NL1013397C2 - Telephone call cost calculating method, automatically sets up collect call when call from user defined list of numbers dials subscriber - Google Patents

Abstract

The owner of a telephone number chooses and authorises telephone numbers from which the owners telephone number can be phoned at the cost of the owner, and these numbers are provided to the operator of the network to which the owner is connected. Whenever somebody phones from one of these numbers a collect call is automatically set up without the need for a human or automatic operator.

Description

Method for allocating the call costs of a telephone call

The invention relates to a method for allocating the call costs of a telephone call between a calling telephone number and a called telephone number to the holder of the called telephone number.

"Holder" means the person in whose name the 10 telephone number concerned is mentioned. This can include both a subscription and a prepaid form. In this context, the description "telephone call" also includes the term "data call" which is used, for example, when applying modern (digital) techniques such as ISDN, ADSL or modem communication via PSTN.

Such techniques are known per se to those skilled in the art and will therefore not be discussed in detail. Usually, in telephone traffic, the cost of a call is allocated to the calling telephone number.

However, it is also possible to reverse the call cost allocation so that the holder of the number called will bear these costs.

For example, it is already known to reverse call cost allocation using a collect 25 call via a human or automatic operator. Another possibility is via a prefix number, for example an (personal) 0800 number.

When making a collect call, the caller accesses a telephone network by calling it a prefix number that places the call under the control of a human or automatic operator when the connection is established. The calling telephone number will then appear on the invoice of the called telephone number after some time, together with other information such as the date, time and duration of the call.

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However, there are some drawbacks when using such collect calls.

After all, committing a collect call takes extra time and effort and always emphasizes that the other five pay the costs, which is not always pleasant.

Working with prefix numbers such as (personal) 0800 numbers has on the one hand the disadvantage that it is again an extra number that must be remembered or noted and in practice it often turns out "the more numbers, the less one can be reached" and on the other hand, this has the disadvantage that such a (personal) number is difficult to keep secret if it has been made known to a number of people, so that "everyone" can call the relevant 0800 number free of charge.

Moreover, if, for example, a company wants to be called free of charge, for example by employees who work from home, a single 0800 number would not be sufficient unless a call-forwarding facility is established behind it, which is however laborious for the user. Furthermore, in "data conversations" between computers, for example when dialing in to a company on a network, establishing a collect call is problematic because no one in the company can agree to the 25 collect call to accept the costs without the digital disrupt (modem) connection.

The invention now obviates these drawbacks and provides an advantageous method for reversing call cost allocation of telephone numbers.

The method according to the invention is to that end characterized in that the holder of the telephone number preselects and authorizes a number of telephone numbers, which may call at his expense; in that the holder gives these preselected and authorized telephone numbers to the operator of the telephone network to which the holder is connected 1013397 3; and in that, when such a selected and authorized telephone number calls the telephone number of said holder, a collect call is then automatically established between the telephone number of the holder and the calling telephone number without the intervention of a human or automatic operator.

Advantageously, according to the invention, the preselected and authorized telephone numbers are stored in a database.

In another advantageous manner, the method according to the invention can be applied within one network (for instance the fixed network) of one operator, wherein both the calling party and the called party hold a telephone number with the same operator.

However, application within the mobile network of one operator as well as application between networks of different operators is possible.

The invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to the description below.

According to the invention, the holder of a number to be called pre-selects and authorizes a number of telephone numbers of people who may call at his expense. For example, a company can authorize employees to automatically call collect all numbers of the company.

In the consumer sphere, too, someone can authorize family members to call at his or her expense until the relevant authorization is canceled.

If a holder has a number, for example a series of telephone numbers (whether or not numerically consecutive), the same measures apply 10f 8397 4 with the proviso that the measures taken, if desired, simultaneously relate to several numbers called.

The holder of the number to be called gives the preselected and authorized telephone numbers to the operator of the telephone network to which the holder is connected.

This can be done in any suitable way, more particularly by means of a Voice Response System or via an Internet page.

Subsequently, as soon as such a selected and authorized number calls the telephone number of the holder concerned, a collect call is automatically established, i.e. without the intervention of a human or automatic operator, between the telephone number of the holder and the calling number.

Advantageously, when using a Voice Response System, it is possible to add or remove selected and authorized telephone numbers as follows: a holder of a telephone number can obtain a pin code from the operator of the telephone network. Naturally, the operator and holder must then ensure that this pin code is only known to the holder and to the operator's selected systems.

With this PIN the holder of the number 25 to be called can then identify himself in a supporting Voice Response System of the operator.

Optionally, the Voice Response System can only be operated from the telephone number of the holder, whereby, if desired, caller ID of the telephone number can be used as an additional authorization of the holder.

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After checking the PIN and telephone number, a session of the Voice Response System can begin, in which the holder of the number to be called in the Voice Response System can then add or remove telephone numbers 5 from the list of the then selected and authorized persons. phone numbers.

The Voice Response System session is then ended.

The costs can be allocated in various ways, for example as follows: when a number selected and authorized by the holder of the number to be called calls this holder, so-called Call Detail Records are generated in a manner known to experts, which imply that the calling party will bear the 15 costs. In such Call Detail Records, both the calling and the called number are stored.

In such a method, intervention is made in the "billing" current; the moment the telephone notes are created later, for example once a month or 20 if desired every two or more months, the costs of the calls to the holder are now transferred by the selected and authorized telephone numbers via appropriate measures such as specific reversal commands for the "billing "computer not allocated to these selected and authorized phone numbers, but will be charged to the holder of the called phone number. Such measures are already known per se to those skilled in the art and will therefore not be described in detail.

Another possibility that can be performed in an advantageous manner in allocating the costs is the use of Intelligent Network (IN) techniques. Such IN techniques are known per se to those skilled in the art and will therefore not be described in detail.

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When calling the called number on the side of the calling number, the generation of Call Detail Records is suppressed with selection on the called number. On the side of the number called, 5 Call Detail Records are already being created, so that the costs can be allocated later on this side.

It will be clear that with both options mentioned, the holder of the number called over time by means of his telephone bill can obtain information on his list of selected and authorized telephone numbers.

Various modifications of the method according to the invention, such as, for example, the use of ISDN, ADSL or mobile networks and the like, will be clear to those skilled in the art after the above description and therefore need not be further explained.

Such modifications are considered to fall within the scope and scope of the invention.

1013397

Claims (11)

1. Method for allocating the call costs of a telephone call between a calling telephone number and a called telephone number to the holder of the called telephone number, characterized in that the said holder of the telephone number may call a number of telephone numbers which may be used at his own expense. , pre-selects and authorizes 10; that said holder gives these preselected and authorized telephone numbers to the operator of the telephone network to which the holder is connected; and that when such a selected and authorized telephone number calls the telephone number of said holder, a collect call is then automatically established between the telephone number of the holder and the calling telephone number without the intervention of a human or automatic operator. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the holder provides a list of selected and authorized telephone numbers to the operator of the telephone network by means of a Voice Response System. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the holder provides a list of selected and authorized telephone numbers to the operator of the telephone network via an Internet page. Method according to at least one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the telephone number dialed comprises a series of telephone numbers (whether or not numerically consecutive). Method according to claim 2, characterized in that 35 selected and authorized telephone numbers are added to or removed from the 1013397 list after identification of the holder of the telephone number by means of a pin code. Method according to at least one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that application takes place within the fixed network of the operator of the telephone network. Method according to at least one of claims 1 to 6, 10, characterized in that the preselected and authorized telephone numbers are stored in a database. Method according to at least one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the costs of the calls to the called telephone number are allocated by selected and authorized telephone numbers to the called number at the moment the telephone notes are produced. Method according to at least one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the costs of the calls to the called number are allocated by selected and authorized numbers to the called telephone number at the time the call is made. 25 Method according to claim 8, characterized in that the allocation of the costs takes place via a "reverse command" for a "billing" computer. 30 Method according to claim 9, characterized in that the; the costs are allocated via an Intelligent Network (IN) technique. 1013397 COOPERATION TREATY (PCT) REPORT ON NEWNESS RESEARCH OF INTERNATIONAL TYPE ION IDENTIFICATION OF THE NATIONAL APPLICATION Characteristic of the applicant oi of the authorized representative 402579NE Dutch application no. Of International Type Granted by the International Research Authority (ISA) to the request for an international type investigation No SN 33986 EN I. CLASSIFICATION OF THE SUBIMERIPSIf various classifications are used, indicate all classification symbols) According to International Classification IIPC) Int. Cl. 7: H 04 M 15/08 II. FIELDS OF TECHNIQUE EXAMINED _ Minimum documentation examined Classi ication system Classi fi cation system mb.Int.Cl.7: H 04 Μ, H 04 Q Documentation examined other than minimum documentation insofar as such documents are included in the areas investigated EN 1 1 NO RESEARCH POSSIBLE FOR CERTAIN CONCLUSIONS (comments on supplement sheet) * Υ · II LACK OF UNIT OF INVENTION (remarks on supplement sheet! / Ϋ ----- j Form PCT / ISA / 201 Itf 07. T979