Patent ID: 6097937
Filing Date: 2000-08-01
Classification: H04M,H04W

Abstract:
A method of determining a charge rate for a call from a mobile station in a cellular telecommunications network in which a public system operates a macrocell which overlays a microcell operated by a private system, said method comprising the steps of:regularly sending a periodic signal from the private system to a mobile switching center (MSC) in the public system, said periodic signal indicating whether the private system is operating normally;placing a private system status indication (PSSI) in a charging record generated by the MSC, said PSSI indicating whether the private system is operating normally;placing an identity of the mobile station (MSID) and an identity of a cell where the call is placed (CELLID) in the charging record by the MSC;sending the charging record from the MSC to a billing center;determining from the MSID whether the mobile station belongs to the private system;determining from the PSSI whether the private system is operating normally;determining from the CELLID whether the call was placed in the overlying public system macrocell; andcharging the call at a preferential rate upon determining that the MS belongs to the private system, the private system is not operating normally, and the call was placed in the overlying public system macrocell.