Telephonic communications – With usage measurement – Call traffic recording by computer or control processor
Reexamination Certificate
1998-06-09
2001-03-27
Kuntz, Curtis A. (Department: 2743)
Telephonic communications
With usage measurement
Call traffic recording by computer or control processor
C379S114030, C379S115030, C379S121020, C379S123000, C379S130000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06208719
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to telecommunications and, more particularly, to methods and apparatus for telecommunications having automatic network adaptations and silent downloading of data, such as out-going transmission cost rate information.
2. Description of Related Art
With the deregulation of telephone-telecommunications (hereinafter “telecom”) common carriers and the escalating use of computer generated transmissions, such as electronic mail, video, and the like, over the telecom networks, the number of providers and price competition between them has created a conundrum for the end-user. Regularly, the user is challenged to change to a cheaper long distance provider for out-going transmissions (also referred to hereinafter as “calls”), yet the local service provider charges for each change in long distance service provider, making a change of long distance provider an inconvenient and costly transaction. Moreover, as is well known, out-going transmission charges, such as the common telephone call, vary according to the distance between caller and call destination, the time of day and the day of the week that the out-going transmission is placed, the duration of each call, the frequency of usage, new-user or day/month-based special rate promotional offerings, and the like.
In order to provide callers with some semblance of control, telephone call time and cost monitoring devices and stand-alone, least-cost routing devices have been created. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,122,308 issued on Oct. 24, 1978 to Weinberger et al. for a Telephone Call Metenng Device, a telephone accessory device monitors the cost of a telephone call at the location of the calling telephone, continually maintaining real-time billing displays to provide an accurate indication of the cost of the call. Tie line diversion to minimize the cost of a call to a specified telephone number on a tie line network is described. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,519,769 issued May 21, 1996 to Weinberger et al. for a Method and System for Updating a Call Rating Database, a calling station, having a provided rating device including a modem, must place a call to the rate provider at a predetermined date and time when an updated database of rate parameters can be downloaded to the rating device. A purchaser of the device and provider service relies on the currently stored database to ensure that the least-cost route is chosen when making a call. In a Weinberger et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,425,085 issued on Jun. 13, 1995 for a Least Cost Routing Device for Separate Connection into Phone Line, an apparatus is required to interconnect between the phone line coming into the facility and each phone within the facility; the apparatus routes telephone calls along a least-cost route originating therefrom using the database describe in co-filed U.S. Pat. No. 5,519,769, supra. A commercial product known as the “PhoneMiser™” by MediaCom company and commercially available through Egghead™ Computer stores appears to implement the Weinberger scheme in a computer/telephone operating environment.
There is a need for a telecommunication apparatus and method of operation being self-sufficient, automatically attuned to least cost routing, and providing advanced automated features that do not require user implemented processes.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In its basic aspects, the present invention provides a method for updating and using information regarding telecommunication transmission network system parameters in a telecommunications network system having a plurality of individual telecommunications devices connected to a plurality of carriers forming a telecommunications network. Each of the devices is capable of storing and using system parameter information, including a database for determining out-going transmission cost rates for each of the carriers based on time/day/date information for the out-going transmission. The method includes the steps of:
determining at a central telecommunications apparatus which of the devices connected to the network have a database affected by system parameter information changes;
from said central telecommunications apparatus, establishing connection from the apparatus only to specific devices having a database affected by said system parameter information changes;
transmitting over each established connection to each database, the system parameter information changes affecting the specific device connected to the central telecommunications apparatus; and
using the database when placing out-going telecommunication transmissions from the device such that most recent parameter information is used in placing an outgoing telecommunication transmission.
Another basic aspect of the present invention provides a telecommunications system including: a telecommunications network including a plurality of carriers connected to a plurality of subscriber telecommunications devices; each of said devices including mechanisms for establishing and using network system parameter information, and mechanisms for identifying in-coming transmission sources; and connected to each of the carriers, central mechanisms for controlling network system parameters, for receiving periodically changing out-going transmission rate data from each of said carriers, for determining which of the plurality of devices is affected by changing network system parameter information, for establishing contact silently with system parameter change affected devices through said mechanisms for identifying in-coming transmission sources, and for downloading to the mechanisms for establishing and using network system parameter information of a currently contacted device at least changes in system parameter information affecting the currently contacted affected device.
Another basic aspect of the present invention provides a telecommunications device including: telecom mechanisms for connecting the device to a telecommunications network having a plurality of carriers, including mechanisms for determining telecommunications source identification, and for communicating over said network; coupled to said mechanisms for connecting, receiving mechanisms for creating and using telecommunications network system parameters, including an out-going transmission rate database to establish least-cost routing among the plurality of carrier networks and for silently receiving in-coming transmissions of data and for causing database changes based upon said mechanisms for determining telecommunications source identification establishing a predetermined identification of a source of said database changes.
It is an advantage of the present invention that no ancillary equipment is required for interfacing a telecommunications device to a telecommunications network in order to implement automated networking adaptations.
It is an advantage of the present invention that it incorporates least-cost routing processes directly into a telecommunications device instead of relying upon separate accessory apparatus connecting a telecommunications device to a network.
It is an advantage of the present invention that it requires no user procedures to enable least-cost telecommunications routing.
It is an another advantage of the present invention that it can provide user options for prioritizing calls by time or cost.
It is an advantage of the present invention that information downloading from a provider to a subscriber is implemented automatically and silently.
It is another advantage of the present invention that it eliminates unnecessary delays in receiving new rate information.
It is another advantage of the present invention that it reduces telephone traffic to a rate provider.
It is another advantage of the present invention that rate information updates are based on availability of new rates and only subscribers affected by new rates are contacted, reducing network traffic.
It is a further advantage of the present invention that it eliminates telecommunications subscriber costs in retrieving rate updates not related to t
Axtell James P
Lo Clement C
Hewlett--Packard Company
Kuntz Curtis A.
Tieu Binh K.
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