toll call. After the caller's options are determined and typically before signaling for the call is commenced, a recorded-announcement of an aural or visual nature is connected to the subscriber's line, the announcement consisting of at least one advertisement. The advertisements are selected from a databank according to some predetermined technique of selection, which may include any number of factors or features to make the service attractive to subscribers and of a nature to make the service also sufficiently rewarding to advertisers. After the initial delay, usually after the advertising announcement is completed, the toll call and/or directory assistance call is processed as usual but at a reduced rate of charge or with automatic credit being given to the customer's account.
摘要:
A computer based telephone accounting system collects data on calls made from a key system or PBX and automatically generates accounting reports which include the costs of the calls. A minimum amount of memory is used in calculating the costs by grouping combinations of area codes and exchange numbers into geographic bands and precomputing the distance from a particular area code and exchange number to all the remaining combinations of area codes and exchange numbers in the other bands. The combination of area codes and exchange numbers are stored in an N.times.M memory matrix where N equals the area code numbers and M equals the exchange numbers. A plurality of memory stored, multi-bit data words defining an algorithm for computing the cost of a call to a particular band are individually selected using an address defined by the position of the bit in the memory matrix which corresponds to the particular area code/exchange number being called. A programmed computer calculates the cost of a call using a memory stored rate table and the selected algorithm.
摘要:
A method is disclosed of using the public switched telephone network, including the CCIS (Common Channel Interoffice Signaling) system, to provide nationwide personal locator telephone service for called subscribers. In accordance with the service, a calling party may reach a called subscriber wherever the subscriber may be located by merely keying from a standard push-button telephone set a personal number unique to the subscriber. A telephone office having access to CCIS sends the number to a centralized data base. A telephone number at which the subscriber is located is returned to the access office, and the call is automatically completed to the telephone number. Other information may be returned to the access office to provide enhanced features. Such features include called subscriber unavailability announcements to the calling party, storage of a caller's telephone number, automatic call-back by the subscriber, and paging of the subscriber. A subscriber may update the information stored at the centralized data base from any telephone.
摘要:
A method whereby data is transmitted from a data supplier's data bank to a data user upon request, using the data supplier's system and internal systems, equipment, services and procedures of telephone companies, including automatic number identification equipment, counters and timers, and billing procedures.
摘要:
A communication system is disclosed for providing itemized telephone subscriber billing of special assistance calls. A local office not equipped with automatic message accounting facilities is interconnected via a trunk circuit to another exchange having such facilities and thence to a special assistance bureau. The trunk circuit is accessible by the local office for both message rate billed and special assistance classes of traffic. On each call therethrough, the trunk circuit translates subscriber dialed digits for selecting the automatic accounting facilities or message rate billing apparatus in the local office in accordance with whether the call is of a special assistance or local toll call class as defined by the digits.
摘要:
A call answering arrangement for enabling a calling subscriber to control the charging of a telephone call directed to a called telephone line equipped with an automatic telephone answering device. Incoming call signals appearing on the telephone line enable the call answering arrangement to direct the telephone answering device to transmit a prerecorded message to the calling subscriber and to record a message received from the calling subscriber. An incoming call is answered by momentarily applying answer supervision to the telephone line in response to the incoming call signals. The calling subscriber subsequently controls the interval of the answered telephone call during which the answering arrangement reapplies answer supervision to the telephone line for the purpose of charging the calling subscriber only for the calling subscriber use of the telephone service.
摘要:
A mobile virtual network operator is provided. The operator includes a server that is communicatively coupled to a mobile device. The mobile device includes application software provided by the virtual network operator for allowing phone call and data connectivity.
摘要:
Systems, methods, and software for performing online charging in next generation networks. In one embodiment, a Session Management Function (SMF) of a next generation network implements a Charging Trigger Function (CTF) that directly interfaces with an Online Charging System (OCS). The CTF transmits a charging request to the OCS requesting a quota of service units for the SMF, and receives a charging response from the OCS indicating the quota of service units granted to the SMF by the OCS. The CTF then manages the quota by allocating slices of the quota to User Plane Functions (UPF) implemented in a user plane of the next generation network.
摘要:
A method and system are provided for migrating telephone service. An order is received to migrate telephone service to a competitive local exchange carrier for at least one telephone line assigned to a customer. An account is created for the order. At least one sub-account associated with the account may be created. Each sub-account may be associated with a different combination of a local exchange carrier, from which the telephone service is being migrated, and a billing telephone number. A first telephone migration order may be generated and sent for migrating at least one telephone line associated with a first combination of a local exchange carrier and a billing telephone number.
摘要:
Methods and apparatus for providing separable billing services. In one embodiment, an apparatus comprises a memory for storing a data address associated with a first type of communication and a processor for receiving a data packet, the data packet comprising a destination data address. The processor compares the destination data address to the data address associated with the first type of communication, and routes the data packet to the destination data address if the destination data address matches the data address associated with the first type of communication and bills an account associated with the first type of communication.