Communications network

Details Communications network Communications network

1999-06-21

2001-12-11

Tieu, Binh (Department: 2643)

Telephonic communications

With usage measurement

Call traffic recording by computer or control processor

C379S114140, C379S126000, C379S127020, C379S132000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06330312

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
When a customer has an analogue telephony service (so called POTS—Plain Old Telephony Service) and makes a call, the call duration timer starts when the called customer answers. This approach is valid since customers can not get advantage from the call until they are able to converse and this occurs at call answer. The call duration timer stops at release of the call and for normal calls the duration of the call is one of the parameters which affects the amount the calling customer is charged. Calls in an Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) domain have followed the approach adopted for POTS, that is the duration timer and hence charging is related to called customer answer. The situation for ISDN calls is not the same as POTS calls since users of the ISDN can misuse some of the ISDN features and gain advantage from the end-to-end signalling and/or bearer connection before the called user answers.
A typical scenario where the ISDN signalling protocol is misused is to perform so-called stealth polling. In this situation, the calling user makes a call of a prearranged type which the called user rejects with a prearranged cause value. The rejection message is transported by the network back to the calling user. The advantage to the calling user is that by receiving the rejection message they know that the called user's equipment and line are working.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to a first aspect of the present invention, a method of timing a call made over a communications network comprises the step of recording the duration of a pre-answer phase of the call with reference to a number of signalling events associated with the set-up of the call.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, an exchange for a communications network comprises a call processing system which is adapted to capture information relating to the duration of a pre-answer phase for a call made over the communications network by detecting a number of signalling events associated with the set-up of the call.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, a communications network comprises a local exchange according to the second aspect of the present invention, and a billing system connected to the local exchange for processing billing records passed to the billing system from the local exchange, whereby the billing system is adapted to process a billing record for a call to determine a charge for the pre-answer phase of the call.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, a program storage device containing computer executable instructions for performing the method of the first aspect of the present invention.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, a program storage device containing computer executable instructions for processing a billing record generated by the method of the first aspect of the present invention to determine a charge for the pre-answer phase of a call.
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, an exchange for a communications network comprises a call processing system which is adapted to generate a message for signalling via the network to a remote exchange serving a calling user to indicate that a call has been diverted by a called user.
Preferably, for an ISDN call, the call processing system of the exchange is adapted so that in the event that it determines that a DSS1 Facility message including a Diversion Information invoke component has been delivered, then an ISUP call control message which includes a Call diversion information parameter is sent towards the remote exchange and including an Access delivery information parameter indicating in bit A “no Set-up message generated” and in bit B “notification of forwarding generated”.
Since customers can gain advantage prior to answer on ISDN calls the charging method needs to be different from POTS in some instances to address this issue. The ISDN call can be seen to have two potentially chargeable phases, namely a pre-answer phase and a post-answer phase. The present invention provides a mechanism for the creation of billing records for each phase of the call, thereby providing the potential for calling customers to be charged for the pre-answer phase of the call.


REFERENCES:
patent: 5509055 (1996-04-01), Ehrlich et al.
patent: 5712908 (1998-01-01), Brinkman et al.
patent: 6233313 (2001-05-01), Farris et al.

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