Patent ID: 6163602
Filing Date: 2000-12-19
Classification: G01D,G01R,H04Q,Y02B,Y04S

Abstract:
A unified billing system for collecting, combining, and processing telephone and non-telephone utility usage and charge records into unified billing and usage reports, comprising:at least one remotely readable utility meter, said utility meter having a remote reading output and communicating a current utility meter reading value;a remote meter reading media, communicably connected to said remote reading output of said remotely readable utility meter;at least one automatic meter reading receiver having a meter reading input for receiving a utility meter reading value from a remotely readable utility meter via the remote reading media, such that utility meter readings from said utility meter are received at said meter reading input via said meter reading media, and said meter reading receiver further comprising a first data interface such that utility usage records are output at said first data interface in response to receipt of said utility meter readings; anda billing converter system comprising:a second data interface, communicably interconnected to said first data interface of said automatic meter reading receiver and receiving said utility usage records;a processing computer means suitable for executing software, including a persistent data memory means;a telephony billing system interface means for Transmitting telephony billing records to telephony billing accounting systems; andan application program means executed by said processing computer means, said application program means providing automatic conversion of utility usage records to telephony billing records, said telephony billing records being output at said telephony billing system interface means.