Telecommunications – Radiotelephone system – Usage measurement
Utility Patent
1999-04-26
2001-01-02
Maung, Nay (Department: 2741)
Telecommunications
Radiotelephone system
Usage measurement
C455S406000, C455S410000, C379S114030, C379S144020
Utility Patent
active
06169891
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This invention relates to the billing of the charges for the wireless connection used by wireless telephone stations that are receiving wireless telephone calls.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
“Received-wireless” telephone calls, i.e., calls placed to a wireless telephone station and which may also have portions of its connections carried over conventional telephone facilities, both wired and wireless, have a component of the cost of the call known as the “airtime” charge for the receiving wireless telephone station. The “airtime” charge for the receiving wireless telephone station is the cost for use of the wireless channel that establishes the wireless telephone connection to the receiving wireless telephone station. At present, the airtime charge for the receiving wireless telephone station is always billed to the account associated with the wireless telephone station receiving the call. This is a major factor which deters people from freely giving out their mobile telephone numbers.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
We have recognized that it is desirable to be able to transfer the airtime charge for the receiving wireless telephone station to an account other than the account associated with the wireless telephone station receiving the call. In accordance with the principles of the invention, the airtime charge for a receiving wireless telephone station is assigned to an account that is not associated with the wireless telephone station receiving the call. For example, for a telephone call placed from a conventional home wired telephone station to a wireless telephone station, the airtime charge for the receiving wireless telephone station of the call is billed to the account associated with the home wired telephone station. As another example, the airtime charge for a receiving wireless telephone station on a “receivedwireless” telephone call originated at a wired public telephone station is transferred and charged to the same “card” to which the land line charges for the telephone call are charged. As used herein, the term “card” refers to any type of credit card or credit account mechanism including, but not limited to: a) a telephone-companyissued card, such as the Bell Atlantic™. IQ Card, b) a combined commercial credit card and telephone card, such as the AT&T Universal Card, c) a commercial credit card, such as an American Express® card or a VISA® card, or d) a debit card.
In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the airtime charge for a receiving wireless telephone station is transferred by a) receiving signaling from the caller that the airtime charge for the receiving wireless telephone station is to be billed to an account specified by the caller that is other than the account associated with the receiving wireless telephone station; b) marking the airtime charge record by the wireless telephone service provider serving the receiving wireless telephone station as one to be billed by another provider of telephone service; c) incorporating the wireless airtime charge of the receiving wireless telephone as part of the charges for the call billed by the other provider of telephone service to the account specified by the caller; and d) remitting the airtime charge collected from the other provider to the wireless telephone service provider.
In accordance with a feature of the invention, an indication that the airtime charge for the received wireless telephone station is being paid for by a party other than the called party is forwarded to the wireless telephone station and a corresponding indication is supplied for the called party at the receiving wireless telephone station. Advantageously, a wireless call recipient will be more likely to answer, and to talk longer on, a wireless telephone call for which the airtime charges are being paid by another party.
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“Calling Party Pays lowers airtime: Calling Party Pays provides subscriber flexibility customer satisfacation, and may increase carrier revenues (cellular subsribers pay only for calls they orginate)”Cellular Marketing,vol. 6, No. 6 p. 33 (Jun. 1991).
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Gorham Peter C.
McCarthy Michael Edward
Mukerjee Sandip
Tavares James A.
AT&T Corp.
Maung Nay
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