Abstract:
A method and apparatus are provided to support the direct billing of various subaccounts within a subaccount bill to a variety of billing payment mechanisms including calling cards, credit cards, prepaid cards, debit cards, and third party numbers. Additionally, call history between the calling party and the dialed number is used to anticipate the desired subaccount number. The calling party can overide this capability by providing a different subaccount number.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This invention relates to the field of telecommunication services and, in particular, to a method and apparatus for direct billing derived subaccount charge information for a call. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Originally, subaccount billing services in which charges for telephone calls to the customer are sorted and listed under separate subaccount numbers assigned by the customer were offered on a presubscription basis only. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,776,004, Bauer et al, entitled “Communication Service Method and Apparatus,” a method and apparatus were defined for subaccount billing which allowed a subscriber to enter, in real time for each telephone call, a subaccount code entered via dual tone multi-frequency (DTMF) digits. The entered subaccount code is used by a telecommunications services billing system to categorize telephone calls in different accounts on a telephone services bill. Bauer et al, &#39;004, permitted subaccount billing service offered on a “per call” or “as needed” basis. 
     In the prior art, the customer&#39;s monthly phone bill is simply a summation of each is individual subaccount. Therefore, the customer pays the bill in full using a single payment method each month. The prior art does not address permitting a customer to establish a billing arrangement by subaccount so that the subaccount can be directly and individually billed to separate, desired payment methods. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The foregoing problems and associated disadvantages of the prior art are overcome and technical advances achieved in the present invention whereby the customer can establish a direct billing relationship for each subaccount within the subaccount bill. The direct billing mechanism includes any type of alternate billing arrangement such as a personal calling card, a corporate calling card, credit card, a pre-paid card, a debit card, a collect call, or a third party number. Thus, the present invention permits a caller to make calls and either have each call billed in a preselected manner or, prior to each call, to define the call billing arrangement at the time of the call. Such billing arrangements for any subscriber would be set-up and confirmed in advance. 
     The service involves a customer utilizing a telephone, computer, facsimile machine, or other device, to initiate a call. An originating switch forwards the originating caller&#39;s automatic number identification (ANI) to a subscriber database which searches for a record match to see if the originating caller is subscribed to the service. Assuming the caller is subscribed to the service, the caller is given the opportunity to enter a subaccount number via DTMF entry. The caller is then connected through a transit network and a terminating switch to the receiving party&#39;s telephone device. That information is coupled by the originating switch through a message accumulator. The message accumulator is coupled into a direct bill database as well as through an exchange message interface (EMI) formatting system and a rating system to a billing system to route the charges, at the direction of the originating party, to be billed to the proper subaccount. 
     Furthermore, it is a feature of the present invention that where a particular number called is repeatedly matched to a particular subaccount by the subscriber, the invention may automatically asssign the call to that subaccount on all subsequent calls. However, the calling party can override this determination and direct the billing to a different subaccount upon initiation of the call. 
     These and other features of the present invention will become clear from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
     FIG. 1 depicts an illustrative subaccount billing system incorporating the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 depicts an illustrative automatic message accounting (AMA) billing record format used in the present invention; 
     FIG. 3 illustrates the subscriber database output billing format of the present invention; 
     FIG. 4 is a logic diagram illustrating the steps of the subaccount billing service of the present invention; and 
     FIG. 5 is a logic flow diagram of the steps performed in bill creation for the present invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Referring now to FIG. 1, the telephone network used to implement the subaccount direct billing system comprising the present invention is shown. A calling or originating party uses a data signal device  10  to initiate a call. Data signal device  10  may be any communication device such as a telephone set, a computer equipped with a modem, a facsimile machine, cellular phone or similar device capable of operating across a telephone network. A signal from data signal device  10  is coupled to originating switch  11 , which, by way of example and not by way of limitation, may be a conventional telephone switching system, such as a  4 ESS or  5 ESS switching system that stands alone, a combination system that includes a switch and an associated adjunct, or, for use with a data network, a router. Switch  11  forwards the originating caller automatic number identification (ANI) to a subscriber database  12  having a listing of subscribers to a subaccount billing service which incorporates the principles of the present invention. Subscriber database  12  searches its data for a record match with the ANI to see if the originating caller is subscribed to the service. Subscriber database  12  also determines a call history between the calling party and the dialed number. If there is a call history, the call history may determine a predefined subaccount number exists and couples it into switch  1 . 
     Upon receiving the subaccount data from subscriber database  12 , a voice prompt may advise the subscriber that the call will be billed according to the call history determined subaccount unless the caller enters an alternate subaccount number. If an alternate subaccount is entered, the entered subaccount becomes the subaccount used for billing that call, otherwise, the subaccount from the call history is used for the billing. 
     The call is then coupled through a transit network  13  and a terminating switch  14  to the terminating party telephone device  15 . As with data signal device  10 , device  15  could be a telephone set, computer, facsimile machine, or other device. Upon connection with the terminating party&#39;s device  15  and ascertaining that the originating party is a subscriber, billing information is coupled from initiating switch  11  to message accumulator  20  which is interfaced to a direct billed database  25 . Database  25 , which may be internal or external to accumulator  20 , provides prestored information as to the type of billing associated with the subaccount which may include any type of alternate billing arrangement such as a personal calling card, a corporate calling card, credit card, a pre-paid card, a debit card, a collect call, or a third party number. 
     Call information is also coupled into formatting system  30  which puts the call information into an automatic messaging accounting (AMA) billing record layout or format as shown in FIG.  2 . Each telephone call generates an AMA record so that the telephone call can be properly billed. 
     Referring to FIG. 2, the AMA record layout consists of an originating telephone number  100 , which is the 10 digit number of the originating party, a terminating telephone number  101 , which is the 10 digit number of the terminating party dialed by the originating party, a billed telephone number  102 , which is a 10 digit number that the call is billed to when it is not billed to the originating telephone number, a start time  103 , which is the time of the start of the call, an elapsed time  104 , which is the length of the telephone call from the time of connection with the terminating party to the completion of the call, and a subaccount billing number  105 , used on calls authorized to use subaccount billing. (Ten digit telephone numbers are used by way of example as being in accordance with the North American Numbering Plan; other formats besides a three digit area code and seven digit directory number may be applicable in other countries of the world). If subaccount billing is not authorized, field  105  will be left blank and the call will be completed and billed as in the prior art. 
     Referring now to FIG. 3, originating switch  11  passes information to subscriber database  12  to ascertain if the originating party is a subscriber. The information passed is in a format which includes the originating telephone number  100 , now identified by the reference  200 . and the terminating telephone number  101  now identified by the reference  201 , to represent the same information but stored in a different data memory. The originating telephone number  200  is used by subscriber database  12  to determine if the caller is a subscriber and, if so, subscriber field  202  is set to an affirmative position. If the caller is not a subscriber, field  202  is set to a negative position and subaccount number field  105  of the AMA record is left blank. 
     During this query of subscriber database  12 , subscriber database  12  also ascertains if a sufficient history relating to the connection between the originating and terminating parties exists from which the desired subaccount to be billed can be determined. If sufficient history exists, the subaccount billing information from the subscriber database  12  is loaded into intelligent subaccount number field  203 , permitting direct billing to the proper subaccount without further input from the originating party. (The names of all fields  100 - 203  are chosen as representative only and different telecommunications service providers may use alternative names). 
     In operation, the sequence of events for a telephone call in accordance with the present invention is shown in FIG.  4 . Prior to a call, the system is in an initialized, ready state  500 . When originating switch  11  receives an incoming call  501 , the originating switch  11  queries the subscriber database  12  to determine if this particular call is eligible for subaccount billing  502 . Switch  11  sends originating telephone number  100  and terminating telephone number  101  to subscriber database  12 . Subscriber database  12  then looks through the subscription data for a record that has an exact match with an originating caller&#39;s ANI. If a match is not found, subaccount subscriber field  202  is set to ‘NO’ or the Boolean equivalent “0” and the call is processed in accordance with the prior art and routes the call as a regular telephone call  503 . 
     When a match is found, subaccount subscriber field  202  is set to ‘YES’, or the Boolean equivalent ‘1’ and the database is checked for any call history (calls placed) from the ANI to the dialed number (DN). If any previous call history is found, the subaccount number which was used during the previous call is announced to the calling party and used in billing the present call. This step frees the calling party from having to enter the same subaccount number for every call to the same dialed number. At this point the originating party could decide to override the previous history by entering a different subaccount number, otherwise, the call will proceed using the previously entered subaccount number as the present subaccount number. 
     However, where no previous call history is found from the ANI to the DN, the originating party is prompted for the subaccount number at  510 . The calling party enters the desired subaccount number using a dual tone multi-frequency (DTMF) telephone key pad with the new subaccount number saved with the calling party&#39;s ANI and the DN at  512  as a history for future reference. (Anytime herein where DTMF and DTMF signal decoders are implied, typically, voice recognition circuitry should be recognized as a well known equivalent). 
     The originating switch  11  routes the call at  515  through transit network  13  and terminating switch  14  to terminating device  15 . The AMA record is then populated at step  520  with the standard AMA information, including the start time of call, ANI, dialed number, etc. The AMA (FIG. 2) is also populated with the subaccount number entered by the originating party. The two parties continue with the call until it is completed. When the call is completed the AMA record is updated  540 , with the duration of the call and the AMA record is then stored for future use and processing  512 . The system then resets  550 ,  500 , to await the next call. 
     Referring now to FIG. 5, the sequence of events for creating the telephone bill is illustrated. The billing system is initialized at  600  and all AMA records are accumulated at  610  by message accumulator  20 . Each AMA record accumulated is checked at  620  to see if a subaccount number  105  is present at  630 . If not, then the call is not eligible for subaccount billing and the system proceeds to the next AMA record. If a subaccount number  105  is present, then the call is eligible for subaccount billing and the system checks to see if direct billing is required at  640 . At the same time, message accumulator  20  checks direct bill database  25  to see if the subaccount number associated with the AMA record has an entry in the database that specifies how the call should be direct billed. 
     If direct bill database  25  does not find a match, then the AMA does not require direct billing, and proceeds to the next AMA record. If a match is found, the message accumulator updates at  650  the current AMA record with the direct billing information from direct bill database  25 . This is done by updating the billed telephone number field  102  of the AMA record shown in FIG. 2 with the direct billing information including such information as a credit card number, a calling card number, a third party number stored in direct bill database  25  , and the like. 
     Once the system reaches the last AMA record, all AMA records for this billing cycle have been checked for direct billing and have been updated to be direct billed as appropriate. 
     Message accumulator  20  periodically couples at  670  the AMA records into the EMI formatting system  30  which translates at  680  the AMA records into the Industry-Standard “Exchange Message Interface” or EMI record format and then forwards the records to rating system  40 . Rating system  40  computes the telephone toll charges for each call, records those charges in the EMI record, and forwards the resulting EMI records to billing system  50 , where they are stored until processed to generate the billings to be submitted in accordance with the subscriber instructions. The system then resets at  695 , to  600 , until the next billing cycle. 
     Whereas the present invention has been described in relation to the drawings attached hereto, it should be understood that other and further modifications can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Any United States patent referenced herein should be deemed to be incorporated by reference as to its entire contents.