Patent ID: 6498838
Filing Date: 2002-12-24
Classification: H04M,H04Q

Abstract:
A method for a rate setting in a communications network comprising:continuously measuring a traffic load on at least one of a trunk line and a trunk line group of the communications network above a subscriber terminal line level so as to define a plurality of respective current traffic loads; storing programs in a plurality of rate calculators, the programs for determining current rates of individual calls as a function of at least one of the plurality of respective current traffic loads, the current rates being available upon demand; determining a first current rate of a first individual call using at least one of the plurality of rate calculators; transmitting to a first terminal associated with a calling first subscriber the first current call rate after a dialing of a first trunk code of a destination network, the transmitting using at least one of the rate calculators; displaying on the first terminal the first call rate of the first individual call after the dialing of the first trunk code of the destination network; maintaining an offer status for a time when a dialing process including the dialing of the first trunk code is paused after the dialing of the first trunk code, the dialing process being continued after the time for maintaining the offer status upon one of a positive decision by the first subscriber and interrupted; and displaying a first call charge on at least one of the first terminal and a second terminal using at least one of optical signals, acoustic signals, printed letters and synthetic speech, the second terminal being associated with a called subscriber.