"Telephone, n. An invention of the devil which abrogates some of the advantages of making a disagreeable person keep his distance. "
Ambose Bierce
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7492881 | Intelligent queuing of transaction records Disclosed are systems and methods which provide intelligent queuing with respect to processing transaction records. According to one embodiment, transaction records, such as collect calling records, are initially processed to a point that they are ready for release ... | 02/17/2009 |
| 7424102 | Charging for an IP based communication system There is disclosed a method for charging for services in a communication system supporting a Diameter IP protocol, comprising defining at least one attribute value pair to define sponsorship information. ... | 09/09/2008 |
| 7403603 | Method of billing in an abbreviated dialing service A telecommunications service translates an abbreviated dialing code into a toll free number, routes the call to an interexchange carrier, and manages the billing associated with the call. A billing system processes the billing such that a subscriber of the abbreviat... | 07/22/2008 |
| 7251317 | Methods and systems for making telephone calls Methods and systems are disclosed for making a call. In one embodiment, methods and systems may request the call using a network, initiate a first leg to a caller device based on the request, initiate a second leg to a receiver device based on the request, connect t... | 07/31/2007 |
| 7242759 | System and method for enhanced origination services for toll free telephone calls Enhanced Origination Services (EOS) for Toll Free (TF) telephone calls consists of uploading instructions to the SMS/800 National Database, which instructions are subsequently downloaded by Signal Control Points (SCPs) in the United States for the routing of TF tele... | 07/10/2007 |
| 7218711 | Communication assistance system and method A billing system is provided for a communication assistance system that provides access to information corresponding to a plurality of subscribers. The billing system and communication assistance system include a telephone switch for receiving calls from a plurality... | 05/15/2007 |
| 7174155 | Charging in communication systems The present invention relates to charging of communications using chargeable resources of a first communication system and a second communication system wherein at least one of said communication systems provides wireless communication services. In accordance with t... | 02/06/2007 |
| 7158621 | Pre-paid calling and voice messaging services for inmates Inmates place free incoming calls to a call processing system and are prompted to choose between accessing a voice mail system and calling an outside party. If an outside party is to be called, an inmate provides a phone number and an outgoing call is placed to the ... | 01/02/2007 |
| 7155412 | Billing for use of a telephony device A method, system, and program for billing a caller for use of an origin device are provided. Usage, of at least one measurable element of a telephony device by an identified individual, is tracked, where the identified individual is distinct from an owner of the ori... | 12/26/2006 |
| 7149296 | Providing account usage fraud protection A method, system, and program providing identification usage fraud protection are provided. A context for a use of an identification via a communication line is detected at a fraud protection service. The context for use of the identification is analyzed in view of ... | 12/12/2006 |
| 7149294 | Alternative means for public telephone information services A method is described to provide an alternative telephone information service implemented by a service provider other than the telecommunication service used in the connection of the call. This independent information service provides the caller information services... | 12/12/2006 |
| 7149295 | Technique for effectively controlling communication links to an information assistance service It is typical that a user calls an information assistance service provider to request information, e.g., a destination telephone number desired by the user, and chooses to be connected to the destination number. It is also typical that the information assistance ser... | 12/12/2006 |
| 7099652 | Originating a billed transaction for an origin telephony device A method, computer program product, and program for originating a billed transaction at an origin telephony device are provided. A request to originate a billed transaction is received from an origin device. The identity of a callee answering a call originated by th... | 08/29/2006 |
| 7095832 | Method of billing in an abbreviated dialing service A telecommunications service translates an abbreviated dialing code into a toll free number, routes the call to an interexchange carrier, and manages the billing associated with the call. A billing system processes the billing such that a subscriber of the abbreviat... | 08/22/2006 |
| 7042992 | Systems and methods for account establishment and transaction management using interrupt messaging Disclosed are systems and methods which provide techniques providing account setup, management and transaction authorization determinations in real-time using transaction interrupt messaging. Embodiments preferably take into consideration the quality of one or more ... | 05/09/2006 |
| 7042994 | Method and apparatus for making a long distance telephone call A method for making a long distance or international telephone call is disclosed. A subscriber calls an assigned telephone number to access a sign-up calling plan service billed to a home plan at the home plan rates, and responds to a service announcement by enterin... | 05/09/2006 |
| 7013002 | Credit card collect call system and method A method of providing collect call service includes receiving a request for a collect call from a calling party (18). A selected number to call is received. A call is placed to a receiving party (20). Agreeability of the receiving party (20) to ... | 03/14/2006 |
| 6996216 | Compensating recipients of calls A method, system, and program for compensating recipients of calls are provided. A request to bill a caller a tariff for a call is initiated, wherein the caller originates the call. The caller is prompted to accept payment of the tariff to receive access to a destin... | 02/07/2006 |
| 6977998 | Destination device billing according to call recipient A method, system, and program for billing for service provided to destination device according to the calling plan of the individual receiving the call. An authenticated identity for a callee answering a call placed to a destination device is received at an intermed... | 12/20/2005 |
| 6977999 | Reverse charging system, reverse-charging service control apparatus, call agent and reverse charging method A call agent(CA) connects a IP telephone and a public switching telephone on the basis of a called-destination telephone number which corresponds to received reverse-charging service number from the IP telephone; a reverse-charging service control apparatus causes a... | 12/20/2005 |
| 6956935 | Origin device billing according to caller A method, system, and program for billing for service provided to an origin device according to the current caller billing plan. A trusted telephone network, including at least one service provider, receives a request for service from an origin device. The origin de... | 10/18/2005 |
| 6925159 | System and method of billing a predetermined telephone line for service utilized by a calling party A billing system and method automatically charges a call to a predetermined telephone line wherein the call is placed by a calling part through a service. This service is any one or combination of a voice mail system, a call forwarding system, and the like. Preferab... | 08/02/2005 |
| 6850756 | Method of charging for telecommunications links within the context of call forwarding services The invention relates to a method for charging for telecommunications links in a communications network. When a setup request for a communications link which is directed to a communications terminal and incurs a charge for a charge account associated with the commun... | 02/01/2005 |
| 6850605 | Method of billing in an abbreviated dialing service A telecommunications service translates an abbreviated dialing code into a toll free number, routes the call to an interexchange carrier, and manages the billing associated with the call. A billing system processes the billing such that a subscriber of the abbreviat... | 02/01/2005 |
| 6816580 | Technique for attributing communication call transactions to user affiliations and adjusting billings thereof In prior art, a user can access a particular information assistance service provider only through the carrier contracting the particular provider by dialing special digits recognized by the carrier's switches. In accordance with the invention, an independent telepho... | 11/09/2004 |
| 6807258 | Method and system for billing remote calls as if made from a primary line A method and system for billing remote calls includes the provisioning of an active terminating attempt trigger on a subscriber's primary line. To make a long-distance call from a remote location, the subscriber calls a service control node and provides a destinatio... | 10/19/2004 |
| 6788771 | System and method for providing sponsored or universal telecommunications service and third party payer services A method of operating a telecommunications device wherein the telecommunications device is used to detect an outgoing call from a calling party to a called number. The calling number is used to determine whether or not the calling party is a universal service user. ... | 09/07/2004 |
| 6639977 | System and method for reverse billing of a telephone call The present invention is a system and method that allows a calling party to call a destination number and, upon approval of the called party, reverse the billing of the telephone call so that it is deducted from an account owned and maintained by the call... | 10/28/2003 |
| 6584183 | System and method for providing sponsored of universal telecommunications service and third party payer services A method of operating a telecommunications device wherein the telecommunications device is used to detect an outgoing call from a calling party to a called number. The calling number is used to determine whether or not the calling party is a universal ser... | 06/24/2003 |
| 6577718 | Method for call forwarding without hairpinning and with split billing A call is forwarded by connecting the call between an originating location and a forwarding location without connecting the call through a terminating location. The originating location is associated with a calling party. The terminating location is assoc... | 06/10/2003 |
| 6546238 | Calling party pays system bypass Landline facilities are linked to a wireless mobile network for calling party pays (CPP) calls to mobile stations. In response to placement of a telephone call to a CPP subscriber station, a land line network data base is accessed to obtain a call process... | 04/08/2003 |
| 6453031 | Method and system for billing remote calls if made from a primary line A method and system for billing remote calls includes the provisioning of an active terminating attempt trigger on a subscriber's primary line. To make a long-distance call from a remote location, the subscriber calls a service control node and provide a ... | 09/17/2002 |
| 6442257 | Configuration for charging in a telephone network and method for operating such a configuration A configuration for charging in a telephone network, wherein a first subscriber pays for at least a part of the charges for connections established to him by a second subscriber. An intelligent network is linked to the telephone network and a service cont... | 08/27/2002 |
| 6430279 | Method for the acceptance of calling charges for individual calls as well as telephone network and terminal unit In a method to accept call charges by the calling subscriber (A) for individual calls over a telephone network (1), following an agreement on the allocation of the charges between two subscribers, the calling subscriber (A) sends a caller-specific signal ... | 08/06/2002 |
| 6381317 | Subscriber-initiated automated third party billing feature Accordingly to one embodiment of the present invention, a method for providing caller initiated third party billing in a telecommunication system is disclosed. First, a predetermined number is dialed by the subscriber to access the third party billing fea... | 04/30/2002 |
| 6285749 | System and method for providing universal telecommunications service and third party payer services A method of operating a telecommunications device wherein the telecommunications device is used to detect an outgoing call from a calling party to a called number. The calling number is used to determine whether or not the calling party is a universal ser... | 09/04/2001 |
| 6226366 | Subscriber-initiated automated third party billing feature Accordingly to one embodiment of the present invention, a method for providing caller initiated third party billing in a telecommunication system is disclosed. First, a predetermined number is dialed by the subscriber to access the third party billing fea... | 05/01/2001 |
| 6104704 | Methods and apparatus for gathering and processing billing information for internet telephony A billing method and server for gathering and processing billing information for Internet telephony connections. Originating and terminating clients and Internet Service Providers ("ISPs") are identified by the server from information contained in digital... | 08/15/2000 |
| 5950174 | Affiliation-based arrangement for billing An improved system is realized with an arrangement which takes advantage of affiliations that allow concentration of billing. In situations where a party is willing to serve as a financial surrogate for some subscribers of a services provider, savings can... | 09/07/1999 |
| 5894511 | Validation query based on a supervisory signal A telephone system and method is provided for delaying authorization validation queries until a dialed phone is answered. This way, authorization validation queries are avoided in cases where a requested phone line is busy or not answered. In a collect ca... | 04/13/1999 |