Method of usage-dependent determination of costs in making...

Details Method of usage-dependent determination of costs in making... Method of usage-dependent determination of costs in making...

1998-05-22

2001-02-20

Cosimano, Edward R. (Department: 2161)

Data processing: financial, business practice, management, or co

For cost/price

C705S030000, C379S114030, C455S405000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06192350

ABSTRACT:

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method for usage-dependent determination of costs in making communication links, in which respective usage-independent fixed lines are connected between a plurality of communication facilities.
It is known to rent fixed lines of an operating network between communication facilities belonging to a group. These fixed lines are available independently of usage and are correspondingly added to the total costs. In order to reduce the costs of the user of the communication facilities of the group, the total cost is reduced in known ways, for example, according to the size of a user associated with the communication facility or other suitable criteria. In any case the current cost reductions are made in a manner which does not depend on usage so that an actual cost distribution based on actual usage is not possible.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved method for usage-dependent determination of costs in making communication links which does not have the above-described disadvantage.
According to the invention, the process for usage-dependent determination of costs in making communication links, in which at least one usage-independent fixed line is connected between a plurality of communication facilities, includes assigning a link logical record to each communication link made between the communication facilities, this link logical record including all information defining the communication link to which the link logical record is assigned, and evaluating each link logical record according to usage.
The method according to the invention has the advantage that the total costs to the user of the communication facilities arising for making the links or connections can be reduced according to the amount of usage. Because every link between the communication facilities is associated with a link logical record, which contains all information, advantageously user information and facility connection path information, clearly defining the link, the link logical record can be fed to an evaluating device associated with the originating communication facility which evaluates the exact parameters of the link for an additional evaluation, especially for determining costs connected with the link. Very advantageously information regarding a user initiating the connection, a user being connected to and the connection path and link duration determining the cost can be obtained from the link logical record. If the link logical record is stored according to costs, a later reduction of the total costs according to usage may be possible.
Various preferred embodiments are based on the above-described generic inventive concept. In one preferred embodiment the evaluation means for evaluating link logical records is provided in each communication facility and the link logical records associated with an originating communication facility initiating the communication link are fed to the evaluation means. The evaluation means are permanently connected with each communication facility by means of an interface.
In a particularly preferred embodiment of the method of the invention a code number, preferably an alphanumeric entity, is assigned to each communication facility and is used in the formulation of the respective path information for the communication links, and the code numbers of all communication facilities connected with each other when a communication link is made are transmitted to the originating communication facility initiating the communication link. Advantageously the code numbers of all communication facilities connected with each other when the communication link is made are transmitted in a reverse order to the originating communication facility, this reverse order being opposite to an order in which connections between communication facilities are made during establishment of the communication link.
Path information is advantageously transmitted between communication facilities over the fixed lines by transmitting a byte sequence. The code numbers of the communications facilities connected with each other to make a communication link are encoded in bits
1
to
4
of respective bytes to form the byte sequence for the path information. A bit
8
is set in the last place of a code number of a last connected communication facility connected in a communication link as a final character for the communication link. A bit
7
is set in the last place of a code number of a last connected communication facility of a connected group when the transmitted path information is incomplete.
In preferred embodiments the method according to the invention is applied to networks including at least three communication facilities or devices and is particularly advantageous when many, e.g. six, communication facilities are connected in a network with fixed lines.


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