Telephonic communications – With usage measurement – Call traffic recording by computer or control processor
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-26
2001-07-31
Kuntz, Curtis (Department: 2643)
Telephonic communications
With usage measurement
Call traffic recording by computer or control processor
C379S114030, C379S201060, C379S216010, C455S414200
Reexamination Certificate
active
06269155
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention describes a method for call establishment and for the accounting of calls in telecommunications networks for specified destination call numbers which can be selected individually by the subscriber.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In numerous telecommunications networks the need exists to subject telecommunications calls to call destinations which can be individually specified by the subscriber to a special, for example more favorable charging tariff. Usually, this is accomplished in that the subscriber notifies to his network operating company individual call numbers for which the special, favorable tariff is to apply. The data transmitted by the subscriber must be recorded by the network operating company and included in its accounting system. After the call/charges data of the subscriber have been compiled within a network, the evaluation of these data takes place by means of the accounting system; in this case, on the basis of the input of registered customer information, a corresponding accounting of charges in respect of selected call destinations takes place. In this case, a large administrative expenditure arises for the network operating company in the administration of the call numbers designated by the customer, so that specific handling routines within the accounting systems are sought.
Known methods exhibit certain disadvantages even for the subscriber, since, although as a rule the subscriber seldom changes his call destinations selected for a favorable tariff, a change is nevertheless inconvenient since the subscriber has to notify the network operating company in oral or written form of any change to the desired destination call number. In some cases, “through connection” of the altered destination call number does not take place immediately, but with a certain delay.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object of the present invention is to propose a method for call establishment and for the accounting of calls in telecommunications networks for specified destination call numbers which can be selected individually by the subscriber, which method is substantially more customer-friendly than the known methods and promises to the network operating company a lower administrative expenditure for the administration and accounting of charges.
The invention is based on making it possible for the subscriber independently to file individual, frequently used destination call numbers in a databank of the telecommunications network and later to use these through a simple dial procedure via his terminal. For the data entry, i.e. the specification of the desired destination call numbers, the subscriber initiates, by means of the dial procedure which is customary for him, the establishment of a call to a service identification number stipulated in the network. In this case, the dial information includes in a first variant not only the service identification number but also the destination call number which is to be programmed and which is to be filed in the databank which is individual to the subscriber. By dialing the service identification number, the call to a specialized service technical system within the network is through-connected. A databank entry is set up for the subscriber by reference to his own call number which is known to the network, under which entry the destination call number for which the desired, special charging tariff is to apply is filed.
Alternatively, it is provided that the subscriber only dials the network service through input of the service identification number, and the destination call number is requested via a voice output unit or the like. The subscriber can then input the desired destination call number by subsequent dialing.
In this case, the entry of the datum specific to the subscriber in a databank of a selected service node requires no prior notification appertaining to this service to the network operating company.
After a databank entry for the subscriber has been set up in the network in this way, the subscriber can use the service as often as he wishes under an abbreviated call number allocated to the destination call number which has been input As a rule, the abbreviated call number is known in advance and is firmly allocated to the service identification number for the programming of the databank entry. In this case, any call establishment which is initiated by means of dialing the abbreviated call number leads again to the specialized network technical system. By reference to the subscriber call number, this system then searches in its databank for the subscriber entry stored under the abbreviated call number. Following a successful search, the further call establishment to the destination terminal is executed by reference to the destination call number allocated to the entry.
Thus, the final result is the call between the calling subscriber and the desired call partner. In this case, the processing by the service logic does not give rise to any delay in the call establishment which can be detected by the calling subscriber. The service identification number which is prescribed by the network and which has been dialed by the subscriber may be considerably shorter than the call number allocated to the destination terminal.
As for any other outgoing call from the subscriber, a call data record is set up for the call, which data record enables the call to be appropriately charged. By reason of the fact that the specifically dialed call number, namely the service identification number, is included in this as destination information, the accounting system is able to allocate the special tariff to this call.
The method described herein combines the possibilities of an intelligent call number conversion in accordance with individual subscriber specifications with a simple, subscriber-specific accounting mechanism. In this case, the subscriber is able independently to store, within the network, the information necessary for his service, without an administrative procedure by his network operating company.
At the same time, the method makes it possible for the subscriber, via abbreviated call numbers administered within the telecommunications network, to simplify the dialing of frequent call partners.
As a result of the combination of the above mechanism with methods based on customary accounting systems, it becomes possible to support a special accounting of charges for subscriber-individual call destinations.
The method does not require any special hardware expenditure and supports any telecommunications networks and systems in which, for the establishment of a call, the transmission of destination call numbers and origin call numbers is guaranteed. Examples of this are, in particular, public networks with ISDN (ISUP) or TUP signaling and private networks with Q-SIG or ISDN (DSS
1
) signaling. However, older networks with for example R
2
, IKZ50 dial procedures are also suitable in principle. In this case, public and private networks can support both analog and digital transmission technology, transmit telephony or data, and form a fixed network and also a radio network. The service logic of the method is based on a central service node and a service databank which communicates with the exchanges of the telecommunications network and controls the latter. A typical implementation of such a basis is formed by the IN (Intelligent Network) technology.
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Cooper & Dunham LLP
DeTeMobil Deutsche Telekom MobilNet GmbH
Kuntz Curtis
Tran Quoc D.
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