Method and system for service control point billing

Details Method and system for service control point billing Method and system for service control point billing

2001-11-30

2003-08-26

Barnie, Rexford (Department: 2643)

Telephonic communications

With usage measurement

Call charge metering or monitoring

C379S114290, C379S221090, C379S221080

Reexamination Certificate

active

06611582

ABSTRACT:

TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates generally to telecommunication systems and in particular to billing aspects of telecommunication systems.
BACKGROUND
Many telecommunication systems comprise three basic components: a signal switching point (“SSP”), a service control point (“SCP”), and a signal transfer point (“STP”), which facilitates communication between the SSP and the SCP. In operation, in response to a detected trigger (e.g., no answer, busy, etc.), the SSP sends a query message to the SCP, and the SCP consults its database and returns a response to the SSP.
FIG. 6
is an example of such a telecommunication system
5
. As shown in
FIG. 6
, the system
5
comprises a first Regional Bell Operating Company (“RBOC”)
10
and a second RBOC
20
. Each RBOC
10
,
20
comprises an STP
12
,
22
and an SSP
14
,
24
. The first RBOC
10
also comprises an SCP
16
.
To illustrate the operation of this system
5
, consider the situation in which a calling party associated with SSP
14
calls a called party associated with SSP
24
. In this example, the called party subscribes to a Caller ID service. When SSP
24
receives the call from the calling party, it sends a query to the SCP
16
to determine the name of the calling party. When the SCP
16
receives the query, it consults its database to determine the name associated with the calling party's number and returns the name to SSP
24
for display to the called party.
The collection and maintenance of data in an SCP can be costly, and conventional systems do not provide an adequate mechanism for billing for the use of the SCP. In the example above, the called party pays the second RBOC
20
a subscription fee for the Caller ID service. However, the system does not provide a mechanism for adequately charging SSP
24
for the use of the SCP
16
.
There is, therefore, a need for an improved method and system for service control point billing.


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