Telephonic communications – With usage measurement – Call charge metering or monitoring
Reexamination Certificate
2001-06-25
2003-08-12
Nguyen, Duc (Department: 2643)
Telephonic communications
With usage measurement
Call charge metering or monitoring
C379S114060, C379S114120
Reexamination Certificate
active
06606377
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to the analysis and preparation of customer service based calling plans for wireline and wireless telephone services.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A wide range of telecommunication services including local area and long distance wireline and a variety of wireless telephone services are increasingly available and are being utilized by a wide range of telephone service subscribers for work, education, recreation, and the like. In order to remain competitive, providers of telecommunications services offer a number of calling plans designed to allow subscribers to make the most efficient use of telecommunications services. For example, a telecommunications service provider may offer a calling plan that dramatically reduces the rates charged for long distance wireline telecommunications services if the subscriber makes all calls on the weekends or on weekdays after 5:00 PM. If a subscriber makes regular and frequent long distance telephone calls to a particular terminating point in a foreign country, the subscriber's telecommunications service provider may have a calling plan that will reduce calling charges to that particular foreign country. In the wireless setting, telecommunications service providers typically offer a wide range of calling plans based on elapsed duration of wireless telephone calls and based on the time of day and day of the week during which calls are made.
Often, subscribers to telecommunications services subscribe to a basic calling plan and then develop calling patterns that are inefficient relative to the subscriber's calling plan. Or, the subscriber may select a calling plan for a set number of minutes of calls during a given period, but the subscriber far exceeds that number of pre-selected minutes. Or, the caller may select a calling plan that is good for the caller's calling patterns, but the telecommunications service provider may develop and implement a better calling plan at a later time period.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a method and system of monitoring a subscriber's use of telecommunications services on a periodic basis and calculating the cost associated with a variety of different calling plans that may be offered to the subscriber to reduce the subscriber's cost for telecommunications services.
It is with respect to these considerations and others that the present invention has been made.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with the present invention, the above and other problems are solved by a method and system for analyzing and preparing optimum telephone services calling plans. An optimum calling plan analysis engine analyzes wireline local and long distance and wireless call use during a given period of time for selected wireline and wireless telephone services. Based on a number of factors, including the type, duration, time, day, location, etc. of calls made by the subscriber, the calling plan engine calculates the cost of a number of different calling plans to which the subscriber may change in order to offer a cost savings to the subscriber. After the calling plan engine calculates and identifies alternative calling plans that meet the subscriber's calling patterns and save costs to the subscriber, the subscriber is notified of the alternative calling plans.
These and other features and advantages, which characterize the present invention, will be apparent from a reading of the following detailed description and a review of the associated drawings. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the invention, as claimed.
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Henson Dirk S.
Lenio Allan J.
Pacifico Mike
Rauba Ray
Ruckart John P.
BellSouth Intellectual Property Corporation
Taylor Barry W
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