Patent ID: 6697469
Filing Date: 2004-02-24
Classification: H04M

Abstract:
In an intelligent switched telecommunications network, a method for billing a surcharge associated with a telecommunications service to an account associated with a calling line number, comprising:receiving a connection request from the originating station including a dialed directory number associated with the terminating station; based on the dialed directory number, querying a local number portability database to obtain routing instructions for connecting the communication from the originating station to a terminating station; using the routing instructions to route a voice channel for the communication from the originating station to a terminating switch; connecting the voice channel to a calling-party-pays gateway associated with the terminating switch; in response to the connection request, determining whether the terminating station is associated with an account that requires the surcharge to be billed to the account associated with the calling line number; if the terminating station is associated with an account that requires the surcharge to be billed to the account associated with the calling line number, determining whether the account associated with the calling line number is pre-approved to receive the surcharge; if the account associated with the calling line number is eligible to receive the surcharge, identifying a service provider having a billing relationship with the account associated with the calling line number by querying a local exchange routing guide database to identify the service provider having a billing relationship with the account associated with the calling line number; determining whether a cross-billing relationship exists with the service provider having the billing relationship with the account associated with the calling line number; and routing the communication to the terminating station.