Abstract:
A method and devices for calculating a billing total for a teleconference between a plurality of participants is disclosed. Advantageously, the teleconference may be a telephone conference call. Each of the participants is associated with an identifier of that participant&#39;s origin, such as a portion of the participant&#39;s telephone caller identification information. At least one particular identifier is used to signify that charges for a caller&#39;s participation should be attributed at a lower rate to the total. For participants associated with an identifier other than a reduced rate identifier charges are attributed to the total at a rate greater than this lower rate. A conference call service provider may use the method and system to charge reduced rates for certain participants, allowing the service provider to compete with locally located teleconference systems, for which participants would not incur long distance toll charges.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates generally to teleconferencing, and more specifically to a method and system for billing and allocating charges for such teleconferences. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Modern business experiences an ever-increasing need for allowing multiple parties to communicate by way of teleconference. As such, teleconferencing services that allow multiple parties to conference using, for example, the public switched telephone network (“PSTN”) have become common place. Typically, telephone calls originated by conference participants are bridged at a centrally located conference bridge. 
     In the future similar teleconferences will likely be readily available using a packet switched data or other communications network. Such similar teleconferences may incorporate data, audio and video, allowing conference participants to hear and see each other, as well as exchange information. 
     The costs of such teleconferences must, of course, be borne by someone. At present, costs of teleconference calls are typically billed to a call organizer. Commercial conference call service providers, for example, usually charge conference call organizers based on the duration of a call and the number of call participants or anticipated participants. Of course, if call participants are not local to the conference bridge, long distance charges may apply for a participant&#39;s call to the bridge. These long distance charges are typically borne by individual participants. 
     Often, conference call organizers do not wish to discourage call participation. As such, efforts are made to minimize the inconvenience and expense to participants. As a result, conference calls are often offered by way of toll-free telephone lines. These lines are leased by the conference call service provider and associated costs are billed back to the conference call organizer. 
     Call organizers, in turn, make efforts to minimize toll charges. As such, conference call organizers make efforts to locate the conference call bridge in a location local to the majority of call participants. Conference call service to providers, as a consequence, often locate bridges in multiple large communities or lease telephone trunks local to such communities, thereby allowing the maximum number of callers to participate without incurring toll charges. This, of course, increases a conference call service provider&#39;s overhead. 
     Accordingly, improved methods and associated devices for allocating conference call charges are desirable. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is therefore an object of the present invention to allow a conference call service provider to charge a reduced rate for certain participants, allowing such service providers to compete with locally located conference bridges. 
     In accordance with an aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of calculating a billing total for a teleconference between a plurality of participants. Each of the participants originates participation in the teleconference. Each of the participants is associated with an identifier of origin identifying that participant&#39;s origin. The method includes, in response to a teleconference organizer reserving teleconference resources for the teleconference, associating a selected reduced rate identifier of a specified origin of participants for whom reduced charges for participation in the teleconference are to be attribute d and storing the reduced rate identifier for the teleconference. For each of the participants whose identifier of origin corresponds to the reduced rate identifier, charges for participation in the teleconference are attributed to the total at a first rate. For each of the participants whose identifier of origin does not correspond to the reduced rate identifier, charges for participation in the teleconference are attributed to the total at a rate greater than the first rate. 
     In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a conference call center including a conference bridge for bridging a plurality of conference participants in a teleconference and a computing device in communication with the bridge to receive information about a conference, including an indicator of a duration of each of the call participant&#39;s participation in the call. The device is operable to calculate a charge total for the teleconference, by attributing charges to the total at a first rate, for each of the participants associated with a reduced rate identifier; attribute charges to the total at a rate greater than the first rate, for each of the participants associated with an identifier other than a reduced rate identifier. 
     In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a billing device for calculating a charge total for a telephone conference, in communication with a conference bridge for bridging a plurality of conference participants in a teleconference, including an indicator of a duration of each of the call participant&#39;s participation in the call. The device is operable to calculate a charge total for the teleconference, by attributing charges to the total at a first rate, for each of the participants associated with a reduced rate identifier; and attribute charges to the total at a rate greater than the first rate, for each of the participants associated with an identifier other than a reduced rate identifier. 
     Other aspects and features of the present invention will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon review of the following description of specific embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying figures. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     In figures which illustrate, by example only, embodiments of the invention: 
     FIG. 1 illustrates a teleconference system exemplary of an embodiment of the present invention interconnected with a switched network and various exemplary users; 
     FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary conference setup record stored in a database associated with the system of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary conference database table stored within the database associated with the system of FIG. 1; and 
     FIG. 4 illustrates exemplary steps to calculate charges for a conference established by the system of FIG.  1 . 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     FIG. 1 illustrates a teleconference system  10 , exemplary of an embodiment of the present invention. Exemplary teleconferencing system  10  is used for the establishment of telephone conference calls. However, it will be appreciated that many aspects and features of the present invention may be embodied and used in a variety of other teleconference systems, such as video conference systems, and the like. 
     Exemplary teleconference system  10  includes an exemplary billing computing device  12  and a conferencing bridge  14 , each of which may communicate with a conferencing database  16 . Various exemplary system users including a conference organizer at station  20  and conference participants  22 ,  24 , and  26  are also illustrated. Each of a conference organizer at station  20  and conference participants  22 ,  24 , and  26  is connected to a communications network  28 , which is preferably the PSTN or any comparable communications network, such as a conventional packet or circuit switched network. 
     A receiver  30  proximate a human operator  32  is also in communication with switched network  28 . Human operator  32  preferably collects and enters information used to establish a teleconference. 
     Switched network  28  is capable of providing Dialed Number Identification Service (“DNIS”), and the calling number identification (“CLID”) service. As understood by those skilled in the art, DNIS capability allows the dialed number of multiple telephone numbers associated with the same physical destination to be identified and transmitted to the called party. DNIS capability is thus suitable for centrally processing calls to multiple destination telephone numbers at a single location, each of which requires different handling. The CLID service, on the other hand, provides a called party information about the identity of the calling party. Specifically, by way of the CLID service a call recipient may be provided with the calling party&#39;s number (in the form of automatic number identification ANI) and optionally the calling party&#39;s name. 
     Exemplary conferencing bridge  14  is an audio bridge used to interconnect the conference call between exemplary conference participants such as participants  22 ,  24  and  26 . Conferencing bridge  14  is capable of automatically accepting telephone calls from conference participants by way of network  28  and connecting them to the appropriate one of multiple conferences simultaneously maintainable by the bridge  14 . A suitable audio bridge that may easily be adapted to function in manners exemplary of the present invention is a available from Compunetix, Inc. of Monroeville, Pa. under model number Contex 480. Exemplary of the present invention, conferencing bridge  14  has two functions. First, bridge  14  is responsible for identifying the proper conference to which each incoming call should be connected and connecting or bridging the caller accordingly. Bridge  14  may use DNIS information received from the switched network  28 , as well as an access or similar codes optionally received from conference participants  22 ,  24  and/or  26 , by way of, for example, DTMF tones, to identify the proper conference with which would-be participants should be connect ed. Using this information, bridge  14  connects the participants. Second, bridge  14  may collect call information about each participant call that is connected with an established conference. 
     Conferencing database  16  is an exemplary database containing various types of information used by teleconference system  10 . In particular, two categories of information, determined at various stages of the conference call process, are preferably stored in the database  16 : 
     (1) conference set-up information, such as a unique conference identifier, telephone number, start time, total expected participant and other information, as may be determined during conference set-up; and 
     (2) conference call details, i.e. metrics associated with the actual conference, as compiled by the conferencing bridge  14  during the course of the teleconference. 
     Conferencing database  16  may be any suitable database known to a person of ordinary skill in the art. Conferencing database  16  may be a commercially available relational or object-oriented database accessible by known database engines such as Dbase, SQL, or Fox Pro, or any other comparable commercial or proprietary database capable of storing conferencing information as described. 
     A billing computing device  12  is in communication with database  16 . Billing computing device  12  may be a general purpose computing device, having a suitable processor and computer readable memory storing application software. Database  16  may be stored at device  12 , at a dedicated computing device, or elsewhere. Device  12  preferably stores database engine software, that, when executing, is capable of reading, writing and updating database  16 . As well, device  16  preferably stores and executes a suitable operating system, as well as report generating software useful to access database  16  and form billing reports in manners exemplary of the present invention. Software exemplary of the present invention may be loaded into this memory, from computer readable medium  34  in a conventional manner. 
     Database  16  further stores one or more conference setup records, associated with a particular teleconference. An example conference setup record  50  is illustrated in FIG.  2 . In the exemplary embodiment, a conference setup record  50  is associated with each teleconference, in response to a conference call organizer reserving call resources. As illustrated, each conference setup record preferably includes a field  52  identifying a conference organizer, by name address and suitable billing information. Additionally, a field  54  contains the start time of the conference; a field  56  contains the maximum anticipated number of conference participants; a DNIS of the conference in field  58 ; an optional conference call access code in field  60 ; and a prefix identifier in field  62  used to identify the origination of calls for which reduced charges are to be passed to the call organizer. The identifier in field  62  may, for example identify an area code or area code for calls for which a reduced rate should be charged (ie. the digits XXX for ANI XXX-YYY-ZZZZ). Alternatively numbers representative of an exchange could be used to identify calls for which a reduced rate should be charged (eg. digits XXX-YY for ANI XXX-YYY-ZZZZ). Alternatively, the identifier in field  62  may contain an area code and multiple call origination prefixes. Similarly, the identifier in field  62  could contain multiple area codes, or any combination of area codes and call origination prefixes. Many other suitable identifiers will be readily recognized by those of ordinary skill. As will become apparent, the DNIS associated with the arranged conference call is preferably a toll free number, such as a “1-800” or “1-888” number. Additional regular and reduced, per unit time, call participation rates may be stored in fields  62  and  64  of a call setup record  50  within database  16 . Finally, a link  66  identifies a table within database  16  used to store information relevant to a particular call. 
     Bridge  14 , in turn further stores one or more conference summary tables, each of which is associated with a conference call and a setup record  50  as, for example, identified by field  66 . An example table  70  is illustrated in FIG.  3 . As illustrated, each table  70  stores a plurality of records  72   a ,  72   b , etc. (collectively and individually record  72 ), each record  72  identifying a conference participant by a CLID of the conference call participant in field  74 ; conference participation start time for the participant in field  76 ; finish time in field  78 ; and charges associated with that participant&#39;s call participation in field  80 . As will become apparent, fields  74 ,  76  and  78  of table  70  are populated using data collected by conference bridge  14  during a call. These fields may be populated during or shortly after completion of a conference. Billing field  80  of each record may be populated by device  12  at the completion of a conference. 
     In operation, then, a conference call organizer such as an organizer at station  20  as illustrated in FIG. 1 may contact a conference call service provider and provides sufficient information allowing the conference provider to populate a conference record  50  (FIG.  2 ). Specifically, the conference call organizer provides the name, and address, conference call time, and anticipated or maximum number of participants. These pieces of information may be provided verbally to an operator  32  who may create and populate a conference setup record  50  through use of an appropriate input peripheral at device  12 . In response, the operator  32  provides the organizer with a telephone number that may be used to establish the conference at the scheduled time and possibly a call access code. As noted, the conference number is preferably a toll free number. 
     After this information is provided, a suitable number of telephone lines to bridge  14  for the scheduled conference call are reserved by the operator of system  10 . As well, bridge  14  is configured to receive calls to the provided number at the established time. Bridge  80  may, for example, be in communication with database  16  and be automatically configured to bridge calls at the established time using data within database  16 . Alternatively, suitable conference call data may be entered at bridge  14  manually or by way of an interconnected computer terminal or network (not illustrated). 
     The call organizer, in turn, provides this number, call time and optional access code to call participants such as participants  22 ,  24  and  26  in a conventional manner. 
     At the designated conference time, conference participants such as participants  22 ,  24 , and  26  call the provided number and are connected with bridge  14 . Callers are then bridged so that they may participate in the conference by bridge  14 . As will be appreciated, bridge  14  bridges the conference participants using the DNIS assigned to a conference and/or the provided access code in a conventional manner. Thus, bridge  14  may bridge multiple calls at the same time. As each call from a participant is received, bridge  14  logs the start time and CLID information (if available) associated with the call provided by network  28 . Bridge  14  thus logs the telephone number of each originating call and optionally the name of the participant caller, if provided by network  28 . Of course, if no CLID information is provided, only the start and stop time of the call is logged. 
     At the conclusion of the conference then, the information about the conference may be transferred to database  16 , and in particular to table  70  associated with the conference. Specifically, fields  74 ,  76 , and  78  may be populated with CLID, start time, and finish time for each participant. As noted, bridge  14  may be in communication with database  16  in a conventional manner. As will be appreciated bridge  14  could transfer data to database  16  by way of device  12 , or in any other known way during or after completion of the conference. After the relevant fields of table  70  are populated, billing device  12  may generate a billing report from the data collected in table  70 . 
     Exemplary steps S 400  performed by billing device  12  in calculating conference charges for generating a billing report are illustrated in FIG.  4 . An example counter i takes a value of 1 in step S 402 . Assuming at least one participant in the conference as determined in step S 404 , the charges for that participant in the conference are calculated in steps S 406 -S 412 . Specifically, the duration of the participant&#39;s attendance at the conference is calculated in step S 406 , by subtracting the call participants start and end time for the call as stored in fields  76  and  78  of an associated participant record  80 . Next, the logged CLID stored in field  74  is compared to the identifier(s) stored in field to determine whether charges for the participant should be attributed at a regular rate or at a reduced rate, by comparing the CLID (or a portion of it) with the contents of field  62  (FIG. 2) for the call. In the event the CLID for the participant call indicates a call that has originated from the reduced rate origin, the participant call cost is attributed by multiplying the call duration by the per time unit charge stored in reduced rate field  62 . The result is preferably logged in field  80  of an associated record  72  of table  70 . In the event that the participant call does not have a CLID prefix signifying the reduced rate origin, the participant charge for the participant call is attributed at a regular rate by multiplying the call duration by the regular rate charge in field  64  of record  50 . Again, the result is preferably logged in field  80  of the associated record  72 . Next counter i is increment in step S 414 , and steps S 404  onward are repeated for all call participants. As will be appreciated, in the event no CLID information is available, the associated participant charges are calculated at the regular rate. 
     Once all call participant charges are tallied for all conference participants, the call organizer may be provided with a suitable bill including ample billing details. Total conference charges may be calculating by summing conference charges attributable to each conference participant. 
     As should now be appreciated, system  10  allows a conference service that operates system  10  to bill charges for a conference in order to be competitive with a locally located conference bridge. Specifically, a toll free number may be assigned and provided to a conference organizer for use by participant to a particular conference call. Charges for participants for a particular specified area code may be reduce to nil, while charges for participant calls from other area codes may be attributed at a regular rate. Costs associated with the toll free number are absorbed and allocated by an operator of system  10 . 
     As will readily be appreciated by a person of ordinary skill, the above embodiments are susceptible to numerous modifications. For example, billing device  12  and/or database  16  may be external to system  10 , and communicate with system  10  by way of a data network, such as a local area network, or the like. Conference call reservations may for example be taken by way of a data network or interactive voice response unit. System  10  may further be adapted to allow conference pre-registration as for example, detailed in US patent application Ser. No. 09/578,052, filed May 24, 2000 and naming the inventor hereof as applicant. The contents of this patent application are hereby incorporated by reference herein. 
     As will also be appreciated, while the organization of software and hardware used in system  10 , has been illustrated as clearly delineated, a person skilled in the art will appreciate that the delineation between such components is somewhat arbitrary. Numerous other arrangements of software and hardware components are possible. 
     The above described embodiments are intended to be illustrative only, and in no way limiting. The embodiments are susceptible to many modifications of form, size, arrangement of parts and details and order of operation. The invention, rather, is intended to encompass all such modifications within its scope as defined by the claims.