WO1998039911A1

WO1998039911A1 - Call charging method and apparatus

Info

Publication number: WO1998039911A1
Application number: PCT/SE1998/000390
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jan Sjölund
Original assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget Lm Ericsson (Publ)
Priority date: 1997-03-06
Filing date: 1998-03-04
Publication date: 1998-09-11
Also published as: SE9700801L; SE9700801D0; SE516205C2; AU6485398A

Abstract

To enable special or discounted call charging of a telephone subscription, outgoing calls are logged in a call counter memory (2). Corresponding calls to specific countries and/or specific areas and/or specific telephone numbers, are summed in the call counter memory (2). The log or parts thereof are sorted with respect to call activity to form a basis for special or discounted charging in a charging centre (3).

Description

CALL CHARGING METHOD AND APPARATUS

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates generally to call charging and more particularly to a method and an apparatus for enabling special or discount call charging of a telephone subscription.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Telecommunications operators usually offer subscribers various discounts, e.g. for calls to specific countries and/or specific areas and/or specific telephone numbers. These discounts are usually offered for calls of a certain volume since the subscribers have to pay a fee to gain access to discount charging. In gaining that access, the subscriber have to specify the telephone numbers, typically to relatives abroad or business partners, that are frequently called. These telephone numbers are then stored by the operators, e.g. in the telephone exchange, and the subscriber will access the "discounted" telephone numbers by using e.g. abbreviated dialling sequences.

The handling or processing of such "discounted" telephone numbers by the telecommunications operators, is quite costly from an administrative point of view in that these telephone numbers have to be stored manually in a memory in the telephone exchange.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The object of the invention is to simplify the administrative routines that the telecommunications operators have to go through to handle discounted charging of telephone calls. This is attained by means of the method and the apparatus according to the invention in that discounted or special charging of telephone calls is done by the telecommunications operators simply on the basis of which telephone numbers are the most frequently called numbers as determined by means of a call activity log.

Hereby, a subscriber will not have to specify in advance which called telephone numbers should be subject to special or discounted charging and. consequently, the operators will not have to manually store any such numbers in a memory. Thus, the administration of special or discounted charging will be simpler from the telecommunications operators point of view.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The invention will be described more in detail below with reference to the appended drawing on which the single Figure schematically illustrates an embodiment of an apparatus according to the invention.

PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The drawing schematically illustrates an embodiment of an apparatus according to the invention for enabling special or discounted call charging of calls from a subscription. On the drawing, the subscription is represented by a single telephone set 1. It is however to be understood that more than one telephone set may be associated with the subscription.

In the embodiment shown, the telephone set 1 is connected to a call counter memory 2 which, in its turn, is connected to a charging centre 3.

The call counter memory 2 can be located e.g. in a telephone exchange (not shown). In accordance with the invention, an outgoing call from the telephone subscription, i.e. the telephone set 1 in the embodiment illustrated, is checked by the call counter memory 2 with regard to whether or not the call is the first call to a specific country and/or specific area and/or specific telephone number. If that is the case, a record of the call is made in the call counter memory 2. If such a call has already been made, the corresponding record in the call counter memory 2. is stepped by 1. i.e. corresponding records are summed.

Thus, in the call counter memory 2. a call activity log is kept and that log is updated every time a call is made.

In accordance with the invention, this call activity log is used as a basis for special or discounted call charging. For example, upon agreement with the telecommunications operator, the five or ten or more telephone numbers most frequently called, as determined by means of the call activity log, could be subject to discounted charging.

To accomplish this. e.g. the call counter memory 2 could comprise means adapted to sort the call activity log with respect to call activity towards a specific country, area or telephone number, whereupon part of the log in the call counter memory 2, e.g. the five or ten most frequently called telephone numbers, would be transferred to the charging centre 3 at predetermined times, e.g. every third month, for further handling. As an alternative, the whole log could, of course, be transferred to the charging centre 3 to be sorted in accordance with some predetermined criteria.

Thus, in accordance with the invention, the subscribers do not have to inform the telecommunications operators in advance about which telephone numbers should be subject to discounted charging. Consequently, the operators would not have to program any telephone numbers into the telephone exchange. Instead, a simple agreement could be made between the telecommunications operators and the subscribers, e.g. that calls to a certain country and/or area and/or telephone number should be subject to discounted charging, e.g. if the number of calls exceeds a predetermined number during a predetermined time interval.

Hereby, the administration of discounted call charging by the telecommunications operators, will be greatly simplified. This could then lead to lower rates for the subscribers requesting such a service.

Claims

1. A method of enabling special call charging of a telephone subscription. characterized in - that an outgoing call is checked with regard to whether or not the call is the first call to a specific country and/or a specific area and/or a specific telephone number,

- that, if that is the case, a record of the call is made in a call counter memory (2) associated with the telephone subscription,

- that, if that is not the case, the previous record of a corresponding call in the call counter memory (2), is stepped by 1, and

- that at least parts of the records of the calls are transferred to a charging centre (3) as a basis for special call charging.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that said parts of the records are transferred at predetermined times.

3. An apparatus for enabling special call charging of a telephone subscription, characterized in that it comprises a call counter memory (2) associated with the telephone subscription, and means adapted - to check an outgoing call with regard to whether or not the call is the first call to a specific country and/or a specific area and/or a specific telephone number.

- if that is the case, to make a record of the call in the call counter memory (2),

- if that is not the case, to step the previous record of a corresponding call in the call counter memory (2) by 1, and - to transfer at least parts of the records of the calls, to a charging centre (3) as a basis for special call charging.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3. characterized in that said means are adapted to transfer said parts of the records at predetermined times.