Voice over packet (VOP) call detail recording (CDR)

A method, system, and medium are provided for recording VOP calls at a premise to perform real-time processing of the VOP calls, charging for VOP calls at a premise with multiple users, and collecting call information in a VOP network. A call detail recording (CDR) device resides at a hotel, motel, or lodge premise to record telephone calls and set telephone charges of the guests staying at the hotel, motel, or lodge. The CDR device is not a PBX but allows a premise owner to control and provide real-time charges to users of services in a packet-based network at the hotel, motel, or lodge.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not applicable.

Not applicable.

BACKGROUND

Many years ago, the hospitality industry developed a plan that would enable them to charge customers for telephone calls when the customers were staying at their place of business. This plan included systems of various types. One system included a private branch exchange (PBX) connected to other telephone switches in a circuit-based network. The PBX would reside on the premise of the hotel, motel, or lodge to provide telephone service to the guests that stayed on the premise. The PBX would collect billing information for various types of telephone calls made by the guests to enable the business to present a telephone bill to the guest upon completion of the guest's stay.

Another system developed by the hospitality industry involved having a telephone switch operated by a service provider collect and manage telephone traffic associated with customers staying at the hotel, motel, or lodge. Again, the telephone switch was in a circuit-based network. The telephone switch might have one or more adjunct devices to support it that would operate to keep track of the telephone charges from the specific hotel, motel, or lodge. With this system, the hotel, motel, or lodge could have all of its telephone lines connect to the telephone switch or could have a concentrating device multiplex the lines onto trunks that connected to the telephone switch.

In either case of the PBX or the directly-connected premise lines to the telephone switch, applications handled billing data in a circuit-based network. Many of the applications included and still do include station message-detail recording (SMDR). Unfortunately, businesses like hotels, motels, or lodges would like call detail recording in a packet-based network in a real-time basis, but without having to expend funds for a PBX. They would also like to control and manage CDRs from their customers' (guests) phone usage rather than obtain this data or a portion thereof from a service provider that stores and manages CDRs at a central office containing a telephone switch. Therefore, a solution is needed that provides a CDR device that resides at a premise such as a hotel, a motel, or a lodge which is not a PBX. The CDR device should record telephone calls and set telephone charges of the guests staying at the hotel, motel, or lodge.

SUMMARY

The presenting invention is defined by the claims below. Embodiments of the present invention solve at least the above problems by providing a system and method for, among other things, recording VOP calls at a premise to perform real-time processing of the VOP calls, charging for VOP calls at a premise with multiple users, and collecting call information in a VOP network.

In a first aspect, a system for recording voice over packet (VOP) calls at a premise to perform real-time processing of the VOP calls is provided that includes a call detailing recording (CDR) device connected to users at the premise and a VOP network. The CDR device is not a PBX. The CDR device is located between the users and the VOP network, and the CDR device is located in proximity to the users. The CDR device operates to collect information associated with VOP calls made by the users. The CDR device operates to apply tariffs rates to the VOP calls. The CDR device operates to either provide data associated with the VOP calls to a billing system, print the data about the VOP calls, or generate bills for telephone charges based on the VOP calls and the tariffs rates.

In another aspect, a computer system having a processor and a memory for executing a method for charging for VOP calls at a premise with multiple users is provided that includes monitoring telephone calls at a computing device, at the premise with users, with a connection to a switch in a VOP network. The computing device is not a PBX. Tariffs are applied to the telephone calls. The tariffs are preprogrammed and the tariffs vary according to either a length of time of a call, a distance from a calling party to a called party, or a type of call. At the computing device, either bills for telephone charges associated with the telephone calls are generated, information associated with the telephone calls is provided to a billing system, or information about the set of telephone calls is printed.

In yet another aspect, a CDR device for collecting call information in a VOP network is provided that includes a processor, memory, storage device, and computer applications operating together in the CDR device. The CDR device is not a PBX. The processor, memory, storage device, and computer applications operate to collect call information from users engaged in telephone conversations located at a premise. The processor, memory, storage device, and computer applications also operate to monitor telephone calls between the users and other parties. The storage device operates to store either call information, other information associated with telephone calls made by the users, or telephone charges. The computer applications operate to set tariff rates, apply the tariff rates to the telephone calls, and create the telephone charges.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for a call detail recording (CDR) device that resides at a hotel, motel, or lodge premise to record telephone calls and set telephone charges of the guests staying at the hotel, motel, or lodge premise.

Acronyms and Shorthand Notations

Throughout the description of the present invention, several acronyms and shorthand notations are used to aid the understanding of certain concepts pertaining to the associated system and services. These acronyms and shorthand notations are solely intended for the purpose of providing an easy methodology of communicating the ideas expressed herein and are in no way meant to limit the scope of the present invention. The following is a list of these acronyms:CDR Call Detail Record or Call Detail RecordingCOAX Coaxial CableLAN Local Area NetworkPBX Private Branch ExchangePSTN Public Switched Telephone NetworkRAM Random Access MemoryROM Read-Only MemorySMDR Station Message-Detail RecordingVOIP Voice over Internet ProtocolVOP Voice over PacketWiFi Wireless Fidelity (802.11 network)WiMAX Worldwide Interoperability for Wireless Access (802.16 network)

Further, various technical terms are used throughout this description. A definition of such terms can be found inNewton's Telecom Dictionaryby H. Newton, 21stEdition (2005). These definitions are intended to provide a clearer understanding of the ideas disclosed herein but are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. The definitions and terms should be interpreted broadly and liberally to the extent allowed the meaning of the words offered in the above-cited reference.

As one skilled in the art will appreciate, embodiments of the present invention may be embodied as, among other things: a method, system, or computer-program product. Accordingly, the embodiments may take the form of a hardware embodiment, a software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware. In one embodiment, the present invention takes the form of a computer-program product that includes computer-useable instructions embodied on one or more computer-readable media.

CDR Device for VOP Calls

A desire of businesses in the hospitality industry would be to manage CDRs for their guests if they migrate to a packet-based network and provide VOP service. Businesses do not want their CDRs stored and managed at a central office under the control of a service provider. Furthermore, businesses want to generate real-time bills for telephone charges resulting from their guest's telephone usage but without using a PBX. Embodiments of the present invention allow businesses to use a CDR device to accomplish the above-mentioned tasks. The CDR device can reside on the business' premise to collect various information pertaining to telephone calls.

InFIG. 1, an operating environment100is shown with a hotel premise110connected through CDR device130via155to the Internet160. A telephone switch170is also connected to the Internet160and is connected to telephone network180. Within hotel premise110, the hotel's distribution panel is represented by panel120. Panel120connects guest rooms125to CDR device130. CDR device130connects to billing system140.

Premise110shows a hotel but may also represent any hospitality environment or other environment comprising a set of users. In the hospitality environment, premise110may be a hotel, motel, lodge, or resort, but is not limited to these environments only. Premise110may also be a college campus, office building, or other establishment where a group of users may use telephone service and be required to pay for those services after a period of time.

Panel120represents a telephone distribution panel that may be found with telephone equipment. The phone lines that are located in guest rooms125are usually bundled together or meet up at a particular point at their opposite end. This point is usually the distribution panel or distribution frame. Panel120represents the termination point for telephone lines identified as guest rooms125. Although the term telephone lines is used, in the context here, telephone lines may represent internet connections, packet connections, or asynchronous data transfers for devices such as televisions, computing devices, and telephones.

Once the telephone lines terminate at panel120, additional connections are made to CDR device130allowing the lines of guest rooms125to reach and pass through CDR device130. CDR device130provides an interface to a VOP network identified by a connection to Internet160. The connections between CDR130and the Internet160may vary depending a variety of factors including the type of service providers that may provide network access. For example, if the service provider is a cable company, the connection155may be a COAX cable. If the service provider is a telephone company, the connection155may be twisted pair cable. The idea here is to show that CDR device130has a packet-based connection to the Internet160for telephone, internet, and data service.

In one embodiment of the present invention, CDR device130connects to billing system140. This illustration shows the capability of CDR device130to collect certain data associated with telephone service and transfer that data to billing system140for further processing. In an interactive session, billing system140may also provide inputs to CDR device130. For example, tariff rates may be established directly at CDR device130, through billing system140with inputs to CDR device130, or through another remote device which is not shown.

In order for telephone service to occur at premise110, telephone switch170must be involved. In an embodiment of the present invention, guest rooms125have ten-digit dialing (ability to dial beyond the premise) indicating that each telephone line from guest rooms125has a direct connection to telephone switch170. Telephone switch170connects to telephone network180enabling customers in guest rooms125to reach other parties or locations.

Although not shown, the Internet160, telephone switch170, and telephone network180may be considered part of a voice over packet (VOP) network. The VOP network is a packet-based network as opposed to a circuit-based network like the PSTN. A VOP network may include, but not be limited to, voice over internet protocol (VOIP), voice over asynchronous transfer mode (ATM), voice over frame relay, and voice over wireless local area network (LAN) including voice over WiFi and voice over WiMAX. However, telephone switch170and telephone network180can still be part of a circuit-based network although premise110is connected to a packet-based network. The conversion aspects between the circuit-based network and packet-based network are not considered here. One ordinarily skilled in the art understands that the conversion may occur in telephone switch170or such other devices that are not shown here.

Turning now toFIG. 2, an exemplary component view200is shown with CDR device130connected to customers119and switch or VOP network159. Customers119represent the connection to panel120identified inFIG. 1which leads to guest rooms125. The switch or VOP network159represent the connection between CDR device130and the Internet160inFIG. 1.

InFIG. 2, a more detailed view of CDR device130is shown connected to various devices to illustrate the various embodiments that may be implemented when practicing the present invention. CDR device130may have a connection to billing system140as discussed inFIG. 1. CDR device130may have a connection to a printer145. Another embodiment may show billing system140with a printer143.

Within CDR device130, a processor133, a memory135, a storage device137, and applications139are shown. These exemplary components within CDR device130may vary depending on the implementation of the embodiment. For example, multiple versions of the identified components may exist in CDR device130. In addition, components, not shown, may be included in the implementation of CDR device130such as a keyboard or a video display. The idea here is to illustrate that CDR device130is a computing device.

Storage device137may be implemented to store a variety of information. Storage device137may be a flash memory, RAM or ROM, but it may also be a disk drive or a tape unit. Storage device137may collect call information from the calling activities occurring between guest rooms125and other parties. Storage device137may hold tariff rates that vary depending on the length of the call, the distance between parties, and the type of call. For example, a tariff rate may depend on the duration of the call. A charge for a call under five (5) minutes may be considerably less than a call lasting two (2) hours. Also, a larger tariff rate may be imposed for a call between parties located in New York and Los Angeles as opposed to a call between parties located in New York and Philadelphia. Furthermore, a tariff rate may be different for an 800 call as compared to a direct-dialed call.

One of the benefits of a locally-placed CDR device130is that an owner has control over the disposition of the information in CDR device130. For example, rather than a service provider controlling the tariff rates, the owner controls the tariff rates and may operate without the same regulatory measures that may be imposed on the service provider. Therefore, the tariff rates identified above may be changed more frequently or may be significantly higher than those that might be encountered from the service provider.

Continuing withFIG. 3, applications130represent the computer software that may operate in CDR device130. Applications139may include various computer software programs that operate with different tasks. For example, applications139may calculate the charges for guest rooms125using information stored in storage device137or collected elsewhere. Applications139may be responsible for collecting call information such as SMDR. Applications139may enable printing or may transfer data to other systems like billing system140. The scope of functions for applications139is unlimited and may vary according to the implementation of the embodiment of the present invention. However, it is understood that CDR device130does not function as a PBX.

InFIG. 3, a process for recording VOP calls at a premise is shown in a method300. Method300illustrates the collection aspect of CDR device130. CDR device130is located between users and the VOP network to monitor, capture, or collect information among other things. In a step310, CDR device130collects information associated with VOP calls made by users in guest rooms125. In a step320, tariff rates are applied to the VOP calls in CDR device130. In a step330, data associated with the VOP calls are provided from CDR device130to billing system140. In a step340, data about the VOP calls is printed at CDR device130. In a step350, bills for telephone charges are generated based on the VOP calls and the tariffs rates.

InFIG. 4a process for charging for VOP calls at a premise is shown in a method400. In a step410, telephone calls are monitored at a computing device (CDR device130) located at premise110with users (guest rooms125). The computing device has a connection to telephone switch170in a VOP network (the Internet160and telephone network180) and is not a PBX. In a step420, tariffs are applied to the telephone calls. The tariffs are preprogrammed and vary according to the length of the call, the distance between parties, or the type of the call. The tariffs were discussed above inFIG. 2. In a step430, at the computing device, bills may be generated for the telephone charges, information may be provided to billing system140, or information may be printed at printers143or145.

InFIG. 5, a process for collecting call information in a VOP network is shown in a method500. In a step510, CDR device130has processor133, memory135, storage device137, and computer applications139that operate together. CDR device130is not a PBX. In a step520, call information is collected from users (guest rooms125) engaged in telephone conversations. In a step530, telephone calls are monitored between the users and other parties. Other parties represent people and locations found in the Internet160, connected to telephone switch170, or connected to telephone network180. In a step540, call information between the users and other parties, other information that may or may not be related to calls, and telephone charges are stored in storage device137. In a step550, tariff rates may be determined. Tariff rates may be applied to the telephone calls. Telephone charges may be created.

The prior discussion is only for illustrative purposes to convey exemplary embodiments. The steps discussed inFIGS. 3,4and5may be executed without regards to order. Some steps may be omitted and some steps may be executed at a different time than shown. For example, step340may be executed before step330. Step550may be executed before step540. The point here is to convey that the figures are merely exemplary for the embodiments of the present invention and that other embodiments may be implemented for the present invention.